Hearts and Minds // Tom/ Azaleah

[charade]

KATELYN PERSIMMON

Thankfully, the first date was going to be something normal.

It was just dinner in a fancy restaurant and a hint of something to come afterwards. For the meal, she was dressed in a flowing black gown that was far simpler than the red outfit. She smiled at the two people in front of her, the video maker and the writer. Charles had never actually asked for her input on the contestants, never asked her what she might be looking for. Then again, it was probable that Charles wouldn’t have cared, or even if he did, it wouldn’t have had any bearing as the people on the show seemed to have all been picked for a reason. They were all minor celebrities in their own right. People she was expected to get to know, go on dates with, and maybe even develop feelings for.

There was a saying in district eleven that you could tell a lot about a person by what and how they ate. Kate hoped that held true. She flipped through the menu and smothered a wry smile. The restaurant touted that they served authentic district fare for those with more exotic tastes, but the dishes under the section for eleven weren’t anywhere close to what they actually ate. Just the breakfast menu made her want to scratch her head. A simple breakfast in eleven might consist of pancakes made from scratch with a simple maple syrup and fresh strawberries. Even with the influx of food and money from three straight wins, most people enjoyed their simple food.

So it boggled her mind that the menu claimed that people in eleven regularly ate bacon and leek quiche, whatever the hell that was. It looked like a meat and egg pie of some kind. Not exactly breakfast food in Kate’s mind. Did Capitol citizens really think the districts weren’t all that different from where they lived? Katelyn tossed her hair and kept going; it was dinnertime after all. Neither pancakes nor quiche were available. She wanted something light for her entrée, so she settled on a salad comprised of toasted kale, coconut and tofu over a bed of brown rice, with cranberry juice to drink.

She smiled softly at the selection, knowing that all of the ingredients were from home. Katelyn thought of the bushy kale fields and how pretty the soybeans looked before they were shipped off to nine to be processed and packaged. The rice came from the paddies on the district’s edge. The coconuts sometimes needed special attention in the greenhouses, but there was generally a decent crop of them. And of course, she had visited where the cranberries grew many times before. The others placed their orders, and Charles Tinselton bustled around, making sure that the camera angles were all set up properly and that the lighting was good. He wanted the food to be on the table before they went live.

And so it was that their orders arrived with haste. The waiter that brought it was surprisingly good looking.

But then, everyone in the Capitol was ridiculously attractive by district standards. But does that give you the right to treat tributes like toys and victors like trophies?! Katelyn bit back the venom she could feel rising in her throat. Another old saying was that you could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar; not that she understood why anyone would want to catch flies in the first place, but she knew what it meant. Just be yourself. It wouldn’t be fair to these people to be a fire-breathing dragon now would it? Even if Iona and Weaver have only been dead for a day and it’s weighing on me.

There was a wild whoop from Charles and several quick hand motions. He started talking to the camera and as soon as the little red light went on, she knew it was time to make things more interesting. She took a bite and thought that the flavors worked well together, the tang of the sesame and soy sauce dressing tying the dish together. Katelyn chewed her food carefully and raised an eyebrow as she asked her questions. Charles had encouraged her to ask about their likes, so she ran with the prompt, though perhaps not in the vein that the host of the show had been expecting. “So, Magus. Bay. What do you think about the games? You both make your living off of them, don’t you? And the victors that come afterward?” Like me, she added in her head.

“I mean, I lived through the ah…” she paused, seeing the nervous look on Charles face some distance behind her two dates and decided to bite her tongue, recalling one of the major reasons she had agreed to this in the first place. “…experience, of it all.” She continued delicately. “It must be something else to watch in all unfold from home with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn.” Katelyn sipped at her cranberry juice and focused an intense gaze on the two of them over the top of the glass. “I imagine it was quite…entertaining?” She prompted with a sweetness that was laced with something else entirely.

"It breaks my heart, all these stories,
brings me to tears all this grief;
And I feel so fucking helpless
when I can't be your relief."

table coding (c) ghosty

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[D6f Carmen Cantelou [aza]]

I'd once told myself that attraction is fatal.

But it is a tricky thing, a complication thing that is uncontrollable. It flies on indestructible wings and though I am blessed to feel such a thing through my veins, I can't help but see it as a burden too.

