"Ironic ain't it? The one woman I can't get enough of, is the one I'll never be able to have"
Delyth Bardott grapples with unexpected emotions for her tribute, straying from the expected norms of a Capitol girl drawn to a District boy.
Meanwhile...
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She didn't remember much of the night before, she remembered Festus proposing that they come back to his apartment. However, as they reached his apartment complex he burst into tears
Coriolanus was the one to take her home, obviosuly suffering the same haunting memories, after all, the girl died in his arms, he however kept his face stern, all the while attempting to maintain a brave facade for her sake.
A sense of responsibility weighed on her; while Arachne's actions were indeed unkind—taunting her tribute with food—Delyth couldn't shake the feeling that if she had stayed out of it, perhaps this tragic outcome could have been avoided. Maybe both girls would still be alive.
The animosity between the girls was undeniable, briefly put—they really disliked each other. However, having grown up together and always being in each other's circle, witnessing someone she had known from childhood die right before her eyes due to her own actions was undeniably traumatic for Delyth.
Her mind wandered to the boy under her care, pondering how he fared. Deciding it was time to head over to the zoo to ensure he had enough food.
Silently, she tiptoed downstairs, cautious not to make the slightest noise that could stir her mother from sleep—Her mother was always a light sleeper, demanding utmost discretion.
Swiftly seizing whatever food could escape her parents' notice, she deftly stuffed it into her bag before silently slipping out the door.
Approaching the zoo, she observed a handful of tributes still awake. Sympathy welled within her; sleeping in such a horrible situation must be a extremely difficult. Among the wakeful few, Treech caught her attention. He noticed her figure and stood up to approach her.
"Delyth" he greeted quietly, aware of the sleeping tributes surrounding him
"Treech! I brought as much food as I could" she also spoke quietly, passing the bag to him through the bars that separated them.
Recognizing the boy's likely need and necessity of rest, she couldn't help but secretly wish he would stay awake and talk with her. Despite having only shared a brief encounter, a burgeoning sense of security had already begun to take root in her interactions with him.
"You outdid yourself, Bardott," he complimented, they sat in a comfortable silence for a while, she watched him
Despite her efforts to conceal the impact of the preceding incident, he could see the true toll it had taken on her.
"Are you okay?" He asked, hoping to make her feel better.
"Yeah, I'm just tired" she replied, without realising what he was talking about.
"No, I mean, about your friend?" he spoke quietly, attempting not to upset her.
"Oh, she wasn't really my friend," she informed him, trying not to reveal the true impact the incident had on her.
"Oh..." he paused before continuing, "you seemed upset," he noted.
"I guess I've just never seen anyone die, especially that close," she confessed, surprising him slightly with her honesty.
"You've never watched the Hunger Games?" he inquired, slightly taken aback. His opinions of Capitol citizens were that they were all bloodthirsty, enjoying the spectacle of children murdering each other. Just for their own entertainment.
"Yeah, call me crazy, but I've never enjoyed watching children murder each other," she spoke with sarcasm, a hint of humor in her voice, as if it were absurd not to enjoy such a spectacle. His eyes widened dramatically at her remark.
"You don't?! How come?" he spoke, exaggerating his surprise, and they both laughed at the obvious answer.
It wasn't a lie on her part; she had never watched the Hunger Games. Being extremely squeamish and harboring a strong dislike for the games, this year would mark the first time she'd ever watched them.
The two sat in a comfortable silence, and Treech observed her. It was evident that her thoughts were haunting her, causing her attention to be continually distracted.
Continuously, he dwelled on the incident on the train when Tanner had been harassing her. A lingering guilt ate him up for not intervening. While he wanted to avoid making enemies, the haunting memory of her expression lingered in his thoughts. He couldn't shake the feeling that he should've said something.
"Listen, Del, I'm sorry about what happened in the van. I should've said something," he spoke sincerely. She smiled in response.
"Don't be silly, Treech. I didn't expect you to intervene. You're here to make allies, not enemies. That's the last thing I want," she spoke softly. He smiled appreciatively at her selfless words.
They sat in a comfortable silence as Treech ate some of the food supplied by Delyth, exchanging composed glances, both realizing the limited knowledge they had about each other. "How old are you, Treech?" she inquired.
"18, and yourself?" He answered
"Same" she smiled slightly
In the midst of this exchange, the glaring disparity between the two teenagers' lives became starkly apparent. One's future was meticulously predestined, a predetermined course, while the other faced an uncertain, perhaps grave path ahead.
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