unwind and dine [avriel&flynn] victory tour

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

FLYNN GARNER
88th Hunger Games

I have got to have dry eyes and a smile now that the cameras are back in District Six. Colgate, the old guy who tried to get me drunk got to take home a kid this year. I got to go to one of the oldest families in District Six and apologise for not doing enough to help their son. Basically, what I am catching from Teddy is that I have got to get used to it, but Robin was so much like me. Too much like me. I liked him. He was just the first, who the fuck is coming next?

There is a fancy meal planned with Avriel in the depressing village today, but Dale’s family are frying the best burgers this evening, and they are far more superior compared to the canapés that are on the menu at the lavish dinner. It’ll be great to annoy mom anyway, all that effort and to finally be involved in a victor’s tour just for them to not even show up!

Somehow, I managed to persuade Avriel’s entourage to allow him to meet alone on the street of Dale’s restaurant. Something about wanting to showcase the talents of District Six worked, the talents of flipping burgers that’s for sure! Hopefully he hates the schedule as much as I did. One hour with this person, two hours getting ready for an interview and the constant hurrying from here to there. Or maybe he wants the fancy finger food that my mom is serving up. I just hope he is cool. Not like some of the older victors I have met who are set in their ways.

”Hey, over here!” I shout across the street while waving as Avriel approaches. ”I thought a fancy meal would be boring, I bet you have already had lots of them and there will definitely be so many more coming your way.” The door to Dale’s restaurant swings open with the ring of a bell and an attack of a the greasy burger aroma. ”You are not vegetarian are you because my friend’s dad makes the best double cheese beef burgers! They are so much better than anything the Capitol will ever serve you!”

[gamemaker kelsier]

a v r i e l .

"Break away from all the city lights
Hiding in the dark
'Cause you don't belong
where you don't belong
Yeah, I don't belong"

District Six is half rubble half home and Avriel doesn't know what he's supposed to say about it. Is he allowed to point out that fifty feet from the podium they have him stood at, there's a fenced off hole where a building used to be? Or is he supposed to pretend that it's completely normal.

In Nine, it is.

Speech over, Avriel is pulled away from a crowd that's already dispersing. So far he's learned that all they want to do with him is show him what each district provides for the Capitol. Over the last week or so he's gotten used to long tours where he gets to walk through production lines and into work stations. It might sound boring to most but Avriel loves it, he's always been endlessly fascinated by workshops.

Today is different though, he's led away from the District Square down some side streets. Six is odd, not like five odd where smoke seemed to cling to him the moment he arrived, but sterile odd. Most people he's seen have been in medical wear or business attire, a far cry from Nine's sense of style. The streets are cleaner too, even with all the construction. Avriel supposes they have more money, especially with the favour of gaining a victor last year.

”Hey, over here!”

Speak of the devil.

Av shoves his hands into his pockets and hunches forward a little bit, not really knowing what to expect from Flynn. It's not like he killed Robin or Willa but he didn't do anything to stop that from happening. With the way victors can be, it's hard for Avriel to predict how Flynn might be feeling about him and that makes him nervous. Even though he's been out of the arena for months now, it's easy for him to slip right back into that feeling of never knowing when the next hit is gonna come.

Flynn only has enthusiasm for him though and Avriel can't help but relax the littlest bit. The District Six victor is around the same age as his little brother and even with the hardship of the games, he's got that same exuberent spark in his voice that Duke has.

"Yeah I eat meat," he confirms. Beggars can't be choosers in Nine.

"How'd you arrange this?" he asks, "I thought the schedule was pretty set."

Flynn's easy to talk to right away, as if Avriel has known him for days instead of the few moments it took him to walk up to him. He doesn't bother introducing himself, doesn't hold out a hand to shake either, Flynn doesn't seem that formal.

It just seems weird that a stranger would consider him and how he's feeling when nobody else on this tour seems to give a shit what he wants.

"Thanks Flynn," he says, "You didn't have to do this."

So why did you?

