The Rebellion of the Districts of Panem had wrought nothing but anguish and famine to the entire nation. People were starving, poor and dying. That is until the last moments of the war where the Capitol had managed to subdue the traitorous District Thirteen and ending the rebellion once and for all.
The Capitol rejoiced. They had won, they had emerged victorious. However, the divide within the Capitol is immense, the poor continued to stay poor and the rich became richer. This affected a lot of the Capitol citizens, more than what they had hoped for. It's not obvious from the eyes of the District but it is obvious if you lived in Downtown Capitol.
This is where Caligula Valentine begins his story. One that is both successful and, in his own words, his 'personal Hunger Games'. Caligula was a man that had lost everything, much like Leroy Ramnes, the very first victor, but he had never given up on what the Capitol can offer someone like him.
Born to socialites but excommunicated after joining the army to fight in the Rebellion, the prideful man had landed himself on the poverty line within the Capitol. His home, or rather apartment was shoddy and disgusting but he never gave up. The man gussies himself up; ate his last decent meal he could find and exited his home, his head held high.
He lands himself in front of the National Bank of Panem; where people have tried and failed to become success stories. Countless people come here in hopes of borrowing money from an already drained Capitol but nevertheless they try, and few make it.
Everyone in the wealthiest part of the Capitol is still celebrating what would become an annual event. The pictures and screens show Leroy Ramnes; the boy that had faced against the odds and achieved instant wealth against twenty-three other adversities in The Hunger Games.
That's what he was aiming for. He wasn't going to kill, he's not that person anymore, but he wants that instant wealth. He lands himself in front of the National Bank of Panem; where people have tried and failed to become success stories. Countless people come here in hopes of borrowing money from an already drained Capitol but nevertheless they try, and few make it; with his suit straightened and crisp, brown hair slicked back and green eyes full of confidence, he approached one of the teller and asked flat out for a loan.
Ever since that day he's had instant success.
Valentino's opened in the depths of Downtown Capitol. The dinghy bar was tucked in between two apartments. Initially a bar for the downtrodden, Caligula had taken the initiative whenever he could. His charisma and machismo had never let him down before. He had grandiose ideas and even crazier plans.
Rumours had it that Caligula had managed to get Leroy Ramnes to endorse the bar which eventually turned into a club. The rumours turned into truth as, true enough, the very Victor appeared in the front papers of the Capitol after his Victory Tour in the Capitol had ended. The handsome and fierce looking Two boy had partied all night.
Celebrities from all walks of life came in their hundreds to this new 'it' place, the mysterious club had become infamous. It became the place where everyone and anyone that was even remotely popular ended up; actors and actresses; designers; news anchors; everyone. It was, without a doubt, the most infamous club of all of Capitol.
The following year, Balas Beacon was welcomed into the fray, and he endorsed Valentino's and that just skyrocketed the club higher into the stratosphere. Caligula had accumulated enough wealth to even buy the two apartments it was sandwiched between and eventually merged into a bigger club in hopes of hosting larger scale parties. Caligula had hosted parties of every kind here, but none could ever top a Victor Party.
Victor Parties were always the talked about for months, even months leading up to the new season of Hunger Games to start and by then people would be excited about what kind of party it was going to be. Caligula had the people of Capitol hooked into his club. He looked out for them just like they looked out for him during the Rebellion.
And now as he approached the newest Victor: Adlay Durum of District Nine, the boy was the youngest of the now growing pool of Victors. At the age of just fifteen, he would become the youngest Victor in a long time.
Caligula liked him, he was an underdog that had managed to level his number of kills with that of Balas Beacon, who is two years his senior and seemed to be more competent than the young boy from Nine. He watched him from the corner of the bar. His mentor, the rebel Van Hanssen, whispered something to his ear before leaving the club.
"It's not an inconvenient time, is it?" Caligula tested the waters as he approached the boy, his light brown hair had been combed neatly and his light brown eyes, he could tell was already adjusting to the dimly lit club.
"No, I'm ready to party." The boy surprised the older man as he shook Caligula's hand. "It's a pleasure to be here Mr. Valentine."
"Polite and handsome, Caligula is fine and no, it is all my pleasure that you have come here Mr. Durum."
He had let go of the boy's hand and began to guide him towards the middle of the club where the bar was situated. The club goers all squandered and patted them both on the back. They focused more on Adlay, of course, but that's because this was his party.
"May I compliment you on the way you had handled the last battle?" Caligula said with a sincere smile as he watched the boy get into the music by the bar, he had waved one of the tenders to get them both drinks. "Such superb skill!"
"I wasn't as good as my partner." The boy looked away as he remembered her briefly but then took the wheat coloured drink, tasted it first before downing the whole thing in one go.
"Polite, skilled, handsome and now humble too!" Caligula proclaimed as he takes the boy to his side and pointed at everyone that has attended the party, his party. "There are celebrities here, models and politicians too; I suggest you go and mingle, who knows? They may all become useful to you in the coming years."
