For the third day of training, Maesus wore her hair down with a soft black headband to keep it out of her face. She'd even asked Anya to do her makeup. With their first two days of training now gone, she'd come to the conclusion that she wanted to be 'Team Ten' with Blais. He would be her best bet in surviving the other tributes, she'd use this desirable persona Myles gave her to get them sponsor items. And based on the last two days, she couldn't consider the thought of killing him. La familia lo es todo.
Following their morning compulsory exercises though, Blais zeroed in on working with a trainer in hand to hand combat. Despite several attempts to get his attention in between short breaks, her cousin was either too focused or full on ignoring her; Maesus prayed it was the first.
In the days since arriving in the Capitol it was as though Blais' personality began to shift; her once kind cousin now closed off and brooding; hinging everything on the opinion of his mentor. Under the circumstances anyone could understand such a change, though it was frustrating to watch. They were raised together and used to look out for each other, being reaped for the same games should have meant an ally no matter what. Since training together the first two days, the boy had begun avoiding her. Her eyes yearned for an answer, practically burning a hole into his back from where she stood across the training center.
Within Maesus' hands was an attempt at weaving a net, though even with instruction from a trainer she still managed to create a tangled mess. Lights from above glinted off the stainless steel table as she accidently got her finger wrapped up in one of the knots, the end turning red and nearly purple when she finally looked back down. "Shit.." With a mutter, Mae pulled her hand away and let the poorly formed knotting fall onto the table as feeling returned to her finger.
"I doubt you'll be the type doing a whole lot of fishing." Similar to the posh voices of those in the Capitol, the boy beside her spoke clearly but quietly. With short ruffled black hair and a strong jawline, the male tribute from District 2 had a notch in his eyebrow and a sly smile on his lips.
Straightening out her shoulders with a roll of the eyes, she refocused her attention to the attempt at a net. There was a hope he'd walk away when he realized she wasn't going to be swayed into a conversation. After all, the Careers only ever seemed to engage with other tributes when it was to goad them into confrontation, get a reaction out of them. He just grabbed his own bundle of white rope to work on, settling beside her in a relaxed stance.
"Does the female tribute from 10 have a name or should I just call you 10?" Unraveling the mess in front of her, she didn't spare him a glance. "Maesus."
"Well, Maesus..." She hated the way her name fell off his lips, how he over pronounced the vowels and hung on to the 's'. "I'm looking for an ally I can trust an easy win from, and based on your training I have a feeling you'll need some protection in the arena." With the net she'd been working on now tangled even worse than before, she threw it down altogether out of frustration.
"Yougot a ally." She said in annoyance, gesturing to the fair skinned girl in a ponytail training with daggers. "And so do I, so I won't be needin' any of your protection, 2." He laughed and it made her blood boil.
"I have a feeling Mirra's gonna switch up on me sooner than I can subdue her, but alright then." A shiver ran down her spine as he perched over her shoulder, chin practically resting against her skin and cheek pressed to her own. As much as she wanted to force him away and land a hit, though, Maesus froze. Following his own watchful gaze, she noticed Blais effortlessly taking the trainer to the ground for what must have been the fourteenth time. "I'm sure you're feeling just confident in the alliance with your own district though, hm." And with that, the tall boy was gone again.
His words echoed around in her mind, eyes glued to her cousin as restlessness formed within her. Confidence in their team up had been waning and clearly the rest of the room saw he avoided her like a plague. There was still a half hour until lunch, she'd let this tension between them simmer long enough. Weaving around the table, the teen approached the mat with her hands on her hips. "I wanna work in with ya'll."
Even through the blacked out mask, the trainer's breathing was loud and labored. Despite Blais actively trying to continue his training without even acknowledging her, he could do nothing as his sparring attendant stepped back. Gesturing forward for the girl to step in and heading towards a door in the back of the room, the trainer was gone in a blink and another took his place on stand-by. The annoyed sigh that left the boy's lips made her shoulders slump though, Maesus stepping up onto the mat feeling more rejected than when she first approached.
