Dreamlessly (Chapter 10)

The park was the perfect place to gather, in Zucker's opinion. It was close enough to everyone's houses that they could all meet in a timely fashion, and there were plenty of places for them to sit and talk when they were trying to escape their responsibilities. After high school, it was sometimes hard to find a time where they could all meet together, but he knew that his friends would drop everything for him.

Officially, the park was a memorial to the victors of district three, with statues placed along the paths as a constant reminder to the district of the heroes that preceded them. He didn't really care about the victors. The fact that it was a public outdoor meeting place was good enough for him.

The eighteen-year old inhabitant of district three had graduated high school several weeks earlier, still recently enough that it was odd to not have somewhere to go every day. Zucker knew to enjoy his brief stint of freedom, as his parents were constantly bothering him to find a permanent position at their plant. Couldn't a guy just enjoy the bliss of not being stuck in a building filled with other teenagers every day?

That was a bit of a lie. He had enjoyed being in school, believe it or not, but it was a good enough excuse to keep himself from being too tied down by work. It wouldn't last forever, though. He was lucky that his parents liked him. Everyone liked him. He'd gotten used to that, too, having people that thought highly of Zucker Osmara.

The sun was going down, the park illuminated by old and flickering street lights. The small group of teenagers that had gathered inside a gazebo had no intention of leaving anytime soon. In this part of district three, there wasn't much to worry about at night. No one would bother their group anyway. As he leaned up against the railing of the gazebo, his back against the wooden bars, he surveyed the four other boys that had joined him. They were missing two of the usual crowd, as their schedules hadn't allowed for them to join their evening antics.

"Have you seen that statue, though? It's almost as ugly as our algebra teacher! Looks like it's about to yell at us for not turning in our homework," joked Dexter, sitting directly to Zucker's left. A couple of the boys chuckled, while one of them rolled his eyes. This didn't go unnoticed by Dexter, who playfully shook his head and leaned forward.

"Oh, right, sorry Quark! I forgot that you had a crush on her daughter. I guess they didn't look that similar," he grinned, causing Quark to begin to stand with his fists balled.

Zucker, sensing the tension, put an arm out to stop Quark from getting up since the teen was sitting on his right side. Taking the hint, Quark grunted and then glanced over at the statue on the other side of the path that led to the gazebo. It didn't really look like their algebra teacher, in Zucker's opinion, but Dexter would take any opportunity to make a dig at the boy he'd once been in contention with for that coveted metaphorical spot of being the most popular in school.

A couple of years ago, this friend group would have never been seen together. Zucker was the glue that held them in place, the bond that kept them from separating. The boys that had once been rivals were now friends, sometimes reluctantly, all part of the plan that he'd kept from behind the scenes. He knew practically everyone who had been at school, and while he didn't care enough to remember all of their names, he'd selected a few chosen friends that he felt benefited him the best.

All of his maneuverings and secret manipulations didn't really have an end goal. He simply liked being in control of everything, and while he wasn't one to show his cards before they were in play, he did like to have a firm hand on them. Whatever that meant. The metaphor was a bit lost on him.

"So, any progress in finding out what your parents are going to make you do?" asked Quark, clearly trying to change the subject with a question directed at Zucker. In response, he shrugged, thinking about the last several weeks of rotating through practically every job in the plant. At some point, he was going to have to settle on something. Floor management wasn't that bad. Still, the brown-eyed boy didn't intend on letting himself be tied down that easily.

"Eh. I'll find something eventually. They're a bit distracted with getting everything shipped out to the capitol before next month. The games always throw a bit of chaos into the mix, especially when there are a lot of orders," he remarked, thinking ahead to the upcoming nationwide event. It felt so far off that he didn't really care to think about it.

His parents' plant was always the busiest in the months of May and June. Things could get hectic. Typically, they were on top of things, though sometimes orders fell through the cracks and they had to rush to get things sent out.

