Pantheon Lexicus, 18

District Two Male, he/him

His producers were really on one today.

That wasn't fair of Theo to say. That implied that his producers sometimes weren't on one. And, judging by the way most of his life played out, he figured they were always on the lookout for drama to shake things up. Whatever they did, it always worked, and the life of Pantheon Lexicus was going to contain the best storyline anyone had ever seen.

Oh well, he supposed. As long as it was good television, he didn't mind.

(Hopefully his fans would like it.)

All that to say: it was another one of those days. The kind where nothing seemed to go his way. Even though Theo had spent his morning giving himself reassurances in the bathroom mirror, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something would go wrong.

He hoped he wasn't right. But, of course, his producers would never pass up the chance to cause some drama. Things at Spectre had been a little too quiet lately, especially following the rather "unfortunate" death of Celeste Deverra. "Unfortunate" because, well, Theo couldn't exactly wrap his mind around how she was dead.

See, it was like this: Celeste Deverra had been found dead after overdosing on morphling. On paper, it sounded plausible. More than plausible, really. She'd been found dead with morphling in her system. But after a year of training together, Theo knew Celeste wasn't the kind of person to do that. She'd never taken any kind of drugs in her life - keeping a clean record was crucial at a place like Spectre. One slip-up and you could be cast out permanently, your record tainted forever. That's why Theo himself always took great caution with what he put into his body - he couldn't risk getting sabotaged by anyone.

But beyond that, what really made Theo curious was who Celeste had been replaced by: her twin sibling, Nova. That's where Theo got a little suspicious. Nova looked exactly like Celeste, except their hair was much shorter. In his mind, there was only one thing that could mean:

The whole arc about in-group fighting was getting distracting, so his producers did away with Celeste and just brought her actress back to play a new character.

It made perfect sense, really. Icara and Celeste had been butting heads since day one, and it was really starting to get on Theo's nerves. He was all for drama, but when it wasn't centered around him? Well, he had to draw the line somewhere. So did his producers, evidently. He'd say it was a shame Celeste was gone, but he liked Nova better anyway. Even if they kept acting like they didn't remember things Theo was sure he'd told Celeste before. Maybe it was a character consistency thing.

A knock at the door made Theo frown. Sure, he was up, but it was still early in the morning and he had no idea why anyone else would be. He blinked in surprise for a few moments too long before he finally remembered his place. It wasn't as if he could not answer the door. Whatever this was, it was probably something that would finally move the plot along.

When he finally opened the door, he was surprised to see Icara, one of his training partners, looking just as perplexed as he was. If he had to guess, she was some level of drunk (or hungover), and based on the way she was squinting at the number on his door, he wasn't sure that his room was the one she'd meant to visit. His producers had probably nudged her this way, trying to get some drama started early in the morning.

"Icara?" he tried when she continued staring at his door instead of looking at him. "Are you… okay?"

He didn't really want to ask Icara how she was doing. For one, Theo didn't exactly care. Icara made him nervous, and not in the fun kind of way. And for another, wasn't this supposed to be her job? Maybe the actress playing Icara needed a bit more instruction so she could better serve Theo's plot.

"Right," she said, more upbeat than Theo had ever seen. "You'll do, I guess."

Theo felt more than mildly offended by that, but he let her brush past him and enter his room anyway. While her back was turned to him, Theo shot a glare in the direction of what he thought was a camera. Stupid producers.

By the time he turned around, Icara had flopped down on his bed, making herself comfortable. Theo frowned - he'd have to wash his sheets later - but eventually sat down next to her. She was clearly out of it - he still hadn't decided if she was drunk or hungover - and her spirits were high, which naturally made him nervous. No one in his training group was the kind of person Theo wanted to mess with, but Icara was something else entirely.

"So?" he prompted again. "What did you come to tell me?"

She pursed her lips, giving him a once-over. "You're good at keeping secrets, right?"

"I'm the best at whatever I put my mind to," Theo boasted.

"Hm. But what if I don't want to tell you?"

Ugh, now she was going to try and make him work for it. Theo didn't really want to do that, but he also knew that his producers had sent her up here for a reason; if he didn't get this secret out of her, then he'd probably come to regret it.

(Briefly, he thought back to just a few minutes ago when he was so sure that something bad would happen today. He hoped this wasn't it.)

"If you didn't want to tell me, you would've left by now," he pointed out.