"I'm tryna actually gain strength, Mae." Stretching out his arms and letting out a groan, Blais continued. "No offense, but you and I know I can handle you. I needa challenge before the games actually start."
Hands balled into fists at her sides. Maesus didn't want to have to walk back to her own center so quickly, making her district partner's unwillingness to work together all the more obvious. Clearly she had every reason to worry about his recent attitude shift. "Well, I'm sure I learnt a thing or two since we wrestled as kids." Teeth gritted despite the 'relaxed' smile she wore, she was invigorated by frustration. Catalena urged her to portray weakness but just once, once, she was going to beat Blais at something. If not to convince him of working together than to at least quiet this belief that she was easy to handle.
Simply being a man made him of higher esteem in their community and family, he was older and naturally stronger. Blais got to continue school for four years longer than she, he was a natural with animals and what made it all the more infuriating is that he was kind. If he behaved like an ass or insulted her endless pleas to the family to begin roping such as Castel did things would be different. This ice out wouldn't sting as badly.
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
A slight hunch to her shoulders and stance wide, Maesus took on a more defensive position that at first Blais emulated. Two steps encircling the ring, two more between them to maintain distance. Then as if a lightbulb went off, her cousin took the offensive and charged towards her. Taken back at first she held her arms up to create a shield as it appeared he was going to swing, however he hunched at the last second. Arms wrapped around just above her knees, he lifted her up and then slammed her body down into the mat.
Too dazed at first to even breathe, she quickly shook her head and forced her body up. Wheezing was involuntary but Maesus refused to let this be over in a few minutes. "Again." Her blood was boiling, face reddened and heart pounding. But she was on her feet.
"Mae, just let it go. We trained together enough already, go find one of the trainers to work with." Maybe she should have just walked away, but his total dismissal just made her angrier. Just one tiny win that wasn't handed to her out of pity. "Just til' lunch then, please. I need the practice, obviously." Muttering the last part more to herself, she was grateful when he let out a defeated sigh of agreement.
This time there was no frivolous circling of the space, or even much time to react to how quickly he came towards her. Stepping to the right and quickly trying to dodge out of his way, a swift kick completely upended her. Again her back hit hard against the mat and although it was irrational, it felt as if the entire room was laughing at her though they never made a sound. She pushed herself back up again and tried to shake off the disorientation. Twenty-four minutes until lunch, there was still time.
Deafening was the buzzer after the countless wins for Blais; at one point she'd gotten him down on the mat but his hand shot towards her throat and they both froze. Neither could think of something to say after that, they could only continue sparring. More than anything, Maesus was surprised she was still managing to get back on her feet.
With a heavy breath she waved her cousin's attention back over from the doors opening for lunch. "One more 'fore we eat. For old time's sake since you're sick of me." Laughing despite feeling as though it were reality, she didn't take another second to think and simply ran at him. A part of her assumed he would just accept since they'd been working together so long already, another part of her knew it was a dirty tactic. Maesus was exhausted but her pride was bruised, there was no saving face until she won. Just once. From the way he barely reacted in time, it became clear he had in fact rejected her plea for a final fight.
Taking a page from his book though, she'd lunged outwards to step on his foot and use her whole body weight to shove him backwards. Once he began falling she pulled her foot up and leaned backwards, aiming for his gut but instead kicking just above his knee. She stumbled back but managed to stay upright, beaming until she looked down at the boy. Blaise had hit the ground hard in a sitting position, holding a hand to his bruising lower thigh before looking back at her angrily.
"What the fuck was that, Mae!?" Hesitantly rising to his feet, Blais appeared relieved when putting weight on his leg and scoffed as he pushed past her. "I thought- sorry, we were sparring still and I saw the chance and-" He interrupted. "And what, fuck up my knee so you get a headstart in the blood bath?" Quickly following after him towards the lunchroom, Maesus ignored the looks of other tributes. "No, I didn't try t - I..." Guilt enveloped her, the teen internally beating herself up for even sparring with him in the first place. She should have walked away when he rejected her at the start. "I'm sorry."