Attraction is fatal—it can kill you from the inside and leave you a hopeless romantic who clutches at a falsified meaning of what it means to love. And I never want to wear my heart on my sleeve, I don't want to compromise my personality and my independence for a date.

Strength has allowed me to take it all in my stride; I can't rewind all this hard work and go back to square one just because my heart is leading me astray.

Attraction is fatal and worse, I'm attracted to a murderer.

What does that make me?

—

Katelyn's choice runs through my mind. The name of one of the male contestants and my own being delivered as her eyes flicker towards me. And then I hear it: that simple, easy name that struggles as it escapes from her lips.

"...Bay." The moment replays in my mind and there is nothing that can hide the smile that creates art upon my blank canvas of a face. I don't need to look in the mirror to know that it is bright and wide; true smiles have a tendency to give you a surge that runs from the top to the bottom of your spine—and I can feel it.

This is happiness.

I make an attempt to compose myself before entering the restaurant. I inhale for five and exhale for five, before looking myself up and down in the reflection of the window. I smirk, nodding at the sleek red dress I wear before pulling open the door and entering the bachelorette's world.

The interior of the restaurant is elegant, more so than usual. The tones on the walls are muted and it gives the room a sense of sophistication. It is a nice change, an interesting change from the usual date night scenario. Dozens of people sit at tables which are dotted around, many of which are occupied by large groups who appear to be celebrating something.

I look past them and eye the table for the three of us: Katelyn, Magus and I. My head lowers as I worm through the crowd to find my seat, rising only to greet Katelyn and Magus who, I hope, haven't been waiting long.

Painted black nails meet with the table as I lower myself into the seat. Wide eyes look across to Katelyn who smiles appreciatively at the two of us, before admiring the classic dress she was wearing. She strikes me as a timeless beauty from any era, and when she is accompanied by such a warm smile, I get lost in the stars of her eyes.

In this moment, I do not see her as the Victor from District Eleven, I see her as Katelyn Persimmon: cold, but beautiful.

We flick open the menus, scanning across the various choices. The options are all so regular and unappetising. Admittedly, this night isn't really about me or my thoughts, it is about Katelyn and something more important than any kind of thought: her future. And maybe she is the one who chose to dine here, and for that—I will not criticise.

Because this evening is for her, and I can't ruin it. I won't ruin it.

I choose upon a double salmon roll with salad and melba toast for my starter which comes with a drink of mint water. It was for the best; first dates aren't known for their romantic encounters but I don't want to have bad breath if anything does happen. Ripred, without it I'd be writing columns about my own failed dates rather than other peoples' and I'd be the one committing social suicide.

It must be odd to be on the opposite end.

Katelyn and Magus make their orders also and the arrive shortly after. I blink, staring at Charles Tinselton who begins to set up the cameras and lighting for the episode. It's sinking in like poison now: that I'll be in the spotlight for once and not bitching about it from behind.

The food comes, and the cameras start rolling. A bright red light flashes on and, fuck, this is it. Katelyn begins to tuck into her food and so does Magus. I awkwardly follow suit and dig in, cautious about how I am presenting myself to the cameras. Is it possible to look nice when eating?

Surely not.

"So, Magus. Bay. What do you think about the games? You both make your living off of them, don't you? And the victors that come afterwards?"

I almost spit my mint water across the table. 

"I mean, I lived through the ah..." Silence, if only for a split second. "...experience, of it all. It must be something else to watch it all unfold from home with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn." Katelyn Persimmon's stare intensifies and I feel like she's looking through the window to my soul. "I imagine it was quite... entertaining?"

I take a swig of the water before circling the top of the glass with my fingernail.

"You've watched the games, right Katelyn? You feel what some of us do. Whether we make a living from them or not—the nature of the games won't change." We live in a harsh world, a breaking world and I was told that you have to make the best of your circumstances and ignore the hurt. And though it's hard when it's all around you, perhaps harder yet for Katelyn because she's caused it; you can't dwell.

You can't.

I glance up to Katelyn, pink in the face as my husky voice is projected to her and the beady eyes and open ears of the Capitol audience. "You can't generalise and say we're all like this or that, it's unfair."

