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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Aug 2, 2020 17:53:27 GMT -5
Luka seemed to hesitate. Though she slunk back, there was more pain than her shoulder, pain she’d gotten used to over the years. Small aches most the time, that reminded her. She felt like she’d go insane without it, and she didn’t need his pity or complaints.
”Pain isn’t a disadvantage. Thinking we can fix every bruise at the expense of another? That’s the real bugger,” She commented, deciding to dive towards Laurie’s packages of alcoholic beverages. Fishing one out, she practically tossed one at Kaz and one at Lucien. She looked at Sanna, deciding she did enough to the woman that day in regards to fire and instead gently set a bottle close to her feet should she want it. Fishing out a second, fruity alcoholic beverage, Luka plopped down, popping off the cap, throwing her head back, and guzzling a good amount.
Her face screwed over a bit, though it seemed whatever sting was there was gone rather quickly. It was almost like Pascal with his coffee, but nothing could be as bad as Pascal with his coffee. She swirled the contents of the bottle around then, glancing at the fire for a moment, ”I can already tell this was a f*cking terrible idea,” she commented, almost in a subdued fashion.
”Luka spit it out.” Loki commanded, as if talking to a dog, and she decided to retaliate by taking another drink, getting used to the soft stinging sensation it brought.
”Chill Loki, it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve drank,” absolutely a debatable topic. Still, she lead a team of powered individuals, if she was chosen by a bunch of gods, she could at least have this going for her. ”So any ideas on what stupid things to do now?”
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 3, 2020 14:57:01 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES AU SNIPPET Diana Helios was not what Lane had expected.
She was a woman of about 24, maybe 25, and she didn't seem to go in for the Capitol trend of body modification - or if she did it was subtle. Taller than average and slender, she moved with a grace and elegance Lane couldn't ever hope to emulate. She was someone who was used to being watched; someone accustomed to performance. That was clear in the way she held herself, in the upwards tilt of her chin, the straightness of her back. There was a poise there, and Lane detected more than anything a curious anticipation. As if she was prepared to have to suddenly spring into action and fight. Something she'd seen sometimes among people from the districts but never a Capitolite.
Diana's hair cascaded down past her shoulders in carefully cultivates waves; even her hair seemed to have a fine glitter in it that made it shimmer. Her eyes were blue with an almost silvery or lavender-like tone to them, and she seemed to favour cool tones in her clothing. This was curious to Lane, who was familiar with many of the stylists for the Games, since they returned year on year; for she was also familiar with Diana's brother, stylist for District 2. Alistair was the opposite of his younger sister, and favoured warm tones and gold just as she favoured cool tones and silver.
The elegant stylist had taken one look at Lane, smiled approvingly, and declared that she knew just what they should wear.
This was how Lane ended up in an impossibly colourful chariot outfit. Her blue and yellow dyed hair was tied back into a neat bun in the style of the transport workers of her district, just made to look a little more fancy for the parade. Her eyes were made impossibly large as they were covered with dark eyeshadow, and with rainbow colours decorating her crease as if to emulate city lights from a high-speed train. A similar neon effect was created on her lips with bright purple and pink colours. She'd never worn makeup before, so this was uncomfortable, but none of this process was comfortable. Certainly not the eternity the rest of the stylist team had spent prepping Lane for Diana. As for jewellery, earrings and a necklace resembling traffic lights adorned her.
The dress she was presented with was also bright; a neon green thing that went down to around her ankles in a flowy material. She noted that in the back it had two long pieces of material, one on each shoulder, that created a king of cape effect. Diana said something about it creating 'movement' but Lane didn't really understand what she was talking about.
It was as good a representation of her district as any, which was good because it was difficult to get a good parade outfit for District 6. Especially what with the outfits getting more and more extravagant every year as stylists tried to out-compete one another.
Once Diana was satisfied, Lane had headed out onto the parade ground where she met up with Pascal, in a green suit to match her, though it was a slightly darker shade. She could appreciate that message; a united team, but also unique. Whether they ended up partnering up in the Arena or not, Lane didn't want to be immediately lumped together with Kaz in the minds of sponsors. It was better for both of them if, while they presented a united front, they differentiated themselves in the eyes of the audience. As their mentor always said, they had to catch the audience's attention as individuals.
Speaking of their mentor, Diana had just finished adding her finishing touches to both tributes before Remus headed over - hopefully to give them some last minute advice before the parade.
Remus was a victor from years back, though Lane couldn't remember which Games to be exact. He'd won maybe sometime between Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta? Or maybe that was too far back? She couldn't be sure, but it was at least twenty years ago. He was in his late thirties, early forties. His Games had been brutal but not eventful enough to be one of the ones the Capitol liked to rerun, so Lane was less familiar with his Games. All she knew was that he'd won at eighteen and over the years mentoring had gotten to him. Which made sense; she couldn't go through years and years feeling like she'd failed as she watched kids die, kids she was supposed to protect. That messed with your head.
"Alright," Remus said gruffly "this is the easy part, but also one of the most important. Neither of you are the types to be able to play the intimidating card, especially with that getup, so your best option is to play to the crowd. Smile. I trust you both know how to wave - do that too. Stand close to show you're friends but don't hold hands, we need the two of you to make independent impressions here. Put the focus on the crowd, not one another. To be frank if you manage to mess this up I don't have high hopes for the two of you, so just get out there."
With what Lane was sure Remus considered words of encouragement over and done with, the mentor gave a sharp nod and stepped aside so the tributes could mount their chariot; the anthem was already beginning to play.
She stood beside Kaz, hands gripping the front of the chariot as it started to move forward behind the others. One by one, the chariots carrying the tributes in colourful costumes moved out onto the Alleyway of the Tributes, and Lane and Kaz didn't have long to wait before they began the circuit too.
Lane blinked as the chariot brought them out into bright lights, but as soon as she saw the cheering crowd her grip on the front of the chariot loosened. Time to do as Remus had told her; look confident and happy. So she did, smiling widely as she waved to the cheering crowd, blowing kisses even.
She looked out into the crowd, but only too late did she notice the one audience member with a gun - so late that she didn't even have time for the smile to drop from her face before he fired.
A blinding, white hot pain in her right shoulder followed. Lane felt herself wobbling as she lifted a hand instinctively to the bullet wound; it came away bloody as her green dress was stained red. The air became smoky and filled with horrified screams. The world around her started to distort, so that all that was left was burning pain. She crumpled, but she was aware of hands catching her. Kaz.
Lane was barely aware of the chaos that ensued around her; her entire body was overtaken by such pain she couldn't even think straight, and she certainly couldn't move her arm or anything.
She was vaguely aware of people running around her, more gunshots ringing out. Peacekeepers, stylists and mentors began to usher the tributes towards the building, Kaz helping Lane as Diana and Remus rushed with them towards the building. It was at this point that medics ran to surround Lane outside the building, eager to assess her wound, all to visible as the blood stained her bright green dress.
She heard a lot of medical speak she didn't understand. Like they didn't know how badly damaged her subclavian artery was or whether the bullet had hit her brachial plexus. Stuff about being unsure right now as to whether she was going to need surgery, if any bone had been damaged.
The pain was getting too strong now, and Lane could feel her consciousness fading, the world darkening around her as she was ushered urgently into the Tribute Centre. Her breathing was becoming shallow and fast, each breath feeling like it was tearing her apart. She could hear the medics yelling about getting her some morphling.
One thing she did know was that the odds were now decidedly not in her favour. They didn't have to replace her now, and in fact they couldn't. She would be going into the Games at a severe disadvantage now.
Not that she predicted she was likely to win anyway, but she at least kind of wanted to get past the first few days.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 4, 2020 15:03:02 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES AU SNIPPETDistrict 11 was not exactly the best-off of the Districts, by any means. Hard labour out in the fields all day, particularly strict and watchful peacekeepers. Not to mention how impoverished the place was.
Being gay in District 11 shouldn't have been hard either, really. Panem didn't care too much about sexuality, or at least in theory it didn't. But Dillon Fillery's father did.
See, in District 11 people typically had large families, mainly because more kids meant more tesserae and it also meant more chance of all of your children surviving until adulthood. Adoption was available but it wasn't particularly easy, especially not in the lower districts, and even harder to make official. Not having kids wasn't an option in his father's eyes, not really.
Not to mention the fact that while there was no issue with sexuality usually in Panem, it wasn't really an issue that was talked about that much. People had more important things to worry about and romance and relationships didn't come up often in conversation in general.
Dillon lived only with his abusive father. His mother had run off a few years back with another man, and was pregnant with Dillon's half-sister. Of course, gossip about stuff like this spread quickly within the district, and everyone knew.
It was the morning of the reaping for the 91st Hunger Games. A morning that meant Dillon didn't have to go to work, which he really appreciated, but his dad was always on the worst moods on reaping days, something the fifteen-year-old knew all too well.
Thankfully, as Dillon awoke that morning, it became evident to him that his father was still asleep. Knowing better than to do anything to wake his father, Dillon got dressed as quickly as possible in his best clothes. His best clothes weren't that impressive by any means, but they were what he had available to him and he didn't really care about it all that much. Nobody in his district had a lot.
Leaving the house as quietly as possible, he opened the door to see a girl standing outside, her fist raised as if she'd been about to knock. She was Dillon's age and was small and slight, with big dark eyes and a heart-shaped face. She, unlike Dillon, had the brown skin that was more common within the district. She'd put a colourful ribbon a colourful ribbon in her hair that Dillon knew she'd been saving for months for the fabric for, and she'd even handmade her dress of the same fabric. Dillon's best friend, Briony, was resourceful like that.
He held a finger to his lips as he left the house, shutting the door behind him gently. In response to Briony's questioning look, Dillon nodded back towards the house.
"My dad's asleep," he answered by way of explanation
Briony just pursed her lips slightly, shaking her head a little.
"You really shouldn't have to tiptoe around him so much," was her response
"Easy for you to say," Dillon answered "you don't have to live with him."
Briony paused, seeming to consider whether it was worth replying or not. They'd argued about this time and time again, Briony always insisting Dillon should try and do something about his situation, and they never got anywhere with it. The plain truth was that even if Dillon wanted to do something, he didn't have a whole lot of options. He certainly didn't want to live with his mother and stepdad, that would never be an option. Briony had been offering for years to have her family take him in, but her house was cramped enough as it is and Dillon couldn't possibly allow her to do that.
Briony obviously knew that arguing would get nowhere, so she tactfully chose to change the topic instead, looking over Dillon's outfit with approval.
"You look great!" she complimented, "ready to go?"
Dillon nodded, but paused for a second when he noticed something about Briony's dress as she turned to lead the way. He touched her shoulder gently to get her to stop, before carefully retying the bow at the back so it was neater.
"Now we're ready," Dillon smiled you look beautiful."
And with that, they began on the quiet journey towards the square, watching the families drawing the shutters to their houses, wanting quiet on reaping day.
Briony had been Dillon's friend since even before either of them were eligible for the Games. They'd gone to school together and made fast friends then and been pretty much inseparable ever since, looking after one another's factories when possible. Dillon knew Briony's family didn't have it easy either, so he did everything he could to help make sure they were provided for.
"How many times is your name in this year?" Dillon asked, looking to his friend walking by his side
Briony didn't seem to want to answer, but a pointed look from Dillon told her that he wasn't going to back down, so she answered while keeping her gaze carefully on the path ahead of them.
"Twenty-four," was her answer
That was a big number for a fifteen-year-old, but Briony took a lot of tesserae. She had her, her three siblings, and her parents to provide for and wages from the fields weren't enough for that. Dillon nodded, looking down. He didn't know how to respond to that. He didn't want to tell her she shouldn't put her name in that many times, because it simply wasn't practical. She had to take tesserae, she didn't have a choice. And it was a matter of pride for Briony that she take care of her family.
"You?" she asked, obviously wanting to take the attention off herself
Dillon didn't like to answer that either. He took tesserae too, because his father liked him to earn his keep - one for him, one for Dillon. He also took an extra portion of tesserae to give for Briony for her family, should she ever need it. She took far too much of a burden for her family, and Dillon wanted to help.
"Sixteen," Dillon replied
Not that many times, really, but Briony shot him a look.
"You took tesserae for me again?" she asked furiously "Dillon, you idiot!"
Dillon just shook his head, refusing to speak about the topic any further. The two of them walked the rest of the journey in silence, though he knew Briony's anger with him wouldn't last. It never did.
They arrived at the square, and were separated after they gave their blood at the entrance to the square. Dillon went to stand with the boys, Briony with the girls.
Once there, they went through the usual routine of anthems, speeches and videos, before the Capitol escort went to choose the girl's name. Dillon found himself holding his breath, crossing his fingers.
Not Briony, not Briony, not Briony
"Irene Ashgar!"
Dillon let out a slight sigh of relief, though he did feel a pang of pity for the girl who got chosen. She seemed about a year older than him perhaps, and her demeanour was strong and confident. It wasn't often District 11 tributes seemed like they had a chance, but Irene was certainly one of them. Last year's tributes had seemed that way too, but alas neither of them had survived.
