"Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul." - Democritus

Phaedra Nikostratos, 17

District Two Female

From the moment Phaedra Nikostratos entered this world, her destiny was sealed.

As she grew up, she was accustomed to the stares of people around her. Child of gold, they whispered. Infinite in distance, and unbound by death. She will deliver us.

The child of a prophecy, Phaedra had never known a life without the crushing burden of an entire religion on her shoulders. Her mother, Thetis, was never one for comfort, and thus Phaedra had to deal with the pressure all on her own.

Everywhere she went, even as a young child, people seemed to know her. They recognized her and her role in the prophecy, though certainly none of them knew Phaedra.

Because the thing about a reputation like that is, it leads to an awfully lonely life.

Child of gold, but no warmth of her own. From the moment Phaedra entered the world, she was thrust onto a pedestal that dwarfed her tiny body. She was in a glass cage, the warrior that would bless the Styxians and bring honor to District Two. Everyone could see her, but no one bothered to get too close.

Untouchable, but in the worst way imaginable. Oftentimes, it felt more like unloveable. Phaedra had grown up never knowing the comforting embrace of a mother or the kind words from a friend to get her through the day. All she had was herself and her training, even if training only led to more pressure.

A prodigy, they called her. We've never seen anything like it!

Unmatched talent. Savior. Righteous warrior. Each one was like a nail in the coffin of her destiny, making Phaedra wither as her mother only grew stronger.

It was suffocating, growing up under the strict rule of her mother. The only reprieve she had from the constant cycle of lessons and ridicule were fairy tales, though each served a purpose Phaedra couldn't begin to comprehend.

She liked the girl with the golden hair who was saved from a tall tower. Maybe someday Phaedra would be saved like that. Then there was the girl with the red cloak who nearly got eaten by a wolf, making Phaedra scared to go out on her own for days until the day her mother got fed up with it and locked her out of the house. She was only allowed back in after she could show that she wasn't scared anymore. There was no room for fear in District Two, after all. The wolves were everywhere, waiting to gobble up anyone showing even a hint of weakness. And Phaedra could not be weak.

Above all, Phaedra liked the fairy tales with happy endings. They showed her that maybe she'd be able to have one of those someday.

Well, she would as long as she fulfilled her destiny and won the Hunger Games.

It was her sole purpose in life, the reason why she'd been created. The Styxians needed an invincible warrior to bring honor to them and all of District Two. A child that was prophesied to be immortal and unbreakable.

Unbreakable was a funny word, considering Phaedra felt as if she'd come close to breaking before.

For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee.

These were the words that Phaedra knew by heart, practically before she could even walk. The prayer of the Styxian faith, believing that there was life after death and that someday they would all return to the entropy of the universe and thus become one with existence itself. After years of having this shoved down her throat, Phaedra wasn't exactly fond of the religion. She didn't like being the Invincible Girl. It was hard enough growing up with the weight of a whole religion on her shoulders, but with all of that responsibility chasing away anyone who was bold enough to even look at her kindly, Phaedra had never even had a friend.

She could scream as loud as she wanted in her little glass prison. It didn't mean anyone was listening.

Phaedra thought about it a lot. Who she used to be, who she'd become now. Growing up in the cold of winter, decaying in her glass prison as everyone else cheered on her success more than she thought she'd ever be able to. Healing in the heat of summer, full of light and warmth and friends. She'd never had any of those before.

Glancing over with a fond smile, Phaedra could see Justus bent over his bag, fiddling with the practice sword and shield he carried inside. This close to the reapings, after the Fortuna Equestris that had determined Phaedra and Justus to be the chosen volunteers, they didn't have to endlessly practice on the rooftop anymore.

Her first real friend. Her first… more than a friend. He meant everything to her, he was everything to her. In this cold lifetime she'd been accustomed to, Phaedra never could've imagined someone as warm and welcoming as him.

A loud clang made Phaedra jump, whirling to face the source of the noise, but all she could do was laugh as Justus sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, his shield still rattling on his ground.

Clearing her throat as if to begin instructing him for an actual lesson, Phaedra nodded at him, barely able to hide the smile threatening to overwhelm her. "Very good, Justus," she said, walking over to him. "That would be the perfect way to surprise your opponent and throw them off guard."

Picking up the shield herself, Phaedra took a moment to relish in the feeling of it. For years, fighting had been the only thing to bring her any particular sense of joy or happiness, even as it drained every last bit of her fighting spirit. This shield felt just slightly off, as it was built for Justus and not her, but it was still more familiar to her than the idea of a friend.

Justus lunged toward her in an attempt to snatch the shield but Phaedra raised it up in time, making him bounce his hand off of it harmlessly. He let out a slight yelp that made Phaedra giggle before his eyes narrowed slightly.

