A/N: I 99% need the winds of winter to revive me. Give me Elia Martell, Stannis, Aegon and the Tyrell's!
Cressida had only given herself one day to recover from the bruises she received getting trampled and she didn't think she needed a day except the doctors insisted to keep her here. In comparison Katniss got the worse of it with her burns and if she wasn't drugged Cressida thought Katniss would be up as well. Cressida wanted to do something, anything beside sleeping, to sleep was to open herself to a flood of pain Katniss was going through now and so Plutarch had sent her and Pollux out to the nearby districts to assess the damage and to get shots of the celebrations. This was historical and Plutarch wanted all of it. They had only made it through interviewing the first nearest districts when Plutarch brought them back. Katniss was awake, many monumental decisions were to be made soon.
Cressida respected Katniss, she had left the Capital because Katniss and the rebels cause gave her the courage to do it. Plutarch said it was only fair that she film Katniss in all her glory as she ended a tyrannical reign. She didn't see Katniss until Snow was tied in his post waiting execution. After spending so much time watching Katniss, she noticed how drained she looked even with a stone cold face. If seeing her sister die wasn't the last nail in the coffin, Cressida believed Katniss was the most impressive resilient person she ever met. Plutarch told Cressida to get Katniss' best angle and they dutifully got into their positions as Katniss pulled her arrow back. Cressida got Katniss in live television as she assassinated President Coin with the thousands of people watching. Cressida had a dull feeling of surprise as Coin's body fell to the ground and she couldn't say she didn't know that Katniss was spontaneous. They lost Katniss in the crowd that stormed to Snow's body but Plutarch got what he wanted and that was good ratings.
They were sent out again, this time to interview the people about what they witnessed. One time Cressida had to reprimand Pollux for not staying professional and getting angry at the mixed feelings of the people. She knew to only keep the records of the people with the positive and neutral outlook. The little peace that Coin had brought had been thrown out the window and nobody knew what the protocol should be, who would fix things. Privately, Cressida was relieved, she was from the Capital and she didn't want to see any more kids die. Of course she knew there would be a power vacuum and someone would take it, hopefully someone that wasn't awful and crazy.
She had to come home sometime and confront things, she received the message one morning that it was time to go. "Pollux?" she stares at him and he nods back, the Capital wasn't his home but nowhere else was either.
Cressida had seen many horrors during the revolution but the most awful thing that has happened up to date is getting between Cersei and Tywin Lannister. She wouldn't have come back to the Capitol if she knew she was getting to get ambushed by his goons. Cressida had a trained eye, she saw that neither Tywin nor Cersei looked pleased and inevitably that would be bad for Cressida too. Pollux was left behind in the waiting room as Cressida tried to sort this out. The guards had confiscated her handgun and Pollux had sarcastically given her three fingers of farewell.
They had come home only to be escorted to Lannister tower and you couldn't just say no to Tywin Lannister summoning without severely regretting it later. Now Cressida was trying to work out in her head how she could get them out of here. Tywin Lannister didn't get up from his desk and Cersei stared out the window but the reflection showed her obvious displeasure. Cressida stood, she wanted this to be brief and nobody had told her to sit.
"Cressida. You've arrived," Tywin said with a face that didn't show his true emotions. Maybe it wasn't a mask, maybe Tywin's setting is always aloof, he was made out of stone inside and out. It made Cressida miss Katniss all the more, she wasn't good at acting like Snow and Tywin.
"It's a pleasure to be back," the welcoming committee could have been better. Then again not many of her close friends were spared after Snow's spies found out she left, some had probably died when the rebels stormed the Capital. It could have been worse, too many people were in a worse state, and no Capital residents had thrown fruit at her yet.
"Really? Your insurgency says differently," Cersei snaps and Cressida's face becomes as impassive as Tywin's.
Working behind the camera you learn to look to control the emotions you evoke outwards depending on your subject. She hadn't been here for more than an hour and already she's being called a defector, and of course it would be Cersei, the woman who betrayed her allies without a second thought. A game, the Capitol liked there games and Cressida prayed that Paylor would resolve what she needed to do and get here to deal with the Lannisters soon. Snow and Coin showed that power grabs were brutal.