The games had never really been something he had to think about. Sure, they'd set aside time in school every year to watch them, and reaping day was always fun because he got to see people from across the city and nearby towns. It just wasn't a hallmark of his life every year. He didn't look forward to them, and just didn't really care enough to remember who'd won recently. If someone had asked him to name the last several victors, he wouldn't have been able to.

The last district three victory had been nine years ago, and he could barely remember how it'd happened. Zucker was pretty sure that the statue nearby was of that victor. Maybe her name started with a B? Bree? Belinda? Something like that. If his parents knew his lack of interest in the games, they probably would have chastised him, just because that was a normal parent thing to do.

"Right, the games. I can't imagine any of us will get chosen. All of our names are only in there, what, three times each? It's nice not having to take out tesserae. Can't imagine having to worry about them more," chimed in Dexter, nonchalantly fidgeting with a bracelet that he wore.

Pix, one of the other boys, looked embarrassed for a second, though the emotion quickly passed. Focusing in on him, Zucker watched him grow more and more uncomfortable as Dexter continued speaking. By this point, he'd mostly tuned out Dexter. It wasn't all that surprising when Pix excused himself to go take a walk.

From personal experience, he knew that Pix's family was poorer than the rest of the boys in their friend group, and it wouldn't have surprised him if Pix had to take out tesserae. It was callous of Dexter to assume that all of their families were in a financially good place. Normally, Zucker wouldn't have cared, but this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. He felt like Pix was slowly drifting away from the rest of the group, and he wasn't going to sit down and accept that.

What would happen if Pix started to spread rumors about them? If It caused another divide in the group? Pix had always been closer to Quark. No, that couldn't happen. Moving to stand, Zucker nodded to Quark, who looked as though he was about to chase after his friend.

"I'll be right back. Don't wander off while I'm gone," announced Zucker, standing up and exiting the gazebo. Dexter looked bored, continuing to talk about the games as if nothing had happened.

It took him a minute to track down Pix, who'd disappeared into the grove of trees that were still in view of the gazebo. The other teen was sitting in the grass, arms tight around his knees, looking slightly green. Zucker steeled himself for an uncomfortable conversation, and moved to sit down next to his friend. They weren't the closest, but they knew each other well enough to have a private conversation.

"I can't believe he'd say something like that. Doesn't he remember last year? The nightmare that was taking out tesserae in front of the whole school? Quark is right. He really is an asshole," said Pix in a quiet tone, almost whispering. Zucker patted him on the back quickly and hoped that the other boy wouldn't start crying. That would be extremely inconvenient.

Even Zucker remembered last year's tesserae disaster. For some reason, the school had thought that it would be smart to have their students put their names in the reaping jar while at school, and sign up for tesserae at that time. It had led to a lot of social ostracization for some students, and hadn't been renewed for the next year. In all honesty, he might have forgotten about Pix's role in the whole thing, however.

"Hey, I'm sure he didn't mean it. You know how he gets sometimes. We're talking about Dexter. He's forgotten his girlfriends' birthdays more times than I can count. We're not talking about someone that's gifted in the memory department," replied Zucker, forcing a smile. When it didn't seem to help, he dropped the smile.

"Listen. It doesn't even matter. Plenty of teenagers sign up for tesserae, all across the nation. It's not a unique thing. He's probably just insecure about it. His cousin's family, you know, the one that he doesn't talk to anymore? They had to take out tesserae last year. Dexter is trying to joke about it to cover up his own anxieties," continued the brown-haired teenager.

Being close enough to all of his friends had awarded him knowledge on everyone's families and their struggles, which certainly helped when he had to take someone to the side like this. As long as he could say it in a way where it wouldn't be traced back to him, he was willing to dole out his information. It seemed to help Pix, as the boy stopped sniffling and made eye contact with Zucker. He was the first one to look away, mainly because the sappiness in Pix's eyes was a little too much for him.

"I guess you're right. That doesn't make me like him any more, though. If I get reaped for the games, he'll never be able to live it down, so I guess there's one benefit to that. Thanks, man," Pix reached out to shake Zucker's hand, which was far preferable to the moment where Zucker was worried about him reaching out for a hug.

