Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES NOR THE CONCEPT.
AN: Enjoy! And please send me feedback, especially about the questions I asked. Thanks to my fantastic reviewer. You are awesome and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Four:
Avoiding rash decisions
She had been sitting in the room for what felt like hours, even though it had probably only been one at the most since she had been transported there from the arena. The room wasn't overly large, with white walls and floor to ceiling window in front of her. Between her and the window as large desk with a plush chair. On the desk lay her trident which the Peacekeepers had taken from her the moment she pulled it out of the wall. She shifted in her seat, once again thankful she wasn't in the fish costume. She wouldn't have fit in the chair if she was still wearing it. Sighing she looked at the trident on the desk. Maybe she could electrocute herself? Nah it had lost all its charge already. She heard footsteps and voices coming to the door behind her.
"You understand the issue then?" A new voice said as the door opened. In walked a person she didn't know and of course, Finnick. The person moved to sit at the desk while she felt Finnick come up behind her placing a hand lightly on her bare shoulder.
"Yes, but she didn't break any rules so I don't see that it's a big issue." Argued Finnick. Wait she didn't break a rule? Luctra was confused. She threw a weapon at another tribute, well group of tributes, in anger outside of the training center.
"While you are right I need a promise that she will be controlled until she enters the arena." Insisted the man. She felt Finnick squeeze her shoulder hard. Luctra didn't like his hands on her bare skin.
"She will be." Finnick vowed digging into her shoulder a little harder to translate the point to Luctra. The man at the desk hadn't even looked at her once during the whole conversation and then she was dismissed with Finnick. Rising she prepared herself for the ripping of her life. As they walked down the hall Finnick smiled and said hello to people that passed, continuing to be his charming self. Getting to the tribute living quarters elevator he hits the button and waits. She figures he'll probably wait till the elevator door closes. Once inside she found out she was right. The car had barely started to move before he punched the emergency stop button and leaned against the side wall looking at her.
"Would you like to tell me exactly what happened?" He asked calmly. Too calmly. Turning to face him Luctra physically deflated, looking someone had stuck a pin in her. She'd been tense since she got through the door past the Careers with the Peacekeepers.
"I was waiting by the chariot when I overheard the bitch from District 1 talking about gutting Dash." She continued. "I wasn't going to respond." She offered lamely.
"And what changed?" He asked flatly. At least he was giving her a chance to explain.
"Dash. I saw that he had gone completely pale and was looking terrified. I knew he had heard her and well, I just kinda had to do something so Dash would see she was afraid me, and thus not to be taken seriously." She shrugged her shoulders. "The trident was leaving my hand before I knew it."
"Alright that makes things a little better." Finnick said relaxing.
"How does that make things better? And why am I not in trouble?" Demanded Luctra. Finnick looked at her and smiled softly, like he was dealing with a small child who was totally missing something obvious.
"I can use the incident to farther prove the angle, especially when you're in the arena and the game is moving slow." He said. "And the reason that you're not in more trouble is because you have shitty aim."
"Excuse me?" Luctra snapped. Finnick rolled his eyes at her.
"Hunger Games policy states that an attempt on another Tributes life is categorized as any deadly weapon being used in an attack within 3 feet of the Tribute while not in the training center." He informed her. Now Luctra understood.
"How far away was the trident?" She asked. Reflating a little bit now that she knew she wasn't going to be punished by the Capitol.
"3.2 feet." He chuckled. She had cut it really close. Finnick released the emergency stop and they reached their floor. It's nice, decorated in the modern style of the Capitol with random District 4 influences, like the giant pool sized floor to ceiling fish tank in the middle of the room. Dash must have heard the elevator ding because he came running from somewhere right towards Luctra wrapping his arms around her waist. He's about a foot shorter than her so his head only came up to just below her breasts.
"That was so cool!" He blurts out his eyes shining with wonder. It seems that he plan had worked; he wasn't nervous or scared right now.
"Which part?" She teased him. Dashed looked up at her with a huge smile on his face.
"When you threw the trident at the Careers!" He exclaimed. "I swear the girl was going to pee herself!" He rambled on. "The boy thought it was hilarious and his partner was yelling at the girl to stop being an idiot." 'Wait. That doesn't make sense.' Luctra thought.
"Wait who was yelling at who?" She asked. Dash let out an exacerbated sigh, like it was taxing on him personally that she didn't follow along.
"The girl from 2 was yelling at the girl from 1." He clarified. Ok. Wait that means that the boy from District 2 was laughing at the girl from District 1. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Finnick paused in thought at that. Before she could ask Finnick what he was thinking Petal walked in the room with Gem, and a woman who Luctra could only assume was Dash's stylist. The woman was dressed identically to Gem.
