Wild Card || Levi x Reader

three - when I've danced off my shoes

Dinner that night is tense.

Pixis is in a good mood. Zeke's stylist- whatever the hell his name is- is happily chatting away with Hange, who talks so fast that you're having a hard time keeping up. Sapphire Lady is happy to jump into the conversation as well, eager to add her thoughts or tell everyone what she overheard other people saying.

They're talking about you. Your splash in the tribute parade. But they're not talking about Zeke.

Zeke is seated next to you, angrily breaking his food into tiny bits on his plate. He was pissed off when the two of you came off the chariot, obviously angry that you got flames and he was stuck in a coal miner's outfit. But now, your stylists and mentor are only adding fuel to the fire by only talking about you, you, you.

Part of you feels a bit bad. You don't care enough to actually do anything, but you do feel a bit of sympathy for him. 

"Oh, the way they were gushing!" Sapphire Lady- should you bother to learn her name?- squeals. "The sponsors we could get! What a splash to make. And Pixis tells me you're familiar with weapons!"

You nod, swallowing a chunk of your food. "Sure."

She claps excitedly. "Wonderful! You get a good training score and have a lovely interview, then we'll be in business!"

"I've already got a dress prepped for your interview," Hange says, grinning at you. "If you liked the flames in the parade, you're going to love it."

Normally, you wouldn't care for outfit preparations, but Hange seems genuinely excited about it and you really did enjoy the synthetic flame thing. You nod along, giving them a weak smile, but the smile is enough to send Sapphire Lady into a clapping frenzy.

"And me?" Zeke asks.

That seems to grind the conversation to a halt. "What about you?" Pixis asks, taking a swig from his glass. It looks like some kind of whiskey. 

Zeke looks offended. "I'm a tribute here too. I've got as much potential as she does. How does setting fire to some damn alcohol on a stage make her special? She's not special."

"District 2 seems to think so," you murmur, stabbing your fork into your food.

"District 2?" Hange asks, perking up. "Who talked to you?"

"The guy," you reply, shrugging. "What was his name- Levi? Just wanted to know what my deal was and casually threaten me."

You're pretty sure he didn't threaten you, but you wanted to say it just for the looks on everyone's faces. It's worth it. "Well then," Pixis says with a shake of his head. "Day one and you've already a target on your back."

"Painted it bright red," you mutter jokingly. 

"Maybe he could be an ally," Hange says thoughtfully. "The threatening could've just been to see how tough you are. Careers rarely speak with non-Career tributes unless they think they're worth the time."

Sapphire Lady claps her hands. "And the Career tributes will already have several sponsors! This could be good!"

"It would've helped if she had waved or smiled or literally anything during the parade," your mentor puts in, looking over to you. "Would it have killed you to smile?"

"Yes."

"This ally thing could work though. Maybe he respects your strength. He could be a strong partner to get through these games with."

You roll your eyes. "If he doesn't kill me in my sleep."

"You really don't care about this?" Pixis pushes. "Someone else is recognizing your talents. This could be a game changer."