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04. the monkey enclosure
This is bad. Like, really really bad. Realizing you left your keys inside the house when you're already out of the house kind of bad.
Actually, nevermind that. This is worse.
Junia has never been so thankful that she's shorter than someone else before. With Coriolanus almost covering her, though she's sure it's not intentional on his part, she feels just a bit more at ease being surrounded by the tributes. It may only be twelve of them, the other half being in the other truck, but that's still more than enough people to make her rethink all of her life choices leading up to this very moment.
She knows they saw her entering the truck before Coriolanus, though. The tension is palpable, thick enough to cut it with a knife, and Junia feels nauseous.
She's unsure if this is due to her anxiety or the smell inside the truck. It's not like it's their fault, however, almost two days of not being able to wash up has left its marks on the tributes. The smell is almost unbearable but she also knows it must be worse for them.
She tries not to take deep breaths and decides that, at least until they arrive at their destination, she'll breathe through her mouth instead. Subtly. She doesn't want them to feel embarrassed.
There's a lingering smell of dirt and sweat in the humid air in the back of the van, however, she finds the lingering metallic scent of blood the most concerning. Not that she knows where it's even coming from. Truthfully, she's unsure she even wants to know.
She supports herself, leaning one elbow against the wall at the back of the truck. Even though she can't believe her own thoughts, at this very moment, Coriolanus' presence is probably the only reason she hasn't descended into a full-blown panic attack yet.
The truck begins to move and she closes her eyes for a moment before shaking her head ever so slightly. With her heart thundering so loudly in her chest she can barely hear the truck moving, she looks up at Coriolanus but is only met with the sight of the back of his head. He seems to be putting up a tough front but she can see the subtle quiver of his hand that he uses to support himself.
She dares to take a peek. First past Coriolanus' right - she's almost relieved the tributes on that side are eyeing the male instead - and then past the left side.
Marcus, Sejanus' friend and now assigned tribute, is staring straight ahead. He looks passive, unlike what his physical build would suggest. Lamina is sitting next to him, her hands folded in her lap and her foot bouncing anxiously. Her eyes are red and bloodshot, more than anyone else's. They're all tired and look like they haven't gotten a wink of sleep. Lamina, however, looks even worse due to her crying. Then there's the girl from District 10 that's looking at Coriolanus like he's the dirt beneath her nails.
Junia's eyes flicker back and forth. She doesn't know if she's surprised that Treech is already looking at her or not. Her wide-eyed gaze meets his appraising one and she's unsure why, but she finds some strange comfort in it, too. His hand is holding onto the railing of the truck and he looks oddly relaxed in comparison to everyone else. If he's as tense as everyone else is, he's very good at hiding it.
They almost shook hands earlier before he was yanked away by a Peacekeeper, after all. Hopefully this means they're not off to a bad start. Then again, it's not a guarantee. But she might as well cling to whatever hope there is left because it's all she has.
For a split second, it looks like he's about to say something. Unfortunately for everyone, Coriolanus is faster.
"Hi," he says. His tone gives away just how nervous he is, his eyes darting back and forth and looking at nobody in particular. He must be trying to assess how safe he is in here but honestly, things aren't looking good for either one of them.
Clemensia's tribute, Reaper, is the first to speak up. He eyes Coriolanus warily, taking in his neat and polished appearance.
"What's the matter, pretty boy? You in the wrong cage?"
Junia has never been so glad not to be noticed before. Perhaps it's a good thing Coriolanus is unintentionally shielding her.
"No, this cage is delightful," Coriolanus replies. Now he's trying to sound tough and Junia winces. If she were any braver, she'd give in to the urge to step on his foot.
His words have struck a nerve among the tributes. Junia takes note of how some of them tense up, their previously wary gaze hardening into something beyond hostile. There's a subtle shift in the atmosphere and she feels herself growing stiff as well as if bracing herself for something.