"I'm here to fulfill my duties as a daughter," Cressida says. "I should be settling documents and putting her body to rest," in other words what was she doing here.
She shouldn't be here, her mother's burial proceedings had to be placed in order. She looks pass Cersei to the buildings that have collapsed and suffered. They weren't too far from where the children had been bombed. Katniss was being held somewhere secret while her trial is happening, she wonders if her mother had come to try to recognize and collect any survived scattered scraps of Primrose. Plutarch thought they should go take some footage of it to help Katniss' case of trauma, get the jury to soften.
"It's hard to lose a mother, and for a mother to lose her daughter," Cersei said without a hint of sympathy, implicating Cressida's fault.
She spat at an open cut in Cressida's heart and she wanted to throttle Cersei for it. Cressida wondered if there was a person Cersei was genuinely good to. She had no idea why Cersei hated her and she was tired of trying to be civil with a hot-tempered lioness.
"It is difficult," Cressida stared at Tywin in a request for him to get on with it.
"The Capital has been in disarray and morale is low," Tywin's pulls out a folder. "I believe it's to everyone's best interest to change that before it causes indescribable chaos in the streets. We don't the citizens to be focused in bitter resentment because angry bar fight might escalate to street riots."
She admits that coming back the Capitol didn't look as lively as before, the people hadn't recuperated. They had it all made before and it's all been stripped of them now. Everyone was left scrambling and reeling even more after Coin died. The Lannister's most likely had a meeting with Coin before she died.
"Right," she nods and unsure what that has to do with her.
"I'm setting plans to lift everyone spirit, keep them focused on other matters and one of them is a wedding," his face hadn't change through the whole exchange but Cressida couldn't help the evident surprise on hers.
Capitol weddings were extravagant public events that could last for days. She couldn't help but recall Finnick's and Annie's wedding, she had never attended a wedding of such a humble size, but the couple's last dance had been one of the most heartwarming thing she's ever seen.
"That's a good idea. It worked in district 13," she nods. "Are you marrying Jaime of?" He was the most loved of the family, Tywin was cutthroat, Cersei was beautiful but everyone knew she was a bitch, and Tyrion was the basically disowned. Cressida liked Tyrion and Jaime in that order; they were both witty, valiant, and good when they had the opportunity.
"Of course not," Cersei snaps and Cressida almost wants to shoot a haughty smirk at her.
"No. You'll be filming Cersei's upcoming marriage to Robert Baratheon," he announces and Cressida feels the sword over her head. "In here you'll see your pay, the names and details of everyone you'll be working with," Tywin slides over the folder and Cressida almost finds herself as mute as an avox.
She almost shouts who would willingly marry Cersei! Surely not out of love. She only cared about power and her three children; Finnick had put Cersei's reputation through the mud after he told all his secrets. Incest between her and Jaime. She's sure the Lannister's denied it but Cressida didn't put it past Cersei to love herself in another gender. Cersei would be the type to fuck herself if she could.
"I'm honored and in another situation I would do what I can to help," Cressida speaks carefully, "but like I've said before, I have my hands full."
"Of course you do. Go and take your mute friend as well," Cersei snickers. "Tax is more than good enough," Cressida felt a flicker of her pride cry out in outrage. Tax was more into directing passionate sex than the actual wedding proceedings and he did as little as possible when he was contracted, leaving it to his interns, but Cressida kept her mouth shut. Good luck to him.
"Wait," Tywin holds his hand up. "If you looked at the file you'd know that Plutarch has recommended you with the highest esteem," Cressida wants to point out that she's technically independent to do whatever work she pleases. "You'll see that the wedding's planner schedule is reasonable. The wedding will be happening in a month which is enough time for you to do what you want with your mother," he dictates and Cressida wants to run. "There is a fresh crew that'll be helping you and your assistant with anything you need. I'm sure you'll also find time to do whatever work the president requests of you."
Unbelievable, going from filming war to bridezilla. Risking her life to help a rebellion only to be forced into doing petty filming about the nightmarish disaster that will be this wedding. Cressida opened the file, Tywin Lannister took a dump in her paycheck. Shit, with this much she could see about getting Pollux a new tongue.
