Aimless: A Glimmer and Marvel Headcannon
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded a girl's voice from behind me.
"Huh?" I said ever so stupidly. I turned, and caught my breath. The girl was stunning, at only twelve years old.
"That's not how you use a spear. Here," she takes my spear and throws it with perfect accuracy. "If you're going to live in District One," she says, "then you need to be able to throw a spear. I'm Glimmer by the way." she flips her hair and begins to walk away.
"I'm Marvel." I say as I stumble to follow her, "I just moved here from District Five. Could-could you teach me how to use a spear?" I ask her quietly. She whips around to glare at me as to find that I'm joking, but sees that I'm not.
"Sure. But we have to do it in secret, or else they'll kick us both out of Game training." she lowers her voice. "Meet me outside the building tonight, at 10:30. Smuggle a spear in with you. I'll do the rest." I barely have time to nod before she runs in the opposite direction. I walk back to the spear throwing station, still feeling breathless from speaking to her…
Later that night at 10:25 I find myself waiting outside the Game training building with a spear shoved down the back of my pants. It's windy and cold, as one would expect winter in District 1 to be. The winters in 5 were warmer, but not much.
I see her bounding towards me from a block away. I squint to see what's in her hand. As she nears I see Glimmer's holding a key.
"Stand back Aimless so I can unlock the door." she smiles at me, and I realize that 'Aimless' must be a light insult. I stand back, and she unlocks the door.
I turn on the light switch, and notice how empty the room seems with just two First Level students in it.
Glimmer points to one of the targets, about ten feet away. "You got that spear?" she asks. I nod my head and take it out. Wow. Usually I don't stop talking. She seems to have made me speechless.
She takes my spear and starts lecturing me about stance and power. I only half hear, because her blond curls bouncing as she throws are ever so distracting…
"Now you try," she shoves the spear into my small hands. She's about two inches taller than me, but she's lived here her whole life, unlike me.
I copy her stance, and throw with as much strength as I have. I hit the target, but the very outer ring. If I ever go into the Games, I must to much better than that.
"You have too much on your mind," she whispers into my ear. "Focus on nothing but the target, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and throw again." her warm breath smells of peppermint.
I throw the spear again, but this time I do what she said. When I open my eyes I see the spear sticking out of the center. I turn to her and give her a big hug.
"Thank you Glimmer, I owe you." I say to her.
She laughs in my ear, a sound like bells. "You're welcome, Marvel."
Five years later, and we are both seventeen. I've shot past Glimmer height wise, and she's grown even more beautiful. We've stayed friends; best friends in fact. We are both one year away from completely Game training, and one year away from our last reaping. I am now the best spear thrower, thanks to Glimmer. Last year, I confessed my feelings to her. I told her I loved her, and always would. She told me she loved me too, but being still eligible for the reaping we shouldn't get attached to each other. We made a pact to protect each other, though. I promised myself if she gets reaped, I will go in after her.
It's reaping day, for the 74th annual Hunger Games. Everyone's in a festive mood, because District 1 celebrates the bloodshed, and murder, because we are usually the murderers.
I sign in, and walk to my age group of boys, as per usual. I see Glimmer across the way, and she smiles at me. She's wearing my favorite dress of hers, an elegant, pale blue thing with a white sash I gave her for her 13th birthday. I start to wave back, but stop myself when I see my friend, Topaz, looking at us.
Fritta Donelle, the Capitol escort, comes to the stage. The tattoos that cover her face and body are a shocking glittery color, new this year. She goes to the girls' bowl, and selects a name. I have time to form but one thought: Not Glimmer. She reads the name.
It's Glimmer Shine.
She walks to the stage confidently, showing the other girls she does not need a volunteer. Fritta congratulates her, and Glimmer takes her place behind her.
Now I must volunteer. I tell myself. I promised to protect her, and I will.
Fritta picks a name from the boys bowl, but I don't even hear it. I volunteer and shove towards the front, so none of the other boys volunteer before me. I walk to the stage, attempting to put off arrogance. I'm thankful Glimmer told me I'm handsome, so I know I'll get sponsors.
Once we're inside the Justice Building, I kiss Glimmer's cheek when Fritta's not looking.
"Glimmer darling, I love you. But don't let the cameras see. I'll protect you as best as I can. Good luck." I whisper quickly into her ear.
"I can take care of myself." she growls at me. "But thank you." She kisses me right on the mouth.
I pull away. "Will you take this as your token? I was going to give it to you later, but now seems the right time." I take a velvet case out of my pocket, and hand it to her. Inside she finds a diamond engagement ring.