When Reaper takes a step forward, Junia understands what it is. Her eyes widen, seeing the taller male break the distance between himself and Coriolanus in a fast stride.
"Get him, Reaper!" She hears Bobbin, the tribute from District 8 that tried to escape not even two minutes ago, say.
Distrusting Coriolanus is one thing. Instigating his murder or at the very least a beating is another.
Coming here was a terrible, terrible idea. If this ends with their corpses being dragged out of the truck by Peacekeepers, she knows things will get worse for everyone. A dead tribute before the games is often left unmentioned, deemed too unimportant to mourn, but her and Coriolanus aren't exactly unknown in the Capitol.
When Reaper grabs Coriolanus by the collar, Junia knows better than to stay where she is. She knows she can't help him either, so she rolls to the side, bracing herself against the wall of the truck. She winces again when Coriolanus is slammed back against the metal. He groans.
Reaper seems to take note of her but pays her no further mind. He's far too occupied with Coriolanus, holding him in place. In fact, everyone seems to be watching him and Coriolanus. "I'll kill you right now!"
Somehow, Junia doesn't doubt him.
"He'll do it, too", the girl from 11 says. Junia can't remember her name but she knows she's Felix Ravinstill's tribute. She can't be older than twelve or thirteen and she looks frail, sickly even. "Reaper killed a Peacekeeper back in 11."
Well, that's just fantastic.
"And her?" Bobbin's question hangs unanswered in the air for a moment. He's among the first to have noticed Junia in the truck, her wide eyes and tense form a stark contrast to Coriolanus who still seems to be trying to make it look like he's in charge of the situation.
"Yeah, what about her?" Coral echoes, her eyes scanning the Capitol girl curiously. With her long straight hair and the neat uniform, she looks exactly like what you'd expect from the Capitol's girls. She looks fragile, easy to break. "What's wrong, princess? Cat got your tongue?"
Junia doesn't quite appreciate how the girl's words make her feel. Her stomach twists uncomfortably, her heartbeat picks up and she feels her ears heating up beneath her hair. She shakes her head, knowing whatever she'd say in response would only make things worse. Somehow, she feels like any response would be a mistake.
"I say we just kill them both," Bobbin suggests. He stands up, eyeing the Capitol students. While Coriolanus tries to look tough, Junia seems less ashamed to give away how scared she is.
"I'm in." Arachne's tribute, Brandy, stands up as well. Junia remembers that she was dragged out of the train's cattle car by Peacekeepers. She seems a fighter and Junia assumes the worst. There's no way her and Arachne have any chance of getting along.
"Nothing to lose now", Bobbin says. The tension in the back of the truck thickens, Junia feels like her heart is about to jump out of her chest and there's a ringing in her hears that makes it impossible to think. "We start with him and leave her for last."
"Actually, that's not true," Junia jumps at the sound of her own voice filling the truck. Now she knows all eyes are on her for sure.
Why does she almost never think before she opens her mouth? The day has barely even started yet and it's off to a terrible start. And if things continue going this way, it might be her last.
She looks at Reaper. Even though she finds it hard to hold his gaze, she gathers the little courage she has left, "I know you think they can't hurt any of you more than they already have. But if you kill him, they'll find a punishment. Believe me, they always do."
"She's right," Lucy Gray chimes in. "Y'all got family back home? They'll kill them if you hurt either one of them, and then you."
If it was socially acceptable, Junia would be jumping across the truck to give the girl in the rainbow dress a bonecrushing hug. Unfortunately though, it's not.
But her words do seem to get through to the others. Junia glances back and forth, noticing everyone is still more or less on the edge. However, she can tell they're thinking. And that's a good thing.
"And she's my mentor," Treech suddenly says and she looks at him in surprise. For some reason, Junia feels like she passed some kind of test. What kind? She's unsure. "Whatever that means, leave her alone."
Lucy Gray nods, looking at Coriolanus, "And he's my mentor. I might need him."
