Sabai Aboli, 16
District Seven
Brushing her hand over the incredibly realistic model, Sabai was in awe. She'd never seen anything like this.
"This is incredibly made," Sabai noted, peering down at the life-like meta menardi.
"What is it?" Credence responded- it seemed the boy was entirely made of questions or answers, and that was something Sabai appreciated- a genuine, and deep curiosity about things he didn't understand. She hadn't spent much time with him alone until today- Klein, Neith and Loezan were off at a combat station which neither she nor Credence were particularly interested in. Despite being surrounded by so many fascinating models of her friends, she still couldn't wait for lunch, and to see Loezan again.
(An excitement so foreign, childish, and pointless. And yet, here she was feeling it in its entirety.)
"A meta menardi, more commonly known as a cave orb weaver," Sabai explained, shaking her lingering feelings away and turning her focus back to Credence- it wasn't the time to be considering such things. "Incredibly common in… well, caves."
"Huh," Credence nodded. "Is it dangerous?"
"Mmm, no, not to humans," Sabai continued. "It's not this large, this is a scaled-up model. Most spiders are harmless to humans, as their venom is too weak to do much of anything to us."
"I see."
"There are other insects which could pose a significant threat to humans though, if ingested," Sabai continued- some people in Seven liked to forage and consume bugs, which wasn't a practice Sabai exactly approved of. She'd never personally heard of somebody dying from ingesting an insect- although had heard about plenty of fatalities surrounding mushrooms.
"For example, the millipede. Many types of millipedes contain acid glands, which if used can cause a great deal of harm to a human. Or, something like a fire ant, which are inherently poisonous if consumed in large enough quantities."
"Fascinating," Credence whistled. "You have a great deal of knowledge about this subject."
"Thank you," Sabai beamed- she'd never met anybody outside of her family who appreciated her research, much less somebody her age. "I appreciate your interest in my work."
"Of course," Credence nodded, leaning on his cane as they continued passing through the models of creatures. "Your work is very different from mine, but that makes it all the more intriguing to learn about."
"Can I ask you a question Credence?"
"Of course," Credence agreed, his eyes brightening at the request. "What is it?"
"Do you believe in luck?"
They paused, for a few long moments, and Sabai watched as they considered the question.
"Well, erm," Credence began, "I don't exactly know. Luck isn't tangible, or logical, nor can it be studied or replicated in any significant way. However, I do believe some people are… how do I put this… they're more or less inclined to good or bad luck for no particular reason."
"I see," Sabai nodded. "I ask because, according to the people of Seven, it's good luck to carry a ladybug in one's pocket. And despite that, I was still reaped to come here. But I cannot help but feel like… perhaps there was some luck to be had in my reaping."
"Oh?"
Sabai nodded- of course, she understood the repercussions of what being reaped meant, she'd seen the Hunger Games. By every odd in the books, Sabai Aboli should've never been reaped and yet she had, had been condemned to fight for her life in the arena just like every other tribute.
And yet, what Sabai hadn't calculated, hadn't anticipated, were those tributes themselves.
"Despite being reaped, I've still had a wonderful time here, with people I would've never otherwise met," Sabai continued. "And it isn't going to last, but how could one be so lucky and unlucky at the same time?"
Credence shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. Perhaps there is no rhyme or reason to why things do or don't happen, or maybe everything is predetermined, like clockwork. Maybe you or I are here to make a difference in the world, but what if we aren't?"
"You are here for a reason though," Sabai noted. "You volunteered. And you have a reason for that, yes?"
Credence froze, and what little colour remained in his face drained away, which just made Sabai more curious. The rest of their group hadn't broached the subject of Credence volunteering, and Sabai was beginning to understand why- but that didn't mean she had to know.
(If Credence was okay with his decision, then who was Sabai to force it out of him?)
"You don't need to tell me why," Sabai continued. "But there's a reason, yes?"
"Yes," Credence responded, shakily. "There is."
"Do you feel certain about your decision?"
"I have no choice but to be certain."
Sabai nodded, digging through her pocket until she found the treasure which she sought. "Well then, I think you'll need this."
She offered her gift to Credence, who took it. "A ladybug?"
Credence turned the amber clad bug over in their hand. It was frozen in time, every little detail of its spotted shell preserved perfectly.
"For good luck. I suspect you will be needing it."
"Thank you, Sabai," Credence said softly, gazing at the little bug, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "I appreciate it."
