As if he hadn’t run into enough people from the past Games, one familiar face stood out amongst the crowded training room. Even with twice as many tributes, it was hard to miss someone like Isabela. He harboured no hard feelings despite the fact their alliance blew up in front of their faces. Still, there was no use in wondering how far they both would have made it if they stuck together. Marino might have just ended up on the business end of Isabela’s knife. Avoiding flying arrows and throwing knives, he sidled up next to her as she practiced at one of the stations. “Here I thought you would come back for me,” he said with his arms crossed, smiling nonetheless. “Just a year or so too late there.”

Surya said to make friends with his district partners. Friendly, as she put it. So, that’s what he set out to do when he ran into Franklin in the training area. Marino couldn’t say for sure how he felt about the boy from the 25th Quell, but he was in no position to judge. They were born of the same things: first out of the factories in Eight and now out of the Games of the Capitol. “Franklin, right? You look pretty good for being, like, a hundred years old,” he said as he approached the other tribute.

“Oh, um, I just always have,” she said. “It’s fun, but I know not everyone likes it. What do you do for fun?”

.

“I don’t know. We don’t do a lot of drawing in Eight. I’m guessing you’re from a district where they do plenty of sketching?” He paused for a moment, trying to wrack his brain for an answer but coming up empty. “Nothing really. Just work and chores, to be honest.”

“I know you’re very charming, but maybe just try to be friendly with her. There’s a difference. I’d like if you could all stick together. I think you’ll all benefit.” She nodded, signalling she wanted Marino to talk to Franklin. “I need to watch some of Nikita and Franklin’s arenas closely.” She folded her hands then, looking at Marino carefully. “Speaking of…have you been told who won yet?”

.

Marino put his hands up in mock surrender. “I can be friendly. And, if you think that’s a good idea then I can talk to them. Can’t guarantee that they’ll agree, though. Maybe you can talk to them about it too.” He trusted Surya. If anyone understood how strongly he was drawn to district loyalties, it would be the mentor who got him as far as he did. And as the oldest, some part of him thought himself responsible for the other three if this alliance was to come together. He nodded his head in response. “Better Alder than the other two. Better him if not me, I guess.”

“Yea I am a victor. And?” She raised a brow, looking down to the knife in her hand and carefully folding it closed before shoving it in her pocket. “Can a girl not have a hobby to pass the time?” 

.

“I thought most hobbies in the Capitol involved alcohol and babies,” he joked. Marino managed a smile seeing the victor put the knife away, feeling easier now that it was out of sight. “Any other hobbies you want to mention?”

She sized him up. Not much that she found particularly impressive physically, he didn’t have the physique of a Career nor any domineering sort of energy that could intimidate the weaker of heart. But she did recall him being charming, a quick thinker. That could be useful. She narrowed her eyes. “Why on earth would I choose to ally with you when I have the pick of Panem’s All Stars?”

.

“Because they’re out for blood, Most of them aren’t used to playing second string. If anything, they’d go for the tougher tributes first. Me? I’m not scared of getting my hands dirty,” he said, trying to convince her. It was a shot in the dark, but he knew that he needed all the help he could get in the arena. “Look, I don’t need an answer now. Just tell me you’ll think about it.”

“i remember you. you might just have a shot at it. send me the invite when you get round to it, maybe i’ll show up,” percy shrugged. it wasn’t like she had anyone to root for anyway. her competitive side and district loyalty had her already planning out how to spend yet-to-be-earned money on some of the district one tributes, but that was just sponsor funds. she hadn’t any personal connection to anyone going back into the games. perhaps that was a good thing.

.

“I’m holding you to that. We’ll get matching outfits and everything,” he said, clasping his hands together decisively. If a victor believed in his odds, who was he to disagree? As a sign of good faith, Marino grabbed a napkin from a passing Avox and offered one to the other girl before returning to his seat. “So, are you going to tell me about your Games or am I really going to have to ask?”

“Makes me feel like I have to try harder this time,” he said. He wasn’t fully sure that was how he felt, though; trying harder meant more killing, and he couldn’t shake the guilt that wracked him already. Easier, though, to deflect. “Hate me, fine, but I watched the Games, you’re not innocent either.”

.

Marino was stunned silent. It was different. He killed out of self-preservation. But, didn’t Everett do the same? Marino couldn’t say for sure. He didn’t have it in him to watch the Games in it’s entirety, reliving his worst moments in high definition. It wasn’t like he picked a fight with Alon. He wasn’t the one born to be a Career. No, Everett had trained for it, knowing how to kill people like Marino ten different ways. It was different. “I-I had to. Could you say the same? It wasn’t like he was going to let me walk away.”

“Should you care much about those people?” Vidia asked instead, not wanting to feed him validation rather than have him understand how his approach should go. “Well, then you should come live with me. I made you. If you believe your parents could be capable of that, do you truly need them? And if you go far enough for that to be a problem, wouldn’t you just be able to explain yourself then?”

.

“I mean, I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. I hope it’s not too late to do some adjustments,” Marino said, speaking quickly. The joke lacked the confidence he wanted, just a little bit off than what he was used to. A part of him hoped that Vidia couldn’t tell how much he began to second-guess himself. “Wait, really? It not— Well, I don’t even know. It’s just that I don’t even feel like myself.”

“Yeah,” she said, lips sucking inward. “It does.” Suck didn’t even come close to summarizing the disconnect. The little sister she’d played hopscotch with was long dead and buried. The friends she’d known all outgrown their time here. Even Gauge, the anchor in this storm, had distance and time between them. “It’s nice though in a way, to know that life goes on without you.”