The confusion is clearly written across some of the tributes' faces. Junia wonders if Treech seriously doesn't know what a mentor is or if he's uncertain what it means in this context. But some of the others genuinely seem clueless.
"How come you two get menders?" Coral asks, looking at both Treech and Lucy Gray.
This confirms Junia's suspicions - a vast majority of them have no idea what a mentor is.
"Mentors," Coriolanus corrects the girl and Junia resists the growing urge to roll her eyes. How he still has the nerve to act like this when he was close to being murdered not even thirty seconds ago is beyond her. "You each get one."
Still, he's going to get himself killed if he keeps this attitude up. And while she's not his best friend or even close, it's not like she wants him to die either.
"Oh, and we'll just trust you on that one, right?" Coral stands up and Junia makes a mental note to warn Festus about his tribute's attitude.
"He's right, though," Junia says. She feels Coriolanus' glancing at her, possibly surprised she's finding her voice twice in a situation like this. "You'll meet your mentors tomorrow-"
"And why do him and Rainbow girl get special treatment?" Coral asks, cutting her off. She smirks, leaning down until she's at eye level with the still sitting Lucy Gray. "Why aren't our menders here?"
Lucy Gray seems unimpressed and Junia admires how calm and collected she is. "Just not inspired, I guess," she replies coolly.
The truck comes to a halt and for a moment, it's quiet. Junia focuses on her breathing for the time being, the tension in her muscles fading.
A mistake. The next thing she knows is people are screaming, sliding down the now uneven floor of the truck and she has nothing to hold on to. It's a mess and when she slides past Marcus and Brandy, almost crushing poor Lamina in the process, she gasps.
"I'm so sorry!" Her voice is barely audible admidst the clamoring and despite the fact that Lamina seems to be in pain, she steadies herself and tries to support herself as much as she can. The boy from District 10 barks something at her but she can't hear it, her head ringing from having cried almost the entire train ride to the Capitol.
Then, the door is opened abruptly. Light streams into the back of the truck and the tributes come tumbling out.
Junia is unsure where she lands at first. There's mulch beneath her hands and she hears people groaning left and right. Her landing was surprisingly soft and not even a second later, she realizes why.
Lamina. Again.
"Oh dear!" Junia scrambles to her feet at an impressive speed, not even bothering to try and get rid of the dirt that's now staining her uniform. She holds out both hands for the girl to take and bends down, hoping the eye contact will make the scared girl feel more at ease. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"
Lamina looks up at her, her throat dry and her bones aching. She knows it's not the other girl's fault but that doesn't make it any less painful.
"I'm okay", she says, her voice raspy from dehydration. Lamina eyes Junia's hands, seeing the mulch clinging to her hands. Then there's the ring on her middle finger that's undoubtedly expensive.
In the end, she decides she trusts Junia more than the boy that was on the truck with them. She takes Junia's hands, pulling herself up slowly while looking into her brown eyes. When she's finally standing up somewhat straight, she lets out a groan.
Junia looks around at the same time she does and feels nauseous once again. Lamina lets go of her, seeing the way she pales and her eyes take in her surroundings as well.
They seem to be locked up in a cage out in the open like a bunch of animals. There's stacks of hay in the very back but much to Junia's horror, she also sees a very familiar face currently chatting on the other side of the bars.
Lucky Flickerman. If Festus was here, he would have a field day.
And if this is live, Junia might as well start digging her own grave. There's no way her parents won't see this, especially considering that the people of the Capitol know her. There are a few people already standing near him, observing the scene unfolding in front of their eyes curiously.
"Where are we?" Lamina asks quietly, her voice hushed. Junia almost is under the impression that she's trying to hide herself from the camera and doesn't blame her at all.
"In the Capitol Zoo," Junia breathes out, "I think... Is this the monkey enclosure?"
She feels sick again. In the past few years, the tributes were held in the stables before being dragged off into the arena. That is dehumanizing on its own but the monkey enclosure? Seriously? Junia knows the Capitol sees the people in the districts as sub-human but it still catches her off guard.