Black dress on her body but red on her hands—she's lethally beautiful and I hate it, I love it.

"Sorry. I don't mean to come across rude it's just.. all so strange to be here. Forgive me, please." She's labelled a murderer and I'm crushing, but above that she's human. I can't put limits on what is or is not appropriate, now, I have to take the shackles off of love.

We live in a harsh world, a breaking world, a world of murderers and the only real thing is love, despite it being fatal.

And love doesn't stop for murderers or socialites, celebrity chefs or tributes—it's a universal feeling—invisible and weightless as it is.

[Kingston Cesaire D3A [Tom]]

Writing Thoughts says hears

Love. It was the only thing that took roots in the capitol and districts. Something that they all had in common. Love for everything that they did and the people within. Magus had a strong love for keeping the one thing his father owned up and running. He had love for the games, even if he knew they were cruel. A game forcing children to kill one another was not what he planned to do with his life. Not at first. Not until his father's death did he figure out a plan for what he wanted to do. As a kid he always loved watching the games, his sense of morality nonexistent. Bad and good were not there. Everything was fine when you saw a child's head fly off of their shoulders. That was before. That wasn't the man he was now. The games were his life, and yet his prison. A sentence that he had to fill for his dead father's sake.

When he originally was given the offer to meet the Katelyn Persimmon by being on a show that everyone would watch, he didn't want to be a part of it. Miss Janet though was persistent. After word got out throughout the company of the invitation, all hell broke loose. Notes from staff that he could barely name telling him how proud they would be for going on the show and the fact that he'd probably win, but that wasn't true. No one knew of his real life, except for Miss Janet and Miss Auclair. The only two people in the whole entirety of the capitol that knew of his past. A lonely and sad one where a kid had to grow up on his own and learn his morality. Miss Janet was the only really urging him to go for the show. Get his name out to the public and have a chance to meet a victor who was, from what he's heard, really a sweet woman.

The first promo he did was rough for him. Pampered from the moment he stepped on the property. The man hadn't been pampered like that since his first week without his father. The week of torture as he remembered it. New anchors and reporters flocked him wherever he went the first week or so. All he could do was smile and shake off the tragedy even though he was breaking on the inside, but that was years ago, when he was still young and foolish. Now he was strong and fearsome force in the executive community. A creative mind walking around in a world of people who were the same as him. The promo ended with his typical flirtatious smile that he used when he wanted something. An easy on the eyes type of deal. He wasn't going to lose so easily to just anyone.

The first meeting with the Katelyn Persimmon was rather insane. They were set up in such a way that he could get a good look at the other contestants. Glamour Kinkade, the gamemaker who lost it all. A man that Magus looked up to for a long while. Plenty of others there that he could name from the top of his head. Poria Rain, the woman who could run any Hunger Games souvenir shop out of business in seconds. A woman who had just as much games knowledge as himself. A smile to her and then the show was starting. Katelyn's dress was gorgeous. A red dress perfectly fitting on her, showing the gorgeous figure she had. Love was fake, but in that moment, he felt flustered. Flustered in every way he could be flustered. A light pink tint going to his cheeks. Love was fake to him, everyone around him that wanted his love, only wanted it for the fame and riches. No true love actually existed. In that moment, he felt himself falling. Nerves were one thing, but Katelyn was jaw dropping gorgeous, so in all that Magus could muster, he focused on looking as natural as possible.

When the cameras move away to the door, Magus watched with as much attention as he could. The one and only, Harbinger Rhodes walked into the roo. A victor suitor was a great twist for such a show. A compliment he'd have to throw at Benedict later on when the show wasn't filming. Harbinger Rhodes and Katelyn Persimmon in the same room felt insane. Two victors that he watched fight through their struggles with themselves. A smile planted on his face, real and fake at the same time. Smiling was hard for him when he was so lonely on his own. No one took his interest and work was the most important thing to him. Auclair and Janet would keep the company running while he was away.

A lucky pair would get some quality time with Katelyn. He's heard the rules already, like most of the contestants had. A pair would get a lucky date with Katelyn to discuss more about her and themselves. A dream of every capitolite, some alone time with a victor, to discuss whatever you would want to. Magus prayed that he'd be chosen. A good way to get to know the real Katelyn, away from the Hunger Games. Learn the Katelyn that was behind the scenes. And when her voice rang out to the area, his heart beat increased. “Yes, Charles. I've decided on Magus and...Bay.”

