Cato and I grab all the goodies and head down to the lounge. We leave Finn, Jo and Peeta to sleep. Walking into the lounge Katniss walks up to us looking pissed. I send Cato away with the sweets quickly to avoid this blowing up.
"What did you do with Peeta?" she accuses.
"Nothing. He's sleeping on our couch on our floor," I tell her.
"He didn't come up last night. So, I know you did something," she says pissed.
"Yes, we gave support to him to help with the nightmares. Katniss he is using the help we are offering. He knows we understand what he's going through," I say.
"How could you possibly understand what we are going through?" She asks.
"Because all of us did it. We all killed to survive the games and now we have to live through that," I explain.
"Fine," she says storming off.
I throw my hands up and sit on the couch. I know there will only be Gloss, Cashmere, Enobaria, and Brutus down here. Seeder might come down as well. Cashmere comes down and sits on the couch beside me.
"You look down for the day, already." She says.
"Yeah, Katniss was down here accusing me of doing something to Peeta," I say with a sigh. Cato comes walking over holding two cinnamon rolls. He hands me one.
"Where did you get those?" Cashmere asks Cato.
"Peeta had a nightmare. Baking helps calm him so that's what we did. There is more in the kitchen." I explain.
"Sweet," she cheers. "So, she's now accusing you because you're helping Peeta? I hope she gets over this soon. None of us will stand for that."
"Give her time she is still adjusting." I say.
"We can give her as much time as she needs. But that doesn't mean she can just treat us like crap and disrespect us." She points out.
"I guess your right," I say with a sigh, looking down at my hands in my lap. Cato puts one of his hands in mine allowing me to play with it.
"You have that habit, Aqua. You will let new victors treat you badly because you think that's what they need. They don't they need support but not the kind of support that hurts you." Cashmere tells me what she has told me almost every year.
I start to tear up. I was only thirteen when I started mentoring. I just want to be able to help the new victors and for them to learn that they can live a relatively normal life.
"She's right, you do, do that." I look up and see Enobaria. "Where'd you get the cinnamon rolls?"
"Kitchen," Cato answers quietly, brushing the tears off my cheeks.
"Sweet. Want one, Cash?" She asks Cashmere while walking to the kitchen.
"Sure," she replies.
I stop tearing up and cuddle into Cato's side. He wraps his arms around me tightly almost like he's holding me together.
"Holy shit! Who is my new lover?" Enobaria asks seeing all the food.
"Peeta needed a midnight outlet," Cashmere explains knowing Enobaria will understand.
"Sweet, I like this outlet," she says.
We all laugh. "Speaking of where's Jo and Finn?" Cashmere asks.
"Still sleeping with Peeta. We all stayed up with him." I say.
"That's nice of you guys. I know I couldn't have done that." Enobaria says eating her roll.
"He needed it, so it was worth it. At least he is getting a good sleep noy. Our floor now smells really good as well." I say nibbling away.
We put on the tributes training and Seeder comes down.
"Hello all, oh sweets. Are there some leftovers?" Seeder asks.
"Hi Seeder. Yes tons. Help yourself." Cashmere says,
She heads into the kitchen then comes back holding some fruit bread. She sits beside Cato and I.
"How is my tribute doing?" She asks.
"He seems to be doing well. He's doing survival stations. He seems to be having a little trouble with his fire starting and knot tying. But Finn and Peeta can fix that right up." I reply.
"Your not going to do knot tying, Aqua?" Enobaria asks.
"No, I'm doing swimming lessons," I say with a smile.
"Ahh yes, those swimming lessons you love giving those," Cashmere says.
Finn, Brutus and Gloss finally come in.
"Hello boys," Seeder says.
"Hello Seeder," They reply.
"Our tributes seem to be doing well. Don't get me wrong they are being way cockier then usual. They are also showing off a lot more as well," Enobaria says to Brutus.
"Did you guys forget to tell them that the public doesn't see them training?" Finn asks jokingly.
"Shit! Were we supposed to do that?!" Brutus says joking back. We all laugh. District one and two can be fun to watch. I notice female one is flirting with male two.
"Cashmere does your tribute know this is the hunger games?" I ask with a giggle.
"Ugh, don't remind me. She seems to think that whoring herself around will save her." Cash says. Gloss laughs at least mine knows he's in the games.
"Hey, I was a flirt." We all turn to the door of the lounge and see Marvel standing there, "Sorry, I'm late."
"Marvel, come join us," Seeder greets. As Cato makes room for Marvel on his side by moving me onto his lap. This way the boys can talk strategy.
"How are you, Marvel?" Brutus asks.
"I'm good been keeping busy. Working." He says he turns to Seeder. "Yes, I'm still trying to find a wife, Seeder,"
"What a good boy." She praises.
Marvel walks over to Cato's side to sit with him. They greet each other giving a bro hug. I stand up and move out of the way.
"Nice to see you, Marvel." I say giving him a hug before I sit back down on Cato's lap after. "It's been far too long."
"You as well, Aqua. I do hope to spend some time in two after the games," he says.
Cato and he start talking placement and strategy. I know they love doing that. They have done that to all seventy-four games including their own.
"I would like to work a bit more on knife skills with Cora," I tell Finn.
"Sounds good, I will work on trapping with Dirk, then." He says. "What angle are you thinking?"
"Cora, could do shy but deadly." I propose. "Dirk could do the same or protector."
"I think protector would go well with his personality," Finn says.
"I remember seeing Aqua for the first time. I thought there was no way she would win," Marvel says. "Your angle was that good."
"Thank you. I liked Finn's better, though." I reply.
