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07. back at the zoo
By the time it's 8:15 in the evening, both Junia and Cas are walking through the gates of the Capitol Zoo.
They're not grounded so, technically, they're not breaking any rules unless their parents suddenly make something up to spite them. It wouldn't surprise either of them after that unbearably awkward dinner but at the very least, they're out of there for the time being.
Originally, Junia's plan was to sneak out. She cooled off in her room for a while but then realized the best time to act is while her parents are still having dinner. So she snuck into their storage room and crammed whatever she could get her hands on into her bag.
When she saw the door being opened, she almost had a heart attack. Thankfully, it was only her twin brother who excused himself from dinner shortly after she did and noticed her room was empty. Apparently he had already called the family's chauffeur before following her so, in the end, it was all planned.
Sometimes she forgets how lucky she is that they agree on the more complicated matters, too. While wealthy families in the Capitol tend to look like they're close out in public, the reality is often far from that. Junia only needs to act when she's seen with her parents but never with Cas. With Max it truly depends. On some days more, on some days less.
As far as they know, no further footage of the monkey enclosure was broadcasted after the incident in the morning. It's not that they don't want to be seen, it would just be more preferable if their parents didn't find out about them leaving the house at this hour, too.
They made the chauffeur swear he wouldn't tell, after all. They gave him a generous tip for a reason and hope the man won't crumble if questioned.
It's not that the zoo is ever empty. It's just that it's more crowded than usual today.
"I guess Coriolanus had a point," Cas muses, watching the way the crowd thickens the closer they get to the monkey enclosure.
He hasn't seen the footage, not entirely, but he's still finding it hard to believe the tributes are being kept in here. He was inclined to go check it out during their lunch break but decided against it, the hangover still creeping up on him from time to time.
He really needs to go to bed earlier tonight.
Junia seems a little bit more unsettled. "I suppose so."
She raises her eyebrows when she spots a familiar figure walking not too fast ahead of them. She'd recognize him even from the back of his head any day.
"Sejanus!" she calls out, immediately raising her arm in greeting when he turns around. She smiles, "What are you doing here?"
The twins eye the backpack he's carrying with wide eyes. Even though they've both packed more than enough, they can't help but feel like they've underpacked seeing how much Sejanus has on him. The backpack is almost about to burst.
"June, Cas!" The surprise on Sejanus' face is evident but she doesn't miss the way he visibly relaxes at the sight of some familiar faces. He comes closer, smiling at the twins.
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about what you said during lunch break today, you know?" Sejanus says. "That the Capitol isn't taking care of the tributes, that they're starving. Ma made plenty of sandwiches for all of them when I told her."
He opens his backpack and Cas can catch two plums at the last second which are spilling right out. "That's kind of her," he says and eyes the backpack's contents. "She really made a lot."
"Ma made extra," Sejanus explains. "I didn't ask her to. She just did."
Of course she did. Junia's eyes soften at the sight of wrapped up sandwiches and plums inside the backpack and she once again understands why Sejanus prefers his mother. After the whole mess with the rigged reaping, even more so.
Still, she raises her eyebrows at the lack of drinks. "How about we split up what we have?" she suggests, glancing at her brother out of the corner of her eyes. "We've brought plenty of water bottles. Care to exchange some for some sandwiches?"
Sejanus smiles.
Not even three minutes later, the contents of their bags have been divided. Even though Sejanus still carries the majority of it in his backpack, each one of them now has water bottles, sandwiches, plums and some other snacks in their respective bag. In fact, Junia is almost a bit overwhelmed by how heavy hers is. Previously it was her brother who had the bottles in his bag and carried them for the both of them.
Junia is taken aback by the amount of people around the monkey enclosure. She doesn't count but it has to be at least around a hundred of them, if not more, gathered around the bars from one side all the way to the other.
And there's the TV crew surrounding Flickerman. Junia sees the weatherman fixing his hair and for a second, they make eye contact. She glances away At the very least, he smells the chance to get the interview he didn't get in the morning.
She quickly averts her gaze, hiding behind her brother and Sejanus as much as she can as they push through the crowd.
There's no way he'll get that interview, she thinks. Not today.
However, when they actually make it to the very front, Junia's mind blanks. Her eyes scan the tributes in the cage who are being gawked at by the Capitol citizens. Now what? She can't just call out for Treech like he's a dog. That wouldn't be right.
She notices Sejanus parting from her and Cas, most likely to find Marcus, and she looks after him in worry. A part of her wishes to follow but she concludes it'll be for the better to let him handle it on his own. Luckily, Sejanus seems to spot Marcus quickly but it isn't hard. With his height, he almost dwarves the other tributes.
