Calli, At Some Point:

Odin: I'm bored, someone tell me a joke.

Adessa: *not looking up from her book* Okay. You look good today.

Odin: Thanks! Wait-

Mortal Sins

Makes sense-

First thing you see after you zoom in is how you die

How you dying 👀

Iris: Welcome to the another episode of How to Ruin Iris' Life. We are back with more depressing moments and heart wrenching betrayals.

Ronan:

Ronan: I just asked how were you doing.

Ronan: Are you sure this is best for our country?

President Snow: Certainly, I am as sure as I am honest.

Ronan, mutters: If that's the case, we are definitely fucked up.

Summary: The story of Alinta, tribute of the 50th Hunger games.

Victors & Arenas

So, I thought it would be nice to write about the Victor's Arena's for fun and, you know, pain to my favourites. I did not wrote everyone in detail since some of them were already said, though I tried to extend as much as I could.

All the character rights go to @lorata, I am only responsible for the traumas I caused for her Victors.

Enough rambling, here it is:

Ronan (16th Games)

A desert or somewhere with a lack of water. His year definitely was a flashback of war and Dark Days and really, really horrible. He was like a squeezed balloon in the end, all the aggression, misery, bloodlust gone and just wanted to get out and...just exist.

Caius (17th Games)

An airship because in my headcanon, Caius admired when his parents taking him away with them with a plane trip which was about a family vacation (though he did not knew it was for escaping from war) and wanted to be a pilot. In a modern world, he would have, but it's Panem so he will get one melancholy Arena which brings painful, forgotten memories.

Iris (20th Games)

I wrote about it here but I'll quickly summarise that without spoiling much. Her Arena was an ocean with ice sheets on it and most of the tributes either got hypothermia or a monster coming after them if they are alone. After winning her Arena, Iris got half deaf and she had a very upsetting things happened to her constantly.

Luna (27th Games)

Mental asylum because why not? My version of Luna is quite Enobaria-like (especially about Iris) and her parents were not the best which I wrote about it. In her Arena, the tributes were placed in a room (three separate rooms with only one weapon in them) which their characteristics were match just to cause a lot more psychological pain since they would recall their past AND a sign to districts that Snow knows everything, even their favourite food.

Adessa (29th Games)

Abandoned laboratory for irony. Obviously she was marvelled about how interesting was it and for a moment she thought killing in here was a waste -only for a moment, dear- but then with the first blood she spilled, she easily got into the game. Her dissecting a tribute in the end was her plan and she got the gadgets for that- a win-win for her. Her Arena would be one of the most interesting for Two's since the Abbot's (Adessa's family, which I also created and she is/was a part of them so ~instant fame.

Hera (31st Games)

An aquarium. That year was definitely in favour of Four but she is Callista the Butcher's future mentor, she won't go down that quick. She stayed quiet and hid away from the tributes, made them believe she was drowned before last 5 days. She killed the last tribute with stabbing them with the broken glass of the aquarium, strike after strike, until they were a bloody mess. Needles to say she got her demons out of her.

Odin (32nd Games)

His was a normal, indoor one -as normal as Panem can get- and was all about staying alive and defeat the other tributes, or that's what they thought. The Arena was getting smaller at each day and triggered a lot of claustrophobia, even from the ones who did not have that. In the end he got a crown and a lost eyeball.

Callista (41st Games)

Calli's games were all about sex and blood and torture so I thought a brothel with a lot of sex-toys-turned-into-weapons would be great for her. In her Arena, she was not quick, obviously, and had the least kill count on the first day- it got better (worse for others) after that. She tried to be calm about her killings on the first day -just a stab in the heart, guts, or wherever the fuck she wanted, depends on her mood- but then a feeling came over her and she smeared innards into snow and make a pretty picture of it AND made sure no one attacked her during it.

Nero (42nd Games)

His games were the ones with no weapons so an apocalypse Arena for our Nero. There were loads of volcanoes, natural disasters at best and not enough food. From the Hunger Games canon, the cannibal tribute Titus (?) would exists in this Arena and became one of Nero's victims, thankfully. Though he did not like what he did, he was in relief that it all end and he will get love and hugs- oh. (Unless it turns into my Rock, Misery and Hugs which Adessa and Nero hugged for five times)

Brutus (49th Games)

Like Odin's, it was pretty simple and was described in To Love a Beast, so I will take that and add a memory erasing bomb which affected him partially- he heard voices he did not recognise and stuff like that.