"Thank you for the deeply engaging conversation," Sabai agreed, shuffling her feet. It was nearly lunchtime, and she didn't particularly want to start looking around in another area. But at the same time, Sabai didn't think they had much more to do where they were.
After a few moments of idling, and watching Credence stare at different models of bugs, a harsh whisper broke the silence.
"Psst, guys, c'mere," Loezan beckoned them, crouching down among the displays. "I have top-secret info for you guys."
"What do you mean by top secret info?" Credence asked as Loezan pulled both him and Sabai down to a crouch.
"So, I found out a fun fact today," Loezan explained, her voice still a grating whisper. "Apparently, Klein's birthday is coming up."
"When?"
"Uhm, during the Games. But that's beside the point- he doesn't know that I know."
"So what do you wish to do with this information, Loezan?" Sabai asked- her parents had always made a decently large deal of her birthday, but Sabai figured that was because she was the only child at the research station.
"I wanna throw him a surprise birthday party tomorrow night," Loezan explained. "After the party, in our apartment. And I want your help to do it."
"Us?" Credence asked nervously. "I've- well, um, I've never planned a birthday party."
"Me neither," Sabai agreed.
"That's exactly why I want your help!" Loezan exclaimed. "It'll be fun, like… one last good night before the Arena. A spirit booster for all of us, especially Klein."
Credence nodded, as did Sabai- she'd always preferred working alone, but even Sabai knew the importance of group morale. If they were all in good spirits going into the Games, perhaps that would be helpful.
(Perhaps, it was a little bit of good luck for all of them.)
"Okay, I'll help." Sabai agreed.
"Me too," Credence seconded.
"I like the way you talk, sciencey people." Loezan grinned, a wildfire lighting in her eyes. "Now let's plan the best motherfuckin' surprise birthday party ever!"
Capo O'Hagan, 18
District Two
Capo sighed, sinking further into his chair. He didn't need the sling, but the medical staff had insisted on it, at least for that day. An entire day, which he could be using for something more productive, or helpful, was wasted; instead, he was stuck on the sidelines.
(And it was all Tavi's fault.)
Atalanta quirked an eyebrow at him- he didn't see the point in her sitting out as well, but the company wasn't so bad. The rest of the Careers- Adonis, Gucci, and Calypso were all off at whatever stations they'd decided on for that day.
And here he was, useless as ever.
"How're you holding up?" Atalanta asked, shooting a glance sideways at him. "Need anything?"
"To get out of this sling maybe," Capo responded- the Capitol had fixed him up right away without any issue, so he didn't need it. Of course, it wasn't a particularly bad injury- he'd sprained plenty of muscles in his time -but it was like nothing to the Capitol to fix. Nothing more than a snap of the fingers, and it was gone.
(And yet they'd allowed Two to rot in its plague, without lifting a finger to help.)
Atalanta laughed. "Well, you can't be too screwed up if you're being funny."
"I'm fine," Capo shrugged. "I'd rather be out there training with the others, doing something instead of just sitting on my ass."
"Well if it makes you feel any better, at least Octavius isn't out there training while you're on the bench," Atalanta responded, pointedly. Capo grunted his agreement- if he wasn't going to behave, at least the Capitol was keeping him under control until the Arena.
(In the Arena, there wouldn't be any trainers to pull him off, drag him away, no second chances or magical injury treatments. There would just be Capo, his knives, and whoever dared to face him.)
(Who would that opponent be? One of the children, no older than his brother? Some scared pathetic kid? Or would his opponent be Tavi once again?)
"Yeah, that's true I guess," Capo sighed. "Do the others have a plan, or…?"
"Mm, not entirely. Givenchy doesn't want to outright give him the boot, he'd rather keep him close where we can watch him. Priest agrees with him, and Castellanos… well, she doesn't seem to know what she wants."
"And what do you think?"
"I think that I already have a backup plan installed for us and that we should let the others make their own mistakes with Octavius," Atalanta explained. "I've picked us up another ally, like I told you- Orion."
Capo nodded- if they could just break away cleanly from the Careers, they'd likely have a much easier time in the Arena. With Tavi making himself the biggest target, it relieved plenty of the pressure from their escape, although it didn't exactly happen how Capo would've liked it to.
"And I get to meet Orion today?" Capo asked- he'd seen the boy around, and at a glance he seemed capable enough. Larger than many of the other outer District kids, he seemed to be keeping mostly to himself. Capo didn't mind bringing in a few strays- especially if they weren't going to cause nearly as many problems as their fellow Careers.
