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Usually, tributes received a moment of privacy to say their goodbyes to family.
It was a little harder when a Victor was your family.
——
12:
Linus was still yelling. How much lung capacity did the guy have?
“-in all Realms would prompt you to volunteer ?! After everything I have done to try to keep you safe-”
“It’s a little too late to try to play the parent card, Dad.” Leila finally snapped at him. Enough was enough, sheesh. “Are you going to be helpful, or are you just going to keep whining? If so, I’ll go and ask to switch Mentors. I hear Mason is-“
“Do not ask Mason Medeis to be your Mentor.”
——
11:
One district away, a very similar conversation was unfolding.
“-so stupid, the whole lot of you.” Steffen ranted without pause. “The Peacekeepers won’t even let all of us be in the same room thanks to your antics! If I were a few years younger-”
“-you would have down there swinging along with the rest of us.” Rune retorted. “Don’t preach down to me, big brother. What was I supposed to do, let little Gerhie go? Or Falk, or Erick, or the twins?”
“At least the twins are eighteen!”
“Sure. And what would have happened when they realized they couldn’t both go?”
“Rune has a point.” Gabi interrupted quietly. Steffen looked startled, then betrayed.
“Gabi…”
“What’s done is done, Steffen.” They couldn’t afford to wallow in misplaced anger. “He’s in the Games and nothing’s going to change that. Now my job is to make sure he wins.”
She nudged her husband aside, placing her hands firmly on Rune’s shoulders. “You’ve got a decent shot, Rune. You’re strong, handsome, charming, and a volunteer from one of the poorer districts…trust me, the Capitol’s sponsors will eat that up. If you can keep their favor, the Games are half yours already.”
“Thirty seconds,” a Peacekeeper in the back of the room warned.
“We love you,” Steffen said finally, looking only the tiniest bit uncomfortable. Under different circumstances, Gabi would have been rather proud of Steffen for not bottling up his feelings. “No matter what happens, we love you. And we’re proud of you.”
For the first time, Rune faltered slightly, looking exactly like the scared fifteen-year-old he was underneath all the bravado.
“Could-“ Rune swallowed. “Could you tell Falk to look after Elise?”
“I don’t love you that much. Tell him yourself,” Steffen said moodily, grabbing his stupid dunce of a brother into one last bear hug before the Peacekeepers could usher him and Gabi out.
——-
10:
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Briar said fiercely, glaring first at Isaia, then Firra.
“Speak for yourself .” Firra and Isaia both said dryly, which was a promising start to their future alliance.
——
8:
In a lonely room, Odile waited and waited for a father that would never show up.
(Fortunately, she had a sister-by-choice and a plethora of smuggler friends who were more than willing to sneak in.)
——
6:
“Can you at least try?”
“We both know I don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, brother.” Johann said indifferently. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Mother will forgive you.
“Then why-
“Because our district can’t afford another civil war, and you know it.” Johann reclined in his chair, looking far too jaded for Friedrich’s liking. “Isn’t that why you married Cinderella?”
“I married her because I love her.”
“Sure. And her cousin dying in the Games after failing to kill off the Erlauf tribute had nothing to do with it.”
——-
2:
“If you die before marrying, Father will never forgive you,” Ben informed his brother in what he considered a helpful sort of way.
Peregrine threw back his head and laughed. “What, does Father expect a new daughter-in-law upon my return? I suppose he does, thanks to you.”
“You’ll never let that go, will you.”
“Nope.”
——
1:
“Please survive, little cousins.” Seer Ringali drawled pleasantly in a manner reminiscent of silk-sheathed daggers. Beside him, Tarinthali nodded in graceful agreement as she casually hoisted her toddler to the other hip, a hint of her rigorous Evening Star training peeking through her otherwise-angelic facade.
Fyn still hadn’t let Yvrea emerge from her octopus-like embrace, so it was Talon who responded, his answering smile genuine, if a touch cold.
“Don’t worry. I intend to.”