HOPE&FEAR

Hope is the only thing stronger than fear A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is just fine as long as its contained ! dependent rp blog for tesseraehq abbas reilly / linny sato

[hxpeandfear]

thorneberry​

the second garrett stepped off the train from twelve, he wanted to turn around. he wasn’t happy to be there, and he didn’t think he ever would be.

of course, it was beautiful, he wouldn’t deny that. certainly more attractive then anything back in twelve. walking through the golden halls of the tribute tower, he felt more than out of place. he genuinely couldn’t believe his wife had grown up here. mary, where was she now? hopefully somewhere with michael, george, todd, and eliza . eliza had been here just last year. was she with her mother now?

his thoughts are interrupted by someone tapping his shoulder and asking a question, which he totally missed. “sorry, what?”

@thqstarter​

+

────   abbas always hated the journey to the capitol from ten,   it was too long,   too tedious  &  the knowledge that once he stepped off the train  he’d be in the capitol did little to make the journey any sweeter.   safe to say,   abbas was already in a mood when he arrived but had forced a smile  as he made his way inside to kill time before the parade.  

unfortunately killing time was easier said than done.  sponsors never bothered to talk to abbas because he had never bothered talking to them  &  his tributes were off in the remake centre getting all done up.   abbas had found himself wandering around the room idly,   trying to find someone to talk to that didn’t look like a capitolite.   finally he set his sights on an awestruck looking man wandering the halls  &  had made an attempt to speak to him,    which was also easier said than done as the man seemed distracted.

“ oh,   i was just saying ─ it doesn’t matter. ”   abbas said as he took note of the mans face... it looked familiar for some reason but he wasn’t a victor,  was too old to be a tribute  &  gamemakers didn’t act so lost.   then it came to him,   “ you must be that new dreamy trainer i heard some of the capitolites gushing over earlier. i’m abbas,   welcome to the hell that is the capitol  mr ... what’s was your name? ”

[hxpeandfear]

jchannam​

“Not wrong, necessarily – but probably foolish.” Truthfully, Johanna hadn’t had a plan when she was trotted out in front of the Capitol and all of Panem – but the fact that nobody had paid her any attention ( going so far as to label her bland and unmemorable ) ultimately helped form what would become her strategy for the Games – her strategy to win. “These people don’t care about who you are beyond your looks and your charm. If you’re seeking validation, trust me, you won’t find it here. So few of your lot have in the past.” Perhaps she would feel sorry for the career tributes who arrived here year after year with the same ambitions only to be let down in one way or another – but she found it rather difficult to do so when the vast majority of them were just so unpleasant.

“There’s no such thing as a cowardly victory.” She says – voice even and low despite the rising anger in Titus’. This, in fact, she truly believed – “Cowards don’t win the Games. And, as much as I hate some of them, none of the so-called the winners are cowards.” Every victor she knew ( even the ones she had personal distaste towards, of which there were quite a few ) had sacrificed something to come out of that arena alive – if they hadn’t had the courage to do so, she doubted they would be alive today. “Throwing away an entire fucking childhood for a few minutes of potential glory is not what I would consider courageous, either.”

Though I suspect you don’t remember. She pauses at that, lip twitching as a spark of recognition floods her mind. “Leech.” She says quietly, recalling the name from the brief recaps of the reapings that had been playing on the train, “I knew that name sounded familiar. Colin? Creedence? No, no, that wasn’t it.” She remembered the name, of course ( she remembered all of their names ), but she watches intently as the veins in Titus’ neck bulge, the sheer hatred towards her that seems to be seeping out of his every pore – she sees a wound, and she starts to dig. 

“Caius, right? Tall, dark hair, brutish-looking?” He’d been one of the tributes Johanna had been most wary of – and for good reason, in the end, he’d managed to make it to third place before Johanna had put him out of his misery. “I didn’t know your brother, I don’t know how hard he trained, or how much he wanted to win,” Her voice lilts mockingly, “But if he was meant to, he would have, it’s just that simple.” She pauses, “My strategy may not have been up to your District’s standards of how to win the Games – but it did the trick. I’m sorry he had to die, but I’m not going to sit here and be guilt-tripped because I did what I had to survive and your brother didn’t have what it took to do the same.”

────  for titus, the pursuit of validation was not  foolish,  but necessary. without the games titus would have remained that small child being belittled by his family his entire life.  with victory would come the validation of proving them all wrong.  when he stood in front of his grandfather  &  claimed the ring on his finger for himself everything he’d done to get to that point would prove worthwhile. that was his prize,   not the money or the glory,   but  the satisfaction of proving the old bastard wrong  &  redefining the name leech so when it was uttered, it was only about titus.   the thought alone put a devious smile on his face,  “ you’re wrong.”  his thumb stroked the surface of the ring slowly, a reminder to himself of what he was doing all this for,   “ this is the only way i achieve the validation i seek .  that may not be important to you but for me,  validation is everything. ”

a scoff escaped his lips at johanna’s preposterous notion of victory.  he didn’t blame her for thinking in such a way,  even though he thought she was deluding herself.  of course all victories were  technically  that,   a victory.   but what kind of personal victory did you receive from cowering in a corner, rather than fighting for your survival?   if you were to live whilst twenty-three other people died, it is your obligation to ensure you deserve it.   “ there is where i’m from.  victory is no real victory if you don’t earn it ... just like i earned my spot here. ”   there was that word that titus found leaving his lips so frequently,    earn.   he had earned the right to fight to the death,   he would earn his right to be called a victor ... he would earn his right to ring on his finger,   or die trying.   “ i’d rather waste my childhood than waste my life just waiting for death to come  &  take me away.”   that was no way to live.