Next he watched the Capitol escort head over to choose the boy's name. Dillon hadn't really considered the chance of him getting chosen; he took tesserae, but not that much, and there were many much older people with their names in many more times. He didn't really think his name would come up, and if it did, well... there wasn't a lot he could do about that.
"Dillon Fillery!"
He started a second, as if he were in a dream. It took longer for him to recognise that his name had been called by Briony, who could be heard yelling his name from the other side of the square. With looks of pity, the boys around him parted to allow him a clear path to the stage. Not waiting to be marched up there by peacekeepers, Dillon approached the stage.
Those pitying looks were common in his district; District 11 tributes didn't tend to survive. Being reaped generally meant death, something Dillon knew all too well from watching previous Games.
He shook Irene's hand with a soft smile - wanting to do something to at least assure this girl that he did not want to be an enemy to her going into this - before turning back towards the crowd. He tried not to look at the area of the crowd he knew Briony was standing in.
Let the Games begin.
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Post by Lioncl on Aug 4, 2020 23:20:51 GMT -5
Daniel had tried to keep his eyes from meeting Lane's as she talked. He was slightly afraid that he would end up staring into them for too long and look like a giant idiot. He listened to what Lane had to say and while what she said was true, it was almost like things were going in one ear and out the other. If she knew what had happened the last time he had lost control of his temper, she probably would be scared of him. That thought immediately left him though when she moved into his line of sight and he locked eyes with her. When she asked him if she thought he was some monster, he scanned her face to try and see if he could tell what she thought of him but all he could see was someone looking at him with a kind, gentle, and understanding look. Daniel shook his head as he felt a small lump form in his throat as he realized that she truly didn't think of him like that. Daniel looked back down at his feet as he tried to hold back his emotions when suddenly Eydan started to talk. It seemed like Eydan was the understanding type as well. Honestly, he was most surprised that Eydan was trying to cheer him up. From what Daniel had heard, he had gotten really close to hurting Eydan. Daniel thought that Eydan would have definitely be trying to keep his distance after that whole ordeal. It took Daniel a few moments to finally speak since he was afraid his voice would crack due to his emotions. "Thanks, it means a lot to hear that from the two of you" he said, a small smile creeping on his face. At Eydan's last comment though, Daniel looked over at the man for a second. He knew how Eydan felt since he felt the same but he wondered what his circumstances were. Daniel looked between the two "Can I ask a question though? Why do you both care what I'm doing? From my experience, people mostly just leave me alone when I get like this" he said
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Post by Nariku The Avaricious on Aug 5, 2020 9:10:47 GMT -5
Theo took a couple of sips from his drink, looking at Ariella as she spoke. A part of himself seemed to stiffen at her question, as if he took offense to someone questioning how much alcohol he’s had in his adult life. His brain couldn’t process if she could tell it was his first time, or if it was just an innocent question from her
“Of course I havbe” Theo replied in a joking manner, his words somewhat slurring, but it was hard to tell if it was intentional, or just a part of the joke. “I’m tweny one-” his sentence was momentarily interrupted when he suddenly felt nauseated. A little bit of drool dripped out of the side of his mouth as his eyes glazed over, not focusing on anything despite staring intently at the void in front of him. After a few moments of stillness, the feeling subsided, leaving him with a gross feeling overall. He took a hand and rubbed his face, almost forgetting that Ariella was still there.
“Yeah” The muttered, slightly less enthusiastic “Of course, lots of times. Everyone knows that’s what you do when you turn twenty one. People who don’t do that are just losers.” Theo took another sip of his beer, not seeming to be phased by the taste anymore.
“Yeah, just losers who don’t deserve being around other people for being so insufferable. I mean, who would want to hang around someone who’s just a weak dumb*ss who’s not even good at anything,” Theo joked in a pretty obviously sarcastic tone, but the pained expression in his eyes seemed to convey a different story.
Forcing a laugh, he exclaimed “What’s funny is he thinks that lying is supposed to somehow make him cooler, because we all know, deep down, nothing about him is actually good enough for people! What an idiot, am I right?”
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Aug 5, 2020 16:28:23 GMT -5
Chapter Six: What Happens Behind Closed Doors? “Standing here and doing nothing makes you appear cowardly and weak.” The reprimand caused Luka to tense, her fingernails digging crescents into her hands, as she pointedly glared at the tributes at various stations. It was no secret that some of them though her weird and incompetent. They thought they were quiet when they remarked that all she ever did was hide by her mentor.
“You’re the one who told me not to get into trouble!” Luka snapped back, harshly, under her breath. The ribbon tied into her hair was, well, basically her token. It was a simply piece of fabric, baby blue like her eyes, gifted to her by the only family she ever had before they-
“And that means being completely out of it?” Juliet snapped back, practically looming over the smaller career. The woman was a mentor, a girl who taught at the academy. The woman Luka hated but also tried so hard to earn the praise of.
Luka snarled then, barely concealing her anger, other than her tight-lipped smile, “You’re the one who said I never do anything right. Always the trouble-maker, right? I’m just staying out of trouble, but since you have such a problem with it,” She seethed, tossing a glare over her shoulder before stepping forward, heading towards a group of tributes.
The girl from 12, the young one, and her close friend were training together with some knives, while the boy from 8 stood awkwardly near by, looking like he wanted to talk to them, but staying back. Eventually he gave in, walking over to guide the young girl, though he had a soft look directed at the boy from 12.
All of this Luka had noticed while arguing, and yet, as she went to meet up with the group, a harsh grip on her wrist stopped her. Juliet was not at all gentle nor kind. Instead, Juliet pulled Luka back, tugging her wrist up, to the point Luka was fearful she may have been lifted by the limb. Had it been anyone else nearby, Luka would have fought. Luka was trained as an assassin, a killer, skills you picked up at the academy, and while young, she was a good student in her class. Sure, not as good as Macaria Slayte. Luka herself lacked in physical strength in many regards, but she was flexible and quick-witted and dangerously clever.
However, Juliet was a proven killer, a winner of game’s years back, where she was ruthless and strong. Luka knew she stood no chance in fighting her, so Luka pushed down all instincts to lash out. Though, she still writhed slightly, trying to not cause a scene, luckily no one seemed to pay attention anyways.
“Don’t get an attitude with me. I saved you. You’re life was in my hands, and it still is.” Juliet warned, voice low, dangerous. She wasn’t wrong though, as a mentor, Juliet got to control how sponsors gifts were applied. If Luka wasn’t careful, all earning would go to Eydan. Then again, they likely already would.
Another tribute walked into the room, Sanna from 1, whose arm was patched up after yesterday’s events, and Luka harshly stilled her arm free, staggering back from the force and doing her best to ignore the pain it brought. Her eyes locked on Juliet’s, before she glowered, “I am not scared of you.”
With that, rubbing her sore wrist, a bloom of red skin covering the joints, she stalked off, cursing under her breath with every new step.
“My name is River, this is Echo,” River, the boy from 12, with the ginger hair and freckles, introduced himself and Echo to the boy from 8, who grinned in reply, the boys shaking hands nearby.
“Laurie, it’s a pleasure to meet you both, though the timing is unfavorable,” Laurie joked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly after shaking hands. There seemed to be the faintest of pink blooming over his cheeks as he glanced down, shuffling his feet, “I’m not good with knives, but maybe I can help?”
River nodded, and Luka watched as Laurie picked up a throwing knife, looking at it in an unsure manner, before haphazardly throwing it at the target ahead. She held back a chuckle as it wildly missed the target, barely making it a few feet and clinking to the ground.
River chuckled, and Echo patted Laurie’s arm in a teasing manner. Though Laurie looked back, stopping midlaugh at the sight of Luka, an almost weary, terrified look crossing his face.
Luka glanced between Laurie and the other two, who seemed confused for a moment, before deciding to see what drew Laurie’s attention. Upon seeing her, River pushed himself in front of Echo protectively, the girl shrunk back in fear, and Laurie looked lost on what to do.
Hiding her arm behind her back, and tapping against the reddened wrist, she offered a cocky smile, sauntering closer to the three and grinning as they staggered back slightly. With a final tug, she unbuttoned the cuffs of the sleeves, behind her back, allowing them to cascade over the soft bruises and scratches. As a tribute in 2, injuries were quite frequent, though Luka didn’t like to show them often times. Especially bruises, bruises meant that one could easily be hurt, that they could be viewed as delicate.
And opinions cost everything in the Hunger Games. Finally extending her arms in grandious manner, she did her trademark salute towards the 3 tributes, “Your mistake was quite simple, here,” she picked up a knife, offering it to Laurie, as River wasn’t about to let himself or Echo near a career. Hesitantly, the boy from 8 took it, so Luka grabbed another.
Holding her hand out, she showed how to hold it. She then positioned herself, allowing Laurie time to mimic the position, and let her fingers cover the correct placements on the blade, before she flicked her wrist, sending the knife flying at the target. It sunk in near the outer edge, and she pouted slightly. Obviously, throwing knives wasn’t her strongest suit, it took accuracy that was hard to possess, and she had no idea how Macaria achieved it.
Laurie snorted at her throw, but threw his himself. She threw a glare at him when it hit closer to the center than hers did, though she made sure to cross her arms, “How the hell?! You’re a natural!”
“I think that was dumb luck. Literally anything good I do I dumb luck,” Laurie responded, looking between the knife and her in amazement. Even River smirked slightly, though he glared at Luka.
“Why are you over here?” And ouch, man was he straight to the point.
“Didn’t know I needed permission to talk to people,” She muttered under her breath, though in reality, it wasn’t really meant to be secret, they all obviously heard, “You do not play around.” She noted.
The boy, obviously taller than her, for shits sake everyone was taller than her, and he glowered, “Yeah, I don’t. It’s the Hunger Games, I don’t think that’s something to play around with.”
“The word Game is in the title. Being sent into an arena to die isn’t fun, yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a buzzkill up until that point.” She pointed out, words spit out like venom. River looked like he was ready to speak again, so she held up a hand, “Look, I got the message. Careers don’t tend to talk about or whatever, not that I’d know, I’ve never done this before,” she commented, a bit under her breath, and sincerely wishing for a pen and paper to write down her thoughts, “The point is, I’m not asking you to trust me, but can you stop acting like an asshole?”
“Look Two, some of us don’t want to get ourselves killed by making friends with manipulators,” River pointed out, and Luka bit out a small chuckle. The reference didn’t go over her head. Luka followed a prodigy from the year before, Macaria, the manipulator. Wormed her way into the heart of the boy from 1, a love that could have killed them if Everest and Amadrya didn’t do so first.
“Have it your way then, Twelve, good luck in the arena, given that you can get your head out of your ass.” She grinned, backing up at his angered look, saluting to both Echo and Laurie. “See you later, buggers.”
Turning, head held high, she exited the room, doing her best to avoid the trio of Clementine, Irene, and Chiara, though she found herself glaring at the three when she entered the elevator. Those three were no good, none at all.
Clenching her fist, she closed her eyes as the doors closed.
—
That night, when mostly everyone went to rest, Luka decided to get some peaceful training in. Without the looming figures of the other careers around, or the constant hum of forming allegiances.
When the elevator door opened, she stepped out, the dim lighting filled some of the ambient darkness, though shadows still loomed. The rash that had bloomed was mostly gone, though she still rubbed at the wrist, an anxious manner of hers.
“I don’t think I stand a chance,” A voice loomed, and Luka froze upon hearing it. Ducking behind a banister, she kept listening, peaking her head around to look at the people talking.
The blue-haired girl from 6, walking with her District partner. Their were bandaged all over her shoulder, and she looked tired. She must have just gotten released from the medics, woken up from surgery and did some therapy to help. And the boy must have went to help her up to their room.
“Of course you do, Lane, this won’t stop you.” So the girl’s name was Lane, and the boy was apparently a liar. There was no way a wound like that would just be like a minor scratch. Of course, it didn’t completely ruin her prospects, in years past, kids got injured horribly during the bloodbath and still came out on top. But it didn’t mean that this girl stood any chance.
Most of those injured tended to be Careers, this girl, Lane, stood little chance in the games. The only sponsors she would get would likely be out of pity.
“Kaz, I’m not stupid, I’m not going to give up Obviously, but man, be realistic.” Lane pointed out, leaning into the boy, who had an arm around her to sustain her weight. They were walking in Luka’s direction, though a bit to the right, towards the elevators that Luka had exited. Ducking, Luka decided to just listen to the conversation.
“I am! I’ve seen tons of underdogs rise up! That’s how Atticus won!” The boy.
The girl snorted, and Luka could hear it, “Atticus won because his sister was killed by the Career Pack and he was pissed off.”
“Okay, I am not going to go off and die for us to test that theory. But seriously, everyone gets injured eventually in the games, that doesn’t mean you’re going to die.”
“Can we please just stop talking about it?” A moment of hesitance, of silence, “Kaz, you’re aware I can’t press the button right now, my arm’s in a sling and the other I’m using to lean on you.”