Together, the two stood up, and started making their way back to the gazebo. Before they made it back, Pix stopped, opened his mouth, and then promptly closed it again. Zucker frowned in response.

"Got something to say?" he asked, tilting his head inquisitively. Pix glanced at the floor, then tightened his face, clearly struggling with what he wanted to say. Finally, he managed to get it out, making Zucker blink in surprise.
"You know, you're really cool, Zucker," stammered Pix. Zucker smiled, taking the compliment, and wondered why it had been so hard for Pix to voice his words. Of course he was cool. He was Zucker Osmara. When they were back at the gazebo, it seemed the almost-fight earlier had been forgotten, and they sat back down. Immediately, they began joking about something that had happened a couple months before the school year ended, reminiscing about their days of being top of the social food chain.

Pretty soon, it got dark enough that they all had to head home. As they stood up to leave, all going their separate ways, Zucker congratulated himself on a job well done. He really worked tirelessly to make sure that his friend group didn't fall apart, and today was just another example of that.

He doubted that he'd care about Pix's compliment or having to console him after a few days passed. Maybe he'd see if his parents would offer Pix a job at the plant. Zucker didn't like to ask his parents for much, and didn't typically care enough to be this benevolent, but it couldn't' hurt to try. They always had positions that needed filling at work, and maybe his parents would see this as having some sort of initiative to do something in the workplace. In the end, it would certainly benefit him.

Chapter Ten Part Two

There weren't many streetlights in district twelve. A few existed, in the main parts of town, but most of the district remained in darkness during the hours of the night. Often, citizens would carry candles or lanterns with them when they had to venture outside. Tonight, the moon was full, and it was bright enough to illuminate paths that normally didn't see light in the evenings. The days were long, with the longest day of the year on the horizon.

A small patch of trees, what could barely be called a forest, offered some refuge from that light for those that shunned the brightness. It wasn't much, but in the very center there was a tightly grouped tangle of trees that provided some shelter.

That was where Kimba Flint spent most of her nights. Sure, she liked to roam around the forest. This little hidey hole was her favorite spot when there were too many people out, or when she simply needed some time to think. At the present, she was shifting around in the dirt, looking for any signs of someone else being there.

When she'd entered the thicket, she'd noticed that there were branches out of place. It was clear to her that her space had been disturbed, which irritated her to no end. Kimba wouldn't be able to stand it if someone else occupied what she viewed as being hers. If it came down to it, she knew she'd win in an altercation. Her teeth and nails were well-used.

Part of the reason that Kimba had found this spot was because of that restless curiosity that drove her to explore. She knew every inch of the woods, and most of the area in town was familiar to her. Her long days of running around barefoot had allowed her to poke her head into every tiny spot.

Scowling up at the moon through the trees, she raised an arm up to move away some branches, turning around when she heard a voice calling from outside. Freezing, she carefully knelt down, curling herself up so that she wouldn't be found. Being still didn't sit well with her at all. It wasn't long before she started to squirm about, listening to the footsteps that were coming closer and closer. If she had to guess, judging from the voice, one of her sisters had come to find her.

It wouldn't be Katherine. She was too busy as of late, too busy to spend time with her sisters. It wouldn't be Delia either. She was too weak, too scared to come out and find her. That meant that it had to be Nuria, who was her least favorite.

Crawling underneath the leaves and thorns, she exited out of the back entrance of the trees, listening as she did so. Nuria was practically yelling. Her anger was obvious in the way that she spoke. This wasn't uncommon, though it didn't mean that Kimba liked it. She was used to the spats that she got into with her sister.

"Kimba! Get out here right now!" shouted Nuria, loud enough that several birds flew away. The dark-haired girl would have chased the birds, had it been any other occasion. Without thinking, she jumped up, having finished crawling out of the undergrowth. Nuria was startled, but the fire in her eyes was still there.