once again,  titus found himself dancing a finger along the edge of the ring,  feeling the word leech engraved on the metal which johanna spoke so casually.   as she went through a list of names,   titus’ blood pressure rose just as it had done when cassia mentioned his brothers on the train.   he wasn’t used to people saying caius’ or ronan’s names,   they had been banned from the household after their losses,  their photos burned ... but from the woman who had killed him,   it felt different.  

“that’s him.”  titus managed a nod whilst  trying to rid his mind of all those memories;   nameless graves,  empty chairs ... it was too much for him to think about  as he was just about to begin training for the games.  it seemed johanna wanted to rub salt in the wound though,   perhaps to throw him off his game so her tributes could have a leg up.   he wouldn’t rise to it,   “ caius was a good person.”  actually he’d been a bit of an asshole,  granted not as much as ronan,   but he still enjoyed taunting titus any chance he got,   “ his death only makes me want to work harder to achieve what he couldn’t. ”   a devious smile spread across his lips as he tilted his head at johanna,   “  & believe me,   should i be gifted the chance of  revenge  in the arena,   i won’t hesitate to take it. ”  he needed not say more about what he was implying,   his bloodlust evident.   yet he couldn’t help but return johanna’s taunting with some of his own,  “ what’s that weird girl’s name again ...  ellery?   i might just have to keep an eye out for her in the arena. ”

[hxpeandfear]

contcnder​

The girl’s work is gentle in a way that feels almost foreign to Casey – whose first instinct would have been to scrub viciously at the material with whatever was available until either the stain lifted or material gave way entirely ( their mother had neglected to teach them important life skills such as this, and Casey, for their part, had never bothered to properly learn – their clothes at home covered in long since set grease stains that had no hope of ever lifting ). They watch intently as the girl works, the gesture both strange and comforting at the same time.

Glancing down as the girl steps away, Casey lets out a low whistle – where there had before been a bright red stain was now nothing more than a wet patch that would surely dry soon. Despite herself, Casey finds herself smiling at the newcomer – thankful for the help she’d provided even if Casey wasn’t yet quite sure why. They watch as the girl gestures slowly – not quite sure what she’s saying, but thinking that they understand enough to obtain a general sense of her intention.

“Oh,” Casey says quietly – they’d heard stories, back home ( rumours, more like, for they had never been proven with tangible evidence ) of people being taken to the Capitol for punishment, never to return, and be made to serve the people there. Casey had never been sure what to make of such rumours – though it sounded outlandish, the idea still existed right in the periphery of realism – an unpleasant reality, but one which could be true nonetheless. “A-vox,” They sound the word out slowly, as they’d been taught to when they were younger ( just because Casey’s education was stunted didn’t mean it was absent entirely ). 

“I’m sorry.” She says, shaking her head, “I didn’t know.”

────  her mother would be proud,   linny thought to herself as she looked down at the dress.   linny had lost count of the amount of times she had come home from school with mud & grass stains all over the dresses her mother would craft for her out of factory scraps.  her mother spent many evenings stood in front of the fire,  dabbing  away at the stains. linny wasn’t even aware she had paid any attention to her mother at the time but now,  stood in front of casey,   it seemed it was one of those subconscious things she’d picked up on.  she didn’t mind,   it was nice to be reminded of her mother again.

casey’s surprise was not an uncommon reaction.   many tributes had no reason to know about avoxes,  having been too young to get into trouble themselves.   though casey must have been around the same age linny was when she was brought to the capitol.  thinking about that would only remind linny of how long she’d spent here though,  so she swiftly moved on from that thought.

it’s okay,    linny signed slowly so they could understand.   had someone gone back in time  & told linny what she would become,  she wouldn’t believe them either – in fact,  she probably would have told them they were  talking the biggest load of crap she’d ever heard  & promptly stuck her tongue out at them,    oh the irony !     most people don’t know about avoxes,    she continued to sign hesitating every now  &  again to make sure her signs were easy to interpret,   because ... because we can’t tell people.   linny gestured to her lips.  technically ,  avoxes weren’t even supposed to communicate in anyway with the guests,   but most of them had developed their own little signs because otherwise they’d die of boredom before the capitol could put them to work.    

idly,   linny rolled her eyes,   at least i’m alive,   she signed without reminding herself she was talking to a tribute.  as the reality of what she’d said set in,  her eyes widened  &  she waved her hands around frantically,  no,  i’m so sorry,  i didn’t think...   talk about putting your foot in your mouth.

