nailing all the high notes - {hot girl summer <3}

[nori halliday 🌻 d11a [Bella]]

Just like that, there are only three of us, standing here among the trinkets and tumbleweeds like a couple of cowgirls. I can’t help it; I start laughing out loud, out of nervousness or relief, I don’t know, a big belly laugh that bubbles up and spills out of me. It’s the first real laugh since I got to the Capitol, real joy. I can’t believe it. They all just hightailed it in the other direction.

”Um… what just happened?!” I exclaim to the animatronic band now playing our victory song, to Vera and her friend, eventually. I’ve had a few seconds to decide the latter isn’t pointing her spear at me, so I think I can relax.

With exaggerated care, I step into the middle of the pile, savoring how the wealth surrounds my ankles in all directions. I bend down and pick up a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses, sliding them onto my face with smug satisfaction. The simple act of leisure wraps me up, and I feel the tension in my shoulders start to soften. This may be the first time in my life I’ve been granted such…abundance.

Makes me wonder what’s the catch. Could be my childhood trauma talking.

Facing the other two, I wiggle the points of the frames behind my ears so they jump up and down. I never could figure out how to make friends without acting just a liiiittle bit weird.

”Ladies,” I say grandly, walking towards them and whirling a neon fanny pack around in my hand, ”Welcome to the lap of luxury.” I’m giddy, high on our collective good fortune, adrenaline still spiking so fierce I could jump up and down.

Something on the ground catches my eye, three big pen-looking objects, all matching. Like mega-rainbow-pens. I pick one up and examine it in front of my face.

”What do you think they want us to do with this?” I ask-–because everything here is, ultimately, for the audience’s entertainment. ”Draw some kind of mural for the robo-music theme party?”

I shut myself up, hissing when I notice the bruise forming on the collarbone of Vera's friend. Looks like someone throat-punched her good. And though I know Harb warned me not to get attached, I wouldn't wish it on anyone to get hurt and have nobody give two licks about it.

"You alright? Sorry. I'm Nori."

{kaitlin}

[d8 : vera jeon 🎀 sucy]

v e r a .

the girl’s got style, legs for miles: see ‘em walk all over you

And as quickly as it began, it's all over. I made it through the Bloodbath totally unscathed, with hardly a scrape of blood under my finger nails. I promptly pick it out from underneath, still unbelieving, but it's still a little wet, so I just end up rubbing it between the pads of my fingers. It's warm, like everything else here. I look up and around and laugh, meeting Nori Halliday's eyes as I do. She's laughing too. I wager she's thinking the same thing as me: what the hell was that?

I can't help noticing half of us seemed to be missing -- some people's tracks were distinctively missing from the pack of footprints leading away from the Cornucopia. Like Portia Maybach. Shame. I would've liked to see if she chose to wore her purple funeral clothes or not.

Well, wherever the others are, they're not here, which means everything spread out around us is ours. I crouch down, sweep my hand through the weaponry and the junk alike. Nori has those stupid sunglasses on. Lucia's already got a spear.

"This is insane!" I look up at Nori, and at the bruise on Lucia's neck. I squeeze my district partner's leg. "Come on, there's gonna be some kind of bruise healing cream in here somewhere. And Nori, meet Lucia. Lucia, Nori." I flick one of my braids forward, momentarily coming back to my senses. I straighten up and look to Lucia seriously. "She's cool. I swear."

But in the face of so much choice, it's hard to stay focused for long. I can see that Nori's the same. I've totally lost interest in that sword I was going for earlier, and the fanny pack too. I practically rip it up over my head, and grab myself a crossbody bag instead. 

"Alright, it's still blinding, but it's not as hideous as," I point at the bag on Nori's arm, "that thing." A heavily decorated flail by my feet catches my eye. I pick it up and hold it above my head with both hands with a holler. All my nerves have fully converted into adrenaline in the aftermath of the blink-and-you-miss-it chaos of the Bloodbath.

It's tempting to knock out one of those robots with the flail, but I think better of it. 

"I'm going to take one of everything."

ELEGANT

[lucia valentine {d8} 🔹 tris]

l u c i a valentine .

It feels as if time blinks in and out of focus.