"It's a little hard to train if you don't let me have my shield back," Justus complained, though his matching grin proved that he didn't mind either.

Peeking out from behind the shield, Phaedra took a few steps back and raised an eyebrow at him. "Warriors should always know how to use their environment to their advantage, even when they are at a disadvantage," she intoned as if she was one of their professors.

Phaedra held firm as Justus's eyes began darting around, clearly seeing something that even she was blind to. For someone that wasn't exactly known for being the brightest, Justus did happen to be great at strategizing. It was definitely a weak point of hers though, which is why she braced herself as he darted back over to his backpack and rummaged around in it, likely looking for his sword.

To her surprise, however, she was met with a noise that made her gasp and lower the shield slightly. Soft music had begun to play, filling the rooftop with something besides the usual clang of weaponry. Something about the music was familiar, making Phaedra's eyes flutter as she tried not to get lost in the memory. She could almost hum along to whatever the tune was, feeling comforted by it.

A light pressure pushed down the shield and Phaedra let herself be disarmed by the only person that could ever get her to willingly lower her guard.

It wasn't uncommon that their training sessions ended in dancing - sometimes they never even got to the actual training part - but they'd never had music before. Maybe it was a sign that things really were changing. Phaedra didn't really care though, looking up at Justus with a tender smile that he returned.

"This is from the dance, isn't it?" Phaedra asked softly, remembering the dance that Mirador had put on for them at the end of the year, before all of the volunteering nonsense and the Fortuna Equestris and-

"I couldn't remember the name of the song so I asked Wyverna about it, she seems to know all about that kind of thing. I thought, with the reaping coming up, we could do this? Not to remake old memories but maybe I just like dancing with a pretty girl to music…" Justus faded out a bit, giving her a bashful grin as his cheeks flushed slightly.

Phaedra felt a strange comforting warmth travelling through her even as she shivered. "I would love to dance with you again, Justus," she said softly before extending her hand to him.

As Justus tugged her closer, weapons forgotten entirely, Phaedra couldn't help but grin up at him and offer up the same line she used whenever they danced on this rooftop: "What, no dress this time?"

And just as he did every time, without fail, Justus gave her his same goofy smile and responded with, "I still have it in the dorms, you know."

Phaedra just laughed and let herself sink into the familiarity of dancing with him and being with him, reminiscing about the past few months. "I still can't believe you wore that dress to the dance," she murmured into his shoulder.

His laughter was like the sun itself, brightening Phaedra's day just by existing. It was a sound that Phaedra would give anything to continue hearing. "I said I would," he said simply. "And an Arculeo never goes back on his word."

"You're incredibly brave," Phaedra whispered. "I mean it," she added when she felt him inhale as if to argue with her. "You didn't have to go through with it just because no one asked me to the dance." Her voice grew quieter as she finished. That part of the memory still managed to sting.

"And leave you out there, all alone? I don't think so," he said with a grin before twirling her suddenly, leaving her breathless as a sensation of pure giddiness washed over her.

Phaedra was eternally grateful for that. Because of him, that had been one of the happiest moments of her life. She'd laughed and smiled more that night than she had in all of her childhood combined. Actually, she wasn't sure if she'd ever laughed before that night.

She did it plenty now, though. All thanks to Justus.

The music played on behind them, making Phaedra smile even as the song ended and another, more upbeat one began. Neither of them made a move to change the pace of the dance and despite the silence that had enveloped them, there was no discomfort. There never was with Justus.

Looking down at their entwined hands, Phaedra couldn't help but smile. They each wore a gold band fashioned like a crown of thorns and she knew the inscription on the inside by heart. If she was reclaiming her destiny as her own, so would she retake the words that had haunted her for her entire life.

Infinite in life and unbound by death.

First representing a soul, now representing the love between her and Justus. Wherever they were, they'd never be apart. Even if…

Phaedra let out a shuddering breath and pressed her forehead against Justus's cheek. It didn't matter. Wherever they went, they were together. Nothing in the universe could tear them apart, not even the Hunger Games.

They were in this mess together now, nothing could change that. But maybe this was just Phaedra's chance to rewrite her destiny, to really make it hers for the first time in her life.

Maybe Phaedra was meant to become the greatest fighter District Two had ever seen. Maybe she was even supposed to win the Hunger Games. But the one thing that felt the most inevitable was falling completely and totally in love with Justus.

Together, they were more than the entropy of the universe. They were the universe.

Justus Arculeo, 18

District Two Male

Asteria Cotteram's smile was as bright as the sun the day she left. The whole day was bright, in fact. Justus could remember it all clearly, the way her blue eyes had shimmered with pride as she volunteered, the way he and his six other sisters had crowded around her for the Goodbyes, the way her hair had gleamed in the sunlight as she stepped onto the train and disappeared from their view.