As soon as the words came out of Katelyn's gorgeous lips, all he wanted to do was let out a little cheer, like the child he still held inside of himself. That part of the show was over and Magus had won a trip to some place with Katelyn, for whatever date they had planned. A dream of the man who watched Katelyn in the games, wanting to learn more about the woman with blonde hair and a fiery personality.

The fancy restaurant was a rather normal place for anyone, capitolites would come to the place expecting decent food to be made. Magus was rather fond of the simpler and more relaxed type of eating establishments. Cooking wasn't something he liked to do, so exploring the capitol for places to eat was one of his hobbies when he had the time to do it. The restaurant they were at was one he had been to only once. Delicacies that the restaurant claimed them to be the type of stuff that the districts would eat. When he entered the establishment, he saw her sitting alone at a table waiting for them. A smile on his face as he approached the victor from Eleven. The gorgeous flowing, black gown showing off the rather lighter characteristics of her face and hair. A lovely and more comfortable looking Katelyn.

As he greeted her and sat down to look at the menu, he looked around the place. A celebration of sorts happening a little bit aways. Bay arrived soon after, joining them for their meal. Magus had already planned what he wanted to order before Bay even arrived, since he had been there before. His sweet tooth already craving a bit of a sweet and salty taste. The man ordered a turkey burger with peaches and blueberries and a mint water just like Bay had gotten. A meal that would satisfy his sweet tooth and yet be considered a legitimate meal. A smile still plastered to his face and his nerves were going wild.

The silence was deafening. His nerves were wild and making him overthink everything he could say, so once the food came out, he calmly ate with manners. The food allowing silence to continue being. That's when the cameras began rolling on them. Katelyn was the first to speak. “So, Magus. Bay. What do you think about the games? You both make your living off of them, don’t you? And the victors that come afterward?” And Magus mentall freaked out, Katelyn said his name for the second time that day. A major joy setting through his nervous body. Katelyn continued speaking her mind, “I mean, I lived through the ah…” A pause of thought? A pause of nerves, or had Magus just imagined it all. She continued it just as fast as she had paused. “…experience, of it all. It must be something else to watch in all unfold from home with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn." A sip of Cranberry juice in between, before she asks another question with a kindness in her tone and flick of something else that he couldn't put his mind on. “I imagine it was quite…entertaining?”

A question that would need a cautious answer. Most victors had their own troubles with dealing with the games and Magus did too. The games weren't all that great, death and sorrow filled the games. He knew it all because he was a master storyteller. A master of reading the emotions and feelings on tributes faces. Magus had seen it all. Villains, friends, heroes, antiheroes, monsters, demons, sins, broken, saved, protectors, and the dead. It was his life's work figuring out where people fit on the spectrum. Katelyn was one of the prime examples. A woman who had to face the morals of life and death. A woman who was made into a killer by the people in charge. In the other hand, Katelyn had a good heart. One of gold and if he could crack the hard exterior he could see it better. See the real Katelyn that hid beneath the cameras and forced words.

Bay was the first to answer. A thought of Katelyn generalizing the capitolites that were all there. Words the Magus would have wanted to say outright, but caution and patience were something that his father had taught him. And in the situation he was in, caution was what he needed. Think things through, plan for everthing that could go wrong in the instance. Bay was smart, smarter than he had taken her for. Everything she had said was true, the nature of the games could never change, the sorrows and pain would always be there. Fairness was never a thing in it. Only the gamemakers had an idea of who would win the games. Magus knew how much anger Katelyn had for the games, with the last two games leaving District Eleven with broken bodies of children too young or from a victor's family. Weaver Rhodes was the most recent death by the hands of the capitol. It wasn't a coincidence. Magus had already concluded that from the last few games. It was punishment. A way to force the victors to crack under Snow's thumb.