Except her cousin had already sat himself at a table, grabbing a plate and refusing to look up from it; her shoulders slumped inward as she sat across from him. "I wasn't tryna' fuck up your knee. You're the one who grabbed my fuckin' throat." Muttering under her breath, she filled her plate with a number of fruits and a sandwich. For a long while Blais had been silent, eating his food and avoiding looking across the table at her. She was almost tempted to repeat her words, though his annoyed exhale made her bite her tongue and refrain. "I actually have a chance here, Mae. I'm not gonna die dealin' with you."
A knot formed in her stomach, Maesus wasn't sure if she wanted to be angry or solemnly agree. It was one thing for her to assume her death was incoming, it was another for Blais to assume it. "'Scuse you, I-"
"Think about it, look." He gestured to the tributes around the room. "The gals from 1 and 2 are smaller than you, sure, but they been trained for this. Get the jump, maybe you could kill the twelve to thirteen year olds but you ain't gonna make it a day. And that's if you survive the first ten minutes." He spoke so matter of factly, the fork in her hand was trembling as she fought every urge to throw it across the table. "You're family and I love ya, but I'm not carrin' you like back on the ranch. Colt suggested going it solo and I plan to do just that." Wiping his mouth with a cloth napkin and setting it down on the plate, he finally met her gaze. "I won't try to kill you, cousin. Tío'd string me up if I did. Just mind your distance and I'll mind mine."
Maesus had barely touched her food as she listened, not realizing most of their time to eat had come to pass. How long had her ears been ringing? Despite her assumptions from his recent behavior, it didn't make hearing it straight from the horse's mouth even easier. Where was the boy who supported her that first day roping, the one who hid under the table to play board games with her when they were still too young to fear the Reaping? He had every right to choose this path but pride got the better of the brunette and she pushed back out of the seat, wiping her hands on her pants.
"Fine, that's-" An involuntary and sarcastic chortle escaped her, masking the cry she so desperately needed. "Good luck, Blais."
With that she stalked back towards one of the survival training centers, seething over the desolation that tugged at her. Angrily pushing back curls that only seemed to fall back into place across her face, she pulled off the headband and threw it down on the metal table before her. The instructor paid her no mind, still holding a brush and silently waiting for other tributes to join before teaching the basics on camouflage.
Well cared for for the first time in years, her hair was easily malleable as Maesus wrapped it up into a bun. Without a hair tie available she used a smaller stand to tie it off and made a mental note to avoid any actual physical training lest it come undone. Besides, it wasn't as though she had any interest in embarrassing herself again on the mats or against a hologram.
Knuckles tapped against the metal as a secondary tribute joined her at the station, the instructor smiling as he began his spiel and demonstration. She didn't need to look over at who it was besides her, his lingering eyes and smug grin bore into her soul.
Kane Garan is the name she'd come to learn over the final hours of training. Hailing from District 2 he'd been prepped for the day he'd volunteer since he was a child, currently nudging her with his elbow as they both recreated the camouflaged looks over their hands. He'd done all the talking as they stood together, mostly about his skills as though he were promoting himself to her. At times he reached across to grab paint and 'accidentally' brushed his arm against her elbow, her hip, her chest. It was as though she were back in the cramped stalls of the market back home, men never hesitating to put their hands on her waist or back as they simply squeezed by. The familiarity was sickening.
Maesus knew she wasn't going to survive the Hunger Games alone, though, and gently rested a hand on Kane's forearm to keep him from walking to the elevators as the buzzer cleared them to leave. His knowing smile made it all the more demeaning as she finally asked, "So… you wanna work together, right?"
