Sextus Septimianus (District 12 Mentor)
"Is that it?!" I ask, my voice shaking with excitement as I race down the stairs and vault into the living room of our suite, as my twin sister Aquilina walks into view with a datapad in her hand and a knowing smirk on her lips.
"What do you think?" she coos, her voice smug and playful as she glides by me, plops down on the couch, and tucks the pad under her leg before looking up at me.
"I think you'd better give me that pad before I take it from you," I joke, my voice just as light and playful as hers as I stand by the edge of the couch with my hand out expectantly.
"Are you sure that's what you want, baby brother?" she asks mockingly. "You may not like what you see."
"I'll be fine," I say, my voice calm and confident despite the butterflies in my stomach.
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you," she coos, that knowing smirk from earlier snaking its way up to her eyes as she tosses me the pad before motioning for our avox attendant to bring her latte while I struggle with the fingerprint lock.
"Stop being such a drama queen," I say, my face lighting up as I finally get the lock to recognize my finger, and the display flickers to life. "I'm the top mentor in the class," my eyes dance over the names on the screen in search of mine. "And that means I have no reason ... to ... worry ... Have you seen this?" I ask, my joy from a second ago evaporating in an instant as a wave of anger washes over me.
"Have I seen what?" she asks sarcastically.
"Don't get smart with me, Aquilina," I growl, my teeth digging into my lips so hard that I draw blood as I fight back the urge to smash the datapad into a million pieces. "Just answer the question. Have you seen this?"
She doesn't answer me. Instead, she sits there and smirks until I finally lose my temper and slam the pad on the couch before stomping off into the kitchen.
"Be careful, Sextus," she growls, her voice tinged with fake outrage as she jumps up and follows me into the kitchen. "You almost hit me."
"It's no less than you deserve," I bark, my face burning with rage as I grab an apple off the counter and take a bite out of it. "How could you not tell me what the damn thing said?"
"I didn't know what it said," she says, her voice flat and neutral, her face an unreadable mask of indifference as she turns and takes her latte from the trailing avox before sliding onto one of the stools at the bar. "I'm not a mentor. My fingerprint only unlocked the escort portion of the message."
"Bullshit," I growl defensively, my fingers digging into the flesh of my apple as I fight back the urge to throw it at her lying face.
"Would I lie to you, Sextus?" she asks, her words tinged with just the faintest hint of sarcasm as her composure starts to crack.
"We both know you would," I mumble, my lips curling back into a sneer as I toss my now mutilated apple aside and grab a new one. "It's one of your favorite pastimes."
"I didn't know you thought so little of me," she says, her voice low and dripping with fake outrage, her lower lip quivering as she struggles to keep up what we both know is an act. "I'm hurt, baby brother."
"You're also a terrible liar," I growl, my words dripping with venom as I rip a chunk out of my new apple. "And stop calling me that. You know I hate it."
"Would you prefer I call you Sextipooh like Cleopatra and the other mentors do?" she coos, her sadness and anger from a few seconds ago all but forgotten as she picks up her latte and gently blows on it while a playful grin snakes its way across her lips. "Or maybe you'd prefer Sextimus Maximus?" she takes a small sip. "That's what you wanted us to call you when you were little, right?"
"This isn't a joke, Aquilina," I growl through gritted teeth. "It's serious."
"Oh, it's serious alright," she says sarcastically, her voice tinged with amusement as she rolls her eyes at me. "A serious temper tantrum."
"It's not a temper tantrum," I snarl, my body tensing as I fight back the urge to unload on her for being so flippant and dismissive of my feelings.
"Yes, it is. And getting mad at me isn't going to change that, baby brother," she snaps, raising her voice to match mine as she sits there and sips her latte.
"I told you to stop calling me that!"
"And I told you to calm down!" she snaps, her face a mask of frustration, her eyes burning with rage and disappointment as she slides off her stool and squares up on me. "You're not a child, Sextus. You're a mentor. Start acting like one."
"And what are you going to do if I don't?" I snarl, my voice shaking with rage as I toss my apple aside and square up on her the way she did me.
