This one went a little long…sorry
Eris Thames, 17
District 2, seven months before the Reapings
If there was one thing that Eris Thames loved to do, it was to cause as much mayhem as possible. Her contribution to the world would be nothing positive, it would only be to tear down the paper walls of order that society desperately tried to maintain.
To Eris, District 2 was nothing more than a glorified house of cards. It was a beautiful structure with all sorts of different parts contributing to its rigidity and shape. But, it was so terribly easy to decimate. Every person in Eris's life was simply a card, a card she would play whenever she wanted, and a card she would readily discard when it was no longer useful. Eris would be the one who built the house, and she would be the one to tear it all down.
Part of the alluring nature of destruction and chaos was the fact that it existed to disrupt pre-existing order. There could be no disruption without order, and that was what Eris loved about District 2. It was the perfect place for her wreak havoc, to create discord in a place that thrived on law and order.
Chaos and disruption themselves weren't enough to satiate her. She always wanted more, and eventually, she found what she was looking for. It was the plotting, the planning, the premeditation. Acting sporadically was one thing, but methodically setting up a way to cause the most chaos possible? That was truly exquisite.
It was the careful building of the house of cards that made it satisfying to blow down. She was always in complete control. Eris would grant the poor souls order, and then she would take it away from their pathetic, groveling forms.
The chaotic slow burn that she created for herself was a true form of ecstasy. Simple anarchism was childish and idiotic by comparison. District 2 had given her all the tools she could ever want, and she thanked its bland order-driven self for making itself look so delectable, so ripe to bite into.
She was late to today's sparring matches, but she didn't care. Eris was occupied, occupied with sowing more seeds of discontent, and adding yet another card to the house she was building. This particular card was named Chancellor Navario, and he was the probably the richest and most desirable boy at Andronicus Academy.
Chancellor was one of those boys that was a victim of her charms, one of many of course. She couldn't even fault him for falling for her. Who wouldn't fall for someone so effortlessly sexy? It wasn't her fault that everyone just paled in comparison to her in every imaginable way.
Sure he was an attractive boy who was usually down for a bit of a rougher time in the bedroom, but Eris was mainly interested in sleeping with him to fuck up his relationship with Augusta Mystas. That was another thing Eris loved to do: ruin relationships. It was pathetic to see people cling to one another and try to maintain a semblance of order. She considered it an act of mercy whenever she showed a hopeless couple how easy it is for them to break.
And so, as Eris watched a completely nude Chancellor breathe heavily as he leaned up against the wall of the gym locker room, she felt a smirk creep onto her lips.
"Shou-, should we-" Chancellor could barely speak through his sharp breaths. "-hea-head back?"
Eris let out a laugh. She was feeling absolutely great, this little excursion had been a fantastic warm up for all the sparring matches today, but it seemed like her endurance had been superior to Chancellor's this time. Not that she was surprised.
"Oh I think we'll be fine, they wouldn't dare start without the strongest male and female now would they?" Eris giggled, tossing her hair a bit. Chancellor was still looking her up and down. Men were so easy to manipulate. All she had to do was take off her clothes and all they could do was stare.
After a pause, Chancellor chuckled. "Yeah, they wouldn't dare would they?"
"No they wouldn't," Eris replied without missing a beat. She then turned on her heel to retrieve her clothes from across the room. They had been rather forcefully thrown earlier.
As she walked, she turned to look over her shoulder and shot a coy glance at Chancellor. "Come on big boy, can't let all that hang out when we're sparring." Chancellor flushed once more, and hurried to pull on his own clothes.
She smirked to herself as she turned away from him again. It was hard to believe that someone as good of a fighter as him would be so pathetic. But then again, anyone was pathetic in her presence, so who was she to complain?
It took her no time at all to get herself dressed in her training clothes. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, and she was ready to absolutely destroy whatever measly little bitch was supposed to face her in combat. Eris couldn't wait to see what poor girl would get messed up today.
With a hint of a spring in her step, she strode towards the door leading back out into the neighboring hallway. Chancellor was still slipping his shirt over his head.
"I'll see you at training, tell Augusta I said hi," Eris called over her shoulder as she stepped through the door. The last thing she heard was Chancellor's nervous chuckling. Sometimes, it was just too easy.