"Yeah, he'll swing by the bathrooms over there at some point, and you can go and talk to him."
"A chat in the bathroom?" Capo asked, incredulously. "Couldn't have picked a nicer spot? Like the nice rooftop chat you got last night?"
"Well, we have somewhere to be tonight, so I figured this was the best I could do," Atalanta reasoned. "Just make it quick, and don't let anybody overhear it. I want to keep the others out of this entirely."
"Yes ma'am," Capo affirmed, with a fake salute to go with it. Atalanta certainly knew precisely what she wanted, and he wasn't about to go screwing around with her plans- not when she was doing the majority of the legwork.
And somehow, he was okay with that. Capo had never been one for teamwork- never been one to seek out others for help, and yet, somehow with Atalanta, Capo didn't mind so much.
They were a team- even if they couldn't both go to the end.
(And Capo knew they wouldn't.)
"See, there he goes right now," Atalanta exclaimed, slapping his shoulder. "Go talk to him, go go go-"
"Okay, okay, okay," Capo relented, dragging himself off the uncomfortable bench. "I'm going, I'm going."
Capo trudged his way across the room- he wasn't entirely looking forward to this, but hopefully, Orion wasn't terrible. Atalanta talked well enough about him, and he trusted her enough.
(But did he trust her too much?)
Capo pushed his way through the bathroom door and found Orion standing in the center of the room, hands shoved in his pockets. They stared at each other for a moment, as the door clattered shut behind him.
"Uh, hello," Orion said. "You're… Capo?"
"That's me," Capo nodded stiffly. "And you're Orion?"
Orion nodded back. Capo stepped further into the room, leaning against the counter in front of a sink- face to face with the other boy now. Orion looked like he didn't particularly want to be there having this conversation, which Capo couldn't blame him for.
"So, Atalanta's recruited you, eh?" Capo continued- seeing as Orion didn't seem to want to. "You know what you're getting yourself into?"
"I do."
"Do you have any training?"
"No."
"Eh, we can fix that in the Arena," Capo sighed. "You know about what happened yesterday? Why she wants to bring you in?"
Orion nodded- less stiffly this time, and a little more eagerly. "I'm aware."
"So what do you think about all of it?"
Orion paused, for a second. "I don't know what to think. I'm no Career, I don't know anything about your politics."
"But you're still willing to be involved with them?"
Orion shrugged. "I'm not though. Not really. As far as I'm concerned, you guys are like titans clashing with little regard for what happens to everyone else around you. And I want to avoid being caught in that crossfire."
Capo nodded- he couldn't disagree with the sentiment. If he could step out, and let the Fours and Ones do all of the battling, with a guaranteed escape route and supplies already locked in, why wouldn't he?
"Well, I like the sound of that," Capo hummed. "I'll talk to Atalanta, and I'll let her get back to you, yeah?"
"Sounds fine by me," Orion shrugged. "Just… one more thing."
"Yeah?"
"Do you think not taking a side here is what you should do?"
Capo shrugged, nonchalantly. It was in his best interest- he didn't wish to get further onto Tavi's bad side, and he wasn't entirely sure what to make of Gucci's meddling. Tavi had one thing right- the One boy was strange, always watching, always thinking, like he was actively computing the most efficient way to get rid of them all.
"I think so. The Fours are weak, and the Ones are domineering, and we will not be getting in the way of whatever comes of that."
"Okay," Orion nodded, seemingly pleased with the response. "Okay. I'll let you go now."
"Just wait a minute before coming out, so we don't leave at the same time," Capo suggested, giving Orion a thumbs up. As he stepped out, the Twelve boy responded with a thumbs up of his own.
The last thing Capo wanted was to be trapped- pinned down by two oppressive forces, and if this was the necessary plan to ensure that, well…
(Capo O'Hagan would not be made helpless again.)
Tanwen Bast, 16
District Twelve
Tanwen stepped back around the corner as the bathroom door swung open. The Career emerged first, his arm cradled in a sling- he didn't even look back as he returned across the training room.
(This was perhaps the most intriguing of all the things Tanwen had learned here.)
It didn't matter what decisions Orion made, of course, it wasn't like they were allies. But when they'd seen him slip away into one of the out-of-the-way bathrooms, and Capo followed him, she couldn't help but linger close enough to hear.
A secret or two never hurt anybody- at least, the secret she knew wouldn't hurt her. It was nothing more than information, and that was all it'd be.
