Troubled Waters

Abel was horrendously hungover. It might just be the worst hangover he’s ever had in his life, so when he strolled into the viewing room and took a seat, his eyes only half opened, he jumped a little when he heard a voice. A little voice. For a second, he only saw the kid, but then he spotted Kai and let out a sigh of relief. 

“I hear wolves can be smarter than humans” he said, offering Caspian a smile before he nodded to Kai. “How are you holding up?” he asked, rubbing at his eyes.

Caspian didn’t respond verbally, but gave Abel a strange look of perplexity before pulling out his phone to undoubtedly do research on the claim. Kai admired his cousin for being so curious. He believed Abel without so much as giving it a second thought. “I’ve been better,” he answered with a shrug. “I don’t think I’ve ever cared less about who ends up winning this thing.”

Allard briefly hummed in tune with his music quietly. “Not many strays where I grew up, either,” he admitted, pressing his one earbud in a little more so he could still hear the music as he spoke. “Or much fish, actually, now that I think about it. Good thing. It smells about as bad as I’m sure those mutts do.”

“Fish don’t smell that bad,” he pointed out trying to dispel the rumor. “Well, the further you live from the docks, the less you can smell it anyways. The market mostly smells like fish cooking, which is the best.” Kai spent a lot of time explaining Four to other people, as it was so different from the other districts. He carried a sort of pride about it.

.

Colette laughed a little. “Ah, siblings are always too dramatic, aren’t they?” She didn’t have any and had never really wanted them; they wouldn’t have been her siblings anyway, and she’d have lost power in the household if she weren’t the only child.

“Especially sisters,” Caspian grumbled before going back to watching the Games with the upmost attention. Kai felt a twitch of protection and misdirected his frustration right away to be done with it. “There should really be a restriction on who can watch the Games,” he told her with still, serious eyes. “If they don’t have to participate, they shouldn’t be required to watch.”

Allard had earphones on so he could listen to music as he watched the games, but it was turned low enough to ensure he didn’t miss any conversation around him. On his lap was a binder full of ideas from his hotel manager for a new theme for one of their rooms that was losing steam. The zoo theme was only meant to last for about six months, but Allard didn’t quite like the idea of always reusing the arena as a room theme. Especially not one as gross as this. “They’re disgusting, aren’t they?” he asked the child, removing one earbud. As with all children, since they were idiots, he responded to the child’s remark by addressing the guardian with him. 

Kai didn’t need to take a second look to agree. The wolves were by far some of the worst mutts he’d ever seen. They looked like street dogs that should’ve been dead but were somehow still kicking. “We don’t see a whole lot of strays in Four, but they usually don’t look as bad as these things do,” he said pointing back at the screen. “I don’t know if dogs are supposed to live off fish, but they make it work.”

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“That’s right,” Colette said, nodding as Caspian spoke from a few seats away. She’d hardly noticed Kai and Caspian sitting, absorbed in the Games and the calculations on her tablet for the next phase. She shouldn’t be working in public, she knew, but she always wanted to get a glimpse of the reactions others were having to the Arena, and what better place to get that than in the viewing rooms? “I believe it’s what they call dramatic tension – are you studying that type of thing yet?”

Kai and Caspian looked up at the woman at the same time, and though neither would notice, in the same manner in which they held their chin and in how their brown eyes squinted when they glanced. “Not in school, but I know what dramatic means,” he explained. “Cordelia is dramatic. She cries every time she doesn’t get what she wants.” 

Kai couldn’t help but smirk, but flicked the young boy on his shoulder as a silent consequence. “That’s my Casp. He knows too much.” 

“The wolves are still wandering around the arena,” Caspian noted, seated beside him and watching the quell as though it were a homework assignment. Kai looked at his cousin and nodded, still not eager to speak about the Games with him even though his first reaping was two years away.

.

He started to protest, but Kai was determined, it seemed, and swept Alder along with him like he was nothing toward the doorway. That, and Alder didn’t know what to say to that, still stunned as he was brought face to face with Peacekeepers. His stomach rolled at the proximity, taking a step backwards. “This– isn’t worth it,” he spoke up finally. And while he did want to leave, he couldn’t leave Maverick behind.

Peacekeepers wouldn’t stop him, even though their blank expressions and programmed movements made him think of Chip suddenly. Kai turned back at Alder and the parent in him decided to make an appearance. “Oh, I’m embarrassing you,” he realized aloud. “Sorry, man. I just don’t want to be here right now, but like I also don’t want to be alone either? I don’t know, I hate balls. Most of them anyways.”

Luca turned and smiled, and then frowned at the realisation. “It’s uh, it’s no big deal” he shook his head. “I’m sorry he didn’t make it” he said then, and really he was, although he knew how the games worked, and that only one would be victorious, it was never fun to watch people die, especially so young. “Are you doing alright?”

Kai wished the sponsor hadn’t asked that of him, especially when he was just able to swallow his sorrow and shove it down where it belonged. Mako wouldn’t have thought it cool at all to cry over him once, let alone as many times as he had. “Honestly? No. I’m upset and I’m a little pissed off too. I thought it would be different this time.”

.

Alder shrank anxiously under the touch, suddenly very aware that Kai was significantly larger than him and twice as drunk. Then the mention of Bellona– it forced the knot in his throat to tighten painfully. He stared at his shoes. “Has anyone stopped you from leaving?” He wouldn’t be shocked if they were being held hostage by the Peacekeepers, honestly.

Kai stared at the doors and the robotic peacekeepers on either side before turning his face back at Alder, showing no regard for his personal space. “That’s a good point. Haven’t tried that yet. Come with me so I won’t be embarrassed if they turn me around.”