Cashmere found herself spending more nights in her brother's bed then her own with each passing night in their new home. The dreams of: Syn, Julia, Kaiser, Kleia, Chintz, the boy from Eight she skewered along with the girl from Nine during the blood bath; the pair from Eleven who she snuck up on with Kaiser and slaughtered; the alligator mutts as they swam towards her while Syn held her down, woke her up screaming and in hot, heavy tears. Gloss was the only one who could pull his fingers through her hair and sooth her.
When January rolled around, her prep team bursting through the door, Floriana shrieked at the state of Cashmere's skin. Lose, baggy around the eyes and discoloured.
"Oh, child! What has happened to you?!" Floriana squeaked as she gripped Cashmere's face in her hands, "Have you not been sleeping well?"
"I haven't really been sleeping at all," She spat, pulling back.
"Poor baby, well don't worry! We'll make it all better!" Floriana flounced and giggled as the other members of her prep team set up station in the kitchen.
"Wouldn't the bathroom be better? It's much larger and you'll have a better sink to work with," Cashmere recommended tiredly.
"Unnecessary my dear. Your hair is already washed and waxed from all the undesirable areas. There really is only makeup and styling. Covering those dark circles will be a bit of a challenge though."
"I insist," Pashmina said as she stepped into the kitchen, her daughter sitting on her hip. "I will need the kitchen later and our bathroom is plenty big enough for four people."
"Very well then," Floriana puffed and closed up her makeup bag, "upstairs we go, darlings!"
"Let me finish my cup of coffee first." Cashmere said as Floriana began to drag her up out of her chair.
"Fine," the Capitol woman called as she stomped her tiny feet up and out of the room.
Cashmere placed her head back down on the kitchen table as she firmly gripped her coffee cup.
"I really wish it wasn't today," Pashmina sighed as she placed her two year old daughter into her high chair.
"You have Gloss to help out," Cashmere croaked while sitting up, her dull green eyes rolling to the ceiling.
"Gloss does so much already; it's not fair to keep asking him."
"Mom, this is important! You know it's important."
"Well of course, but still, doesn't mean I don't wish you could stay here with us on Twinkle's special day."
Cashmere huffed as took a sip from her cold coffee. She had been up since six this morning after having risen from a nightmare starring Kaiser. Now that it was noon, she was not surprised it tasted terrible.
Pashmina smiled warily, "Be careful while you're away."
"Yes Mother," Cashmere kissed her mother and poured her awful coffee down the titanium sink. She lethargically climbed the stairs. One step, two steps, why did they have to get assigned a home with so many stairs?
The bathroom was clouded in a smoke of perfumes, while every inch of counter space was covered in assorted makeup products.
"Oh!" Cashmere called as she rushed into the room; "I love this!" she picked up a bottle of fix.
Floriana giggled, "Darling that is your bottle. I love the way it covers. It's really nice to know that your taste in these things hasn't changed."
Cashmere smiled as she flicked her hair gently around her neck and over her face, "Just because I killed six people and don't live in the Capitol, doesn't mean I don't enjoy finer things."
Her prep team blinked.
"Of course not," Nero drawled in her ear as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Stiffening beneath his touch, she relaxed too slowly for his liking, "You are our Cashmere after all. Only the finest things for you, my dear."
Turning around to meet his red-orange eyes, she came across his red lips stretched into a warm smile. "It's so nice to see a familiar face again," She mumbled into his shoulder upon giving him a hug.
"It's nice to see you too, Cash. How about we get you all fixed up now? Show Panem what they have been missing out on," Nero's smile remained as he detached her from him and pushed her gently towards Tuscan, the only male prep team member. He blushed and stuttered as his fingertips just barely touched her skin. She may wake up in terror but she was not fragile.
Sitting herself down in the chair, the team got to work. Gentle hands brushed over scar-less skin and trailed through her straight blond hair. She gritted her teeth when Tuscan twirled the curling iron a little too tight on top of her head; clenched her teeth when Floriana decided to wax every straggling hair off her body. However, she was no longer able to bite her tongue when Maria stopped short, sending Cashmere flying to the ground.
