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13. a proposal
Thankfully, by the time they get home, Cas has stopped teasing his sister. A smart decision, otherwise she might have melted into a puddle on the floor and he'd have to scrape her off the sidewalk to bring her back home.
It's still some time before dinner so they decide to unwind from today's events above all. Junia doubts Lyssie has made it home yet, unless Clemmie wasn't at the Citadel anymore by the time she got there.
They both immediately change out of their uniforms and into something more comfortable, but right when they're about to head outside into the garden, they're stopped by their mother. Adeena Beaumont looks exhausted, heavy bags are under her eyes and her once neatly tied up hair has almost completely fallen out of its ponytail. She seems to be in a hurry which is apparently a normal thing by now.
"I'll send the driver out to pick up Max today, or I'll call your father. I don't think I'll be able to make it," she explains hastily, pressing kisses to both of their foreheads. The twins are sitting on the couch with Cas holding the remote in his hand. "With the Games coming up, we're really in a hurry to finish preparations."
Junia frowns, "Please remember to take care of yourself, mom. We worry about you, too, you know?"
The woman's eyes soften and she runs her fingers through her daughter's hair. Sometimes she's relieved her children have all inherited her husband's straight hair, but a part of her wishes at least Junia had her curls. While they can be a hassle to take care of sometimes, she loves her hair just the way it is.
"I know, I know. But this is very important last-minute stuff, dear. It's urgent," she says. Even though she needs to go back to her office, she still stops to look her children over. "How are you two holding up? Is everything alright?"
She looks at her son in particular. "Castiel, have you been eating well?"
"I'm fine, mom," he insists. "I actually went to the counselor today, too. She gave me some tips and her phone number in case of an emergency. I'll be okay."
"Me as well," Junia says. Their mother seems relieved but Junia hesitates for a moment, unsure how to deliver the news to her. "Uhm.. by the way, we stopped by at the zoo on our way home."
Adeena Beaumont pales at her daughter's words and pulls her hand away almost abruptly. "So I've heard. Dr. Gaul seemed pleased with you two for thinking of the tributes after yesterday. She said you were role models to the other mentors, you two and Coriolanus. I was about to head home when I heard he wanted to get in, too," she says. She sighs, "As someone that works directly under the gamemaker, I couldn't be prouder of you. But as your mother..."
"You worry about us, we know," Junia replies. She reaches out, gently taking her mother's hand into hers. "But it went well, please don't worry about us. We get on well with them."
Cas looks like he wants to say something about the way her face flushed at the zoo but refrains. He nods in agreement. "I know you don't trust them, but we do at the very least. I think that's enough," he says.
"Not trusting them doesn't even begin to scratch the surface, dear, and you know it. What happened to Arachne was no accident," Adeena Beaumont says in the usual cool tone she uses when the topic moves on to the districts. "But you should still be careful."
"They were shackled, mom. They couldn't have done anything even if they wanted to," Junia protests as gently as she can and squeezes her mother's hand reassuringly. "They're not getting any food either. They're starving."
"After yesterday, does that really surprise you?" Adeena Beaumont shakes her head and pulls her hand out of her daughter's grasp. Junia frowns. "You think they deserve to eat after what they did to poor Arachne?"
Cas' jaw clenches so tightly it might snap. "So the Capitol is letting them starve because of it?" He questions. "That doesn't seem right. The others didn't do anything."
"Still, they very well could've," she insists, "you two are too trusting. I don't know where you got that from."
"Mom," Junia says firmly, "with the current weather and without food, it's very likely most of them won't last another two days. You haven't seen them, they're in terrible condition."
"What will happen to the Games if most of the tributes have starved to death by the time they start? And those that do make it into the arena will be too weak to fight," Cas adds on, "I thought the Capitol wants the Games to continue. At the current rate, they'll be even more boring than those last year. No one will be watching."