"Look who came around." He teased, nodding for her to follow as he strode towards the empty lift. Most of the other tributes had already cleared out while others waited for their turn to go up. For such an extravagant place one would assume there'd be more than three elevators available. Both Blais and the girl from 2 were gone already, though, allowing her nerves to soothe as he continued. "I had a feeling you might need some protection, especially from your own partner." He laughed.
Crossing her arms across her chest, Maesus strolled into the elevator. "He's not gonna come for me in the ring, he ain't like that." It seemed she was trying to convince herself than she was Kane.
"Sure, sure, we can keep thinking that. But don't think we won't handle him once the opportunity arises." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the doors to the lift closed. "We?" She asked, struggling to escape his touch with how heavily his arm rested, the force he put behind it. "I'm not killing my district partner, that's a barbaric betrayal even when I lose."
His hand tapped against her shoulder twice as the elevator came to a stop almost as quickly as it had risen and cut off her declaration. "Oh Maesus, Maesus, Maesus." God how she hated the way he said her name, the consonants drawn out as if like a snake.
"Mirra'll be my issue later into the games but I'm not gonna forsake my district partner for our alliance, how barbaric." He grinned at her fiendishly as the doors opened to the District 2 apartment floor. "She was already eyeing up who the threats are among you others, I'm sure she'll be happy to do him off for you if you keep up your side of the bargain." Finally pulling away and stepping out, he hit the button for the 10th floor. "If they skimp on food in the Cornucopia like last year that'll be your department, otherwise just keep me happy andentertained. Making it to the final two could be a long haul!" He winked and the doors shut.
'Entertained', she thought with a hand running down her face. 'Of fucking course.'
Sunrise the following morning came too soon, the night having been spent tossing and turning with thoughts of the battle to come. Dinner had been awkward to say the least, Blais shoveling food into his mouth to avoid conversation whilst she continually filled her wine glass until Harlow cut her off. They couldn't even pretend to be friendly.
Catalena came knocking before seven, practically ripping the pile of blankets off the girl to get her up and out of bed. Despite her mutterings and soreness from the previous day's training, a quick shower and breakfast had her downstairs for a private session. It was more comfortable alone with her mentor, rather than the intimidation of being watched by the other tributes; less chances for embarrassment. At first she demonstrated the skills she'd only recently learned, survival techniques tweaked by the woman's experience.
"Now," Although she was seriously spoken, the gray haired victor wore a soft smile. "Let's test that strength, shall we?" Catalena nudged her elbow with a knowing laugh. "I'm sure you've been waiting for this."
"You worked with the cattle so your upper body strength should be reasonable. You rode horses too, right?" Prattling on, she walked towards the rack of weights both dumbbell and ball. "For as long as I can remember." Maesus remarked, quickly reaching out to take the twenty-five pound medicine ball her mentor grabbed. Though, Catalena held it without any sign of struggle or exertion and at first shooed her help away before finally handing it over when they returned to the middle of the room.
"Good, good, your core and thigh strength should be fairly stable as well then." Taking the weight and resting it against her hip as though she was carrying one of the twins, Maesus ended up spending a good portion of her time in private sessions weight training. From lifting kettlebells and throwing medicine balls to forcing a blocking dummy across one end of the room to the next, she was sweating profusely by the time Catalena finally called for a break.
Cold droplets slid down her back beneath the light brown tunic, the girl shivering as she reached for a water bottle. Considering her age it wasn't as though the woman would have the ability to teach her combat, though her strength had clearly been maintained since her win so long ago.
Exasperated, Maesus threw the bottle back towards the ground. "Should I try again?" Motioning to the blocking dummy still only halfway across the room, it was an absolute relief when Catalena shook her head. "No, we can't burn you out. We're gonna move on, but Maesita-"
Maesus thought of her father back home, all the times he'd called her by the nickname; since she was a child it brought up a sense of warmth from within her when it was said. It was a commonality, a cutesy nickname used for children and loved ones; but only her dad ever used it back home. Even now, despite the mess she was in without any escape, it made her visibly relax. Her mentor started striding over and held both biceps in her hands, giving them a squeeze as she continued.