A few hours had passed since the sparring matches, and the warmth of the gym was now replaced by the searing cold of December in District 2. The Forum was pretty sparse at the moment; Peacekeepers were on their shift change so she had just enough time to complete her plan.
Eris surveyed her surroundings, looking through the slowly falling snow. The Forum was at the center of District 2, and it contained the Justice Building and all the important military and government areas. Andronicus Academy, being the oldest academy in District 2, was just off of the Forum, so it wasn't that long of a walk.
She huffed impatiently. Alexa was never late. There was a pang in her chest, but she sure it wasn't worry. She didn't worry about anyone, of course. Of course.
"I didn't forget."
The voice made Eris jump. Alexa was the only person who could successfully sneak up on her. It was rather annoying that her usually keen senses had a blind spot, and that blind spot was named Alexa Montague. Alexa was always cleaning up Eris's messes. She was…well Eris wasn't sure exactly what Alexa was to her. All she knew was that Alexa was a beautiful woman whose eloquence knew no bounds. Her dark skin and deep brown eyes were simply gorgeous, and Eris had to remind herself to not stare too intensely.
"Fuck you. Do know how long I've been standing out here?" Eris grumbled.
"A few minutes at best. You know you could have just broken in already? I'm usually the clean-up crew to follow in your wake anyway."
Alexa's statement was usually true, but Eris wanted Alexa to accompany her tonight. She wouldn't admit it to herself, but Eris just didn't want to be alone. Going home wasn't an option. Eris was in no mood to hear her mother yell about how all her money was going to waste paying for tuition. She was not in the mood at all. Today had been a pretty good day all things considered, and she didn't want that to get tainted up by being called a useless fuck-up.
"Well, I thought we could be a little more subtle, your ID works right?"
"Of course it works." Alexa grabbed Eris's arm and dragged her over the massive domed building that towered next to them. The library of the Forum was highly stylized with large white columns lining the front entrance. It was one of the older buildings in District 2, and Eris was rather fond of it.
Getting in was exceptionally easy. All Alexa did was swipe her ID and they were through. The amount of connections that girl had was unfathomable. Eris couldn't remember a single instance of Alexa being caught off guard or in trouble. She had a knack for talking herself (and Eris) out of any troublesome situation. It was quite the valuable skill, and Eris held it in high esteem.
"I should have brought you here ages ago," Eris remarked as the two of them walked through the double doors of the entrance.
"You never wanted my help; you just love the chaos of trying to break into a secure building, even though this place is barely guarded."
Eris felt herself get extremely annoyed at that comment. It made her think about how different she acted around Alexa compared to everyone else. She acted…almost nice. Eris hated nice. She hated to think about the disconnect between how she usually was, and how she was around Alexa. But then, why did she like being around Alexa so much?
Instead of firing a retort back at Alexa, she just continued inside. Even in the dark, it was quite easy to see the massive scale of the library. It was three floors, and shelves upon shelves upon shelves were everywhere you looked. It was an ornately carved building and it seemed so much older than most of the bland militaristic buildings of District 2. That disruption of the aesthetic was part of the reason why Eris was so drawn to this location. That, and the fact that she loved to read.
Ever since she was kid, she found herself lost in books. She wasn't a fan of fiction, so she preferred reading all sorts of books of facts, procedures, military strategy, fauna and flora, anything she could get her hands on. Eris rapidly consumed knowledge. She loved to learn, and she had an excellent memory to keep it all stored away. Brains were underrated in District 2, but she was fine with that. It gave her the edge against physically stronger competitors. In her opinion, brain was more important than brawn. Besides, her brain was bigger than anyone else's.
Eris breathed in through her nose, letting the smell of books new and old fill her senses. She very much appreciated all the physical copies, the rough feeling of paper, the sound of flipping pages…it was all beautiful. Having access to information on a screen was a fantastic convenience, but there was just something magical about this library and how ancient it seemed. Every time she found herself in this library, she became lost in her thoughts, trying to imagine a world where knowledge was only kept in books and nowhere else.
"Soooo what are we doing?" Alexa whispered in the darkness. Eris turned back, and when she looked into Alexa's eyes, she saw the only person in the world who wasn't just a card waiting to be lost in the wind.
