"TRY EVERYTHING. NOT JUST THE FIGHTING STATIONS, AND NOT JUST THE SURVIVAL STATIONS. A plant can kill you just as fast as a tribute, so stay vigilant, and try to get as good as possible at both." August told Sam and Leigha walking them to the elevator, so that they could get to their first training day. "And don't let the abilities from the others intimidated you. You hear me."
The teens nodded at August understanding. "Sam, you said you can handle an axe. Try it out, see how it feels, but don't show too much, you don't want to be targeted by the others. Leigha, try different stuff, see what you're good at. Also, try and see the other tributes strength and weaknesses. That'll help you see who to avoid and who to ally with." They nodded again, before being interrupted by the elevator arriving. August patted their backs, giving them a small smile. "Good luck."
August stepped back, watching the teenagers until the door closed.
___
After Sam and Leigha returned from the training it's the late afternoon, they straight up head to their rooms probably to shower, before returning from their rooms, to eat dinner.
The two Mentors sat next to each other, with the teenagers across from them. Kieran takes a seat at the head of the table.
"So what did you do today?" Johanna started, when the Avox had served their meals, looking at the tributes. Leigha looked up from her plate, gulping the piece of steak down. "I did some of the survival stations, talked to the girl from three, not much really."
August nodded, before looking at Sam. "What about you, Sam?" The boy looked up, eyes wide.
"Oh, uhm, I tried out the axe station, but-" He stopped, setting his fork down, looking down at his plate. "I failed and the careers laughed."
Johanna looked at her mentoring partner, before back at the boy. "They always laugh, don't worry kid, they're just a bunch of pricks."
"Yeah, but they're here to kill us, so pricks or not, they're still better than any of us." Sam argued getting frustrated, as his jaw tightened. "They have trained their whole lives, to kill us all. All they will do when they do that is laugh. We don't stand a chance. I can barely throw an axe, and all Leigha can do is light a fire- I mean how do we fight a fight that we can't fucking win. Right, we don't, cause we can't fight something we can't win. So let's face the truth, we're just gonna fucking die, while the Capitol enjoys it."
"Hey!" August interrupted. "Thinking like this, is gonna get you killed. Stop, saying you're gonna die, because if you think that, you're mind won't even try one bit, so yeah, you're right you're gonna get killed. But even the slightest good thought, might save your life. A tiny thought about what you're fighting for. So try to think more encouraging, kid." August said, trying to keep his voice steady. He understood the way Sam thought. Most tributes think that way, he did too. But he learned that not believing in yourself was a reason for failure. And in this case, failure meant death.
"And don't involve Leigha, if you give up on your life, that's on you, but don't let the bad mood reflect on others, okay?" August's words ripped through the air, stabbing tight into Sam's chest. They were hard words, pretty shitty words for that, but August couldn't help himself. He was too agitated by being back in the Capitol, that any kind of comment could send him into anger.
Sam frowned angrily, getting up and rushing to his room. August sighed, regretting what he said, he looked up to Leigha. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to get angry."
Leigha shook her head. "It's okay. Besides you shouldn't apologise to me." She said, putting her silverware down. "I, uh, I'm gonna look after Sam. Good night."
After she walked away, August sighed once again. "I'm an asshole."
Johanna nodded agreeing. "Yeah you are."
"It's just, every year, there is this one kid, that just gives up, and I can't take this shit any more. For almost fifteen years now, I am doing this shit, and I don't I can't hear them giving up on themselves anymore, I just can't..." August sighed, putting his hands over his face. His head was swimming with anger and confusion. He haded this place. The smell of the food made him sick, the distant chatter and music from the streets made him dizzy and the thoughts of simply breathing the same air as Presidenf Snow mad him wander to die.
"This is getting too much. I can't handle being here." Johanna looked at him concerned, she knew that he wasn't usually someone who showed many emotions, so this was something she isn't used to.
"Shit, I'm so sorry, Johanna. Man, I shouldn't have screamed at him. I'm his mentor, I'm supposed to encourage him, not scream at him for being scared. I..., I have to apologise to him."
Johanna puts a hand on bis shoulder. "Do that in the morning, he needs space now, and so do you. Just finish your food, and you can talk in the morning."
____
August and Sam both apologised the next day and the rest of the training days continueed without any more incidents. August tried to keep any negative comments to himself. The roof helped him and so does the sickening supply of cigarettes. He haded the smell and the tayes it left in his mouth. The way his hands smelled afterwards and how it just doesn't seem to leave. But they helped. For some fucked up reason, they helped him calm down.
The day of the individual assesment came soon after and goes rather quickly. Johanna and August wish the teenagers luck, before they get into the elevator to go to training and then the assesment.
When they returned, both immediately went to their room, without saying a thing. And in the evening they watched the points, which weren't really high for either of the District seven tributes. On the other hand, it went quite the opposite for the girl on fire from District twelve. Whatever she did, she got an eleven. It was so ridiculous high that August was close to just marching up the the twelfth floor to question the girl himself. But he didn't, because that would be weird.
The next day were the interviews, on which the Arena would follow.
August had a weird feeling as he watched Sam get dressed by Jerome. The man used to be his stylist as wel and was still working for District seven after all these years. Jerome puts on make up on the poor boy's face, who clearly wanted to be anywhere but there. He had a feeling that something would change, he could't explain what exactly it was, he just knew it.
"Don't worry, kid. You're gonna be fine." August tolld the boy, when he saw the uncertainty expression take over the boys face. "Just play the shy guy. The Capitol loves the underdogs. I mean I was the underdog as well."
Sam nodded, totaling his body in the mirror to get a better look at the olive coloured suit. From his expression it was clear that he was only partly present, his other part of his head was somewhere far away.
____
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