Junia lets out a relieved sigh when she spots Treech and Lamina. They're both sitting on a rock not too far away from the bars, their backs turned towards the crowd. And, in the very far back, she spots the District 9 tributes and nudges her brother in the side.
"Over there," she says and sees the way Cas straightens up. She shoots him a reassuring smile. "You know what to do?"
"Do you, June? Do you?" Cas says unusually loudly. He winks at her and for a second she's confused, watching as he trails off to properly meet Sheaf, his tribute.
She realizes what his intentions were when she looks back towards the monkey enclosure and finds Treech already looking at her. As much as she wants to see how her brother is handling things, she decides to prioritize Treech and his friend from home, shooting him a little smile.
"Hi," she says, feeling a little bit awkward. She raises her hand and clears her throat, shuffling when she sees him eyeing her more than in the morning. "I told you I'd be back."
Treech nudges his district partner gently, Lamina turning around as well. She notices they both look a little more pale than before despite the heat today and frowns.
"I haven't had dinner yet," she says and points at her bag. "But I brought something for us to share. Would you like to talk?"
It takes a moment but the mention of food seems to be enough to convince them both, though Lamina waits until Treech stands up before she follows him.
"I almost didn't recognize you," Treech says as soon as he reaches the bars. Somehow, much like in the morning, his gaze feels appraising. Then, his eyes land on her face. "You brought your friends? Your boyfriend?" He gives a nod in the direction Sejanus and Cas have disappeared off to.
He looks back at her, taking in the sight of her again. Compared to what she wore in the morning, he thinks the blue of her skirt and cardigan match her much better than the bright vermillion colour of the Academy's uniform. She looks a little bit more at ease, too, though not any less guarded. Somehow, he thinks it's not necessarily because of him or the other tributes.
"Best friend and brother," Junia corrects him softly. She's well aware that they're being watched by some of the people around them and feels a little bit uncomfortable, too. But she pushes those thoughts aside when she opens her bag and pulls out a little handkerchief. "Shall we sit down?"
About thirty seconds later, Junia is sitting on the handkerchief she brought with her, Treech and Lamina on the other side of the bars, both sitting in a criss-cross position. She encourages them to take whatever they'd like and as the two of them go through the contents of the bag, she sits up a little bit straighter.
Sejanus seems to be trying to talk to the little girl from 8, Wovey. He's holding a sandwich in his hand, extending it for her or really anyone else to take but the rest of the tributes seem rather guarded. Then there's Cas who's still standing at the bars, fiddling with his hands as he puts in his best effort to talk to Sheaf and her district partner, Panlo. She can't tell if it's going well.
When she looks back at Treech and Lamina, she sees they've both taken two sandwiches, a water bottle and a handful of plums for the both of them to share. Junia rummages through the leftovers and pulls out a sandwich along with a water bottle.
"So," Treech breaks the silence. "You got into a lot of trouble for what you did this morning?"
Junia smiles a little bit bashfully. "Well, it wasn't as bad as I had expected, honestly," she admits, "but it was still a very awkward ride back to the Academy. They almost wanted to have us removed as mentors, actually."
"Oh yeah," Treech says, recalling Lucy Gray's mentor. He seems to be making a conscious effort not to wolf down the sandwich but is still taking considerably big bites, Lamina next to him almost inhaling her water. "How come they didn't?"
"Coriolanus had some very convincing arguments, I suppose," Junia says, not really wanting to elaborate any further. She takes a bite out of her sandwich and when the tributes look at her expectantly, she sighs and takes a moment to chew and swallow. "Well, it's not exactly a topic I wanted to talk about so early on but..."
"Just spill it," he says. "We know you're not just doing this out of the goodness of your heart. What's in it for you? Money? A good grade?"
Junia tilts her head to the side. For a second, she almost gets lost in the flavour of the sandwich. The ketchup almost oozes out and she has to catch it with the wrapper. She really needs to visit Sejanus more often. Usually, they tend to spend time together at their place.
"A little bit of both," she replies, not quite liking the way how quickly the answer left her mouth either. "But," she goes on to say, "I don't really care all that much about it. If you don't believe me, that's okay, too."
Lamina surprises Junia when she speaks up. After drinking some water, she sounds a lot better than this morning. "You said the rest of us are meeting our mentors tomorrow, right?" When Junia nods, Lamina awkwardly shuffles and rests her hands on her lap. "Are they coming here?"
