-Jo Margolis, Camellia's Girlfriend-
Not even the smell of fresh-cooked bacon was enough to get her out of bed anymore. Every day was a battle with her parents: how they meant so well for her, but they would never understand. They would never know how impossible it felt to get out of bed, every single fucking morning. They didn't know what it was like to feel responsible for the death of the one person she had left that understood her. She had lost so fucking much. What was to say she shouldn't just end it here?
…No. She couldn't. Camellia wouldn't have wanted her to do that. Jo could hear it in her head now: I didn't die just for you to join me!
How badly she missed her voice.
Every breath was heavy, as she knew she shouldn't be taking it. She should be the one that was dead.
"Jo honey? I made bacon!" her parents were always trying to ramp up their happiness to make her feel better. They had no idea how much worse it made her feel.
She reluctantly got out of bed. The world was a blur as she got dressed, bathed, and brushed her teeth. She had no purpose.
Everything stopped when she heard a crinkle in the cardigan she put on. The one she wore to Camellia's funeral. It was completely different than any she'd ever been to: it was cut short, and Peacekeepers monitored the doors to the building. Jo didn't want to cry in front of them. She couldn't be real, she couldn't express her anger, for fear of being shot, just like Phil. She pulled out the paper. Wolf had given it to her when nobody was looking.
When I come back, I need you to trust me.
He signed it with a pawprint. Jo had almost completely forgotten about the letter itself, but she mulled over the message so often. She didn't know this guy at all, and he was asking that of her?! If Camellia trusted him so much, then Jo supposed she should too. At this point, she wasn't sure if she had any other choice.
She ate breakfast: it was much better-tasting than the crap she'd had before Ceru's Victory. It was just so bittersweet: after having Malloy and Camellia come so damn close to it… He was a nice kid, but he would never be her.
Jo munched on toast as her parents started the dishes, whistling happily and trying to keep her in high spirits. Deep down, she wanted to be their happy daughter again: they were her parents, after all: but that was buried under all of the grief and hurt she could never express to them.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Must be the grocery man," Mom said, crossing the room to open it. Jo's head raised when she heard all of the voices and clicks of cameras. What?
"Is this Joelle's house?" she knew that voice. Her heart sank to her stomach as her mother beckoned her over. Jo walked over slowly. I need you to trust me. Like she had a choice now.
"I'm Joelle," she said, feeling incredibly small with all the press taking pictures of her.
"Congratulations, Joelle!" said Wolf, smiling as he was holding a microphone. "You're the winner of the One Short Day sweepstakes! You are off to the Capitol for the most magical day of your life with new Capitol superstar band Out of Spite!"
When he said he would be back, this was not what she was expecting. Jo looked into his face, trying to see what was going on in his brain, before she let out an audible gasp, putting her hands on her cheeks and pushing a smile across her lips. "Me?!" she asked, trying to sound like an excited fangirl for a band she honestly didn't even know.
"Yes you, young lady! The band is waiting for you on the train, whenever you're ready to go!"
"I'm ready to go!" What the fuck is going on? Jo hugged her parents and waved to them, and as confused as they were, they were so glad to see their daughter happy they didn't even say anything. If she could convince them, she could convince anyone.
"Have a great time dear," Mom said, and Jo waved to her parents as Wolf practically whisked her out of the door, one of his strong arms wrapped around her shoulder as he told her all of the amazing things she was going to do with these total stranger Capitolites she'd never heard of.
Wolf helped her up the step to get on the train, and suddenly six pairs of eyes were peering at her intently as the door slid shut, away from all the cameras.
"You must be Jo!" the little girl in the front said. "Oh, I've heard so much about you!"
"You… What?!"
"Lovely to finally meet you dear," the tallest one put a hand on her shoulders. "Theodore Sedwick, but I'm sure you already knew it."
"You buffoons are going to scare her away," said the small kid with the giant mohawk.
"If just seeing Teddy's face didn't scare her away, I doubt there's much we can do honey," said the boy wearing star-shaped sunglasses.
"You really had to do that to me Pierre," he pouted.
"I'm sorry, what-" she started to ask, but suddenly there was a blur of pink in her face.
"For you, dear. So nice to finally meet you."
"Thanks…" She looked at the flowers, and her stomach turned as she immediately recognized them. Camellia.
