I'm sorry this is taking so much longer than i anticipated. I was originally going to have a 5-6 chapter story of ruthless killing and spamano kisses, but now I have three separate story line, a rebellion, some plot developement and involved, sad character deaths. So... sorry.
Lovino takes it back. He would rather ride to the parade naked and smeared with coal dust than set on fire, and oh hell no. They introduced into a stylist, who informed him that the best way to go for the district was with fire. He and Julius got along just fine talking excitedly about costumes and parades together and Romano was scared. He never liked dressing up, even when it was time for the reaping, he would simply force his brother into the nice clothes and go out his usual hunting garb. This was all new and reminded him that in less than a week he was slotted to die one way or another.
Sophia, on the other hand, looked much too happy about all of this. He remembered from his time at school that she mentioned wanting to be a tailor, and often talked about nice pretty skirts and long, extravagant dresses. Lovino wondered if she realized she would die to get all the glamour she had dreamed of. Everyone seemed to ignore that, and all focused on the good food they were being fed and how nice their clothes were, but Romano knew. Soon, they would all be up on every TV screen in Panem, fighting against each other for the lives, for the Capitol's entertainment.
He hated this. He hated that he had taken his brother's place in this. But, in the same way he was glad he did. He was a fighter, he lived his life knowing he came second and never really minding, as his moments came in the forest or in the middle of the night because that was when his grandfather looked at him and knew no matter what Romano was capable of taking care of them. Feliciano got art and cooking and babied, but Romano got survival. When he was younger, and first being pulled out into the woods in the dead of the night to be taught how to shoot a bow and skin a squirrel, he hated it too. In fact, he couldn't think of many things in his life that he hadn't hated at first. While his grandfather loved Feliciano he still loved Romano enough to want him to know how to care themselves, but Romano never seen that, not until he died.
And now, he was here preparing to be lit on fire, and shown off at like a prized pig, all because he was a good brother on the inside even if not with his words. He wished, vaguely, that he'd told his brother that he loved him more often, or that he had told him ever, but all that mattered was that Feliciano was safe and planning on being married to the only other person in the district who Romano actually trusted. They rigged up their suits and douse them in a liquid and get ready, watching as others climb on the chariots and dress up.
They were the last to load their chariot, and all the other tributes looked fairly dazzling. The tributes from District one were both blonde and pretty and wearing bright colors and jewels to signify that their district put out luxury goods. The tribute from District 2 was handsome and staring right at Lovino, and he and his fellow tribute were wearing shiny iridescent clothes to symbolize the diamonds their district puts out, though Romano thought that they should, at least one year, put them in the peacemaker uniform as that was where the Academy was. The tributes in District 3 looked more feral, boy tribute having stark white hair and bright red eyes, and the girl holding herself defensively. They are costumes have lights flashing from little pinpricks all over the fabric to represent the electronics their district puts out. The district 4 tributes were not very eye-catching, simply dressed up in ridiculous Fisher men costumes. The boy tribute and district 5 scared Lovino, with a fierce glare and a stiff, rigid posture. The girl, however, did not look as threatening, instead looking scared herself. Before Romano could finish sizing up his competition, he and Sophia were ushered into their places and promptly lit on fire. It happened before Romano could think about it, a quick click of a lighter and then bright flickering flames, and they drew the attention of everyone nearby.
The other tributes don't have longed to gawk though, as they start to roll through the doors in the parade began.
He listened as the president rambled about propriety and tradition, as well as a victor to congratulate at the end of everything. The people all cheered and Romano couldn't help but wonder if they realized that 23 people would soon be dead for their entertainment, that 23 people had families and homes and lives and that their families will have to watch them go out of their minds and kill and maim and massacre for a war that happened 7 decades before.
Everything happened in a blur, and it seemed as though they teleported from the Parade hall to the cushy hotel that all of the tributes were staying in. He just wanted to collapse in bed and never wake up again.