"You need to stop going out here at night! The peacekeepers have been lurking around recently. Ugh, you're always like this. Will you stand still, please?" grumbled Nuria, crossing her arms as Kimba darted around her. Shaking her head, Kimba took a few steps backward, not wanting to stay in one spot.

Reaching out to grab her, Nuria's intent didn't seem to be threatening. Kimba still didn't trust her. Best case scenario, she'd be dragged back home, and made to sit and work on her reading primer until it was time for bed. Worst case scenario, Nuria would get their father involved.

Kimba easily dodged her sister, and then scowled at the older girl. Throwing her hands up in exasperation, her sister tapped her foot on the ground. The next time Nuria reached out to her, Kimba didn't hesitate. She quickly slashed her sharp nails against her sister's arm, and when the arm came close to her mouth, she grabbed it and bit down. Nuria let out a shriek, wrenching her arm back as it started to bleed.

Mouth filled with the tangy taste of blood, she spat onto the ground, not wanting to swallow the metallic liquid. Her sister was nursing her arm, and slowly backed away, eyes full of fear.

"I'm telling Katherine! Oh, Kimba, you've really done it this time!" hissed Nuria, turning around and running for the edge of the forest. Katherine would be at home with her family, and wouldn't be available to help Nuria, unless Nuria was desperate to get her wound bandaged. Kimba didn't think that Katherine would be very pleased about the matter.

Maybe Delia would help her with the bandages, if they could get their hands on any. Unsure of why she cared so much, she examined her fingernails, noticing that there was blood under them as well. Crap. That would be there until she had access to some water. The sink in their house was currently broken, waiting to be fixed by her father.

It was still dark, only illuminated by the moon, but the well-worn path out of the woods was still visible. Rubbing her teeth with a finger to try to get the blood off of them, the teenager stood for a moment, then let her impulses get the best of her.

She began to run, careful not to trip over any roots, and within a few minutes she found herself slowing down. This was a part of the forest that she didn't often visit, covered in tangled undergrowth and about as far from the rest of the district as she could get. It was still within the bounds of the fence, as there was no getting past that. Skidding to a halt, she nearly fell onto a large object, something that she hadn't seen before.

Bending down, she brushed a hand over what seemed to be a wooden crate, trying to read what was written on the side. Her curiosity was insatiable, and she immediately took the lid off, not thinking about any danger that could be present within. Holding the top up to the light, she noticed a number and some letters on the side. 59 ADD.

Not the most familiar with history, as she frequently skipped class, she at least knew that it stood for "After Dark Days". 59 ADD was 55 years ago. That was a long time, especially since this crate hadn't been there previously. Maybe someone had moved it there? There wasn't a hole in the ground or anything that would have suggested that it had been dug up.

Putting the lid down, she reached inside, hand blindly grasping for any object that could be within. A piece of wood brushed against her finger and a sharp pain shot through it.

Kimba jerked her hand back, very displeased about getting a splinter. She'd deal with it later.

There didn't seem to be anything in the crate, which was annoying. It must have already been found by someone else. She didn't stop to think about why it could be there, or the dangers of something that clearly was much older than she was. Angrily, she kicked it, only making it budge a couple of inches and making her foot hurt afterward.

There was a vague glimpse of color on the ground that she got when she looked down, and she picked up the book that was half-buried underneath the crate. Dusting it off, she squinted at the cover. It was hard to make out all of the words, so she moved over to a small clearing nearby. Holding it up, she could barely read the contents.

Not wanting to wait to see what it contained, she held it against her and started running back towards the edge of the forest, where there'd be an area with streetlights. That way, she'd be able to read it and discover what it was about. It took her several minutes and a couple of detours to get there, but soon enough she'd managed to find an illuminated spot.

A piece of paper fell out of the book when she opened it up. This seemed to be far newer than the rest of the book, as there were no blots of ink obscuring words and the scrawl was still fairly legible.

Reading it aloud, she recognized the name written there. Olson Conell. Why was that name familiar? It took her a second, but then she realized that it was the name of the district twelve victor from the games eight years ago. Her eyes scanned the message again.