"Is everything alright?" Petal said. She looked genuinely concerned that something was going to happen to Luctra.
"Yes. By a nose." Finnick answered. Petal looked relieved at the news. She ushered Luctra in and to the table. Apparently Luctra had made it back just in time for dinner. At the table conversation was light hearted, talking about the parade, the District 4 entrance vs. District 12, who the crowd seemed to like and of course, gushing about their entrance.
"It was amazing!" Petal said airily.
"It was pretty amazing Gem, though I still hate the fish costume." Luctra teased mock glaring at him.
"But you looked so cute in it!" He taunted her like Finnick had done. Luctra viciously stabbed a piece of steak instead of responding and stuffed it into her mouth, muttering to herself about feeding people to the fish in the tank.
"Oh it's almost time for Caesar's recap!" Shouted Petal clapping her hands once. Luctra didn't get it. You get reaped, then you watch it, you parade, then you watch it, you do interviews, then you watch them, hell even the victor had to re-watch the games in the end! Shaking her head she moved with the others into the screening area. Though she was still in her parade outfit she wasn't uncomfortable sitting on the loveseat with Dash at her side. The screen flicked on and there was Caesar and Claudius.
"What a beginning, what a BEGINNING!" Cried Caesar happily to the camera.
"This has to be the most exciting parade to date Caesar." Claudius affirmed.
"I have to agree. The stylists have seriously outdone themselves this year." Caesar continued. "Now, I think you would agree Claudius, that there were two Districts in particular that lit up the stadium this year."
"Yes there was! Now which one was your favourite Caesar?" Claudius asked, as if it were the most difficult question in the world.
"That's not a fair question Claudius! I can say this though." He stopped and stared straight into the camera, smiling like he was going to let the world in on a very big secret. "The ladies were absolutely CAPTIVATING!" Luctra blushed slightly not used to compliments of this nature.
"Absolutely! I have to admit though, when the tributes from District 4 first came out of the tunnel I had to question the sanity of their stylist." Claudius piped in.
Luctra sent Gem her best, I-told-you-so look. He just grinned back.
"Complete genius though! When she slammed her trident into the floor and the lighting went off I thought they had been blown up." Caesar burst out waving his arm in emphasis.
"Well they did blow up the crowd's expectations that's for sure with their transformations!" Claudius added.
"Now let's take a closer look at the transformations." Caesar said. "Saving the best for last of course." He added as Dash's picture from the parade appeared on the screen behind Caesar and Claudius.
He really did look great. The outfit made him look like a soldier almost, like an Achilles of sort.
"Now here we have Tribute Dash. Looking marvelous in the toga and cornet of the sea, with archer guards (AN: his forearm guards) of a champion on his arms." Claudius gushed. "Absolutely marvelous! A true victor in the making."
"Yes. Now from what I understand he is embodying the sea god Triton." Caesar added looking at Claudius.
"Well the way he is blowing that conch it says to me 'Make way for District 4 we are powerful and here to WIN!'" Claudius declared.
"I would have to agree. They rode in on a wave of water and rode out on the wave of the crowd." Agreed Caesar. "This young man, as we saw from their arrival is a true heartbreaker in the making. Ladies of the Capitol just may have another Finnick Odair to love in the near future!"
The two announcers laughed together. Well comparing Dash to Finnick was not a bad thing at all. Luctra knew that this comment would catch the attention of some of the Capitol girls around Dash's age, who then could force their parents to sponsor him.
"Now the most shocking transformation so far!" Caesar declared as the image behind them switched from Dash to Luctra.
It was the only time, other than on the screen in the stadium that she got to see what she looked like.
"Petal." Luctra called never looking away from the screen.
"Yes dear?" She answered.
Luctra cracked a smile. "I think I have a stalker." Petal laughed while the others in the room looked confused. Luctra took in her appearance on the screen. She really did look like a Goddess. Her stance and trident made her look powerful, a force of nature. But at the same time the lack of clothing showed of her feminine curves and plush but firm body. She looked exactly as Finnick said she would. The strong, seductive, alpha mother.
"Now Claudius I did not expect this at all from Tribute Luctra." Confessed Caesar making it seem he was ashamed of underestimating her.
Luctra was impressed by the different emotions Caesar could pull off on command.
"Nor I Caesar. Who knew that under those awful baggy clothes there was this." Claudius claimed motioning behind him as the picture of her from her reaping was placed side by side on the screen with the one from the parade.
"I don't think anyone knew!" Claudius said.
"It was magnificent to watch. Now from what I understand she was embodying the Sea Goddess Amphitrite." Caesar explained to the viewers.
"Finnick did you give them a bullet point sheet explaining our angle?" Luctra gibed.