Flash. She's standing with her stylist, grimacing at a thin, shiny strip of magenta fabric meant to be her uniform. Flash. She is rising into the bright light of a concert venue, warm sand just a step away. Flash. There's blood on her shoes, on her hands, a tribute has stumbled off his plate and in a terrifying blast of red, Lucia has seconds to deal with watching a human being die for the first time before the gong sounds. Flash.

She charges into what should be the worst day of her young life — but it seems she had it all wrong. Disregarding the dull ache that runs along her collarbone and throat, and blocking out the memory of a person literally exploding before her eyes, Lucia feels about the same as she would after an easy round of Exy. She hasn't been an athlete in over two years now, and yet she hardly feels winded. Her hands are shaking because of the blood that's starting to dry on her skin; the bits and pieces that made up a person are still clinging to the sand.

It's not something she knows how to make sense of, or even understands how to process. She can't blame all the kids who instantly turned on their heel and ran. A part of her had felt the same instinct, an urge to panic and find shelter. An aching part of her has to wonder what the kid's family must be thinking — how do you mourn something once it's been obliterated? She shakes her head, brown pigtails loosely tied and falling over her shoulders. At least her own family will not have to watch Lucia be eviscerated on the very first day. When hope dies in one place, it thrives elsewhere.

She breathes deep, and reminds herself that she is alive. When the neon colors mask the scarlet spray of blood in the sand, she allows it. It's a stain she can't name, and it doesn't need one. Lucia is standing quietly as her district partner and the stranger, who Vera seems at ease around, excitedly loot through the wealth scattered around their feet. It's not that she's shy, or feels she didn't play a hand in to secure the bounty, but she can also see at a glance that there is more than enough to go around.

A part of her feels bad. But what is she supposed to do? Call out for the others to come running back so they can equally divide the rewards? It's a rational impulse, there is an abundance of food and water and weapons and healing supplies. Plenty enough to be shared with people who need it. She has to remind herself that she needs to want these people to have worse odds than her. Selfishness doesn't come naturally, but patience does. She's happy to survey their surroundings and keep watch as the others celebrate.

When the stranger, who introduces herself as Nori, approaches with her heart-shaped sunglasses on, Lucia is quick to return her smile. She doesn't notice the girl gazing at the bruise that has formed at the base of her throat, but the soft tone of her voice when she asks, "You alright?" helps to clue Lucia in. She dismissively waves her hand in front of her. Her smile remains, her tone light and slow.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Well — I'm intact, at least." She bites her lower lip, hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I'd be willing to take a lot more than one throat punch to unsee what happened to that kid." She doesn't need to describe it or draw attention to it, she knows that the trauma of that sight will be something that connects all of the tributes until each of their threads are cut. Quickly trying to change the conversation, she tilts her head to Vera approaching. "I'm Lucia," she tells Nori before their ally can join them. "Thanks for checking on me."

Once Vera closes the distance, she is quick to officially introduce her two friends to one another. This makes Lucia chuckle a bit, shooting Nori a knowing, playful glance. Then her district partner offers to help her find a medicinal balm for her bruise, which Lucia is quick to wave off once again. "That's sweet, but I promise I'm okay. I bruise easy, but I heal quick." Either way, she has to accept that this tiny wound will only be the first of many. At least this is an injury she can sleep off.

"I say we focus on our shiny toys. You both should take whatever you want." She means this earnestly, only stopping to gather the most basic essentials as they walk, happy to wait and rummage through the leftover items once her companions are done. "And my guess is those big pens are for that huge canvas over there: you think anyone would come if we wrote SOS?" She laughs dryly, looking down at her shoes for a moment, willing herself to adapt and accept this unknown environment as her new reality. The music blaring behind her makes her struggle to even hear her own thoughts.

"I have a proposition: to make us more deserving of being the wealth winners, how about we take these new weapons and go shut those robots up for good? Can't have a good bloodbath without murder."

[nori halliday 🌻 d11a [Bella]]

By the time Vera insists –no– swears, to Lucia that I’m cool, I’m certain that nobody can wipe this grin off my face. Even when she goes on to say that my neon bag is hideous.

”Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” I retort, shrugging off her pointy finger.