Alexa blinked. "Eris?"
"Oh, right," Eris muttered. She hadn't realized how long she had been gazing at Ms. Montague. Because of the darkness, neither one could fully read each other's expressions, but both of them would have been looking bashful.
"Come on then," Eris said, motioning for Alexa to follow her. The two girls went deeper into the library, passing shelves of knowledge, some of which were so covered in dust that it seemed no one had bothered to touch them.
"It's a bit musty in here," Alexa remarked a little too loudly.
"Shhhhh," Eris hissed. "And yes, despite all the talk of discipline and order, this place is rather neglected."
"It's almost removed from everything else," Alexa swept out her arms, "a place out of time."
Eris couldn't help but smile. "That it is, that it is." She paused in front a tall staircase that led into the second floor. "Come on, up we go." She couldn't stop herself when she offered her hand to Alexa.
"What a gentleman!" Alexa gibed, but she took Eris's hand and the two ascended the staircase. It was wide, and extremely ornate. The railing curved in a beautiful spiraling pattern, like a ribbon in the wind that was frozen in time.
When they reached the top of the stairs, Eris grabbed Alexa by her shoulders and turned her to face down the staircase and across the ground floor. She didn't have to look at Alexa to tell that her eyes were wide.
"Wow. It seems like so much more from up here." Alexa was in awe. "It's so vast, I've never seen the library like this…in the darkness it's like a completely different world."
Eris smiled. "My world." At this, Alexa turned back to face her. She stepped up closer to Eris, so very close.
"Your world?" she gestured to the darkness all around them.
"Oh don't be so morbid. I always had a little light with me." Eris reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked a small, white cube. She tapped it, and the cube began to glow with a surprisingly bright light.
"Ah." Alexa didn't seem satisfied with the light Eris had produced. They'd known each other for so long that Eris knew how to read her, but she never took advantage of that. Alexa was the only person in the world that Eris would never take advantage of, or hurt if she could help it. If Eris was the storm, Alexa was the eye, right in thick of it, but avoiding the onslaught of destruction and chaos.
"Come on, I'll show you my favorite little nook," Eris said, grabbing Alexa's hand once more. She turned to bring her friend with her, but there was no movement. She stopped, feeling resistance from Alexa.
"Alexa?" Eris questioned, turning back towards her. She felt Alexa's hand slip out from hers, the soft warmth vanishing from her palm, leaving a surprising amount of cold and emptiness. Even more so, there was a sense of something missing, something incomplete.
After a rather uncomfortable silence, Alexa finally looked up and met Eris's eyes.
"Eris, what are we?"
Eris raised her brow. "What's that supposed to mean."
"It means exactly what it means. What are we?"
"We're friends-" Eris started, but Alexa immediately cut her off. Nobody cut Eris off and got away with it, but Alexa wasn't a nobody, she was a somebody. Somebody…special.
"You know that's not true at this point. Can you honestly stand here and tell me that there isn't more? I want more, I want you, and I know you feel the same. I just don't understand why you can't see it yourself."
Eris was at a loss for words. The sudden confession and declaration from Alexa was disturbing because it was so unlike her, but what was more disturbing was her words themselves. Love wasn't something important. It was fragile, and just like everything else, it was easy to break. Eris liked shattering love and breaking hearts. It gave her an immense satisfaction, but then, what was this strange feeling in her chest?
Before Eris could engage in too much introspection, she dealt with conflicting feelings the only way she knew how.
"Really Alexa? Of all people, you should know how stupid and frail love is. It's cheap, it's bullshit, and it's just a simple chemical reaction that functions so everyone doesn't kill themselves. Nothing more, nothing less. To be honest, it's fucking pathetic coming from you. I expected better."
Eris bumped Alexa's shoulder as she rushed past her, fleeing down the stairs. The silence of the library was broken by loud thumps as she clomped down the stairs. It was so loud in fact, that it was easy for Eris to block out the soft crying from atop the stairs.
She pushed out through the front double doors and back into the Forum. The soft snowfall had fashioned itself into a blizzard. The wind screamed and lashed out at Eris's face and clothes as she trudged out into the snow.