[hxpeandfear]

cassialowe​

           his  sarcasm  resembled  to  gasoline,  fueling  a  robot  created  by  the  very  existence  of  the  capitol.   cassia’s  very  aware  that  he  probably  doesn’t  believe  her  &  she’s  oddly  okay  with  it.   she  saw  a  lot  of  herself  in  titus,  not  that  she’d  ever  admit  that,  but  it  was  almost  entertaining.   still,  she  moves  on  with  the  conversation.   he’s  observant  &  she  wouldn’t  put  it  beside  him  to  make  note  of  her  weaknesses  when  they  were  training.   his  temper  had  already  proven  to  be  something  worthy  of  noting  &  cassia’s  sick  mind  almost  enjoys  the  rush  of  adrenaline  she’d  get  for  provoking  the  very  idea  of  his  brothers  further,  for  the  mere  satisfaction  of  clawing  her  way  underneath  his  skin.

          “   oh,  so  he’s  a  master  chef   ?   ”     the  comment  barely  shakes  the  pride  oozing  from  the  femme’s  being,  attention  elsewhere  as  the  train  begins  to  consume  her  mind.   their  compartments  were  useless,  considering  their  ride  was  so  short.   it  made  a  nice  place  for  a  nap,  though.   with  escorts  &  mentors  nowhere  in  sight,  a  massive  amount  of  trust  had  been  placed  upon  their  shoulders.   or  maybe  nobody  wanted  to  deal  with  a  couple  of  kids  just  yet.

          disgust  involuntary  graces  her  features,  lips  twisting  into  that  of  a  scowl  as  she  thinks  about  the  options  that  would  be  laid  out  on  the  table.   love,  although  just  a  silly  little  thing  in  the  back  of  her  mind,  could  wait  until  after  the  games,  until  after  someone  falls  in  love  with  her  for  her  victory  &  triumphs.     “   as  if  i’d  have  the  patience  to  even  fake  it.   i’ll  take  the  overalls,  but  i’ll  ditch  the  partner.   it  would  be  funny,  though.   ”

          their  blood  boils  at  the  same  degree,  which  is  shocking  &  amusing  all  at  once  to  cassia.   similarities  were  becoming  evident,  which  could  have  been  bad  for  district  two.   the  games  needed  people  to  stand  out,  not  blend  in.     “   ugh,  it’s  gonna  be  hard  not  to  wanna  kill  ‘em  off  right  then  &  there  if  i  see  that  in  training.   ”     eyes  roll,  but  she  laughs  again  !   she  welcomed  the  attention,  if  anything.     “   don’t  worry,  the  capitol’s  gonna  see  what  i  want  them  to  see.   ”

+

────  “ he’s whatever he needs to be to survive. ”  titus shrugged ,  answer rolling of his tongue.  there was perhaps nothing he wouldn’t do to buy himself one more day at the arena because with each day passing came a higher chance victory.   though as the thought entered his mind,  he began to doubt himself.  was there truly nothing he wouldn’t do?  loyalty meant little to him  &  the prospect of killing his closest ally to get himself farther in the games was one he welcomed.

cassia’s comment about patience gets stored away in the back of titus’ mind for a later date as he chuckles again,  not wanting to be as obviously judging her as she was him.   “ the capitol will love it anyway,  so long as there’s drama.  ”    titus found there was always drama where relationships or love were involved,   that’s why he’d never pictured himself in either.   he wasn’t sure love was something he’d ever felt for anyone.   not his parents who were passive presences in his life,   nor his grandfather who had always been  cold &  unlovable,   that left only his brothers whom titus could never truly forgive for   leaving him on his own   getting themselves killed.  perhaps titus was incapable of love,  a though which he lost no sleep over.

a smug smile toyed at the corners of titus’ lips as the conversation about weaker tributes amused him.  “ yeah,  but where’s the challenge in that ?  i’d rather them train up,   get a little hope in their hearts  &  then we rip them apart ”   the apple that he’d been sporadically taking bites out of for the past few minutes rolled over in his palm.  he put his hands around it  & pulled it into two halves to emphasise his point,   then he took a bite out of the left half,   the taste even more satisfying ... not quite as satisfying as it would be to put a sword through the chest of a pitiful tribute,   but until then it would have to do.

taking another bite of the apple,   titus sat back in his chair as he raised an eyebrow at cassia,   “ & what  exactly  do you want them to see? ”

[hxpeandfear]

ctedreda​

Redacted looked out, around the room, at the Avox’s panicked face. it didn’t make any sense. They were trying to help! they were going to make things better for her! couldn’t she see that? but then the avox wrote the words on the table, and the nameless one looked down at it.

they see… all???

