Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters, they belong to Himaruya Hidekaz-sensei. Hunger Games series belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Chapter 6: Avox Girl

The training center is a big building, designed especially for the tributes and their teams. The ground floor looks very refined and luxurious, but I suppose that the whole building is similar. This will be our home until the actual Games begin. We will train here, strengthen our minds, bodies and learn various tricks. Throwing spears, tying knots, jumping, running, camouflage. Everything. Anything. They'll probably have bows and arrows to, but I won't touch them. They can't know what I'm good at and what I royally suck at. The groups will be formed. I'm certain that those jackasses from One, Two and Four will form an alliance this year again. They always do. Shitty bastards.

We step into the elevator. It will take us to the ground where we'll be staying. Each district has its' own ground dedicated just for them. To get there, you simply need to get into the lift, press the correct number and you're already headed to your destination. It's my third time riding an elevator. The first two were back home. One, when I had to go and receive the medal for my father's death. And the second time happened yesterday, when I said goodbye to my friends and family. Was it really only one day ago though, I wonder. It feels like so much longer.

The elevator in the Justice Building back in Twelve is dark, squeaks like a bird that is being murdered, smells like a fucking sour milk and moves about as fast as a snail. Or Gilbert after he wakes up. The elevator here, though, is totally different. The walls are made of crystal and the floor is see-through. I look down and see people below me shrink more and more. They look like ants, but perhaps this term is too nice to describe these bastards. Ants are workaholics, while these Capitol fuckers are just lazy fools, doing nothing but wasting air. Still, the feeling of getting higher and higher is amazing and I'm tempted to ask Feliks to let me ride this thing again. But that seems too Feliciano like, and everything that is Feliciano like is pretty childish. Unless it's Gilbert like. Then it's childish AND stupid, which describes this situation better than Feli's dumbness.

It turns out that Feliks Łukasiewicz's duty did not finish when we arrived to the Capitol. It's quite the opposite, really. He, as well as Carlos, will be staying with us until we go out into the arena. In a way that's a big plus. He's a very annoying person, but not exactly a bad human being. He's acting the way he was taught to act, even though that's quite an irritating attitude he's got. But he knows everyone in the Capitol that is someone. Unlike Carlos, who we haven't seen since our arrival at the station, Feliks has been making an effort to find us sponsors. He's been going all around the place and talking to important people, telling them that supporting us is a good idea. It's easy to see that he's please that he's got us. We're the first tributes he's ever chaperoned that have made such a big uproar, so he's quite happy with us. Again, unlike Carlos, who is probably passed out somewhere. Dumb tutor.

"I, like, told them a lot about you" Feliks says, his smile so wide it's about to touch his ears. "I've been very mysterious, though. It will, like, totally make them even more interested in you" he grins, squinting his eyes in self appreciation.

"Plus this stupid mentor of yours, Carlos, like, hasn't tell me anything about your plan or strategy. But I've done my best with the information I, like, had. How Lovino sacrificed himself in order to help his poor, little brother. Oh, that was totally touching, I tell you. How you've been making bread your whole life and, like, couldn't find time to dress up in cute things!" he points to Antonio, who looks absolutely terrified. Somehow, imagining him in a pink ribbon that seemed to be the newest fashion in the Capitol, almost made me snicker. Almost. "And, obviously, how you two successfully managed to, like, overcome the cruelness and barbarism of your district!

I quirk an eyebrow. Barbarism? Seriously? It's quite ironic, coming from a person that's preparing us for slaughter. What the fuck is he basing our success on anyway? Looking pretty? Our table manners? I seriously doubt holding a fork properly will save my life.