I can see tears in her eyes. "Of course I'll take it Marvel. I love you." She hugs me one more time and leaves to her goodbye room…
A few days later and we have finished the tribute parade, and are waiting for our scores from the private training sessions. While Fritta and the mentors are busy chatting, Glimmer grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. The ring I gave her was confiscated by the Gamemakers, because there was a hidden spike in it. She didn't know, and neither did I. I guess you can't buy anything in District 1 without it relating back to the Games.
The Capitol seal appears on the screen, and Caesar Flickerman begins prattling on about how this will be a great year. Then he's announcing my score.
I got a nine. I'm in the pack. No surprise. Glimmer got a nine as well. We exchange a smile.
"Not bad Aimless," Glimmer smirks at me, using her old nickname for me. "did you show them my spear moves?" she teases.
I roll my eyes. "Of course I used your moves, what else would I do?" I say. After all, she did teach me everything I now know.
The other tributes go on, but none of them make an impression. Cato and Clove got in our pack of course. The one tribute that catches my attention is that District 12 girl who got an 11. What's her name? Katniss? Geez, the names that district gives their kids…
After the scores we hurry to bed. And around midnight, I hear my door open. Glimmer walks in wearing nothing but a nightshirt. She blushes.
"C'mere," I say as I open my arms to her and she climbs in. We spend the entire night like that; safe in each other's arms.
The interviews went well, but I felt anger when Glimmer got all those catcalls. Doesn't the Capitol have any feelings? She's about to go fight for her life!
We are now on the hovercraft to the arena. I can feel her shaking next to me. Once we get off, we walk together for as long as possible. I turn to give her a hug and wish her luck, but she pulls me down to her and kisses me, for a long time. After what felt like hours, she pulls away and whispers to me,
"You are not going to be careful with me anymore, now that we have so little time left." She kisses me one more time and flounces away.
I stumble along with the stylist, Jacey, giggling at Glimmer and my kisses, until we find our door.
Jacey helps me into my jacket, and we wait for the voice to signal me to enter the tube. When we hear it, she pats my shoulder and sends me off.
The bloodbath is a blur, but I know I killed at least two innocent kids. The Career pack and I now hunt for more children. Glimmer stays by my side, armed with a bow and arrows. She seems drunk, on both my presence and bloodlust, for she keeps squeezing my hand and bounding ahead to look for children to prey upon.
When we finally find her, Katniss, we all go insane trying to kill her. Peeta, her District partner whom we let into our pack, advises us to starve her out by waiting beneath the tree she climbed. We agree, and camp below. When everyone else is asleep, Glimmer and I talk.
"Marvel, what's your plan here?" she asks first.
"What do you mean, Glim?" I return, confused.
"I mean, why did you volunteer? Only one of us can live." she says straight to the point.
I hadn't really thought that through… "I'll sacrifice myself for you. I love you, and you deserve to win." I say after some thought.
She shakes her head, "Don't you know I feel the same way about you? Only one of us will succeed," She scoots closer to me. "and I think I'm not going home. So I'm going to make the most of it." she kisses me passionately, and I kiss her back. For the moment I don't care that at least one of us will die, I just want to be with her now.
I wake with her lying in my arms. I look around and find everyone else asleep. I find no harm in going back to sleep with the girl I love…
Turned out there was harm in doing just that.
Next time I wake, it's to the screaming of my companions. I feel burning pain all over my body. My instincts tell me run, but my heart tells me look for Glimmer. I go with my heart, and find her mutilated body lying on the ground.
I run to her, and kneel by her side. I can see by the welts on her body that our attackers were Tracker Jackers. When I was a child in District 5, the nests were plentiful.
She is trying to say something. I lean close over her to hear it.
"Stay with me…" she chokes out. I look into her face, and find tears running down her once beautiful cheeks.
I stifle a sob, "Of course I will, Angel. I love you. It'll be okay…it'll be okay…" that's when I see Katniss wobbling towards us. She's too intoxicated to see me, however. I start to feel dizzy myself.
"Go." I hear from Glimmer. "Leave me. Go home. Save yourself. I'll be fine." she says more forcefully.
"N-no. I'm not leaving you." I stammer.
"You must. If you truly love me, then you'll do this for me." she gasps out.
Now I don't try to hold back my tears. "Okay. Glimmer, I love you. Good bye darling…"
I run as fast as I can to the lake, and turn to see Katniss prying the bow from Glimmer's hands. I see her break Glimmer's fingers in the process, and wince as she does so.
I don't sleep. I don't eat. I can't do anything without Glimmer. It's when I see that little girl Rue with Katniss, when I decide to avenge my darling Glimmer.
I kill Rue, then I feel pain, then everything goes dark…then I see Glimmer's golden hair…
I am now at peace.