Chapter Text
Learning: Alara
Alara has never appreciated being woken up prematurely - but something about the way Voltaea still lights up at the sound of her voice in spite of how harsh her tone is softens her rage around the edges. I’ll never get tired of that look - you’d let me slap you and thank me for it after, wouldn’t you? It’s too perfect. The warm feeling rising in her chest does nothing to calm the stabbing sensation in her head - why do I ever drink this much? Will I never learn?
“I’m s… I feel bad that I woke you up, but I can’t sleep. I’ve tried everything! I even had Orville bring me wine but it’s not doing anything but making me feel warm and stupid and -” Alara raises a finger to her lips to silence Voltaea’s voice before it slices any deeper into her skull. Valiant effort, but you’ve been taking something much stronger the last few nights than just wine. She keeps that part to herself for now.
“There’s a box in the top drawer of the dresser, bring it here.” She whispers - her girl opens her mouth as if she wants to ask why but Alara points at the drawer and shakes her head. Blessedly, Voltaea takes the hint - practically leaping off the bed to retrieve it. She wraps the pillow sitting behind her head around it to cover both of her ears, muffling the noise of the room around her while she waits - eyes closed, deep breaths, lie still , I’ll have a fix for this soon enough .
The bed shifts underneath her, marking Voltaea’s return. Alara opens one eye - her girl is already looking at her expectantly. She at least has the sense to whisper when she speaks again - “Do you have a headache?”
She’d roll her eyes if it didn’t hurt so much to even think about the motion - “Yes. Now open the box - find the purple bottle with the red sticker on the cap for me. I’ll need one of the pills inside it.” Voltaea rummages through the box, curiosity glinting in her eyes as she examines the sheer number of substances within it. When she finds the bottle she tries to undo the lid, struggling with the locking mechanism - I have no patience for this right now. She keeps her voice soft in spite of that - “Just hand it to me, I’ll show you the trick.” Alara pops it open with practiced ease “You have to press while you turn. Did they send water on the dinner cart? I’ll need a glass for these.”
Voltaea retrieves her a glass - Alara swallows one of the pills before handing her the bottle back and sinking back into the soft pillows behind her with a long sigh. As soon as she’s managed to relax, her girl pipes up again - “Do you feel better?”
“Give me time - it’s medicine, not a miracle.” Alara mumbles, waving Voltaea off and closing her eyes again. She can hear the tell-tale rattling of pill bottles and the clinking of glass vials - her girl has clearly turned her attention back to the contents of the box to entertain herself while she waits. I’m glad you’re having fun but could you do it quietly? She bites back the urge to say something snappy - don’t want to chase you off, not when I have you so pliable for me - and instead pulls the pillow back over her ears to ride out the onset of her headache medicine.
After an agonizing few minutes, the throbbing pain starts to recede enough that she can open her eyes again. Voltaea sits there on the bed, cross-legged, examining a vial of exceptionally strong stimulants that Alara reserves for rough mornings. “I wouldn’t take that if I were you - that’s much stronger stuff than the patches I’ve been giving you.”
Voltaea nearly jumps out of her skin - “Oh, shit! I thought you’d fallen back asleep. I was looking for something in here that might help me sleep too, but I can’t tell what any of this stuff is.”
Alara pulls herself upright as her girl slides the vial back into the box. She takes the whole thing from her, sorting through until she finds her stash of sedatives and takes it out. “This is the one you want.” Voltaea reaches out to take the bottle from her but she pulls it back. Alara shakes her head - I can’t let you off so easily - “Not yet. You still woke me up, darling. I’d like to make the time count for something. So you’re going to stay up for a while and tell me all about your plans for training - and how you plan to rectify your missteps tomorrow.”
Voltaea’s face lights up like she’s just been given a gift - Gods, you’re adorable when you’re strategizing. Though I’d half-hoped you’d be disappointed I was robbing you of rest - I suppose this will do. She shifts position, laying her head in Alara’s lap like she had on the train before animatedly launching into an explanation of her thought processes so far. Alara’s heart leaps in response - she reaches down to run her fingers through her girl’s hair - I could keep you here forever, you know.
Voltaea seems unaware of the effect she’s having, chattering away wildly about today. She’d chosen a few allies she could stomach that weren’t completely hopeless - the boy from Seven is apparently quite a sneak, and the girl is more than capable with an axe - not the worst selection, though I still don’t like her. Cymbria had approached her looking for a ‘side alliance’ - that much she’d heard over the mics - but Voltaea’s plan to try and milk her for information on the Career pack’s weaknesses without committing to anything tomorrow is smart if she can pull it off - You’ll use her, then stab her in the back. Beautiful. Selica will despise that. The traps hadn’t been planned - Voltaea claims the girl pressured her into showing off - but she’d managed to catch the attention of one of the trainers with her stunt. The gamemakers will love it, at least. You might even get a little gift at the cornucopia if you play your cards right. The biggest surprise is how useful she’s found Coulomb so far - the boy has apparently come up with an entire, gesture-based code language to use among their allies. The audience will love the mystery - It’s a good addition to your brand.
