"🆆🅷🅴🆁🅴'🆂 the old man?" Aries had asked after a heartfelt meal, Estella was still having some sweets, sometimes hitting his shoulder to pass more as his side of the table held more. "Dennis is taking a nap. It's been an exhausting day."
On a muted TV behind Iphigenia. Estella and Aries see a nightly round-up of coverage from all the Reaping Ceremonies across Panem today: Twelve Districts, each selecting a lucky boy and girl.
A monstrous boy from District 2, a fox-faced girl from 6, and a boy with a crippled foot from 10. And, most hauntingly, a 12-year-old girl from District 11. She has brown skin and soulful eyes. Estella just stares while Aries frowns at the screen.
Then, clips from District 5, their district. They show Aries being selected and unhesitantly walking up without any force. Estella herself volunteered on behalf of Susan. Just as they thought it was about to end, District 12 came up. Katniss and Peeta.
Estella had a sensation the girl was going to be in a lot of trouble for the game while Aries's interest grew clear in his eyes at the pair. Both knew District 12 was someone they shouldn't mess with, especially with a mentor who had not only won but had a great reputation in the Capitol too.
"Is he going to tell us what to-" Estella was about to ask Dennis when the screen showed Haymitch the well-known mentor stumbling drunkenly on stage. However, Iphigenia cut her off from continuing as she voiced out her thoughts. Something very much offending, "I'm thrilled you two have such decent manners! The pair last year ate everything with their hands! It completely upset my digestion."
Estella looks down at their empty plate feeling offended at Iphigenia for saying such a thing about kids who have been starved, disregarding. Aries handle it with his bluntness, "Hungry people don't think much about manners." Iphigenia becomes silent at the response, Estella decided to not get involved and continues with her sweets chewing while keeping her eyes on the other candidates on the TV.
"Checking out the competition, Estella?" Estella glanced at the female mentor before Aries, then responded, "Just the Careers." /"I'm afraid I don't know what that-" Estella let out a soft scoff that was not meant to be heard, but it did as she gave Iphigenia a fake smile. The pair knew that she was playing innocent to what they were talking about, "The Tributes that are trained for the Games by their Districts."
"No Districts do that." Bullshit.
Estella and Aries know it. But Iphigenia tries to manipulate them away from it. They both shared a knowing glance before looking at Iphigenia with an: 'Are you being serious right now,' facial expression, not believing a word coming out of her mouth even when she used the 'rumor' excuse. "That's just a rumor. Everyone knows District training is illegal."
Aries took the lead now instead of Estella which she didn't mind since she came to understand his personality. His desires to get the last words, "Then why do the winners always come from One, Two, and Four every year?" Iphigenia pauses, looking around as if Dennis would abruptly appear and save her from the pair that leaked out pure alpha mood. "T-The Tributes from the wealthier Districts get more sponsors, that's all. S-So they get more help. There's nothing sinister about it."
She just lost them, officially. More tension grew, and Estella signaled Aries to let it go for now which he luckily did. The tension isn't placid at all until Dennis stumbles in like he is in a fluster. "I miss supper?"
Tense silence.
He takes a seat beside Iphigenia who was giving him a signal through her eyes but he wasn't catching it. Estella and Aries can imminently inhale the alcohol reeking out of the man's mouth, their thought of the chances for their mentor to be drunk comes true when Dennis sets his drink down and unfolds his napkin. Estella grimaces at the smell while Aries scowl heatedly at the drunk mentor, Iphigenia granted out a sigh, sensing the pressure generating more jeopardy than before.
Estella watches carefully, keeping her eyes on Dennis's movement, and when the man reflexively reaches for a bottle of white Gin. She just as reflexively grabs Dennis's hand. It shocks the hell out of everyone, mostly Iphigenia as Aries was proud of her. "Sir, I think we'd both prefer it if you didn't have anymore. You're supposed to be advising us."
Dennis looks between the pair, Iphigenia still trying her best to fix everything. "Here's some advice. Don't die!" Dennis burst out into a peal of booming loud laughter as Estella and Aries stare at each other, the latter letting out a laugh too and joining Dennis. "That's very amusing!" Aries said while banging his palm on the table as his laughter didn't stop, while Estella held herself from rolling her eyes and grabbing onto her plates since his blows had caused the plates and utensils to shake rapidly on the table.
Iphigenia let out a relieved sigh, thinking the atmosphere was excellent until Aries threw Dennis's glass to the floor, shattering it, instantly he dropped their act of fake laughing and scowled at the man. "Only not to us." Iphigenia brought up her finger and nervously bit on her fingernails. Estella took the chance to fix her plates as if disregarding the dispute that she might have started.
Dennis considers that for a moment, impressed, then slugs Aries in the jaw which he is able to dodge but Dennis knocks him from his chair. Even after that he easily got up effortlessly without making any impact on his body. Being forced off his seat, the mentor had made Aries twice as furious.
As Dennis reaches for the bottle. Estella took a butterknife, the closet utensil to stab his hand with, barely missing flesh. The knife digs itself into the table. Iphigenia let out a gasp at the quick scene she had just witnessed with the Dennis Fling. The mentor stared at the two tributes who in return held the contact but with a more dominant vibe, indicating they wouldn't hesitate to harm him.
SILENCE.
Everyone waited for an explosion from Dennis but it never came, "Well. Did I get a pair of fighters this year?" Aries rolled his eyes and let out a groan, slumping back in his seat. Estella and he shared eye contact, having a telepathic communication even when they just met today. For some reason, they were able to click quickly as if old friends despite their bickers.
Dennis smirked at this, remembering also how swiftly Aries moved in a small space. The male was able to avoid more harm to his body than the impact he had to take. Takes note that Aries is great at close combat skills. Dennis then suddenly moves his attention to Estella, "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"
Estella glances at the man first, studying what he could be planning then yanks the knife from the table and throws it, suppressing a small gap from an open door to the next room and at the far wall. It sticks between two-panel seams. Iphigenia lets out a high-pitched scream.
Aries, on the other hand, had clapped his hand so clamorously and cheered which earned him another throw of an apple to be quiet which this time he caught. Dennis advances and circles his two Tributes, analyzing them. He got a genuine pair this year, a close-combat expert, and a long-range while at it.
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