Once Bay asked for an apology, Magus spoke up with his thoughts. The realest thoughts to ever come out of his mouth. A new confidence within his voice, "I may make my living off of the games, but you know nothing of what we truly feel about the games. It's a job. A job that sucks a lot of the time. Watching people that you know that have family, friends, and loved ones that suffer through the hardships and pain of the games. I know how you feel Katelyn. Even if you say I don't, I really do know how you feel. My job consists of learning, feeling, and seeing the emotions of everyone and everything. I know how it is. Not all of the capitolites feel the same way about the games. Some praise it, others hate it. If you truly want to judge us based upon our work, then we should be gone by the end of episode one."

The words could get him killed, beaten, thrown in a dungeon, but it didn't matter. Katelyn deserved to know that Magus wasn't some monster who enjoyed watching children throw themselves at each other, until one fell to the arms of another. Death and life were in everything he saw. Having lost his father made him notice everything in a different light. His morals developed on what his father's death taught him. He's suffered as much as anyone else has, sure it wasn't as big and traumatic as Katelyn Persimmon's but it was still a suffering that he could compare to Katelyn's in some way.

Love was fake, but understanding was real. Understanding of everything that he's seen, experienced, and learned throughout the years. Suffering was something everyone has been through, no matter if it's been big or small. Magus has suffered quite a bit for being a capitolite, he wasn't like the rest of them. He didn't flaunt his good looks. He didn't try to show off his games knowledge. He was just like every person out there. A man who had his own trials to face. Money and fame weren't all that it cut out to be. No one told him how lonely and how much suffering you had to face to survive in the life.

After feeling his confidence and thoughts disappear, he decided to continue the conversation in a different direction. Avoidance from the topic of the Hunger Games. No one needed to suffer from the boring capitol talk that happened everyday anyways. People wanted to see the real Katelyn. Magus would bring that out the best he could. His smile came back after his words had caused a slight frown. "So Katelyn, is it true that most of the food comes from District Eleven? I always love the fruit that your district produces. I got a bit of a sweet tooth after all." And the pleasant smile sits on his face, a real one with real emotion behind it. It wasn't every day that he got to go on a date with Katelyn Persimmon, even if it was going to be his one and only date.

[charade]

KATELYN PERSIMMON

Maybe she was firing on all cylinders, but she couldn’t stop herself from being herself any more than the president could stop meddling with the victors. If they really expected her to get romantically involved with someone she was going to do it on as many of her terms as she could, she knew there was a role that Tinselton was trying to get her to play, but it wasn’t her. Was it impolite to ask about any ex's on the first date? Katelyn assumed it was. But well, as this was her first ever date, she wasn't sure of a lot of things. One thing she did know though, was that the Bacherlorette that Charles had in mind wouldn’t have asked that question right off the bat.

It definitely caught Bay off guard as the brunette nearly choked on her drink. Still, she recovered swiftly and responded before Magus did. “You’ve watched the games,” the woman said. She went on to say something about feelings and the nature of the games, before quietly arguing that it was unfair to act like everyone in the Capitol was a games fanatic. Bay then went on to apologize, apparently feeling awkward in the sudden moment of silence and excusing herself by saying it was strange to be where she was. Whether she meant the restaurant, the Capitol or the date, she did not elaborate on.

Katelyn leaned forward on her elbows and smirked softly, addressing Bay directly. “There’s nothing to apologize for. People should speak their minds more often.” Then she moved back and tried to collect her thoughts. However, she didn’t get much of a chance to when Magus found his voice and started going. He was earnest, honest, maybe brutally so. She laughed quietly. If she was surprised, she could only imagine how surprised Tinselton and whoever else was running the show was. Didn’t they screen candidates for these sorts of views?

Were these deeply held beliefs of his or a publicity stunt? Shouldn’t someone in his vocation be ready to lavish praise towards the people higher up the ladder? But maybe he was telling the truth, spending all his time capturing moments in time like insects on a pin board had shown him the reality of the misery in the games, the triumphs and failures, and the pain. But she’d seen the recap videos, he was damn good at his job for apparently not enjoying it; then again, some would say the same about her mentorship. Katelyn was willing to admit when she wrong about something.
 
The words said he turned the topic to lighter things, and asked about the food in the dishes, inquiring as to whether or not they were from district eleven. Katelyn grinned. “Yes, I’ve seen all of these grow firsthand at one point or another. Coming from the agricultural district, it’d be a shame if I didn’t.” She winked at the camera upon a silent cue from Charles and blew out a quiet sigh. They entered the contest because they wanted to; because they wanted her or maybe what she stood for. They saw, or thought they something in her. Maybe one or two of the contestants were in it to further their career, or for the chance to rub elbows with some celebrities.

