.Stone And Lumber (Johanna Mason X F.OC).

-Anything-

Beautiful.

That's what they were.

Beautiful like myths, like lies, like fairy tales.

People of the Capitol cheering loudly as they dazzled brightly with their fierce smiles and confident posture.

The golden gladiator outfit on them both looked like solid gold and yet folded and flapped like the finest of silks, gleaming under the sun as Clove and Cato were feeling themselves up in praise and love of the Capitol like any of 1 and 2 should and would do, like the real stars of the show they were.

The mentors' look out was silent in this sea of applause and cheers like each year, tho this year the silence was heavier and harder to breath in, none daring to utter a word as they all stared at the back of a black haired victor's head that stood by the railing instead of sitting.

Athena did not heed her instincts, she did not turn to look at the ogling crowed behind her, she didn't call out to them to cut it off, she just stared ahead while ignoring them all, her gaze glued too the chariots doing their rounds bellow and too the hatefully spectacular fire display of 12, she was right about them like she had been right about the wolf in sheep's clothing, they might need to be the first tributes that should be killed by the career pack to not repeat the same thing that happened with 7's victory.

The only one of the victors daring something else then to stare was one in the ever eternal fake bark for an outfit.

Athena felt a hand overs hers on the railing she had been gripping, looking to her left but Johanna's attention was on the tributes and on Snow that started speaking, not acknowledging the gesture.

Athena shifted her hand, letting Johanna holding the railing and covering her hand with hers and squeezing down in silence as she watched on the repetitive show once again this year in the deadly silence of a graveyard.

---------------------------------------------------

"I am sorry."

"For what little wolf."

Athena had easily found her way to the strongest of alcohols to numb her mind but even those didn't work on the mess it was, this was the first night but she already had the jitters, the images and the consequences of what this game entailed for her and everyone else.

Johanna felt bad, having seen some extent of what this woman would go too for her brother and now here he was, competing in a fight too the death where she couldn't protect him anymore.

"Your brother."

"There was no escaping it." She sighed heavily, looking at her as she swiveled the bar stool she sat in to face her, already looking tired beyond words, throwing back a shot before slamming the glass down. "I knew it was to come, he was always the best, this couldn't be avoided."

"Still tho, it must be hard to have someone you care about in here."

"You have no idea." She crushed out her smoke between her fingers, uncaring for the stinging burn left on the exposed part of her skin. "Cato's my little brother, I am meant to protect him and well Clove, I killed for that girl."

Johanna felt bad for her, not one but the two of Athena's tributes meant something too her.

Athena lit another smoke, Johanna wondered how much she still had as the smell of these little burning sticks hit her nose the moment she opened the door and this room was not that small.

"Cato can win, I am sure, with you as his sister, no doubt."

"Thanks." She said but it didn't really help her, only thing that could would have been to pull him out of the games.

Selfishly, she'd sacrifice Clove for Cato if that could be done, she knew she'd be guilty for that all of the rest of her life but she'd anything for Cato.

Anything for Cato.

She sat up straighter, having a slight slouch before.

She'd kill, she'd steal, she'd do heinous things, all for her brother.

She'll do all she can for him from outside her, no matter the price, no matter the consequence.

She should have killed him when she could but that can be done no more, she'll just do anything else if it keeps him safe and alive.

Anything for Cato.

Anything.