"... don't showcase your physical strength to the Gamemakers. 10's industry has given you a leg up on the others and they may assume just that, but it can also mean driving your score up if you present it. The higher the score, the more of a target. Save it for the arena, yeah?"
Biting her lip for a moment, the girl shied away. "Actually, I..." There was no lack of gossip between the mentors and other members of the entourage, no doubt in her mind that Blais' choice to work solo had been shared around the group. Nonetheless, she still hadn't actually told the woman about the alliance she made in response. "I've been approached by Kane from 2, he's willin' to protect me so even if my score is high I don't gotta be a target for the careers."
The old woman actually laughed, seemingly believing that it was a joke being told to her. It took recognizing the serious look in Maesus' eyes to finally stop and practically double take. "You don't actually believe he's gonna keep you safe, right? Maesus, that boy was born and bred for the Hunger Games." Pulling away, her skin went cold where Cata's touch had once been.
"He's already guaranteed he's gonna kill me by game's end, promised it really. I ain't a fool, but he mentioned I could help with food and that means tamperin' with food." Truth be told her usefulness would be entirely dependent on the arena they're in and the creatures that inhabit it. For all she knew, the only thing available to eat would be what was in the cornucopia and if that were the case, then what use would she be to them? "He also-" She paused for a long moment, unnerved by her own embarrassment at how touchy the boy had been. How she just let it happen for the chance he'll spare her long enough to take him out first.
"He also said I'd be workin' with him and his district partner, but they're targeting Blais." This was easier to speak about. Besides, for all Maesus knew his comment on keeping them entertained could have been just to push her buttons. A quip to keep her on her toes. Catalena seemed to think about this before clicking her tongue in approval. "Well nothing we can do 'bout that now. Your cousin made his choice and you had to make yours."
Would those back home be as accepting as the choice she made? Would they have accepted Blais'? Both seemed unlikely but in the end his survival would be cheered for, a son brought back home to lift his family out of poverty. A strong rancher who survived the odds. What would she be? What kind of life was there back home?
"Maesus?" Her mind had drifted elsewhere, eyes focusing in on the concerned look on her mentor's face. "Did I lose you there?" Quickly shaking her head, the brunette pushed some hair from her face and tried to keep her gaze just above the woman's eyeline. "No, no." It hadn't felt like she'd been thinking long, consumed by daydream; clearly she needed to reel herself in better.
"Just still overwhelmed, sorry." A sheepish smile on her lips, she moved to approach Catalena again as a long steel table was wheeled out. On it was one of the white dummies she'd used in previous training, a can of red paint with a brush beside it. "You're getting too close now to be distracted by feelings of overwhelm. We're gonna work with what you know and I'm sure you remember animal anatomy, right?Come." She handed the brush out towards her and Maesus took it with a nod. "Let's practice what you're gonna present to the Gamemakers this afternoon."
It was the first time Maesus had eaten lunch in the District 10 apartment, the meal served in courses as she continually tried to catch Blais' eye from across the table. Harlow did most of the talking, reminding them both to smile and show gratitude to the Gamemakers for watching them. She knew in her heart that the man was just trying to help them but it didn't make listening to him any easier. His Capitol accent alone made her grip the end of the fork and stab it harshly into the chicken slices atop her pasta entree.
"District 10 always has some pretty high scores, I think something about wrangling all those creatures makes you all much sturdier. They can sense these things." Harlow giggled, barely touching his food as he continued on. "Scores should certainly bring in some lingering sponsors too! How has that been going?" His attention shifted to Colt and Catalena now, arching a brow as he reached for a drink of his water. Maesus had noticed that there wasn't a drop of alcohol at the table, even at breakfast there'd been champagne. Clearly they wanted them clear headed for their judgment.