"Thank you for your time Cressida. We look forward to collaborating you," he says the last part more for Cersei she suspects. Neither women look happy.
"Cressida," Cersei's condescending eyes are a sharp contrast to her soft voice. "Make sure to keep a rein on Renly," with that she dismisses her. Cressida can't help but think that was unfair to Renly who could show self restrain.
"Congratulations on your engagement," that's her cue to get the hell out of there. She does so gracefully to hide her sour mood.
Pollux is waiting outside with Littlefinger, the creepiest of creeps Cressida has had the displeasure of knowing. She missed her gun as soon as she saw him, the desire to shoot his crotch and punch his face boiled up in her. Here she thought her day couldn't get any worse. She mentally noted to get therapy for the PTSD she most likely had and Pollux too. Maybe the same therapist Peeta is seeing.
Littlefinger is sharing his box of donuts with Pollux and Cressida intervenes. She basically wedges herself between them and smiles at Littlefinger. His smile is equally as pleasant but she doesn't let it fool her. Was it too much to hope that he would have been blown up and not pardoned.
"Cress," he says and they exchange pecks on the cheeks. Her mother would have said something about the kiss of Judas. "War hasn't tarnished your beauty I see," he laughs. " How was your arrival back? You've been busy by the looks of it." Pollux signed get out.
"You know how I am," she shrugs. "I've been contracted to work for the Lannisters. Will we be seeing each other," oh please no.
"I'm afraid I'm busy getting the banks working and such," he stands to close and Cressida can smell the mint on his breath. "Not to mention I have to find a medium between Robert's pleasure and Tywin's budget," he laughs and Cressida laughs with him and Pollux just stands next to her awkwardly. "On to more interesting details, how is the mocking jay?"
Cressida hasn't seen Katniss in forever. They had lost them in the river of people going to the center and then the rebels came in, she had gotten injured and had to be in recovery. She had been strong enough to stand and broadcast history as Katniss fired the last shot in the war. What followed was a bad week for everyone and she thought Paylor's silver hairs were starting to appear. Paylor was busy helping the districts that took the most damage. She didn't know where Katniss was being detained. Deciding who should be in charge had taken a week, a week where power hungry mayors from the districts took to advantage to solidify themselves. The only one who is having a optimistic persona is Plutarch. Political assassinations and twists were great for entertainment and ratings so Cressida couldn't complain either, Katniss literally took down two birds with one stone.
"I haven't seen her in days. She was recovering from her burns and we didn't get a chance to talk during the execution," Vary's should have told them. "I suppose we'll see her when the trial commences."
"I see. What an interesting girl, she make me believe in destiny, or that the universe has it out for some people. I do wonder what they're going to name it,"
he shakes his head. "I wont keep you're here anymore. My condolences for your loss," he says.
"Same, I hope your step-son is doing well," she says.
"We must all move on," he shrugs and goes to enter Tywin's office.
With Coin gone the districts were going to vote for a new president. Plutarch and Paylor would most likely get elected; Tywin Lannister was occupied trying to hold onto his own power to outreach himself. He'd probably try for mayor. Marrying Cersei to Robert would get them back into the publics good graces and Cressida had to tape a lovely glowing bride, give her final goodbye's to her mom and get the footage to help Katniss' case. It would help if Cersei could feign the look of a happy bride so they wouldn't have to spend so much time cutting out her glowering. Could Cersei play along?
The face Pollux made said it all.
"Yeah, we're going to get a coffee machine," she promises. "On the bright side, look at our paycheck. Have you ever seen so many zeroes?"
He signs work hours and she holds off her grimace, handing him the file to view. He glances at her in horror and she smirks, "Come on, if we could handle what Snow threw at us than we can survive a month of Cersei's drunk rants. We'll put the money to good use," she promises and he nods because she's all thats left and he trusts her. They get the hell out of there and into the streets.
As far as homecomings go, Cressida's wasn't going so bad. The Capital hadn't been blown up to ashes which is more than anybody in 12 and 13 could say. According to her social media, her old friends and acquaintances knew she was here but not a single tweet hello. On the way to her home nobody had pelted them so that was good, although Pollux wouldn't stop glancing over his shoulder the whole time. She had called Plutarch and got his secretary instead who would give him the message.