“Oh yeah, right!” Peeking her head up, Luka spotted the boy hit the button for the floor that District 6 stayed in, the doors opened, and like teeth, closed behind the two tributes.
Finally standing up, Luka went off to the station with knives, spinning one in a contemplative manner in her hand. She leaned her elbow into the table, resting her head on her hand, and contemplated the many things she had learned that day. About the other tributes, and the stupid deals the Careers had made with those delinquents from 3, 5, and 11.
She froze, however, when she felt someone grab her shoulder, though it was only a moment, because in the next, she had spiraled around with the knife poised to attack, a somewhat craze disease look to her gaze, panicked for a moment. Moments from the academy flashed in her mind for a moment, most being punishments at failed tests or fights gone wrong.
Casually being the scapegoat sometimes got a big nerve wracking.
She was shocked to see Alistair waving at her, looking between the knife and her in a Yeah right, just try it kid fashion. She chuckled, dropping it back on the table, and returning the wave.
He smiled, began to sign, before he seemed to remember that she didn’t understand sign. She put it on one of her to-do lists for if she survived this whole event. Right behind, you know, trying to not go insane.
She laughed softly, reaching into a pocket, where a small notepad was, one she snatched from the room she stayed in. She offered it up, alongside a pen, and tapped her foot as she waited.
He seemed shocked at the offer, but took it, and began to write. After a few moments, he passed it over.
Are you alright? You were in the room one minute, and the next, Juliet’s complaining about you running off again, she winced at the again part, because he wouldn’t understand what Juliet meant by that. Still, she took the notepad back, writing her reply back. Of course, he could hear, he was simply an avox afterall, but she felt better writing.
Wanted to train.
She handed it back, passing the pen back too. He didn’t believe her, he was much too smart, and wrote out his reply again.
What did she do this time?
He showed it, and she shook her head, “Nothing, she didn’t do anything.”
I’m not stupid. You have bruises and cuts everywhere, what happened? He was smart, and caring, and seemed genuinely concerned.
“She didn’t do anything. I’m just reckless, that’s all.” She said, and it didn’t not escape either of them how much it sounded like she’s was trying to convince herself of the fact, “Anyways, it won’t be of any concern anymore.”
She turned, giving him one last, weak grin, snatching back her notepad, before stalking away, leaving he stylist to watch her with a weary gaze. Punching her floor into the elevator, she stepped back in, looking back at Alistair.
He looked somewhat lost, looking at her, as if trying to find out how to help, but she just stood up straighter, clasping her hands in front of her, and did her typical, cocky salute as the elevator doors closed, cloaking her in darkness.
She was going to prove she was more than just some killers kid. She was going to prove she was more than some accident. She was going to prove that she was worth it.
Either that, or she’d die trying.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 5, 2020 18:10:17 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES AU SNIPPET Chiara stood in line to be interviewed; being that she was from District 3, she didn’t have too long to wait before her interview could begin.
Her stylist had very clearly gone with a star theme. She wore a gold asymmetrical dress, which was a little shorter than knee length at the front and trailed the ground at the back. It was a halter-neck, so left little room for jewellery apart from a delicate gold star choker necklace and a pair of delicate star stud earrings. Her hair was in a half-up, half-down style and secured with star pins, but the snow-white lock at the front of her head was left loose to draw more attention to it. A starry headpiece also decorated her head. Her eyes were covered in gold eyeshadow, her lips left relatively nude. Thanks to the Capitol products and work of her stylists, her skin had been made to almost glow. She looked far different than she’d ever seen herself.
As she waited nervously by the wall, hands grabbing the hem of her dress as she waited to be called, she remembered the conversation she’d had with her mentor, Phineas Liu. He’d won the 79th Games, as she remembered, and had been a useful mentor thus far.
____
“You have a new Master of Ceremonies this year,” he had explained as he flicked a screen on in front of Chiara and Jason to show clips from Burton’s Ganes, “Catulllus Acton, AKA Burton Acton,”
The new Master of Ceremonies thing didn’t surprise her at all. The last Master of Ceremonies had made a fatal mistake, and it had been known by everybody that he wasn’t going to be presenting the next Games.
”Okay, I mean, we saw him just last year,” Chiara commented “shouldn’t that make this easier? We know this guy.”
Phineas shook his head.
“You know him, not Catullus. It’s fairly clear to anyone with a brain that Burton’s big image change and his new job is an attempt to quell some of the anger towards the Capitol that came up last year, mainly as a result of Holly Alandria.” the mentor explained
Holly. Everybody knew Acton and Alandria had been in love, it was patently obvious, and Burton had his own rebellious side too. The two had been a danger to the Capitol right from the start, along with some of the other tributes from the previous year.
“Overall, don’t forget he’s going to be making it a priority that everything said in interviews this year is above board or it’ll reflect badly on him. He’s a Capitol puppet at this point. But he should be friendly, and you can consider him an ally. He was in your position only last year and I’ve no doubt he’ll do everything he can to help. Just go easy on him, okay? He’s a good kid, I’ve met him personally, and he was never the same after last year.”
_____
Chiara looked up towards the stage as she heard Catullus Acton call out her name. She paused, letting go of the hem of her dress. She took a deep breath and put her shoulders back before smoothing out the skirt of her dress. Putting as confident an expression on her face as she could muster, Chiara stepped out onto the stage.
The lights were as blinding as the audience’s cheers were deafening as she walked across the stage, the distance to the chair in which she had to sit feeling a million miles wide.
She waved a little to the crowd as she walked over, and by the time she got there Burton had already stood to shake her hand, before the two of them sat down at the same time.
He was wearing his old stylist Livia’s signature blue and gold; blue hair, blue and gold suit, blue and gold makeup. She noted a couple of strange things about his appearance that weren’t normal, though; where normally he’d be wearing some kind of tie - as he had in the clips from the tribute parade and the reaping commentaries - he wore a gold chain around his neck, tucked under his collar but over his shirt. It was very short, almost like a choker, and she noticed a little gold padlock holding it together. This had obviously come out of the events of the tribute parade and Chiara knew the symbolism of that costume choice all too well.
He also wore something she’d seen him wearing in his interview outfit a year ago, given to him by Livia; a large blue sewing needle on the lapel of his jacket. Clearly a reference to his home district.
Right now, he was flashing her a dazzling smile as he crossed one leg across his lap and looked to Chiara.
“Welcome, Chiara Belcher, this year’s female tribute from District 3. Thank you for joining us tonight.”
Chiara laughed then, waving Burton off.
“Please, Catullus, you know I don’t have a choice!” she answered
Burton laughed then too, looking to the audience with some kind of comment like ‘isn’t she funny?’ before turning his attention back to her more seriously.
“Now, I think there is an elephant in the room that needs addressing, and you’re a smart girl so I’m sure you know what it is. Would you like to comment on the unprecedented events at this year’s tribute parade?”
Chiara seemed to consider her answer for a moment. She crossed her legs, looping her hands around one knee as she decided on her answer.
“I think that whatever one thinks of the perpetrator’s political affiliations, shooting at the tributes was unnecessary. The Hunger Games is inherently political, I don’t deny that, especially considering the period of our history out of which it comes. However, we should not be politicised just for being tributes. But unfortunately we are, despite most of us not being here voluntarily”
She had hopefully not said anything too bad there. She’d flirted with the line a little, but she hadn’t said anything bad about the Capitol, only maybe implied it, certainly not anything that could get Burton into trouble.
The man, maybe only a few years older than her, nodded. She caught a flash of concern in his eyes maybe, as he tried to figure out if what she’d said would be acceptable.
“Thank you for that astute comment. Now, there is considerable debate as to what should be done in terms of the injured tributes. It’s become clear that they do not need to be replaced, and the Capitol does not intend to do so, but what is your view on that?” Burton questioned
“Oh, well I think that’s the Capitol’s decision, and they know better than I do on this issue. If you ask me, though, they ought to be replaced. The odds of these tributes have been significantly affected by their injuries, not to mention their training scores. This is going to lose them sponsors, which are their only hope of surviving with injuries like that. The ripple effect goes beyond just their actual performance in the Games. The Capitol cannot hope to say they have a fair chance going into the Games with injures like that. Not to mention that it makes the Games less interesting for the audience.”
Burton nodded, seeming to pause thoughtfully, before moving on to the next question.
“Thank you. Now, Chiara, tell us about your home life. Got any family? A lover, maybe? Surely a pretty girl like you has someone special rooting for them from home?”
Chiara shook her head, chuckling a little
“I don’t have time for romance, never did, nor do I want it. My focus has always been my work back home, my scientific projects. As for family, I have my father.”
Burton seemed relieved at the mention of her father. Clearly the scientific projects angle wasn’t good. She’d already established she was smart, now Burton was trying to help her capture the crowd’s heart. Show she had caring and whatnot.
“Right, your father. And did he come to see you before you left? What did he say?”
Chiara looked down for a moment, the gold flecks in the stupid fake eyelashes her stylist had put on flashing as her eyes moved down then back up to meet Burton. Her face was instantly less calm at the mention of her father as she struggled to keep the same measured expression she’d had before.
“He told me he loved me and made me promise to try my hardest to come home, no matter what. I said I would.” she responded
Technically she wasn’t lying, her father had said all of those things. But it wasn’t exactly representative of their normal relationship. The audience probably thought she was way closer with her father than she actually was.
Burton leaned forward, placing his hand comfortingly atop hers and squeezing it encouragingly. A show of sympathy, but also showing her she was doing a good job.
“I’ve no doubt you’ll try, Miss Belcher.” he smiled
But now they had to move on to a different topic; the end of the interview was when most of the questions about strategy came up.
“So Chiara, how are you feeling about your chances in the Games?”
Chiara wasn’t smiling when he asked that, but her expression wasn’t nervous or discouraged. She did nothing to suggest she might think her chances low.
“I think intelligence and an inventive mind can get anyone through the Games with a little bit of luck. Common sense and strategy are more important than training or brute strength in my opinion. So I think if I do this right, there’s no reason I can’t be the one to come out of this alive.” she answered
Burton smoothly then used that to segue into his final question.
“Talking of doing it right, that brings us to my final question for you this evening. You’ve been seen with the tributes from 1, 2 and 4 a lot in training, or so I hear. You’re going into the Games tomorrow morning. Care to tell us a little about your strategy?”
Chiara laughed a little then.
“Rule one of not dying is not revealing your strategy the day before,” she smiled “but since it’s you who asked... I am indeed teaming up with them. It was mutually beneficial for both of us. Other than that, I’ll be keeping my plans to myself.”
Plans which did not, could not, involve letting the career pack play out the way they always did. She wasn’t going to be there if and when that thing broke down and everyone started killing one another. Not unless she was going to be the first one to strike.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 6, 2020 13:48:57 GMT -5
Laurie was more than happy with River's suggestion that they stay there a little longer. It was beautiful out there, and certainly the young man felt more than comfortable to stay there for hours if needed. He didn't really want this moment to end.
Maybe that was what made the immortality of the gods so sweet; moments like this could last forever if they wanted it to.
"Sure," Laurie nodded "We can stay as long as you want."
He moved slightly closer to River then as the other boy looked up at the stars, Laurie's own eyes scanning the sky, but not before he'd had a look at River and made a mental note of what the other boy looked like with starlight in his eyes.
Then River seemed to point out a constellation, and Laurie followed to where the other boy pointed, smiling softly as he found that the other boy had picked out a constellation - and a good one too.
"Ah, you found Hercules," Laurie explained "You see? He's kneeling."
Laurie traced the shape of the constellation with his fingers before explaining the story.
"Hercules, or as Ariella knows him, Herakles, was returning from one of his labours when he was attacked by Ligurians in northern Italy, right next to what's now France. He shot at them until he ran out of arrows but the battle was too hard, so he knelt and prayed to his father Zeus, who made rocks rain down from the sky, which he used to pelt his enemies and win the battle. When he later died, Zeus set him in the stars as that constellation, kneeling in prayer. He kept on fighting and completing his labours despite how badly fate treated him."
That was the version of the myth Denise had told him, anyway. He was sure there were many. But he had a very different thought on his mind at that point as he turned to look back at River.
"All we can hope for is that the gods don't make all of us Heracles." he murmured
The gods seemed to have a habit of expecting rather too much from their heroes.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 6, 2020 15:44:42 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES AU SNIPPETSeeing as Dillon was from District 11, he had plenty of time to wait before his interview with Catullus. He didn't really like that, since it left him too much time stuck in his thoughts, but what could he do about it? He just had to wait his turn like everyone else and try not to think too much.
He was wearing undoubtedly the nicest suit he'd ever worn in his life; a nice charcoal-coloured suit with a pale gold pocket square and a pin in the shape of wheat on his lapel, clearly in an attempt to reference his home district. Not a bad outfit at all, really. District 11 rarely got particularly eye-catching outfits in the parade, but they could usually expect better in the interviews.
He heard Catullus call his name, so Dillon walked across the stage with a shy smile and a slightly awkward wave. Once he'd shaken Catullus' hand, the fifteen-year-old could sit down and prepare for the interview to begin.
