did you see that, penny

“You still don’t understand that the fisher wasn’t an insult, do you?” Colette asked. “Fishers are small but they’re predators. They use their size to their advantage. You do the same. Fishers have even been known to kill animals much larger than them. Reminds me of someone.”

“you gave me an animal that didn’t kill me.” the way she huffed the words, she did sound rather insulted. ariadne hadn’t made it far enough, but ariadne could’ve had a lion chasing her. hades had a jaguar that killed him ( or, well, brought him close enough to death ). rocky’s wolf had gotten him too. percy had stabbed a rat and moved on with her life. the symbolism was all nice and well until it felt like a pity kill shoved her way. “you gave me a stupid rat because you didn’t trust me to kill a lion or something.”

“I suppose it is a little sterile,” Pluto commented, examining the tower around them. “Would you prefer a slower elevator? I think it’s all about efficiency when it comes down to it – faster elevators means less excuses for your team to ever run behind, keeps everyone on schedule.”

she shook her head, half out of habit, immediate protest without reason. the rest of it was only considered after the action. that, as much as percy liked to claim importance, she’d grown up as part of a pair. she wasn’t much of a team player, normally too desperate to take charge, but she knew what it was like to have to accommodate to other people’s needs, and she knew when those needs were simply wants and whiny at best. she could deal with an elevator that made her heart skip an awkward beat. “i’m not gonna inconvenience people just for my sake,” she staunchly insisted, though it was clear enough that she severely disliked the stupidly fast elevator.

“Yeah, alright,” Cain shrugged, flicking his head off to one side in a sort of noncommittal nod as he did. The tribute parade was done, and he had nothing better to do for a little while, and more importantly, he was itching to get his hands on some of the updated equipment. It seemed as good a way to kill time as any. “How’s things with your tributes? Are they any good this Games?”

she shook her head, almost surprising herself with the ease of the action, how she didn’t overthink letting cain in on this information, despite the fact she was rather worked up about him having grown past her entirely now. “one’s not from the academy, the other i haven’t even seen all that much, i doubt they’re much good,” percy shrugged. she made a point of taking bigger steps as she sauntered towards the training centre, as though there was any way to stay a step ahead of cain. “yours has my last name,” she remarked, if only to prove she’d been paying attention. “i’m not sure that’ll get you a victory, though. we can’t just have two leons in the tower.”

“You’re still get your weasel, Percy,” Colette said, “your personality hasn’t done that much of a 180 that you’d be assigned anything different. Call me in ten years; then I’ll give you a new animal.” She had very much enjoyed the assignments of the animals, though, and she hoped to do something like it in the future.

well, that certainly was one way for a frown to sink deeper into her brows, lips pursed as she huffed out a breath. “you think i’m like a fucking weasel ??” she was almost offended, couldn’t entirely manage to work up real anger at the thought. if she was a weasel, at least she’d been a useful weasel. one that ended up dead, but hey, she’d seen plenty of casualties at this point.

“No, you were correct the first time.” Pluto stated, eyeing the girl cautiously. “I’m a new Gamemaker, so I’m not all that familiar with what the old tower was like – I can’t seem to find any major fault with this one so far, though, I’d be curious to hear what the old one was like.”

she needed a moment to shift herself from being annoyed at herself for second-guessing, to pulling the corners of her mouth into somewhat of a triumphant smile, because she’d still been correct. “the elevator’s too fast in this one,” she remarked, though it was a petty thing to take issue with. “and some of the halls just.. aren’t the same,” but maybe that was logical, with time passing, maybe it couldn’t be the same regardless of renovation, “they used to be cosier.”

“Up for some sparring?” Honey expectantly looked at Percy as she came across her in the training center. “I’ve been practicing. Hand over my heart, I promise I’m somewhat of a worthy opponent. And I’m here to learn, after all.”

@persephoneleon​

she wasn’t going to turn down someone directly approaching her about sparring, even if she’d rather be on her own, feel as though she had nothing to prove for just a moment. but if honey was here to learn, percy was inherently someone to be learned from -- maybe that was good enough too. and percy wasn’t heartless, just quick to jump to anger. she nodded, sucked in an expectant breath. “sure,” she said, “tell me where i’m okay to hit. i don’t want to leave you all bruised when you’ve got your interview and stuff to do, still.”

The last day of training had been exhausting, but not unproductive. For the first time picking the bow, she had an audience, and she could feel all eyes burning on her. It was insanely pleasant. This was the very reason why she was there to begin with. As she entered, she noticed Persephone, supposedly her mentor. Supposedly one of the people who would help her, now and then, in the arena. The two didn’t talk before, and it did stir nervousness in Thea’s chest, but it was time. She had to, and she could use the high from having shot arrows all day successfully. “Hi. Do you not like me?“ Well. That came out all wrong.

@persephoneleon​

“no,” percy responded awfully bluntly. but then, the question had been honest, so the response had to be too, surely. it wasn’t even that she had a true dislike for her newest tribute, percy didn’t know her well enough for that. but percy knew she wasn’t from the academy, that it was an inherently bad thing that percy didn’t actually know more about her. percy didn’t know that her own actions were still rather led by suspicion, by overeager defensiveness. she didn’t like thea because she hadn’t committed to the other option, to giving the girl a chance, to liking her, so it had to be the complete opposite. “what have you done to earn my attention ??” 

Percy knew full well that Colette would never tell her the Arena in advance. It was a matter of being professional, but also a matter of keeping her job – and her life. Worse things had happened to Gamemakers who fucked up in the past, and with Battenberg freshly pissed off, she was not about to risk anything.