"Clever," she muttered, eyes brightening as if she was getting more lucid. "You've learned a few of my tricks, haven't you?"

By this point, Theo was pretty sure that she was talking to herself more than him, and it was starting to get on his nerves. Besides, he didn't particularly like the way she phrased that. It was as if she thought he was learning from her somehow. Theo himself should be the blueprint for everyone else, right?

This was his world. They were just living in it.

"I guess," he finally conceded, knowing that flattery was sure to loosen her lips. "What did you have to say?"

Her eyes glittered, and she leaned in close. Theo forced himself to stay still, watching her giggle a few times before whispering, "I killed Celeste."

Theo's blood ran cold at the honest admission and the lack of remorse in her voice. "You… what?"

"Well, I didn't mean to kill her," Icara insisted, giggling all the while. "Just… maybe permanently disable her or something. I wasn't positive what the outcome would be. But things still turned out well, don't you think?"

By this point, Theo was wondering how he'd gotten in this situation. He could even imagine now how this would be framed to all the viewers back home. Perhaps they would freeze on his face, explaining the situation to the audience again. Icara had just confessed to murder, and now Theo was the only one that knew the truth. His options were easy, though each one could have dire consequences. Should he keep her secret? Should he tell one of the trainers? Should he try to confront her right here?

Theo was hardly able to give the situation the proper amount of thought before Icara nudged him. "You're quiet," she complained, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't think too much, Theo. It all worked out. Now I don't have to worry about Celeste in the Fortuna Equestris. That could be considered a win for you as well!"

Rude of her to interrupt his moment alone with this thoughts. Theo really hoped that the producers were taking notes and would replace Icara next.

"How would that be a win for me?"

"Because obviously someone that got taken down that easily was too weak to be in our training group in the first place! I did all of us a favor by strengthening the team."

He supposed that almost made sense. Well, no, not really. Murder was the kind of thing Theo hadn't managed to wrap his head around during his time training in Two. He thought they were supposed to be more honorable than that.

Maybe Icara was far more dangerous than he'd ever thought.

Luckily, he didn't have to think too hard about what to do next. Icara didn't notice he left, anyway; she'd passed out soon after her admission, blonde hair piled around her head like some kind of halo. Only Theo knew the truth.

And he was the only one that could make sure everyone else did, too.

He ran to find a trainer, feet skidding in the hallways. A few fellow trainees had to jump out of the way, and several of them gave him strange looks. Theo didn't pay them any mind. He'd been given this mission from his producers, and he would follow through with it. The grand mystery of what happened to Celeste Deverra had been solved, and it would all be thanks to him.

Or, at least, that's how things had played out in Theo's mind. He should've known that things didn't always work out the way he wanted them to.

That would be too easy.

"And you're sure nothing is in there?" Theo asked again, wringing his hands. "You're sure?"

"Kid, there's nothing here that looks anything like what you're saying," the trainer said, running a tired hand through his hair. "I know you're torn up about Celeste, but-"

"But she told me herself!"

"-but, that's no reason for you to try and accuse Icara of murder. That's some serious shit. That's the kind of thing that could get her expelled, and you're lucky this didn't turn back on you."

"I could've gotten expelled?"

By this point, Theo had caused a bit of a scene. Several trainees were walking by, their eyes wandering and curiosity clear on their faces. Theo quietly shrank into himself, feeling strangely humbled by the whole situation. Maybe his producers had set this up as a way to serve his character development. Maybe he just needed a new arc going forward. Maybe this was supposed to be good for him.

(The more he tried to justify what was happening, the more those justifications rang hollow in his head. He couldn't wrap his mind around it, not really. Why was he on the verge of getting in trouble when he hadn't done anything wrong in the first place?)

Beside him, Icara sniffled delicately. "I'm so sorry. I really have no idea where he could've gotten this idea from."

The trainer - some extra whose name Theo hadn't bothered to learn - gave him a stern look. "Now, kid, you know the rules here. Two is about honor. If you make any accusations like this again, we'll have to take more severe action."

"Right," Theo said, clasping his hands in front of him. "I'm, um, really sorry about this whole mess."

"Don't apologize to me," the trainer said. "All you did was waste my morning. Think about Icara, whose life you almost ruined."

And as Theo glanced back at Icara, the tears on her face shining in the light, he wondered if he really had gotten everything wrong. Maybe he just made up the whole conversation. Theo himself had always had an active imagination according to his father, so this wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.

