keeping traditions.— [kassandra/abel]

[Deleted]

I felt conflicted when it came to Kassandra Nerys. On one hand, Prop didn't like her which made me feel compelled to. But on the other hand, I've heard my dad talk about her before. He felt the same way about her as he felt about our mayor, Vasco. His opinion wasn't positive to say the least. He thought they were both risks to not just the peace of District Eleven, but Panem as well. Kassandra was too wild for her own good, he'd say. She's a victor, not a God and someone needs to put her in her place. I wasn't sure how to feel about that second sentiment.

He's always been big on us kids learning respect. Respecting him, respecting the government, respecting Peacekeepers, and respecting authority. Weren't the victors, especially from a tribute standpoint, an authority? Isn't a mentor automatically above the mentee on the social hierarchy? I decided to avoid Kassandra, both speaking to her and being near her. That way I wouldn't have to worry about the conflict. But the train ride to the Capitol was long, we were bound to be alone together at some point.

And that's exactly what happened.

I was quiet for most of the ride. Observing. Processing. Trying to make sure I stayed calm. I was not going to be one of those kids who cried on the train ride over. My dad would be pissed if he somehow found out about that. I was looking around the train, trying to find something to snack on, when I found Kassandra alone. I knew I couldn't avoid her forever, so I took a deep breath and sucked it up. If I could volunteer for competitions of death, I could talk to some short chick.

"Kassandra, right? You're the one who broke Props leg. Makes sense, you're about leg height on him... do you happen to know where I can get some food? Maybe some wine to go with it, you seem to know where all the booze are no matter where you go from what I hear."

Was I being a bit rude? Maybe. Did she deserve it? Yes, according to my dad at least. I had no room for kindness for traitors like her. Though, I reminded myself not to take it too far. I needed her help. I was going to win this and she was going to help me win this. And for that, she would have to agree to talk to me once we got to the Capitol. I wondered if she met the rest of their family. Or did she think I was a brother to them rather than their cousin? After all, I had their freckles but no red hair.

I knew it was unlikely she'd give me wine, but I had to try. Dad actually let Cain and I drink. I had grown fond of wine, particularly red wine, and Cain preferred whiskey. And from what I've heard, Kassandra prefers anything that gets you drunk. Which for someone her size, was probably anything with the slightest bit of alcohol in it. That reminded me of Prop. They both drank, trying desperately to fight off sobriety. I didn't like being drunk. It makes you vulnerable. Plus, I always get hung over pretty bad when I do get drunk.

[ table by griffin ]

[sbeeg]

I don't clear up rumors
Where's y'all sense of humor?

Her stomach had dropped when they called Prop's name. His leg was still healing and it was her fault it was injured in the first place. She wanted to melt into the stage below her before a volunteer stepped in, only it had to be another O'Malley. She couldn't seem to escape this family no matter how hard she tried.

This O'Malley, Abel, was straight laced and nothing at all like Six or Prop. He kept a polite neutral expression on his face at all times, his spine straight and his eyes guarded. He didn't immediately confront her for Six's death for which she was grateful. Instead of joining the group for a little chat on the train she instead went straight to her room. She always tried to school the tributes a little before giving up but something about this O'Malley unnerved her. He examined her with the same cool, calculated gaze that Lieutenant Harlow had.

But one cannot stay in their room forever and Kass decided being afraid of a child was not enough to keep her from the dinning car. She took up residence in her usual booth, flipping through a novel she'd picked up from her last stent in the Capitol. It had stayed on her nightstand for the past year completely untouched.

She had finished the first chapter when her peace was disturbed by Abel O'Malley.

"Kassandra, right? You're the one who broke Props leg. Makes sense, you're about leg height on him... do you happen to know where I can get some food? Maybe some wine to go with it, you seem to know where all the booze are no matter where you go from what I hear."

Kass blinked at the boy who continued to smile politely at her as if he had not insulted her. She snapped her book closed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Abel." She mimicked his smile. She stood up and walked behind the bar. A bottle of red wine had already been opened early in the day. She grabbed a glass and poured a generous helping into it before sliding it to the edge of the bar for the kid to take. "Is there any other part of my character you find fault with?"

She poured herself a glass and took a swig.

"I have plenty of flaws we can go over, you've only scratched the surface."

lyrics from Industry Baby by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow | table by griffin

[Deleted]

Hate the sin, love the sinner.

That's how part of me wanted to live my life. But, Pa and Cain didn't seem to agree. And if I wanted to make them proud, I'd have to cave. Right now I was at a crossroads. I could keep going and attacking Kassandra. Or I could stop and drink my wine, change the topic. She definitely had her sins, but so did Prop and I was sacrificing myself for him. I decided to do a little mix of the two.

I wasn't sure if it was because I deep down crave peace or because I didn't want to burn this bridge. Frankly, I didn't know which one I preferred it to be. My two sides were waring, and only one could win if I wanted to survive. And I was going to live, to win this thing. I wasn't weak or cowardly like Six. I wasn't trapped in my emotions like Prop. I could do this, I just had to keep my head in the game. I had to ignore my urges of peace in order to win. God would understand, after all, He was the reason I was here.

I swirled my wine glass slightly and watched the red liquid. I was willing to be money my family was drinking tonight. Pa drank most nights, but today he was probably drinking more than usual. Cain? Cain would probably wake up still drunk tomorrow rather than waking up hung over. I wondered if Prop was drinking, or if this experience was sobering. I know the rest of that side of the family didn't drink - my aunt and uncle didn't even let the minors drink communion wine at church.

"I don't need this much wine, not all of us like being drunk. But, thank you nonetheless."

