savor it. (clarity and brigham)

[skylarversion2]

Julian Bryze would win The Hunger Games. There was no doubt in any District 2 citizen's mind. Reyes, Avon, and Kiara, the other 3, just weren't Victor enough.

Brigham Holden was happy that he wasn't just a viewer. Even if the interactions between the soon-to-be Victor weren't anything more than a slew of insults, it was still something. Brigham had found that he enjoyed to watch Julian kill, to let all of the claims Julian made of him being such a badass were actually true. That it wasn't all talk.

The citizens of District 2 watched with bated breath as Julian Bryze took down yet another opponent. Reyes had killed Avon, his own district partner, moments before, and it was tough to think that Julian might actually have some competition in the finale.

Brigham had spent most of the time since the Reaping watching Capitol TV. He was glued to every aspect of the Games. The competition between the tributes, the creativity behind the Arena, the traps, the interviews. He loved it all. And he was happy to know that he'd be able to enjoy the following Hunger Games for the rest of his life.

He'd been lucky enough to get a seat in the front row, near the family of Julian. He'd remembered back to the interviews, when the Capitolites had asked about Julian to his family, and how they spewed off different emotions.

They were sectioned off by velvet ropes, and Brigham couldn't help but to look at Julian's family every once in a while, to notice that they weren't as confident as they'd seemed to be in the interviews. Clarity especially. She radiated a sort of worry, and it was only logical. If Brigham's cousin was so close to life but just as close to death, he couldn't carry around such a confident front 24/7 either. "He'll win, you know," he forced out, the sound of the Square was nowhere close to silent.

[pthalorarity]

Clarity sat quietly with her aunt, Pashmina Bryze as day seven of the Sixtieth Annual Hunger Games unfurled on the large screens throughout the District Square. With the finale so close at hand, public viewing had been made mandatory for the Bryze family. With Serge away in the Capitol as Julian’s mentor, it left Pashmina alone forced to watch in the special section left for the family. With that, Serge’s brother and daughter joined her so she did not have to watch in solitude. As a former victor, though Pashmina was able to hold herself with grace as she watched her only son fight for his life—she was still watching her only son fight for his life, and the support was appreciated.
Julian’s cousin sat poised with her hands in her lap as she watched Julian’s brutal slaying of the girl from District Eleven. She applauded softly as the crowd erupted into celebration. The scene in the graveyard was far from over; she knew where Julian was heading. Clarity couldn’t help but scowl as Julian unraveled before the gravestone of Midas Farrow. She had of course always disliked the boy, claiming him to have stolen her closest family member away from her since childhood. However, Clarity could not deny the strong bond between the two boys, and had been with Julian so often since the loss of his love. She noticed the change in him, the devastation he was left with. Hatred for Midas aside, she didn’t find pleasure in her cousin’s pain at his loss.

Then of course the fit was over and she watched her cousin approach the statue of Mace Emberstatt. She remembered the odd effect his appearance during the victory tour had upon her cousin. Something had shifted in him then, he was far more brutal after, if that was even possible. With the drama of Julian’s on screen mourning for Midas over, the crowds had once again began to chatter loudly, making observations about Midas, about Julian’s chances at victory, about the family of what could be three victors. Clarity found herself clenching her teeth and glaring at nothing in particular at the chatter of the latter. She had trained so much of her life too. Spent so many years trying to impress her father…

Something annoyingly buzzed in her ear. Words. Someone was talking to her. She tossed her long blonde hair to the side as she turned to find the tall, well built body of a former career in training—Brigham Holden. Her large, almond shaped eyes rolled upward. Why was this loser who had already lost his chance at glory speaking to her? Of course, that didn’t stop him from still getting around. Clarity had her fifteen minutes with him once upon a time too, and she also remembered the day he set his sights on Julian. Clarity may not care about a lot in this world, but if there is one person she has ever had any assemblage of concern for, it was her cousin. He was the closes thing she had to a brother, someone she could always trust. Since that day, she despised Brigham Holden.

Her nostril twitched so similarly to Julian’s as she sneered up at the boy before her. “Obviously…,” she said snidely. She raised her eyebrows as if waiting for him to leave, but soon realized he was not going anywhere. “Is there a reason you’re talking to me?”