"What in the gem of Panem? You see, that's the Academy rouge, no? Twice!" She hears Lucky's voice loud and clear and tenses up, her fingers feeling very cold and yet clammy at the same time.
She wipes her hands off on her now dirty pants and dares to look over at the weatherman when she realizes Lucky is eyeing Coriolanus in particular. Perhaps this is also partly thanks to Lamina indirectly and unintentionally shielding Junia from the camera.
"Excuse me, sir! Yes, you in the red!"
Oh, they are so screwed. She sees the contempt in Coriolanus' eyes, the way he's looking for an exit as much as she is, and when their eyes meet, they look equally panicked.
"Why are you in there with them? We're live!" Lucky calls out loudly. As if knowing he's adding more salt to the wound, he goes on, "The Capitol is watching!"
Thankfully, Lucy Gray is there. Whatever she's saying to Coriolanus, Junia is unsure. But when he fixes himself, trying to look as presentable as possible, and steps forward with her, Junia lets out a relieved sigh. She really needs to thank the girl.
She looks around again and now notices that the other van of tributes must have arrived at the same time and has dumped them inside on the other side. Again, she spots Sheaf and is almost tempted to introduce herself for Castiel's sake. But then she remembers she's still unsure where her and Treech stand.
It doesn't take her long to find him. In fact, she's almost under the impression that he has been watching her for the entirety of her interaction with Lamina. Junia swallows, trying to make sense of his unwavering gaze and extends her hand once again.
Treech looks at her, then her hand. "What?" He questions.
"We- We didn't get to shake hands earlier," she says.
She hopes Coriolanus and Lucy Gray will distract Lucky for long enough. Maybe by then she'll have a way out because sooner or later, someone will definitely escort them back out.
"I'm June," she repeats her introduction from earlier, "your mentor. It's nice to meet you."
This time, no one gets inbetween them. Treech seems less hesitant, too, as if the little time in the truck made him see her a little bit differently. He takes her hand and is taken aback by how soft it actually is, giving it a shake. Compared to the callouses on his hands, it's evident the girl in front of him has never had to work for anything in her life. It's exactly the kind of look he would expect from a rich, privileged girl.
But the fact that she's not immediately flinching away from his touch makes him feel a bit more inclined to trust her a little bit. If she's disgusted by him, she's masking it well.
"Treech," he says curtly. "What's a mentor?"
Their hands part and Junia takes a moment, looking for the right phrasing. "We're supposed to... help you guys, I suppose is the best way to describe it," she says. "You know, as much as we still can, I..."
She trails off, furrowing her brows in confusion. Something's not right. When she wants to run her left thumb over her mother's ring, it's gone. Instead, her thumb rubs over her finger and her eyes widen.
"Looking for something?"
For the first time, she sees something akin to amusement in Treech's eyes. When he tosses something into the air and catches it with ease, her mouth opens and no sound comes out. He holds the ring between his index finger and his thumb, eyeing the emerald curiously.
Somehow, and she doesn't know how she hasn't noticed, he managed to slip the ring off when they were shaking hands.
Sensing how speechless Junia is, he continues, "It's pretty. Real pretty." His gaze flickers to Lamina who looks at him with big eyes and then Junia.
Well, apparently the ring matches the owner, he thinks.
"That's- How did you do that?"
Ignoring her question, Treech looks at her, "You want this back, right?" When he sees the way she's carefully extending her palm towards him, he scoffs and pulls the ring closer to him.
"If you want to help me, maybe you should make sure I don't starve to death first. Bring me something to eat and I'll give it back," he says. After a moment, he adds, "And for Lamina as well. We haven't eaten since the reaping."
His district partner shoots him a look. "Treech, we could get in trouble-"
"No, it's okay," Junia quickly reassures her, "We, uhm, actually thought a bit ahead. Hold on a second."
