one by one . zori/delroy

[cass]

O P A L

The bloodbath was tomorrow. She’d spent the morning tying up a few loose ends with her tributes. Honestly, a part of her was proud. She’d refused to become attached to them this year and so far, so good. Vallora had hardly struck an emotional chord within her, she was too busy trying to overcome her own emotional unavailability. Alistair was a little tricker, but she was shrugging off her concerns. He was no real career, so she had lowered her expectations. She couldn’t think about hem like she’d thought about Jade and Emmett. That had left her a little too broken.

Ky was now safe so all she really had to do was hope that Olivia wasn’t planning on just straight up murdering him. But even then, perhaps the threat of retaliation was enough to scare her away. Killing Ky now would be pointless, without the reaping to cover her tracks Opal could end her- she’d have nothing left to lose.

Opal moved to the side of the training area; she’d paid little attention to district eleven these games. A few whispers had reached her ears about the Delroy kid and before she could stop herself she’d wandered over to him. The plant station was her favourite, and she eyes the rows of edible and medicinal plants with a skilled eye. Picking up a piece pf mint she crushed the leaf between her fingers, the smell greeting her was delightful, reminding her of the tea she would often drink in the evening.

“So you like plants, Delroy?” She asked, placing the leaf onto her tongue as she turned her head to the kid. He looked more physically impressive than Alistair and part of her was sure he could beat the district one male on brute strength alone.

Yeah, she’d made the right choice to not get invested this time.

E A R N E S T

kaitlin

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

He’d chosen the plants station out of comfort, less because he needed any more time learning how to identify the difference between the poisonous or the edible. There were also fewer tributes to mind when he hovered near the plants station. Most seemed enamored with the mutt cages. And while he’d spent a few hours over there himself, he wasn’t keen on getting his face ripped apart before the games had started. Much better was pealing apart the flora and delving into the scattering of plants he’d never seen before.

When Opal approached, he was kneeling near a collection of shrubs and trying to sort through a few oblong berries on the ground. He peered back over his shoulder when she spoke, and then back to the shrubs. What was he supposed to do in this situation? It didn’t seem strategic for a mentor from another district to try and introduce themselves, especially with as hard as Katelyn had tried to explain she was there to help him. Was this some kind of career trick?

But then he remembered the gossip that this was Miss Persimmon’s beau and thought that conclusion would mean she was less an enemy and more of an observer. Had she heard about him? It would be like Katelyn to spill secrets, wouldn’t it? Still, trust felt better earned, especially someone that rolled up to his station acting like any of this was normal.

“I... guess you could say that?” He flicked a berry into the shrubs and tried to decide if it would be less painful to get up and walk away, or try to make small talk with Opal. He opted for the latter, if only because it was the day prior to the bloodbath, and he didn’t need any sort of target placed on him from district one.

“You need help with something?” Delroy asked as he turned to face her. “I don’t know what else might have brought you over here.”

[cass]

O P A L

She watched as he flicked the berry into the shrubs, he seemed bothered by her approaching. His words restricted and hesitant and Opal wondered if he was cautious of her because of who she was or because it was his nature. She was positive that word had spready about her and Katelyn, there was no way that Capitol was keeping that locked up. Victors dating was always big news, moreso being Opal’s first relationship after Potato’s death. Damn it had been almost two decades since he was killed.

“No, I’m good,” she said, meeting his gaze with a smile. She didn’t try to be warm; it was just a simple smile built from years of working on stages. Habit, Sardonyx would say, a bad one that created more wrinkles.

“Curiosity did,” she leaned against the station, plucking another mint leaf as she looked him over.

Cyro and Arabella had engaged a nation, causing everyone to root for the father leaving his son behind. Others, favouring the girl filled with warmth and tales and hoping she’d be able to see her family again. Opal had seen the way they’d destroyed Katelyn, and part of her was almost thankful that Delroy didn’t seem that likeable.

“I’m kind of relieved that you’re not outwardly appealing,” she shrugged, eating another leaf. “Makes it easier if we can’t get too attached.”

It seemed that the lack of fear this year was evident on Opal’s tongue. It had been a long time since she’d spoken to tributes in this manner and it felt more natural. Carrying her frustrations on a leash had been tiresome, she much more enjoyed treating them like actual humans as opposed to walking corpses. Maybe they did not feel the same way, but you could never satisfy everyone.

E A R N E S T

kaitlin

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

Delroy reasoned that it could also have been some of the victors were just mental. The way she casually strolled over to plants and seemed to wander through conversation had him raising an eyebrow. He figured he wasn’t going to have much to be gained from learning things from the mentor from one at the plants station, though he thought a chat wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world. He did appreciate getting the chance to gawk at someone of the victors up close. They were a bit like the caged animals at the mutt taming station. Sad, but interesting to see.