Justus was only ten then, surrounded by girls and a whole world away from where he was now. District One had been lovely from what he can remember. There were no burdens back then, just the carefree delirium of childhood.

It didn't last forever.

The first sign that change was coming occurred the night that Asteria left. All of his sisters had settled down and gone to bed, leaving Justus awake and alone in his bed. Maybe it was so strange because he'd sometimes run to Asteria when he couldn't sleep in the night, and this was the first night without her. His small fingers played with the fur of a stuffed bunny, one that he'd taken to hiding under his covers after he woke up each morning. Father was tired of seeing it around, threatened to throw it out at one point.

Clutching it tighter to his chest, Justus rolled and faced the wall for a bit, his eyes tracing patterns that only his mind could see. As a child, he couldn't even think to be worried for Asteria. She'd come back home safe and sound and their family would be complete again, like nothing had ever changed.

Realizing he wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon, Justus silently got up, rabbit still under his arm, and quietly left his room. He padded his way towards the kitchen, hoping to get a drink of something. To his surprise, he wasn't the only one that decided to pay a midnight visit to the kitchen. He heard an odd noise coming from it, making him freeze just around the corner. What was that noise? It sounded familiar and yet entirely foreign, as if he recognized it but not the source. Whatever it was made his heart ache in an unfamiliar way, making him gain enough courage to peek around the corner.

At the time, Justus didn't know how to describe the sight he saw. His mother's entire body shook with the force of her sobs and it looked like she had just collapsed on the floor, her body giving out from the weight of her sadness. Looking back on it now, he recognized the despair that had overcome her. It was a stark comparison to last night, when their house was full of light and love at the thought of Asteria going into the Games. Now, it felt just as empty as he was without her there.

For a reason unknown to him, Justus's eyes filled with tears as well. His lower lip quivered before he made his way to his mother, getting on his knees beside her and leaning against her. She had flinched away slightly, as if surprised by the intrusion. Justus didn't know what to offer her besides his presence though, and he didn't move. Another beat and her arms were around him, tugging him into her.

Why did it feel like he was also being comforted somehow?

Hiding his face in her shoulder, Justus let himself sniffle softly. The whirlwind of emotions suddenly rushing through him was enough to make his head spin, enough to make his young and innocent heart ache in a way it never had before. Justus fell asleep to the sound of his mother crying, her tears getting lost in his hair that reminded her so much of his sister, the wet spot on her shirt showing her that she wasn't the only one grieving, even if Justus didn't fully understand. Maybe he never would.

When he woke up the next morning, in his own bed, it was like nothing had changed. The smell of breakfast wafted in from the very kitchen whose floor he'd occupied just last night, and his mother's bright and cheerful singing felt no different than normal. It was all as if nothing had ever even happened.

But if nothing had changed, why did everything feel so different?

When Asteria returned, her smile was like the moon. Elusive. Secretive. Mysterious. In her absence she'd aged a thousand years, gained secrets and burdens that Justus would never know. Her light was now darkened by a shadow that seemed to haunt her, but she still felt the same when Justus hugged her again. Even if her arms didn't wrap around him as tightly as they had before.

Change had snuck up on Justus before he'd even had the chance to prepare, and it had taken him over without asking him how he felt about it.

The coming weeks had found Justus boarding a train with his family and leaving District One behind entirely. He'd barely noticed all the packing, barely noticed that his stuffed bunny was left behind in all the hassle. Just another comfort stripped away from him, leaving him with the vague sense that he was drowning in something he had yet to understand.

Why couldn't he ever understand?

District One changed to District Two, Cotteram changed to Arculeo, it was as if they were leaving everything behind and starting anew. Turning over a new leaf, or however the saying went. Fall was the season of change, and Justus felt as if he was a leaf about to be blown away.

But if all of that hadn't happened… would Justus be here? With Phaedra in his arms, dancing contentedly to the music playing from a speaker. The sun was setting, painting the sky with reds and oranges as vibrant as Phaedra's hair. She seemed to glow now in his arms, even brighter than she did on the day of the dance.

Gone was the red dress that had been enough to take his breath away even though he didn't fully understand his feelings at the time, gone was his own white dress, gone was everything besides just the two of them, here and now. Their training clothes were far more casual than any outfit that night (he was even wearing his jacket with the little bunny stitched on it) but Justus felt exactly the same as he had at the dance.

He was happy. Completely, blissfully happy, and there was nothing that could knock him down right now.

A strand of red hair slipped into Phaedra's face, so Justus carefully tucked it behind her ear. He stared at her for a moment, the way the light glinted off of her hair and made it gleam even brighter than the sun. She was made of gold, more precious to him than anyone he'd ever met before.

As another slow song started playing, he heard a soft, "Hey Justus?" and looked to see Phaedra finally looking up at him again with warm eyes.