Alara takes a brief moment to interject, “I’m a big enough person to admit when I’ve misjudged something - your performance today was more than admirable given the context.” Voltaea gives her a huge, beaming smile - a real one, not like the half-dead ones she saw her share with her allies earlier. That look is just for me. Voltaea leans to her side and plants an awkwardly positioned kiss on Alara’s upper thigh - she stifles a small noise of approval before she accidentally encourages her to go further. Cool it, Alara. Tonight isn’t the night for that.
Voltaea - blissfully unaware of what that brief contact has done to Alara’s composure - launches back into her chattering. “So, getting into my plan for tomorrow. I know you said not to show off my best trap ideas, so I’m going to keep those for the private sessions. But I do want to go back tomorrow and see what that trainer guy has in store for us - and to work more with my allies on how to set up basic traps. I can cover more ground that way - maybe thin the playing field a bit with their help.”
Alara nods along - It’s a decent strategy, but - “I have one concern with this line of thinking. How exactly do you plan on getting rid of your allies if you end up being the only ones left? If they know where all of your traps are -”
Voltaea frowns and cuts her off - “It won’t come down to just the four of us. They’ll either split off before that happens, or I will.” She seems resolute that this won’t be an issue for her - not quite the answer I was looking for. I need to know your heart is in this - that you’re willing to do what it takes to come back a victor.
Alara pushes a bit further, testing - “But if you have to, and trust me darling, you can’t predict what you might have to do in that arena - Would you be able to kill them? I’d wager you could easily take both the boys in a straight fight, but what about Sarah? You need to be thinking of these contingencies now so you don’t hesitate in the moment.”
“I don’t want to be the one to kill them.” Voltaea averts her eyes, voice barely above a whisper. “But if I have to? I mean…” Alara can feel her shaking in her lap, pained frustration written across her face. She rakes her nails gently across Voltaea’s scalp to try and calm her - Best to come to terms with it now, you’re not here to make friends. “I could do it. I don’t want to die.” Voltaea looks up at her with fiery resolve in her eyes - “I’ll just have to plan three steps ahead of them.”
Alara leans down and plants a kiss on her girl’s forehead, “Do whatever it takes to come back alive, darling. Don’t doubt yourself.” Voltaea nods, mouthing Alara’s words back to her like she's reciting a silent mantra. “I’ll give you that sedative now, alright? We could both use the sleep.” She grabs the bottle of pills and the half-drunk glass of water from her bedside table and hands them both to Voltaea. She fumbles with the lid for a moment before it pops open and takes two pills out, passing one back to Alara and taking the other. Alara rests hers on the bedside table - for later, I want to check on a few things first.
“Tomorrow, I want you to take the initiative to approach that girl from One. Give her a reason to think you trust her - I have it on good authority that this is her goal. Let her think she’s achieved that, she’ll be more likely to let her guard down if she thinks you’re manipulatable.”
“How do you know what her goal is?” Voltaea shifts onto her side of the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. “Did I miss something yesterday?”
“No, nothing like that. Selica just has a big mouth and a tendency to brag when she thinks she’s ahead.” True, but not entirely the truth. Alara doesn’t want her to know they have ears on the floor as well as eyes - I want to know how you speak to her when you think I’m not listening. “Give her something tangible - offer a temporary truce, or tell her your allies weaknesses if you can get away from them for this chat. Don’t make yourself an early target by rejecting her offer outright.” Perhaps she’ll take care of your friends for you if you play your cards right.
Voltaea yawns, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before she speaks again - “I’ll see what I can get out of her without making my team hate me.” She pulls one of the sheets up over her and finally settles into one position. “I feel like I’m sinking.”
Alara reaches over to stroke a lock of hair out of her face - “That’s just the sedatives, relax into it.”
“I… did you give me this stuff before?” Voltaea looks at her - half asleep, furrowing her brow like she can’t quite think - “I didn’t feel like this with the wine earlier, but this is what it felt like when we had those drinks the last few nights.”
I sometimes forget you’re so observant… “You clearly needed the rest - I just helped that along.” Alara shrugs, keeping her tone as nonchalant as she can in the hopes that this conversation drops before it escalates.
“But I… you didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice is tinged with anger - That won’t do.