It didn't matter. It didn't matter at all. Eris Thames was a blizzard, a storm of chaos, a torrent of wind that would blow down any pathetic structure of cards in her path, and not even the pathetic queen of hearts would stop her from tearing it all to the ground.
Spartus Aegis, 17
District 2, two weeks after the Announcement
Spartus Aegis was never in the lead in a race, never favored to win, always second best, and always just not good enough. But, as Spartus cleared a wall in a sprawling obstacle course, he felt like he might actually be in the lead. For once.
His muscular legs rippled as he ran forward in a full sprint, not letting anything stand in his way. The obstacle course was pretty standard training material at Andronicus Academy. The instructors believed that endurance and agility were just as important as fighting, and Spartus wholeheartedly agreed.
He loved to run. He adored the feeling of the air rushing by him, how it felt like he was cutting right through the air itself with his willpower alone. The obstacle course was by far his favorite training exercise, and whenever he got the chance to show off, he took it.
Looking behind him, Spartus noticed another boy hot on his heels. No, he was not going to lose today. He wasn't going to lose ever again. With a burst of motivation, Spartus propelled himself forward, easily scaling a rope ladder that came up in front of him.
The muscles in his arms flexed wildly as he scaled the ladder. Spartus had always been in fantastic shape, but there was a new confidence, a new flame burning in his heart that made him feel so much stronger. However, he couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty for pushing so hard, considering what had happened two weeks ago.
No one in District 2 had expected the Quell Twist to be…what it was. Never in a million years would any person, any trainer, any cadet think that romance would be the entire focus of a Quell twist. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Matchmaker aspect made it so there would be no volunteers.
Preparing to volunteer for the Hunger Games was essentially a part of growing up for every child in the district. It was something that everyone tried to strive for, knowing that this would be their one chance to achieve greatness, greatness that they couldn't possibly achieve as a mere citizen. It was every cadet's dream to be crowned a Tribunus, and get the opportunity to compete in the greatest challenge in all Panem. Spartus's older brother was one of the many cadets who had this dream, and he was one of many who had that dream snuffed out by the announcement of the Third Quarter Quell.
Octavian Aegis was just a year older, but he had always been the favorite, always the superior sibling. In early childhood, it was clear that Octavian was incredibly gifted, a prodigy likely to go far and become a Tribunus. Spartus was simply left in Octavian's dust.
His parents had a favorite, and that favorite was Octavian. It did make sense, why they would favor him and give him everything he ever could have wanted. He had the potential to bring wealth and glory to the Aegis family, and Spartus just didn't.
Spartus was able to get into Andronicus just like his brother, but he was always "Octavian's little brother" and not "Spartus." He would smile at everyone comparing him to his brother, but the hurt to his pride and to his heart was unimaginable. Sure, he had friends and was relatively popular, but he was always quiet. Spartus let himself get trampled by Octavian, and his parents watched it happen with a smile on their faces.
The constant obsession with the Hunger Games and all of Octavian's special lessons and private instructors (that Spartus never got of course) was grating to his own opinion of the Games. Everyone around him was obsessed with them, but when Spartus looked at the Hunger Games, he just saw the reality of never being loved by his own parents.
He never forgot just how hopeless he felt when the Tribunus Maximus rolled around in mid-March. The Tribunus Maximus was the grand tournament that cadets and trainees from all of District 2's academies would battle it out, often to the death, to claim the title of Tribunus. To be a Tribunus was to be granted the opportunity to declare yourself the champion of District 2 at the Reapings, and ascend the stage not as a mere tribute, but a Tribunus.
It was usually a time of great celebration as the final tournament was held, but Spartus was miserable. He was miserable the whole tournament, watching his brother decimate the boys' bracket and easily claim the rank of Tribunus. The Aegis family was praised for its blood and was given laurels celebrating the victory. Octavian Aegis was given great fanfare, many hoping he could be what Cato could not. Spartus Aegis felt like he might as well have been one of the cadets killed in the tournament. It was an awful feeling, being miserable at the success of your own kin. Guilt quickly consumed him, but he couldn't forgive his parents for abandoning him, not ever. All he wanted was for someone to look him in eye and tell him that they loved him.