"No." He said. Luctra raised an eyebrow clearly not believing him. "A interactive hologram map." He smirked at Luctra's shocked face. She didn't know if he was serious or not. She looked back at the screen.
"Amphitrite and Triton. Rulers of the Sea. Well we'll have to see just how deadly a storm these two can whip up in the arena!" Caesar announced.
"Well if she can conjure more lighting in the arena she will be absolutely deadly!" Claudius proclaimed as the screen behind them rolled the clip of Luctra creating lighting in the chariot grounds.
"I think some of our male tributes are already finding her transformation deadly." Caesar suggested.
"Whatever do you mean Caesar?" Claudius said with over the top intrigue in his voice.
'Yes Caesar what the HELL DO YOU MEAN?' Screamed Luctra in her head.
"Well it seems that we're not the only ones that appreciated the results of Tribute Luctra's transformation." Caesar proclaimed waggling his eyebrows at the camera.
The screen began to show clips from the parade that Luctra wouldn't have been able to see herself. First it was the boy from District 9's face as the lighting went off and as he then looked at the screen. His face was shocked and the camera zoomed in as he swallowed slightly while never taking his eyes of the screen that Luctra's image was projected onto. Second it clipped to when they entered the chariot grounds and Luctra rode by, then cut over to the boy from District 2. It caught him raising an eyebrow in acknowledgment followed by a shift in his eyes. The only way to describe it was hunger. Next it clipped to when they were leaving to go back down the alley and the boy from 11 never took his eyes off her as she went by until he could no longer see her.
"Selective editing." Scoffed Luctra. She knew the boys weren't actually looking at her when the clips were recorded. Sensing no good coming out of correcting her Finnick let it go. It was better to let her think they had no interest in her. She wouldn't know how to manipulate it.
"It just gets better and better!" Caesar roared in excitement.
"Well after the District 4 entrance I didn't think it could get any better. But I was wrong!" Claudius said.
"Yes District 12…." Caesar started but Luctra had had enough. Getting up quickly from her chair she tuned out everything and began to pace. She was fuming and uncomfortable with what the Capitol was insinuating. She needed a release or an escape. The latter seeming more likely at this time of night.
"I'm going to the roof." She announced not waiting for an answer from anyone. Getting in the elevator she punched the button for the roof hard. The matriarch role she could live with, but she could not accept the idea of being the lusted after female. They had District 1 for that. Getting to the roof Luctra walked up to one of the pillars connected to the thick concrete half wall. Jumping up she took a seat on the half wall leaning back against the pillar. She knew there was a force field to prevent jumping but at least it didn't stop a cool breeze.
"Got no other clothes 4?" A snide voice called from off to the side. Startled Luctra looked to see who was talking to her. It was the girl from District 2.
"Piss off short stack." Luctra snarled. Earning her a glare from the other girl.
"You know before that stunt in the parade most people thought you were half man." She smiled.
"And they still know you're only half a person." Luctra shot back. She swore she heard a laugh from somewhere but figured it was in her head.
"You listen here 4…" She threatened.
"No. You shut up 2." Began Luctra effectively cutting her off. "I don't need some pint size kid mouthing off to me thinking she's the shit. Go try your intimidation on someone your size before I find something else to throw at you." She warned. The girl seemed to weigh something in her head before deciding to speak again.
"I'm Clove." She introduced. Luctra stared blankly at her. What was this girl trying to pull? Or was she seriously not all there.
"You know District 4 is normally part of the Career Alliance." She supplied when Luctra didn't say anything.
"Oh are they now?" Replied Luctra sarcastically. Of course she knew this; she had watched the games before. But she hadn't really thought about aligning herself with them, especially with the boy from District 2. It could be more of a downfall for her and Dash to join them, then to stick on their own together.
"Are you just playing dumb? Or are you actually that dumb?" Clove inquired. It was not as malicious as the clothes comment, but the insult was there.
"Well it's a tossup since I'm sitting here talking with you." Luctra retorted. This time she was sure she heard a laugh. Someone else was on the roof. Luctra tensed then relaxed. It couldn't be Cloves partner since he would have no reason to hide.
"Look seaweed. Are you in or out?" Clove demanded. Not wanting to burn bridges or make a choice that would affect both her and Dash Luctra picked her words carefully. Getting off the ledge Luctra stood tall letting Clove see the physical prowess that she was known for back in District 4. It seemed to work because Clove seemed more eager to hear her answer.
"Undecided. I haven't seen what any of you are capable of." Luctra reasoned. Clove balked at her.
"We're FUCKING CAREERS!" Clove shrieked. Turning and walking towards the exit Luctra threw her response over her shoulder as she kept moving.