Emory (52nd Games)

Her Arena was indoors and was in favour for outer districts so I thought it might be a house full of riddles and logical thinking must be required. The weapons were hidden in tricky places so most of the tributes choked one another or pressed on their throats. There were no windows so Emory's and tribute's understanding of time were limited.

Lyme (55th Games)

A survival Arena, nothing much to be done for others when Careers were all active and had Lyme as their leader. She was stealthy enough to sneak out from their tent and find undiscovered weapons and use them against the Pack in the end.

Artemisia (57th Games)

An Arena so much like Centre, it raised a flame of cockiness and the strong belief that she will win- or this would be the scenario if Six kept it in his pants but oh well, Misha is a though nut to crack weaklings.

Devon (60th Games)

A factory with lots of deadly machines to fight with. No weapons but if you're smart enough, you can create one as the mindset. Alas, he could not because there wasn't enough wood so he kissed people and slit their throats with a nail clipper.

Enobaria (62nd Games)

A jungle full of mysteries and poison and full of tactics. Bari was not the flashiest one in her games and most assumed she would die, until she proved herself with killing 5 tributes in Bloodbath. In her final fight, she was weaponless -weak- and her instincts got over and she bared her teeth and teared the boy's throat apart.

Claudius (67th Games)

All kids except for Careers as we know and I pretty much liked it so I do not have much to add except for some kids cuddling each other when they were sticky with blood.

Petra (72nd Games)

An apartment with three floors and wicked weapons. Petra was not a fool to not to notice the ends of her signature weapon was poisonous so she choose to use a weapon she had not excel with- which caused her trainers smack their foreheads but she got survived in the end, and it's all that matters.

My attempt at Lyme

I’m not the happiest with her, but I struggled to get her how exactly I wanted her so this will do.

Delusional Coriodessa Capitol Fans: You two are having sex!

Adessa, trying to slit Snow's throat with his own nails: You could have told me that.

(Writing this with only one hour of sleep so sorry in advance if some stuff doesn't makes sense.)

So, Faded Rainbow is where I wrote about Iris' childhood and her recovery with Ronan. (As well as Caius.)

There is Everything is (Not) Fine, which is basically Iris and Luna interacting. Their relationship to me is kind of a parallel to Lyme & Enobaria--they interact only because of their mentors and would probably kill each other if given chance.

I have not-so many headcanons about all of them but who knows, I might pop another fic about them out of nowhere.

Will we ever hear more about Caius and Luna? I imagine Ronan's first Victors have got a lot to go along with them, being led by the first Career. I know there's a couple others we know very little about such as Callista's mentor Hera as well as Adessa's mentor Iris

Yeah I'm sure I will at some point! It's all about when I'll get an idea, really? It's like, I wrote Claudius' story when I got a lightning-bolt of "Arena full of 12-year-olds" and everything flowed from there, so at some point I'll get some bit of key info about one of them that I'll write the rest of their story around. For now they just hang out

bb!Calli for @lorata

Decided to rise back from dead and deliver few thousands of words regarding Callista because I can.

Also, Merry Christmas to people who celebrate!

Without further rambling, I present you what happens when you procrastinate so hard

She was born as the clock hit midnight, when October 30th bled into 31st; a sign of power, her parents said and as if to prove that theory, the rosy-cheeked baby hadn’t screamed or shed a tear when she finally took her first breath and nor will she when she rises into the greatness that was ahead of her.

A greatness even this little soul knew already.

—

Callista likes to get what she wants, is the only thing her teachers agree upon describing her ın the parent-teacher meeting conferences. Because even though she is still  a rosy-cheeked five year old, she has a great way to people and the way she acted around them, controlling the very air around her:

Callista is very demure when she says her classmates are good but not good enough and maybe she can help them because they have so much to improve on. (and then she sneakily hides their projects, making them seem irresponsible; always ending up as the one who gets the praise)

Callista is very passionate when she says she can skillfully use her scissors and unlike other kids, she would not try to hurt them with her tools because she is so well-behaved, a favourite and has manners. (if she wanted to hurt them, she definitely would try to find a way without staining her pretty scissors)

Callista is very polite about the way she informs her teachers during recess, she discusses the things her peers say to one another that might be harmful or could possibly paint them in a bad light. (well, she could paint them in a bad light as she is perfect in painting, she just threatens her peers a bit for them to do it for her because she does not want to paint)

Callista is, they say–Callista just is.

—

When she watches her first Games, Callista is six years old and it also happens to be her first Victor, a fact which she cried along with her parents as they wept because Two finished their second decade with success, power and most of all, they had done their duty and are ready to provide for more.