"Like, everyone has their own reservations, naturally. They started saying crap that you are from coal miner district and, like, aren't attention worth. I got so mad! But then a brilliant idea came to me! So I cleverly told them, listen, I told them 'If you work on it hard enough, like, even coal can turn into beautiful pearls!'. Wasn't that super clever of me?" I exchange confused looks with Antonio. Coal turning into pearls is bullshit. It can't turn into something so beautiful no matter how hard you work on it. Pearls grow inside the shellfish. In District One they can turn graphic into something, beautiful, but those aren't pearls either. The ones they produce in One are called 'diamonds'. Very sharp but amazingly enchanting. But still, they don't make it out of ordinary coal. They make it from graphite, which we don't have back home. Mining graphite was a job of people in District Thirteen before it was destroyed. I wonder if other people from Capitol even know it, even bothered to find out, or are they as ignorant as Feliks? To my surprise, tomato bastard starts laughing and praising Capitol man for such a great idea. Two faced son of a bitch.

"Unfortunately, only your stupid mentor can sign sponsor deals for you, so even though I, like, really want to get you as many contracts as possible, I can't" Feliks says, pouting and looking into the distance. Gilbert's mom would often do that as well. It has always made me wonder if people are looking at these dear to them that are already deceased, searching for an answer. I nearly make a little jump when Feliks' face suddenly snaps towards me "But you needn't worry, skarbie! I'll get him to the table if it means I, like, have to drag his ass through the desert!" he grins again.

Although he definitely lacks in many departments, for example common sense, normality, being non-irritating and all of this, Feliks Łukasiewicz has a certain determination that I have to admire.

My quarters are much bigger than my entire house back home. Everything is fluffy, puffy, fucking girly but overall comfortable and soft in touch. There are also thousands of little buttons, and I realize that I probably won't have time to push all of them, because god fucking dammit, there are thousands. As I enter the bathroom and look at the shower, I notice a next fuckload of curious looking little buttons that just ask to be pushed. I undress and step in, my eyes scanning all the options I can chose. Regulating water temperature and pressure, soaps and salts of over three hundred scents, massaging sponges, shampoos and oils. I push some of the buttons. It's not like I've became a maniac about these stupid tomatoes, but I am kind of interested in how I will smell after stepping out of the shower after washing myself with tomato scented soap, I reassure myself. And then I realize that I'm talking with myself again, which is damn unhealthy.

As I step out on the mat, heaters come out of nowhere and blow-dry my entire body. I turn to look in the direction they appeared from and notice some more buttons. I push one more and, in an instant, automatic robot hands are untangling my hair and drying them. Everything happens in mere seconds, and no longer than three minutes after finishing showering.

I program the closet for an outfit that I will be comfortable in. I can zoom in and out on all parts of the city as long as I press the button near the window. To get food, I only need to approach a small mic and whisper the name of the dish, for it to appear in a minute right before my eyes, still hot and steamy and very delicious. As a delicious plate of pasta appears, I realize that the lives in the Capitol and in my own District are like heaven and hell. I finish eating and suddenly, there's a knock. Feliks came to pick me up for dinner.

Good.

Antonio, Kiku and Yao are standing out on a balcony that hovers over all these buildings, that stands above the Capitol and yet still is a part of it. I can't help but notice how close Kiku and Yao are standing, their shoulders touching, and I feel a bit envious. Even though neither of them told me, it's as simple as night and day. They are in love with each other. I'm envious, because they have managed to find a precious person, they fell in love with each other mutually, and they can lead a happy life here, because it's the Capitol. Me, I could never afford that, not even if I survive this hell. Falling in love is impossible for me.

All three of them turn around when they see me, and a wide smile appears on tomato bastard's face. He skips towards me, fucking skips!, and stops right before me. His eyes go wide and his eyebrows furrow and I wonder if his brain has finally melted, before he starts sniffing me.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" I yell, taking a few steps back. A grin comes back to his face and he's insane, definitely insane, because no normal person would go around sniffing people.

"Lovi, you smell wonderfully! Like a sweet, ripe tomato that you resemble" my face pinks up ever so slightly. Who the fucking fuck goes around sniffing people and calling them tomatoes?! I send my best glare at that bread bastard and both of our stylists, because they're giggling and that's annoying.

