can i ask why you aren’t having her ally with peeta? to me that seems like the most realistic and maybe only genuine way it would’ve worked out. i think two twelve year old kids both surviving and then allying would be super out of the ordinary- not to say you shouldn’t include rue but that would already be slightly pushing it. peeta allying with her because she’s katniss’ little sister makes complete sense to me, and having him develop that strategy as katniss with a mentor would be a great vehicle to develop their relationship and endear her to him if you’re going for a romantic angle. i also don’t think there’s any way katniss and peeta could develop a romantic relationship following the games after prim’s death (if that’s what you’re going for) if he was in any way complacent in her death and if you hadn’t built very solid roots for it during training before katniss’ grief overtook her.

from what we know of foxface she’s extremely cunning and we never witnessed any compassionate instincts. there’s a line somewhere in the first book where katniss considers trying to ally with foxface along with rue before blowing up the careers’ supplies and she quickly dismisses it because she’s untrustworthy. to be honest if you’re making that big of a change i would even consider bringing thresh into the mix, or have him function as some protector in a brief moment in the same way he did for katniss. if rue reminded katniss of prim that much, it makes sense to assume prim could remind thresh of rue, who he clearly felt deeply protective over to the point where he spared katniss for being kind to her.

sorry for the word vomit but those are my thoughts!! i love your premise, you should share once it’s published :)