"Dillon, welcome!" Burton smiled warmly, clearly trying to put Dillon at ease "How are you finding the Capitol?"
Catullus seemed to sit comfortably in his seat, confident. Dillon couldn't help but remember how natural Burton had been in his own interview a year ago, how comfortable in front of a camera he'd seemed. Laurie, the tribute who was Burton's successor this year, seemed to be the same. Dillon did his best to emulate them, trying to relax a little, though he was careful not to sit in a way that didn't feel natural to him.
"Different from District 11, that's for sure," was Dillon's responded with a chuckle
Catullus then seemed to want to draw more of an answer out of Dillon then, clearly wanting to get him talking more so he was prepared for the questions that would come later.
"I'd imagine so, yes," Catullus laughed "different good or different bad? Do tell."
It was stupid, really. Dillon knew that Burton knew exactly how the Capitol was different from the districts. Still, he had to separate what Burton wanted to ask from what the Capitol wanted to know.
"I won't go so far as to say different good, because I love my home and District 11 has a lot of people so I don't intend to make them angry," Dillon joked "but District 11 doesn't have chocolate-covered strawberries or chairs that come with remote controls."
He wasn't kidding, there. Chairs that needed an entire remote control for all their different settings. Which, yes, included massage. How did the Capitol have all these things when the Districts had nothing. Really, he hated that he'd even joked about how good the Capitol was, it felt like a betrayal of his district. But on camera, what else could he have said? He had to say the right things here.
"The food here is definitely something," Catullus agreed "I'm glad the Capitol is enjoyable for you. Now, talking of your arrival here, we have to talk about the tribute parade. Are you alright? How do you feel about what happened?"
The smile, just as it had dropped from his interviewer's face, dropped from Dillon's when this topic came up. It had been so scary, the events of the tribute parade, though the boy wasn't scared for himself; he'd been unhurt. It was more for the tributes who had been shot.
"I'm fine, really," Dillon replied "I wasn't hurt. What happened there was really scary, but I was more scared for the others who were hurt. I'm glad nobody was injured too seriously, and I hope those who were hurt recover quickly. Nobody deserves to go into the Games at a disadvantage."
He had many more thoughts about the events of the tribute parade, but they were too political and too dangerous for him to risk saying in an interview. Why the hell would he do that? He had people to protect.
"That's a very kind thing to say, Dillon. Now, a little change of topic, if you don't mind. Do you have people rooting for you at home?"
Well, Dillon wouldn't think his father was really rooting for him, and certainly he wouldn't want to talk about the last conversation he'd had with his father before he left. But he really should include him in his answer.
"Well, there's my dad. And my mom and stepdad," he answered "and Briony"
"Briony?" Catullus repeated, jumping on the name excitedly "Is she your girlfriend? A crush?"
"Oh, Jesus, no." Dillon laughed "I'm not the girlfriend kind of guy. She's my best friend, known her since we were kids. We look after one another's families, I put myself down for tesserae one extra time for her family and stuff like that"
Well, there was no harm in admitting it on camera, his dad wouldn't care. If Dillon died, it wouldn't matter anyway, and if he lived he'd be rich enough that his dad would forget all about the tesserae thing.
"You both take tesserae? Right, well think of it this way; you go out there and win this, you can bring home a ton of cash and a home in the Victor's Village and you can give Briony and her family everything she needs."
Dillon laughed lightly, a hand moving to the back of his neck.
"Yeah, that'd be ideal," he answered
"Did Briony say anything to you before you left?"
Now that conversation was one Dillon didn't want to recall for many reasons. Mainly because it was too emotional, too sad to think about without him getting visibly upset during the interview.
"Made me promise I'd try to come home - and that I'd name-drop her in my interview," he joked, but with a sad note to his words "and that I wouldn't give up."
Giving up was simply not an option in the Hunger Games; it meant death. Always. It had meant death for Everest Stonewell last year, at the hands of the very man in the royal blue suit interviewing Dillon at that second.
The man who was now giving him a sympathetic look.
"I've no doubt you won't give up" Burton assured him "Now, how are you feeling about the Games? Are you prepared?"
"No, but who is?" Dillon replied "if the Games were as predictable as everyone thinks we wouldn't have been able to do it for 90 years. I've been training, and that's all I can do. The other tributes are very good this year, but I just have to trust that what I have will be enough to get me through. I know a lot about plants, and healing, and I have more than a few survival skills under my belt, especially with training. I've done enough in training to know how to hold a weapon. I've got everything I need to be able to have a shot of outlasting the others, so I wouldn't count me out yet."
And that was it. A friendly farewell from Catullus, wishing Dillon the best of luck, and the interview was over.
The next time he'd be in front of a camera would be in the Arena.
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Post by 𝓼𝓲𝓵𝓿 on Aug 6, 2020 18:04:53 GMT -5
Kita Sveyn Champion of Athena When Jaso turned his questioning onto Kita, a bright flush crossed her cheeks and she laughed lightly and shook her head. Truthfully, she hadn't thought of anyone in a romantic way. She admired everyone of course, but she'd yet to really develop feelings for anyone. Of course, there was one who she couldn't help but think about now and then, a small hope that perhaps she'd noticed Kita too. But....no that wasn't a crush that was just.....well maybe it was. Her eyes focused back, realizing she'd drifted her gaze down to her lap with a dreamy sort of a smile on her face. It was when Guinevere told her how pretty she was that Kita once again blushed deeply and looked down, pushing back a small strand of hair. Then Griffin arrived and she sighed softly, happy for the conversation to move off of her for the moment. She gently took the bag of makeup from Guinevere's hands and scooted over, closer to Jason, offering Griffin a seat between she and Guinevere. As the others spoke, Kita looked quietly through the makeup, pulling out some mascara, eye liner, and soft pastel shades. "Pretty people." she repeated after Griffin with a light laugh, "You're pretty too Griffin, you know." she chimed gently, looking up to the tall boy with a genuine smile, "You have amazing hair." she added quietly before pulling a mirror towards her.
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Post by 𝓼𝓲𝓵𝓿 on Aug 6, 2020 18:13:17 GMT -5
Eydan Ganim Champion of Horus Eydan felt a bit of relief as he and Lane's words seemed to reach Daniel, and then that small smile crept to Daniel's lips and he even sighed a little in relief. As he listened to Daniel's question, he was a bit happy Lane was the first to answer as he had to think about how to put his own thoughts and feelings on the matter into words. He'd been through a lot this past year and this felt like a bit of therapy for it all. He was truly glad Lane was so quick to respond and so well-spoken on the matter. Then he nodded in agreement. "Like she said. It sucks to see others go through sh*t alone. From my own experience, I know how much your regrets and anger can eat you up inside. And it's not something I wanna see others go through now." Eydan paused for a moment, taking a sip of his beer, his eyes moving to rest on the groups of people around them. "But, we've got each other now. And each of us brings something unique and special. I think we all know what being alone feels like so it's kind of that empathy we've got. We wanna keep each other safe, and we wanna make sure we all know that...we've sort of got a place to belong to now." Then he looked back again to the two, "Plus, I gotta look out for you all, I am the oldest anyway." Eydan smiled brightly then, pushing away those painful memories to take in the new possibilities he had ahead of him. The chances to make things right and to prove he was more than his past. He could feel something inside, like wings starting to spread, lifting a bit of that weight inside of him.
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Post by 𝓼𝓲𝓵𝓿 on Aug 6, 2020 18:23:49 GMT -5
Kaz McDermont Champion of Hecate Seeing as everyone had hashed out their qualls, Kaz smirked and put his hands up, resting them atop his head and nodding. "Like she said man, you're the healer and all but, look out for yourself too okay." with that, he slapped a hand against Lucien's back. Kaz's eyes went wide then as Luka chucked a drink at him, he managed to catch it but was sure the drink would fizz over if he opened it at this point and huffed a bit at Luka, "Man, now I gotta wait." he muttered before settling down next to her and looking at the drink she'd thrown to him. A beer? He wasn't sure, it was darker now and the firelight was a bit dim. Oh well, he'd drink it anyway. Risking the explosion, Kaz opened the drink a bit away from him and let the fizz run over the can and calm down before taking a swing and giving a "eeeeuuuggh" of disgust, "This is sh*t" he laughed before taking a couple more swigs. His eyes turned up to Sanna and Lucien then, noting the gentler way that Luka had given Sanna the drink he smiled a little. So, the viper wasn't all bite. He thought to himself. Taking one more drink, Kaz's eyes moved around then, and he realized something, "Hey....our song worked." he laughed lightly, pointing out that River and Laurie were now gone from the group to the others. That wry smile back again.
Sanna Dubois Champion of Hephaestus Things settled back, Naida had her fit, Cleo and Chiara went to calm her, and the others all went back to their groups. Sanna's eyes flicked around to each small group of people, admiring how the others had seemed to find their people. Then she watched Luka, chucked the drinks to the boys, hesitated, and set the drink down for Sanna. A grateful nod was given before Sanna set herself down on the log and glanced over the label of the drink. Fruity, 7%, bubbly. That should do. She cracked it open and took a couple sips, taking in that sweet burn of alcohol that was oh so familiar to her. For a moment taking her back to a lamp-lit apartment and nights on the couch with an arm about her shoulders. The moment was dashed though and she pushed it back, as far as she could. The smile fading once again. At Kaz's comment, Sanna chuckled softly, "You three really know how to set the mood I guess. Serenades and candlelight." she smirked and winked light-heartedly to Luka before tipping her drink to the girl and taking another drink, "L'amour est dans l'air." she added.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Aug 6, 2020 18:39:38 GMT -5
Chapter Seven: A Greek Tragedy Days had passed since the incident that yielded in the injuries of Sanna and Lane. Days that saw the formation of many allegiances. The Careers had banded together with some lower districts, if the appearance of Irene, Chiara, and Clementine always being with them was to be gone by.
Guinevere watched many things happen in the few days. She watched as tributes were shot as a manner of political rebellion, she watched as Laurie befriended the young girl from 12, Echo, and fell more for River. A stupid thing it was, love, and she had seen it so many times.
The boy from 1 and the girl from 2 had some fling in the arena, it started with jokes, and became much more. Both Alessandro and Macaria met their end, which was likely for the best, given their close bond they had formed. The boy from 2, and the girl from 7 had fallen for one another, and in the end, Everest had killed Amadrya and had become a shell of a man afterwards, to the point he didn’t fight back against Burton. Then there was Burton, the boy from 8, and his District partner, Holly. Both had hit it off since the beginning, and had fallen for one another in the midst of their allegiance, but in the end, Holly sacrificed herself to keep Burton safe, and now Burton wasn’t even himself anymore, it ha changed him.
Tragedies, everything with love ended with tragedy. Even in those myths, love ended in ruin. Young Echo fell for Narcissus, but Narcissus only loved himself, enraptured by his own glory, while Echo was doomed only to repeat back what she was told. They both died, because that’s what love in tragedy brought you. Midas was the same, all he touched was gold, and he lost everything he had in his stake for glory. Both love and glory brought pain.
To love in the games was a death sentence, or a one-way ticket to heartbreak. To win meant to lose everything that mattered.
To fall in love in the games was to fall like Icarus. Losing yourself in the passion and happiness, until it all melted away at the wings, and you no longer could fly. You fell, farther than you intended, you lost your wings, you lost all passion, you lost everything.
Guinevere didn’t intend on following on that path. But once you were in love, there was no coming out. Once the wings started melting, nothing would stop the feathers from falling.
Even if Guinevere was still flying, she could see Laurie already falling deep into the abyss. There was no point in tying to save him from it, so she let him fall. Even if she knew it would break him later.
Watching them even now, as Laurie leaned a bit closer than one should do in company of friends, his head perched over River’s shoulder, boisterous grin on his face as he made some silly joke that had the boy from 12 found absolutely endearing, a silly, charming grin on his face that seemed to be reserved only for Laurie. Both boys laughed, free of the company of the small girl, Echo, as she was off talking to Jason. River seemed to notice something, his features bright still, and grabbed Laurie’s hand, leading them both to a table to paints and camouflage. The two talked at that station for a while, and the small bits and pieces of conversation Guinevere could hear made her smile.
“Echo loves painting, she always sketches out drawings, painting everything she sees, she’s taught me some of her skills.” River was saying, running a hand through his hair, before resting it at his neck and chuckling, “I’m not the best, but I can show you some things?” He looked hopefully at Laurie. The two thought no one was paying attention, but Guinevere was.
She fought off her smile at how charming of a couple the two made, knowing very well how that would end. Meanwhile, Laurie nodded enthusiastically, jumping at the bait to spend anytime with his newfound crush. His hand brushed River’s as he made to grab at a brush, lingering a bit longer than needed before seeming to notice himself and jumping back.
“They make a cute couple,” Guinevere turned to see Griffin and Ariella, the latter was staring a ton the two boys, and turned her head back to Guinevere as she remarked on them. She had a twinkle to her eyes, like she knew something Guinevere didn’t, like there was a joke Guinevere had missed.
