🅼🅾🅼🅴🅽🆃🆂 later, massive doors close behind them as Estella and Aries's chariot dazzles in. The parade's over. Silence, now begetting to face the full districts from 1 till 12, 22 children, most of whom will soon be dead. They exit their chariots, Aries disrobing any extra layers like strippers backstage at a bad club, giving the animal skin to Estella for her to cover her insecurities.
Choosing to ignore the heated glares aimed at them, they spotted above them hung a huge TV, showing a broadcast room where two male adults conversed about the two. Claudius, as he was summoned out by the other a large, booming voice spoke out, "For the first time everyone laid eyes on them, they never for once showed deficiency. Many have voted as them for this year's 74th annual winner of hunger game!"
"Yes, for I am one of those people! Dennis Fling their mentor has even holds great background history!" The other adult spoke, going by the name Caesar. "We're expecting a lot this year!"
Estella moved her focus, no longer interested. She notices the dark-skinned girl from District 11 being looked upon by Katniss, most probably still just a child, looking shaky as she removes her costume. She understands why Katniss would somehow be intrigued by a young girl like her.
"...The Games are meant to be family entertainment, after all." She snaps her head in disbelief at the comment spoken out by the host of the broadcast. Her eyes landed on Aries who was about to blow off if it weren't for her yanking his arms in another direction, far from the TV.
Luckily, Dennis and Iphigenia arrive just in time and greet them, "That was wonderful! Wonderful! I knew there was a pretty girl under there somewhere! And you too, Aries!" Aries rolls his eyes merely, not interested in playing any more thanks to the comment. Estella still kept her hold on the male's arm for any possibility he might burst into flames like the District 12's outfits, and he didn't seem to mind. Just shifting on his feet in boredom.
While the group chatted off with Iphigenia's nonstop praises, Estella took a chance to study the other tributes: Cato and Clove from District 2. Glimmer and Marvel from District 1, all of them sculpted athletes.
Aries looks at her, glancing at where her eyes are arranged. Dennis too did the same, "From one glance we can tell who is going to be trouble in the tournament." Disregarding that, they also took notes of a fox-faced girl, and a steely-looking kid from District 4, calling him Bravura. Soon after a short chit-chat with their mentors, a woman enters, to which Iphigenia informed them the woman's name, Calloway, carrying a large box. Iphigenia sighs, whiny like a child which Estella finds very entertaining, "Ugh. Paperwork!"
"Mentors, I have the Pre-Games Packages, please distribute them to your Tributes. All forms must be completed before entering the Training Center: burial preferences, organs to be donated, et cetera. There are also six personalized condolence cards in each package. If anyone needs more, please see me."
Aries sneered loudly, and everyone in the room heard but he remained scowling harshly at the woman, "You're saying it as if you were handing out sandwiches!" Iphigenia began slapping his broad shoulder repeatedly as she nagged. Dennis chooses to not do anything as he sees it amusing while chuckling.
Estella spoke nothing too, not disagreeing with Aries as the other tributes and mentors glanced at their district in their own way and emotion. She spots the tiny little wisp from District 11 again. Rue, whose hand is trembling so badly from fear that she drops the papers her mentor just handed to her. Thresh, Rue's huge partner, and iron-strong, calms Rue with a smile and grabs the papers for her.
"Don't let her distract you, it might just be a stunt." Iphigenia notices her lack of attention as Aries is ordered to gather the paper since Dennis is being slothful to do so as a mentor, "Johanna Mason, a few years ago, wept through the whole Training Week, never seen such a scared little puppy! Then day one of the game she hatched six kids in two minutes! And won!"
What Iphigenia said is true, she shouldn't easily give pity to people, especially ones she doesn't know, despite a feeling telling her that is not the case for Rue.
Aries returns with the paper, signing it without even reading it as he cares nothing about it. Dennis hands Estella a pen as she briefs through the document. She was about to sign her life away when out of a sudden she was brushed aside completely harshly by Cato as he and the other Careers (Districts 1, 2, and 4), walk past her.
They weren't able to head far when Aries pulled Cato harder with his tight grip on the male's shoulder, forcing him to turn around and face him with Estella behind. If Aries put anymore more pressure on his grip Cato might have a disconnected shoulder by now.
"You got a problem here? I don't mind starting the game early."
Everyone now had eyes on the scene.
Seeing Aries who matches the height of Thresh, being more oversized and taller than Cato, he holds deadly eyes yet a grin that shows his teeth. To anyone's eye, he looks like a predator who found its prey and bestows his bloodlust on everyone. Estella caught the somewhat nervous look Cato took. Aries, did too as he tilted his head, challenging the male his age.
Dennis got in between the boys while Iphigenia stayed with Estella in case the girl chose to get involved, but she didn't need to as Aries got her back. Estella watches as Cato and his group are dragged far from them as Aries who is being held down by Dennis. Growling in rage. "You need to get your anger in control!"
"Now, that's some serious bloodlust I haven't seen in a while." Estella's sharp ears caught the words coming out from Haymitch, moving her gaze to see the whole. Everyone had eyes on them like they were presenting the best drama yet. Haymitch noticing her sight, waves his hands gleefully while Effie somewhat tries to hold a glare at her.
Rolling her eyes, she never one for attention, hastily she signs the paper and gives it to Iphigenia. Walking up to Aries and reaching out for his hand, the gesture did stop his swears. "You're causing a scene. Do that later when cameras are around." Aries scoffed at her but a chuckle did appear too, agreeing as they walked away from the crowds.
Later that evening, Iphigenia lectures Estella and Aries while touring them through the Training Center. Dennis is here too, but barely as he finds no interest anymore in what is happening. "This is the Training Center, your home sweet home until the Games begin! Breakfast at seven, training during the day; at night you'll be making appearances. Do either of you have any special skills other than starting a fight like in the train and before?"
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