Adeena Beaumont blinks as their words sink in for a moment. She's still disapproving of the fact that they're very obviously sympathizing with the tributes - she blames Sejanus for that - but they have a point. The Games are supposed to continue and if the tributes can't fight, it won't be entertaining. The whole reason why they introduced mentors in the first place was to make them influence the tributes but perhaps, in some way, the tributes are influencing their mentors, too.
"That's a reasonable concern," she agrees reluctantly, "I will bring that up the next time I speak with Dr. Gaul. She's already very fond of the two of you, I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear that you're putting in so much thought outside of the Academy, too."
Then, she shakes her head. "I have to get back to work-" She stops in her tracks as she's about to leave the living room. "Actually, Junia, Festus Creed has been calling. It seemed urgent, perhaps you should call him back?"
The twins exchange a puzzled look.
"Festus?" They echo at the same time, unable to hide their confusion.
"Festus Creed called... to talk to me? Are you sure?" Junia furrows her brows. "That doesn't seem right."
"I don't know, sunshine, maybe he's falling for your charms, too," Cas shoots her a smirk and laughs when she glares at him, her cheeks flushed. Seeing his mother's confusion, he waves it off, "I'm just joking. Everyone knows Festus is pretty much head over heels for Persephone."
"Nero's girl?" She asks, unable to hide the delight in her voice. "Why, that's wonderful news! Is it official or is this just a little rumor?"
"Oh, it's real," Junia says, "I thought he was going to turn into a tomato when he found out they have tributes from the same district."
She knows she's not one to talk and her brother's deadpan says the same thing. While he leans back on the couch with the remote, she stands up.
"By the way, there's one more thing I need to talk to you about before I head back to work," their mother says, placing her hands on her son's shoulders. "It won't be long."
Junia quietly walks out of the living room and makes her way down the corridor to get to the telephone. Needless to say, she's confused. She hasn't been this dumbfounded since the announcements at the reaping ceremony. Festus Creed wants to talk to her? She has seen and heard a lot these past few days but this is definitely taking the cake.
She stops when she sees the door to her mother's study is slightly ajar. For a second, she considers simply closing it and heading down further but then she stops. She hears her mother's voice in the living room, chatting away, and allows herself to catch a glimpse of what's inside.
It's small, therefore it's easy for her to see everything at once. There's a desk with books scattered across it, along with two microscopes. She spots the same vials as yesterday, just that these have different sizes. The black color seems almost omnious in the dimly lit room, yet strangely enticing. It almost feels like it's alive.
Then, something catches her attention. Colourful scales, unlike anything she has ever seen before. She wonders what kind of snake they could possibly have that could have scales so beautiful. She glances back for a moment when she hears her brother's voice, too. He sounds angry.
But Junia is more focused on what's on her mother's desk. They're almost hypnotizing to look at. She knows Dr. Gaul keeps muttations at the Citadel but she has never seen one so beautiful. What looks like remains of multiple snakes, aligned in no particular order on the desk. Green, blue, red, yellow, pink, orange, purple- every colour of the rainbow present.
Then, the realization sinks in and Junia's heart sinks. Her mother's words echo in her head, her sudden drive to work overtime in a whole other light. She's preparing something for the Games here, surely, but the rainbow scales being here very well could imply they'll be using muttations during the Games for the first time ever.
She takes a step back and closes the door, not wanting to spend another moment in there. Her mind is racing. If they're using muttations during the Games, it's bound to catch the attention of a large audience. They've never done this before and with Dr. Gaul being in charge, Junia has heard and seen first-hand that the woman is willing to do anything to get more people to watch. She even accepted Coriolanus' ideas, going so far as to embrace them and ask for a detailed paper on them.
Treech.
Junia doesn't understand why but before anyone else, he comes to her mind. What would whatever is in those vials do to him? Or, worse, what if the muttations are let loose in the arena and they get to him?