Of course, then she went ahead and laid out her cards, knocking how Delroy wasn’t as appealing as some of the other tributes. He supposed it was that he didn’t have as much a hard luck story as the kid last year with a baby or the mousy little girl, but then, he hadn’t expected anyone to build a narrative for him. He wasn’t related to any of the victors or famous tributes that had skulked these halls. For all they cared, he might as well as been invisible.

“Did they train you to treat tributes like they treat you?” Delroy sat back on his butt and put his palms on the ground. It was fresh, but with so few hours left until he entered the arena, he’d felt a stretch bolder. “I can see why Katelyn might have liked you, she likes to play by the rules as well.” Though he was a bit surprised she’d like someone so brash.

“Though I guess I should’ve said I don’t really care whether or not any of my mentors get attached.” He smiled. It was more important that they listened, at least to a few words he had said.

[cass]

O P A L

Opal pursed her lips, thinking over his question as she ate another mint leaf. “Mmmm no,” she said, turning her gaze over to the other tributes wandering around the training centre. Some of them moved with purpose, picking up weapons and swinging them around. Others seemed as though it was their first time ever seeing a spear- they looked almost scared of the weapon.

“Treating you with honesty is the most I can do,” she said. The smile had faded from her lips but quickly resurfaced as she looked at Delroy. “You might be going in there to fight and die, but Katelyn has to live on every day. And having tributes that you can distance yourself from is a good way to protect yourself.”

She turned to the station again, fingers roaming over the plants as she was reminded of her own time spent in the training centre. She too had found comfort at the plant station, the familiar leaves and flowers of her childhood displayed before her. “You don’t realise how much winning isn’t worth it until you're staring at kids like you and you can’t do anything to help them.”

Picking up a familiar plant she looked at Delroy offering it to him, “thyme is really useful for cold weather. You might need it at night, or even for wounds.”

The next smile she gave him was tight, never reaching her eyes.

“Following the rules keeps you alive for longer as much as it keeps Katelyn alive. Breaking the rules gets yourself and everyone around you punished.” Her eyes trailed to the missing finger on her hand that sits between her and Delroy.

She knelt down so she was eye-level with him. Sometimes she wondered if tributes saw beyond the façade many victors put up. She didn’t really believe that they saw the consequences of winning, they were too blinded by their need to survive. She wished she had been able to see the destruction it caused. She didn't think she'd have chosen to live.

E A R N E S T

kaitlin

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

Opal Earnest was crazy.

Not so much in what she believed. That part Delroy could recognize as brainwashing and buying into a system that benefited her. She had spent how many years as a victor now? Enough to warp her brain into the off handed comments about thyme interspersed with her support for the wicked system. He was half surprised she didn’t suggest that he pick himself up by his bootstraps and just do his best to win, luck and pluck and all the assorted garbage people like her told themselves.

“Oh right. Playing it safe and all of that good stuff. Don’t ruffle anyone’s feathers!” Delroy shook his finger at Opal with his own grin. If he only learned how to not be troublemaker. If he only kept his thoughts to himself, and his head down. He could get a little bit further – probably not noticeably so – but at least he’d have been safe. Or, you know, still have gotten pulled into the hunger games because that had been his fate no matter what.

“Sure must be nice to live in a big house with a kid. So hard to travel here and back home and wear fancy clothes and eat all the good food. Don’t let me stop you from thinking about what the rest of us go through. You victors have it so much harder,” Delroy said as he squeezed a handful of berries to explode. Nice of her to condescend to him, and let him know how life really was.

“There are no rules for them. Or is it that hard to figure out?” Delroy spat back. “Considering they change them to fit what they want. But then, maybe you’re too comfortable to notice.”

[cass]

O P A L

She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she watched the thyme fall to the ground between them. It was easy enough to see it, that no matter what she said Delroy already had his mind set. He held his beliefs, just as she assumed many people within the districts did about victors.

It didn’t matter. It would never matter to Delroy or the Capitol that she had suffered so much. The irony within his statement was almost laughable. It was as if he had forgotten that victors had already been through exactly what he had. Just, you know, add on all the other shit after that. She wondered if it was worth the waste of air to tell him, but in the end, he’d probably look at her, contempt on his face, and say “well I’ve had it harder.”

Why was it a competition? When did suffering become a competition? Opal stared at the thyme, hand dropping to her side as she stood up.

The tightness in her shoulders eased a fraction more, a small smile dancing on her lips as she straightened. She was thankful, heart etched with gratefulness as she took one last look at Delroy. He had made it easy to let go of any kind of reserve she might have about him. Part of her almost wished he might win so he’d understand even a fraction of the nightmare it was.

“Have fun in the arena, Delroy,” she said, turning away from him. She peered over her shoulder once more, no touch of sympathy in the grin she offered him. “ We’ve all been there, maybe it’ll open your eyes more and you’ll be able to look beyond your own narrow-minded views.”

She took a step away, her last words echoing within the silence, she didn’t turn to look at him, “but I doubt you’ll be there at the end for us to reminisce about all the suffering you’re going to go through.”

E A R N E S T

kaitlin