glow // ratmas day one

[kap]

c a t h e r i n e .

"despite the distance
you'll see my footprints"

Setup took a while, but as the sun finally came oh so close to vanishing over the horizon, I stepped up to the podium to make my welcome speech. I'd been asked to put on an event for those in the District. Despite not being mayor anymore, I had built up a solid enough connection with a lot of people in the District, so they asked me. I was delighted when I got the request, and of course, I put something together.

"Good evening, everyone," I announced, adjusting the microphone while the crowd murmured. "Many of you probably remember who I am, but I'll reintroduce myself. I'm Catherine Spark."

I gave a smile to the crowd. It'd been quite a while since I'd made a speech of any sort, and I had kind of missed it.

"I'd like to welcome you all to this year's winter solstice event! Tonight, as the sun sets, we'll be having a party that I truly hope you'll all enjoy! Glowsticks will be provided for everyone, and you'll all encouraged to have fun, mingle, and enjoy the snacks and drinks that are on the tables up here! Now, let's get started!"

elegant

hosted by: Catherine Spark

Welcome to District Three's Winter Solstice Event!

This event is a light/glow party! The buildings around the district square are adorned in colorful lights, and everyone is given glowsticks and refreshments! There's all sorts of food and drinks for people to enjoy! Mingle and have fun! Make some new friends! Happy Solstice!

You gain 1 (one) Ratmas point for each post you make across the districts' solstice events, for a maximum of 15 (fifteen) points! Blitz length posts are encouraged, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to myself of any of the veteran members on slack!

[celestials]

elizabeth hayward.

I really wish I wasn't here right now.

I've never been very good, or any good at all, in the party atmosphere. The myriad of colorful lights strung up around the square and the sound of everyone around me prattling echoed inside my skull like a pinball machine. This is my own personal hell. I don't do very well around people, and yeah, I write stories about people all the time, but it's a lot easier when I can pretend when I'm some badass warrior princess and not me. Everything is better inside my head. But Mom barged in and was like, "We need to keep up appearances, just smile and don't say anything stupid. And it's about time you actually talked to real people."

Total bullshit!

Excuse my foul language, but, seriously, I don't see the problem with staying in my room all the time. It's not hurting anyone! I'm sure the Hayward name will still thrive if I don't unlock my door for a few days. Also, did she suddenly get amnesia of what happened to Theo last year? He was "keeping up appearances" and then a few people dumped their drinks on him. May that ivory shirt rest in peace. I don't want to follow in his footsteps. No thank you. I will politely pass on that front.

I push my way through the crowd till I find a spot away from everyone. The snow-laden ground is frozen over and I had half a mind to just go home, but I could already hear the venom dripping off my mother's words when she finds out, and trust me, she would. I'll just sit here by myself, freezing, until this whole thing blows over. I like it better when I'm alone anyways.

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

Magi Karp.

Magi Karp had yet to find a party that he didn’t like. Here along the snow laden ground and prattling districters his bulk edged along the crowd. Already with a drink in hand and sweet treat in another, he remembered why this was his favorite time of year. He got to eat as much as he wanted, and people seemed to be willing to give things away for free. That he wouldn’t have to pay for anything was music to his ears, and he’d be sure to shove as much into his coat pockets as he could to save for later.

He was adept at not drawing much attention, even if he was bigger than most of the other boys his age. But that didn’t matter so much when he ambled along, melding into the crowd. Magi would turn this way and that way, flopping through life, ready to be carried along. He stared at a few cookies laid out for a minute, trying to determine the best one. And then he took a handful, shoving a few in his mouth before turning the rest to one of his pockets.

“Thes-afar-real-afr-agood,” Magi said, chewing through his words. What a wonderful night.

[Deleted]

Aunt Catherine really popped off this year!

This whole event was fun, fun fun! Glow sticks, free food, lots of space to run around, what more could you want!? I would tell her how much fun it was, but I had a feeling she'd tell me to knock it off if she saw my little set-up. I had a folding table with a sign on it. The sign was neon yellow poster board with black sharpie that read: "GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN BY A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, $5 PER PERSON"

Maybe I stretched the truth a little bit. I'm not really a professional, but $5 is like super cheap so it's not like I'm scamming people. I just don't know if Aunt Catherine would see it that way. Whenever she glanced in this direction I ducked behind the sign hoping she wouldn't see me. Though not very many people noticed my set-up. It's almost like they weren't taking me seriously.

The thing is, I'm very serious! I brought all three of my cameras and a bunch of different cool props - including glow stick props. And I even have a whole bunch of frames they can pick out for the picture too, framing is just $3 extra. I've had a couple of takers so far. One person paid with a $10 bill so I loudly said, "Thanks for the tip!" Then took the whole thing and they didn't argue. Who said I wasn't business savy? At least now I had the cost of the posterboard and sharpie covered.

[🌱 kaitlin.]

javier macedo;

The girl looks quiet.

That's the first thing that Javi notices about her. Well, no, the first thing he notices about her is that she, too, has left the party in favor of the outskirts, and that she's didn't notice him leaning against a wall a few paces away. There's something about the look in her eyes that makes Javi want to open his mouth instead of walking away, slink further into the shadows with his flask of bourbon and his dark thoughts.

There's always something about the holidays that makes Javi feel awful inside. He knows that they say grief is always worse when the lights start twinkling, that whenever there's extra love in the air it's more obvious when you have none of it. Ella tries, gives Javi what she can, and he does the same for her, but.

Something about this stranger feels hollow.

Javi doesn't know how else to describe it.

But it's the same thing echoing in his own chest.

"No good to let it eat you alive," he says, stepping away from the wall towards her, disturbing her quiet. "Whatever's taking up so much space in that pretty head of yours, that is."

He stops a few feet away, offering the flask.