That said, a smile crossed her lips as Percy spoke. “Fine,” she said with a sigh, glancing over her shoulder as if to check that the coast was clear. “We’re going back to the 124th. We’re reusing the Arena, since it was so popular. Sometimes it just gets exhausting to make new ones, and we’ve put so much effort into rebuilding the Tower, there’s just been no time.”

she rolled her eyes. she’d known full well she wasn’t going to get a real answer, and that even any faked answer had to be clearly fake. still, colette’s answer gave her nothing she wanted, and she couldn’t decide whether it was a compliment to hear it mentioned again as popular, or if it just felt more horrible to be caught off guard by it being brought up. “yeah, sounds great,” she nodded, spoke dryly. “you should’ve told me before, i would’ve volunteered. i’m desperate for a zoo trip. reckon you’d give me another weasel, or would i have gotten a different animal companion this time round ??”

Victoreen frowned at Persephone’s reponse, sitting tightly and harsh with themself. “I’m sorry,” Victoreen replied, “I would’ve made it more enjoyable if it wasn’t for my sickle skills.” They shuddered at the thought of their Games- alligators, sickness and poor vision is all they could think of when the thought came up. Victoreen cleared all anxiety from their face and smiled. “Yours was enjoyable, if it wasn’t for the crocodiles.”

“yeah, at least the parts you didn’t like about my games weren’t down to me,” she just remarked, an unnecessary amount of bite to her tone. she couldn’t even remember the crocodiles, the parts of the arena that flashed before her at the most inconvenient times didn’t include them, she hadn’t spent time with them at all, as far as she remembered. sometimes, it felt like a blur, something that mightn’t have happened, her own actions in the arena mere suggestions rather than moves she’d actually made. hades’s absence stung more than actually losing him had, because sometimes she could pretend the latter hadn’t happened. “how many kills did you get, anyway ??”

@plutodosimetre​

@victor-victoreen​

@coletteneptune​

“hey, do you want to go down to the training centre ??”

@cain-gunn​

“Okay, well no face stuff this time,” he bargained, watching the floor numbers plunge on a screen as they were shot down to the basement at twice the speed of the old elevator. “I’ve got to do an interview in a couple days, and last time I got eviscerated by the makeup team about having to cover the black eye.” And it had punched straight through his ego for days on end whenever anyone pointed it out– he might die if he had to endure that again. “And, you know, no broken bones or drawing blood.” Because, silently, he knew she was more than capable. The doors swished open, revealing the gleaming new Training Center. “Beyond that? Fair game?”

“no face stuff, got it,” she nodded decisively. the elevator started moving at a ridiculous speed, and percy had to steady herself on the wall to keep standing, fingers uselessly trying to grip into the flat surface. she swallowed down whatever brief panic overtook her then, made her ears ring in a way that meant she couldn’t hear whatever cade said next, though she could make an educated guess, and nodded regardless. when the door opened, it took percy a couple shaky steps to adjust, to finally move out of the elevator at a quicker pace than necessary. the training centre now being revealed to her calmed her jittery limbs however, even at -- or maybe especially at -- the prospect of getting to fight in here. “fair game. are we doing a tour first or am i beating you up straight away ??”

.

“Let’s throw down, Leon.” He wasn’t sure exactly at what point he decided he liked Percy, but maybe it was because she was equally as willing to kick the crap out of him and accept stupid friendship rocks. He never did like boring people. He started toward the elevator, talking as he went. “Plus, this way you can tell your tributes you’re a pro at the new training center already.”

there was a certain skip to her step she didn’t even try to hide as she followed cade to the elevator. in fact, it only seemed emphasized by how she held her arms behind her back, knees lifting a little higher every step in an understated hurry to try and keep up with cade. “please, i’m a pro at everything, anyway,” she said, though there was this tremble to her tone that gave away the chuckle she tried to bite back, a genuine amusement as a spark in her eyes. her shoulder bumped into the lift button after she managed to get ahead of cade entirely. the elevator, how small it seemed, still got to her at times. she would’ve suggested the stairs if she wasn’t awfully set on getting to the training centre as fast as she could ( and, of course, if she wasn’t set on cade not knowing the elevator scared her a little ). “so, what’s the rules ?? how badly can i beat you up this time ??”

Cade feigned betrayal, his face contorting into mock disappointment. “You mean you haven’t been bragging to all of District One about your best friend Cade Bentley? I even showed everyone our friendship lockets!” he moaned, then broke out into a laugh and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “Want to go now? I’ve been meaning to check out the new training center.”

“it’s not real friendship till we get those necklaces with half a heart on it each. then i’ll brag about you, and not a moment before it,” percy said, for once managing to play her stubbornness with a note of humor. maybe that was friendship, on an odd level, or something resembling it. a stupid rock and the lingering notion she didn’t feel the need to throw it at cade. she shrugged. “i mean, if you’re ready to get your ass kicked right this second, i’m always down. i haven’t seen the training centre yet, and i probably should’ve seen it by now.”

“Oh hey there, best friend. I brought you something.” It was a rock he’d found in his yard at home, one that made him chuckle thinking about his conversation at home, enough so he’d pocketed it with the intention of bringing it with him. “Now you have not only an apology rock, you have a rock of good will, and maybe a gym trip where I can kick your ass for real this time? I’ve been training.” He held the rock out to Percy. @persephoneleon​

“so we’re besties now ??” percy responded, quirked a brow in a way that couldn’t entirely sell her as disinterested, but rather made her seem like she was lying in wait, like she was trying to see where this was heading before she’d put any cards out on the table. but he brought her another stupid rock. and she actually couldn’t bite back a smile at that. a nod came to her rather easily, too. like this was no longer something she had to eye with skepticism. “sure. let’s see if you can actually get a punch in this time.”