"Just tell him thank you for the heads up," she tells him sarcastically and hangs up. She looks at Pollux and says, "It's not like we're not using to working in terrible conditions. We're almost there and then you can sleep." After so many weeks of running ragged Pollux deserved a good nap.
The area where the children had been bombed was closed off to the public and the peacekeepers told Cressida to come back with permission from the commissioner. The secretary would email her the slip. At least they had the day to knock out and sleep if they could, sometimes Cressida's nightmares made her afraid, and the short nap to the Capital she had heard Pollux whimper. She almost got a broken nose trying to rouse him.
"Here we are," they stood in front of her home, the one she shared with her mother. The window curtains were drawn shut and Cressida had to find the hidden key to unlock the door. Entering her home was just as numb shocking as she expected. The peacekeepers hadn't left anything untouched, everything was either overturned, missing or broken. Her old reliable coffee maker was still standing, thank goodness.
Her eyes glanced at the family photos laying on the floor and decided to ignore them for now until she took inventory of the rest of the wrecked house. Pollux looked unsure of where to go and so Cressida motioned him over and they put the sofa back in place. Together they corrected the house, upstairs and down, dragged out anything that couldn't be salvaged, Pollux organized the fridge as Cressida went inside her own room. Her mother had thought it a waste of money for her daughter to get an apartment when Cressida spent all her day working. Cressida could be described as a workaholic, she loved her work and took great pride in doing it. She only came home when her mother called her to come back and sleep. To say a hurricane had come teared everything would be an understatement. Nothing was intact and as Cressida inspected closer she could see the bootprints of the peacekeepers on her floor. Her old equipment was gone too, possibly sent to be dissected for any evidence. Cressida didn't bother staying there and went to her mothers room.
The mattress was shredded and Cressida knew she had to leave it outside too. The chestnut cabinet mirror had its drawers pulled out and the mirror was cracked where the end of a gun had hit it. Cressida grunts in extortion as she pushes it, the thing was heavy and a hassle to move which was why her mother had ordered it and paid the movers to bring it up. All the training at district 13 pays off when it slowly moves to the right and she taps on the wall. When she hears the hollow sound she pushes at wall and the small door opens. Her mom's heirlooms: books, cassette tapes, dvd's and newspapers are all there and Cressida's heart feels the gravity of it all. The illegal collection had been in her family for generations and now its Cressida's. Sometime when she was fourteen and watching the hunger games her mother had shown her the relics of an old world that had sparked Cressida's desire to know more about it. Eventually, that had evolved into her recording the present and a desire for a more peaceful, creatively free future. She worked on her education, graduated early and rose in status so she could get more access to what the Capital hid from the people. Her greed for more freedom, to uncover secrets, and to observe the small nation that was Panem was what got her orphaned.
A gentle knock on the door causes her to jump in alarm and she almost crack her neck because of how fast she whipped it. If Pollux could speak he'd apologize for intruding but instead he hands her the tablet.
"You got the internet signal. Wonderful," she smiles but he taps on the screen. On the major news this week, Katniss trial would start in the first day of the week. "We'll go to the bombing area tomorrow even if we have to sneak in," Pollux nods. He taps on the next article and there's a list of kids that died from important families. Cressida's heart twinges when she can name a few of them and Tommen is on the list too. She recalls the young boy that was happy to babble on about his cats and had even let Cressida pet them. "Ah, shame, Tommen was a sweet boy." Pollux nods, he had liked Tommen, the cats not so much.
Cressida had wondered why Cersei looked extra downcast this afternoon. Cersei was terrible and Cressida didn't doubt she had a darker than black heart but she could have pity for the woman who was clearly miserable. "She's going to be drunker than Haymitch this whole month and we'll be patient and avoid her eye path," Pollux signs good plan. "I hope this is the last of bad surprises. I'm getting tired of them."
A/N: Do I know what I'm doing? Eh. Am I going to have fun writing it? yeah, power struggles are my kink.