"Here. This'll turn your brain off for a little while."

[MATTIO]

atticus.

Atticus declined a set of glowsticks at the door. "Save them for the children, I don't need any." Toys did not amuse him. He's, what, a thirty-something-year-old victor now? With kids? Childish aspects of the Winter Solstice's celebration should be kept to the children. Now that he has something to protect and a future to foresee, he wants these experiences for them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to come along with Hunter and the kids.

Cameras flash to his left and right. Atticus has already lost his family. Maybe he should've asked the people at the door to give them a certain color only so that he could track them down better. If they wander off and get lost, there's no telling what trouble they might get into.

His hands remain tucked into his trouser pockets as a boy yells out his requests to take 'professional pictures.' From the dim lighting, Atticus can recognize that he's likely nowhere near a professional; just a little boy looking to make some more money. He pulls a five-dollar bill, marked with the late President's face, and waves it over to this kid.

Atticus leans down a bit to get closer to eye level. "I'd love to get a picture taken if it's not any trouble." If his kids were hosting a lemonade stand, Atticus would hope that adults would play along with their mini economy and buy-in. Why not here, too?

elegant

[Deleted]

For a second I thought I was imagining stuff! A victor actually was taking interest in my photography! I shouldn't have been surprised, I'm very professional after all. But, the way he leaned down and waved around money made me realise that Atticus was kind of a dick. But that was fine, he was a dick with money!

I took the five dollars from him and put it in my pocket. And then I made sure that Aunt Catherine wasn't in ear shot of me. I spotted her near the front talking to some boring looking adults. Perfect! She wouldn't want me to be price gouging, but hey he could afford it! Cameras aren't free.

"Why thank you! But the $5 is before sales tax... and then of course there's the handling charge, and the fee for processing the images. That brings your total to... $30! But once I get the rest of your payment I would love to take your picture. I'm a professional, after all."

Was I convincing? I hoped so. $30 was a lot of money! Maybe with that much money I could buy a new camera, or at least a new camera bag. As long as he didn't end up telling Aunt Catherine how much I charged him for it. But, after I spent the money I wouldn't be able to pay it back anyway. It was perfect! I know, I'm a genius - even if my teacher keeps giving me low grades and puts on my report card that I distract others.

[Deleted]

[ KITTY SPARK ]

﹂ So I'm having like, the best freaking time ever. I mean, I've been to some banger sleep overs like that time we had a pool party at Delaney's trailer and gave each other make overs and chewed on her doll's jackets together. And when I say better I'm not even lying! Me and this boy broke our glowsticks by the front door and I think that means we're married now, he went to go get us another pair but he and his mom just left instead.

So unfair.

Anyways, now I'm on a mission to collect all the different colors. You see, I had a purple one when I first got here but the man at the gate gave me a second one and this one's green. That's insane, I'm going bonkers. Usually my mom doesn't let me drink soda after eight so this is totally breaking my brain here. "Hey," I pipe up to some complete stranger, "I like your glowstick color. Can I have it?"

I'd offer to trade something but all I keep in my bag is an emergency pack of brownies and there's no way I'm letting go of those. 

🐹🐹

[bailee]

f r i d a y .

"kind of woman
that will haunt you"

This type of event could be made a lot better with just a tad bit of alcohol, but God forbid anything actually interesting happen in this godforsaken district where a gal could actually let loose and have a little fun. But at least I looked good, decked out in colourful glow paints and glow sticks, and my midriff was bare, and God, I wouldn't be Friday Everlee if it wasn't for my inherent ability to make anything fun, and if nothing else it would be an excellent opportunity to get some cute photos for the timeline.

I approached this massive guy who's face was stuffed full of food. "Yo, big guy," I snapped my fingers at him to garner his attention and shoved my camera into his hands with a smile, "be a darling and take a picture of me, would you?" And without hesitation, I began posing amongst the collage of colours, imitating my hottest smoulder and showing my angle where my ass looks the fattest. As I always like to say, you can find a photo op out of anything if you try hard enough.

elegant

[marcellus rhodes 11b arc]

surge spark

Tell me you have the most lame parents to ever live in District Three without telling me you have the most lame parents ever. I'll go first.

Just look around me. Like, I'm sorry mom, but this is garbage. A glow stick party? Really? Of course that's the best damn thing she can come up with. The woman already decided to change her last name to Spark. Like, sure, okay, marry who you love. I get that. Celebrate it. Woo, love. But Spark? God. I hate this district. Next I'm going to have a bunch of barbed wire as a wig rather than actual hair. They're obsessed with technology.

I would've opted to not show up if it wasn't mom's party. I had no choice in the debate of if I could come or if I could go. They wanted us all to try and dress similar, but I didn't give a damn about what we wore. I cared about getting to that party and getting away from them. But sadly, as soon as we got there, Mom assigned me to a station. The drinks. Great. I have to sit here and play fetch for people when they need more fruit punch. Otherwise, I have to watch a bunch of people dancing with glowsticks around their necks.

Maybe I'll sneak some alcohol in if mom isn't looking.

[lionel estrada d5 ᥫ᭡ kiah]

MARLOWE

I only had one intention when I arrived at the party, and that was to pick as many pockets as I could, safely, without being caught. Money was coming in too slow at the moment, the rumor of my failed delivery to one of the most prestigious black market dealers the talk of the town. I was lucky he hadn't found me yet, because I was sure that when he did I was fucking dead.

A glow-in-the-dark party offered the optimal atmosphere for sneaky fingers. It was dark, neon flashing lights enjoy to cause illusions, distracting from the way my hands sneak into back pockets, slipping out wallets and other small finds. I had to admit that it was quite daring to steal from right under the mayor's nose- and the Victor's too, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and I was the epitome of desperate.