And although they had let their little daughter watch death happen in more ways than she can count at that age, they do turn off the voice of television and bid her goodnight when their latest Victor decides to dissect however the amount of dead tributes left.  

Callista obeys even though she cannot comprehend why the Victor-Adessa, she can say her name now because she is Two’s forever and ever and not buried underground like other twenty three- should not be allowed to murder just a tad more when she can for the last time.

And it’s not like the tributes would feel anything now, she reckons.

—

After less than a year her parents tell her she will -not can, nor chance-- actually be one of them; one of the Victors. And Callista thinks obviously because she knows she is meant for more; not just good or good enough but only the best.

So they take her to Centre to take a test which makes her want to scoff but that would be rude in the public eye, not very demure so she just asks why she should take a test if her capacity is already a fact and proven through the school tests she already started to take.

Her parents smile and say it is for reassurance which makes Callista want to frown but she cannot do that either, no wrinkles are allowed when we aren’t at home, afterall.

When she is a Victor she will make sure people give answers she likes because she deserves to know why, not just reassurances.

When they enter the building she stands up tall among her parents as a lady makes her way towards them. “Ah, I see the last link of the Beauforts ready to shine as well. Calliope, was it?”

“Callista.” she says, pulling her ‘serious’ voice which she uses with adults. She doesn’t know what she is more annoyed at; the way this stranger thinks she isn’t shining already or getting her name wrong or the talk she sure will receive this evening when they get back home about not interrupting the adults.

The lady, however, chuckles. “Well, Callista, nice to meet you. You may go to room six as your parents and I talk.”

Callista opens her mouth again but she can feel the three pairs of eyes burning on her and even though she likes attention, she has a feeling that this is her cue to pretend to listen so she nods and takes a turn to make her way as she hears about the recent changes in the Offering System.

When she reaches room six she stops in front of it and knocks and doesn’t enter until she hears a soft ‘come in’. She smiles just as she had been taught and introduces herself which the woman in front of her takes in with delight. She offers Callista a seat and asks her about her which is Callista’s favourite topic to talk about. 

Then she shows up a few pictures and that’s when she struggle a bit because she doesn’t know what to say to Ms. Ambers in order to make her family look good. It’s not like her eyes are bad or she lacks creativity but she still answers confidently even though it definitely isn’t her best few minutes and she notes to herself to analyse people better.

But apparently Ms. Ambers has a few things to do -which Callista considers unprofessional because who would sign up for things when they have other more important things to do?- and she pardons herself for a few minutes meanwhile Callista can or cannot enjoy the marshmallows that are in front of her- which is another unprofessional thing because aren’t guests supposed to relish in catering?

However she isn’t a guest, she is in a test and things like these might not be applicable here so she waits because she might make up for the picture guessing things by offering the older woman a few of her marshmallows because she is polite and sharing is caring.

When Ms. Ambers turns back she eyes the treats with a glint in her eyes and Callista feels grateful that she doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth even though she smiles all cute and sure and makes her offer but doesn’t wave her hand up in air because then it would be obvious that she is mimicking her parents’ attitude in these situations.

And for being such a good girl, Callista gets to prove her physical strength when Ms. Ambers take her to the playground. She eyes the other kids as she makes her way through them, honestly, they stood no chance to her, they should be aware of that when the trumpets boom. So she mainly shows things she is already excellent at such as flexibility as she climbs up the ropes, the way she pushes kids down but doesn’t let herself lose any progress she made while climbing up.

Callista smiles and it’s not the ‘sweet’ coded one for once but she cannot bring herself to care.

—

And as she always does, Callista dominates; she is the best in her cohort and best overall so far; she is calculating,vicious and powerful and she drinks it up like a cocktail while she breaks other people’s bones. She doesn’t smile much but when she does it smells blood and there is nothing anyone can do; she is perfect because she is and well guess who has to deal with that? Not her.

It is a problem, apparently as she grows older because everyone grows older and it turns from games to Games and the clock ticking like the ones in the Arenas do. There are kids who already are quitting or painfully obvious that they won’t make it until fifteen but also the ones that are becoming more and more insistent and nastier and Callista can’t ignore that. This–everything around here is what she is passionate about and she will not let them take it away so she trains herself even more, pushing her limits until nothing is left to be pushed and it works until it doesn’t.