But she didn’t think either of these two fell into that category. They were right though, each in their own way. Katelyn chided herself for assuming that everyone was going to be like…well, like Poria Rain. She half regretted taking them both out at the same time now that they had spoken their minds. “Then I guess it’s time for simpler, more personal questions.” She said, taking another bite of her food and eying the pair curiously. What do you like to do for fun? And for that matter, why did you enter this competition?" she could guess, but she needed to hear it from them."You must have seen something you like.There's no right or wrong answer. I just want to know."  

And that was the truth. She'd never been approached by anyone or asked on a date before the competition. Not that she'd ever been looking, but no one had. She assumed that most in eleven were too intimidated by her status to say anything, because she had caught people staring on many occasions.  To go on television and potentially put your heart on the line, if not just your social standing or career for a date with her, well, that took a certain kind of courage. But Katelyn wasn't sure how she felt about it. 

"It breaks my heart, all these stories,
brings me to tears all this grief;
And I feel so fucking helpless
when I can't be your relief."

table coding (c) ghosty

[

[Kingston Cesaire D3A [Tom]]

Writing Thoughts says hears

Emotions. Those were the hardest thing for Magus to get out. It took Miss Janet a full two years to get the information about his life out of him. After all, she was a persistent woman with talents that were extraordinary. Talking about his emotions was hard, harder than anything he's ever done. He's only had to do it twice in his lifetime, but eventually if he survived long enough, it'd have to be a third time. No one understood why he was such a harsh man in life. Serious in everything, except in that moment. Miss Janet had warned him about telling his feelings of the Hunger Games. Miss Janet warned him about a lot of things, but Katelyn wasn't one.

Katelyn was smart, pretty, and such a kind hearted woman. He could just tell from how she reacted to his statement of the games. A quiet laugh that made him smile a little bit more than he had expected. Emotions flutter through his system, until he asks the lighter question. Her response is lighthearted and makes him chuckle slightly. “Yes, I’ve seen all of these grow firsthand at one point or another. Coming from the agricultural district, it’d be a shame if I didn’t.” Her voice is lovely and adds another nervous emotion to the pit of his stomach. His voice wouldn't come forward and reply to the comment. His nerves were eating him inside out, his voice caught in his throat, so instead, he just smiled and waited for Katelyn to continue the conversation.

Katelyn held so many gorgeous looks in her. The wink was cuter than he had expected it to be. A bit cheesy, but that's what the show was supposed to be. Cheesy and entertaining. I mix of people watching their words, their compliments, their romance, and their emotions. Emotions that would surface sooner or later. No chains to hold them in, unless you wanted to get kicked off sooner or later. Her voice continues into simpler things. A question that would be rather simple for the recapper to answer with all honesty. “Then I guess it’s time for simpler, more personal questions.” Another bite of food, until she continued. Magus taking a small bite while she speaks in a happier and curious tone. What do you like to do for fun? And for that matter, why did you enter this competition?"

The first part threw him off a bit. Fun for him was getting away from work, even though he knew he had a ton to do. Something fun that he did. The only thing he could think of was exploring the places of the capitol. Shopping places, restaurants, homes, and all the unique parks that were around. Experiencing new things were more of his hobby than anything. A man whose life was made entirely from the ground up with work and the recapping company. That's all he really knew. As a child he used to pretend to play the games, but that was definitely not the answer that he would give. The games surrounded him at a young age, and that's what he forced himself to do for his father. His dead father who he loved more than anything. A silence that he felt like it was longer than the few seconds that it actually was.

"You must have seen something you like. There's no right or wrong answer. I just want to know." The second half was easier. It wasn't for fame or fortune. It wasn't to just meet the victor. It was for Katelyn Persimmon. A victor who always intrigued him from the start. A District Eleven woman who held a fiery personality that he praised since he had seen her. The fact that she was gorgeous was a plus on top of that, but actually meeting the woman known as Katelyn Persimmon was intriguing. An intriguing woman that he wanted to praise from the start of seeing her. Views and passion for people causing a secret passion in himself to flourish, just by watching her on the capitol tv.

