"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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Despite Delyth's efforts to focus on her classes, she found herself unable to shake off thoughts from the previous night. Treech lingered in her mind, and despite the challenging circumstances, she almost felt a sense of excitement about seeing him today. Their newfound friendship meant Delyth was determined to do her utmost to keep the boy alive.
Seated next to Lysistrata, the two girls engaged in a lengthy conversation about their tributes. Lyssie stood out as one of the few mentors who had formed a genuine connection with her tribute, Jessup. During their talk, Delyth learned that Jessup had suffered a bat bite on the way to the Capitol, a fact that seemed to weigh heavily on her mind. Lyssie confided in Delyth, revealing that she had secretly brought a cream for Jessup's bite with her.
She could hear the conversation of Festus and Hilarius infront of her, Hilarius complaining about his tribute, Wovey.
Throughout the entire journey, he had filled the air with discussions about his "hard life," expressing discontent about being paired with a girl from a less affluent district. Hilarius's believes that female tributes were weaker than their male counterparts, placing them at a significant disadvantage.
Festus, however, challenged Hilarius's assertion, arguing that Coral could competently hold her own against the male tributes, thereby refuting the notion that girls didn't fight in the same way as boys.
"What about you, Del? You seemed to be getting pretty close to your tribute yesterday," Hilarius spoke, the tinge of jealousy evident in his voice. She noticed the shift in attention toward her, with even Coriolanus turning his head to listen for the first time, a hint of confusion coloring his expression.
"I'm just doing what I need to do, Hilarius," she replied, annoyance evident in her tone, her teeth almost gritting at his accusation.
"Well, you seemed to be flirting with him. Is that necessary?" he retorted, Coryo's expression turning more sour.
Before she could muster up a reply, she heard Festus interrupt. "You're just jealous she has someone who's actually competent," he stated, and she sent a slight smile of thanks towards him for rescuing her from the situation. She couldn't help but notice how he seemed to derive delight from embarrassing his friends.
"In spite of yesterday's tragic events, our president has decided that the games must go on to show that the Capitol is unafraid of such acts of terror." Highbottom's voice echoed through the room, his words almost having a hint of sarcasm in them. "Dr. Gaul wished you to preview the arena this afternoon with your tributes. Later this evening, there will be a special televised presentation of each tribute to our audience to get to know them" he paused, giving time for Delyth and Treech's eyes to meet, both seemingly confused by this new knowledge "You have an hour to discuss strategy".