Colt cleared his throat and shook his head. "Ya'll don't need to know that. Blais knows I'm taking care of him and since you should've been talkin' up the persona we discussed, we don't need to talk 'bout that here." Looking at her own mentor, Mae became nervous. Not once had the woman mentioned how it was going on getting sponsors, if she'd gotten any at all. Oh god, did she not get any?
Overthinking had taken over as the teen chewed on her food, unable to get it out of her head that there was a chance she was without any help. If the arena was even just similar to the 50th she could die from starvation, if it were like the 43rd she'd die of thirst, securing the cornucopia would be the only option if there wasn't a cent to send her a gift. A soft, wrinkled hand rested atop of her forearm as if Catalena had sensed her unease. "I agree. We've discussed strategy to exhaustion already, perhaps we should leave some surprise for the arena, hmm?" It was as though neither mentor wanted to say the quiet part out loud.
There was no Team, no working together; why share their plans with the other when they were as much the enemy as tributes from the floors below.
There was nothing to stop the excitement that spewed from Harlow's mouth. He continued to chatter on as courses were brought out, introducing the remaining dishes to them as if to fill in the silence. Following the primary entree was a charcuterie selection to ease them into the sweetness of the dessert, a banana pudding with a creaminess that reminded her of the rice pudding her mother made for special occasions. The one recipe the woman never shared with her siblings, ensuring it was her version always devoured first at a birthday or wedding. Maesus scraped the sides of the small container to get every last bit, licking her spoon and for once enjoying the feeling of being full.
Food wasn't as scarce in 10 compared to other outlier districts such as 12, but it was certainly something no one got enough of. Not in families as large as her own.
Still dressed in their training garments, she and Blais were led by their mentors into the elevator this time. Inside were the mentors and tributes from District 11, not one of them making eye contact as the four entered. Chaff Martin appeared more put together than the first night she ran into him, quietly giving advice to his tribute: Clement Langley, she saw him the first night as they all waited for the parade and recognized now just how young he looked. Tall in stature, he was still baby-faced and couldn't have been older than fifteen, possibly younger.
The tallest tribute among them was the girl from 11, blue eyes contrasting skin as decadent as dark chocolate whilst she stared blankly ahead. As much as Maesus tried to remember she couldn't place her name, only that she'd been dressed skimpily in straw during the parade. Even with curves and muscle from the years spent working, the outfit merely highlighted how emaciated she was. An elbow nudged her and the brunette realized she'd been staring at the other group, blinking a few times before focusing her gaze past them. On the ant-like figures out in the lobby of the tribute center, disappearing as the elevator made it to the bottom floor.
Led through a door into what was normally their lunch room, it appeared they were earlier as not even the career tributes had arrived yet. Not that such a thing lasted long. Very quickly the room filled with all twenty-four of them, sitting at the tables in a tense silence only broken by the care-free conversations of the older Careers. Mirra of 2 actively tried to rile up those from 9, though both ignored her and remained stoic. One by one they were called into the next room, the normal Training Center providing them with any possible skill to present.
Maesus went over what she practiced with her mentor in her head, leaning back in the seat and looking up to the cement ceiling. How sick she was growing of white and gray. Blais' foot was bouncing up and down, his eyes darting between the other tributes; he looked more excited than nervous. By the time the boy from 5 had been called the silence had faded away, though she couldn't bother with trying to speak to him. More than anything he'd be annoyed if she tried. Resting her hand on the seat to better balance herself, she realized she brushed the leg of the boy beside her.
Hailing from 12 and looking rail thin, Colby seemed to be trying to calm his district partner when he flinched at Mae's touch. It was hard not to feel bad for the two, the youngest duo among them with a fourteen and twelve year old. And considering the state of their shared mentor just the other night, their chances were as low as their districts' had always been. "Sorry."