We enter the dining room and I make sure to sit far away from that perverted tomato bastard, because sitting next to him would a torture. I'm glad that our stylists are with us, because I heard that Carlos will be making an appearance and dinner with only him and Feliks would be an absolute torture and disaster. Also, dinners aren't time to be eating. It's the time to make plans and strategies for our survival. And both, Yao and Kiku have already proven how valuable and trustworthy they are.

A silent young man comes in and offers us steamed wine. I'm about to refuse, because I hate all kinds of alcohol, but then I think if there will ever be a chance for me to drink it again. We don't have something like that back home, unless you count some of the alcohol mother uses to disinfect her patients' wounds. I take a sip of the wine and quickly put the glass down. It takes a lot of my effort to keep the drink in my mouth and not spit it out right there. It's disgusting and bitter. Adding a few spoonfuls of honey wouldn't hurt, really. I push the glass far away from me, which earns me a chuckle from Kiku. Bastard.

Carlos shows up just as the dinner is being served. I nearly spit out my soup. His hair is combed and tied in a neat ponytail. He's wearing a suit that looks surprisingly good at him. He looks as if he's had his own stylist, because of his civil appearance. Also, the thing that is probably the most shocking, he is sober, and I realize that it's my first time not seeing him drunk. He accepts the wine, but takes only little sips, and even pushes the glass away when he starts eating the soup. It's also my first time seeing him actually eat something. Maybe he'll actually be able to help us, I think.

Having Yao and Kiku over at dinner was a very good decision. They have a civilizing effect on Carlos and Feliks, because the two of them hasn't thrown even one insult at each other yet. Better, they have actually been addressing each other by their own names and even offering a smile to one another sometimes. And they both have nothing but praise for our stylist for making us look so enchanting during the opening ceremony. As they continue their chit-chat, I focus on my food. The mushroom soup is absolutely delicious, and the noodles with green sauce, cheese and small tomatoes tastes like heaven. Honestly though, do they have some sort of unhealthy addiction to tomatoes in Capitol or something, because so far, practically every meal has been with these fruits. Or are they vegetables?

All of the servants circling around us are young and dressed in similar white shirts, always keeping our plates and glasses full. When they notice that my glass of wine is pushed far away from me, one of them places another one in front of me and pours in some water, which I'm really grateful for. I catch Antonio's eyes on me again. Creepy bastard, thinking how to kill me even now, I think.

I try to focus on the talk, which has turned into a conversation about our interview clothes, when a pretty girl sets a gorgeous cake in front of me. She takes out a lighter from a pocket and simply lights the cake, making it stand in the flames. I watch sweet treat lying on the table with suspicious eyes, when the small fire finally dies out "What makes it burn? Is it alcohol?" I ask, looking up at the girl "I don't really want to eat something with- hey, you look familiar" I say.

I have no idea when or under what circumstances, but I definitely remember her. Silky black hair, tied in a long ponytail, with a fringe partly covering her beautiful dark eyes. Striking features and porcelain white skin. There's no way I could forget a woman as beautiful as that. But even though I utter the words, I can't help but feel anxious around her. Guilty and sadness seem to bloom in the pit of my stomach, and I realize that the girl must have been associated with some negative event in my life. I stare at her and an expression of absolute terror crosses her pale face. She shakes her head and runs out, and it only adds to be concern and uneasiness.

I catch all four adults staring at me with worried eyes. I wonder what's their problem.

"Stop being ridiculous, Lovino! Like, how could you possibly know an Axon such herself?" Feliks snaps, slamming his hands against the table. It's the first time he got so mad at me "Like, how could even think about something like that!"

"What the hell's an Avox?" I ask stupidly, staring at them in confusion. It feels like a negative word, I think.

"Someone who committed a crime. They cut off her tongue to prevent her from speaking. It's a form of punishment. "says Carlos, his eyes not leaving me even for a second. It's a tad creepy "She's probably a traitor. Not likely you know her, eh, brat?"