Besides that, Tanwen had her eyes set on a much less dangerous alliance- she didn't want to join any of course, most of the other tributes were idiots, and the ones who weren't would just slow her down. No, they had to go at this alone, just as she always did.
Their own shadow was company enough for them.
Tanwen stalked away from the bathroom, scanning over the familiar training room. They'd spent most of the first day familiarizing herself with the layout of the room, after all, being in such a wide open foreign space after so long in the tunnels… it'd been decidedly odd. They'd always been good at keeping track of such things, and this was no different-
Only here was Tanwen keeping track of people. Real, live, people.
(Real live people who'd be dead in mere days or hours.)
Finally, she spotted the group she wanted to see. The Nine boy's alliance was loud, flashy, and by her standards, annoying. And based on the conversations she'd heard bits and pieces of over the past days, they all seemed to be… not exactly the smartest. The boy, Rowdy, was the only one who seemed to have a decent head on his shoulders, but even then, Tanwen couldn't miss his inflated ego even if he was on the other side of District Twelve.
They were perfect for what Tanwen intended- she was one little girl, all alone. She couldn't take out entire alliances by more traditional means, that much they knew.
But Tanwen Bast was nothing if not patient. They could wait from the shadows until the opportune moment, and pick off their supplies, assuming they got any. And when they were sucked dry of all their resources, they could move on to another group they'd been keeping an eye on- perhaps Sabai's alliance.
No matter how she looked at it though, would she be able to win the Games through sheer, overwhelming force? No, Tanwen would take them by surprise- take them all by surprise.
(Whatever it took to get home. Whatever it took to get back to Father. No matter the cost.)
Settling into one of the stations near the alliance, Tanwen attempted to look as busy as they could with fish hook making. She could hear their incessant chattering. The loud girl- Barbie -was telling some absurd story about her life at home. From Tanwen's listening, it seemed she did a lot of that. Talking. But the words didn't seem to mean anything.
"You did that?" Aneira asked with a giggle.
"I sure did, darlin'" Barbie responded. "The Peacekeepers seem scary, but running away from them is thrilling."
"It sounds like it," Rowdy responded. "At home, they'd probably just shoot you."
"Nah, Six is weird."
"Of course it is," Rowdy said, sounding rather uninterested. "Alright. I'm done here- I'm gonna go grab some water."
"Water sounds great!" Forte agreed, chipper as ever. "I'll come with you."
"Fine."
Tanwen watched out of the corner of her eye as the two got up and walked away further into the training room. Forte, it seemed, was glued to Rowdy's side, hardly ever leaving him alone. He didn't seem to mind though, at least not from what Tanwen had witnessed.
"You know, I think they're up to somethin'," Barbie remarked, attempting to whisper, but her voice carried like vibrations through the earth.
"What do you mean?" Aneira responded, innocently.
"Dunno- they just spend so much time together, yanno?"
"Well yeah, but I don't think they're up to anything."
"Maybe they're fuckin'."
Tanwen stifled a laugh, as Aneira responded with a gasp.
"You can't just say things like that!"
"Yeah, I sure can. And I dunno, but if they are up to somethin'... well who knows what that means for us."
"What are you saying, Barbie?"
"I'm saying, that if they're planning on using us as cannon fodder… maybe we should have a fallback plan?"
"I don't think they're trying to get us killed- at least not Forte," Aneira reasoned. "Maybe I can talk to her?"
"Well if they're in cahoots, then talking to her means he knows, and we're fucked!"
"I don't know what to think."
"That's fine, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, cause, well…"
Tanwen paused her fish hook-making to lean in closer- it looked more like a ring made of wire instead of a hook -but she still couldn't make out the words of what Barbie said next. Apparently, Barbie had finally learned how to whisper, to Tanwen's annoyance. As Barbie stopped talking, Aneira giggled- whatever the Six girl said, it couldn't have been too horrible, perhaps a first for Barbie in all the time Tanwen had been surveying them.
"If you say so Barbie. I look forward to it," Aneira finally responded, her voice still giggly.
"I do say so… oh they're coming back, look casual."
Tanwen watched as Rowdy and Forte came back, rejoining their allies, without a single clue about what had just transpired. Tanwen wondered what'd happen if she marched up and announced the conversation she'd heard right now, not that they would.
No, they wouldn't. Not when everything was riding on this plan.