She whipped around. Jumped to her feet. Grabbed for the cooling iron on the counter and tackled Maria to the ground. Green irises flickering with vehement ferocity as Cashmere held the steel to the prep member's thyroid cartilage. She readily ignored Maria's increasing fear as she dug the curling iron further into her throat.
"Cashmere!" Nero called as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her off Maria. Floriana took the curling iron out of her grip.
"What?! That bitch needs to watch where she's going!"
Nero shook his head and held onto the squirming Cashmere tighter as he took her out of the room. Dumping her in her dust caked bedroom, Nero closed the door. "When you're ready to be a human being again, let me know."
Cashmere slide back against the wooden door and began to cry.
"It's pwetty!" Twinkle gasped as she watched her brother ice the vanilla cake.
"Wanna help?" He asked, handing her a spatula.
"Yeah!" She cried, but within 5 minutes she was already eating the icing off the utensil. Gloss could not help but laugh as he took it away from the little girl.
"Icing belongs on cake, then in your tummy," he poked her as she pouted with her bottom lip protruding as far as it could go.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Gloss said with a wrinkle in her nose. The two began to pout at each other before he tickled her in the sides, getting her laughing.
"It really is a treat to see that she isn't a hindrance to the whole family," The voice of their dear president called from the doorway. Twinkle stopped laughing instantly as the atmosphere swirled in the change of one man's presence. "You really are quite adorable, I must say, Twinkle. And yet, Cashmere still has her reserves about you." Snow strides over to the toddler and taps a boney finger to her flat nose.
"She's warming up. One day at a time," Gloss pulled Snow's attention away from his sister.
"Yes, of course. You would know all about her struggles, Mr. Reitz, wouldn't you?" Snow hummed. "Actually, you know far more about all your families' troubles then you should."
Gloss narrowed his eyes at the man who continued to stand their smiling and poking at the young girl's nose. "I would think after your incident that Gersemi would be more wary of you getting involved in large family matters. I guess not."
Gloss tightened his hold around the spatula and successfully broke it half. Twinkle jumped and Snow smirked, "Still have that spark left in you. It's such a shame your Academy scores are not at par with the top contenders, you would have made a wonderful addition to the Games."
That's when the clicks and claps of heels against hardwood floor echoed off the walls. Useless banter followed as Capitol folk cheered and scorned the latest fashion faux-pas.
"I wouldn't dare joke with you, Floriana. In District 11, some citizens do their hair in small braids, all down their back. They say it helps keep it out of their face in the fields. I should show you sometime, it is quite beautiful." Nero's hands shot up in the air, as to defend his claim.
"But how can something be beautiful without a jewel or feather protruding from it?" Tuscan asked, sheepishly. Nero chuckled as he came into the kitchen. He had opened his mouth to reply when those red-orange eyes of his widened instead.
"Mr. President, sir!" Nero bowed his head. The prep team hung their heads low, leaving Cashmere to remain standing tall and with a look of horror blending into her tired face.
"Now that the cavalry has arrived, maybe I can borrow Ms. Reitz for a brief moment of her time. Should not be more than 10 minutes."
"Of course, Sir!" Nero stepped aside to let their leader pass into the hallway.
Placing his hand on the small of Cashmere's back, he guided her into the empty living room. Her father's books lined the shelves along each wall. Taking a seat on leather sofa, Snow's bright eyes glanced around the book shelves. "It really is nice to see you again, Ms. Reitz. It truly does sadden me that I have come for business. I truly did wish to have a proper conversation with your father, he's such a wonderful man."
"Is my father is some sort of bind?" Cashmere asked carefully, her hands clenching.
"Gracious no, dear child. But you certainly are," Snow's face fell, lips tugged into a much more unpleasant frown, "I have been very patient with you and Caius. He has promised to relay to you the duties in which you are obligated to fill to the Capitol. It seems he has yet to fulfil his promise to me and I do not appreciate that, especially since he has requested a rather hefty gift in return."
Cashmere shuffled into the chair beside him, her hands lay rest in her lap. She tried not to let anything show beneath the makeup. "And what does his punishment have to do with me?"
Snow's scowled and leaned back into the black leather, "I would lay a hand in scorn on my own son without good reason, Ms Retiz. Please take this seriously."