“who?” she asked, confused. “I can rough em up if you likes. me and the boys fight people sometimes, i throw a mean… well, I can charlie horse em real good. real good, nice lady.” they wanted to help. and not knowing what was going on didn’t help them. they were in the mood to fight, now, throwing fake punches at the air and looking to Linny for approval, a curious smile on their face. “yeah?”

+

────  linny found reda’s naivety rather sweet.   it was so rare to find someone in this place that had yet to be burned by the capitol in their lives.  but it would not last ... the capitol would dull their light just as they had done with linny ,  or so they thought.  she didn’t want to see that happen.   so,   whilst the thought of reda   charlie horsing president snow  ( whatever than meant ) was an enjoyable one,   linny knew that even talking of such things was dangerous. 

gently,  so as not to startle reda,  linny put her hands on top of their closed fists  &  lowered them.   she shook her head,    a warning.  then a hand raised slowly to point at the capitol seal on the wall.   she turned back to reda  &  did two three definitive signs that could not be misinterpreted.  she pointed to the seal again,   then gestured to her eyes before pointing at reda.  they’re watching you.   then she pressed a finger to her lips,   you need to be quiet

[hxpeandfear]

cassialowe​

          there’s  nothing  encouraging  about  enobaria’s  words  that  makes  cassia  feel  as  at  home  as  she’d  hoped  while  sitting  in  the  glorious  district  two  suite.   part  of  her  wished  brutus  would  drop  in,  if  only  to  save  them  from  the  terror  that  came   with  this  victor’s  sudden  assumption  that  her  respect  was  to  be  earned.     “   yeah,  seriously.   ”     the  more  cassia  hung  out  with  titus,  the  more  she  was  seeing  similarities  between  them,  but  it’s  not  like  she’d  ever  admit  that  out  loud.     “   we’re  not  skipp  &  auriela.   ”     the  blonde’s  remarks  are  useless  &  she  knows  it.

          “   i  don’t  want  pretty  words,  i  want  actual  support.   ”     while  cassia  was  confident  in  her  skills,  it  wouldn’t  hurt  to   get  some  advice  from  people  who  actually  lived  through  the  games.   having  a  mentor  that  just  didn’t  care  enough  to  offer  any  kind  of  aid  was  a  bit  of  a  bummer.   it  was  borderline  game - ruining,  experience  threatening  to  shatter.   they  had  to  deal  with  this  until  the  games  actually  started  &  this  was  only  day  one.   cassia  steals  a  glance  at  titus  before  she’s  standing  again,  arms  crossing  as  she  turns  her  attention  back  to  enobaria.     “   some  welcome  committee  this  place  has.   first,  we  have  to   deal  with  an  escort  that  has  no  brain  on  the  train  &  now  we  get  mentors  who  don’t  give  a  damn  about  their  own  tributes.   this  is  the  second  time  you’ve  talked  about  earning  whatever  advice  you  have  to  offer  &  i’m  starting  to  think  it’s  not   even  worth  wasting  my  energy  on.   ”

@hxpeandfear​

────    titus didn’t care for the comparison to the two previous tributes,   mostly because he’d spent his life being compared to other people. he didn’t come here to face the same kind of treatment  &  if enobaria continued to make comments like that, he might have to give her a piece of his mind.   truthfully,  he didn’t need enobaria’s advice when his grandfather was constantly berating him in his head.

“ i can’t believe i’m saying this but cassia’s right.”  he said begrudgingly,  leaning forwards in his seat,   “ i don’t need someone telling me how great i am. i’m not like those arrogant fuckers you usually deal with. ”   his eyes turn to cassia with a smirk on his face,  “ can’t say the same for her  but  i like to earn my praise. ”  which would likely be a running theme throughout the games.   what was the point of winning if you didn’t deserve it ?  a question for a later date,  in that moment he just narrowed his eyes at enobaria  “ but mentoring is a two way street right ?   you want us to prove our worth to you,  then prove to us why we should even bothering listen to a word you say  because you track record isn’t exactly something to write home about.”  

@enobariamcclaves​

[hxpeandfear]

cassialowe​

           cassia  takes  the  glass  slowly,  but  her  interest  in  it  soon  fades  as  she  picks  up  what  linny  was  putting  down.   she  was  an  avox  &  cassia  was  a  soon - to - be  victor  in  her  own  mind,  which  meant  respect  was  expected.   eyes  bore  into  linny’s  with  the  fatal  fall  of  softened  features,  feet  carrying  her  one  slow  step  forward  as  the  blonde  refuses  to  break  her  glare.     “   what’s  the  rush,  hm   ?   ”     brows  furrow,  but  she  feigns  confusion  for  only  a  split  second  before  lips  return  to  straightening.     “   got  somewhere  more  important  to  be  ?   ”     she  might  think  highly  of  herself,  but  cassia  is  no  fool.   the  dumb  blonde  from  district  two  stereotype  seemed  to  be  just  that  in  the  long  run.