“They do,” She responded back. She’s had grown a soft spot for both Griffin and Ariella. Both were kind, funny, but not overbearingly so. Though Griffin was looking at the boys, a bit soft and quiet. He had an almost longing look in his eye, a sadness there as he turned to look back at her, before quickly looking away.
She blinked, a bit owlishly, already picking up on the signs. He had feelings for someone, no doubt, she’d seen people fall in love before, she had to deal with Laurie as he went through the whole experience. She knew the longing looks, and sad glances.
He was likely jealous of that couple, either that, or he wasn’t sad because he liked one of them, which was a thought that caused a spike of anger in her heart, feeling completely wrong. She furrowed her brows, squashing it down, because it sounded completely ridiculous.
“You’re oddly quiet, Griffin, what’s wrong?” She questioned, ruling out even mentioning the lovesick look he had, and instead acting as if he was actually sick and she didn’t see through it like glass.
“Yeah, just nervous,” which, granted, wasn’t a lie. He did look a little nervous, though she doubted he had any reason to worry about the games, he was tall and strong, with kind eyes, and a sweet, comforting voice, and why did he have to be so perfect? Obviously he was oblivious to her torrent of thoughts, and continued uneasily, “In a few days, we’ll be in the arena.”
“Yeah, we will.” She agreed, and all worries about love and jealousy vanished because the reality came back, like a smack in the face. It was almost a hard enough realization that she almost lost her footing, because now instead of warmth and jealousy and anger and happiness it wasn’t just dread.
She just had to go off breaking her own rules.
—
That night, as per any in which you realize you went and fell in love and just ruined your life because if you couldn’t live without them you would die and if you could you’d never forget them, Guinevere had a nice long sob session.
And she’s not talking softly crying and then it’s over. She’s talking full blown, makeup ruined, face in pillow, screaming silent absurdities about the injustice of it all.
Of course, that was the time that Laurie opened the door to her room on their floor, Bright smile on his face, surely ready to tell her about his day and how happy River made him, and immediately his smile dropped, concern overtaking his features.
If she wasn’t as prideful and vain, Guinevere might have let herself be consoled like a normal person, crying to her friends, and not keeping up some appearance.
But she was prideful and vain, so she immediately forced her tears down, stamping down on her emotions like she had been taught to do in public, and turned to him. There was no point in trying to fix makeup or anything of the sort, he’d already seen her crying, so instead she just patted down her hair, brushing her fingers through the curls to lay them flat.
“Hey, Guine, you good?” He decided on, not the most tactful, but it still made her chuckle softly. Patting her bed, which she had all but thrown herself on earlier when this all started, she pulled her knees up, resting her head on them and looking at her friend. She wasn’t a fan of the nickname, as it sounded just like District 4’s mentor’s name, Gwen. But still, she decided not to even annoy him with that.
“No, not really. How ‘bout you and your new friend?” She teased, softly, watching as he genuinely actually blushed and ducked, and she felt her mood lighten a little when he seemed to smile despite being all shy.
“You saw that, huh?” He questioned, lifting his head and nervously laughing. Obviously he hadn’t noticed how obvious he and River were.
“Nothing escapes me,” She replied, before deciding to actually tackle the question at hand, “As for me, I just realized something today, something that bothered me. That’s all.”
“That’s not all. It never is,” He said in matter-of-fact tone, and she was almost offended, though he quickly continued, “You don’t have to talk about how you have the hots for the tall dude if you don’t want to,” he replied teasingly, a cheeky smile on his face.
“You little asshole!” She laughed, picking up her pillow and hitting him with it, straight into the chest, she was taller than him after all, “How did you know?”
He stuck his tongue out, though he dramatically fell back, throwing his hand over his head, “Uhhhh, better question is, how would I not know?” She glared, throwing another pillow at his face, which caused him to laugh. “So you admit to it?”
She sobered up slightly at the question, letting her feet fall off the bed, and curling her arms into herself, boring her brown eyes into the wall, the empty wall, with nothing close to homely on it, no dorky pictures, just silver metal like a prison, “I realized today how much I like him,” she commented, resting her head into her palm, as she turned to look at him, with his own wide brown eyes, “I realized how stupid I am.”
He gasped open his mouth, his own eyebrows furrowed, before he leaned forward, “That’s not stupid Guinevere, we can’t help how we feel.”
“Yes we can!” She snapped back, and she immediately felt bad as he slunk back. She knew he had enough of that from his parents, his dad, and she immediately lowered her voice, “I could have ignored it. This isn’t the place nor time for these feelings. Heck, even friendships are dangerous!” She fixed him with a soft look, one to show she didn’t regret being his friend, “Because in the end, only one lives. All the love? It only scars you, it kills you, and them. I can’t jeapordize him like that, he stands a chance.”
She was refusing to even say his name, and Laurie noticed, his eyes set in his determination and passion, “That’s Griffin’s choice, that’s his life, not yours. I can’t say how he feels, but I don’t think you feel anything for him he doesn’t already feel for you,” he commented.
“Even so, one of us at least is going to die!” She retorted, dropping her hands into her lap in frustration and looking away from him, getting mad at Laurie was like getting mad at a child because they trip and fell. Laurie and her fell, but in a different sense. “Look at what happened to Burton, he lost her and now he has to live with that. And what happened to Everest isn’t worse. He had a chance to win, but he fell in love and it ruined him.”
“I feel like their biggest mistake,” Laurie began, carefully, as he tugged her into a hug, “Was not recognizing their feelings and allowing themselves to love while they could. Not acting on it, per se, but recognizing them, and not denying them. It’s not wrong to love, Guinevere. It doesn’t matter who it is, it doesn’t matter why, when, or where. What matters is that you accept it, and that you don’t deny it. Because those tributes? They didn’t die because they loved, they died because they ignored it, they died because they couldn’t accept it.”
She stared at him in astonishment, her mouth gaping open slightly, because that was the most mature thing she had ever heard him say. She went to respond, before she got a good look at him. There was a longing sadness in his eyes, his arms tucked into himself, as he glanced at the wall. He beat her to any response, “And I know we’re stupid for loving, and I know it’ll only end in pain. But it’s fine to hurt, isn’t it?” He questioned, looking up at her, a softness and vulnerable look to him. He looked like another broken kid, rather than some warrior ready to fight his life. Then again, everyone did.
She wrapped him in a hug similar to the one he wrapped her in earlier, finding herself broken, and finding solace in her friend, “Yeah,” she agreed.
“It’s fine to hurt.”
—
As the days moved on, allegiances formed. Laurie distanced himself slightly from River, excusing it with trying to protect River and Echo. Though River amended it quickly, and soon the three had plans to work together.
The Careers trained their new recruits, with Sanna and Naida taking the lead on training them, while Theodore would blast and try to impress them, Eydan with seem to genuinely get to know them as people, and Lucien just made sure they weren’t waists of space. The girl from 2, Luka, strayed from her mentor, getting involved with the group, though in manners that spawned some bad blood.
The girl had overheard something Irene boasted about, something about her natural ability in throwing knives. The girl from 2 had sauntered over, picking out a knife that Irene had went to pick up, and throwing it with an accuracy that seemed to even shock her. She made some comment about keeping your talents to yourself unless you wanted to be embarrassed, and had joined Sanna in some training with explosives. It wasn’t secret how much Irene started to disdain the short girl from 2 after that point.
Kaz and Lane trained together, with simpler thing, picking apart poisons and toxins and studying past types of mutts. Kaz made sure to pick things that Lane could easily do, as to not strain her. Sometimes, Daniel and Lane would hang out, the boy taking time to always check on her and assure she was alright, an endearing protective gesture.
Kita, Jason, and Echo seemed to meet on some days and talk, and bond over simple discussions. Though sometimes, Echo could be seen with various tributes, showing them paintings and sketches or any sort.
Pascal stuck to himself, Lorenzo would talk to Seely and Theodore from time to time, seeming impressed by everything. Dillon would watch everyone with some regard of fondness, though he would cast sad looks at Irene, which she would always seem to ignore.
Pascal avoided Esmeray, and the stylist did the same in return. Then again, Pascal avoided everyone.
Griffin and Ariella stuck together, laughing, teasing, though they seemed sad. They both knew what would happen, that not both could live, but they stuck together, and with their plus one who they had befriended. Sometimes Kita would join them, her and Ariella joking about Griffin and Guinevere.
And Guinevere?
She stuck with her group, watching it all, with a feeling deep in her bones.
Something was truly different this year, something was strong and bonding. Instead of hate(other than Lucien and River, that is) the groups forming didn’t look at others as enemies.
With a small smirk, looking over her shoulder at Griffin, she grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers with her face falling into passive nonchalance, acting like she was simply leading him elsewhere.
Something was changing, Revolution was in the air, and even if it ended up the same, with all but one dead, it was going to take longer, she could already tell.
There was going to be resistance, and for now, that was enough.
This was enough.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Aug 6, 2020 19:03:11 GMT -5
Guinevere looked at Kita, smiling fondly at the girl as she turned red. Kita was an endearing girl for sure, and Guinevere could pick up on the small cluster of feelings that she wasn’t admitting to. It was Guinevere’s job. The motherly hen turned towards Jason, smiling at him. She didn’t lie at all, Jason was a handsome boy, and she noticed signs that his attractions were not towards girls. Though it wasn’t her secret to share, she supported him no matter what. Anyone with a brain would. When Griffin responded with the pretty people comment, she forced down any swooning she wanted to do, she was supposed to help people with their love issues, not swoon because a pretty boy said she was pretty, though she nodded at Kita, ”She’s completely right, you are the epitome of a beautiful person, personality and looks,” she pointed out, hating that he seemed nervous.
She seemed to pause for a moment, the feeling of love was sickeningly sweet, and she was getting caught up in the emotions around her. Shaking her head, forcing down any nervousness, she offered a tight lipped smile, seeming to ignore that children had gotten ahold of beer, or simply choosing to ignore it.
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Post by Nariku The Avaricious on Aug 6, 2020 19:30:06 GMT -5
Irene watched the rest of camp as everyone seemed to be calming down once again. Naida had run off to her tent, with Cleo and Chiara running close behind, while Lucien and River seemed to have walked off together so they could get some alone time. Guinevere, Kita, and Jason seemed interested in gossip, while Griffin went to join them. Theo and Ariella were chatting together, though the mood around them seemed not very cheerful. Most of her attention, however, was on the group who’d taken up residence near Laurie’s alcoholic drinks, consisting of Lucien, Kaz, Sanna, and the snake one.
They weren’t being very conspicuous about taking the alcohol. Honestly, Irene couldn’t help but smirk in amusement. Sure, she could get along with Cleo and the other rational kids fairly well, but she it didn't stop her from wanting to partake in all the shinanigans that everyone else was into. H*ell, she was just not someone who enjoyed responsibility like that. She looked at her empty drink and gave a shrug. Was getting some alcohol, despite being underaged, a good look for her? Probably not. Did she really care? H*ll no.
Irene stood up from where she was sitting and casually strode over to the drinks. She grabbed a can for herself and walked over to the group of four. She gave a little nod of acknowledgement to each of them, aside from Luka, who she ignored.
“Sanna, Kaz, Lucien. Nice night we’re having,” She smiled, mischievously, before taking a drink from her can. Once she got the alcohol down, she spoke again, “so, how many of you are actually old enough to be drinking this stuff?”
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Aug 6, 2020 20:17:41 GMT -5
Luka grinned at Kaz, nodding in her encouragement, feeling the slight buzz already, and taking another drink. And when Sanna raised her drink, tipping it at Luka, she felt some part of her fill with a giddy excitement. Sure, everyone was just being friendly and tipsy and not genuine, but the feeling of belonging was there and she held onto it dearly.
Of course, then Irene butted in and purposely left Luka out of whatever shitstorm she was causing. Some part of her was bothered for the slightest of moments, though a part of her was used to it, a old friend it was. However, that didn’t mean Luka had to do the same, so she stood up, ignoring the pains in her shoulder, and stepped closer to Irene.
Raising her drink, she mimicked Sanna’s earlier actions, letting a grin onto her face, “It’s nice that you could join us, Irene,” she commented, unable to say anything about her being happy about the matter, but deciding not to pick a fight that she didn’t need. Irene hadn’t exactly been talking much that night and even if Irene hated Luka’s guts, Luka didn’t really have any reason to not like Irene, maybe a few things, but in all honesty tipsy Luka didn’t seem to care. The fact was, Irene was actively seeking company instead of moping and being angry, and Luka wasn’t about to ruin that by needlessly being rude. “As for all of us, I think we’re all breaking some laws and we’re all being delinquents.” She commented.
She turned back to the group, raising her voice slightly, ”And who cares? We have to do the dirty work of a bunch of bloody icons now. And honestly? As much as some people might hate that, I’m glad it happened! I mean, look at us, a ragtag group of assholes. Two men just went off to do who knows what and we serenaded ‘em!” she totally didn’t slur her words, and she swung her arms out in the direction River and Laurie went in with a broad grin, before continuing, not caring if she was loud, ”And those bloody assholes who attacked us? They don’t know what they’ve bloody messed with!” She finished, raising her drink again, with a mischievous smirk on her face as she plopped back to the ground, taking another long drink.