They settled in for a long rest of the day, making fish hooks. But that didn't bother Tanwen. None of this did, it was her plan, her best shot at making it home again. Tanwen would see it through- see Father through, finally, after all these years. She'd been so close that they could practically touch him… if only they'd gotten a little farther…
(And Tanwen would do anything to get back to him once again.)
Calypso Castellanos, 18
District Four
Calypso tapped her foot over and over again, staring into the elevator doors. It felt like it was taking forever to arrive on the second floor, and yet she was still trying to convince herself not to turn around and run back to her room.
The others were nice, sure, especially the Ones. But that wasn't Calypso's problem- no, her problem was different.
(Tavi. She didn't even know where to start- he'd attacked another Career, during training. Calypso didn't even know where to begin with him. She'd anticipated being the weak link of the pack, of being the issue, but he'd quickly eclipsed her. And now, all she could do was worry- about what he would do, about what he was capable of.)
Calypso didn't know. And she didn't particularly want to know.
The elevator stopped, jolting slightly beneath her, which certainly didn't improve her anxiety. The doors slid open, revealing both of the Twos.
"Good evening," Atalanta greeted her, cheerfully. Her heels clacked on the floor immaculately, her entire outfit as put together as the girl wearing it. "You look wonderful."
"Thank you," Calypso responded, nervously wiping her hands on her pants. Capo stepped in behind his partner, his arm still resting in its sling. "How's your arm?"
"Huh?" Capo remarked, as if snapping out of a daydream. "Oh, my arm? It's… fine. I don't need the sling, but they want me to keep wearing it."
"I hope it won't impact your session tomorrow too much."
"I doubt it," Capo shrugged. "I've done worse to myself in training."
"I'm sorry-" Calypso blurted out, Capo looking surprised at her apology. "I'm sorry he did that to you."
"Don't be. It's not like you caused it. I chose to fight him, and he chose to act that way," Capo explained, bluntly. "Next time, he won't get an upper hand on me like that."
Calypso nodded curtly. She knew Tavi would never apologize himself- he was too wrapped up in his own head to ever think of doing such a thing. But still, Calypso felt like she had to. Maybe for him, or maybe for herself, or perhaps for her District. She couldn't stand it, couldn't stand that he'd stain their home District so easily when they'd worked for years to be considered on the same level as the other Careers.
"I appreciate knowing you don't condone what he did, though," Capo followed up, Atalanta nodding along.
"Yeah," Calypso sighed. "I- I just don't entirely know… what to do about any of it."
"I can't blame you," Atalanta chimed in. "It's… a lot."
Calypso nodded again, as the elevator doors slid open again. She allowed the Twos to step off before following suit herself.
The apartment was grand, even by the Capitol's standards. The walls were white marble, encased in golden trim. The ceilings were high, a chandelier dripping with crystals dangling from the ceiling, alongside painted murals. The couches were purple velvet, a distinct contrast to the girl sprawled out across it.
"Welcome to our mojo dojo casa house!" Adonis declared as they spotted the others stepping in, jumping to their feet. "I'm glad you all could make it. Or, well, most of you."
Capo laughed. "I'm not complaining."
"Thank you for having us," Atalanta followed up. "It's wonderful to spend more time with everyone."
Calypso nodded- should she say something? She didn't have anything to contribute, but it felt… wrong to not chime in.
"C'mon guys, come sit down," Adonis said, herding them towards the couch.
Calypso settled into the couch, seated between Adonis and Capo. Gucci only watched with a hint of amusement, as they all settled in.
"So… what's on the itinerary?" Atalanta asked, folding her hands in her lap.
"Uh…" Adonis trailed off, as they leaned into the couch, throwing an arm over the back of the couch behind Caly. "No plan, but we might have some board games."
"Board games?"
"Yeah, board games. It's not like we're here for some war council shit," Donnie grinned. "We all need to relax a little, relieve tensions after yesterday, yanno?"
Calypso's hands balled into the fabric of her pants- they couldn't let up now, if anything they should be using the time given to them to figure out what to do about Tavi.
As her mind began to race, a warm hand squeezed her shoulder- Adonis, giving her an assured smile. Calypso couldn't help but feel herself relax- she'd spent so many hours with the One tribute over the past few days, that she couldn't help but feel slightly more at ease with them around. They were something else- like no other trainee Calypso had ever seen before. They were skilled, self-assured without being cocky, and generally incredibly nice to be around. Nothing like any of the girls Calypso had trained with at home.
Adonis Priest was an anomaly, just the same as Tavi Nikoletos was.
