A Game Of False Fates ✭ Cato Hadley

Ten - Great Expectation

8th July 74PD

After a shower so long that the hot water starts running out, Clio throws one of the red loungewear sets over her body and sits at the dining room table as they wait for Clove and Ajax to appear from their private sessions with the gamemakers. The two tributes come in shortly afterward, humming nonchalantly without a real tune as they sit around the dining team whilst Avoxes bring in their first course of soup.

"How'd it go?" Enobaria starts.

Clove and Ajax look at each other. "You–"

"You first." Clove beats him to it. "I had to wait at least fifteen minutes for them to reset the dummies."

"Did you see it?" He asks.

"No." Clove shrugs, "they made a point of putting it all back to normal."

"Well, that would be standard," says Xanthe, alerting everyone to her presence at the end of the table. "They can't let one tribute know what another did, even those of you from Two. What did you do, Ajax?"

"Set up my own obstacle course like the ones at the trials and got the gamemakers to time me as I went round. Used the sword first, obviously, but then moved on to the spears. I threw a knife in between but it only hit the outer ring so I ignored the rest of them. Thought I'd save them for Clove." His words leave his lips as a low chuckle, and his mentors join him as they swallow spoonfuls of pumpkin soup.

"Good idea, son." Brutus praises before turning his attention to Cato's muttering. "Stop winding him up, Cato. I'm sure it was just as good as yours."

Everyone laughs. "I doubt it." Cato replies in a joking huff.

"Clove?" Enobaria moves the conversation along.

"I used the target booths."

"And?"

"What do you mean and?" Clove looks at her sister in disbelief. "Obviously I landed them all dead centre. Did a few rounds of that and then picked up the trident just to show them that I'm not entirely dependent on my knives. To be honest, I just swung it around but at least I showed them that I know how to hold it if I get gifted one."

"That's good."

"Good? Is that all I get?" Clove jokes but her tone has darkened a little and the shine in her eyes has dimmed. "You're sounding like dad."

"Stop fucking saying that to me."

"Clio–" Brutus tries to calm both of the Kentwell girls, and stem the argument that is brewing.

"No." Clio spits. "I'm fucking sick of it. I'm nothing like dad because he actually wanted you to volunteer. I didn't. This is the Hunger Games Clove, not a picnic on the mountaintop. Think for a second, I know you're good but please for once, just think. Think about how close I came to getting choked to death. I'm sorry if I don't want that happening to you."

Clove's face falls as the table becomes silent, even Xanthe, who is usually full of energised words, looks down as if her soup has become the most interesting thing she has seen in weeks. The younger sister goes to speak, but Ajax's exclamation beats her to it. "Well shit..."

"Oh shut the fuck up." Clio rolls her eyes, pushing her chair out from the dining table and excusing herself. "I'm not hungry. Don't bother me until the scores start."

She walks through the common area towards the sliding doors that take her out onto the balcony of the District Two suite. The fading hues of orange and pink still linger on the horizon as the light of the day wanes and the first stars begin to emerge in the early night sky. The cool, smooth surface of the railing greets her fingertips as she leans against it before sitting herself down on one of the padded loungers and laying back to watch the sky above her. It's hard for her to make out any of the constellations, what with the bright lights of the Capitol buildings obstructing the glow of the stars but she gazes up anyway as if begging for the stars in her favourite arrangements to reveal themselves.