”And we’ll show ‘em,” she added, softly, a slight drawl to her voice that make her accent that much more prominent.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 7, 2020 0:58:29 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES SNIPPET
It was not often that Louden visited Burton in his home.
Burton had been taking a very rare chance to head home and rest a bit, a break in the 24-hour coverage of the Games for once. He hadn’t had far to walk; the apartment they’d given him was very close to the tribute centre. He was sure that wasn’t for convenience but rather to torture him with a view of the very building where he’d fallen in love with Holly Alandria.
But he’d barely been alone five minutes when Louden arrived unannounced, and now he stood in Burton’s lavish living room, a camera feed from the training room projected in between the two of them.
“Tell me what the problem is with this picture,” Louden challenges, as if daring him or something.
Burton obliged, scanning the image. It was easy to see. Many allied from different districts - even the Careers had branched out - and they seemed to get along. Even worse, he could see at least two pairs who seemed to be couples. Burton knew the pains and danger of falling in love.
“They’re not enemies,” Burton answered simply
Louden seemed at least a little satisfied with that answer, but he kept on going.
“Catullus-“ he began
”My name is not Catullus,” Burton interrupted firmly
“Catullus,” Louden continued, emphasising the name “there is rebellion here, that’s what I see. They’re allies, friends, when they should be enemies. When all these tributes of different districts unite, the districts wonder what is to stop them from doing the same. Not to mention this falling in love nonsense, which you know better than anyone what happens when that inevitably goes wrong. What happened to Holly...”
Even the mention of her name was a slap in the face. He hated hearing it from Louden’s mouth, and not just because Holly would hate her name being said by anyone with that stupid Capitol accent. No, he hated it because he hated Louden for putting him in this stupid gilded cage, for being the reason Holly died. For everything.
“Let’s not pretend, Mr President. We all know Holly was the lucky one of the two of us,” he responded coolly
At least Holly was gone. Didn’t have to live in this world anymore, didn’t have to watch a single Hunger Games ever again. At least she stood up for what she believed in, at least she died fighting. Died with everyone watching and words of rebellion on her lips. Now Burton? He was too dangerous, too in the public eye now. If he stepped out of line they wouldn’t let him go out with a bang. They’d kill him when nobody was watching, just like they’d done the last Master of Ceremonies.
There were no winners in the Hunger Games, and there was no freedom in the Capitol.
“Be that as it may,” Louden answered “you’re not doing your job, Mr Acton. If you want your family to live and your district to remain standing, you ought to be very careful to listen to my instructions. Emphasise the differences between the districts as much as possible, whenever you get the chance. Talk about alliances, sure, ask the tributes about them in interview, but be very careful what you ask and what is said. We cannot have a rebellion on our hands, and we cannot have the districts united. Is that understood?”
Burton nodded, then. He disliked these instructions, of course he wanted to promote unity among the districts, but what else could he do? He had family to take care of. Louden was banking on the fact that he still had bargaining chips for Burton. People without anything to lose were dangerous.
“Yes, sir,” the eighteen-year-old answered
Louden seemed pleased with that answer and was ready to end the conversation, and so headed towards the door with one final instruction.
”Do not let this get away from you, Catullus. If you keep making mistakes, you know who shall pay for it.”
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 7, 2020 12:33:28 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES AU SNIPPET
Laurie was probably less nervous about the interview than about pretty much anything else so far. This he knew he could do, the fighting and training probably less so.
Sure, his mentor and the trainers had drilled it into his head that the environment would kill him far more quickly than the other tributes, provided he survived the bloodbath. With that in mind he'd been trying to brush up on survival skills, but having a ruined city as his district hadn't given him much opportunity for developing survival skills. He was maybe at a little more of a disadvantage than the tributes from the outer districts or District 7 maybe.
But talking for five minutes in front of a camera? Laurie could do that, no problem.
He'd been dressed in a burgundy-coloured suit, calling to mind the rich fabrics of his home district and complimenting the olive undertones in his skin and the darkness of his hair. It was a nice outfit, really, from his stylist. He suspected it wasn't only to compliment Laurie and his style, but also to create a clear departure from the blue Livia had become so renowned for.
His conversation with Guinevere couldn't stop ringing in his ears. It was alright to hurt. He was scared about the Games, of course, the thought of going into that Arena the next day terrified him. But Laurie had never been the kind to try to hide his feelings, and he sure as hell wasn't the type to hide them when his life was at risk. Why would he choose now, when he was likely not to survive these Games, to start being dishonest with himself? He was more afraid of dying with lies and secrets than the risks that came with honesty.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Laurent Bevin, The Mayor's Boy!"
With that call to the stage from Catullus, and so the seventeen-year-old stepped out into the blinding lights of the stage, giving his most winning smile and blowing kisses to the crowd. Playing up to the Capitol was always a good strategy; they ate that kind of thing up.
Then came the handshake with Catullus, before both males took a seat. Close-up, Burton's youth was so much more evident. A man, but barely so; only a year older than Laurie himself. But Burton's eyes told of one who had been forced to grow up too fast. A look Laurie had noted about him even before he'd entered the Games last year, but which seemed so much more prominent afterwards.
"Laurent, welcome!" the other boy greeted
Laurie leaned back comfortably in his seat, waving off his full name good-naturedly.
"Everyone calls me Laurie, only my father calls me Laurent," the young tribute commented in answer
He knew that Burton, being from District 8, knew that. But Laurie figured it would only endear him more to the Capitol if he encouraged the use of a nickname. It certainly couldn't hurt, after all.
"Laurie it is, then," Catullus smiled "now, talking of that, it seems that you have quite a reputation back home in your district. Care to talk to us about that?"
Laurie caught the way Burton had moved to say 'at home' as if referring to their shared home, before quickly distancing himself from District 8 by moving to 'in your district' immediately afterwards. Interesting.
He realised, though, that he was spending far too much time focussing on Burton and not enough on his answers to the interview.
"I'm known back home as a bit of a partier," Laurie admitted "I like my fun, I like my parties. I believe that the most important thing one can do in life is have fun. Find the joy in things, no matter how difficult your life may be. It's the single strongest form of resilience in the face of adversity I can think of. I don't say this to mean I'm unaware or don't care about the troubles of my district. In fact, if I won I would love to use my winnings, which I alone would own, to help the people of District 8 as much as possible."
Much like Burton had done with his winnings last year. District 8 was not the poorest of the districts, but it was also not rich by any means. Laurie would love to do more if he could. He hadn't been able to before; he had no control over his family's wealth.
Of course, he wished he could talk about how people didn't take him seriously, how he was the mayor's son. He didn't intend to have anyone underestimate him. However, his mentor had cautioned him against this route. Told him to go for the cheerful, happy party-boy persona as much as possible. To talk about people underestimating him was virtually a threat to the other tributes, singling him out to the Careers as a potential target. He wasn't tough enough for that kind of thing.
"Thank you. So, I have to ask; how do you feel about your chances in the Games? Do you have any tricks up your sleeves?" asked Catullus
"Well, I don't think I should be counted out," asserted Laurie "I have been training hard. I work well in a team and have some amazing allies. Apparently, I'm also better with throwing knives than I ever assumed so I sorely regret I never got to take it up as a hobby earlier.."
That joke earned him a laugh from the crowd, which was as good a start as any in his eyes.
"Now, Laurie, let's talk about the events at the tribute parade. How do you feel about what happened there?" Burton questioned
"I feel awful for those who were hurt," Laurie said gravely "it really isn't fair for them to have to go into the Games injured like this. I also don't believe there will be any entertainment value for anyone to see injured kids put into the Hunger Games. Violence should never be anything but a last resort, especially violence against innocent people - and that goes no matter who you are."
There was a careful duality to Laurie's words there. Condemning the violence against the tributes at the parade while simultaneously condemning the violence of the Capitol against the districts. He didn't care if it got him in trouble; he had nothing to lose at this point, as a tribute going into the Games.
"Moving on," Catullus continued in a clear attempt to change the topic before things got too dangerous "do tell us, Laurie: is there someone special? A girl, maybe?"
Laurie just laughed, tapping his nose to indicate a secret.
"Well, there is somebody..." Laurie replied "but it's just a crush, a fairly recent thing."
Burton was obviously ecstatic at this idea, hoping to get something juicy from this interview. Giving Laurie a romance angle, something for people to root for that would make him perhaps seem less vacuous. Something to make the Capitol fall in love with him.
"Oh, you really shouldn't tease me like this!" Burton replied in mock distress "Give us some details! Wouldn't you like to know, ladies and gentlemen?"
The cheers of approval from the crowd affirmed they wanted to know, and a light flush appeared on Laurie's cheeks, as he looked between Burton and the audience for a moment.
"How recent is this?" Burton encouraged
"Oh, about a week or so," Laurie replied, nerves making their way into his voice.
If River figured out he was talking about him, then this would be more than a little embarrassing. What a way to tell someone you liked them.
A moment of silence and confusion fell over both Burton and the crowd as they all slowly realised what this meant. Burton's eyebrows drew together as he placed a sympathetic hand on Laurie's shoulder. Not a fake sympathy for the camera, either. Laurie could tell that the other boy genuinely felt sorry for him. Unsurprising, considering Burton had been through the same thing last year.
"I'm sorry about that, Laurie," Catullus replied genuinely "that isn't an easy thing."
With that show of compassion, Laurie gave a small nod of agreement. Then he and Burton said their goodbyes, and the interview was over.
That was the easy part.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 7, 2020 15:16:39 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES AU SNIPPET First of all, Lucien hated this. He hated the costumes, the suits and the stupid pageantry. All of it. It was so utterly pointless.
And he certainly knew he wouldn’t take any enjoyment from sitting talking to a Capitol lapdog like Burton Acton for this dumb interview.
But alas, he didn’t have much of a choice and really this was the part he had the least right to complain about. It was the Games that would really be the hard part, even though he was a career. The others in the group weren’t super friendly with them, mainly because he’d been just as distant from them, and he’d already made an enemy in that District 12 boy somehow.
Maybe his family was right when they’d said he needed to keep his mouth shut. Elara did always say he had a habit of talking himself into trouble.
But as it was, Catullus Acton had introduced him from the stage. The fourteen-year-old stepped out, walking across the stage without acknowledging the crowd. He didn’t care about these Capitolites, not one bit.
Plus, his mentor had told him to play up his personality. He shouldn’t pretend to be nice or anything, it wouldn’t come across as believable and the crowd wouldn’t go for it. Best to show off his personality, distinguish himself and then they could root for him if you want.
“Lucien, welcome. How’re you liking the Capitol?” Burton asked by way of introduction
“I’d like it a lot better if I weren’t here to take part in a stupid murder pageant,” Lucien retorted “and if we weren’t being shot at, that’d be ideal.”
Catullus seemed a little surprised at the boldness of Lucien’a response, but managed to smooth over his expression before much more than a flicker of shock had passed across his face.
“Right, let’s talk about that for a moment. How do you feel about what happened at the tribute parade?”
Lucien scoffed at that, expressing his disdain for the question immediately.
“I think it’s somewhat ironic that the Capitol brought us all here to make us kill one another in an Arena, but it’s suddenly an abhorrent crime and a tragedy when someone else tries to hurt us. God forbid the murder should occur in any way other than the Capitol planned. I think anyone who feels sorry for the tributes who got hurt but still approves of the Games is a hypocrite, that’s what I think. That a good enough answer for you?”
Catullus outright seems to flinch a little at those words, but again he seemed an expert in recovery, plastering an even smile on his face. Up close like this, Lucien could see the concern in his eyes, though.
It was maybe an unconventional view for someone who came from a career district, but Lucien wasn’t a fool. He was disillusioned with the Capitol, that he knew. He’d seen too many Hunger Games, too many people die. He knew other people felt the same, but they couldn’t say it. Trapped by wanting to protect people they cared about. Lucien didn’t have that problem; sure, he had his mother and Elara, but he didn’t think the Capitol would take this out on them. He was only fourteen, surely the Capitol felt sure he wouldn’t survive. If he was a threat, it wouldn’t be for long.
“Thank you for that... unique insight, Lucien,” Catullus said with a tight smile “now, I have to ask. There have been rumours going around that there is already a rivalry arising between you and a certain other tribute. Is this true?”
Lucien just smirked, rolling his eyes.
“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry. I just don’t have the time to deal with other people’s bullshit, of which he seems to have an abundance. We don’t get on, but I don’t intend to get into any confrontation with him in the Arena. There’s no point in bringing stuff like this into the Games.”
He really didn’t think bringing in stupid pre-Games arguments into the Arena was worth it, and he didn’t think River would either. Neither of them were stupid enough to do that, and he knew neither of them would want a confrontation; especially since they both had allies.