          in  almost  an  instant,  the  fingers  that  once  secured  the  glass  become  loose  &  it  falls  with  a  deafening  shatter.   although  loud,  cassia  remains  unflinching  before  her  head  tilts  &  she  puts  on  a  pout.     “   oops.   ”     eyes  drop  to  the  glass  on  the  ground,  dramatic  gasp  surfacing  for  just  a  moment.     “   oh,  my  gosh  !   i’m  so  sorry.   must  have  slipped.   ”

+

──── it takes a whole second for linny to establish that she doesn’t like this girl.   a cold demeanor  &  holier-than-thou attitude seem to blend right in with the capitolites around them.  this girl would make for a dream victor,  as if this were a role she was born to play.   in a way she pitied her as it seemed she was nothing other than what people wanted her to be.   such a sad way to live ... if you could consider it living at all.     as cassia began to ask things of her,  linny’s patience grew ever so thin,   though she didn’t let it show.   she would not give her the satisfaction.   no rush,   i’m here to help you,   she signed with a feigned smile.

her smile never faltered,   even when the sound of smashing glass unleashed a wave of memories.   it’s not a problem,   she signed as broken champagne bottles,   stern words  &  hidden punishments all came to the forefront of her mind.  she bent down to collect the shards of glass with her fingers, as they sat in her hand she thought about how easy it would be to stick a piece in cassia’s eye  &  a burning desire to do just that overcomes her ... she doesn’t.  instead she keeps smiling at cassia,  even as she turned away to dispose of the glass in one of the bins scattered around the room.  the glass tips from her fingers, all except one piece which she tucks under her them.    she adjusts her tunic,  slipping the sharp piece of glass under there  just in case,  then returns to cassia.  on her way back she fetches another glass of the same drink,    to replace the last one,   she said to cassia as she handed her the glass

[hxpeandfear]

TESSERAE HQ TASK 003 ;  YIP YIP!   /  TITUS LEECH

“ earthbenders are generally muscular, tough & direct, and like all benders, their technique reflects on their individual personalities. ”

titus is an earthbender,   not only because of his physical strength but also because of his strategic ability to watch carefully,   prepare  & plan attacks.   he’s particularily gifted in throwing  &  manipulating rocks,   a key skill for anyone from district two.  he’s also able to conjure an  earth armour  that makes him resilient to pain,   as well as adds extra security to ease his self doubt.

[hxpeandfear]

TESSERAE HQ TASK 003 ;  YIP YIP!   /  LINNY SATO

“ fire is the element of power, consisting of overpowering force tempered by the unflinching will to accomplish tasks & desires. ”

linny is a firebender,   for a time she was motivated only by the thought of revenge for her mothers death  &  would stop at nothing until she accomplished her goal.   from that point an inner fire has burned inside her,   creating that drive to do what she needed.   being a firebender,  linny’s main skill is her ability to throw fire bombs  &  lashes.    as she was caught by the capitol it could be said she has a lack of defensive ability.  she also struggles with self control,   which is how she ended up in the capitol in the first place. 

[hxpeandfear]

TESSERAE HQ TASK 003 ;  YIP YIP!   /  ABBAS O’REILLY

“ waterbenders deal with the flow of energy;  they let their defense become their offense,     turning their opponents' own forces against them ” 

abbas is a waterbender not because he likes water,    what makes abbas a waterbender is his defensive ability.   having never been a strong fighter,   his technique in the games relied on finding inventive ways to defend himself, turning the careers techniques against themselves.  these days his waterbending talents mostly show themselves as ice, reflective of his cold exterior.  he’s particularly fond of throwing up ice walls to keep people away.

[hxpeandfear]

itsbirchpembrooke

He listened. Birch knew where she was coming from. He had volunteered for Ember so he could have a life. In that moment, he thought he wasn’t going to come home. There was no prior thought, just a desire to save his little brother. Cricket was more prepared than he was when he went into his Arena. And that was what made him scared for her. Having any preconceived notions left a tribute rocking more in the Arena than if they went in with nothing at all. He saw it every year with the Careers. He could only hope that Cricket had a penchant for survival that those trained tributes didn’t have. 

“You don’t have to convince me to give you a chance, Cricket. I give every tribute of mine whatever they need and whatever I can give them. Some of them just want comfort and love in their last days. I doubt that’s what you want. There are things I can teach you, but I need you to promise not to piss off anyone too hard. I can already tell you’ve got that fire in you. If you burn someone too much, they’ll stamp you out.” 

She was going to be a handful, but at least it seemed like she was going to try. And might be just savvy enough to make it past the Bloodbath. Clem wiggled in his arms and moved, turning so that she was sitting with her back against his chest. She pointed her finger at Cricket, “You like our eggs!” 