Her hands began to shake in her lap. She tried to curb the jitters as they pulsed through her, but one clenched fist over another was no help. "So, what is it that would like me to do?"
The smirk grew wider on his wrinkling face, "Grace those that bought your life in the Arena with a few short hours of your time."
Cashmere smiled brightly, relaxing in her seat, "That sounds reasonable."
"Beautiful! Now," The President reached into a briefcase Cashmere had not realized he had with him and pulled out a manila envelope, "this is your contract containing your terms and conditions. You are to sign your name at the end of each clause and leave your thumb print on the very last signature."
He handed her the large stack of papers along with a red pen. As she flipped through the pile, she realized it contained blank pages except for the single clause on the final page.
Regardless of how in which the person or persons wish to monopolize the Victor's time, it will be endured with full and complete cooperation at minimum. Every and all complaints addressed to the Presidential office in respect to the Victor's performance will result in severe consequences towards said Victor.
Cashmere looked up at the President. He looked at stone cold as he did that afternoon he had brunch with her and his son.
"This is awfully vague, sir."
Snow's lips curled into a smirk, "Well, I cannot lay out on paper exactly what every patron you'll entertain will do to you."
"And what if I choose not to sign this contract?" Cashmere asked as she twirled the pen between her fingers.
The President grinned at her. His blood soaked breath causing Cashmere's nostrils to flare as he leaned in close to her, "That depends entirely on you and how much you would like to share your friend, Mr. Abernathy's, fate of being alone for the rest of his pathetic life."
Cashmere gripped around the pen harder, the polish on her nails chipping. The rouge painted on her cheeks was the only substance that gave colour to her face.
Snow puffed his blood soaked breath in her face. "You see I have been graciously informed of those walks through the park your mother and sister go on each afternoon. It would be such a tragedy if little Twinkle walked off on her own and could not be found."
Cashmere laughed emptily, "Neither Mother nor Twinkle would be so careless as to just let such a thing happen."
"Are you so sure? Twinkle seems to like play with the ducks down at Tinsel Pond doesn't she? A shame if she fell in the water when your mother wasn't looking."
"You wouldn't."
"I would and I could."
"She's only three."
Snow chuckled, "An eye for an eye, Cashmere."
It felt like every disk in her spine had popped out of their alignment, again, as she fell back into her sofa. "I just have to sign the contract then? None of this will occur if I sign it?"
The President rose from the seat, his own shoes tapping as they made their way towards the doorway, "Along with the contentment of my people. The more satisfied they are, the happier I am and the more secure your family will be from harm. Do I make myself clear, Ms. Reitz?"
"Yes sir," she stated.
"As the contract says, one complaint from your clients that you did not meet their expectations, you and your family will suffer greatly. I will make sure Twinkle will be the first. " With that, President Snow walked right past her and out the study room door. Cashmere could barely make out the conversation being had in the room down the hall. Her mind was swirling much too rapidly to focus on anything else, other than Twinkle would drown. Placing her head between her knees, Cashmere took in large gulps of air. Everything was going to be alright. She just could not fail. Then again, there has been no hardship that she had ever failed to complete to the best of her abilities. How much more difficult could pleasing Capitol people be?
As Tiffany suggested, Cashmere brought along a carton full of house warming gifts for the previous Victors onto the train while travelling the districts.
"Ice breaking is incredibly important. You will be spending countless years alongside some of these people, best not to leave them with a poor impression," Luciana claimed tautly as her long, jewel encrusted nails tapped in staccatos against her clipboard.
Cashmere was well aware of the prosperities of Capitol beauty products. Powders and foundations were produced in the softest of shades and tones, since the covering of blemishes, wrinkles and other skin abnormalities was not something that which the Capitol people were concerned with. They paid too much in plastic surgery, to bother with covering their imperfections with temporary solutions. Therefore, the dark circles and creases in Luciana's normally flawless face were noticeable. Maybe Snow had already begun to make the lives of those she cared about, miserable.
"Lucy, if you'd like, you can rest. We won't get there until noon tomorrow anyways," Cashmere offered, reaching out for the clipboard in her escort's hand.
"It's fine, really," Luciana snapped the clipboard back. "There are just … a few last things I'd like to get in order before hand."