"I don't think so, no. As far as I know, you'll be taken to the Academy," she says. Sensing the girl's visible discomfort, she quickly continues. "It'll just be questions," she reassures her, "very, very basic stuff."
She definitely needs to tell Pup to be especially patient. It's not that Lamina is fragile, she's just understandably frightened and will need a bit more time to warm up to him.
"You know her mentor well?" Treech asks and Junia nods.
"He's very good friends with my brother," she answers. Looking over at the brother in question, she's happy to see him sitting and chatting to his tribute in a similar manner as her. "Over there, with the blue jacket."
"Oh yeah, I can tell. You're matching," Treech says and glances at Junia's blue cardigan. He looks back at the boy she pointed out and raises an eyebrow, seeing the way he seems to be stumbling over his words.
Looking back at her, he asks, "So does being nervous run in your family or something? He looks like he's about to, I don't know, explode or something."
That comment catches her off guard. So much so, she snorts at first before she laughs. "Oh, excuse me," she quickly says, stifling her laughter. The sound that left her was far from what her mother would approve of. "I guess you could say that. We're both not exactly the best at talking to strangers."
"You could be doing worse," Treech answers truthfully and Junia smiles. "I mean, look at your friend," he goes on to say and looks at Sejanus. "Your other friend from this morning is there, too."
He's not even going to bother with his name. What was it? Cornelius? Whatever. Capitol names are beyond him. At least his mentor doesn't have an endless name. Even compared to the crowd in the zoo, she seems considerably humble.
Junia follows his gaze but isn't at all surprised when she spots Coriolanus talking to Sejanus. He's dressed more comfortably, too, and she waves over quietly. He waves back but for some reason, she can't shake off the feeling that he isn't exactly happy to see anyone else from the Academy here. A little girl says something to the both of them but she can't quite make out what. At the very least, she knows Sejanus isn't happy about it.
She turns her attention back to Treech who has abandoned the second sandwich and takes a bite out of a plum.
"Well, technically we aren't breaking any rules here. He's just following his own advice," she mumbles. Not quietly enough, apparently.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Treech immediately questions.
"Coriolanus suggested people should come visit you and the others," she explains. "For the Capitol to get to know you better."
"Yeah, right," Treech scoffs at the thought. "No one here actually cares about us. They're all just here to gawk and make fun of us, nothing more to it."
Junia wants to tell him that she cares but honestly, she doubts he would believe her. So she drinks some water before she continues to speak. "The Capitol is worried the Games might not continue if people aren't watching," she goes on to say, "Coriolanus suggested people might if they care who wins."
Quietly, she adds, "It's all just a theory, though. But I know that this year is... different."
"Because we're in a zoo," Treech mumbles. After not eating for almost two days, he's surprised how filling even that cookie she brought him in the morning was. The sandwiches and plums are almost overwhelming his senses, too. He hasn't eaten anything this flavorful in a long time.
Lamina next to him is savoring her sandwich now, taking little bites. Perhaps it's not knowing for sure when she'll get to eat next that makes her so hesitant to finish.
"So, why aren't they taking care of us? If one of us is supposed to make it to the Games, we need food. We have a little faucet but we can't survive on water alone."
She shrugs. "The last few years, the tributes were sent into the arena the next day," she says. She heaves a sigh, playing with the cap of the water bottle. "I guess even the Capitol doesn't really know what to do."
"That's news," Treech mutters under his breath. Finishing the plum, he drops the pit into the mulch and wipes his hands on his jeans. "So, you're coming back tomorrow?"
"I won't be able to in the morning but we could eat together during the interview," she suggests. After all, they didn't mention it wasn't allowed. In general though, what they're allowed to do and what not isn't exactly written down anywhere either.
"Sure," Treech agrees and Junia smiles again. Again, that funny feeling.
He's trying his best to ignore the stares they're receiving at the moment. He doesn't think he'll get used to being stared at like this. It almost makes him wish things were the way they were in the previous years - being thrusted into the arena tomorrow doesn't sound appealing but it would save him the humiliation of having to wait for his mentor to bring him food.
Junia looks around and isn't surprised to see Coriolanus sitting in front of the bars as well, Lucy Gray on the other side. What catches her attention is her giving one of her sandwiches to Jessup, her district partner. Lyssie asked about him but Junia hasn't been able to tell her much about him. He's quiet, just as they assumed, but when he takes the sandwich and eats it, the other tributes almost swarm Sejanus.