"To Olson Conell- My time to go is soon, but fear not! I've enclosed a record of my time for you, and I hope it will help you in the future. The odds may be against us. What have we ever cared for the odds?" she read, stumbling over some of the words.

It was a mystery who had written the note, as part of it seemed to have been torn off. Part of her wanted to keep it, to stow it away somewhere even though it wasn't intended for her. The other part of her needed to deliver it to Olson, just so she could find out what it meant. Delivering it could be tricky, though. Olson didn't really leave the victor's village very often, and the next time he'd probably be anywhere near her would be the reaping in several weeks.

Putting it in her pocket, she then opened up a random page in what she could now identify as a journal.

June 12th: I can't wait any longer. I have to tell her. My feelings are real. Maybe she'll understand! Still, I'm scared. I might miss my chance. I can't leave her with [redacted]. No one understands. I don't even know if she's capable of feeling the same way about me. I don't want to lose her, but this is my only chance.

Kimba was confused. There was a crossed out name that she couldn't read, and it seemed like most of the names had been crossed out or covered by ink plots. The handwriting was neat, but faded, and if she had to guess she'd say it had been written by a girl. There was a large crossed out section about June 12th, and the passage before that didn't make much sense either. She went on to the next entry.

June 13th: The reaping is tomorrow. I'm scared. Mother says that we shouldn't worry, but my name is in there over and over again. I've made it this far. So close to the end. I chickened out of telling her.

It then went into what seemed like everyday things, or nonsense, things she couldn't understand. Finally, she turned to the next page.

June 14th: I'm sorry, mother. They're taking me away. They said I can bring this with me, but who knows where it'll end up when I die? I didn't get to tell her. He's coming with me. I hate him. I hate him so much. If I'm going to die, I'm taking him with me. I'll promise myself that.

The writing cut off there. Kimba almost didn't want to read any more. Still, she felt a connection to the writer. This could be her own little secret, this journal could be something she kept to herself. At least she could read it all before she gave it to Olson, if she even gave it to him.

As the moon was high in the sky, she could tell that it was getting late. Time to deal with Nuria back at home, and get ready for the next day. Kimba knew that she'd protect this journal with her life.

Chapter Ten Part Three

The smell of the salty ocean was a constant in district four, even inside the many buildings that were farther away from the coast. When near the beach, it was almost overwhelming, and could be rather unpleasant at times when the fishermen were hauling back their catches for the day.

On the edge of a pristine and sandy beach, a small cafe sat nestled in between two larger restaurants, promising a hot cup of coffee and various breads. It wasn't the most high quality cafe to be seen in the district. It was frequented by teenagers and career academy students, mainly due to its low prices and friendly atmosphere. The owners had close ties with the academy, having gone there to train in their youth, but had never made it into the games themselves.

It was morning, a couple hours before the sun reached its peak in the sky. The usual crowd of those getting breakfast and enjoying a leisurely stroll on the beach was present, often the richer denizens of the district that had spare time to take part in such things. With career training currently on pause for most of the students, many had taken solace in the comfort of the cafe.

For those in the career volunteer pool, their training started later in the day, their break from training after the announcements ending with the start of the intensive weeks of academy studies.

The volunteer pool this year had been larger than past years, at least in recent memory. About twenty students had been selected, and at the end of the first week of intense training, it would be narrowed down to ten students. The second week would see it narrowed down to six, and by the time the reaping rolled around, they'd have their two volunteers.

Currently, in the cafe, at a small table by the window, two of the career academy students had just sat down. One had been selected for the volunteer pool, and the other hadn't, but it didn't seem to bother them.

Johan Kaderabek had seen his name on the list a week ago, and had been taking the time since to enjoy his hobbies before he had no time to himself at all. He'd gone fishing on several of the days, but his main priority was spending time with the girl across from him. Coral was his girlfriend, and the pair knew that most of their free time together would come to an end shortly.