That’s when Birch realized he had seen Cricket or some of her family before. And he wasn’t sure if that made him happy or sad. Coming by the Pembrookes this past year wasn’t really a happy experience. It meant that they were desperate and hungry. Cricket was the only girl in Ten that was willing to do something about that for her family. He wished it hadn’t come to this for her. // @hxpeandfear 

+

────  the kid had conviction,  he had to give her that.   the way she spoke stirred feelings of hope in abbas that he hadn’t felt in so long.  if she could encourage hope in the hopeless,   cricket should have no problem getting the viewers to route for her,  assuming she could make it past the bloodbath.  &  she had a reason to get home ... abbas knew that feeling.  the only things that had truly got him through his own games was the prospect of never seeing cara again ─ which was rather ironic given the way things had turned out in the aftermath.

abbas couldn’t help but feel that birch was making a slight dig at him with his  giving every tribute a chance   motto.  it was well known that abbas didn’t have that same mentality,   it was too mentally taxing.  there was no way abbas could care for every single tribute whose name came out of the reaping bowl  because then their deaths would be even harder on him  &  his sobriety.   “ i’m still gonna need a little more convincing... ”   abbas put his hand up to get cricket’s attention like a schoolboy,  “ then,   who knows,  between birch’s coddling  &  my no-bullshit approach,   we might be able to keep you alive a couple days. ”  

as cricket made an attempt to pull at birch’s heartstrings,  abbas rolled his eyes but said nothing. if that was her way of trying to butter birch up ... well,  it would probably work.  birch was too soft for his own good.  abbas would be more impressed if she were able to do the same to him,  but that was unlikely,   he wasn’t sure he had much of a heart left these days.

then there was a mention of eggs  &  abbas found himself shooting birch a confused look before it hit him;  the pembrookes were giving out food to people.  that explained why abbas was always catching random kids sneaking past his house in the early hours of the morning,   he’d previously just assumed birch & oakley just had an infinite number of children – given the amount of times he found himself running into them in the tower, it sure felt like it.

“ looks like she likes apple turnovers too. ”  abbas said,  ignoring the comment about the eggs & addressing cricket,   “ i know you’re starving ‘n all,   but try to remember to chew, wont ya? ”

@cricketlowry​

[hxpeandfear]

jeremevos​

Russet eyes sparkled at the words Titus uttered. Jereme valued first impressions in this exhilarating experience, and the tribute from Two hardly disappointed. “Well, I’d think that was rather obvious, wouldn’t you?” He answered, the words passing from his lips with a stately tone. With a slight tilt of the head, Jereme surveyed the other with mild interest and growing suspicion. Cassia claimed Titus comprehended the intricate nature of the Games, and he refused to fall victim to his tricks. “Are you sure about that? I’ve seen plenty of tributes around here to pick off easily enough.”

Jereme paused, prolonging his next words and allowing his previous ones to linger. It seemed that very moment provided the opportunity to analyze every tribute for an Achilles’ heel. “And just what are you celebrating?” He asked with a pointed glance, waving over an Avox with a platter of goblets in hand. “Now me? I’ll be toasting to a successful and even more meaningful Games.” A glass rose toward the air before Jereme allowed the liquid to slip into his mouth. “And perhaps even a toast to you. I met your district partner, and she told me you’re pretty handy yourself. Is that true?”  

+

────   a false laugh got stuck in the back of titus’ throat as he attempted to play nice with jereme,  despite the reminder that soon they would be fighting to the death.   but before that he would have to ensure his fellow careers were on his side,   which meant being friendly – or in the least, civil,  as difficult as it might have been given titus’ limited social skills,   “ yeah,  but it hardly seems fun when they’re all weak  &  starving. ”   he said,   peering over his shoulder at a few passing tributes that were being swallowed by their costumes due to their scrawny statures,  “ i prefer to challenge myself.”

taking another sip from his drink gave titus the chance to pause for a moment to allow jereme to make the next move in the conversation. the question posed seemed innocent enough,   but everyone always had an angle.  “ it’s good to know we share the same desires.”  a half-truth.   “but also i’m celebrating a legacy fulfilled.”   well,  technically it hadn’t been fulfilled just yet,    but it would be soon ... very soon if titus had his way .  a short & sweet games would be a treat.  but first,   he’d have to get past the other careers,  which he was slowly beginning to look forwards to as already they were beginning to anger him,     “ cassia does not need to speak for me. ”   he said with a tensed jaw,  “ i assure you my strength does all the talking. ”

[hxpeandfear]

contcnder​

Casey is only slightly startled as someone descends on her the moment she makes a mess of herself – the girl doesn’t look much older than Casey, and though they suspect she isn’t a tribute, she seems to stand out amongst the flamboyance and sheer exuberance of the surrounding Capitolites. While they are all dressed in extravagant outfits and popping with colour like characters from a painting – this girl, by contrast, seemed dulled, and though her appearance lacked the same energy as many in the room, she seemed to emanate a sense of authenticity that the others lacked. A sense of kindness.     

Of course, Casey doesn’t articulate any of this, and the girl disappears as quickly as she’d come, not saying a word but re-materialising only moments later with a cloth and water and offering to help. Casey had never been one to accept the help of others lightly – learning early on that the only one they could really ever rely on was themselves. They look the newcomer up and down skeptically, their instincts screaming to snap back no, I’ll do it myself, but the girl seems genuinely eager to help – and Casey doesn’t want to face the wrath of their stylists if they fail to remove the rapidly setting stain themselves.