The initial shock of having her ring, well, stolen, wears off surprisingly quickly and she rummages through her bookbag. It seems the fall and tumble out of the van hasn't caused any harm towards the cookies or water bottles which is a relief.
Treech and Lamina exchange a look, the former shrugging. It's not that he didn't expect her to bring him food eventually, he just didn't think she'd think ahead. He almost feels bad that he wanted keep the ring for himself until she provides him with food. Almost.
"I'm sorry," Junia says and pulls two cookies wrapped in tinfoil out of her bookbag. "I didn't know, I was hoping they'd provide you with something to eat on the way here... But I suppose that was foolish of me. I hope this is a start, though."
Treech carefully inspects the tinfoil wrapping and sees she has much more stored in her bag. But when he takes it and unwraps the tinfoil, the scent of freshly baked cookies hits his nose and he feels like he's about to cry. He almost forgot how hungry he actually is but when his stomach rumbles, it's almost painful.
He wordlessly hands Lamina one of the cookies, the girl smelling it curiously before she deems it safe and immediately, hungrily, tucks in. Junia's brows furrow in concern when she sees how they're practically devouring the cookies. She pitied them before but now her pity is growing exponentially.
"I'm sorry," she repeats more quietly, "I'll bring more as soon as I can."
Treech doesn't say anything at first but drops the ring back into her hand. Junia slips it back on immediately, feeling relieved and ashamed at once. Relieved because she won't need to tell her parents she lost their ring, ashamed because she can afford to be worried about such matters when there's people in front of her that worry about starving to death.
Junia looks back at the other side of the enclosure. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray seem to be having an easy time talking to Lucky Flickerman, which hardly surprises her. Lucy Gray has proven that she knows how to handle an audience and Coriolanus does have a way with words to appear charming as well.
"Don't even think about it," Treech's voice snaps her out of her thoughts. He wipes the crumbs off his lip and pushes his thumb inbetween his lips before he continues, "I'd rather drink out of a puddle than put on a show for a Capitol audience. I'm no clown."
"Huh? Oh no, no! That's not it at all," she quickly says. Treech raises an eyebrow, clearly not believing her. "I wasn't going to. If anything, I'd rather not join them myself."
She continues, "Technically, we're not even supposed to be here today. I think." She pauses. "The instructions were very, very unclear."
That surprises Treech. She said it at the train station but he thought he misheard. He's visibly taken aback by that confession and blinks. "Then why are you here?"
Junia feels the heat crawling up the back of her neck and clears her throat. "I don't know. I just assumed it'd be easier for us to talk to each other and work together if we met like this first." She shrugs, "I thought it'd be better if we could choose the way we meet rather than being forced into a conversation by the Academy tomorrow."
Before Treech can reply, he makes eye contact with one of the Peacekeepers entering the enclosure. "There's your ride," he says and Lamina immediately takes a step back.
Junia looks back and tenses, quickly rummaging through her bookbag once more. Treech and Lamina are both confused now, wondering what she could possibly be doing there, but when she pulls out more baked goods wrapped in tinfoil, their eyes widen. The girl is almost emptying her entire bookbag, rummaging through it to hand them the water bottles as well.
"Did you make all of these?" Treech asks while holding up a tinfoil wrap and she's unsure whether he's impressed or genuinely dumbfounded. Or both. "What are you doing?"
"I know this might be asking for a lot but if you two could hand these out, that would be wonderful," she says. "We made one for everyone. I gave Lucy Gray's and Jessup's to Coriolanus."
Treech wants to be surprised Junia even bothers to remember most of their names but when he blinks, his and Lamina's hands are full. He looks at her like a deer in headlights and even Lamina is overwhelmed by the girl's thoughtfulness and kindness.
"How are you so sure we won't just keep these for ourselves?" Treech finally asks.
Lamina shoots him a look again, carefully holding the cookies as if worried she might break them.
Junia shrugs, "Trust? Faith?" She offers him a small hopeful smile.
Treech ignores the strange feeling in his stomach. Must be the hunger.