“How do you feel about your chances in the Games? Do you have any skills and strategies going into this?”
Lucien actually laughed then, which again seemed to surprise both the audience and Catullus, putting the young host in some discomfort. He obviously felt like the interview was getting away from him.
“I’ve got the exact same skills every tribute from District 4 has had for the last 90 years ,” he said with some exasperation “I can swim well, tie knots, use a trident. I also happen to enjoy the advantage of having a brain, which is more than I can say for the majority of my opponents.”
Technically, he didn’t believe that. Many of the tributes seemed smart this year. The kids from 3, for one, but they were among many others.
And that was it. A rushed thanks from Catullus, desperate to end the interview, and a farewell. Then that was it.
Now the performance could be over - or at least some of it. The Arena had a way of bringing out honesty in people. It would be refreshing to see everyone stop pretending.
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Post by 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 on Aug 7, 2020 16:21:54 GMT -5
Chapter Eight: The Flight of a Phoenix As the days passed, Echo had witnessed many things. The pain of tributes she barely knew, shot, hurt, or too strongly atttached to others. She watched as River and Laurie exchanged soft glances, which tore her heart to shreds.
For a while, she tried to hate Laurie, for getting River attached, because in the end even if River lived, it would kill him. Then again, Echo hated herself for that too. She didn’t stand a chance, but River? He did, and now there were two tributes dragging him down.
Of course it didn’t last, one couldn’t actually hate the sweetheart that was Laurie Bevin, with his soft smiles, caring demeanor, and teasing flare. He was one of the most endearing people Echo had met, and he fit perfectly with River.
And the two boys fell hard for one another, a domestic type flare between them and how they would take care of Echo. She wasn’t like a third wheel, but instead a sweet part of their bond, a mutual interest to protect.
She realized pretty soon that she didn’t want either boy to risk their chances for her. But she couldn’t just go off and die, because then River would either turn reckless and stop trying to survive, or worse, he would completely give up. And Laurie? He had become attached to her too.
Actually, a small number of people had. She didn’t really know why, some people just liked her. For instance, the girl from One had found her and talked to her, even though Echo offered nothing up in the conversation. Sanna just talked for a while, not really saying much, but assuring that Echo was fine and that River hadn’t somehow hurt her.
Then there was the boy from 4, who snapped at River the day after the Sanna incident, and told Echo’s District partner that he should get his head out of his ass and help Echo. Then again, Lucien found Echo in the midst of her anxiety, when the days events reminded her too much of her parents being missing, and had been surprisingly nice and helpful.
She didn’t need doubt that Lucien or Sanna would kill her the first chance they got though, the more Echo thought about it, the more it seemed they were just sizing her up, trying to manipulate her.
Which was fine, that was their job. All she could do was try to pick up lame ideas for skills. Lucien ended up helping her with ropes and knots and traps, which she was mediocre at, though her fingers got caught up in the threads too many times. He would simply laugh it off and correct her, so that was fine.
However, the last day of training brought the examination of Training, where scores would be assigned. Obviously, that made her nervous.
Pacing, back and forth as River headed into the room, she glanced around uselessly as she contemplated her plans. The mentor from 12, who she didn’t really bother getting to know that well and just went by Sparky, had looked annoyed at her nervous roundabout movements.
“Stand still, honestly why didn’t I have to get caught with a 12-year-old?” The words were spat under her breath, and Echo was almost relieved when River walked out. Though, her heart did practically jump into her throat and her hands were all clammy.
River stepped up to her, patting her shoulder and sending a glare at Sparky, before nudging her gently towards the door, “You got this, Echo, you’re going to do great.” He encouraged. She knew it was a platitude, but the words still helped calm her nerves slightly.
She nodded, stepping forward into the room, which was being cleaned by some avoxes. She had no idea what River ended up showing off, but she assumed it had to do something with his knife skills and fighting, given the condition of the room. She hesitantly took another step, spotting the gamemakers in their room up above, distracted by food and drink, though they all seemed to take pause and glance down from their balcony window.
“Echo Deirdre!” One greeted, it seemed through some microphone as their voice boomed into existence around her from speakers, “District 12, is that right?” They questioned.
They seemed friendly enough, she opened her mouth, trying to assure them of her identity, but her voice caught, no words escaping, and she closed it, blushing bright red in embaressment, and simply nodded instead.
They seemed to chuckle, the whole lot of them, and she ducked her head further, her hands fidgety and sweaty, because they were laughing at her.
“The stage is yours dear, you have 15 minutes,” was what they said, before the speakers stopped buzzing and they went back to talking. Breathing out a sigh or relief, she walked over to the paints, picking up a pencil to sketch as she worked on two forms, laying together with hands clasped, smiled on their faces as they looked at one another, with love and happiness. She drew small flowers around them, and on them too. When she was happy with what she started, she picked up paints, aware that the gamemakers were bored already, and set to work.
The tan of skin, the hint of darker freckles that were sun kissed, the look of longing and joy. The dark whisks of hair spread like a halo amidst the ginger, and eyes of warmth directed at his sun. Not too slowly, and a bit rushed, she brought to like the two boys, their fingers intertwined and locked together.
She looked back at the Gamemakers, who only nodded at her. She looked at her time, presented on the wall, and technically, she still had five minutes.
Her gaze lingered back to the painting, abstract as it was, it was obvious who the two were. She imaged it at first as the two boys, on a happier day, in a happier place, hand in hand, laying in a meadow of flowers, where they could love safely without fear of death. But that obviously didn’t make enough of a statement.
Glaring back at the gamemakers for a moment, because they were really the fault of that too, right? That injustice?
She turned back to the painting, picking up an assortment of reds and blacks that heavily contrasted the sweet meadow tones she picked earlier and the warm earthy ones she had selected for the boys. She went to work on showing a new picture. Starting with a cut, with bruises on skin, with red flowers covering their necks, pulling them apart like red rope. She added bloody between their fingers, and added fragmented lines to their lips.
What once were smiles pulled into sad ones, mournful, what one was likely love turned to cold and dead and lost.
The gory scene was reminiscent of what their love had to be, and quickly, with a black pen, she added a simple little line of dialogue. Below the picture, a simple statement.
What once had bloomed in the dark Love like flowers had dared to bloom, Ripped, gone, and dead and torn apart At hands of monsters who used them like pawns In a game that nobody wins anyways
She backed up as the timer blared, turning around and going a little curtsy, watching their eyes as they read the message, shocked gazes flickering in ire as they stared her down.
She pushed down the dread and walked out of the room, walking past River as she scurried away, much to his confused looks.
—
She sat, in a pretty dress, with Golden and orange accents, and sleeves that when she lifted her arms remained with a layer of fabric that would draw down, like that of a bat’s wings, and it fit the Phoenix motif she and River were meant to fit.
Even her hair was swayed over her head, with feathery adornments, like that of the crests of a Phoenix. It made her look fiery, made her look dark and mysterious and it was everything she wasn’t.
She was a starling, not a Phoenix. She wasn’t an omen of rebirth and fire and fury, she was dark, sure, but not in that manner. She was the soft-spoken Starling, who was a bird of the night, with hints and speckles of colorful feathers hidden by midnight. River was a falcon, he was strong, a bird of prey, he wasn’t a Phoenix either, because he wasn’t reborn, he wasn’t a caricature of some dead figures he was plainly and truly himself, and for that he was unique and amazingly.
The real phoenixes were Sanna, a girl of fire, long dead embers of love and emotion. Perhaps even Luka, to some extent. Luka was harder. Maybe Irene was a Phoenix.
She stopped her musings, self-conscious as they were, and stared at the screen as it flashed to life. Finally, the numbers of the tributes would be revealed. It started with the hosts, Catullus, who was indeed the long-dead boy from 8. He had a grin, as fake as it was, it was enough to fool. He introduced a game-maker who was with him, and together they took to the scores, one by one they would flash on the screen in the order the interviews would take place in.
River from beside her gasped when the first showed up, Sanna from District 1, and she couldn’t believe her eyes either, or the fear that crawled in her veins. A perfect 12 sat on the bottom of her picture, and the announcers started explaining, “Sanna from District 1 awed the judges with her ability with knives and deadly objects, an debt fighter who knows how to quickly and easily kill her opponents, Sanna is a dazzling tribute who has convinced the Gamemakers that she is worthy of being a victor.”
Echo took a staggering breath, it really shouldn’t be all that surprising. If anyone would get a perfect score, of course it would be someone like Sanna. Someone with that fire that a Phoenix should possess. Though, a 12 was rare, many years saw no tributes receive such a score. And right off the bat, someone had gotten one.
That meant that it was next to impossible for anyone else to match it. Taking another staggering breath, Echo watched as Theodore’s came on screen, her breath still baited in worry.
River cackled from beside her, and she forced herself not to chuckle as she heard a loud complaint from nearby. Theodore received a 7, which most tributes would be really happy to have. But for a career, it was less than desirable. Then again, it didn’t really represent anything. The training session was a 15 minute show of skills, and didn’t represent all that a tribute was.
District 2 flashed by. Luka received a 9, which was impressive for a girl of 14-years-of-age, though not surprising for a Career. The picture Luka had was oddly funny though, broadcasting her chaotic nature in her characteristic salute she had, a grin in place. Catullus and the gamemakers went on to explain her score. “Raluca Ravana of District 2 received a 9 for her skills in quick fighting and adaption with weaponry. However, due to her age and size, her score was inhibited from being any higher.” And that left her crestfallen.
Luka was the shortest tribute, not only that, but a skinny one too. It was obvious she didn’t match the other careers in strength, but she was a deadly fighter all the same. Had she been from any other District, she would be doomed, but in 2, at that academy they had, they trained tributes to use what would normally be weaknesses into strengths. Luka was a trained killer who knew how to win a fight based on quick-wits and adaption. Echo wasn’t like that, she wasn’t trained to use her age or size as some gain, she ad no skills in fighting, and she was the second youngest tribute. Unlike Naida and Luka, Echo didn’t have any hope in such a case.
“Eydan received a 10, for his brute strength and ability with brute weapons,” Catullus trilled, and Echo flickered her gaze to River. Surely he had that going for him, strength.
Then Chiara came up, and Echo didn’t hear most of her explanation over the surprise she felt. A 10? For a girl from District 3? That was a score befitting of a Career, and ultimately made Chiara’s prospects that much better. Burton mentioned something about her hacking abilities, dismantling a forcefield. It was shocking, absolutely stunning, and her form was fit as well. The Careers could use her for explosives and other traps, and that was a bit horrifying.
The boy, however, received a low score. “Jason received a 4 in training, while displaying his quick thinking and strong memory, judges said they couldn’t award a higher score due to his age and fitness.” And she felt dread pool in her stomach, because that meant her own prospects would likely be horribly low. She presented no skill that would serve as any use in the arena, she stood no chance if that’s how he was scored.
River turned to her, “Maybe it’s a fluke, Echo,” he commented softly, though he didn’t sound like he believed his words either.
Naida received an 10, her only drawback being her size and weight. Again, she too was trained to use that as an advantage, and Echo was sure the Gamemakers made a mistake in undermining her. Lucien received an 8, which Echo heard the boy curse about from his own quarters, loud enough to be heard. He was knocked down due to his age and his reckless and rebellious behavior, and how he picked fights.
Which meant, ironically, they caught River and Lucien fighting. Echo didn’t really know how she felt about that.
After that, it was Clementine, and Echo almost cheered when Catullus used the correct pronouns for them. Clementine had come out to the other tributes during training, gently but still sternly correcting Daniel when the boy accidentally used the wrong pronouns. Daniel had profusely apologized, which made Echo like him that much more, he was a good guy after all.
Somehow, Catullus had found out about that, it was small, but Echo still caught it. Clementine received a 7, a respectable score for a Career’s ally, with reasons given towards Clementine’s ability with a bow, somewhat clumsy but still respectable. Pascal received a 3, in which was attributed to him not really doing anything, other than taking a 15 minute nap, that was, but he had some points for his seemingly healthy body.
Lane received a 6, mostly due to her injury. Kaz simself received a 7 for his healthiness all around, speed, but he lacked in ability with weapons. Apparently dodging wasn’t considered much of a good ability, because presumably, he’d eventually be knocked down.
In 7, Seely received an 7 attributed to her natural ability to know poisons and toxins and her ability with blades. Daniel received an 8, apparently hitting a bullseye in training with throwing an axe.
In 8, Guinevere received a 5 with her poor attempt at using a spear, but had some points for her healthiness and strength. Laurie had a 7, for his camouflage abilities, and Echo found herself listening to the description, “Laurie didn’t show any other survival skills that could be helpful, however.” They detailed, and Echo winced at the words. She worried for Laurie, and knowing that he would be with their allegiance, she worried that her low score and his would doom River.
River looked proud though, a soft, fond smile on his face, and she roughy elbowed him to get him to focus.
Ariella and Griffin both received an 8, with their strength. Griffin was strong, and showed survival abilities, while Ariella was charming as well, with strong abilities as well. The two had worked out an allegiance with Guinevere, and with those scores, they ought to have many sponsors. The very fact made Echo a bit happy for them.
