Chapter Text
ncompetence - Selica
Selica Vireaux is already on her third cigarette of the morning, and she’s barely been awake an hour. Hacking up a lung isn’t her preferred way to start a day, but listening to the egotistical little shits she’s been saddled with this year as they trade barbs across the breakfast table would have driven her to madness without them. Cymbria has potential, that much she’s still certain of, but after several excruciatingly long days of listening to her arrogant insistence that she’s the smartest person in the room - she’s not nearly as confident as she was when she first saw her file. Marcelus on the other hand? He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t get his nose broken in another failed attempt to play the dashing romantic. She’d managed to pawn him off on one of her fellow mentors - bless her heart, she had no idea what she was getting into with that boy - but Cymbria she’d requested to train personally. She’s starting to regret ever offering with the way the girl talks straight past her every suggestion with that smug fucking look on her face like she knows better.
The one redeeming factor is that she’s been amenable enough to smuggling a mic onto the floor - and an inside look at training day gossip always draws ratings. She can dissociate through a few more days of this for ratings - if she isn’t a winning bet, I’ll have that at least. A shrill scream brings her back to reality - Marcelus deepens his voice again to yell at Cymbria - “What the fuck is wrong with you!? I just wanted some toast!” He’s clutching his hand with a blood-stained napkin as she just sits there, staring at him like those half-starved tigers they keep at the Capitol Zoo.
“I told you not to put your hands near me again, didn’t I?” Cymbria coos at him, twirling a blooded steak knife between her fingers. “I specifically said ‘I will stab you if you come within six inches of me’. Did you think that was a joke?”
“Lucien, bring the first aid kit, would you dear?” Selica calls to her personal assistant, who hurries off to gather supplies with a quick nod. “Marcelus, stop acting like a kicked puppy - she did warn you several times to keep your distance. Cymbria - you know the rules about fighting before the cannons fire. We’re meant to be representing luxury and yet here you are acting like outer-district street rats! Completely classless.” She lights herself another cigarette off the embers of the old one before stubbing it out in an ashtray carried by a nearby avox. Cancer-causing cretins, the both of them! I haven’t even had to deal with the girls yet and I’m already through with today. Lucien returns with a canvas duffel marked ‘first aid’ in bold red lettering and she gestures to Marcelus to go with him. He mutters something under his breath as he rises from the table in a huff - “Say it loud enough for all of us to hear or don’t say it at all.” He doesn’t so much as look at her, just stands there bleeding all over her good cloth napkins - “That’s what I thought. Get yourself patched up and head down to training while the day is still young.” He scowls in her direction before stalking off after Lucien to the lounge area - “And stop sulking! It’s unbecoming.”
“I’m not the only one who’s threatened him directly, you know.” Cymbria’s cool voice whispers over her left shoulder - She’d been so busy lecturing that hadn’t noticed the girl get up, let alone get behind her. Selica doesn’t give the girl the satisfaction of knowing she’d been shocked. Her ego’s been stoked enough this morning. “He’s going to get us both killed.”
“Let’s retreat somewhere a bit more private, shall we? We can get you wired up and you can tell me all about it.” Selica tops off her coffee cup and hauls herself from her seat, beckoning Cymbria to follow her to a nearby supply closet. She pulls the tiny microphone from its hiding place under the cushion of a styling chair and tosses it to the girl - “I assume you remember how to do this?” Cymbria nods, turning away to affix the device under her shirt.
“Yesterday he tried to flirt with Cassia and she threatened to cave his skull in if he spoke to her like that again - he didn’t seem deterred.” Cymbria seems to be struggling to attach the mic, but she doesn’t mention it aloud - “Then he turned right around and tried the same thing with Tiber and he nearly knocked him out with one of those weighted foam hammers they have at the weapons station. The only one who seems to tolerate him at all is Mako from Four, and that’s because they’re basically the same person. Useless.”
“You’re worried the alliance with Two is on thin ice, then?” Selica frowns. Her own strategy in her heyday had been to pit her alliance against each other - it’s one she’d tried to pass down to Cymbria as well, given the sheer size advantage the Two’s have this year. That won’t work if there’s no team to play off of.
“I don’t think there is an alliance with Two this year! It doesn’t matter if Marcelus is with me or not - I can’t get either of them to spare me a second glance. They’re too busy ripping apart training dummies and chest bumping each other. It’s the most ridiculous shit I’ve ever seen. I have no team!” Cymbria seems to get more frustrated with every word she speaks. Unfortunately, you’re not wrong. I don’t see much cohesion among the pack this year.
Selica takes a long drag off her cigarette and blows a near-perfect ring toward the ceiling while she thinks of a decent rebuttal - “You have that little wallflower from Four practically eating out of the palm of your hand, that’s something isn’t it?”