"I remember seeing you for the first time." Cato says to me. "Despite what everyone else as the academy saw. I saw a winner. Your eyes held a drive to fight for your family. That both you and Finn would make it out."
"He's right. I remember him saying that. I also remember you fighting for Cato to win too," Brutus says with a smile.
"I guess I did fight hard for him to win," I say smiling back at him.
"What was your angle, Marvel? Yourself?" Finn asks jokingly.
"Halla, fishboy," Marvel jokes back. Both of them laugh.
"Still calling him fishboy?" Johanna says coming in.
"The illustrious Johanna. She took her strategy from well partly from Aquamarine." Marvel says.
"Is that what we are talking about?" Jo asks.
"Yeah, Finn and I were discussing fours angle." I reply.
"I think mine should make like a possum and play dead. They might have a higher chance then," she says.
"That would only really work during the blood bath where the cannons go off at the end," I say.
"Exactly, play dead during the bloodbath, then take some supplies and disappear," Johanna suggests.
"That could possibly work," I say thinking about it.
"It would only work if the careers were distracted after the bloodbath. Or if they 'died' close to the edge of the forest. They would also have to have medicine, or they really could die," Gloss says.
"Well, the careers usually leave the cornucopia for a small period of time so the hovercraft can collect the bodies. So, they could leave then." Enobaria says.
"Yeah, but they would have to pray then don't run into the career pack or they would get tortured." Gloss replies.
"So, there is a chance, but it's heavily based in luck is what I'm hearing." I say.
"Yes," Cato replies. "It was done a long time ago. So, if it's done again careers wouldn't be expecting it."
"So if things are used a long time ago they get pulled out of the academy training?" Peeta asks walking in. Katniss trailing behind him.
"Yes, you can't teach every detail of the games so less important things get dropped. I think the first forty-nine games have been dropped. First forty games for sure," Brutus says.
"The history teacher is lazy," Cato says.
"Wait you guys actually take a history class?" Johanna asks. The two's all nod,
"Games history, it's called." Enobaria says.
"That's actually pretty cool," Johanna says. "Did you learn Haymitch's games?"
"Yeah, they still teach it as well because it's the last quell. They will keep it in the teachings till at least the next quarter quell." Enobaria says.
"So, in two years," Peeta says.
"Essentially," Brutus says. "Aqua goes a little more in depth into the pervious games to teach basic survival classes. She uses all the old games to make her curriculum. So, they learn in depth there. But the bigger things of the beginning games they miss. Or the tricks played that they need to watch for."
"Got any stories?" Peeta asks them.
"Well, Cato's older sister was supposed to volunteer for the 65th hunger games but another girl got too cocky and volunteered. Violet was very upset, but she met the winners and forgave herself." Brutus says.
"The winners?" Katniss asks.
"Yeah, Cato married one of them. Finn and Aqua. She's grateful she never went, or Cato would have never found his wife and been this happy. She also loves to work along side Finn and Aqua. Especially when all three work together. They are a force that's for sure." Brutus explains.
"That was a pretty shitty story for a happy ending. I'm glad Cato's sister didn't go into the games either." Peeta says happily. A peacekeeper walks in and takes off his helmet.
"Duncan, what are you doing here?" Cato asks.
"Stationed at the victor's lounge till after the games. Well during days. For after hours I'm at the training center." Duncan says.
"So, your friends with the peacekeepers. Of course, you are. You love the capital." Katniss snarls rolling her eyes.
"I'm not so sure about the liking peacekeepers little lady, but I do know my brother likes me and his other brother, Blaise." Duncan says.
"Cato is brothers with both Duncan and Blaise. Amenadiel, his oldest brother is a victor as well." Haymitch says walking in. "Nice, to have someone on our side, Duncan."
"You know it," he says.
"Help yourself to food in the kitchen, Duncan. Peeta made tons." I offer.
"Sweet, thanks man." He thanks looking at Peeta then heads to the kitchen.
"I made those after being terrified to death." Peeta whispers to me.
"He doesn't care. He knows all a about being a victor. He is related to two and has two more married in. So, he is just grateful that you have a positive way to deal with your terrors and he gets to reap some of the benefits. He will also help out when he can," Brutus says.
Duncan walks out, cheeks big like a chipmunk holding food in both hands. Everyone laughs even Peeta.
"Duncan is one of the good guys," I say to him. "Blaise has a lot of sway with peacekeepers. They listen to Blaise. Remember that if you need anything while at home, call Blaise Hadley. He has your back."
"Will I meet Blaise?" Peeta asks.
"If you go to two, yes. Blaise is head of the peacekeepers at two and because that's where the training happens peacekeepers listen more to Blaise then anyone else." I say.
"Blaise runs the show," Brutus says.
"Amenadiel does pretty good as well." Enobaria says.
"What does Amenadiel do?" Peeta asks.
"He's head of the academy," Cato says.
"He got bored just being a victor. We all generally have jobs to keep busy throughout the year." Gloss says.
"You guys have jobs?" Peeta asks shocked.
"Yeah, Cato, Brutus, Enobaria and Aqua work at the academy. Gloss and I work at our family jewelers. Johanna works at a kitchen in district seven. Seeder works in district eleven with Chaff. In four some of the victors have fishing boats," Cashmere says.
"What about the other victors?" Peeta asks.
"The morphling addicts are artists. I'm not sure what anyone else does though," Cashmere says.
"I've never thought of that. Maybe working at my family's bakery will help me," he says.
"It probably will, but also make sure you give and share," I say.
"What do you mean?" he asks.
"Give to those who don't have," I reply.