(The only difference was Calypso wanted to understand them, wanted to be around them. They were polarizing, and fascinating, and everything Calypso wished she could've been.)
But she wasn't. She wouldn't be. She could never understand Adonis. She couldn't afford this, couldn't afford to get attached.
Couldn't afford to be weak.
(How would Adonis look at her if they knew?)
"How about you take the Twos to find a game, Donnie? And me and Four here pick out the tunes," Gucci chimed in.
"Sounds good to me," Atalanta agreed, and Capo shrugged, seemingly indifferent.
"You better not have terrible taste in music, Four," Gucci remarked, pushing out of his chair. He moved towards the front of the room, and Calypso rose, following him. Gucci opened a drawer of the TV stand, as the other Careers filed out of the room, Adonis' loud voice echoing throughout the marble halls. A record player sat upon the TV stand, the largest Calypso had ever seen- not that she'd seen many.
"So, what kind of music do you like?" Gucci asked, flipping between the records. Despite how well Adonis talked about him, Calypso couldn't help but be terrified of him- the way he watched, scrutinized, spoke. Everything about him screamed threat, and Calypso had never even seen him fight.
"I- um, well, I don't listen to much music," Calypso responded, shifting nervously. "Record players are expensive at home. So I guess you can pick whatever you like"
"Ah," Gucci nodded, continuing to flip. "Well, Four seems like an interesting place."
"I suppose. Not as interesting as One, I don't think."
"Your training is quite different from my understanding," Gucci continued. "Both of you fight… different from us, or even the Twos. Fluid, like water, although that's sort of cheesy."
"What're you getting at?" Calypso blurted out it was clear he was after something, something he thought she had, but what? Calypso didn't know, but would rather just rip the band-aid off instead of continuing to let Gucci put pressure on her. The last thing she wanted was to crack under the pressure.
"What I'm getting at is a contingency plan," Gucci explained. "For your little rogue District partner."
"Wh- what kind of plan?"
"That depends. It depends on what his next steps are. And it depends on what you tell me. I know we aren't exactly close, but Adonis seems fond of you, and I trust their judgement. You seem smart enough to know we cannot just allow him to do whatever he pleases. He's dangerous- how dangerous, I'm not entirely sure.
"So you tell me, Calypso. What is Octavius Nikoletos capable of?"
Calypso knew.
She knew what he was capable of. Since the moment Calypso knew who she'd be going to the Capitol with, she'd hoped the rumours about what he'd done to Harbor were just that- rumours.
But they weren't. Tavi had proven that himself. He'd lost control, killed Harbor in a sanctioned fight, and he'd lost it again, against Capo. If Gucci hadn't been there… Calypso didn't want to think about what could've happened.
He couldn't be trusted, couldn't be relied on. All he would bring was ruin and death to those around him.
(Octavius Nikoletos would tear the entire arena apart, and what would Calypso be able to do about that? She wasn't a fighter, she was soft, and she was only here because of a fluke. Tavi would cut through her like she meant nothing.)
But Gucci and Adonis? They were strong- a team. Surely, if they worked together, they could handle Tavi. Calypso didn't want to sell him out, didn't want to betray her District like this, but Tavi's actions screamed out what she'd known all along, loud and clear.
"He- he's a murderer," Calypso blurted out. "He killed the boy who was ahead of him in the rankings in cold blood so he could volunteer. And he probably would've killed Capo too, if you hadn't been there."
"Hm," Gucci hummed, pulling out a record at last. "I see."
"I see?"
"I see," Gucci repeated, deftly placing the record into the table, placing the needle upon it. "This… brings a lot of things into perspective. Thank you for telling me that."
"Of- of course," Calypso responded, uncertainly. "What are you… going to do?"
Gucci grinned, putting his hands up, as if to say he was guilty. "That is for me to know, and for you to find out. You don't need to trust me, just don't… mention this to anyone else, okay? Not even Adonis."
"I- okay. Okay."
"And if anything happens, stick close to them, yes?"
"Yes."
"Good," Gucci said, satisfied. "You know something, Calypso?"
"What?"
"You're much stronger than you think you are," Gucci said. "Telling me everything like you just did, that takes some courage. So at least consider giving yourself some credit for it, yeah?"
Calypso shook her head- no she couldn't bear to believe him. Not now, not after she'd betrayed her District. Even if it was for the greater good, she'd only done it for her self-preservation.
(And how could courage possibly come from an act so selfish?)
