Here's Looking at You, Kid [Zaya/Exar]

[sbeeg]

It felt like there was a million things to do. The weeks leading up to the tributes' arrival felt leisurely, even boring at times. Now with the twenty four contestants in the building there wasn't enough time for anything. Zaya was running around to ever corner of the training center, trying to keep an eye on how the tributes were doing and overseeing the plans for the arena. There were a trillion little details that needed approval:
uniforms, muttations, where to put fucking rocks. It was nonsense and it was forming an aching headache at the base of her skull.

With as much walking as she had to do lately, Zaya finally did the unthinkable. In the middle of a hallway she reached down and slipped off her red, stoned heels. In only stocking feet, she slipped down the corridor, the fringe from her skirts catching on the heels hooked on her fingers. She paused, trying to untangle the knotted mess that had formed when a screen caught her eye.

She was passing the film room where current tribute could watch footage from past games and try to gather strategy from it. Except it was no ordinary games playing. It was her first games.
Four years ago now, the 74th seemed like a dream not a reality.

And who else was gracing the screen but Torka Hammerfell.

She froze, her eyes fixated on the young man who would forever remain a young man. She was older now, wiser and less naive. She had weathered a games, and the publicity that comes from it. Zaya had made her mistake and learned from it.

You don't care about the individuals, only the Games as a whole.

And yet her mantra was abandoned the moment she saw his face on that screen.

She took a low step forward, welcoming the warm carpet of the film room after the chill tile of the hallway. Zaya stood in the doorway, watching the footage flicker by, the dim room threatening to suck her in further.

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

Exar Shan

During my training time, one thing I've been doing is watching films of old hunger games trying to figure out mistakes past tributes have made. Learning from this is super important especially from the careers. We have all that we need, yet they keep falling short. It's been fifteen years since Cricket was reaped for the hunger games. Fifteen years without a victor. Fifteen years district two has failed, and I want to make a change. District two needs another victor, and I hope that victor is me.

Most of the time I'm here by myself watching these old films, and today I've been dissecting the seventy-fourth hunger games. Right now I'm following the journey of Torka Hammerfell. He was smart for day one just fleeing from the bloodbath because sponsors gave him weapons and things he needed. He was doing well. He had a single ally, and they seemed to work well together. But on day four was when he changed. Fighting mutts seemed easy, and yet it was one that proved fatal.

I watch as Torka and Rolf finish the fight, but instead of using the antivenom on himself, he gives it to Rolf. That was his first mistake especially since he only had one vial. Then they switched weapons leaving Torka with only a bow and arrow. Second mistake. Then after Rolf left, he remained in one place as another mutt. Not only did he stop using a bow, but he decided to attack unarmed after nearly killing the thing with the arrows. That's where he messed up. I'm practically beating my head off the table because he did all the wrong things despite training for this probably his entire life. I just have to make sure that I do better.

A heavy sigh leaves my lips as I rewind the film. I have to take notes of this. I have to embed it into my mind that this isn't what I need to do. Pressing play, my eyes focus on the screen as I watch it all again still amazed that he made fatal mistakes. I would've thought he won. But soon I'm not alone, and standing in the doorway is one of the gamemakers. My heart is racing, yet I keep my face blank and clear of emotions as I turn my attention to Zaya. I relax my hands on the table setting the remote to the side before speaking to someone who could easily kill me within a few days. "Come on in."

78th Hunger Games

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[sbeeg]

"Come on in."

Zaya jumped, her eyes torn from the screen to the tribute watching it. She had barely noticed the boy sitting in the dim light, studying the footage.

She stepped further into the room at his request, squinting to make out the sharp features and blonde hair.

Exar Shan. District Two Male.


Fuck.


The obvious connects were made immediately inside Zaya's mind and she instantly tried to shoo them away. Curiosity and anxiety swirled in her gut as her eyes flickered between the screen the boy's face. They looked nothing alike. They were different people.


He's gone, Zaya.


"Why are you watching him?" she blurted out, pointing to the screen. She didn't mean for it to come out as accusingly as it did.