"And even if you'd, like, know her, you are forbidden from talking to her! You can only give her orders. "Feliks, says, puffing out his cheeks" Which doesn't change the fact that you totally don't know her, like, at all"

But I fucking do know her. And as soon as Carlos mentioned the word 'traitor' I remembered from where. Suddenly, I feel very nauseous and cold, the uneasiness and disapproval so high I could never admit it. It's almost like I'm being drowned, really "No… no, I guess I don't. I just, I…" I stammer, feeling like a fool. Think!, I yell at myself, think about something quickly!"

Antonio snaps his fingers "Toris Laurinaitis, that's who it is! I thought that she looked really familiar as well! And then I realized that she could practically be Toris' twin sister! They look identical" he's grinning, looking straight into my eyes.

Toris is a boy my age. He has big, bright green eyes and brown hair reaching his shoulders, with his fringe a fair amount of space away from the eyes. He's taller and quite lumpy, plus he always looks like he's worrying about something. All in all, he looks about as similar to our servant, as a frog does to a bird. Toris, even though he constantly wears that worrisome expression, smiles just as often. He even smiles when he sees me, which is rare, because most of the people at school either hate me or are afraid of me. Or both. And the Avox girl, I've never seen her smiling, not even once. But I jump on tomato bastard's suggestion gratefully "Of course, that's who I've been thinking of, too! She's really similar, huh? It must be the hair" I say.

"Mm, something about the eyes too. They sparkle like little coal pearls!" what the fuck is a coal pearl, tomato bastard?

The atmosphere at the table relaxes instantly. Damned Antonio, adding stuff to my debt to him. When the hell am I suppose to say 'thanks' for all these things? While I'm stabbing him with a spear or something just as awful? Fucking peachy.

"Ah, If that's all then alright" Kiku says, offering me a little smile. "And yes, Lovino-kun, the cake has spirits. Or more like had, really. They have all burnt down when the cake was set on fire. I ordered it especially to celebrate your fiery debut out there, Antonio-san, Lovino-kun"

We eat the cake and move into the sitting room. They are broadcasting the reply of the opening ceremonies. A few other couples from other districts make quite an impression, but none of them can beat us. Not even a couple from District Two, which has the prettiest female of this year's Games. But still, they have nothing on us. Even our own party let's out an enthusiastic 'Aah!' when they show us leaving the Remake Center.

"The hand holding. Whose idea was that?" Carlos turns to us.

"Kiku's" Yao says with a proud smile, squeezing my stylist's hand. Kiku's cheeks turn red, which is very amusing. And he was making fun of me for blushing easily, while he's the one, who reacts like that to a mere hand squeeze. Interesting.

"Great job, brat. Just a perfect touch of rebellion" Carlos grins, patting Kiku's shoulder. I guess the 'pat' must have been very strong, because my stylist winces. "Very nice"

I think about what he has said just now. Rebellion? It takes me some time to realize what exactly that drunkard meant. We were the only couple, that was holding hands. Other tributes stood stiffly in the same carriage, as far apart from each other as possible. Pretending that their partners did not exist, that's how it looked. Like the games had already begun and they had already became enemies. That's what Carlos meant by us holding hands as a sign of rebellion. We looked like the best of friends, ready to help each other anytime. An illusion that we'll group together in the Games. Disguising us as friends distinguished us as much as the fiery costumes.

"Tomorrow morning is your first training session, spunky brat and happy idiot!" I twitch at the nickname, but keep my mouth shut "Yer gonna meet me for breakfast tomorrow and I'll tell you exactly how I want to play it. Got it?" Antonio and I nod. I have to hold back my snicker, because tomato bastard is pouting after being called a 'happy idiot' "Good. Now scram and get some sleep, because the grown-ups have to talk!" Kiku waves at me and I nod back. He's a weird guy, that sneaky bastard.

