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WHEN LUNCH CAME AROUND, ARAUCARIA SLIPPED THE SERVER MONEY FOR THREE MEALS, AND RAN TO THE ZOO. She wasn't eager to eat lunch with Coriolanus after his less than humane suggestions for the games.
The zoo wasn't too crowded, a few families loitered around watching the tributes, a few approaching the tributes with morbidly misplaced enthusiasm. The other mentors hadn't arrived yet - they would be finishing up their own lunches before visiting their tribute, if at all.
Treech and Lamina were sat on a large rock, neither engaging with the surrounding citizens. When he saw her rapidly approaching figure, Treech stood, waltzing to the bars, waiting for her to reach him. "Eager to see me?"
Araucaria quickly shook her head, out of breath, "No-" Treech smirked, "I mean- I'm not not eager to see you, I was just eager to- why are you laughing?" Treech wiped his mouth hiding his smile. "Oh, you're messing with me, I see." She pulled a fake face of anger.
"What can I say, it's pretty boring in this cage." Treech shrugged, leaning one arm against the bars, "You're the only one I can mess with that won't kill me later for it."
It was a sobering admission for Cari, who looked down at her feet, collecting herself before looking back up to her tribute with a smile, "You can tease me all you want then, I suppose." She reached for her bag, bringing it from her hip to her front. "I brought you guys food and..." she rifled around to find a rectangular piece of foil, divided into six, housing round tablets the size of a penny, "these."
She held out two sandwiches to Treech, who quickly took them, before grabbing the tablets with his other hand, "What are these?"
"Hydration tablets," answered Cari, "My dad invented them, each one is about a cup of water. You just put it on your tongue and it dissolves." Catching Treech's slight look of apprehension, she held out her hand, "Here, give me one, you'll see I'm not trying to poison you."
"I don't think you're trying to poison me, Four." He popped one out of the foil anyways, tipping it into her hand.
She placed it in her mouth without hesitation, allowing it to dissolve. "Can we sit and eat while we wait for the poison to take effect? The run here has me kind of hungry."
Treech nodded, turning and bringing the second sandwich to Lamina before returning to Cari, crouching on the ground as she sat. "Why did you run here?"
Cari unwrapped her sandwich as she spoke, "Well, Dr. Gaul- the head gamemaker— she came to our class professing how brilliant Coriolanus and I were for making such a show earlier. There was a whole discussion about the games and Coriolanus started, well, he was making suggestions to make the games better. Not morally, but like, more personal, so it...is more entertaining."
"Aren't they personal enough?"
Araucaria shook her head, "Guess not, not for the Capitol audience it seems. To be honest with you-" She glanced around to see if anyone was listening, "this was going to be the last year, most likely. If Coriolanus hadn't made those suggestions... well it could all stop."