A little smile stretches across her face when she sees her best friend hurriedly passing out food and water to the tributes. All except for Marcus.
Treech notices the way her gentle smile turns into a frown. He's about to ask why but doesn't get very far.
Lucky Flickerman's voice cuts through the short but comfortable silence. "Good evening!" he says and in an instant, the tension in Treech's body returns. Luckily for him, the weatherman is more interested in his mentor.
Junia eyes the camera and the man warily. Now she knows for sure her parents will find out about her second trip to the Capitol Zoo as well. Strangely enough, it gives her some satisfaction to know her parents will see this. She worries but it also makes her feel a little more independent, too.
"Ms. Beaumont, we didn't get a moment to talk this morning. Would you mind?" Lucky asks. Without missing a beat, he continues, almost shoving the microphone into her face, "We've noticed you and your fellow mentors have come to feed the tributes. Was that encouraged by the Academy?"
Junia bites the inside of her cheek. "Well, the three are just having dinner together," she says gently. She refuses the use the word 'feed'. The tributes aren't dogs. Gesturing over to Sejanus, she continues to speak, "And I suppose my friend Sejanus over there is just making sure everyone has full stomachs tonight."
"Is the Capitol not feeding them?" Lucky asks.
Junia shrugs. "Not that I've heard, no." Quickly, she adds, "At least not I've been told."
As if checking to confirm her words, Lucky looks into the enclosure. Treech averts his gaze and Lamina stares down at the ground, the mulch suddenly very interesting to the both of them.
He clears his throat when he realizes he won't be getting an answer out of them after all and brings his attention back to the mentor. "Oh, oh okay." He ponders for a moment but then lights up. "Let's talk about this morning, then. What was going through your head when you landed in the cage with the tributes? What made you join them in the truck?"
"Well, truth be told, I wasn't really thinking about anything. You see, both me and Coriolanus were at the train station to meet our tributes. We only followed because they were dragged away without any explanation," she explains, her thumb rubbing over her ring. Her cheeks flush slightly and she shifts as she feels the crowd's eyes on her more than before. "Just acting on impulse, I suppose."
Lucky nods. "Uh-uh, uh-uh. And what about your thoughts when you found yourself here in the monkey house?"
"Oh, right" Junia clears her throat. "I was very confused, you could say. I think it was a surprise for all of us."
"Would you say you were scared? For your life, perhaps?"
"About the same amount of scared as I usually am when I'm surrounded by strangers," Junia says and is surprised when Lucky begins to laugh. She's dead serious, looking up at the man in confusion before she smiles, forcing a laugh as well.
Lucky directs his attention towards Treech now, holding the microphone through the bars, "You're her tribute, right? Is there anything you would like to say to the citizens of the Capitol today?"
Junia has a fleeting suspicion that whatever is about to leave Treech's mouth won't be pretty. There's a defiant look on his face and for a second, he looks like he might be considering yanking the microphone out of Lucky's hands and tossing it far away.
So, she quickly clears her throat. "Actually," she chimes in. "We'd like to speak privately again, if that's alright. Maybe another time?" She offers the man a smile.
Thankfully, Lucky seems to understand. Or so she thinks. "Well, let's move on, then. It looks like Lucy Gray would like to talk to us," he says. He brushes past Junia, the TV crew following, and gives her shoulder a subtle squeeze. "I'll hold you to that."
Junia grimaces. Once he's out of earshot, she lets out a long sigh. "I'm sorry," she says. "He didn't get to talk to me this morning, I had a feeling he'd try it again."
"He'll live," Treech replies dryly. "He's tried getting all of us to talk but none do. Except for Lucy Gray."
She follows his gaze, looking over at Lucy Gray and Coriolanus who are already talking to Flickerman the way they were in the morning. She wishes she had that kind of natural charm but alas, social situations won't ever be her forte.
"She's a natural," she remarks. "She sang at the reaping ceremony, too."
Treech and Lamina look at her in surprise.
"She sings often," Lamina says more quietly than before. Perhaps the encounter with Flickerman intimidated her. "But very, very quietly."
"She hums most of the time. Some of us here find it annoying though," Treech adds on. "Me, I don't care. But the visitors seem to love it."
Junia is about to speak up when an announcement cuts through the speakers, informing the visitors that the zoo would be closing in fifteen minutes. She frowns. For some reason, she wishes she could have stayed longer.
"Well," she says and stands up. "I should probably get going then."
"Yeah," Treech says, "I don't think you'd want to be dragged out by Peacekeepers twice in one day."