Antonio and I walk together down the corridor to our rooms. We keep quiet, neither of us bothering to start a conversation. It's rare, because whenever I'd see tomato bastard at school, his mouth would be working at the speed of light. Even during that short time when we've been together, he'd usually keep talking to me. When we get to my room, he leans against my door frame, successfully blocking me from entering and drawing all my attention to him. Fucking attention whore. "So, Toris Laurinaitis, eh? Who would have thought someone that could practically be his twin sister would be here. Right?" He's asking for an explanation, and I'm really tempted to tell him. Since he covered for me and I'm indebted to him, I guess he deserves as much. But it does not change the fact that he's a tomato bastard that has already planned my death carefully in his sick head. But how could telling him a story hurt me anyway? Even if he ended up repeating it to someone, it wouldn't do me any harm. Plus he's lied just as much as me about her resembling Toris. Plus I really want to talk to someone about the girl, I realize. Someone, who would help me figure out what happened to her after that incident.

If I had to pick one person, it would obviously be Gilbert. We've shared so many secrets and worries already, he's a person I trust the most. A person I know would never betray me, because he's too fucking dumb and loyal to do this kind of thing. But I doubt I'll ever see Gil again. I try to think of a way me telling tomato bastard about the Avox girl could give him an advantage over me in the games, but I can't see any. Maybe if I tell him about her, he'll believe that I see him as a friend and let his guard down.

Besides, the image of the girl, whose tongue was cut off, reminded me exactly what I'm doing here and what my place is. I didn't come here to present flashy costumes, play fakes with the audience and eat delicious food. I came here to die a bloody death, while the crowd cheers on my killer. I came here to be a killer as well. To leave a trail of blood on a path, to make more tributes come near me so that I could kill them mercilessly. I'm not here for fun.

Should I tell him? Should I not? I hesitate, looking at the dark corridor, as if all the answers to my questions were lying there. He picks up my hesitation.

"Hey, Lovi, have you been to the roof yet?" I shake my head, looking at him suspiciously "Kiku showed it to me earlier. The view there is really amazing! You can practically see the whole city, you know. Ah, but the wind is a bit loud though"

I easily translate it into 'No one will hear us' in my head. It certainly feels like we could be under constant surveillance over there.

"Can we really go out there?"

"Of course! Come on, Lovi!" he takes my hand and starts pulling me behind. He lets go only when we reach the stairs to the roof, and I yell at my brain to shut up, because it was complaining about my hand getting cold. Fucking brain.

We step into a cold and strong wind. It is really nice, I notice briefly, before the sight makes my eyes go wide. It's beautiful. The Capitol twinkles like hundreds of little fireflies. Unlike District Twelve, they have a constant steam of light. Back at home, electricity would come and go, never staying for long periods of time. We got used to not having it. When my mother wanted to read books in the evening, we'd light up a candle. It would be our only source of light. Honestly, the only time when you can count on having electricity twenty four hours a day is when the Games are airing, or when an important message from Government is being played in TV, and whose are always mandatory. But there would be no shortage. Not here, not in the Capitol. Not ever.

Antonio and I walk to a railing at the end of the roof. I look straight down, observing the sparkling dots on the ground, people hurrying and talking with each other, cars rushing by, leaving after them only a strange metallic sound. They're so loud and so lively. Back home, everyone would be already thinking of going to sleep.

"I asked Kiku why they let us come here. If they weren't afraid that the tributes would see their savior in death and just jump down right here" says Antonio.

"And? What did that fucked up bastard answer?" tomato bastard laughs at my insult and turns to face me, his eyes sparkling in the night light.

"You can't" he holds out his hand into a seemingly empty place. It comes right back with a weird buzz. My eyes widen. I know that sound "There's an electric field. If you jump down, it will throw you right back"

"Always worried about out safety, huh?" I say sarcastically. Even though Kiku has shown this place to tomato bastard, I wonder if we really can be up here, and so late to the boot. I've never seen districts on the roof before, and I've lived through quite some of them already. But that doesn't mean that we're not being taped. Those Capitol bastards probably have these fucking cameras everywhere, sometimes just to humiliate a tribute, but mostly to keep an eye on us. "Do you think they're watching us right now?"