As they sat at the cafe table, waiting for their coffee, Johan reached over to take Coral's hand in his own. She smiled at him, and gently patted his hand.

Technically, today was their celebration of him getting into the volunteer pool, since they'd been putting it off until they knew that the cafe wouldn't be super busy. It was much more pleasant when it wasn't crowded with other career academy students. Johan found himself admiring the way that Coral's brunette hair caught the sunlight, and wished that this moment could last a lifetime.

"Are you still happy you decided to come here instead of cooking breakfast yourself? I know you had some fresh fish you wanted to use," asked Coral, breaking the silence.

Normal days saw Johan making breakfast for the two of them. However, today was special, and therefore they'd gone to the cafe. It wasn't as good as he thought his cooking was, but it was tolerable, and the atmosphere was nice. Plus, it made Coral happy. She loved going to the cafe and getting a fresh cup of coffee with cream and sugar.

"I can cook them for dinner when I get home later. I should have time, the instructors are pretty good about making sure we finish our training in a timely manner," he replied, thinking back to his catches from yesterday. While he was always in the mood for fish, and enjoyed cooking them, it did take quite a bit of time to make sure that they were prepared absolutely perfectly.

"Right. And you're ready for training? It's going to be pretty difficult. Even the victors are getting involved," she added, leaning forward slightly.

Johan could tell from his years of analyzing people and the time that he spent with Coral that she was nervous. If he had to guess, he'd say that she was worried about him, which was sweet. He had full confidence in himself that he'd be able to handle it. After all, he'd made it into the volunteer pool. That had to count for something. Additionally, she'd sparred with him before, so she should know his abilities.

He'd always envied his peers for their unique skills. Sometimes, Johan could spend hours watching other people train, picking up their habits and how they held their weapons. He knew a great deal about his fellow career trainees, and was always trying to learn more about how their brains worked.

"I'll be fine. I'll miss you, though," Johan replied with a smile. Coral smiled back, and their fingers intertwined for a second. The shell bracelet that he wore on his wrist had been a gift from her, and was a testament to their closeness.

It was true, he'd miss Coral during training, and he'd miss her if he managed to snag the volunteer spot. He had some tough competition this year, with nine other boys competing against him, but figured that he had just about as good of a chance as any of them. It was a great honor to be the volunteer for the district, and almost everyone at the career academy wanted to get that spot. It didn't matter if they died in the arena, since their focus was always on that coveted victory.

"It's not like you won't see me. You know how often I come over for dinner, and now that I'm not training until after the games are over, I have a lot of spare time. I'll be cheering you on!" she said with enthusiasm. She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, then rested her hands clasped together on the table.

As Johan started to respond, the bell that rang when the cafe door opened made a light chiming noise. Figuring that it was just another patron of the establishment, not anyone special, he didn't bother to look. However, when Coral leaned to the side to peer over his shoulder, he subtly turned around.

Standing behind him, looking at the menu of drinks, stood Rubicon Wake. He was hard to miss, given the many tattoos that covered his arms. Rubicon was the most recent district four victor, having won the 107th games, and was a bit of a local legend.

The 26 year old victor was known for his close friendship with Eren Tidesurf, and his tendency to pop up at random all over the district. While he was close to many of the ordinary people of the district, he was rumored to also be a favorite of the Capitol. It was said that most of his tattoos had been done there. He was kind of a bridge between the two opposing worlds.

Although he'd watched the 107th games as a teenager, Johan didn't remember much of them. He thought that they maybe had a music theme, and that the arena had been futuristic. He seemed to remember that Rubicon hadn't had most of his tattoos at that point, but had at least one during that time.

He didn't mean to stare. It was only when Rubicon gave him a wave and started heading over to their table that he realized he'd been caught.

"Hey, you're Johan, right? I saw that you made it into the volunteer pool! Congrats, man!" grinned Rubicon, causing the occupants of several of the tables near them to turn their heads. In all honesty, Johan was a little starstruck. It wasn't every day that he got to talk to a victor, let alone one like Rubicon. Sure, they showed up as instructors for training on occasion, but it was rare for them to interact with the career academy students out of that.