(But how could Theo conjure up an entire conversation like that? It was too ridiculous to even consider. He'd never manage to delude himself into thinking he heard a murder confession. It just… didn't make sense.)

The trainer headed off, seemingly done with their situation. Theo caught the gaze of a few more trainees, ducking their heads to whisper to each other about what was going on. This news would likely spread to the whole academy before lunch, and the rest of his training group would know about it too. Would Nova be able to appreciate that Theo'd thought he'd been getting to the bottom of their sister's death? Would Cyrus finally believe that Icara was up to something? Or would they all just think he was crazy too?

(Theo was not crazy. He was a little eccentric, maybe, and sometimes people didn't like that, but this was all stuff his producers conjured up. They chose him for a reason. Theo was supposed to win the Games and go on to bring glory and honor to the District and it would be because they chose him. Everything that happened in his life was for a purpose.)

(Right?)

"I'm sorry, Icara," he muttered, wondering where it had all gone wrong. "I just-"

"You just what?" Icara snapped, her tears drying up immediately. "I'd love to hear your explanation for this one, Pantheon. But frankly, I don't particularly care. So instead, let me say this."

She took a step closer to him, and even though Theo was already taller than the vast majority of kids in Spectre, he suddenly felt… small. His back hit the wall as Icara jabbed a finger into his chest harshly enough to leave a bruise.

"Don't fuck with me, Pantheon, or I swear to god I'll make you regret being born. If you thought what happened to Celeste was bad, then you have no idea what kind of hell I can turn your life into. I'll pay you back for this, just you wait."

Well that's not how Theo expected this to turn out.

"You'll-"

"You almost ruined everything. Watch your back, Theo. No one fucks with Icara August."

And then she was gone, the door to her room slamming behind her. Theo found himself frozen in place for several moments, trying to catch up to what was happening. He couldn't figure out where everything had gone wrong, but his mind was already coming up with justifications for why this had happened.

In the end, his life was only entertainment for whoever was watching it play out. Theo himself was something real and tangible, while everyone else was just an actor. He needed an enemy in the academy, and now he had one. This was supposed to be good for him.

(But if it was supposed to be good for him, then why did Theo hate how out of control he was?)

Thessaly Akaste, 18

District Four Female, she/her

"Again."

Thessaly panted from where she was on the ground, trying to convince her limbs to move so she could get back up. The trainer, Isla, just watched her with a cocked brow, waiting to see what she'd do. As the youngest one in this training group by two full years, Thessaly had the most to prove. And if she ever tried to give up, then all the other kids would just think she was the weak little ten year old that was too young for training.

That would not do. If they all thought she was weak, then Thessaly would hardly stand a chance at making any friends here!

So she staggered to her feet, brushing strands of hair out of her face. The kid across from her was getting back into his starting position, fists raised to go again. Thessaly mirrored his positioning, trying to mentally take notes on what the older boy was doing. This whole training thing wasn't exactly her favorite, but she liked the social aspect of it, and her parents were really looking forward to seeing how she did. It would be nice to make them proud - after all, they had chosen Thessaly from the Lighthouse Orphanage. She had to prove to them that they'd made no mistake by picking her.

This time, when the boy - she was pretty sure his name was Mako - moved, she struck first, using her speed and agility to jab at his abdomen. He stepped back easily, as if he'd seen her moves coming a mile away, and managed to grab her wrist. Within seconds, her back hit the floor, and Thessaly was left staring at the ceiling again.

Huh. She really thought that would work this time.

"Very good, Mako," Isla said, and Thessaly grinned when she realized she'd been right. "And Thessaly, we'll get someone from the older group to show you some moves later. Speed isn't enough if it's all you have."

"Okay!" Thessaly popped up off the ground with a bright grin that never faltered, her hands twitching at her sides. Then, when the trainer continued to look at her expectantly, she gave him a mock salute that left the rest of her training group giggling.

"We'll move on for now," Isla said, not willing to indulge her today. "Can I get Vi and Cass up here next?"

The two girls got up off the floor from where they were seated next to each other, shaking hands before stepping into the ring. Thessaly didn't bother watching, instead darting around the small clusters of trainees in search of- aha! She plopped down next to a boy named Adrian that immediately looked put out as soon as she showed up. No matter. Thessaly would break him down one way or another.