"That's stupid," he replies, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upward. He shakes his head, "Real stupid."
Junia gasps when her wrist is grabbed by a Peacekeeper. The man is almost yanking her towards the exit and she can see Coriolanus is receiving a similar treatment. For a second, her eyes find the camera and she quickly glances away.
"I never said I was smart!" Junia says a little bit louder so he can still hear her. She winces at the tight grip around her wrist but forces herself to smile. "I'll be back!"
Treech quietly raises a hand, careful not to drop the wrapped cookies. The faint scent of lavender lingers where Junia was standing not too long ago and he finds himself watching even when her and her friend from the Academy are being removed from the cage.
He shakes his head.
What a strange girl.
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To say the ride back to the Academy was awkward is definitely one way to put it. The Peacekeepers were very thorough, searching them for any injuries and even going through their bags, but after finding nothing, Coriolanus and Junia were dismissed.
She's unsure for how long she has been waiting outside the men's restroom now. The opulent halls and corridors of the Academy are empty as everyone is in their lessons and technically, that's where they are supposed to be as well.
However, Junia is a bit scared. A bit much.
There's no way she'll go to her class without Coriolanus because, whether or not she likes to admit this is debatable, she doesn't want to sit through the lecture they're bound to receive twice or worse, all alone.
Unlike him, she has been able to rid her uniform of the stains surprisingly quickly. So much so, that the water she used has almost dried completely.
If it weren't for the fact that she can hear the water running behind the door, she might even believe he has already left. But he's still in there, after at least twenty minutes.
There are only so many nervous pees Junia has inside of her body and so, after contemplating it for a moment, she decides to approach the door.
She knocks, "Coriolanus?" She waits for a moment and when the water is turned off, she assumes he's double checking if he heard someone calling for him or not. "Are you having trouble with the stains? If you'd like, I'll come in and help you."
"I'm almost done," Coriolanus replies, his voice muffled on the other side of the door. She can practically see how displeased he looks and she can't even see his face. "There's just a bit left on my jacket. There is a bit more than I thought."
Junia sighs, "I'm coming in."
She pushes the door open carefully and just as expected, Coriolanus is standing at the sink with various paper towels scattered around. There are half-dry spots on the fabric of his pants and he has discarded his jacket, laying it out on the marble of the sink. Even with his body turned away from her, she can see his face in the mirror.
He's scowling, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched tightly with one leg propped up on the sink. He's furiously rubbing at a spot on his knee, looking more concentrated than back when she saw him wrestling with that umbrella.
She approaches him carefully and then pulls a clean paper towel out of the dispenser. "Here, allow me to help," she says and soaks half of the paper towel under the cold tap water. She carefully dabs along a stain on the sleeve of his jacket and smiles to herself.
"Patience helps," she suggests quietly and watches out of the corner of her eyes as Coriolanus stops his scrubbing to watch her instead. "I know you want to get the stain out but you'll ruin your uniform above anything else if you do it like that."
The tension in Coriolanus fades slightly though he still watches closely. Junia's movements are fast and efficient, soaking the fabric just enough before she begins to carefully swipe along the stain with the paper towel. She knows he knows better than to treat his uniform roughly. After all, Tigris is his cousin. There's no way he doesn't know how to clean up after himself.
It must be the nerves. After what happened, she's not surprised.
"I never knew you were an expert at getting rid of stains," he muses, his lips pulling into an amused smile. "When did that happen?"
Junia laughs softly, "Well, you know I was a pretty clumsy child myself so I had to do this very often. My parents have never liked seeing us get dirty." She shakes her head. "Recently though, I've had to do this for Max. He really has a thing for getting himself covered in dirt when you least expect it."
Coriolanus nods. Of course he remembers how clumsy Junia was, how easily she cried at the smallest things. She hasn't in a long time, not in public at least, and he can't help but wonder if she's stronger now or has simply gotten better at hiding her weaknesses.