Kita received a 3, given her meekness. She did present survival skills, specifically with ropes, which would help her with traps. Lorenzo received a 4, his boost being his age and his strength.
Irene received a 9, which was great for her and her prospects. Though, the rivalry that was brewing between her and Luka would be interesting, given how the two were ranked toe to toe with one another. Personally, Echo would place her money on Irene. Irene was more fit, and from what Echo knew, Irene knew how to live in dire circumstances better than a pampered career would. In the long run, survival techniques seemed more fitting to Irene, being from District 11, a district of harvest.
Dillon scored a 6, detailed to survival abilities but no ability to fight. Echo herself doubted it, but she didn’t react much. No, she was too nervous, knowing who the next person on screen would be.
Even River looked nervous, fidgeting slightly as he waited. She watched as her name showed up, with her picture. With her wide eyes looking strangely fierce, her face set in a defensive glare aimed at gamemakers earlier that day. “Echo Deirdre received a 5,” which, honestly, shocked her. She expected a low score, given to her weak nature, and no actual talents. She taped her mouth open as Catullus explained, “A surprising score for a young tribute, Echo surprised the gamemakers with her abilities with paints that could help her camouflage herself. However, they mentioned that her score was given to her fiery temper she displayed during her session, and due to her ability to charm those around her. However, Echo is a young tribute who shows little survival ability.”
River wolf-whistled slightly at the description offering a sly grin.
She returned it when his score showed up, grinning at him when he was shown off with an 11. His ability with a knife was undeniable, his strength and fiery passions was easily displayed. They mentioned how he was from 12, and that made his prospects strong for the games. He showed an amazing ability in survival tactics as well, earning him one of the highest scores.
However, with that over, she was reminded of what came next, her nervousness returning full fledge as she watched as the setting changed, the camera flickering to the stage as the guest exited, Catullus Acton standing up, and greeting as a Game Master should. The crowd cheered, and Echo watched as Sanna entered the stage after her introduction, a gorgeous dress hugging her frame that represented her bejeweled district.
When Catullus began his questions, Echo was reminded of the major issue that she seemed to have forgotten. Watching as Sanna spoke, loud and clear, to the audience.
How could she forget that part of this was talking?
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 7, 2020 17:31:05 GMT -5
HUNGER GAMES AU SNIPPETLane’s score of 6 for the training was disappointing, but not surprising. Her injury had really held her back, and while the middling score would impact her for sponsors, she could only hope the fact that she’d been injured might win her enough sponsors to make up for it. After all, getting shot had the upside of putting some attention onto her at the very least
For now, it was time for the interviews. She wore not a dress like most of the other girls, but a pantsuit with a cape effect almost like a skirt with the front part cut out. It reminded her very much of the cape effect of the dress she’d worn in the chariot. Keeping the neon theme, Diana has gone with a bright neon pink. She’d gone the same way with jewellery, with a huge neon pink necklace and small plastic neon pink hoop earrings to match. Her hair was put in a half-up, half-down style with her blue hair falling in curls just past her shoulders. Her eyes were covered with neon pink shadow and black eyeliner, as well as some neon yellow in the inner corner of her eye. Even her lips were painted bright pink. Overall, she couldn’t fail to attract attention.
The only thing that attracted more attention was the huge bandage that still adorned her right shoulder.
She stepped out when Catullus announced her name, walking to meet him with smiles for the audience and waves from her uninjured left arm.
As it had been for everyone, she first shook Catullus’ hand before taking a seat next to him.
“Lane Sherwin, I have to say I think I speak for everyone in Panem when I say we’re glad to see you tonight!” Catullus said, a note of relief in his voice ”Will you please tell us about what happened at the tribute parade?”
Lane had obviously known that would be the first question, and not just because he’d been asking the others for their opinions on what had happened the entire night so far.
She was, then, at least a little prepared, and could offer Catullus a smile.
“Well, as you can see from my rather fashionable bandage here, I was shot in the shoulder. I had to have some surgery and a lot of treatment but the Capitol medicine really is amazing.” Lane explained
“Quite,” Burton agreed “and how do you feel it’s going to impact your chances in the Games?”
That was something Lane had thought non-stop about these past days. In reality, she thought it had almost ruined her chances completely. She’d missed so much training, she’d lose sponsors, she’d be going into the Games injured. But she couldn’t very well say that in an interview where she desperately needed to try and get sponsors. She wasn’t wanting to try and play the sympathy angle.
”Well, I’m right-handed for starters,” she joked “and, if you’ll pardon the pun, I’m hardly in fighting shape. But many people get injured right at the start of the Games, and everyone has weaknesses to compensate for. This is just a more obvious one. Anybody can kill anybody, Catullus; these Games are still all to play for in my eyes. And if I’m not giving up, I don’t think Panem should give up on me yet. Especially since I’ve had the help of my tribute partner Kaz, who’s done so much to help me after my injury”
She gestured to the backstage area where tributes waited to be interviewed, and where she knew Kaz would be waiting for his interview following hers. She felt that she needed to thank him for what he did, since he’d helped her so much. To do that, she looked into the camera and mouthed a ‘thank you’, for she knew he’d be watching her interview on a screen while waiting for his.
“You and Kaz seem close, are you teaming up in the Arena?” Catullus questioned “what’s your strategy for the Games? Do you have any useful skills?”
That was a difficult one to answer. Lane thought for a moment, tilting her head and resting her left hand on her chin for a moment. How much did she want to say?
“Well, I’ll be keeping my alliances quiet for the moment, as well as my plans for the Games,” Lane answered “I don’t want to give the game away. But in terms of my skills... aside from the stuff I’ve been focusing on in training, I’m pretty fast. Even with my bad arm, I can run well enough. And if anyone wants to hurt me then they’ll have to catch me first.”
Genuinely, she didn’t think she’d need it. She was injured, so she’d be going in underestimated. None of the other alliances would likely see her as a threat, which is good because nobody went after the little fish first. They only would focus on people like her, with injuries and lower scores, when all the main threats were gone. By which point she’d hopefully be able to fight on a more level playing field where everyone would be weakened and injured.
“What about your life at home? Do you have anyone supporting you?”
She knew what Catullus was doing; fishing for sympathy sponsors to try and help boost Lane’s numbers and give her more of a chance. She appreciated that a lot; he really did seem to be trying to help all the tributes as much as possible.
“Oh, uh, not really. I live alone.” Lane responded, her demeanour becoming less relaxed as she shuffled a little in her seat.
“What, no parents?” Catullus pressed, clearly recognising that he had a win here for the sympathy sponsors angle
“Died a year ago,” was all Lane could muster as she shook her head. She couldn’t even say more than that little sentence fragment on the matter, for sympathy sponsors or not
Catullus offered his condolences and the girl thanked him, but Lane managed to get a small and slightly shaky smile back on her face again.
”I know I have my district behind me, though,” she said “and the support of Kaz, too. With or without support or sponsors, I know I can give this a decent shot. I don’t need to know people are watching to be able to give this all I have.”
She didn’t want to end on a weak note, or seem like she was trying to dig for sympathy because she wasn’t. That was Burton’s angle but she didn’t need pity sponsors because she didn’t see herself as weak. She was hurt, but she didn’t need or want pity. And she certainly didn’t want to be remembered as someone who spent her interview, saying possibly the last things she’d say to the world, playing the sympathy card for sponsors.
She was better than that.
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Post by Lioncl on Aug 8, 2020 1:33:36 GMT -5
Daniel looked up and at the lake as he listened to the two of them talk "It's not exactly that I'm sad. It's more that I'm just used to being alone which is honestly kind of depressing now that I think about it" he said with a light chuckle. He took a deep breath before he started to speak once again "Going through shit alone is what I've done for a long time. I got used to it after a while since I never really had many friends growing up. So I guess being thrown into a group as large as this one, that I didn't help raise in some way, isn't really helping me sort my shit. I think in this past week I've been spending too much time worrying about how all you guys view me instead" he said. Even though Daniel was on the verge of being flat out drunk, he was glad to finally be able to talk about how he was feeling. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had a conversation like this, talking about his feelings had never been Daniel's strong suit from an early age. Daniel looked over at Eydan with a smile on his face "But if you're gonna try and be everyone's big brother, try not to kick people in the back of the head. That shit really hurt, ya know" he teased
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 8, 2020 2:29:22 GMT -5
Lucien made a small sound something like a laugh or a scoff in response to his friends’ statement about him looking after himself.
”Looking after myself too much is my problem.” Lucien muttered
He hadn’t exactly ended up in that police station because that fight he’d had at school was a one-time thing. And he certainly wasn’t running around caring about people back home in Chicago.
No, as Apollo made clear to him, he’d given Lucien the powers he had because he needed him to learn about taking care of other people. It wouldn’t hurt as bad as it did forever, or so he claimed. Just until Lucien really learned the lesson Apollo wanted him to learn.
Which was kind of bullshit, but still.
He - thankfully - caught the can that Luka had all but thrown at his face, but he put it down for a little to let the fizz go down.
Lucien had followed Kaz’s gaze around the group when the other boy noted that Laurie and River were absent. It really had worked
“Apparently so,” Lucien agreed “and I infuriated Anger Anonymous in the process, so I’m counting this one as a win.”
Irene officially joined them now, and she was asking how many of them were old enough to be drinking it. At the same time as she’d asked, Lucien had picked up his can and opened it - holding it a distance away from him in case of foam - before lifting it to his lips and taking a sip.
“Four years too young,” Lucien shrugged ”but I don’t think a little thing like the law concerns anyone here.”
Surely nobody here was under the illusion that Lucien and the law had a good relationship? Besides, he wasn’t the only one in the group with a shady background, that was obvious. Nobody really cared, and he was pleased about that.
The blond listened as a tipsy Luka made her little speech, her Australian accent seeming to get stronger as she spoke. Lucien snorted then, rolling his eyes.
“Right,” he smirked “you totally drink often.”
To be fair, he hadn’t drunk many times before either. Only once or twice maybe. But he wasn’t, unlike Luka, claiming to be an experienced drinker or anything.
“Luka’s right though, if there’s any excuse for underage drinking I think being chosen to as errand-kids for the gods is a pretty good one. Besides, Laurie brought the ingredients for s’mores and they’ll only taste better after this.”
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 8, 2020 2:43:51 GMT -5
Lane found herself nodding at Daniel’s words. She understood what he felt like, really she did.
”I know what it’s like to go through shit on your own,” Lane answered “and it’s okay if you feel like that’s what you want. You just shouldn’t feel like you have to be alone.”
She’d been dealing with stuff on her own for the last three years. Her life had fallen apart then, but she’d gotten through it alone. Sometimes it was good to choose to go through stuff alone, it reminded you of your strength. But she didn’t want Daniel to feel like he had no choice, or he didn’t have people who cared about him.
”Well, you don’t need to worry about what we think of you,” she smiled ”I think the fact that we’re here with you tells you everything you need to know. You’re a good guy, Daniel, and you don’t need to be afraid of yourself.”
He was around people who trusted him, and who liked him for who he was. Plus, these were probably the only people in the world who would be able to stop the situation if he did go into his crocodile form. It was ideal, really.
Lane laughed at Daniel’s last comment though
”I don’t know, kicking in the back of the head seems like a pretty big-brotherly thing to do,” she joked
Not that she exactly had a big brother herself in order to confirm this, but it seemed fairly accurate in her eyes.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Aug 8, 2020 3:31:41 GMT -5
Laurie could tell from the way River squeezed his hand that the other boy understood what he was saying.
He didn’t want to be a sacrifice for gods he didn’t know. He didn’t want to perform endless labours and suffer for glory he didn’t want. There was a tragedy to Herakles’ life, which had been trial after trial until the end. He didn’t want that for himself, and he didn’t want it for any of the people around him either, least of all River.
”I won’t let that happen,” Dionysus assured him ”I am not my father, and I have been through labours of my own.”
He didn’t know to what Dionysus referred, but it brought him at least a little comfort to know that the god wanted to protect him. Not as much comfort at it brought him to know that River understood, that he wanted to make him feel better.
Thankfully, River changed the topic, though it was a topic only a little less heavy than the one before. Laurie seemed to consider his answer for a moment, humming lightly for a second.
”I miss some parts of it,” he explained ”not all. I love France and I miss my sister, but that’s about it really. My parents were never really the loving types.”
That much was very clear to him. His parents didn’t care that much. Denise had always tried to protect him from that fact when they were young; they always spent time with one another when their parents didn’t want to. It had gotten harder, though, when she got older and went off to university when Laurie was about fifteen.
He was almost happy he was here with these people, and he knew that he was glad to be here spending time with River. He wasn’t alone out here, and he loved that.
He wanted to know about River, though, and so he decided to turn the other boy’s question around back onto him.
”What about you? Do you miss your life?” he asked
Maybe it was a touchy subject, but it only seemed fair since River had asked him. Plus, if River didn’t want to answer Laurie was never going to force him.
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