They would all be her friends by the time she was done with them.

"It's been so long since I've seen you!" Thessaly hissed, trying to keep her voice down. "I was starting to think you were avoiding me!"

For whatever reason, that made Adrian rub his temples. "Of course not. I was just… uh… busy?"

"Busy doing what?"

He squinted at the floor. "I was busy… well, some of the older kids have been showcasing their abilities, so I went to go check that out. With the reapings right around the corner, it's about time for evaluations, so…"

"That's cool!" Thessaly said just a touch too loud before quickly lowering her volume. "I mean, uh, that's neat! Are you hoping to do something like that someday? You're really good, you know."

He shrugged, his cheeks turning a light, bashful red. "The volunteering part or the showcasing part?"

"Either."

"I mean, most of us are here because we wanna volunteer, right? But… the showcasing thing might be neat. I dunno, I haven't given it much thought. All of them were really good, though, and I think any one of them could win this year's Games."

Thessaly nodded along, even though she'd kind of lost him by now. The Games weren't quite on the forefront of her mind like they were for everyone else, but she was more than willing to just let him talk. He'd finally stopped looking like talking to her physically brought him pain, so that was one step closer to being his friend. Thessaly had used a similar tactic on Vi and Cass, and it was highly effective. She'd even managed to make the two of them be friends, even though they hadn't particularly liked each other before.

"Adrian? Thessaly? Do you have any notes about this fight?"

Isla regarded them with a stern gaze, and Thessaly noticed Adrian withering beside her. She tilted her head to the side, trying to remember anything that could be helpful.

"Vi hits harder the more the fight goes on, because she'll often get frustrated. Cass is a good match for her because she's good at dodging hits, but she's not as good at returning them when she does get hit. They're the most likely duo to end up in some kind of stalemate that takes ages."

Isla nodded thoughtfully. "Good analysis, Thessaly. But next time, try paying a little more attention. These fights aren't just for the benefit of those involved in them."

"Yes, ma'am!" Thessaly cheered, and Adrian echoed it more quietly.

The trainer squinted at them one more time before turning back to her notes and calling for the pair to go again. Thessaly quietly wiggled where she sat, glancing over at Adrian as if waiting for something. He was frowning to himself, but when he noticed her attention on him, he sat up a little straighter.

"Thanks," he muttered. "I guess I should pay attention now, though."

"Oh, I wasn't really paying attention in the first place. I just remember this from the last time they fought and I hoped it still held true. I couldn't let my good friend get in trouble, could I?"

He didn't get too hung up on the phrase "good friend," much to Thessaly's delight. If he didn't protest, then that meant she was one step closer to actually gaining his friendship, which was a success in her book. She tried not to let her excitement show on her face too much.

"You're a strange one, Thessaly," Adrian finally said, "but you're interesting, I'll give you that."

"I hope interesting in a good way."

"I suppose so. You could come eat lunch with me and my friends sometime if you want."

"Can I?"

"If it'll help keep you from distracting me during training."

"I can be very non-distracting."

"You're still talking."

"Sorry!"

But she wasn't, not really. Thessaly could only grin to herself and know that she was one step closer to getting what she really wanted. This whole training thing was her parents' idea; all she ever wanted to do was make whole training thing was the result of her parents wanting her to do this, but Thessaly just wanted to make friends. Everyone here may have been older and better than her, but she'd show them all that she shouldn't be passed over. And now that she'd successfully broken down three of them, she had nowhere to go but up!

Thessaly Akaste would take the training center by storm, and there was nothing that could stop her.

Thessaly leapt into the air as high as she could go, her fingers brushing against the wings of a seagull before she crashed back into the sand. Instead of taking that as a sign to just give up, she swept her hair out of her face and made her way back to her feet, glancing over at her sister with a wide grin.

"Come on, Thess! Aren't you gonna let those poor birds go?" Euna asked from where she rested in the sand, far enough away that Thessaly wouldn't accidentally land on her.

"No way!"

"Why not?"

"It's more fun this way!"

Thessaly set her eyes on another one, grabbing her towel off the ground. Sand rained down around her feet, coating her legs even more. She prowled closer, holding up the towel as if she was about to use it as a net, before launching herself at the bird. It squawked loudly, managing to spot her coming - drat those birds - and furiously taking off. She face planted on the ground this time, spitting out a mouthful of sand.