His voice found itself somehow under all the stress and nervousness. Magus wasn't one to get nervous, but Katelyn Persimmon had a grasp on him that no one had ever had. A frightening realization, yet he kept his cool. A smile and answer were what he gave. "I don't do a lot for fun, if I'm being truthful. The most I do is visit new places in the capitol. Restaurants, shops, bakeries, parks, anywhere I can really clear my head from work and experience new things." A very big truth, experiencing new things would be the most ideal hobby he has, since nothing's ever really stuck for him. A little of everything was what he liked to do, experience memories for a lifetime. A quick sip of his mint water and he was ready to answer the last part of her question.

"I'm here because... uh... because..." His throat contracts in nerves and a slight blush fills his cheeks. A small laugh escapes him. He tries to mentally shake the nerves off and when he does he continues. "You intrigue me, that's why I'm here. Your personality is very different. If I'm being honest, I came here to meet the one and only you and to learn more about you, maybe fall in love... We'll just have to see how it goes..." And the blush still stays apparent on his face. Emotions weren't his strong point, yet he's facing his fears and being as truthful as he can be with Katelyn. Magus Argyris wasn't the type of man to get nervous, but facing Katelyn Persimmon, who wouldn't get nervous in her presence.

[D6f Carmen Cantelou [aza]]

I listen and roll my eyes as Magus rephrases what I say in a more lengthy and boring way. There was emotion, no doubt about it, but I can't see past the words and look into the truth. I'd never sponsored a tribute, although I don't think the same could be said about Magus.

He's a snake.

"There's nothing to apologise for. People should speak their minds more often." I blink, knowing the consequences. Fools who run their mouths wind up dead; a simple statement that is beyond true in this life. I'd seen it before: how victors become puppets and how friends have had their human qualities removed. 

And then they're just bodies. Empty bodies which I do not like.

Katelyn leans forward on the table, a smile curling onto her face. I know exactly what she's thinking, I know exactly what she's hiding. She's thinking the exact things that I thought but a moment ago and both she and I know the consequences (as brutal as they are) and it's obvious and for the best that we just—drop it.

Magus and Katelyn begin to engage in a conversation about the food on their plates. I listen in feeling like a third wheel as I feast on the meal in front of me. She lightens up slightly, talking with more confidence and less force, like the words flow naturally from her mouth. Perhaps food is her passion, hence why she speaks so eloquently about it.

Perhaps she's just reminiscent of home—and that's okay. I imagine this is odd for the both of us, for the three of us.

Nodding my head, I take a mouthful of the salmon roll and raise a hand with a napkin to make sure I'm camera ready. The flavour is exquisite and like no other; it's as if colours are bursting inside and mixing through each other to create a perfect combination of a salty savoury delicacy.

Even if I don't end up with Katelyn, I've found a new love in this entrée.

"Then I guess it's time for simpler, more personal questions." She says and I perk up, placing my knife and fork together on the now clean plate. "What do you like to do for fun? And for that matter, why did you enter this competition?"

"I don't do a lot for fun, if I'm being truthful. The most I do is visit new places in the Capitol. Restaurants, shops, bakeries, parks, anywhere I can really clear my head from work and experience new things." I look towards Magus for a short moment before arching a brow and nodding slowly. He doesn't strike me as that type. He claims he wants to clear his head from work, but surely, if he really wanted to do that, he'd quit his job and become a masseuse or something.

I'm certainly writing an article about Magus when this fandango is over; if it ever ends.

Part of me hopes it never does.

"I'm here because... uh... because..." He turns from white to red. Embarrassment—a better killer than Katelyn Persimmon. I sit with my legs folded and the glass held between two fingers, staring at him with interest. "You intrigue me, that's why I'm here. Your personality is very different. If I'm being honest, I came here to meet the one and only you and to learn more about you, maybe fall in love... We'll just have to see how it goes..."

Eyes slide from Magus and shift onto me. I lean forward slightly, running a hand through my hair as I begin to speak.

"I like going out and getting drunk. I like beauty and fashion and girls. I like to live." Life is worth living since you only get one. I'd seen people lose themselves in meanings and definitions and purpose but the importance of all that is only minimal.