"I suppose it does teach you a thing or two," he says. "I'm usually not this impatient when it comes to cleaning myself up."
Junia raises an eyebrow at his words, "Is what happened at the zoo still on your mind?"
"Of course it is," he immediately says. "I didn't think they'd bring them there out of all places."
If he's speaking out of genuine shock and disgust or simply because he wouldn't have gotten on the van if he had known, Junia doesn't know.
"It's repulsive," she mutters under her breath, tossing the paper towel into the trash. She tends to a smaller stain soon after, repeating her method from before. "I mean, they weren't even given food or anything to drink either and now they have to sleep out in the open like that?"
"'Repulsive'," Coriolanus repeats the word carefully, "but efficient, I suppose."
Junia stops her movements, blinking up at the male in disbelief. She's not quite sure if she heard that right and finds his words unsettling. "What do you mean by that?"
"The main reason they're kept there is because they want the Capitol citizens to get to know the tributes better, right? Until the games start, they can go see them," he explains matter-of-factly. "People will get attached and find someone to root for like this. It provides entertainment, I suppose."
Junia frowns, "That's horrid." But she has to admit that he's not wrong. And perhaps that's what makes it so much more terrifying.
She shakes her head and begins dabbing at the stain again, Coriolanus visibly checking himself out in the mirror to look for anything he might have missed on his pants.
"You know," Junia then says, "Lucy Gray is really, really popular. Everyone has been talking about her since the stunt she pulled at the reaping."
When she looks up at Coriolanus, she almost feels like he might burst out of pride. It's as if he thinks Lucy Gray's accomplishment at the reaping is his own, too. He smiles, "So I've heard."
She nods, "You have no idea. But even when she's not singing, I have a feeling she'll be really popular with the people here. She seems lovely."
"I think so, too," Coriolanus says. "It'd be better if I could get her to sing again though, wouldn't you agree?"
Junia hums in thought. "Yes, but not necessarily. Like I said, she's just naturally very charming. People already pay attention to her just because of that and I'm sure talking to Flickerman has helped as well."
She smiles again, "I wouldn't be surprised if she was the favorite at the moment. At least, she's the one people have been talking the most about as it is."
And, of course, that's playing right into Coriolanus' cards.
He looks at Junia curiously, "And how about your tribute? He didn't want to talk to the cameras?"
She lets out a laugh and shakes her head, tossing the paper towel into the trash. "He was very insistent that we don't, actually. But that's alright," she says, "I don't mind that. And besides, it's only the first day."
She doesn't tell him about the incident with her mother's ring. No, perhaps she'll keep her knowledge about Treech's quick wits to herself for now.
"He'll warm up to you eventually," Coriolanus says. "After all, you did bring him food as well. It's the least he could do."
Junia shakes her head, his words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She doesn't think Treech owes her anything for the bare minimum. Then, she straightens out his jacket and gives it a last onceover to look for any stains she might have missed.
"And there we go," she says with a little smile, "all done."
Coriolanus looks genuinely relieved. If he had set foot into class with a dirty uniform, he would have quickly become a laughing stock. Junia's kindness has its perks, after all. If there were more individuals driven by kindness in the Capitol, it wouldn't be too bad. But not too many, as too much kindness would bring the Capitol to ruins.
"Thank you," he says earnestly. "I didn't want to go back to class like this."
"To be honest, I'm not sure I want to go back at all," Junia says half-jokingly. She watches as Coriolanus slips the jacket back on and straightens it out carefully, observing himself in the mirror. "Are you ready to receive the scolding of the century?"
Coriolanus lets out something between a laugh and a sigh. He walks away from the sink, pushing the door open and letting the girl slip past first. She thanks him quietly and he exits after her.
"As long as it's not Highbottom," he muses weakly, "I think, after what happened earlier, I'm almost ready for anything."
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you were an unexpected surprise, the defining moment.
the collision of stars that slammed into me hard and sent my neat little world plummeting into the ocean.
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