The boy nodded, and he took this blueish drink in an extravagant looking glass from the counter. He looked back once at Caligula and he just smiled at him, like a father that was proud of him.
"If you ever need me, or you find if a little too much, come and seek me and I will lead you somewhere quieter."
With that, Caligula left to go and greet all his esteemed guests. Adlay drank some of the blue liquid and made a disgusted face before the flavour changed to sweet undertones. It wasn't so bad once the initial shock has passed. He went about his business, herded by high ranking politicians of all kinds as well as models willing to spend the night with the boy despite the obvious gap in age.
The screens around the club had been showing the replays of the Games non-stop. It was in his honour. The one that is currently on display is that of the final four between the Elevens and the Nines. The arena had been the same as that of Balas' but instead of knives, sickles and scythes had been the weapons. Those who were foolish took on the longer scythes and by the time they had time to lift it they were dead. Adlay and his partner were good with the weapons, unsurprising due to their district and the Elevens were a surprise too. The third iteration of the Hunger Games had brought both the shock factor and unpredictability up a notch and had gone done very well in the Capitol.
Ultimately, after both Elevens had trapped Adlay's district parent and subsequently decapitated her, which had gotten a huge applause from the crowd within the arena, it was down to them and Adlay. His tactic was to go after the boy first, as he was stronger. The two had fought longer than he wanted but he had managed to dodge a crucial attack that left the boy open and he had sliced open his stomach. He went after the girl next and he was right, she didn't put up much of a fight without her district partner there to protect her.
The people that were beside him had clapped, clearly, they enjoyed that battle, as did the rest of the Capitol. The Games too were shorter than ever, but it made the crowd excited. He was thanked for the victory as he left for another drink.
He was getting into the party very well now, his mind beginning to be in a daze. He had kissed several people in the last two hours alone and after a brief bathroom break, with some older model, he felt sober enough to look at himself in the mirror. Suddenly, his heart began beating extremely fast, his breath hitched before he started to take deep breaths, seemingly unable to get any oxygen into his body. It eventually stopped, and he made his way to the bar again and drank himself silly and started to go on a high again.
He had sought after Caligula. It had been two hours later, he suffered from yet another panic attack. Caligula found him in the bathroom, tucked into one of the stalls and he had led the boy upstairs, past the VIP lounge. He tried to hide him away from prying eyes and lucky for the older man, the lights were dimly lit, and the music blared loud enough for him to justify ignoring people calling after him.
He opened the door, once they made it upstairs, to a room that was exclusive even for the high-ranking politicians, a sort of secret bar on the very top of the club. Inside, Leroy and Balas sat talking to one another.
"What's wrong? Did he kill anyone?" Leroy stood fast, dropping the whiskey on the off-white carpeted floors and immediately placed himself in front of Caligula, his blue eyes seemed to fill with more worry than what Caligula thought was possible for the man that had killed twelve children.
"Watch my carpet, will you?!" Caligula exclaimed, still holding onto Adlay to his side with both arms. He made a mental note to replace the whole room to a darker shade of colour, he was fed up of the boy staining it every time he was here. "And no, just a panic attack."
He had sat the boy down on one of the lavish white sofa. He asked the bartender, who had no idea what was happening, for a glass of water and he returned fast. He handed it to the boy that was breathing faster than ever, he told him to drink and he seemed to choke on the first gulp but after a second time he remains stable.
"Better?" The boy nodded his head as he steadied his breathing. "It's just a panic attack, nothing to worry about."
"We get them all the time." Balas said from behind Leroy and the taller, and stronger looking, boy turned around.
"Speak for yourself." He said, and Caligula could tell, without looking, that the other was rolling his eyes.
It's not a secret that the two had developed a sort of rivalry. That's not to say that they don't take their jobs as mentors seriously, far from it, but there are times where Leroy's urge to gamble will take over or Balas' mouth would run off and the two would begin to argue. He had hoped that Adlay would fit right in with these two older boys.
"Whatever, just go be a dear and grab our newest Victor more water."
"I'm alright," Adlay spoke up as he sat upright; he looked at everyone's face. "I'm alright now."
Caligula looked unsure by Adlay just gave him a smile to say that he was indeed fine now. It didn't reassure the man any more than he thought the boy did. He stood up beside Leroy and he nudged him to sort of urge him to say something, he looked at him and he just sighed.
"Look, kid, a bit of advice? Take it easy." Leroy eventually said as he handed the boy another glass of water. "Stay here for a couple of hours or something, and then go back down. Caligula can handle the guests whilst you're away."
"I hear you loud and clear, but I would much rather go back down."
The two Victors and Caligula watched as the Nine boy fixed his suit then stood up and walked away from them and out the door. The muffled bustling of the party downstairs can be heard now that the whole room went silent. Leroy just shook his head and Balas was about to say something but for the first time he held his tongue.
For better or for worse, they all thought that Adlay Durum would become a handful in the coming years. For the first time in his life, Caligula had wondered if it was a clever idea to have opened this club or not.