Sure, this show could see me end up with a victor, a killer but that doesn't really matter. It's minimal because if that does happen, then we'll have something better than the past; we'll have the future.

This attraction is fatal, but nothing can pull me from this high.

"And in terms of this competition, my Mom said I should try it and at first I was like, shit—wait, can I say that?" People behind the scenes give one another an awkward look with widened eyes. Someone groans from behind me. "Sorry. Anyway, at first I thought it wasn't a good idea. You're a Victor, I'm just Bay, surely it could never work." The chances of it working are decreasing by the second. "But then I realised you're cute and something just clicked, and I thought: why not? I'm willing to try."

I tilt my head, looking at Katelyn with half a smile. I'm probably going to receive a lashing for swearing live on television but this is a harsh world, a breaking world and life is too short to play small.

[charade]

KATELYN PERSIMMON

Apparently, they had lost track of time.

“Well, I’ve just been informed that we’re behind schedule, so there’s no time for dessert.” She looked at what scrolled by on the teleprompter and had to restrain herself from pinching the bridge of her nose. “But we can always have dessert somewhere else.” She said, lowering her voice. Tinselton gave her thumbs up and she smiled as she imagined bending that thumb backwards until it broke.

She got up to leave, smoothing a ruffle in her dress and thanking the waiter for everything, telling him to compliment the chef on her behalf before letting herself and the other two be led out of the building and to an ornate carriage being pulled by two impressive white stallions. Bay was helped into the vehicle first, then Kate, lastly Magus. There wasn’t a whole lot of room, but the three of them fit comfortably, if a bit snug.

Katelyn figured Charles had had her sandwiched between the two of them on purpose. She could smell the mint on their breaths and knew they could smell her perfume. The ride would be taking them back to the house they’d all be staying in for the rest of the contest and it wasn’t going to be terribly long either. She looked at the people that were in her personal space and debated what to say.

“I had a lovely time with the two of you.” She said after a few moments of silence. “I’ve never been on a date before, so…” she shrugged. There wasn’t really anything to compare it to. No bad experiences, but no good ones either. It was what all the others would be measured against. She kept her hands folded in her lap. Regardless of what Charles implored her to do, she was not about to get touchy-feely with them. Mr. Kincade, could learn a thing or two about personal space, she thought idly.

The carriage pulled to a stop and they were helped out of it. Charles approached with a platter bearing a single red flower. Katelyn took it and deeply inhaled the scent of the rose and looked back and forth between the two of them.  Bay seemed to be searching for something. Katelyn wasn’t sure if she was what Bay was looking for, but Bay seemed to think so. The columnist reminded Katelyn of herself a little, goals in mind but unsure of how to get there. But Bay was also one of the contestants that there hadn’t been much information on.

Magus, on the other hand, seemed to have it all figured out. He knew what buttons to push, but what he had said didn’t exactly line up with the little bio Tinselton had put together for him. Magus was listed as being ambitious. Driven. A workaholic who loved the finer things and had saved his father’s empire with the recap videos. People could change, but more often than not they didn’t. She could only wonder whether or not Magus was telling the truth and whether or not she should spend the time to find out.

She sighed softly. She had to send two people home no matter what. This was not the only rose ceremony for the night. She had to be smart about this. Maybe she could find a connection over the course of the show, but she had to remember that the Capitol’s eyes, ears and hands were everywhere. Like Glamour said, she had to play the game too.

Katelyn’s eyes lingered on the rose for a few moments before she extended her arm and handed the flower to Bay. “Magus,” she said apologetically.“You’re a swell guy, but I don’t know if we’re the right fit. Our worlds are similar and yet, so different. I'm sure guy like you should do be able to do well for himself though.” She gave him a hug and thanked him for coming on the show.

Then she turned to Bay and cast her eyes down, struggling with a dozen conflicting thoughts. Bay had made a list of the things she liked and Katelyn wasn't certain that she could agree with all of them, but she was willing to give it a shot. “I have…reservations about this, but I think I’d like to get to know you a little better.”

Only time would tell if she made the right choice.

"It breaks my heart, all these stories,
brings me to tears all this grief;
And I feel so fucking helpless
when I can't be your relief."

table coding (c) ghosty

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