Arrogance is one of the things what Two looks for in tributes but they prefer not overdosing it and well Callista apparently did because there was no other reason they brought a Victor–her first, Adessa, at that– to show her place which she already knows, obviously, she just wanted to enlarge the narrative but it’s still a good wake up call nonetheless about how extreme confidence may cause great tragedies.

Odin in 32nd proved it to the other children that sometimes too much believing in the death-condition of the last tribute as you turn around for the trumpets might cost you an eye even if you kill them afterwards. And that is one of the lessons Callista listened to in her heart.

And she grows and kills and plays the cameras and when they announce the chosen female tribute she cackles and it’s raw and dangerous and her.

When the trumpets play, Callista grins as she holds herself up from the One tribute who is as naked and as flushed as her but not as alive. This is what she was made for, what her parents told her for and what she made herself as and she is proud of herself and the whole country is and everything is perfect.

—

Hera is waiting for her in the hovercraft and she is still there when Callista takes her well deserved nap and she will be with her as long as Callista requires because she is a mentor with an alive kid for once and her eyes are proud.

She has a house in the village now but it seems to be not ready for her yet which Callista doesn’t really think is justifiable; who else was there but her to win 41st? But she won’t throw a tantrum because she has all the time for eternity and is not a rose-cheeked toddler anymore.

In the months between her win and Tour, she finds the lack of blood too boring. Everything around her is soft and safe and in order which is such a difference from the Arena and from the last eleven years. And when Hera is gone for a bit Callista sneaks a blade –which were hidden away from her except her mentor doesn't know all her skills–and slides it across her skin and inhales the coppery smell of blood; bright and dark and beautiful like her. She patches it up afterwards because she didn’t die from infection then and won’t die now.

Apparently being alive and perfect is not enough to be loved by everyone which confuses her at first. It’s not like she expected outliers to adore her but she didn't anticipate this much hate either and it’s way too obvious, no doubt they don’t have the privileges Two has; one needs to know how to play the game and Callista and the entire district does.

The village feels even more like home after the Tour, however all she can feel now is rage. How dare people not see the greatness behind her? Or was it her price to pay for being herself? 

And that is when the thirst for blood paints her sight red and some lowlife ends up dead by her hands and it should be glorious but it’s not and she’s boiling and she is ready to hunt again but–

Mentors apparently can appear out of thin air and Callista hisses out as she stands up on her feet and braces herself for impact because while Hera is not particularly vicious she definitely won’t let a corpse slide underneath her feet especially if it’s from her Victor’s knives. Hera grabs her by the collar of her jacket and smashes her to a tree. 

“You are out.” Hera says, tone distanced but furious. “You are someone with enough blood on her hands which was allowed then because that is what everyone needs to do there in order to seem worthy of freedom. You have it now and you are not a fool to even think I will tell you throw all that. This is not Games anymore, being alive is not the only rule around here, and you might act like you do not care but we both know if that was the case you wouldn't be covered in blood now.”

Callista doesn’t meets her eyes, for once in her life she feels something similar to shame. Not shame for herself but for her actions which will have consequences she’s sure she could live without. “What else am I supposed to be covered with?” There are a few things in her mind but she definitely cannot say them now.

“Only your flesh. We can’t redo what we had done nor should we, but we can stay true to ourselves and achieve things from there.”

“...so I should kill some more then.” Callista smirks a little, not mean nor innocent, just her. “That’s who I am.”

Hera, points for her, doesn’t take her bullshit. “You know exactly what I mean–”

Footsteps. 

Except they don’t sound massive, and since the guy has been dead for at least half an hour, it is definitely not him.

Hera and Callista share glances and she gives her mentor a knife, just in case. 

“Mrw,” a one-eyed cat is staring at them, defensive with at least half a dozen kittens underneath her and she tries to keep them all in one place as they try to walk away from their mother.

Callista looks at them, strangely marveled as she watches the scene in front of her and Hera probably looks at her Victor the same way as she takes off her jacket and swaddles them in her arms despite the protests. “Hey now–”

Callista still doesn’t look at Hera, this night feels like a fever dream already so why not take full advantage? “Can you help me? They are heavy and I think they find my arms quite tasteful.”

Hera purses her lips as if she’s reconsidering her life choices. “Fine,” she decides and walks towards her Victor who is being playfully strangled by a bunch of mammals. She picks up a few of them carefully. “But–if this happens again, you will not see them ever again. Understood?”

“What if my hand slips or–” Callista starts but quotes down when her mentor gives her a look. “Okay. That is—okay.”

“Good. Let’s take all of you back home.” Hera says and gives Callista a once-over. “And you should take a shower. And probably them too.”