She shakes her head, feeling her head race in her chest. The voices in the living room are quiet now but they're still talking. She looks back and forth, takes a few deep breaths to steady herself - perhaps she should ask her brother about those breathing exercises, they'd do her a favor too - and decides she needs to keep an eye on her mother in the following days.
She can't - won't - let anything happen to Treech.
Junia thinks back to the zoo not even a while ago and the way her heart races feels a lot more pleasant now. It's a steady rhythm, albeit fast, and her chest feels warmer. She thinks back to the things he said, the way he smiled at her, and it all only makes her feel more determined. She told herself she'd make sure he'd get home and see his family again.
Whatever her mother is helping create in there, Junia knows she can't stop it. But the least she can do is investigate further and see how she can help Treech in the arena.
She knows it's cheating. This time, she'd actually be breaking the rules. She's both horrified and relieved to realize she doesn't care about that.
She just has to make sure she doesn't get caught.
With a newfound determination, she steps away and approaches the telephone. Right as she's about to take it into her hands, it rings and she immediately picks up.
"Hello?" She says. "This is—"
"Oh, finally. I thought you were never going to pick up, June." Festus' voice on the other hand sounds relieved and a bit annoyed at the same time. "I've been calling multiple times, you know? I thought your mother might reach through the telephone and strangle me."
It's not that Festus isn't talkative. It's just that he's unusually chatty. Junia knows why when she hears a giggle in the background and rolls her eyes.
"It's good to talk to you, too," she replies with a chuckle, "I'm really sorry, she's busy with work. Whatever she said to you, I apologize on her behalf." She pauses. "I'm a bit surprised, though. Are you sure you want to talk to me?"
Then again, Festus calling in general would be surprising. He's not close with her and not with her brother either.
"Very sure," Festus insists. He audibly hesitates and clears his throat. "Listen, I know this is not exactly... appropriate timing-wise, but we - me and Persephone - were talking to our tributes yesterday and we've had an idea."
"An idea?" Junia asks curiously. Her mind is still slightly spinning from what she saw in her mother's study and she feels like she can't think straight. "I'm sorry, what are we talking about here?"
"We suggested forming an alliance during the Games," Festus explains in a surprisingly patient tone. "And since you and your tribute get along so... well, we asked if they'd consider forming an alliance with him. The three of us could work together behind the scenes and while they're in the arena, they'd have each other's backs."
Junia's mind blanks momentarily. An alliance? Sure, she has heard of district partners sticking together but never once has she seen long-lasting alliances between districts.
"Just Treech?" Junia questions. "No one else?" For some reason, she doesn't know how to feel about that.
"My family knows District 7 well, June. You know that," Festus says. "The tributes from there are usually very adept with an ax and you've seen the way they fight when they're in the arena. Treech looks like he can put up a fight, you know? He could be a threat."
Junia swallows. Really, what have her and Treech been doing? Is everyone else discussing strategies already? That seems morbid. Has she really forgotten the real reason Treech is in the Capitol just because they get along so well and she's fond of him?
"June?" Festus' voice snaps her out of it. "I understand if you need time to think but—"
"Just Treech?" She cuts him off, fiddling with the cable of the phone. "Not Lamina, too?"
She can't see but she imagines he's making a very confused face at the moment. "Sorry?"
"His partner, the girl from Seven," Junia reminds him.
"Oh. Oh, no," Festus replies very quickly. "Coral was very clear she only wants him in the alliance. She doesn't think the girl will be a threat in the arena, I think." Quietly, he adds, "I don't think anyone does. Apparently she's crying the entire time. You've seen it yourself, I think she already gave up."
Junia bites her tongue. She doesn't think Lamina is weak at all, just very understandably distraught because of the situation she's in. Again, she's amazed by how almost no one else seems to try and understand that all of the tributes think they won't be alive by next week. It's mind-blowing if anything.