I took a drink of the wine, savoring the taste and using this time to think about how I wanted to phrase my next statement. This wasn't over, not by a long shot, but I couldn't push her too far. Prop pushed her too far and he got his ass handed to him on a silver platter. The last thing I needed was to show up the Capitol covered in bruises - or drunk.

"There's a lot I could say about your character, or lack thereof... When Pa gets drunk, he gets loud and easy to eavesdrop on. He's not a fan of you. Thinks you're dangerous to peace in Panem. Says the other Peacekeepers should teach you and- some others a lesson one day."

Vasco. Vasco Izar was the other person Pa didn't like, but I didn't say his name. I heard that Vasco was close with Kassandra. I didn't know if talking about him like this might be too much. I watched her closely, trying to see if I could spot anything of importance. Any weaknesses. Any strengths. Anything of use really. But in the end I turned up empty handed. All I knew was she was a victor and not to be underestimated. This time, I took a bigger drink from my wine glass.

"I could say more, but pointing out the obvious would get us nowhere. And neither of us want to waste our time. When we get to the Capitol, I want to talk to you in private. There's one too many pairs of ears on this train for my liking. So for now, let's avoid mentoring, shall we?"

[ table by griffin ]

[sbeeg]

Drive the wedge
Torch the bridge

Another sharp remark about her drinking. Kass didn't think she drank enough for regular citizens to notice. Other Victors perhaps, but not just any person in District Eleven. Sure, she was often seen in the liquor store closest to the Victor's Village, and sure she spent a few nights in the dive bars near the Izar orphanage...

She looked down at her wine. It seemed to be a trend that ran through Victors. People who had teetered so close to death and then forced to relive it every year turned to many different coping mechanisms.

Abel went on about his drunkard father. How he hated Kass and how he wanted the Peacekeepers to teach her a lesson. Little did the man know that plenty of them already had their watchful eye over her. She was sure Harlow was aware of every sip of wine, every trip to the bar, and every bottle bought.

The boy kept talking. He clearly didn't trust his district partner and refused mentoring while on the train where they could walk in.

"Secretive I see," Kass said and took a sip of her wine. The liquid was bitter on her tongue as she thought about his father's opinion of her. She didn't care about it, Kass rarely cared about what people thought about her. What worried her was how the man had come to that conclusion. She was a public figure, but didn't make big speeches like Vasco.

"Now that you've met me do you think I'm a threat to a peaceful Panem?" she asked, rounding the bar and holding out her arms to show off her full five foot frame.

lyrics from Heel Turn 2 by The Mountain Goats | table by griffin

[Deleted]

Kassandra didn't want to seem to let this go, did she? I took a sip of the wine once again, and this time grabbed a cookie from a nearby tray, taking a bite. After all, the whole reason I was here was the fact I was hungry. And Pa was pretty strict on our diets back home. We had to be in good shape if we were going to be Peacekeepers after all. And so the cookie? The cookie tasted extra good considering how long it's been since I've been allowed to have one.

I considered siding against Pa on this one. He didn't come say goodbye and it hurt. I understand he was working, but he couldn't have come in for two minutes? Just two minutes so I could hug him one more time? I never even knew if I walked passed him when I volunteered. I wasn't sure if I wanted to or not now. But, in the end, Pa was still Pa. I wasn't going to side against him, even if he hurt me today. Pa hurts us kids a lot, with his words and actions, but we still love him.

"Pa's a peacekeeper, I think he has good judgement on who is and isn't a threat. And, if they'll let me after I win, I'll also be a Peacekeeper. My oldest sibling just finished their training and my brother Cain will likely be off to District Two by the time I get back to start his. So yes, based off of my Pa, I do think you're a traitor. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Maybe I was talking a lot, but I didn't care. Just sipping the wine doesn't cut it when you're constantly sipping and you haven't eaten. I wasn't drunk, but I was getting a nice buzz going at this point. And when I get buzzed a few things happen. For starters, I talk a lot more. I get a lot more happy and giggly. And, the part I was most scared of, I showed parts of myself I kept buried. Parts of myself that would piss off Pa and make Cain laugh at me. But right now? I didn't care what those two thought of me. Cain told me I was going to die and Pa didn't even stop in.

This time I took a much larger drink, and as it washed down my throat, some of the pain washed down with it. The pain of all of my failures. The pain of Cains cruel words and my fathers lack of love. The pain of the fact I might actually die because of a decision I made on a whim. And suddenly, I felt lighter. More airy. As if any moment I could float away like a balloon, drifting into the wind never to be seen again. I let out a little giggle followed by a small hiccup. I was definitely starting to get buzzed.

[ table by griffin ]

[sbeeg]

March through the red mist, never get my vision clear
Learn to love this kind of atmosphere

These O'Malleys had thick skulls that was for sure. It was going to take more than a gentle suggestion to get through to them. Kass slammed back the rest of her wine and stretched her neck to the side until it gave an audible crack.

"First things first, they won't let you be a Peacekeeper," Kass said. "If by some awful luck District Eleven wins again the powers that be won't like it. There's already too many of us as it is and we don't look like winners. Remember they always want a winner wearing that crown.

"Even if they didn't mind a lower district Victor, they'd never let you put yourself in danger. You can drink you can get high, but you can't be in harm's way. They can pump your stomach, they can shoot your heart full of adrenaline but they can't remove a bullet from your skull. Victors are meant to look pretty, not work."

Kass took a breath. She'd already said too much but her stomach was warm with wine and her tongue was loose.

"Also, your dad's full of shit and he doesn't know a damn thing about me or Panem."

lyrics from Foreign Object by The Mountain Goats | table by griffin