"If you insist," Cashmere sighed. "By the way, where is Tiffany?"
Luciana looked up from her notes for a brief second, "In the Capitol, performing more duties as your mentor. She will meet us in Seven."
"How'ya likin' the place so far, princess?" Haymitch slurred as he gripped a bottle of white liquor in one hand, fork in the other. The train had arrived in District Twelve that afternoon. The speeches were long, tedious and held in a very small city centre, in comparison to District One at least. The citizens all looked up at her with drooping, over tired eyes and discoloured skin on their visible bones. Somehow, even Kaiser, looked better than District 12 does, especially when the hovercraft picked up his semi-devoured carcass.
"Leaves much to be desired." Cashmere mumbled as she pushed around the mashed potatoes on her plate.
"A spoiled little girl like you would think that." Haymitch laughed. "Least you could've done is humour me." Cashmere looked up at him, her darkened eyes narrowing. "Oh wait, that's right, you don't have a sense of humor."
"You're horrible."
"Tell me somethin' new, princess." Haymitch smiled as he put the nearly empty bottle of white liquor onto the large dining table with force. Cashmere jumped, her eyes darting at her fellow, Victor only to see the way in which his smile tugged a little higher than natural. "Word on the block is that you got the contract." His gray eyes clouded over, losing their usual sharpness.
Cashmere could not help but sigh. "My sister turned three years old yesterday and he put a death wish on her."
"He goes younger and younger every time," Haymitch's voice got lost in the hollow of the white liquor bottle. Emptying it, once again, he threw the bottle onto the ground. The shattering of glass brought quiet to those at the table. A multitude of eyes rolled at their sole victor's indiscretion before turning back to their conversations and eating their so-called feast.
"The President, he said … that I could share your fate." Cashmere chose her words carefully, "what did you lose?"
Putting his fork down onto the table, Haymitch stood up hastily, knocking his chair back with him, "Hey, Ripper!" A scraggily looking woman no older than what Cashmere assumed was 30 turned towards her name being called, "Bring me some of that sweet stuff! I gotta tell a story."
The young-ish woman nodded and brought over another bottle from out back in the kitchen, "Thank you sweetheart," and he planted a big, wet kiss on her cheek. Ripper grinned and walked away. "It isn't a matter of who I lost, more of what I lost. Think of it like dominos." Haymitch directed at Cashmere before pulling the cork out with his yellow teeth. He then spit it out over the broken glass. "And you princess, you set your neat little design off the moment your hot piece of ass came outta that arena alive." He took a long first drink. By the time he brought the bottle away from his lips, it was half empty.
"He killed my ma, my 10 year old brother and my girl," he took another quick swig, "Cassia,she'd have given you a run for your money in the looks department when she got older," he wolf whistled.
"They did nothin' wrong and yet, they suffered. And I gotta live with that." He smiled with all of his yellowed teeth, "But you won't, will you?"
Cashmere shook her head rapidly, curls flowing with the motion.
"Maybe you are cut out for this." He leaned back on his chair, head resting on the top. "Remember, just don't stop smiling. The moment you stop, someone else does too."
Cashmere nodded; her eyes twinkled as they glistened with tears. She ran her index finger along her cheeks, to catch the tears before they fell, destroying all of Floriana's beautiful, hard work. "I'm sorry, for calling you horrible."
Haymitch placed a hand between her shoulder blades and palmed in even circles. Suddenly, it was as if she were back at home; sitting at dinner with her family. The tears were that of Twinkle, who didn't like Cashmere's spaghetti, not of that of unknown Twelve child. The laughing was of her mother after her father told a particularly funny story, about some Capitol television drama, rather than some lady talking about how she had to re-cook a rabbit. Most of all, there sat Gloss, rubbing her back as he coaxed breath into her body as she too was laughing along with her mother instead of Haymitch sitting her trying to get her not to cry.
"It's okay," he whispered into her hair as his hand slid up her neck and brought her head onto his shoulder, "You're one of us now. We'll take good care of you."
She looked up under her eyelashes at Haymitch, and then passed him at Luciana, as she chatted with the mayor's wife. It would be two weeks before she arrived back home. Until then, she knew she would be alright.