"I told you to be more careful!" Euna chided, carefully getting to her feet on unsteady legs. Thessaly watched her cautiously, ready to jump in if need be, but she knew Euna could handle herself. She was the strongest person Thessaly knew, after all.

"I was careful! That's what the towel was for."

"What was the towel supposed to do?"

"Protect me from getting scratched, obviously."

Euna deflated at that for reasons Thessaly couldn't pinpoint. "I… guess?"

Thessaly only grinned. "See? I've got it all figured out. Now all I need to do is actually catch one. You could help if you want."

"I'm having more than enough fun watching you."

"Aw, but you always just watch! I promise it'll be fun!"

Euna frowned. "I always just watch?"

"Like with training and stuff! I was so sure that you'd join me, and then I'd have another friend there, but you didn't!"

"I'm not sure how well I could've done in training," Euna said carefully, gesturing down at the braces on her legs. She raised a hand before Thessaly could argue. "You don't need to try and tell me otherwise. I'm beyond capable of many things, but training would've been different."

"That's fine!" Thessaly insisted. "I promise! It's a lot of fun, and a lot of kids just do half days or something! It's not like in One or Two."

"Mom and Dad didn't want me to train," Euna bitterly spat.

That gave Thessaly some pause. She blinked and took a step closer to Euna, trying to figure out what to say. "But… why not? They wanted me to train, and-"

"Because you actually stand a chance at winning."

"When you say that, that makes it sound like you don't."

"You're not understanding me!"

Thessaly stomped her foot in the sand. "I don't understand what there is to understand! If you would just let me show you-"

She grabbed Euna's hand, ready to whisk her away to… well, Thessaly didn't know. But she hated fighting, especially when it was her and Euna, and she didn't know what else to do.

"Thessaly, no," Euna insisted, rooting herself firmly in place.

She frowned at the use of her full name. "What's wrong? I don't understand what-"

"Don't you get it, Thess?" Euna frowned at her, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't enter the Games. You can. I can't win the Games. You can. And because I can't do those things, they replaced me with you."

Thessaly froze, staring at her younger sister with wide eyes. She'd never had a family until the Akastes took her in, until they showed her what it meant to be loved, but to be a replacement for their own daughter…?

"But… but that's not fair! I never wanted to replace you," Thessaly insisted. "And besides, it doesn't matter that you can't train! You're smart, you're clever, and you can show them just how successful you can be-"

"It's not the kind of success they want."

Tearing her gaze away, Thessaly frowned at the sand, kicking at it quietly. She'd always known that there were differences between how her and Euna were raised, but this just… god, it didn't seem right.

All the little pieces were starting to add up. Thessaly had been kept on a rigid healthy diet her whole life, and Euna hadn't. Thessaly had been put into a variety of sports to stay active, and Euna hadn't. Thessaly had been pushed into training, and Euna hadn't. Her whole life - or, at least, the part of her life she'd spent with the Akaste family - she'd been used for her adoptive parents' success.

And Thessaly didn't know what to do with that information.

In front of her, Euna broke down into sobs. Thessaly was still frozen in place, and she briefly wondered what they looked like right now as the world continued to move around them. She was in the eye of the storm, and sooner or later, she'd have to fight her way out again.

"I'm sorry," Euna cried, wiping her face of tears. "They never wanted me to tell you about it."

"No, no, don't be sorry," Thessaly whispered, surging forward to hug her sister. Blood or not, Euna was her sister, and that meant everything to her. "I'm… I'm glad you told me."

And she was, though her heart had fully shattered now. The parents that had taken her in, that had claimed to love her as their own, were choosing her over their own daughter because Thessaly could win the Games for them. They'd treated their daughters unequally throughout their whole childhoods - the kind where they'd both get presents, but only Thessaly would get a party.

But Thessaly would love her sister with just as much ferocity as her parents had indifference. She'd make up for everything that they refused to give Euna.

Ever so slowly, a new plan began to form in Thessaly's mind. She'd always been aware that she had been going through training for her parents - it was pretty obvious considering how hard they got on her ass for making her friends her first year instead of actually training - but now it felt wrong. And… well, that wasn't quite fair. Thessaly liked training now! She'd gotten good at it, had figured out a style all her own, and was virtually unstoppable. It didn't feel right for her parents to still benefit from what she did.