After a beat of silence, Justus filled it with a quiet and somewhat concerned, "Yeah, Phaedra?"

"Do you believe in destiny?"

Justus frowned slightly as they continued, getting lost in thought all over again. Did he believe in destiny?

Was it destiny that brought him out to District Two? Destiny that dragged him through training and spit him out on the other side as the chosen volunteer? Destiny that allowed him to meet Phaedra, to love Phaedra? It felt like there had been so many missteps in his life, so how did Justus end up here anyway? Some days it felt like he was fumbling in the dark, but at least with Phaedra here he had a light.

Choosing his words carefully, Justus said, "I think, for better or for worse, I'm here with you and that's what matters. I'm not sure about destiny or anything, but I'm here with you now and I will be until…"

The end.

He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, realizing too late where he was going with it and unable to reroute himself. He bit his tongue, silently cursing that he'd probably crashed the mood and Phaedra would do the thing where her eyes got all sad and it would be all his fault that he messed something up again-

Blinking in surprise, Justus looked down at Phaedra with wide eyes. His cheek was still slightly warm from where she'd kissed it, his mouth hanging open slightly in shock. It wasn't as if they'd never kissed before (they had, certainly, and he quite enjoyed it every time); it was more that the timing had shocked him.

Phaedra's cheeks quickly heated as he stayed quiet. "I'm sorry," she said out of habit, squeezing his hand. "You didn't say anything wrong, you know. I just… I care about you, and I'm just happy to be a part of your life, no matter what."

No matter how this ends. Justus couldn't help but think about it anyway before shaking his head and smiling at her.

"You're right," he murmured before kissing her forehead. "I care about you too."

Her hands slipped out of his before wrapping around his waist, his own arms reaching down to pull her closer. Justus desperately wished that it didn't have to be this way, but he also knew that he loved Phaedra Nikostratos and even this short amount of time with her would be worth more than anything else in the world. He'd do it all over again just for this one single moment.

"I hope you know I'm proud of you."

Justus's heart squeezed at the words. I'm proud of you… He didn't hear them very often, but they only felt real when Phaedra told him. Maybe because she was the only one whose opinion truly mattered to him.

His cheeks warmed slightly as he gazed out at the sunset again. The sun had disappeared, but it was alright. All the warmth and light he ever needed was right in front of him. The sky was beginning to darken as well, meaning they probably needed to head back to the dorms soon.

The words "I'm proud of you" were still bouncing around in his head. Despite how content he was with Phaedra being proud of him, there was the part of him that couldn't fully buy into it. He just wished his father could feel the same way.

"Thanks," Justus said softly before leaning down to kiss her gently. "I love you."

Phaedra leaned into him as they kissed, pulling away after a moment to whisper, "I love you, too."

The tempo of the music changed again, to something more upbeat this time. Justus couldn't help but smile, trying to shake off his worries and insecurities. There would be time for that later; right now he had Phaedra here with him, and that was more than enough.

Pulling away from her, Justus started moving with the music, the upbeat tone completely different from the slow dance they'd been accustomed to. Phaedra raised an eyebrow at him as he waved his hands in the air and gave her a big grin.

"Come on, it's too late to go back to training or anything!" he insisted, moving his body closer to hers. "Dance with me!"

Phaedra was clearly trying to fight a smile, but when it came to Justus that was the fight she always lost. Her smile dazzled him as it broke out across her face, shining brighter than the stars that were beginning to make their appearance. She leaned her head back and laughed before starting to move with him, both of them carefree and happy in a way they'd hardly ever been able to be before.

Everything was right with Phaedra by his side. He didn't know what they were up against when they hit the arena, but he knew they could do it together. They always did, after all.

Even when death came for them, it could never really tear them apart.

happy valentine's day everyone! new chapter out for ya, this time featuring our d2 kids phaedra and justus! thank you to ripple237 and dirtwolf for these lovely kids, i've been so psyched to get this chapter out because i'm pretty sure i was literally possessed by them. i didn't mind though, they were an absolute joy to write and it's made me more pumped for the rest of the cast! intros are kinda fun? i feel like i'm thriving, don't mind me.

ah... i don't really schedule things i just write when i feel like it so yes this update happened to be a week apart, friendly reminder don't expect anything out of me the moment i try to put myself on a schedule is the moment where things fall apart. right now i'm definitely itching to move on to d3 though so watch out for that! i've got a few loner kids (like merix... no dp... poor kid) and so he'll actually get a leon pov so i can throw in that head gamemaker pov that was supposed to be the third prologue before i scrapped it because i was tired. it's coming back because i'm weak and like writing or something.

hm i don't think i have anything else to say besides please give me your thoughts on phaedra and justus! i'd love to hear what you think :D

-de laney is out