"It doesn't mean you won't be dead weight." She pointed out. Maybe this was a way for her to get protection for Dash but she needed to talk with Finnick about it.
The next morning Luctra woke up and dressed in her supplied training gear. After coming back from the roof and Dash had gone to bed Luctra confided everything that had happened to Finnick. He actually told her that she did the right thing. Considering the bad blood between her and the girl from 1 it could be a trap. Not to mention she was right now the obvious physical front runner out of the female tributes and may have some other options. Next he told her to avoid using hand weapons like knives and swords when she was in group training. Stick to the survival stations and spear/trident throwing since they all knew she could do that. He also told her to feel out the other tributes to see what her other options could be.
"You look scary." Dash voiced as she joined them at the table for breakfast. She was wearing her tribute training clothes, which were tight, but they showcased her figure and muscles. They only made her uncomfortable since she would be compared to the other more feminine girls from other Districts. She had worked out back home in clothes like this before. Though she felt like her boobs had been flattened right into her body. Her hair was up in a high pony tail and she had light make-up on. She told Gem she thought it was stupid, but her reminded her that the Gamemakers would be watching. On her hands she had fingerless leather gloves to protect her from blisters since she would be throwing for at least part of the day.
"Thanks Dash. You look awesome." She beamed back at him. He did look good. Like the adorable heartbreaker with his hair tussled and pearly white teeth. After finishing breakfast they headed to the elevator. When it came it wasn't empty. The tributes from District 11 were in it. The male was big, really big. Stepping in Luctra moved as far away from him as possible as the confines of the elevator would allow. Dash however didn't seem to care about the danger of the big tribute from 11.
"Hi I'm Dash." He said to the little girl sticking out his hand smiling.
"I'm Rue." She smiled back shaking the offered hand. "And this is Thresh." She said pointing to the big guy across from Luctra.
"Oh this is Luctra." Dash pointed out quickly like he had forgotten she was there. The two kids started chatting with each other and Luctra looked up at Thresh. He looked back her and then down to Dash. She looked at him then down to Rue. They nodded at each other silently communicating, understanding each other. Looks like Luctra wasn't the only one planning on protecting someone in the games.
When the elevator door opened Luctra saw that they were the last Districts to arrive. Dash and Rue had stopped talking when the elevator had started to slow down, but they were sticking close to each other. Looking at Rue Luctra felt her core instinct taking over and knew she was fucked. She was going to be protecting Rue in whatever way she could. 'Wonder if anyone warned Finnick about my need to protect people...' she wondered laughing to herself. Standing with the other tributes Luctra listened as the woman went over the rules, though when she mentioned attacking other tributes she pointedly stared at Luctra, as did some of the other tributes. Luctra rolled her eyes then glared at the woman. Luctra actually really wanted to give her the finger but knew she was on thin ice with the Gamemakers already.
That being done the tributes broke apart and headed to various stations. Dash headed to the plant identification with Rue so Luctra thought it would be best to head over to the fire starting station. It was something she actually didn't know how to do. After listening to the instructor on how to start a fire, what would work as kindling and so on Luctra climbed into the bush to practice. As she gathered her kindling she looked around the room spotting the group of Careers talking at the long rang weapons station. By the looks of it Clove was filling them in on what happened last night since she shot her a glare every now and then. Ignoring them and getting back to work Luctra successfully started her fire. Standing up she decided to try the logic station.
She stopped on her way there seeing Clove had moved to the knife throwing station and watched the girl throw. Luctra had to admit, the girl was lethal. Clove turned around after running out of knives and spotted Luctra watching. Clove tilted her and pressed her lips tight saying 'well-what-you-think-now-asshole'. Luctra kept her face blank and just shrugged her shoulders, like she wasn't impressed. She could see Clove start to fume. Walking towards the logic station again Luctra had to pass the long rang weapons station. As she passed someone jumped in front of her blocking her path.
"So I'm Marvel….." Drawled the boy from District 1 who was now in front of her.
"Are you asking me or tell me?" Snorted Luctra. Marvel laughed loudly undeterred by her rudeness. Unknown to her his laugh had caught the attention of two piercing blue eyes.
"You got sass I'll give you that." Quipped Marvel.
"How about giving me some space instead." Luctra bit out. Marvel just laughed again and stepped aside, bowing at the waist arm thrown out in the direction she was headed.
"The wish of the Goddess is my command." Proclaimed Marvel.
"Then DROP DEAD!" She whispered as she passed, earning her another round of laughs from Marvel. The owner of the blues eyes smirked.
AN: Another chapter down! I know the anticipation is building so much! The first face to face Cato-Luctra interactions are coming in the next chapter do not worry! Thanks for all the support through the viewings! Would love some more feedback though!
Much Luv
Rayn