So maybe she wouldn't let them. Maybe from here on out, Thessaly Akaste would be in it for herself and no one else.

And she'd make sure that no one forgot her name.

Kodo Hotakim, 17

District Nine Male, he/him

For Kodo Hotakim, no place in the world was better than the stage.

He thrived off of it, relishing in the sensation of all the attention being on him and no one else. The stage was a place where he could control his surroundings to the utmost degree. There, under the burning glare of the spotlight, he felt as if he could truly be himself. The whole world would stop and stare at Kodo, and he'd command their attention for as long as he could.

(It helped that this was one thing he had on his own, apart from his twin sister and her equally overwhelming presence. When Kodo was on the stage, it was almost as if Kosa didn't exist at all.)

(Almost.)

"Ready to go?"

Kodo blinked, torn from his brief reverie, and gave Dagan a brilliant grin. "I was born ready."

Dagan smiled gently, humming to himself as he slid the straps of his backpack over his shoulders. "You were born ready to go to class?"

To be honest, Kodo had completely forgotten what they were supposed to be doing next. Somehow, he'd managed to trick himself into thinking that they'd been at an after school practice instead of class in the middle of the day. But, of course, he'd rather die than mention that. "You know me. Straight A student. There's nothing I love more than studying. My entire life had led up to this very moment, and your doubt truly hurts! It wounds me, in fact!"

"Now you just sound like you're practicing for your next monologue," Dagan said, trying to hold back laughter.

"At least that means I'll ace it."

"You should probably work on trying to sell it a little better. Maybe pick something more realistic."

"Are you trying to insinuate that I'm not a star student?"

"I'm not insinuating anything." Dagan blinked innocently. "Maybe you're the one reading into things too much."

"I think I'm reading into things the perfect amount!"

Dagan finally burst out laughing, and Kodo felt his heart flutter in his chest. He was thrilled to be the cause of such a wonderful noise, but before he could think about it any longer, he tried to squash that feeling. He coughed and glanced away, his wide grin softening.

"Kodo?"

Kodo flushed lightly, hoping he hadn't been caught. "Yeah?"

"We do still need to go to class."

"Right! As a star student, I obviously can't be late," Kodo said, cutting Dagan off to head out into the hallway first.

"You're not letting go of that, are you?" Dagan asked, catching up to Kodo quickly.

"Letting go of what? The truth? You should know me better by now! I'd never lie about something as important as this."

"Okay then, star student, lead the way."

Kodo wove through the clusters of students in the hallways, making sure Dagan was right beside him the whole way. While they did share their next class together - English, which at least wouldn't be miserable - his sister was in it as well. And, even more unfortunately, they had assigned seats, so Kodo had to sit next to her, while Dagan was on the complete opposite side of the room. Sometimes the universe really loved to make him miserable.

If Kosa could hear his thoughts now (as she sometimes claimed to), she'd call him overdramatic. And while that was more than likely true, Kodo had to stand by his feelings on this matter.

"See you when class is done?" Dagan asked as he took his seat right by the door.

"I might've forgotten what you look like by then."

"We're literally in the same class."

"Ah, but our time apart will break my heart clean in two. I'll never recover."

"My own heart would be broken if you forgot me so quickly," Dagan said, pretending to swoon as he finally played along.

"I suppose I can make an exception for you."

Before Dagan could fire back another response, their teacher walked into the room and gave them both a particularly nasty glare. Kodo just saluted her before waving to Dagan and joining his sister on the other side of the room.

"You seem to be in a particularly good mood today," she remarked offhandedly.

"Is that a crime?"

"Oh, never. You know I'm always particularly invested in your wellbeing, dear Kodo."

He squinted at her. "What's this about?"

"Oh, nothing. You should just tell him, you know," Kosa said, giving him an impish grin.

Kodo couldn't help the indignant squawk that left his mouth before lowering his voice to a quiet hiss. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Ooh, you need to brush up on your acting skills, dear brother. You've got more than a few cracks in that facade of yours."

"That's ridiculous! You're the one that has a few cracks - I heard you singing this morning, and I think you could use some more practice."

Unfortunately, Kosa wasn't so willing to rise to the bait. "Nice try, Kodo, but I've known you for your whole life. There are some things you just can't get past me."

"If that's your logic, then I know plenty about you as well."

"Ah, but those three delightful minutes without you are what gave me the edge here. Face it - I'm right."