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

FLYNN GARNER
88th Hunger Games

The beef patties are already sizzling on the frying pans behind the counter. Dale’s dad knew all about the planned star-studded customer, two victors inside of his restaurant will really help his business. Maybe we should get a picture and frame it near the door. Then he can tell stories about it for years to come. It is a plan for the future, I might invite the next year’s here if they are cool enough. If not, they can take a bite of mom’s un-seasoned potatoes.

”That’s good, you can have a look at the menu but I would get the double cheese burger with extra bacon!” I lead us both up to the bar stools that sit directly opposite the open kitchens where Dale’s family are busy prepping the food. There are paper menus laid across the surface of the bar and I slide one in front of Avriel as I sit on one of the stools. ”I have come here all my life, it is one of my best friend’s places. Not far from the trailer park where most of them live and the street I used to live on.” Not far at all, not even a bike ride away. Now its just a trek from here to the victor’s village. I am so far from them all and mom is against the idea of freeing up two of the spare bedrooms for them to stay in. Just one sleep over a month is the compromise.

”Is the victor’s village in Nine far from where you used to live?” All I remember about visiting District Nine is that their ruins and rubble seemed much older than the fresh carnage that has hit District Six. One explosion before the eighty-seventh then another when I came home. Is that how a District gets to celebrate? ”I don’t get to see my friends as often as I did now. Everything is just so far away and they all have lives still.”

[gamemaker kelsier]

a v r i e l .

"Break away from all the city lights
Hiding in the dark
'Cause you don't belong
where you don't belong
Yeah, I don't belong"

Avriel follows Flynn into the little diner. There’s a few places like this in Nine, but mostly you find little hole in the wall eateries or dive bars, nothing quite so clean and quaint. The metal counters and tabletops shine, it’s clear that the owner takes great care with the place.

He stops to look at framed faded photos on the walls of various people from Six and officials who stopped to eat here. The people in the pictures are all smiles and the corner of Avriel’s mouth lifts in a half-mimic.

The interior of the diner and the scents that come with it are overwhelming enough to keep Avriel quiet as the younger victor leads him up to the barstools. It’s hard for him to focus on too many things at once, always has been, even before those three days spent in the darkness.

"Hey you’re the expert,” Avriel says, "I’ll trust your judgement.”

He picks the paper menu up and slides it between his thumb and his pointer finger. The texture is smooth, the print slippery and Avriel smiles a little more. Flynn tells him about his life in tiny pieces and for one of the only times on this hell tour, he feels the smallest bit at home.

"Yeah,” he answers, ”It’s nearly across the district, I’m sorta from a shit part of town.” Not too rich but not that poor, that’s where the Baptiste family has always sat. "It's cool though, there wasn't anyone to leave behind. I don't... I'm not too close with anyone but Duke and Billie and they came with me anyhow."

He's never been great at emotional stuff but even Av can pick up on the sadness in Flynn's words. "Has it been weird? All this..." he gestures at the stylist team waiting outside, "Is it the same with your friends still?"

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

FLYNN GARNER
88th Hunger Games

I am still the current youngest victor. It may take awhile for that claim to slip away. I don’t think it makes it a difference though, I am still going to get called up every year and invite the next Avriel Baptiste to District Six…unless they are from here…but I doubt that.

Dale’s Diner will always be here. I will always be here. That Capitol will always be there to tell me what to do but my friends? I have heard that sometimes childhood friends grow apart with age but the Dares Club and I, we are more than just friends, I think.

My toes dangle above the poorly polished floors, I guess they got Dale to clean them this morning. Well done Dale! I slowly swing my feet back and forth as Avriel talks and the burgers hiss loud on the grills. It sounds like everything is the same for him. Same shit, different year.

I follow Avriel’s gesture to the entourage stood outside. I bet he hasn’t had a moment without them yet. ”Yeah its so weird! I’d make sure you are friendly with all of those outside because you are going to see them all the time.” I don’t know if I can call Skye a friend, not yet anyway. I know she is close to Teddy, I guess she is just a colleague or something professional like that. She has her role and I have mine. She is kind at least.

”It is like I have to make a schedule with my friends now,” I swing round on the stool, resting my elbows on the bar and then my head on my both palms, exhaling before spilling the burdens of my new life. ”I have to make time for them now, before I always had time for them. They all understand, I think. For now? I don’t know how we will be when we are older…”