"Maybe they do" Antonio admits "But there's no use for us worrying about it, right? Come on, I'll show you a garden. It's very pretty" he's basically Gilbert kind of an idiot.

On the other side of the dome, they've built a garden full of colorful flower beds and potted trees. It is quite a sight to see, I have to admit. It looks very beautiful. From the hundreds of branches hang thousands of wind chimes. This pretty much explains the tingling I've heard before. It's easy to drown out two people who try not to be heard over here, with the strong, hissing wind and tingling chimes. Tomato bastards look at me expectantly and I sigh. There's no way I could postpone this story to later, I think to myself. I turn my eyes to the flowers and pretend to watch them, when I start telling him everything "We were hunting in the woods one day. We hid in the bushes and waited for a game to appear, be it a deer or a rabbit or anything else that is eatable" I whisper, part of me desperately hoping that he won't hear. For a moment I think he doesn't, because he moves closer to me, our shoulders touching. A shiver runs down my spine and I damn well hope that it's from the cold. But then he crushes my hopes.

"You and your father?" he whispers back

"No. Me and Gil. I mean Gilbert. Suddenly, all the birds stop singing at once except for one, as if it was warning us against the upcoming danger. And then we saw her. She was holding hands with a boy that was probably her brother. I'm sure it was her, I could never forget her. Both of them had dark circles under their eyes. It was obvious they lacked sleep. Their clothes were tattered and dirty. I didn't take us, me and Gil, a long time to figure out that they were running away from something. And that they were running as fast as if their lives depended on it, even though they were so exhausted" I say and take a deep breath.

For a moment I'm silent as I recall the events of that day. How the sight of the strange pair, a boy and a girl, who were clearly not from District Twelve, a pair of young people fleeing through the woods, had immobilized Gil and I. Later, after everything was finished and we had no chance of turning time, we were wondering if we could have helped them escape. Perhaps we might have. Most likely we could have. If we moved quickly, we'd probably had saved them. Gil and I were taken by surprise, yes, but we're hunters, both of us. We know how animals look at bay, when they're running away from their predators. We knew the pair was in big trouble as soon as we've seen them. But we did nothing. We just observed, like two assholes that we are.

"The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere" I continue, lowering my voice even more. Antonio leans in to hear me better. Usually I'd feel really self-conscious and defensive about this situation, because our cheeks were practically touching. But this time, I couldn't concentrate on that. I could only think of that one day such a long time ago "I mean... one moment the sky was empty, not even a tiny cloud was there, and the next it just appeared there out of nowhere. It didn't make a sound, but they saw it. They saw it" I repeat a little bit louder, before lowering my voice again "Suddenly, the net dropped on the girl from the hovercraft and carried her up, fast. As fast like the elevator in this damned prison. The boy… they shot some kind of a spear through him. It was attached to a cable and they pulled him up as well, but I'm sure he was dead. He must have been, with his eyes so lifeless. We heard the girl scream once. His name, I think. It was a painful scream. Then it was gone. The hovercraft. Vanished into thin air. The birds started to sing again. It was almost as if nothing had happened. Everything returned to normal" I say bitterly, glaring at the stars above us.

"Did they see you?" Antonio's voice is quiet and full of concern, his hot breath tickling my cheek. He's worried, I think, but the thought is so stupid I cast it away quickly. There's no way he would be truly worried about me.

"I have no idea. We were under a shelf of rocks. So they probably haven't" I reply.

It's a lie though. I know that they have seen us. There was a moment, after the birdcall, but before the hovercraft's appearance, where the girl had seen us. Our eyes, mine and her, had locked. She called out to us, begging to help her and her fiancé. Her voice was desperate. But neither I nor Gilbert responded to her. We just sat there and watched as the tragedy happened right before our eyes.