He glanced over at Dagan sitting across the room, completely unaware of their current topic of conversation. Kodo's eyes lingered on his dirty blond hair and tanned skin, trying once more to squash down his feelings entirely. And then, as if Dagan felt his gaze, he glanced over his shoulder and shot Kodo a smile that made his heart stop beating entirely.

Kodo looked away, meeting the eyes of his sister, who was giving him a knowing look. Almost understanding, even. It was the kind of look that made Kodo want to crawl into a hole and never be seen again, but that just wasn't in his nature.

"You don't have to say anything," Kosa muttered more quietly. "All I'm saying is… it might be worth it to tell him."

Kodo squinted at her. "You're being oddly helpful right now."

Shrugging, she twirled a pencil between her fingers. "I'm always helpful. You're the one that chooses not to see it."

A pause, and then, "You really think it would be a good thing?"

"Why not? You never know until you give it a shot."

And, unfortunately, that did make plenty of sense to Kodo. He was never exactly one to back down, especially not from a challenge, and… well, this wouldn't be any different.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Maybe you're right."

"You what?"

Kodo paused from where he was pacing. He hadn't anticipated this question. The weight of Dagan's eyes on him was suddenly uncomfortable, and he cleared his throat. "I, uh, like you. As in have feelings for you. Of the not just platonic variety."

When phrased like that, things felt so simple. Kodo merely had feelings for his best friend. They weren't completely all-consuming. He didn't lie awake at night thinking about how he and Dagan were meant to be. He wasn't beyond infatuated with Dagan, struggling to make sense of what to do with his feelings if they weren't reciprocated.

But, of course, Kodo could never do anything halfway, especially not when it came to something as overpowering as his own feelings.

"You like me," Dagan repeated, his blue eyes wide with shock. Kodo tried not to stare too intently as he attempted to gauge Dagan's true opinion on the matter.

"I have for a while."

Dagan bit his lip, and Kodo quietly averted his gaze, the tension in the room thick. It wasn't often that Kodo was left without anything to say. He opened his mouth before closing it again, hoping that Dagan at least had something to say in response. He wasn't accustomed to the silence, and this one in particular was rather stifling.

"I… I'm sorry," Dagan finally whispered. "I just… can't say I feel the same way."

If this was a scene in one of his plays, then Kodo knew of a million different ways to respond. He could fall to the ground and start weeping as if his heart had been slaughtered by the greatest of betrayals, or he could get angry and claim that he'd merely been led on, or he could get on his hands and knees and beg Dagan to reconsider. In the world of theatre, any of those were a valid enough option, but in the quiet solitude of Kodo's bedroom, he just felt… humbled. All he had left were the remains of his own broken heart.

"That's fine," Kodo said, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground as he felt tears threatening to sting at them. "I… Obviously I didn't expect you to feel the same way."

"I wish I did, but…"

"It's fine," Kodo insisted. "I just… more than anything, I don't want anything to change between us. I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"I don't want anything to change, either," Dagan promised, one of his hands lightly grasping Kodo's. "You'll always be my best friend, yeah?"

"Right," Kodo agreed, hoping that if he smiled brightly enough, it would mask his heartbreak. "Best friends."

The heat of the early June sun beat down on the square, making Kodo wrinkle his nose. He hated reaping day - for obvious reasons, of course, but also because he had to mingle with people that were distinctly beneath him. His father wasn't good at many things - including staying loyal to his marriage - but he was particularly good at reminding Kodo who was worth mingling with. Even now, he could see his father's cold gaze sweep over the crowd, searching for any signs of unrest within the District. Kodo's spine straightened under the scrutiny of his father's eye. But then he felt the more gentle gaze of Dagan, and his traitorous heart couldn't help but flutter.

Stop that, he chided. You're just friends, nothing more.

"You seem nervous," Dagan whispered, nudging his arm. "Everything okay?"

Ever since his confession, things hadn't necessarily changed. Kodo was still desperately in love with his best friend, and said best friend still had no interest in him; if anything, they were closer friends than ever, which didn't exactly help matters. Kodo's heart was rubbed raw every day they spent together, but at least meant he still got to see Dagan. That was worth everything to Kodo.

"I'm not nervous," Kodo insisted, shrugging him off. "I'm already trying to plan what we'll do for our summer theatre project. If it wasn't for the reapings, we'd be able to get more of a head start on it."