“Um… yeah, thanks.” They say instead, moving their arms out of the way so that the newcomer has proper access to the stain. She’s not quite sure why this girl is so eager to help – perhaps she works here, or maybe she’s one of those groupies Casey had heard about from her escort on the train, the kind that follow the tributes around and try to learn everything about them like some sort of sick contest. Then again, Casey was assured they wouldn’t have access to the Tower at any time. 

“Pretty sure my stylist is going to kill me if this doesn’t come out.” They say to fill the silence, chuckling lightly to themselves. “I’m, um… I’m Casey, by the way. One of the tributes, if that wasn’t obvious by the… everything about me.”

+

────  there was a look of mistrust from the tribute,   one linny couldn’t blame casey for having.  forwhen she had first been in the capitol she hadn’t trusted anyone either,   even the other avoxes who offered her advice & taught her to sign.  linny had come to learn that people in panem were only concerned for themselves when the warehouse had forced her mother to work ridiculous hours with no care for her health,  only for their product.  since being an avox, seeing what went on when people thought no one was watching,  linny’s mistrust had only grown.  

for some reason,  casey let her help.   linny was just grateful to be assisting someone who wasn’t a capitolite as tributes tended to treat her with a lot more respect than the average capitol citizen.  she supposed it was from a sense of unity;  they didn’t want to be there either. however, with casey it was different.  it was as though they didn’t know why linny was helping, a sense of surprise radiating off of them.

linny tried to focus on the task at hand as she knelt down for a better look at the stain. compared to the usual red wine stains linny was expected to remove,  jam was easy.  gently,  linny liften the fabric of the outfit away from casey & began to dab the cloth on the stain, removing the remnants of jam slowly,  but effectively.  the smell of lemon mixed with the sugar of the jam filled her nostrils as the stain became nothing more than a small damp patch that was barely noticeable.  satisfied with her work, linny stood, folded the cloth & tucked it into her pocket in case she might need it later. 

there you go,   she gestured to the dress with a smile on her face.  then, much to linny’s surprise,  casey began to talk to her. linny felt a little guilty that she couldn’t respond as casey was being so polite.  perhaps they didn’t know that linny couldn’t speak back. not everyone knew about the avoxes,  linny had to remind herself.  a select few people still saw her as a human being.  not wanting to be rude,  linny waved hello to casey before trying to sign slowly,  hoping that she’d understand.  sorry,  i can’t speak,  she signed,  apologising for both the fact she couldn’t respond  & the fact that casey was in this situation.  i’m an ... linny began before pointing to a small word on the bottom of her tunic that read  ‘ avox ’  i’m here to serve you.

[hxpeandfear]

kaixaho​

Kai swallowed down his bite and held his hand up in apology. “Sorry, dude. My mom would be way mad at me for talking with my mouth full. Not used to getting this kind of a spread, y’know?”

His meals back home at the Academy had been purely fuel: plain chicken and vegetables with minimal seasoning, protein shakes, brown rice, maybe some of the extra fish they couldn’t fit on the shipments to the Capitol on good weeks. Sugar was too expensive to have at home, and they’d always said something about how it was “empty calories” and a “waste” back in his lessons. He didn’t really know what that meant, but he sure did miss out on a lot of good stuff that they had available here.

“You sure?” he asked as he reached for the guy’s plate. “This is some good stuff, but I’m sure if you’ve been around you know that. I’m Kai, by the way. From District Four. What’s your name?”

+

─────   a hint of surprise flashes across abbas’ face at kai’s apparent lack of familiarity with such an array of food.  being from district four,   abbas assumed he ate well,   certainly better than most of the the other tributes this year.  based on the fact abbas couldn’t see his bones protruding from his skin,  abbas could comfortably say he wasn’t starving.  “ yes,  that seems to be the general consensus this year. ” 

abbas turned to look at the spread of food,   enough to feed the entirety of the starving children in ten ... then again,   there was enough food in abbas’ kitchen to feed a lot of them as well, did that mean he was handing it out?   nope.   perhaps in some way he was just as bad as the capitol.  though abbas had to remind himself he kept to himself to protect what was left of his family, even if they didn’t want protecting.

“ oh yeah,  i know it.   most of this meat  &  cheese comes from my district so,  to be honest,  i’m sick of the shit. ”   he said grumpily as he pushed a tray of food as far away from him as he could,  “ i’m abbas,  district ten mentor ─  don’t feel bad about not knowing who i am,  no one does.   i take it you’re a career?”

[hxpeandfear]

itsbirchpembrooke​

Birch had picked up enough sign language over his years at the Tower that he was able to piece together what Linny was saying. He was more annoyed at the reporter for going after the Avoxes that worked here, knowing full well that they were asking them to trade their safety for the chance at a stupid scoop. 