"You're shivering" Antonio says, touching my cheek. I freeze at the action. I'm confused, really. What will he achieve by touching my cheek? Transfer all his body warmth to me? But I have to admit that his hand does bring a certain warmth to the left side of my face.

The wind and the story had both blown away all the warmth from me. The girl's scream, has it been her last?

Antonio takes off his jacket and tries to wrap it around my shoulders. I step back, because no, fuck you, that would be girly you stupid tomato bastard, but his kind smile makes me stop and think again. A friend would probably accept that. Both, his jacket and the kindness. He approaches me and places the jacket around me.

"Were they from here?" he asks, as he secures a button around my neck. I wonder for a moment why he likes being close to me so much, but it's too bothersome to try and understand him.

I nod as the answer for his question. Both of them had that Capitol look about them.

"Then, where do you think they were going?" he asks.

"I don't know" I answer honestly. And really, I don't. District Twelve is pretty much the end of the line. After us there is only the wildness and the ruins from District Thirteen, which are still smoldering from the toxic bombs. They sometimes show it to us in the TV, just as a friendly reminder of what happened to the rebels and their previous home. "Or why they would run away from here, I don't know that either" Carlos has called the Avoxes traitors. But traitors against what? The Capitol? Must have been. There isn't anything else they could be traitors towards. But why would they want to go against their homeland, the Capitol? Why would they try to run away to nowhere, if they had everything in here? They had no reason to rebel, really.

"I would leave here" tomato bastard blurts out. Then he looks around nervously, because his voice managed to make that once sentence loud enough to make it hearable even through the strong wind and the chimes. Suddenly, he starts to laugh "I'd go home right now if they let me, and continue to bake bread back in District Twelve. But you have to admit, Lovi, the food here is genial"

He's covered again. If that was all you'd have heard, it would sound like the words of a scared tribute. Nothing more, nothing less. No one would even dare to suspect that he was just telling me how he'd leave the Capitol. He's dangerous, I decide. Very dangerous. He might look dumb and act like an idiot at times, but he's smart, which makes him a terrible opponent. He'll be the pray that will be thinking and trying to hunt me down before I can kill him. If I'm not careful, I might be the one he kills first, not the other way around.

"It's getting chilly. Plus it's quite late. Let's go back inside, Lovi" he says. Inside the dome it's very warm and bright. We're walking slowly. "So, your friend Gilbert. Is he the one that took your sister away during the reaping?" his tone is conversational, but there's also an emotion in it I can't quite find a right word to describe. It's an unpleasant one though, and strangely, it seems to be stronger whenever that damned albino bastard's name is mentioned.

"Yeah. Do you know him?" I ask. It wouldn't be a surprise if tomato bastard actually did know Gilbert. It wouldn't be especially surprising if Gilbert had done something stupid to him, and thus the unpleasant emotion in tomato bastard's voice.

"No, not really. But I hear the girls talking about him a lot. My sister had a crush on him, I think. I thought he was your cousin though. He's together with you a lot, after all. You also seem very comfortable around each other" he says and I must admit, I am quite shocked. Do we really look that comfortable with each other? No wonder the girls shot me dirty looks, they probably thought I was gay for that stupid, annoying, albino bastard and vice versa.

"No, we're not related" I reply.

Antonio nods, his face unreadable, but there's something off about him. "Did he come to say goodbye to you?" how the fuck is it any of his business?

"Yeah, and?" I say, observing him carefully "Your father did, too. He brought me cookies"

He raises his eyebrows as if the thing I told him just now was something he's heard for the first time. But after seeing him lie so smoothly so many times, it doesn't bother me much. "Really? Well, he likes you and your little brother a lot. He sometimes joked that he wished we would express our love towards him and mother just like you and your hermanito" The idea that I and Feli have been discussed, around the table at the bakery, near the fire, with the whole family gathered, gives me a start. The conversation must have happened when Antonio's mother was not around.

"He knew your mother when they were kids" Antonio continues.