Alara snaps back at her - “It’s not like you’ve told me everything you’re thinking either, darling. You didn’t share a single one of your training tactics with me yesterday morning, or who you’d planned to ally yourself with - I even had to find out from your tribute files that your birthday is next week. At least this was to help you.”
Voltaea flinches at that - “Oh.” she shuts her eyes, chest heaving as she takes a deep breath - “That… um… I guess…”
“Don’t try to fight with me when I’m helping you. Save it for your enemies.” Alara softens her tone, running her fingers through Voltaea’s hair again to calm her. “If you want transparency, you have to be prepared to give it in return.”
“But… ugh…” She sighs, she seems too tired to argue about it - good girl. Just sleep, you’ll feel much better in the morning. “I didn’t even think to tell you those things.”
“I didn’t think to tell you either. Now we both know better for the future” Voltaea nods half-heartedly, eyes still closed - Alara feels a tension she hadn’t noticed building release from her shoulders. That was close. One point to me for turning things around.
They lie there in silence for a while, until Alara hears the faint snoring next to her that indicates her girl has slipped off to sleep without a fight. She crawls out of bed - careful not to shift too much and wake her - sneaking over to her top drawer to return her stash box and pull out the hidden datapad she’s paired with the cameras. I have time to curate some of our better shots, I think.
Alara flips through the video feed from the door camera first - saving stills from the impulsive kiss Voltaea had laid on her this morning, but leaving out where she’d been the one to bring her in the room first - this will look much better if we play it up as your idea. One angle shows Voltaea coming into her room of her own accord, she snags a shot of that as well. The bed-mounted camera is an absolute trove of material - she hones in on the moment where her girl had tried to touch her before she’d passed out earlier - Perfect addition to the narrative - ‘She was just so persistent, wasn’t she? I tried to be professional, but how could I resist that face?’. She does her best to ignore the pang of guilt that strikes her as she saves that image. This is in both of our best interests, she’ll have to accept it.
She stashes the datapad back in the drawer before returning to the bed, chasing the sedative with the rest of the water and curling up next to Voltaea’s sleeping form. Her girl hasn’t shifted an inch - fast asleep with a peaceful look - like you know you belong here. She’d half expected tonight to end in a fight, or Voltaea storming off in anger once she’d realized what Alara had been doing with the sedatives. It doesn’t seem to faze her now - frankly nothing she’s done seems to faze the girl in the slightest. If anything, this is the closest she’s ever let a lover - or anyone, really - without her running away the second she saw behind the mask. It’s… an unfamiliar feeling, but not unwelcome. Selica doesn’t know what she’s talking about - I’m perfectly equipped to love you the way you deserve, and you’re plenty capable of making that choice for yourself. Alara drifts off to sleep with a self-satisfied smirk still splayed across her face.
Morning comes too quickly. It always does. Voltaea is already awake, sitting upright in bed with her notes in her lap scribbling away and mumbling to herself in a voice too low for Alara to hear. “What are you writing about so early?”
Voltaea twitches, but doesn’t look up from her notes. Her voice is sharp, impatient - “Weaknesses. Blind spots I’ve noticed in the other tributes so far - the threats, anyway.” She drums her fingertips against the bedsheets, still writing with the other hand - you seem to be very on edge this morning, darling.
Alara reaches over, laying a tentative hand on her knee - “Voltaea - are you feeling alright?”
“I feel fantastic.” She pauses her scribbling for a moment, looking up at Alara with her pupils blown wide - Did you get into my stash? Before she has a chance to ask, her girl pipes up again - “Tell me everything you know about the Gamemaker’s traps. I know you used them to your advantage in your games - I need details.”
“Let’s talk over breakfast - I need a few minutes to wake up and make myself presentable.” Voltaea shakes her head as she leans over the side of the bed and pulls a familiar-looking vial off the floor, tossing it to Alara. Oh, you broke out the strong stuff, didn’t you? No wonder you’re twitchy.
“Get focused with me. I already called Orville, breakfast isn’t for another hour.” For fucks sake, how early is it? Alara glances at the clock - far too early for you to be making these sorts of demands.
Alara scoffs, frustrated - “Darling, you can’t just go through my things and take whatever you want like this. I -”
Voltaea cuts her off - “You told me to keep my edge, and not to doubt myself. I’m just doing what you asked.” Touché, I suppose I did say that. Still… “Are you going to take that or not? I need your help with this part.”
Alara lets the vial of stims roll across her palm - she doesn’t take them, not yet. It should make her angry, being bossed around like this - but it feels like something else. Are you learning how to assert yourself? You’ll need that to win. Let’s see how far you’re willing to push. “You’re amped out of your mind.” she says slowly, eyes narrowing as she watches for a reaction.
