resilience

“You could tell me more about your Games. Not your brother’s sacrifice or how you were protected, but what the arena was like and other arenas you’ve seen. How to survive. Or you could teach me some of your skills. Anything you can do I’d appreciate, and, not to fish, but what I’ll appreciate most is dispensing gifts in the arena. Hunter has already threatened to withhold them if he feels like it.”

“My arena was different than most. We weren’t put in an environment like most. There was no climate and the day and night were different. They always depended on when the lights were on and when they dimmed. I was in a hotel of horror. I didn’t have to hunt or gather like most tributes do.” She explained with a shrug. “And– why is Hunter threatening to withhold them?” 

“A little break from routine is always good, to keep things interesting.” Her question felt ridiculous at first, because how could he miss that when he had this now, but there was a void he couldn’t explain until now, and he chuckled as he realized. “Sometimes breaking the routine is difficult. That was my routine. I miss it because it was a habit, though nothing about it is missable.”

“Routine is... safe. I suppose people like it because there’s no uncertainty there.” Ollie commented with a small shrug of her shoulders. “I kind of have to keep a routine. It’s nothing I can help. I get obsessive over doing things a certain way.  The doctors here think I have some sort of disorder. I’ve been told to include more exercise in my routine and stuff like that.”

Especially when the spare head can take an arrow for you. “Yes, I agree. And I think we’ve got a scheme. Thank you, Ollie. You’ve been a lot of help.”

“You’ll let me know if I could be more helpful, yes?”

“Yes, it would be risky.” She turned her attention back to the screen. “It would work better if they were in on it. Like you said. Someone who won’t get attached.”

“A scheme is easier when everyone knows it’s a scheme. Besides, two heads are better than one.”

“Yes, I know. I cut those triangles for years when you didn’t insist you want to do it yourself,” he smiled softly, reminding her of his prior status of an avox with ease. It wasn’t difficult for Hunter to speak of that time and he didn’t feel ashamed about it, but it was slightly weird, that was true. “You should eat more. You, if anybody, deserve the best of all these sorts of food the fuckers have to offer. Try the fish once. We should have it for dinner one evening. Just say the word and I’ll ask the avoxes. They deny me nothing.”

“Fish... I honestly can’t say I’ve ever really sat down to have fish. I like to keep my meals routine.” She shrugged a little but she didn’t seem to deny him either. Ollie then looked over at him, not being able to help her curiosity just a bit. “Does it feel weird? Being on the other side again? I can’t say that you would miss the lack of tongue... but is there anything you miss about being an avox?”

He honestly couldn’t say he knew Flynn well enough to know if he was all that nice or kind or smart, but he trusted Ollie’s assessment of the tributes more so than his own. Flynn’s family was something Kaelen was informed of previously, however, and he gave a slight nod when Ollie mentioned it. He didn’t want to admit how much of a relief it was that between Cerise’s desire for a show and Flynn’s age they probably wouldn’t have to labor so much over something as trivial as the interview with Caesar. “Are you encouraging any alliances?”

“I had a discussion with Cerise. I think the girl might manipulate some poor fellow close to her age to play lovebirds for the audience. It isn’t a bad tactic, but I don’t approve of that kind of manipulation.” She mentioned. “Flynn might not work well alone. He's young. He might get scared on his own. We’ll encourage him making a friend he can trust enough not to kill him.”

He nodded a little, though training with inexperienced tributes still felt like a major uphill battle at the time. Listening to her suggestion, he nodded again in agreement. “Cerise seems mentally stronger than Flynn.”

“Flynn’s a smart kid. He’s nice and kind, which means he might not put up a good fight. But he has sisters, which means that he has ties to home. We both know what people are willing to do for their family yes, Kaelen?” She raised a brow at him. “Cerise seems keen to manipulate. People. She might put up a good fight, but I want to introduce her to some survival skills to even her out. She seems eager to learn how to work an audience. She’ll do great in her interview.”

The corner of his lips twitched slightly into what may have resembled a smile before he gave a small nod. “First we need to get through training.”

“Training is a breeze. It’s the games that are hard.” She pointed out. “What do you suggest we begin with? Test their skills and then proceed with hand-to-hand combat?”