mastermind | the hunger games

CHAPTER IV

Hades Grace and Persephone Chase sat right next to each other on the couch inside of Chiron Fable's house, in the Victor's Village at District Two.

After the traumatic experience in the tea shop, Chiron suggested to the group that it would probably be better to work out the aspects of the new deal without the presence of Cashmere and Gloss, seeing how betrayed Persephone still felt.

If Persephone was being honest, she was exhausted. Just yesterday she had woken up in the hospital from fainting in her Games, which she had became a Victor of three days ago. She missed her parents, her siblings, her home. She didn't want to spend another night in the horrific house waiting back for her in District One. She still didn't understand why she had blacked out in her Games, why her head felt so fuzzy back in the tea shop, and why Hades Grace seemed to be the only cure.

The sixteen-year-old girl looked between the eighteen-year-old man beside her and the thirty-nine year-old man in front of her. Chiron was trying to make both kids feel as comfortable as they can with each other, considering how in love they would have to look with each other if they wanted their plan to work.

"Maybe we can start of with an easy icebreaker, like what is everyone's favorite color? I'll start us off. Mine is a nice sunshine yellow," the older man said as he looked in between the two quiet Victors sat right in front of him.

Hades kept silent, his usual look of boredom on his face as he rolled his eyes at Chiron's answer.

"I like baby pink," Persephone smiled back at Chiron reassuringly, sending a soft nod his way.

"Perfect, see Hades? Persephone wants to play my game. Your turn," the man said as he turned his body to face Hades.

"Red," is all the intimidating boy said.

"Like a wine red, or maybe a rose re-" Chiron started before being cut off by Hades.

"Like blood red," the boy smirked, spreading his legs out wider as he rested back on the couch of the home he had been in millions of times.

Persephone choked on air as she heard his answer, watching as Chiron's face turned to a look of horror.

"Alright....next question," Chiron huffed out a breath of air, clasping his hand together.

"How about birthdays?" Persephone suggested gently, wanting to add another light question.

"Yep, that's a great idea. I turn forty on July thirteenth," the older man nodded, looking to Hades for his answer, even though the man had it circled on his calendar ever since the boy won his Games.

"I turn nineteen on October thirty first, so in six months," Hades said, messing with the rings on his fingers.

"I turn seventeen on April twenty ninth," Persephone nodded, playing with the ends of the black fur blanket on Chiron's grey couch.

"That's like in a week," Hades said back, his eyes flickering over to hers.

Persephone nodded, the fuzzy feeling in her head starting to come back. She started remembering all of her past birthdays that she had spent with her family, with her friends, back in her home in District One. She missed her baby pink blankets, her soft red walls, and her gold sequin lamp shades. She missed the simplicity of her room, and her life.

Her parents were popular back at home, both extremely wealthy owners of a top jewelry boutique in the heart of the district. It came as a surprise to everyone in the district to hear how the sweet and soft daughter of the local business owners was reaped.

As Chiron kept asking more and more questions, trying to encourage a bond between the two younger Victors, both he and Hades started to notice how slower her answers came out.