grounds unknown. (Treech)

Home is where the heart is.

You hated it when you first arrived at the Capitol. It much colder than any place you had been, not just in temperature, but the people. Anything you did that even slightly went against the regime was severely punishable. A punishment that could lead to your demise, your death. Hell even your families death if asked for.

You hated your uniform too, as a thirteen year old girl, no one wanted to wear old bulky material that had once belonged to a dead person, that didn't keep you cold but made you boil in the sunlight . You hated how you couldn't go home. You hated how they never sent your letters, and you hated how you never kept your promise of writing to Treech.

Even now as a young adult, you hadn't grown accustomed to the Capitol. Most of the people you had come with, you were somewhat friends with, were sent off to other districts to work, you were supposed to join them district twelve. But it never happened. On your second year, a rebel attacked occurred and, you shoved a boy out of the way from being attacked brutally by an animal, one you had never encountered.

It had clambered on top of you, throwing you violently off your feet, separating you from your gun. In your attempts to save your eyes, and tongue you covered your face with your arm. Your other one shooting out desperately trying to put some distance between you and the animal.

That life, cost you your arm. Leaving nothing but a withered, scarred stump. What you didn't expect, was a job. An offer to come to you from the Plinth family. A role of protecting their son, and a new arm to replace the one you had lost. In trade, for saving their son, Sejanus Plinth.

You didn't like him, he was nosey, and strange. He wanted desperately to know all about your life in seven. What did you eat growing up? What was it like? You never complied an answer. In your uniform holding your small gun tightly at your hip, you could only stare ahead. Your job wasn't to talk. It was to protect him. What you did like however was you were allowed to go to the academy with him. Your orders were to never enter the class, but instead to wait outside for him. You liked to stare at the paintings, the flowers that bough back sharp memories of Treech, and your place. Deep in the woods where you would talk for hours.

You liked to watch the students walk by, happily in groups or pairs reminding you of your family back home, your friends who would sit in a field with you making flower crowns and ladles from wood. You liked not having to wear your uniform, instead the Plinths would supply you with neat, simple clothes. Clothes that made you look Capitol. Your dog tags however had to always be in view. To signify your lower significance to them.

To remember your place.

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Your eyes drifted to the sound of the bell, the metal slamming into itself loudly. The mahogany doors to the classrooms of the academy flung open, you felt your back straighten, as students flooded into the hallway. As usual, many girls sneered at you in disgust, the boys mocking you from the look of your arm. The worst occasion was, when you were spat on. You were fifteen and had a tough time with accepting your arm, when a boy from the academy decided to do it in the streets. You saw to it he wouldn't leave the streets.

Sejanus, eventually left the class fixing his bag strap before locking eyes with you. "Hi y/n, see anything good?" He smiled kindly as he began to walk. You followed shaking your head. He let out a sigh before looking at you again. Looking at your arm. "Your arm isn't hurting? I know the metal irritates your skin if you wear it too-" you cut in. "Sejanus I am fine." You murmur as you keep up with his fast steps.

You always had to adapt, every day something about Sejanus would change, be it his speed, his attitude, or even his uniform and how he decided to wear it. The one thing you had noticed about the now young man, was how separated he truly was from the rest of the academy. At first you couldn't put it together as to why. He didn't act too different, maybe with more compassion than most, he wasn't any less wealthy. It took someone saying it to his face for you to understand. Sejanus Plinth, was not a Capitol born boy.

He was a district, just like you.

You frown as Sejanus makes his way towards the large wooden hall. Fixing his clothes. "It's the reaping today." He mutters sadly as you came to a firm stop by the door. You nod slowly, this year was the last possible year that Treech could he picked, or any of your friends. Treech, who you had heard nothing from either, despite your inability to write he had made no attempt to write to you either. Your eyes look down squinting slightly. He lets out a sigh, clearly hoping for some more of a response from you. "Let's go." He murmurs as you both enter the hall.

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Many students had gathered by now, you could hear murmurs of excitement over the games work their way around the entire hall. In one corner sat Sejanus's group of 'friends' if you could even call that that. You could feel your metallic arm make a tight fist. As he let out a sigh, he slowly began to walk towards them. "I can't stand him... neither can I stand that mutt that follows.." the girl you had come to know as Arachnid stops as her eyes notice Sejanus and your appearance. You stand behind him, your hands clasped tightly over each other, you could feel your anger begin to rise. How dare she call you a mutt.

As they begin to converse, your eyes fall to the rest of the students. They all stood in larger groups, which was unusual, talking excitedly about the games. You focus immediately snaps back to Sejanus as he begins to walk away, you turn of your heel following close behind. You guess his interaction didn't go so well. As he slumped down into the chair on the end, you wanted to offer him some kind of comfort, but it wasn't your place.

He rubbed his head firmly before sitting up letting out a deep breath. Eventually all students began to follow suit as Dr Gaul begins her yearly speech over the games.

As she talks her eyes move between each and every student, you weren't really focussed on her talk, but her eyes. They were something of a spectacle to you. You had never seen such eyes except for here in the Capitol, no one looking that at all at home, what did, however capture your site, and mind was the sight of Casca Highbottom, clearly stunned at his mention by Dr Gaul as he is forced up to the stage. "This year will run, a bit differently. Instead of a prize given to the best student academically, it will fall to the mentor of a tribute, who can convince them to perform the best." He utters his eyes circling the students.

Eventually the screen begins to play, as he is come to the steps by the seats where the students had sat, sitting down. "District one!..." you stopped listening as you stared up at the screen. Please, please not Treech you prayed. If it was him, you'd never forgive yourself. "District two, boy!... Sejanus Plinth.." all eyes fell to him including your eyes. You had some idea this would happen, hearing his mother and his father whispering about which tribute who ought to receive and be bribed to get for him. You watch as another young man, Snow. Leaned in sharing whispers with him.

As the list got further down. Eventually reaching district seven. "Boy!.." Treeches face came up.

No. Your eyes widened as you feel your hand begin to tremble. No. How could this be, he wouldn't survive. You knew he wouldn't. Treech from when you were children, was kind, barely able to raise an axe. But in this clip of him, you were starting to get doubts, he looked much more grown up, a more handsome face than ever. His skin, still that same olive, smooth with no faults. His hat pressed firmly on top of his head.

Eventually reaching the twelfth district female, Snows name was called, the girl walked out wearing a strange rainbow dress, one that even in the Capitol you had never seen. It's material was mesh, the corset of some kind of soft shines one. The ribbons on the back looked worn out, exhausted from age. Snow did not look pleased.

The girl however did something, that you would never have expected. She reached out, launching herself to another girl, before throwing something down her back. The girl began screaming, shaking around violently, as a snake fell down her back. Snow shot up rising firmly to his feet. The girl made it up the stairs before a fist slammed into her face firmly, knocking her to the ground. You felt yourself tense up. They'd kill her for that. Surely they would.

But they didn't.

Instead she did something else, she started, singing. She's singing. "What is she doing? Is she insane?" You heard someone hiss out, before being shushed by Mr Highbottom.

Snows face unscrewed, a small smile gracing his features. This girl was a performer. That's what you realised. Even if she had no chance fighting, she could still give him a good shot at the cash.