Rubicon held out his hand to shake Johan's, which he quickly shook in response. Coral looked like she was trying to make herself disappear, which wasn't very typical of her. Up close, Johan could see some of the designs in the tattoos. Some were floral or represented real things, others were simply patterns. There were even tattoos on Rubicon's neck, including one which wrapped around it in a barbed wire pattern.

"I hope you're prepared for the next couple of weeks. They've got Net running drills and weapons, while they've got me working on strategy and alliance tactics. Not sure why they put me there, I guess they just needed someone other than the normal instructors," said Rubicon, nonchalantly. Johan nodded in response.

"I look forward to training with you," Johan replied stiffly. He wasn't sure of how to go about this conversation. Rubicon caught on pretty quickly, and gave him a wide smile.

"No need to be so formal. Oidea is the only victor in the district you've got to worry about that with. Geez, that woman is scary," Rubicon seemed to have noticed that Coral was there too, and looked like he was trying to place where he knew her from.

"Oh, you've trained at the academy too! I've seen you around, you're friends with Penelope and Geraldine, right?" he asked, his attention turning away from Johan. Nervously, Johan bit his lip, though he wasn't sure why. He didn't feel threatened by Rubicon, it was just slightly nerve wracking to deal with someone that would be training him for the next few weeks. '

"Yeah! I'm Coral, nice to meet you! Penny made it into the volunteer pool, she's pretty excited," replied Coral with a smile. From knowing her for so long, he could see her leg shaking under the table and knew that she was also nervous.

The victor seemed to notice the clock on the wall, shaking his head and raising a hand to wave at the person at the counter. They gave him a wave back, holding up what seemed to be a cold drink with his name on it. Reaching into his pocket, Rubicon took out his mobile phone, the kind that was used in the capitol and was a privilege just for victors.

"Well, I'll be on my way, Eren is probably expecting me. Nice meeting you two!" Rubicon said as he nodded at them and then started making his way over to the counter. Both Coral and Johan watched him go, only taking a breath when he had grabbed his drink and was out the door.

Coral let out a nervous giggle when he was gone, and Johan breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's kind of scary, isn't he?" she said, lost in thought. "I mean, he was terrifying in his games, so it's weird to see him like this now. I guess it has been seven years,"

Johan thought back to his memory of the games. It was true, Rubicon had the highest kill count in his games. He now remembered him brutally killing a boy from another district with a chainsaw, though that hadn't been his preferred weapon. The tattoos really didn't help how intimidating he was, either.

"He's not too bad. Did you see his body language when he first saw us? It was like he'd been reminded of something, though he got over it pretty quickly. He also was fidgeting with something in his pocket. I wonder what it was," Johan began to think over every tiny movement that Rubicon made, trying to decipher how the victor really felt.

"Johan. Save analyzing people for the arena," said Coral, laying a hand on his hand.

The blond bashfully shook his head, and then smiled up at Coral. She knew him too well. His interest in what made other people tick was always present, and often got the better of him in situations like this.

Over the next half hour, the two continued to talk and enjoy their tea or coffee. It was so pleasant that Johan found himself sad when it came time to walk Coral back home. Still, his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about the volunteer spot that he had a chance to get.

When training started that afternoon, he focused on his pleasant memories of Coral. He'd make her proud.

Author's Note:

It's been a long time, but I'm back with another chapter! I've been struggling regarding some aspects of this fic, though I'm definitely going to try and get the intros done a little faster than I have been. Submissions are still open, but keep in mind that I'd prefer them over discord and might be selective with the last few spots! I'll be honest and say that Zucker's intro has been done since February, and that it took me several months to resume working on Kimba's and Johan's. I gave it my best effort, but if something seems a little disjointed, it's because of the length of time it took me to get back to working on it. Thank you to those who are still reading! Next chapter will be intros for Nina, Gideon, and Perseus.