“And? Does that make me wrong? I know you need this stuff to function - take it.” Voltaea doesn’t break eye contact - her voice is measured, with a slight edge to it from the high she’s riding. Interesting. Do you think you’re the boss now?
“I don’t need anything,” Alara lies - not quite ready to give her girl the upper hand she so clearly wants here without a fight. She pops the vial’s cap with a flick of her thumb, tapping a small line of the shimmering powder onto the back of her hand. “But you need me sharp - I can respect that, I suppose.”
Voltaea stares at her - pupils wide, breath even, jaw locked with tension. Alara plugs a nostril with her free hand and snorts - relishing the near-instant clarity the powder brings with it. Voltaea’s hand finds her wrist, pressing against her pulse - she can feel it hammering against her girl’s fingertips. “Better?”
Alara can’t help the little gasp that escapes her - half from the drug, half from the touch. You audacious little brat, that’s one of my tricks. She nods, keeping her voice as even as she can. “Much.”
Voltaea doesn’t pull away. Her grip is steady, almost possessive . “You’re not the only one who gets a say, you know,” she says sharply - still meeting Alara’s gaze with fire in her eyes. “Don’t ever drug me again without asking me.” Is that what all this is about?
“I was helping you! You needed the sleep - I could see it in your eyes the second I saw you on that stage the first day we met.”
Voltaea shakes her head - “No. You needed control. I get it. That’s your thing.” The words hit Alara like a lightning strike - you see right through me, don’t you? "I was too groggy last night to think it through, but I’m feeling much clearer today. You’re not as good at hiding things as you think you are.” The statement should enrage her - I should put you in your place for that - but in her heart, it doesn’t. It excites her. That’s new. Voltaea leans forward, her face inches away. “You have to trust that I can make the choice for myself if I need to. You wanted me to be more decisive, right? This is me being decisive.”
Alara laughs - it’s meant to be a taunt, but it comes out too breathless to land the way she wants it to. “Is that what you call this? Sitting there, bossing me around like a construction foreman?”
She feels the grip around her wrist release for a moment as Voltaea moves like wildfire - straddling herself over Alara’s lap and pinning her to the bed before she has a chance to react - “I want a promise. No more slipping things into my drink. Not unless I ask.”
There’s no room to evade now, no pretty lies to tell herself - or her girl. Not when she’s pinned with her entire carefully-constructed mask pulled back like this. Alara’s head spins with the sheer shock of it all. “Fine,” she manages, barely more than a whisper. “I promise.” Her cheeks flush, she can feel how red she looks from the heat of it all - Voltaea just smiles triumphantly above her. Fuck me, did I just lose? She tries to claw back some semblance of her dignity - “Would you like to go back to discussing Gamemaker tricks now, or are you going to sit up there all day gloating?”
Voltaea shrugs, that smug smile doesn’t slip an inch - “Gloating sounds good right now. We can go over that stuff later.” I can’t believe I let you get the upper hand like this. I walked right into it! She leans down and plants a searing kiss on Alara’s lips that drowns her defiance. She tries to lean into the kiss, grasping desperately for some kind of control over the situation - Voltaea pushes her back into the pillows harder. I taught you this. I gave you all the tools you needed and you used them to win.
Alara tells herself she could take the upper hand back if she really wanted to. A calculated twist of the wrist in the wrong direction, maybe a barbed word or two to make her girl question herself - you’re not that heavy, I could throw you off if I tried... But what would be the point? For years, her life has been an endless string of stimulants, camera-ready performance - an occasional break in the monotony to watch her useless tributes meet their end. But here? Lying here with the morning light trickling across Voltaea’s sharp jaw, letting her claim victory on her own terms - Alara feels an obscene sense of relief wash over her. Part of her still screams that she should be afraid of this - terrified of losing her grip - but the truth is that she’s never loved anyone more than she does right now. If you can take me, you can take all of them. It won't even be a fair fight.
Voltaea finally breaks the kiss, rolling off of Alara’s lap onto the bed with a loud exhale. They stare at each other in silence for a while, neither moving - neither wanting to be the one to speak first. For the first time this morning Alara sees something like fear strike across her girl’s face - she’s shaking quite a bit more than she was earlier. Voltaea breaks the silence first - voice more tentative than demanding now - “Are you mad?”
She almost laughs - it’s the strangest sort of emotional whiplash she’s ever experienced. All that bravado and you still need my approval? Voltaea looks at her expectantly - quivering like she’s waiting for the hammer to drop in response to her drug-fueled fit of assertiveness. Alara shakes her head - “I’m more proud than anything, darling.” Her girl’s eyes light up like fireworks and she can't help but smile back - “You’ve never looked more like a victor .”