.

“Is it nice to know nothing’s changed, though? Wouldn’t you want to know that your death mattered somehow?” Truthfully, Marino didn’t want the world to go on without him. As selfish as it was, he wanted the world to feel like it had gone a little darker without him around. From the looks of it, everything had carried on exactly the same.

“I’m from a hundred and twenty years ago, I’m not a hundred and twenty years old, big difference. I’m not boring,” she insisted, even though yes, she very much did eat porridge sometimes for breakfast back home. “I’m just not a fan of whatever this sludge is.” She gestured to the drink. “Surely the future can do better.”

.

“Sure, they have everything down there,” Marino started. “More food than I’ve ever seen in Eight. I bet they throw out right after, too.” He didn’t say it as an insult towards the Capitol, just merely stating facts. Not that he wasn’t cautious before, but he was sure to be more careful now that he had a Peacekeeper watching his every move. “We can go and stuff our faces, if you want. I can even ask them to set out a few candles,” he joked. Kind was what he was going for. Kind. Why didn’t they install an off switch for his big mouth?

“Guess so.” He tried to smile, but it came thin, strained, and his hands shoved deep into his hoodie pockets. He thought he’d accepted finally that his winning was okay, that if it wasn’t just, it was at least not worthless. Facing Marino now rocked his weak foundations in that. Marino, Memphis, Star, they could have been just fine on the other side. All he’d done was hurt people. 

“I have something of yours,” he realized, fingers brushing the wooden box he kept in his pocket. After a year and a half of constantly being carried around, it was beginning to show some real wear now, but it still clicked open just fine as he removed it from his pocket. Only Maverick had seen its contents, making Marino the second. Inside, he pushed his mom’s ring and Memphis’ match aside, removing the twine knot and holding it out in his palm for Marino. “They had to cut it off me, you asshole. Said my finger turned blue and everything.”

.

Marino Byssus didn’t cry. Even when he wanted to, the metaphorical taps in his head dried up a long time ago. Leave it to Alder to get as close to opening the floodgates better than anything else in a while. Did the old Marino get choked up about these things? Did he ever get teary-eyed about something so small? It didn’t feel small. In fact, it meant more than he wanted to admit. If he really was malfunctioning, he would have to bring it up with the Gamemakers later. For now, Marino could only swallow the sob climbing up his throat. 

“Are you giving it back? Pretty terrible welcome gift, if you ask me,” Marino laughed. He smiled at the thought of being a pain in Alder’s ass one last time before he died. “Why did you keep it?” Marino asked, barely getting the words out.

“Guess that’s true,” he said. So they would be dealing with a few dozen egotistical tributes for the next few days. Great. And they hadn’t even brought back to Eli to help numb the pain of the experience. (Or perhaps — just perhaps — it was so painful precisely for that reason.) “I’ve talked to a few. The District Nine two, mostly. I’m kind of trying to avoid talking to too many of you, to be honest, it’s… a little weird. I’m sure not as weird as it is to be… dead. And alive.”

.

“I might be one of the luckier ones considering that most of the people I know are still alive,” he shrugged. Marino didn’t think he would want to be brought back knowing that everyone from a past life would have been dead. Then again, it wasn’t like anyone of them had a say in the matter. “And, can I be honest with you? They brought us back, but it’s just not the same. I mean, how could I be the same person after what I’ve been through in there? So, yeah, I guess it is a little weird, huh?”

Where did you rank?

3rd place.

Did you get anything in the Bloodbath?

No.

What injuries did you sustain?

Bruising from the fight with the boy from Four and a small neck wound from the dart that killed him.

What weapons did you use?

A dagger and rope that was gifted to him from sponsors. 

How many kills did you get?

One. The boy from Four, Alon.

Why are you considered an All Star?

“Oh, no, I’m not drawing you,” Amphora said with a reassuring smile. “It’s just a napkin, not very good for a portrait.” And drawing the inanimate was always easier than drawing people. 

.

“Where’d you learn how to draw like that?” Marino said, leaning over to see what she was drawing. Some part of him regretted all the time he spent in Eight not bothering to build up a hobby like hers.

“It would be very cool if one of you won the Quell,” she agreed with a nod, and then lowered her voice a little. “Have you spoken to Franklin or Nikita yet?”

.

“Talked to Nikita. She seems pretty tough, but she’s probably feeling a little out of place. I can’t blame her,” Marino said as he recalled the conversation with his district partner. “Haven’t spoken to Franklin, but I can if you want me to. You know, to see where his head is at.”

“well, i don’t want to stare at you. i don’t care for this whole clone thing,” percy then protested, halfway caught between her argument being for argument’s sake, and it holding some truth. other people were more personally involved with the tributes that had been brought back, or had enough sense to think it awful that children had been raised from the dead. percy mostly felt bitter, and had no deep opinions on the matter beyond that. the quell was meant to be something spectacular, right ?? she couldn’t care too much about the morality of it all. “it was a bit of a shit party, to be fair,” she then shrugged.

.

Marino nodded his head in understanding. If he were looking at the clones from the other side, he wouldn’t know what to make of the situation. It looked like the new victor had enough to deal with as is. “No hard feelings. I’ll be sure to send an invite to mine,” he said, though lacking the confidence in his voice. The chances were slim considering who he would be up against for the Quell, but the last thing he needed was to look weak in front of a mentor.