They ate another rather large meal after the parade, and Romano was starting to feel hollow; like someone had scooped out all of his insides, leaving him raw and wide-open as reality really started to kick in. He would never see Feli again, would never spend another day just exploring the woods, would never watch his brother get married.
'Dammit, don't fucking cry.' He told himself resolutely.
"So," Sadiq started, wiping his mouth, "what are you too good at?"
They both stared at him for a moment before Sophia shrugged.
"Not much." She admitted.
"Me either."
Sophia snorted. "You're good at archery." She looked at Sadiq, "if he gets his hands on a bow, he'll win."
"Like, what the fuck? What makes you so damn sure?" He demanded.
She rounded on him. "I've seen the animals you bring in! Right through the eye, every time! Even the small things." She shrugged, "my dad told me, during visitation, that we may finally have opened after. He wasn't talking about me." Sophia shoved herself away from the table, shaking the cutlery and nearly upending a pitcher of tea.
Everyone was staring at him, sizing him up at the new information and he fucking hated it.
He got up and went to find his room.
Apparently, as soon as the parades were over, things stopped being so ceremonial, as they were dumped into training nearly as soon as they were through. Sophia avoided him at all cost, and Romano found he liked it that way. It gave him more time to analyze his competition.
The Careers, usually districts 1 through 5, were smaller this year, instead falling to districts 1 through 3. The 6 didn't look like much except when they were fighting, but Lovino knew better than to underestimate them.
Sadiq had instructed him not to take archery and said to worry about things he knew nothing about, which was a lot easier than he thought it would be.
Mainly because he had to take some stations a few times due to being distracted. Of course, this could help if the others wrote him off, so we went with it, wondering if it was how Feli felt all the time.
Thinking of his brother hurt though, so instead he continued camouflaging with the girl from District 7, who was scarily good at it.
Dean here felt eyes on him all morning, but he couldn't figure out who was watching him until after lunch, well into the afternoon. The tribute from District 2, Antonio he vaguely remembered, was staring at him with an intensity that was scary.
The man was stunning, of course, with tan skin and emerald eyes, and he was watching Romano from across the training area. But he wasn't watching him like he was pray, rather like he was enamoring. Romano remembered the same look on Ludwig's stupid face when he caught the potato bastard looking at his brother. The thought made Romano's guts twist together like snakes. It was more than likely all an act, but flattering nonetheless.
Here promised he would try to win, and return home, even just to placate his stupidly childish brother, but he would still try his absolute hardest to win.
The Hunger Games were cruel and only had one winner, but Romano hoped it would be him.
Lovino couldn't sleep. The bed was soft and heaven to lay in, the familiar noises of the forest comforting as they came through the interactive screen that doubled as a window, and body tired from the training all day, but his mind wouldn't shut up.
Finally, he gave up trying and got up, planning on going for a walk. He had discovered the 1st night there that the door to the roof was unguarded and had no alarm. He liked it out the open, like seeing the sky and the lights. When he was still in District 12, when he couldn't sleep, he would walk through the forest and look up at the stars through the trees.
He didn't even consider other people being up there, hadn't known how to react to the shadow at the edge of the building.
He could have just turned around and gone back to bed, probably should have, but Romano was generally made of carelessness and stubbornness, so he walked to the spot he had claimed as his own in his mind.
"The stars aren't as bright out here." The other tribute said after some silence, and he turned his face toward Lovino, the low light catching the features.
It was the same man who would been watching him during practice, and for a moment he considered storming off the rooftop, but was almost out of fight already, and didn't even have the energy to act cold and indifferent anymore.
"It's all the smog. You can see way more in District 12." He didn't mention that it was best to look at them from the forest, which he had illegally hunted in since he was 10.
"I'm Antonio." The man said, holding her hand out to him. He was way too fucking chipper for the hour Lovino decided.
He shook his hand, regardless.