Her mind was beginning to wander, each tribute being plucked from the group with nothing to pass the time. Maesus thought about what chores she'd be doing at that moment, whether or not the family was carrying on as normal without two members of their crew. No doubt they had to hire new ranch hands to pick up the workload. She wondered if Daria had already started packing up her things to turn their bedroom into a single, her hopes and prayers feeling as empty as Mae's own. Did the family watch the parade together, admiring the beauties she and Blais were turned into before their imminent end? Were they comparing who between them would come out on top if either of them at all?
Two sharp taps to the table interrupted the spiralized thinking, Blais' rising from his seat and disappearing behind the door. Whether or not it was purposeful, she was grateful considering she had completely blocked out the disembodied voice. It would have been likely she'd miss her name altogether.
Several minutes passed and Maesus could feel her heartbeat beginning to thunder, anxiety reaching its peak the moment her name came over the loudspeaker. If not for the four tributes left being strangers, she would have made some kind of joke to distract herself. Laugh like she did the day of the reaping to minimize the fear coursing through her veins. The door felt heavy as she pushed it open, loud chatter echoing from the viewing room filled with Gamemakers and the like. At least three tables of food spread out for them, a distraction she was not fond of considering the lackluster skill she'd been encouraged to present.
While many did have their eyes on her, it boiled her blood to see the overflowing glasses of wine in their hands. Hell, some had their backs turned to completely ignore the presentation and talk amongst themselves.
In the corner of the room was one of the blocking dummies, something she so dearly wanted to use to display her strength and receive some form of recognition. It'd at least provide her a higher score. Nonetheless, Maesus laid one of the white dummies out on the long table and grabbed a knife before wheeling this small station closer to the middle of the room. Demonstrating how to kill with a weapon was one thing, often a flashy way to be scored high. Demonstrating your knowledge of exactly where to strike your enemies was questionable, especially in such a non-performative way. Catalena had to know what she was doing, right?
"Ladies and Gentlemen." Maesus cleared her throat, the knife hovering just above the dummy in her shaky hand. "I present...Precision." A smile silly graced her lips even as she was disheartened by the lack of laughs, some of them even returning to their previous conversations. The show continued on.
"First and easiest, the Aorta." She buried the knife in the chest cavity in the spot a heart would be if the dummy weren't plastic and padding. It felt as like some of the eyes were piercing through her while others continued to turn away. Her flair fizzled out the more she spoke. "Subclavian. Carotid. Brachial. Radial." Her knife traveled across the dummy in practiced fashion, slicing through each major artery that would leave her opponent bleeding out if she even got close enough to strike. Though, the scientific wording was unfamiliar on her tongue and at times sounded muddled in her accent. "Abdominal. Femoral. Popliteal."
Setting the knife down on the metal table a little harsher than planned, she subconsciously held her hands behind her back and looked up to the viewing room. There were a few who'd given her their complete undivided attention, others who hadn't bothered to look over even once. "Thank ya'- you, gentlemen." In a plush blue chair she caught the gaze of the man who'd been watching her that first day of training, in his hands a plate full of food and a wide grin on his face. He must have been older than her uncles, making his second wink in the last five days all the more sickening. As important as attention was, his was the last kind she wanted.
Maesus turned on her heel and practically ran for the door to the main hall. Without any stragglers from their own presentations, she entered the lift completely alone and pressed the button for the 10th floor. As calm as her skill allowed her to be, it'd been nerve-wracking beneath their judgemental gaze but now frustrating. Even if she died, leaving an impression could have meant something; now she was simply forgettable. At most she'll be remembered for her chest.
Maesus trusted Catalena's advice, there was power in being underestimated, past games had proved as such. Fists clenched at her side, she let out a huff and grumbled over the dainty persona she couldn't abandon now. It was going to help, it would make a difference for her in the arena. Nothing they saw truly represented what she could do and it had to stay that way; her hands were shaking now. It was just like her family, no faith in her abilities but she would show them. They would know exactly who she is.
Rearing her elbow back Maesus punched her fist into the thick, see-through glass of the elevator without hesitation. Again and again, cursing loudly as she rose above each floor.