"They seem close. Treech said they've been working together for a long time," she explains in a softer tone. "He really cares for Lamina. I don't think he would just abandon her like that."
Festus hums on the other end but persists. "You don't think you could... I don't know, butter him up or something? Apart from Coriolanus and Lucy Gray, it looks like you two get along the best."
"'Butter him up'?" Junia quotes and has to laugh at the thought alone. "We both know I can't turn up my charm or anything like Cas does." She rolls her eyes.
Yet, she also doesn't want to leave Festus hanging. More Persephone, really.
"I'll see what I can do. I'm going to see him tomorrow, I will bring it up to him," she says, "but if he shuts it down, I can't say I didn't tell you so."
She really doubts Treech would agree to something like that. Actually, she doesn't know how to feel if he does. They seem so close but then again, people have to make tough decisions during the Games. She doesn't want to think too much about it, the inevitability of it all makes her feel unwell.
Even though he can't hide his disappointment, that seems to at least bring Festus some peace of mind. "Alright, great," he says. "Tell me what he says as soon as you can."
"Well, I better hang up," he says, "we're still going to give Domitia a call. Coral has her eyes on her tribute, too."
"Tanner?"
"Yeah, him. After what happened to his district partner, I think he doesn't really have any better options anyway- What? I have a point!"
Junia can't see it but she imagines Persephone is shooting Festus a pointed look for that insensitive comment at least. That makes her feel better. She hasn't seen or heard much from Tanner but if she was in his shoes, she'd be terrified all on her own. So, in a sense, she gets what Festus is trying to say. It was just very poorly phrased.
"I understand," she quickly says, "I'll leave you two to it, then. I'll let you know what Treech says."
"Alright. Have a nice evening, June," he says. It's silent for a moment before he adds, "Oh, Persephone is asking about Cas. Is he doing better?"
"Yeah, he'll manage. I'll tell him she asked, that's very kind," Junia says with a smile. She hesitates briefly. "Well, I'm sure you and Persephone will figure something out. You make a good team."
The silence on the other hand has Junia stifling a laugh. She's sure she knows what kind of face Festus is making and wishes she could see the way he must be scrambling for an answer.
"Have a good evening, you two. I'll be going now." She hangs up without giving them a chance to reply.
Then, she laughs to herself. It wasn't a lie at all, she meant every word, but she's really starting to understand why Cas likes to tease people. Not that it'll be her new hobby but it certainly brightened her mood.
She's almost knocked out of her shoes when her brother storms past her, his steps heavy on the wooden floor. She watches in bewilderment as he walks until he reaches his door and doesn't think twice before he steps into his room and slams the door shut. She winces.
So much for lifting my spirits, she thinks.
When her mother leaves the living room looking slightly exasperated, Junia can't help but ask. "What's going on with Cas?" She questions. "Is he alright?"
"He'll be okay, dear," her mother reassures her and fixes her daughter's hair. "You'd better ask him yourself, I have to get back to work."
Even more dumbfounded, Junia only blinks at her mother when she pinches her cheek and walks past her, shutting and locking the door behind her once she's in her study.
Junia sighs, now exasperated as well. She pushes the thought of the rainbow scales out of her head for now and decides to go after him.
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we're in this together.
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i realized when looking at the film's bts pics that the liquid is technically... more the colour of amber in the movie? in the book it was described as black tho idc i'm sticking with that
at least the uhm... cheating side plot! yes let's call it that. is slowly picking up. i know there's not a lot in this chapter otherwise but we'll get there soon enough!
treech next chapter! promise
i also changed the cover! don't know if i'll stick with it ykyk i was just fucking around with picsart a bit
i hope you guys like the name kyra! i'm working on a coral fic (or... brainstorming!)
also. i just. just look at him
the way i RAN to turn these into gifs is embarrassing ngl
ICONIC SLIDE ALT ANGLE!!!!
have a nice day everyone!! next chapter tomorrow!<3
memes!!!