Aries and Valda Aegis made sure that Spartus stayed far away from all the press that Octavian was getting post-tournament. They didn't want to risk people finding out about the failure of a son that tainted the golden Aegis blood. Spartus gave up on training at that point. He saw no path forward for him. The only thing he seemed to be good for was just being another faceless Peacekeeper.
Everything changed after the announcement. The devastation rippled across the district, and the Aegis household folded like a house of cards. Octavian had already been given the title of Tribunus, but now, he would never be able to fulfill the duty that came with it. He was 18, so this Quell was his last chance. His parents thought it was destiny for Octavian's prime year to be the Quarter Quell, but it turned out to be a curse.
Spartus had grown up with Octavian, and he watched how his brother was groomed for this one purpose, one final goal in his life. Octavian's entire personality and identity were based around becoming a Tribunus and winning the Hunger Games. Now, he couldn't even lose honorably. It was about the biggest disgrace that could possibly happen to him.
Therefore, it wasn't much of a surprise to Spartus when Octavian spiraled into an almost catatonic state of depression. For all he knew, his life was over, robbed by a someone called the Matchmaker. Their parents tried to comfort him, saying that he could still be chosen, but Octavian knew it was all over. If anything, his parents were equally as devastated, so they spent the following two weeks doing their best to take care of their son. If Spartus didn't exist before, he sure didn't exist now.
Perhaps it was seeing himself once again be erased by his own family, or perhaps it was something else, but Spartus found a crackle of energy spark to life within him, and he began to train.
For the first time in his entire life, he had a chance. Octavian might have lost his chance to volunteer, but Spartus was just 17. He had another year, one more shot. Despite all his pent-up resentment, there was a part of him that still craved, still hungered for his parents' affection.
And so, he trained. He trained hard. Harder than he ever had in his life. Spartus made up his mind. He was going to train like his life depended on it, because it basically did. The 76th Hunger Games were wide open for him, and he had to be ready. Spartus would be the Aegis to make it into the Hunger Games, he would be the Aegis to win it all, and he would finally be treated like he actually shared a name with his family.
His doubts about the Games were still in his mind, but with the opportunity to finally be in the lead, to finally be looked at as someone worthy…it was just too good to pass up. Spartus would be proudly proclaiming his name on stage next year. This strange Quell didn't matter at all. The 76th Games were his for the taking, and he would have that crown.
Pure determination spurred him on as he pulled himself off the rope ladder and sprinted across the narrow rope bridge that the ladder led to. It was a rather interesting obstacle course, intending to simulate a forest arena where tributes would have to dodge foliage on the ground and be able to pursue enemies in the treetops.
These courses were a specialty of Andronicus, and they happily rubbed it in Varro Academy's face since their graduate, Cato, had failed to scale that tree and kill the Girl on Fire, which led to two of the Pack being wiped out. Spartus never wanted to fall prey to a trick like that, so he was thankful that Andronicus was on top of more than just combat and discipline.
He flashed his eyes over to the massive screen across the gym, seeing that he was still in lead. The end of the course was in sight. So close…so close. At the end of the rope bridge, there was a large pole that was meant to be a tree trunk, and the purpose was for the cadets to find a safe, but fast way down.
Spartus ran this course frequently, and he knew exactly what to do. Leaping gracefully, he wrapped himself around the pole, sliding down with a firm grip. About halfway down, he jumped off and landing into a front roll, using the maneuver to safely discharge his momentum. In a swift motion, he got up to his feet, and sprinted full on for the finish line. Almost…almost…
"Cadet Aegis takes first," came a voice, booming across the gymnasium. He skidded to a halt before panting heavily. His endurance training made it easier, but that didn't mean it wasn't taxing. Looking up at the scoreboard, Spartus smiled, seeing his full name in gold lettering.
Spartus Aegis-First Place.
Not once was Octavian brought up. Not once. That simple fact was enough to make Spartus feel like a winner already.
The slamming of lockers echoed throughout the rather large, grey-scale locker room. Spartus peeled out of his training attire to change into his casual Cadet uniform, which was also grey-scale with blue accents.
"You did great out there today man." Spartus smiled at the praise of his best and oldest friend, Mason Silvanus. While many people considered Spartus their "friend," Spartus really only felt a true connection to Mason. He trusted him with his life, and would tell him anything and everything.