Dagan nodded slowly. "Sure, but what if one of us got reaped? We'd have to start over with casting and rehearsals to fill in that spot."

"I guess," Kodo said, frowning to himself. "I still hate that we lose so much time."

Kodo didn't hear whatever Dagan said next, wrapping his arms around himself as the mayor droned on. By this point, Kodo was tired of the reapings more than anything. He'd spent years showing up without a fear, all thanks to his own father's paranoia. Every year he watched some nobodies get reaped - like whatever the hell happened last year - and he got to sit back and relax. He knew something that no one else did: if either of the Hotakim twins got reaped, their father had paid off some less important person to take their place. While Kodo hadn't heard much about his own stand-in, he'd seen Bonnie in the halls periodically. He'd never stoop so low as to speak to her, but it was reassuring to be reminded that he and his sister would never have to worry about the Games.

"Ladies first!"

Kodo glanced back up to the stage absentmindedly, watching the escort prance across the stage to one of the bowls. He tilted his head to the side, wondering how long she'd been up there. Hopefully not for too long - it would be rather embarrassing of an escort to go unnoticed. Surely Kodo could do a better job if it was him up there. This was being broadcasted to the whole country, and even if the stage here was rather small and dingy, it was still a stage and deserved to be treated as one. Besides, he-

"Kosa Hotakim!"

Despite knowing that his sister would undoubtedly be safe, Kodo couldn't help the gasp that tore out of his mouth. His eyes darted over to the section Kosa was in, trying to catch her eye, and he finally relaxed when she just shot him a wink. She didn't bother taking a step forward, or even moving at all. All she had to do was wait.

"I volunteer!"

"Lucky," Dagan commented offhandedly. "I didn't figure there'd be another volunteer after everything that happened last year."

"Very lucky," Kodo whispered, knowing that luck had nothing to do with it. Only money, and lots of it. "Hopefully Bonnie is better at keeping her head down."

"The Games recap didn't show much of Thay or Lilith, so I'm not sure that failing to keep their heads down is what got them killed."

"Either way. Maybe the strategy should be to avoid having any kind of interactions with the Careers."

"If anything, I think they were their own undoing. Maybe getting revenge on your District Partner is a bad idea in general."

"I suppose. Or it could be-"

"Kodo Hotakim!"

A flash of panic ran through him, but Kodo quickly forced it down. Sure, it was some hellish coincidence for him to get reaped alongside his sister, but his own volunteer would step up shortly. He would be saved just as Kosa had been.

But as the seconds ticked by, each one more excruciating than the last, Kodo felt a sinking sense of horror that things were not going to go his way.

The stares of everyone around him burned, and for the first time in his life, Kodo loathed the spotlight. He waited a beat, and then another, listening for the voice that would call out "I volunteer!" and save him from this hell, but there was nothing. All he could hear was the sound of his own ragged breathing in his ears.

It took him far too long to realize that no one was coming for him. He saw the Peacekeepers begin to move in his direction, his peers clearing the space around him as if he was tainted by something unseen. Kodo twitched as even the lower classes looked at him with something akin to pity. He was supposed to be better than this. He was better than this. The Hunger Games were not for people like Kodo Hotakim.

But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself of that, Kodo Hotakim was still alone in a sea of people with no one to save him.

Someone grabbed his arm, and Kodo allowed himself to be dragged along for a few steps before his feet caught up with him. He recognized the familiar white helmet of a Peacekeeper, and it finally hit him.

He was going into the Hunger Games. No one was going to volunteer for him. Maybe no one was ever supposed to.

But as his feet touched the stage, Kodo forced himself to spring to life, going through the motions even as his mind whirled, searching for answers that he already knew. He joked with the escort, slung an arm around Bonnie's shoulder as if they'd known each other for years, and did his best to act like he was still in control.

Breathe, Kodo. This is the time to act like your life depends on it.

Because from here on out, it does.

omg kya~

a little later in the day but i laurv this trio. thank u sm to linds, rb/birdie, and logan for this trio! they are certainly um A Lot and are sure to bring a lot of personality to the games! if ur mean to them um pls don't be they're my best friends.

as u can see i will do anything to maintain weekly sunday updates so i will see u next time with nolan and marri and ibai! i hope the tonal whiplash is present. leave a review if ur inspired but if u just yell in my discord channel i like yelling back. love ya see ya next week

~de laney is out