A Part to Play // Hunger Games

25 // Are They Hope?

It didn't take the youngest mentor a very long time to recompose herself, taking deep breaths in and out until she could do it normally once again, putting up her strong façade once more, ready to be the best mentor she could possibly be, asking Josh to do the sponsor-hunting in her place, knowing she'd most likely screw it up if she did go in to talk to the Capitol people. The young man agreed and went out of the lounge together with Finnick and Haymitch to go and scavenger some rich people for their money, not even trying to be shy about it. After all, the president did use the man for the same purposes on a weekly basis.

Johanna stayed in to watch out for Finnick's tribute whilst he was out, sharing Haymicth's tributes between herself and the younger girl, just keeping an eye on them to prevent them from doing anything overly stupid.

Aria got Haymitch's female tribute, since the boy decided to join the careers and needed to be kept on a closer look, which Johanna did, alternating between him and the girl from Four, who was also with the killer pack, making it easier for her to watch over them both.

The youngest Victor watched attentively as both girls she was looking after, slept, Marissa on a small hidden cave she had found within the forest, and Katniss - the girl from Twelve - on a tree, strapped down to it, just like she had done back in her day. Just before dawn another canon sounded, Johanna muttering something under her breath.

"What?" She asked the young woman, not quite able to hear her.

"I said stupid. The girl from Eight lit a fire in the middle of the forest during nighttime. Yeah, I get it, she was cold, but this Arena isn't even that bad, yours was way worse. She got killed by the careers." The woman explained, placing the canon to a tribute, the younger girl not having seen the death.

"True. But you know how the Games work. Survival of the fittest, or something like that." She replied, rolling her eyes at the Capitol's way of entertainment, mocking their posh accent.

"Yeah, you're right. And may the odds be ever in your favor." The Victor agreed, joining in on the girl's mocking, imitating the escorts on their annual speeches.

Both of them let out a small laugh before turning back to their monitors and focusing on the Games that were happening as they spoke.

A few hours later the three man walked back in talking to each other as they joked around together, smiling slightly.

'They did it.' The girl thought giddily. That way she would have more options on what to do to help the tribute that was put under her care.

The youngest mentor felt tempted to send the fifteen year old some water and food, but she knew that the girl would be able to find those on her own, she was way too close to food and water supplies, and spending the sponsors' money on it would be a waste. So instead, she decided to wait it out and see if the girl would indeed find it by herself.

***

It was day three and the District Five tribute hadn't found water yet. She had stolen some food from the careers when they were distracted, passing nearby the cave she was sleeping in, but there wasn't any water near her raid spot and she didn't have time to search through their supplies. The young tribute had ran off the cornucopia with a single bottle of the liquid she'd found right in front of her, but that was it. And the bottle had ran out that same morning - the girl actiolly being able to ration really well, making it last for two and a half days.

'Nice.' The youngest Victor thought to herself as she saw the girl she trained steal the careers' food just like she had taught her. The mentor smiled like a proud mama-bear at the tribute's actions. Yeah, stealing wasn't great, but it was a life and death situation. Besides, the careers had loads of food, and they had left it unguarded.