He waved away the gratitude when they were out of eyeline and earshot of the reporter. With the little sign language he had he tried to sign as he spoke, “Don’t worry about it. No one deserves to be caught up in that.” His hand and prosthetic had trouble keeping up and he knew he was butchering what he was saying, forgetting some of the hand motions that he knew. He dropped his hands sheepishly to his side. 

“I’m sorry.” He signed those words, having used that a lot, especially because his daughters loved talking to the Avoxes. “Not great at sign language still, even after 19 years.” 

+

────   truthfully,    linny didn’t know why she got so flustered about the reporter.  things like that  happened frequently at the beginning of the games as reporters were trying to get their first previous of the tributes.  they thought they could push the avoxes into letting them in ... ha!  clearly they didn’t realise that the capitols punishment for that was much worse than anything a reporter could do.

birch’s attempt at signing changed the mood of the conversation,   putting a smile on linny’s face  &  causing the previous interaction to slip from her mind.   thank you,  she signed back,  referencing both his attempt at signing,  as well as his kind words.   it was strange to see anyone trying to communicate with her through sign language,   though linny noticed birch was having trouble with his prosthetic. 

you don’t need to do that,   she signed slowly so he could keep up,   i can still hear you. linny toucher her ear to convey what she was trying so say as she pondered her next words.  feeling rather brave,   she went ahead & kept signing,  her motions becoming less exaggerated,  they haven’t taken that from me yet.

[hxpeandfear]

ctedreda​

They didn’t really know what the toungless one was trying to say, mimicing her signs again slowly to try and figure out what’s going on. but clearly she was thinking, and the nameless one watched them think before pointing. and then, the little brunette head turned around to look at the camera. she waved at it for a second, before looking around. tape, on the counter. a napkin, beside the bowl.

“okay, wait. so if I can turn that off… okay, stand here.” they grinned, jumping instead of simply standing up and rushing to the counter and the table, before climbing so they could stand on the couch, directly behind Linny. “okay. you’re gonna put me on your back, okay? and then you bring me over there, and I’ll have my hands free to tape this up and cover it. it’ll be fun!” or dangerous. probably dangerous. but maybe fun.

+

──── what a curious child indeed !  linny thought to herself as she watched reda attempt to copy her hand movements again.  they seemed to be filled with a natural, childlike curiosity that linny had once possessed herself.   the thought brought a frown to linny’s face ... they were so young,   so innocent.  it wasn’t fair.  but thinking that did little to change the situation.  linny was about as powerless as reda, if not more.  but reda didn’t seem to realise that as they got an idea in their head.

stop !  linny tried to sign,   please don’t.   but she knew her signs were futile at this point;   reda couldn’t understand.   linny followed her around the room as she realised what they were planning. it was a bad idea – no,  it was a horrendous idea.  whilst linny had mastered the art of hiding in blindspots so the capitol didn’t notice her doing something she shouldn’t, covering a camera would definitely alert them & then reda would be on their radar.  linny didn’t want that. the last tribute who’d got on the capitols bad side had been blown to pieces.  but linny couldn’t find a way to stop them, no matter what hand gestures she tried.  she had to think of something ... anything.

that’s when it came to her.  quickly,  she rushed over to the buffet table  &  grabbed a bowl of berry compote.   she acted normally so it looked like she was helping  but the second she placed the bowl onto the glass coffee table,   she dipped her fingers in the purple juice  & began to write three words on the glass.  then she stood up, positioning herself in a way that would shield the table from the other cameras she knew existed as she gestured to the words.

THEY SEE ALL. 

[hxpeandfear]

panemonium​

“Thank you,” Esme said in an automatic response. It was just what she did because honestly, she heard it from nearly everyone she met. Not that she didn’t appreciate the thought at least because it didn’t even seem real a year later. “Well, then do something worth their applause.” Not that this man needed to be told this and being from District Two he was capable of great things.

She shrugged. “Reapings are only part of the impression but yes, probably true.” People paid attention to Districts One and Two because of their past history. It was one advantage tributes from there had over the others besides their training. “Then I look forward to seeing what you have in store because I know it won’t disappoint.” There was no need to lie about that.

+

──── do something worth their applause?    oh,   titus planned on it.  he had been dreaming for so long about what he would do when he got in the arena.   obviously there were many unknowns that couldn’t be accounted for.   last year had shown them that even something as extreme as a bunch of wild animals coming to life could happen.   but esme had survived that  &  so titus could survive whatever they threw at him as well.   “ i will ... that’s a promise.”

titus felt grateful for esme.   many mentors thought the career tributes were arrogant,   having too much confidence in their own abilities.   whilst titus was sure some were that way,   heck , he’d met some of them already !   but not titus,   he had faith in his skills but not to the point of arrogance.  there were too many doubts swirling around in his head for that.   “ i appreciate your faith in me,   especially given two’s poor performance as of late ─ things really have gone down hill since my grandfather retired.”  though titus was secretly grateful magnus wasn’t here to make him doubt himself further,  “ it just means we have something to prove & best believe we’re going to  ! ”