"She'll do the only thing she can, Sextus," coos a soft, sultry voice from somewhere in the shadows in front of me. "Stand back and watch while you lash out like a petulant child looking for someone to blame for a problem you created."
"No one asked you for your opinion, Cleopatra," I growl, my composure hanging by a thread as my fellow mentor—who happens to be dating my sister—shoots me a smug smile as she glides out of the shadows and saunters up behind Aquilina. "How'd you get in here anyway?"
"That's not important. What is, is that you're the one who told the President you didn't care which district you ended up in," she purrs, a seductive smile on her lips as she leans in and kisses my sister on the neck before resting her chin on her shoulder. "Aren't you?"
"Well, yeah, but—"
"But nothing.
"He offered you the chance to pick any district you wanted as a reward for graduating at the top of our class, and you turned him down.
"In fact, I believe your exact words were—it doesn't matter to me, sir. They can put me wherever they think I can do the most good—remember?"
"Of course, I remember," I growl, my body relaxing as all the anger and tension I'd been holding onto starts to dissipate. "I just didn't think they'd take me seriously."
"Well, they did," she says smugly. "They gave you exactly what you asked for. And you have no one to blame for that but yourself."
"She has a—a point, Sextus," mumbles Aquilina, her words catching in her throat as Cleopatra leans in and sinks her teeth into the soft flesh of her neck. "I know you don't want to hear that, but it's true."
"Of course, you're taking her side," I pout, my voice cracking as I struggle to stay mad. "Why wouldn't you?"
"I'm not taking her side, Sextus. I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just pointing out the facts.
"And the fact is, you're the one who told them to put you where they thought you could do the most good. Right?"
"Yes," I admit sheepishly, my shoulders slumping as I finally let go of the last vestiges of anger and frustration I've been clinging to.
"Then why are you so upset that they did what you told them to do?"
"Because it's bullshit!" I snap, a sudden burst of anger coursing through my body. "You and Cleopatra fucked around for six months and got rewarded with the same career district. I busted my ass and did everything I was supposed to, and they stuck me in District Twelve with Valion. How is that fair?"
"It's not," she says, a small gasp slipping past her lips when Cleopatra leans in and sinks her teeth into the side of her neck hard enough to leave a bruise. "But it's what you asked for," she shoots Cleopatra a dirty look as she pulls back and smiles wickedly before leaning back in and kissing the bruise. "So suck it up."
"Gee, thanks for the pep talk."
"Anytime," she says, a massive shit-eating grin on her face that's so goofy and infectious that I can't help but return it despite my desire to keep pouting. "Baby brother."
"Have I ever told you you're an insufferable bitch with terrible taste in women?" I laugh, nodding toward Cleopatra.
"Once or twice," she coos, a playful smile on her lips as she turns her head and pulls Cleopatra in for a deep, needy kiss that makes me sick to my stomach. "But you still love me."
"That's debatable," I joke, exaggerating a dry heave as I do everything I can not to look at them. "And do you guys have to do that in front of me?"
"What's the matter, Sextus? Jealous?" whispers Cleopatra, her voice deep and needy as she reluctantly removes her lips from my sister's neck and slips out of her arms before turning toward me.
"Don't flatter yourself," I say, rolling my eyes as I turn my back on them and start back toward the living room.
"Don't forget the going away party, SEXTUS," calls my sister, my name coming out as a small yelp as Cleopatra does or says something I'm glad I didn't see or hear. "We're supposed to be at the club in an hour."
"I'll be there," I shout, even though I know neither of them are listening. "Will the two of you?"
A/N: And there we have it. It took me a bit longer than I'd hoped, but we're finally done with the background stuff and can move on to the tributes!
So, I've been working on the first one here and there while I was editing this, and I think you're going to like it. Not only is it more in line with what everyone else has been doing, but I feel like the new format gives the tributes a chance to tell their story and stand out in a way they didn't get to the first time.
However, it is a slightly longer process, and I want to thank you all for your patience and continued support as I try to make this story one that everyone can enjoy and that I can be proud of. You're all amazing, and I couldn't do this without you.