I like Lucia. She seems sweet, so quickly reassured by Vera’s swearing, brushing off her new bruise with an easy smile in my direction. Despite everything, her warmth relaxes me, like her pleasant mood is contagious. I wanna be like that, instead of worrying about every little thing. Just a bruise; no problem. Next!

Let’s focus on our shiny toys, Lucia says, and I couldn’t agree more. I start rifling through the pile after Vera’s lead, grabbing one of everything: bandages, water, a colorful bandana, some beef jerky. There are so many weapons it’s almost overkill, literally– like I don’t even think there are enough kids in here to use all of these—but I pick up this long-handled sword thing that I imagine makes me look like a warrior princess. I kind of wish I could find some toothpaste, but really I can’t complain, because then I discover some lip balm and I know I'm going to need it in here.

I’m in the zone, my bag full to bursting, my thieving heart even fuller, when Lucia suggests that we test out our new weapons on the stage robots. I turn to look at her, admiring how her eyes twinkle as she says, ”Can’t have a good bloodbath without murder.”

A giggle bursts out of me as I give Lucia a surprised look, trying to place her again after such a shocking suggestion. ”Whoa-ho,” I guffaw. What kind of crowd did I just get myself into? The right one, apparently. Turns out District 8 is full of crazy bitches. And smashing in some robot heads might just release all that tension I was building up during the countdown. Sounds like a recipe for a good night’s sleep to me. I offer her an approving smile, nodding slowly. "I really, really, like the way you think."

"Maybe we can shop around? See which weapons we like best? Oh!--" Something catches my eye, and I bend to pick it up, shoving it through the air towards Vera. A snakeskin leather whip, just like the ones the peacekeepers use when they're feeling like inflicting humiliation on top of pain. ”I think this one’s perfect for you. It really fits your energy. HA!” I waggle my eyebrows at her, unable to contain the laughter that begins hiccupping out of me.

Taking a few deep breaths to collect myself, I tiptoe through the pile to get to a bizarre, heavy-looking weapon with a bejeweled handle on one end, and a spiky ball chained to the other. Don’t know what you would call that, but it’s some kind of beatin’ device, no doubt. A ball of death. Head-splitter-opener. And it’s lighter than I thought it would be. I swing the ball and chain around just to test its weight, striding towards the stage. But then I think it’s not quite right; about halfway, I stop, turning back towards Vera.

”You’re the one that brought us all together, princess. Our good luck charm. Don’t you want to do the honors? Show us how it’s done?”

[kaitlin]

[d8 : vera jeon 🎀 sucy]

Lucia has more decorum than me and Nori combined in this moment. It embarrasses me a little. It took less than a minute for me to turn into a total gluttonous hoarder... but even as I reflect, a neatly packaged medkit catches my eye. I pick it up, check the contents, listen to Lucia as she talks. It's only now that I notice the blood splattered on her costume. Yes, costume. Uniform doesn't really apply this year. I look past her, and see the gruesome results of the explosion that, to me with my eyes closed, had just been apart of the claxon kick off. I don't know who it is, but they're dead. Someone I'd known, someone I'd almost definitely spoken to. 

I don't know how to feel. It's as simple as that. I don't know. This is the first time I've seen a dead body in so many pieces, but it's not my first time seeing a dead body ever. I've been to wakes and open casket funerals and the like. There the bodies are unreal and waxy. The viscera is nearly easier to stomach. Nearly. I snap my eyes back to Lucia and smile thinly. She's right. 

"This is more presents than I think me and my sisters have gotten combined," I joke. Nori brandishes a whip at me. She says it suits me. I laugh, I really genuinely do. She's weird. Back home I wouldn't have spoken to her in a million years, but here she's like a breath of fresh air in the stagnant desert heat. "Sure. It's kinda sexy, isn't it?"

But I don't bother taking it from her, even though it is sexy. I've got my flail, and I like it. Instead I pick up one of the giant pens like Lucia, strain my eyes to see the big canvas in the distance. "S.O.S., as in Suck Out Souls, maybe. I wouldn't count on any saving any time soon." Though we aren't powerless. There's one thing we can save ourselves from, and that's noise pollution. I laugh in response to both of them and saunter up to the stage. I scrunch up my face as I look back. They're even louder up close.

"Guys, gimme a boost up here!"

[kaitlin]