"Thanks! I really did try my best-"
"Psshhh, you are so damn talented dude. I'm so proud of you. You deserve all the recognition you're gonna get."
Spartus looked down shyly. "You're too good to me."
"That's because I love you? Why is this still a question?" Mason was a lot shorter than Spartus, but he always loved to try to reach up and ruffle Spartus's hair. They were probably too old to still be doing stuff like that, but neither of them cared. They were as close as friends could get.
"Right back at cha'," Spartus gushed. The two finished changing and started to head out together.
On their way out, a boy approached them. Zeus Shale was easily one of the highest-ranking boys in the class, right up there with Chancellor Navario.
"Aegis, I have a question."
Spartus tried to make eye contact without feeling awkward, but that was easier said than done. Zeus Shale was ridiculously attractive, and he was the first boy he had ever had a crush on. In fact, Zeus was what led to his bisexual awakening. No one except Mason knew this of course. Spartus wasn't ready to address that part of himself just yet. He was already under so much scrutiny and he was afraid of the possibility of people looking at him different. Mason assured him that the only pieces of shit who be nasty about it were the Varro Men, the notoriously hyper-masculine cadets of Varro Academy.
"Of course, Sh-shale, happy to answer." Spartus was already kicking himself for that brief stutter. He had mostly gotten over his crush on Zeus, but damn, that boy was fine.
"Me and a couple of the guys were wondering how Octavian is doing. It's a real tragedy don't you think?"
All the confidence that had been glowing inside Spartus suddenly was snuffed out, like a torrent of water crashing over him. Just when he was finally being seen as Spartus, he was back to just being attached to Octavian.
"He's doing alright, not great though. He was definitely robbed of the opportunity," Spartus said, almost in a whisper.
Zeus nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer. "Give him our best," he stated matter-of-factly, stepping aside to allow the two boys to pass.
Spartus couldn't get out of the locker room fast enough. As soon as he was through the door, he broke into a brisk walk. He wasn't looking forward to going home, but he just wanted to get out of there. Mason caught up to him quickly and put an arm around his friend.
"That was rough. I didn't think you'd still get choked up talking to him."
"Yeah, it was just. You know." Spartus felt his face fall. He had vented to Mason enough to know that he probably knew exactly what was eating away at him in the moment. And now, he had to go home and face his family. The only thing he had to look forward to was talking with Cassia, his 15-year-old sister. She was a little spit fire, and had been equally resentful of their parents for favoring Octavian over her. The two had bonded over feeling like they didn't even belong to the Aegis family.
Every time he came home from training, Octavian would throw a fit, and his parents would of course come to his aid, shooting Spartus a nasty look before vanishing with their favorite son. It was never fun coming home. Never.
Mason just nodded. "You don't need them. You have to do this for yourself if you really want it, don't let them control your life anymore. I've seen you under this weight for your whole life dude, and I just want you to be happy."
Spartus became to an abrupt stop, and wrapped his friend up in a crushing hug. He didn't deserve Mason to be so supportive of him all the time. Deep down, Spartus knew that he really should be making his own choices, but he felt trapped. He was actually showing promise now, and he had a year to keep training in the hopes of becoming a Tribunus. Mason's embrace was wonderful, but Spartus still had an aching hole in his heart. His parents hadn't hugged him in years, and he just wanted to feel them, for them to look at him like he was their son, and not a stain on their memory.
The prospect of finally being the best was too tantalizing to resist, and despite his friend's pleas, Spartus Aegis felt he had no choice but to win the Hunger Games, or forever be nothing but a shadow.
I know I said D5 was next, but I ended up doing D2 because that was where the motivation took me. So with that, we have rounded out the traditional career pack! Have any thoughts on the pack's make up and potential dynamics in Pre-Games?
I'm gonna do my best to try to get intros done before school starts, or at least until school work starting getting more intense. Here's hoping!
Also I really appreciate those of you who are still around and reading and/or reviewing! It's been hard to be motivated to write without knowing how many people are actually reading so I would at least appreciate a PM or something letting me know, just to give me peace of mind.
Are you #teamSPARIS?