“Nerisse? She can throw a spear but she’s a nervous wreck. Questions everything I do with that pathetic, scared look on her face, and -” Cymbria coughs heavily - “Do you have to smoke while we’re crammed in a fucking closet?”
Selica laughs. “Yes.” Cymbria turns around and rolls her eyes - oh shut up. “Say you’re right and a proper career pack is off the table, what’s your plan? I saw you trying a few different angles yesterday but - and I do hate to say it dear but you know I value candor - you don’t seem too popular out there.”
“The Tens shot us down outright, the loser pack twins called us ‘careerist traitors’, so they’re both out.” Cymbria finally manages to affix the mic properly and turns around looking furious.
Selica just smiles at her, mostly in an attempt to keep that rage going. “Yes, I heard all that - and I’m almost certain I told you to ignore the Eight alliance -”
Cymbria interrupts her, “I’m aware. I ignored you because it’s stupid to turn down that large of a group when I could use them. That leaves us with the Five/Seven alliance, they didn’t give us an outright no. I guess there’s Three - but Three isn’t going to get us anywhere.”
Yesterday’s uncomfortable revelations during her chat with Alara burst into her mind like a gunshot. If she goes anywhere near that girl, I’m never going to hear the end of it. She’ll think it was my doing. Best to nip that idea in the bud before it grows any further. “Three will have to do, you’re to avoid the others. Too much liability.”
“You literally told me yesterday to GO after the girls from Five and Seven for a side pact, what are you talking about?” Cymbria puts on her best impression of Selica’s accent to mock her - it’s a terrible impression - “‘Oh Cymbria it’ll be good insurance! They already hate your partner, what harm could it do to turn them on him for your benefit?’ That’s what you said, and now, what? You’re just backtracking on that? This is why I don’t listen to you.” No, it’s because you’re an arrogant little shit with no respect for your betters.
Selica sighs - “You said yourself that girl from Five seems to be leading that pack, and I happen to have quite a bit of insider information about her that I gathered yesterday - all of which tells me you’re never going to win her trust.”
“I don’t need her trust, I need her to use those traps she makes to take out the ones I can’t stab in a fair fight.” Cymbria flashes her a manic grin - ”And then when they let me into their camp, I poison their whole food supply with the present you’re gonna sneak in for me. My hands stay clean, I stay out of danger, and I don’t have to fight anyone I can’t beat.”
Selica bristles at her suggestion - Alara will probably kill me if you’re the one who ends that girl. Or herself. Either way, it’s bad for my ratings. Having friends in high places has its perks. In the past, she’s had great success leveraging those connections to smuggle contraband that normally would be flagged before it hit the arena. With that in mind, she’d agreed to a trade with Cymbria to get her to wear the wire - information from the training floor for a small amount of one of her favorite neurotoxins snuck inside of her District token. “I have serious doubts that you’ll make it that far with her, or her allies. But since you seem to think you’ve got it all figured out - go ahead and try to win her over. I’ll be here to laugh at you when you fail.”
“And I’ll laugh at you when I’m walking out a winner.” I’ll be placing bets on your opponents this year, I think. Selica keeps that to herself.
She rises from the styling chair and opens the door to the closet without another word - Cymbria storms off through the doors trying to look like she’s not completely rattled by her lack of success. Selica allows herself a moment to linger before heading to the mentor’s lounge, sipping the last bits of her coffee as she leans against a wall and discarding her cigarette in the dregs of the cup. “Lucien!” She calls out loud enough for her assistant to hear - there’s a distant clatter as he drops whatever he’s doing to come running. She thrusts the empty cup into his hands as he approaches. Selica drops her voice to a whisper - technically what she’s about to ask is against the rules, no betting for mentors, though that’s never bothered Lucien any. “I need you to contact my bookie - we’re putting money on the girl from Seven this year to take the crown.”
He gives her a strange look - “I thought you liked Cymbria’s chances.”
“She’s insistent on walking straight into a trap in spite of my warnings that it’s right in front of her. I’m tired of trying to convince her otherwise.” He nods to her - opening his mouth to say something before snapping it shut quickly when she continues - “And out of my other options - I like Seven’s chances. Strong alliance, good weapon skills, great physique, and a total crowd pleaser with that bold personality. Not to mention those outer-district underdog odds? Very appealing to my pocketbook.” I suppose there’s another option, but I won’t give Alara the satisfaction of backing her pet no matter how smart she thinks she is.
“Got it.” Lucien grins ear-to-ear - “It’s a wonderful idea, ma’am. I think you’ve got a chance to make a fortune on this one.”
