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》︎✳︎✳︎✳︎《︎︎
THE HARSH KNOCKING on her door brought Devyn from her slumber as she questioned who was at the door. "It's Johanna; come get some breakfast before training," Johanna called, and Devyn looked to her nightstand, her eyes straining to see what time it was. Training started at ten, and it was currently an hour prior. She got up slowly, stumbling to her bathroom, where she pressed the first few buttons she found against the shower walls. She was soon bombarded with rose bubbles, steaming water from every jet and a rough sponge jabbing her back. Her almost slipping on the shower floor caused her to snap awake, rushing to turn off the water.
After getting a decent shower, now fully alert, Devyn dried and styled her hair into her usual updo with her bangs falling in front of her face with the button above the sink. Found lying on her now made bed was a skin-tight black uniform with grey and red stripes down the shoulders under a sewn-on patch with her district number. She squeezed herself into it and immediately felt her body contract to fit the uniform.
Thankfully, the stylists weren't at breakfast, and Devyn was pleased to find Leighton dressed in the same tight shirt and pants. She sat down, loading her plate full of food as the meal started quiet. But as the next serving of cloud-like pancakes came out, Johanna seemed it fit to start, "for the next three days, you'll have time to train down in the gymnasium. Now don't take this time for granted; I've heard of too many tributes wandering around. You need to go from station to station mastering as much as you can, alright?"
The two tributes nodded. "Do they have axes there?" Leighton asked, and Johanna chuckled softly.
"That's the thing. You two need to learn basic survival skills first, especially you Leighton," Leighton looked offended at Johanna's statement. "For the first two days at least, you'll go to stations like climbing, edible plants, snares, and fire building. If you don't know basic survival, you might as well slit your own throats. Got that?"
Leighton and Beatrice seemed disturbed by Johanna's words, but Devyn pushed them aside. "What about the third day? Are we allowed to use weapons?" Johanna sighed, taking a large bite of her toast.
"You can practice other weapons like spears or knives, which are most likely to appear in the arena. But don't show your strengths like axes until your private session," Johanna looked at Leighton, who complained under his breath. "Or any type of weapons you may have been good with back in seven, alright?"
"We would appreciate it if we found out your strengths as well," Beatrice chimed in, and Johanna agreed. Devyn glanced at Leighton, debating if she wanted him knowing too much about her. Leighton didn't seem like a threat now, but she had seen some brutal betrayals while in the arena. She had no idea how Leighton would act then versus now.
"I'm fair with an ax, I guess. Can climb pretty well and used to win all my fights in school," Leighton answered, and Johanna furrowed her eyebrows at him.