It's another surprise. I've never heard about it, but it's probably the truth. My mother was, how she liked to say in the past 'Merchant by blood, but your father's by choice'. "Yeah. She grew up in town" I say. Honestly, she's never said anything about tomato bastard's father other than complimenting his bread, but somehow saying that seems too impolite.

When we reach my door, I give him back the jacket. "See you in the morning then, bastard"

"Buenas noches, Lovi" he says, and walks off down the hall.

When I open the door, the black-haired girl is collecting the clothes and boots from where I left them on the floor before taking a shower. I want to apologize for possibly getting her in trouble earlier, because of the silly words I have uttered by mistake, but then I remember that I'm not suppose to talk with her, unless I'm giving her orders.

"Sorry. I was supposed to take these back to Kiku" I say "Could you please take them to him? I'm sorry for the trouble" I feel weird apologizing like that, but she's a woman that deserves all of my apologies and respect.

She doesn't look at me, looking anywhere but at me, and gives me a curt nod, before heading out the door.

I wanted to tell her, that I was sorry about the situation during dinner. But I know that my apology would be so much deeper. That I'd be trying to apologize for not helping her that day. I never tried to help her. I just watched as it happened. I just let it happen. And I didn't even feel especially emotional after the whole incident. Just like when I watched the games, she was just another person killed by the Capitol.

I kick of my shoes and climb under the covers in my clothes. The shivering didn't stop. It only got fucking worse and I know the reason why. Maybe she doesn't remember me, my mind tries to help me. But I know she does. There's no way she would forget the face of someone, that was her last hope. Someone, who was her last hope and yet didn't help her, but watched with cold eyes as everything happened. I pull the covers up over my head, trying to hide from her cold, black eyes, staring at me accusingly. The girl with black hair that is unable to speak. I can feel her stare pierce through the walls, through the doors and through the bedding. I feel like a fool, because I know there's no way she could possibly do something like that, but I can still feel her eyes on me.

I wonder if she'll enjoy watching me die. Because I sure as hell would.

~Information~

Skarbie – pl. 'dear'

Hermanito – sp. 'little brother'

Buenas noches – sp. 'Goodnight'

Thao Loan Nguyen [Vietnam] as Avox Girl, Lavinia

Kasem Angsakul [Thailand] as Avox Girl's brother/fiancé

Toris Laurinaitis [Lithuania] as Delly Cartwright

A/N: I'm sorry for not posting anything last week ;A; . I have mentioned the reason in another fic, but I'll repeat it here. My computer crushed, and just as I was about to finish the chapter, too! I was so mad! *sniff*. I got it back from repair this Thursday. I missed my baby very much. I hate parting with her the most. Her name is Tochi by the way. Isn't that cute :D? Yeah… yeah, okay, okay. I will speak no more about my silliness. If it seems like Japan and China are officially a couple here, I'm not even sorry. They. Are. So. Fucking. Cute. But anyway, no need to worry for anyone who doesn't ship them, there won't be much of them in couple-ish like situations. So about the chapter, that's about it. Thanks for reading and supporting me. You're all wonderful!

So now about completely irrelevant stuff that I'll write down here anyway, because I can. I have so many couples I want to write, guys. And I can't write any because I have stuff coming up this week. Like, this Monday I have a contest from English, and this Friday I have a contest from Polish! And as if that wasn't enough, the next Wednesday is a contest from history. All these dates! (So wish me luck, please, 'cause I'm all stressed =x="). Anyway, I want to write so many stories. Romances and friendships and tragedies, but I have to study! What an awful feeling, honestly! And because I'm having a mental breakdown and I'll probably end up writing one pairing anyway, please, be nice and just chose one of the following characters, okay? I would be grateful. France, England, Prussia. That is all. And no, only one of these is actually a Romano pairing story.

Wow, what a long rant. Sorry and here's a cookie for anyone who's read all of that. Thank you for being so lovely *hugs*. Take care and see you next week~.