A laugh escapes Junia's lips and she shakes her head, picking up her handkerchief. She folds it again and puts it back into her bag. "I definitely don't," she says. Extending the bag towards them, she nods. "Take whatever is left. If you don't want it, feel free to share with the others."
It's Lamina who reaches out first, taking the two remaining bottles of water and the sandwiches. Treech takes the plums, holding them in his hands and inspecting them. He seems to be debating something.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," he says. He's about to turn around and walk back to his designated spot on the rock he sat on earlier when he pauses. "Any chance you can get your hands on some blankets?" He nods towards the back of the enclosure where two tributes are fighting over a stack of hay. "Or anything to sleep on, really."
Junia winces when Marcus steps in, grabbing both tributes by the collar and tossing them apart from each other like they're nothing. "I'll see what I can get my hands on," she says. "Get some rest, alright? Or at least try to."
"We will," Treech smiles wryly, which Junia sees as an accomplishment. "And you stay out of trouble. I don't need my mentor getting expelled before the Games even start."
She can't tell if he's serious or not but decides to laugh anyway. "Good night!" she says before turning around. She hears Treech and Lamina bidding her a good night as well and then slips through the thinned out crowd to where her brother is already standing.
Cas has a smile on his lips and from the looks of it, his bag is completely empty as well. "You seem to get on well," he comments when his sister approaches him. He nods over her head, watching as Treech retrieves some hay for himself and Lamina. "You talked a lot."
"Well, that's what we're supposed to do," she says and nudges him in the side. Looking up, she continues. "How did talking to Sheaf go?"
Even in the faint moonlight, Junia can see the way her brother blushes. "It was a bit awkward at first," he admits, "I think I talked for about a minute straight until I remembered the food and water. But from there on, it was all smooth sailing."
A relieved look crosses her face. "That's good to hear!" she beams up at her brother as they begin to slowly walk away from the monkey enclosure. "You think you'll be able to work together?"
"Oh, absolutely," Cas says. She feels like she'll be hearing a lot more about the girl in the next few days and considers introducing herself as well. "You'd like her, I think." He pauses and lets out a sigh, "I should probably tell Sejanus trading tributes is out of the question now..."
In the distance among the crowd, Junia is certain she can see Sejanus walking next to Coriolanus. They seem to be talking but they're too far away to hear what it's about.
"He's right over there," she points out, "if you make a run for it, you might still catch up to them."
Truthfully, she's not all that eager to talk to Coriolanus any more than she already has today. Their chauffeur won't be leaving until both of them are in the car, anyway.
"And make a fool out of myself? I don't run!"
Junia laughs, gently pushing her brother to the side. She turns around once more, deciding to give the monkey enclosure one last glance and is surprised to find Treech facing her direction. Both him and Lamina seem to have curled up behind the rock, she guesses as much since she can't see the girl's face but her feet poking out, and he has his arms propped on the rock. She raises her hand and waves, smiling when he waves back.
When she turns around again, she can almost feel his gaze burning into her back.
Meanwhile, Treech decides that maybe this whole mentor thing isn't too bad. Watching the girl walk next to her brother, he finds his eyes lingering on the way she folds her hands behind her back when she walks. Even surrounded by such little light, he thinks there's something strangely comforting about the sound of her laughter.
Deciding he doesn't want to end up staring at her until she's out of sight like a creep, he sighs and lowers himself back onto the ground. The hay is a bit itchy beneath him as he places his hat under his head as a makeshift pillow.
Even though it means being one step closer to the Games and an inevitable death, he can't help but look forward to the upcoming day. It's not that he fully trusts her, not yet, but out of everyone he has seen since arriving here in the Capitol, he has to admit there's something about her that makes him feel at ease.
It's not much, but it's something.
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your now is not your forever.
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i always get extremely carried away as soon as i have a dialogue between treech and june BUT idc. time is limited before the games start (literally, it's like 10 days) and i need to experiment with their dynamic a little bit lol
the treech + lamina dynamic atm just. me just making things even more heartbreaking for myself for when the Games start... sigh
i know cas is only her twin but he's not entirely unimportant so i hope you guys at least like him too!! there'll be a bit more of a split focus between the twins soon but i'll make sure treech + junia stay in the spotlight, promise
yapping aside, i edited the ACT I chapter and added some moodboards for treech and june so check that out if you'd like!
i had a lot of fun editing this chapter but as always; let me know if i make mistakes this isn't my first language
as always, last but not least, some twitter shitpost memes because they're too much fun to make and i wanna share
have a nice day!!!<3