two survivors of previous Hunger Games, with nothing but a similar past in common, find comfort in each other through the worst of it all. and it works, until the 75th games, when they are forced to return to the things they had long left behind.
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Julius is obsessed with the training center from the moment he steps in. Roman and Asha try to guide them, and Quirine dutifully listens, but Julius is like a dog let off the leash. From the moment they walk in he's inspecting the weapons on the walls, judging the make of them, and judging the people who made them even more. The hall seems to go on forever, the smooth metal walls lined with weaponry and survival tools. Various instructors are scattered across the room to explain simple tasks to the less experienced tributes amongst them. The two mousy young tributes from District 12 seem keen to learn as much as they can, while the skin-and-bones boy from District 7 sits in the corner, seemingly already resigned to his own death.
The tributes are welcomed by the lead instructor, Atala, who makes clear that they are not to maim or kill each other while training. She doesn't look like a woman who is easily questioned, so nobody does. Julius watches the male tribute from District 4 roll his eyes at her words, though. He smiles when he catches the boy's eye, receiving a shark-like grin in return.
Julius is eager like a child, taking the first nice weapon he can find off the wall and getting a feel for it. A well-intentioned instructor attempts to guide him towards one of the training dummies, but Julius could not be less interested. He moves on from the sword to a polearm, which is just a little too top-heavy for his liking, before finally settling his eyes on a shining metal javelin. It weighs just right as he holds it, and he can feel himself hoping to find something similar at the cornucopia.
"Quirine, come spar with me!" Julius calls out, having already taken his place on the sparring podium. He's holding the metal spear in both hands, shifting his weight back and forth in anticipation.
"Sure." Quirine ignores the stares of the other tributes, who have scattered across the room in order to learn how to build a fire or identify which plants are edible. Even the tributes from District 1 and 4, who Julius had assumed would be fun, seem a little surprised at what they must deem a child-like display. Julius doesn't care much. He's not here to make people fear him or even really be jealous of him—he's on a different path altogether.
Quirine picks up a spear not dissimilar to Julius's, tosses it back and forth in her hands a few times to get a feel for it, and climbs up on the platform to stand opposite Julius. She smiles invitingly, leans, and lunges for him at a terrifying speed. For a moment, all previous rules fade from Julius's head, and he finds himself in the first fight for his life. Quirine is laughing gleefully the entire time, dodging and weaving around Julius and attempting to stab the padded bits of his outfit. Julius easily matches her speed, trying to note her patterns. It's not as easy, when he's trying to dodge her attacks at the same time, but he catches on nonetheless. She favors her right side—his left—and she tends to lean on her back leg. He leans to his right to avoid a stab right to the chest, and in the one second that he sees an opening he swipes for Quirine's back leg. She lands on the mat with a heavy thud, accompanied by a guttural, wild, scream that escapes her. Julius becomes wide-eyed at the reaction. Quirine recovers quickly, smiling as she pushes herself up and shaking Julius's hand, but Julius can still see that wilderness in her eyes.
