Steam Powered // [Mag & Marina]

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

MAGNESIA

Magnesia ran a towel across her forehead wiping away another layer of sweat. She’d stepped out of the training center ring over an hour ago but still the sweat prickled along her hairline. It had gotten worse postpartum. She didn’t mind the sheen but when the salt trickled into her eyes she couldn’t stand it.

Just outside the center, she dropped her gym bag and began to rifle through it. There were clean old shirts, all of them too heavy to be suitable, another pair of sneakers, plenty of period products, her shower cosmetics, and one clean pair of pink socks. She took them out, weighed them, then proceeded to knot them together.

All the while a steady flow of people went about their own routine lives. Except it wasn’t so routine in Four any more. Not since Nixie Summers had declared herself impervious to death.

As Magnesia knotted the socks together she watched the Careers and would-bes. There was an energy to the air, something that almost crackled with hope. Nixie Summers, to be sure, deserved to be celebrated. But it was almost as if everyone in Four had won something too. Even Nixie’s much older sister, Marina.

Magnesia hadn’t been consciously tracking Marina’s movements. But as soon as her thoughts named her, she couldn’t help herself. She finished the knot, making the two socks into a loop, and pushed it against her hairline to catch the sweat. Then, she scooped up her bag, and for a moment she followed Marina. She did not seem to have the same Career commitment, nor clearly the ambitions, of Nixie. There was something almost fragile about her, something anxious. Surely she was too old to be reaped herself. Magnesia knew all too well that sometimes aging out of the Reapings was only the beginning of life’s troubles.

She fell into step with Marina, letting her gym bag serve as a buffer between them. “Coming or going?” She asked, keeping her voice a determined neutral. “Because if you need a sparring partner, I’m not quite out of steam yet.”

[kap]

Nixie had actually pulled it off and managed to win the Games. Now, Marina would never admit that she had any doubt in her sister's abilities, but in all actuality, she'd been nervous as to what the outcome could end up being. Marina had taught Nixie a lot of what she'd known in training, but was afraid that maybe she hadn't taught her enough. Luckily, things worked out in her favor, though. Apparently, Marina had done enough to teach Nixie, and Nixie had learned a lot on her own.

Marina still liked to train, even while Nixie was in the Games (and since she'd come home). Even though there was really no reason for Marina to do any training herself, unless she was helping her cousins train, she still enjoyed it. It was a good stress relief, and just something she enjoyed doing. Today was one of those days where she wanted an outlet for her stress. So, she made her way to the training center in District Four.

People had been taking a lot more notice of Marina since her sister won the Games. Sure, while Nixie was in the Games, people would comment here and there, but now that Nixie had actually won? It was like everyone knew Marina at this point.

Marina often wondered to herself why she never decided to volunteer, but decided that, at this point, there must have been a good reason. A family probably wouldn't end up with two victors, and Nixie was apparently the one of their family who was meant to win.

Walking up to the training center, Marina had her gym bag slung over her shoulder. She walked rather casually, and nodded briefly to the few people who took notice of her on the street and decided to wave or acknowledge her. Then, someone started walking up next to her.

Marina wasn't surprised at this point, but being noticed all the time was starting to get a bit irritating. She just wanted some alone time here and there.

"Coming or going?" the young woman who'd matched her pace asked of her. “Because if you need a sparring partner, I’m not quite out of steam yet.”

Marina looked at her for a moment. This person probably knew who she was, which was likely the reason for her wanting to spar her, but Marina wasn't going to make a big deal of it.

"Works for me," Marina said with a nod. "I was headed in anyway. Could use a workout."

She headed over to the door of the training center and pulled it open, holding it ajar for the young woman who'd been walking with her.

"After you," she told her.

table by dars