Selica gives him a playful smack on the shoulder - “Such a flatterer! You don’t have to brown-nose me dear. I know I’m brilliant.” He gives her a quick bow before scurrying off to wherever he arranges his backroom deals from. He’s a good boy, I hope he sticks around. It’s so difficult to find good help these days.
She pulls out a small device from her coat pocket, flipping it on and attaching her earbuds - she’s a bit too far away to hear Cymbria clearly through the static interference, but it seems to be working. Selica makes her way down the hall towards the elevator, sparing a moment to check herself in a mirror by the door - I could use more sleep. She grabs a tube of concealer from her purse - dabbing it under her eyes and blending it to cover the dark circles. But this will do. The elevator doors slide open and she slips inside, pressing the button for the mentor’s lounge.
Selica checks her watch - it’ll be at least another hour before I have to deal with Alara, though there’ll probably be someone else there to annoy me. She recalls watching Ismene leave with her yesterday after shoving several bottles of wine into her tote bag from behind the bar - Perhaps two for the hangover, if I’m lucky. Placing one of the earbuds back in, she can hear Cymbria more clearly now, and a soft voice in the background - Nerisse, expressing the exact same concerns Selica had just spoken about in the supply closet as the girl explains her plan. Your only real ally thinks it’s a stupid idea too, and yet you still press on.
The doors slide open once again - the lounge is only half as full as it was yesterday, so she isn’t too late to the party. She looks around for a comfortable place to sit, away from the crowd in case she decides to sneak in a short nap while she waits for things to pick up for the day. There, in the far corner, perched on her favorite wide recliner - she spots Alara. What on earth is she doing awake at this hour? Has she been up all night? Her co-host is watching the screen in front of her with rapt attention, she doesn’t notice Selica’s angry stare. I was hoping I’d have some time before we had to deal with the awkwardness of yesterday… but I do love that chair… She steels herself, striding over to the recliner - Alara still hasn’t registered her presence. We’ll have to address it sooner I suppose.
“You’re in my seat.” Selica hopes her voice is stern enough to startle her - Alara just shifts to the side without a word, tapping her nails against her knee to try and mask the aggressive tremor in her hand. “Are you strung out already? It’s barely nine.”
“Are you going to sit or just stand around being judgemental all morning?” Alara’s voice is shakier than usual - Or is she just nervous about something? Selica squeezes into the chair beside her.
She clears her throat before she addresses the tension between them - “I’m not going to apologize for yesterday. Your behavior with that girl is untoward.”
“I didn’t ask you to.” Alara finally meets her gaze - her eyes are bloodshot, pupils wide - definitely strung out, probably on the strong stuff. Was the hangover really that bad? This is why I don’t join the two of them when they’re causing trouble. Irresponsible. “Or for your input, for that matter.”
Selica nearly says something snappy - but something about how fragile Alara looks right now makes her think better of it. “Then let’s forget we spoke of it.” She lights her fifth cigarette of the day and leans back in the chair. They watch the feed together in silence for a while, Alara shifting every few seconds like she can’t find a comfortable way to sit.
Cymbria’s voice cuts through the earbud louder this time - “I’m going to talk to them - you can join me or try your luck with the Twos. I’m sure Cassia will take great care of you before she crushes your skull.”
Selica looks over the various camera feeds until she spots the girl talking to her comrade near one of the survival skills stations. Nerisse meekly whines out in protest - “Oh come on Cym, that’s not fair. You said we were a team.”
“Yeah - and I’m the leader. You can get with it or go.” See? Arrogant. No wonder you have trouble getting people to work with you.
She watches Nerisse roll her eyes at Cymbria’s back - she’s already turned away to approach her targets. You’re so lucky that girl is a coward, or you’d have no one. “Fine, but if this goes badly, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Selica pulls out the spare earbud from her pocket and offers it to Alara, who looks rather confused at her offer. Her voice wavers, though she’s clearly trying to be snarky - “I thought you didn’t want to share all your secrets? It looks like your girl is walking straight at my tributes - are you sure you want to hand me an easy win like this?” That was before I put my money on a smarter bet - and I want that smarter bet to have all the information she can get.
She can never, ever admit this to Alara, of course. She’d very boldly asserted that Cymbria was a potential victor the very first time she’d seen her. She’d never live down the embarrassment - the last time she’d tried to admit she was wrong about something, Alara had held it over her head for three years. I’d rather eat glass than listen to her gloat. “Change of plans.” Selica gives her the best attempt she can muster at an earnest smile as Alara sits there looking insufferably smug. “Cymbria doesn’t need her privacy - she’s far too brilliant to let something like that hold her back from winning.” It pains her a little to feed into Cymbria’s ego like that - but it’s not like she can hear. “And as I told you, Alara dear - I have much more fun working with you than against you.”