"I thought it's a particularly beautiful ensemble myself, Rose," the boy in teal commented. "Oliver Bromley."
"Hi, I'm… I'm Jo." She wanted to ask Wolf what was going on, but he was gone. Obviously with the camellia, there was some kind of secret signaling happening, but Jo couldn't tell what it all meant.
"We must simply hear everything about your life up to this very point," Theodore said, but he was elbowed in the gut by Pierre with a great, oof!
"Hey wait, I recognize you. Ah, you were on the final 8 interview reel this year," Rose said, peering out at her with blue eyes that Jo couldn't read. "For that Camellia girl, yes. Ah, that is quite ironic, isn't it?"
"Silly coincidence…" Jo said, and suddenly another hand was on her shoulder as Oliver put his other hand out in front of them.
"I'm sensing you were also on it for that dashing man Todd the year previous."
"Y…You guys certainly did your research," Jo said with an uncomfortable laugh.
"Oh, the desserts are coming in!" squealed the little girl wearing a huge bow.
"Oh! Chocolate covered strawberries! I must say dear, I would eat anything covered in chocolate," Rose said, and Jo's mind went back to a very specific instance that made her incredibly uncomfortable and a little horny.
"I disagree. I could simply bathe in macaroons." Oliver happily put a pink macaroon in his mouth, and Jo tried to keep her eyes from welling up. Only one person she ever knew said macaroons in a horrible accent like that. But… "Eat up now Bunny, you seem simply starving." Jo could feel her shoulders tense as the other members of the band loaded up their plates. What the hell had she allowed Wolf to bring her into?
Each of them had a different dessert on the table that they insisted she try. Jo's stomach turned as she was suddenly sandwiched in between Rose and Oliver.
"Hosanna, please, I think she's filled up to her eyebrows!" said Rose, when the girl with the bow tried to put another piece of food on Jo's plate.
"Thank you," Jo said feebly, taking a bite out of a chocolate-covered marshmallow.
"When we get there, we have plenty in store for you," Hosanna said. "And first…" she let out a small squeal. "A totally magical make-over!"
"Oh… Um…"
"We definitely have to hit the theme park, I hope you like roller coasters Dollface." Oliver threw a marshmallow at Teddy, which got stuck in his hair.
"I prefer a quiet walk down the flower gardens myself," Rose said, "And of course, a picnic! How does a sandwich and a spot of wine sound?"
It sounds like our last date before she died, Rose. "Perfect," Jo said nervously.
"You mean we aren't even going to stop by the dog park!?" the kid with the mohawk lamented. "Why the hell'd I even come then?"
"I like dogs," Jo said politely, and he grinned.
"Now now everyone, don't get too far ahead of yourselves. We only have one short day," Pierre said, before almost missing his mouth with a chocolate-covered potato chip.
"Well, of course we have to perform some of our songs too," said Oliver. "Why, for a girl as pretty as you, I'd come to your house with my guitar and arrange for a concert!"
You did… No, he did. Different people. "That was always Camellia, not me…" Jo said, with another nervous laugh.
"Nonsense!" Oliver said, and Jo was starting to feel extremely confused: and a little bit hopeful.
"Oh! I think we're arriving!" Hosanna said.
"Already?!" asked mohawk kid.
"Come on, you have to watch the city come into sight," Rose said, and Jo obediently got up and followed. Were these allies of Wolf's? Speaking of, where the hell was Wolf?
"You seem tense dear, you could surely use a good massage," Rose said. "I hate massaging feet, but I would gladly give your shoulders a good rub."
"It's okay that she doesn't do feet, I don't mind massaging them," Oliver said.
It took everything in Jo not to yell at them, What the hell does this code mean!? But she held her tongue.
"That sounds a little bit kinky, Oliver." She was testing the waters.
"I do not have a foot fetish!" he said. She could practically hear his voice.
"It's the big city!" Hosanna said, pointing out the window. Jo wondered if she was dreaming, for a moment, sandwiched within this group of people that were giving her the weirdest vibes she'd ever gotten from anyone in her life.
The morning flew by in the blink of an eye. Jo kept the cardigan, but each of the members of the band had something to say about what to get for her outfit. It was a bit odd when Rose presented her with a maroon crop top and lavender hair extensions, while Oliver presented her with a charcoal gray pantsuit, saying it was his favorite color. Only one person would have charcoal as a favorite color… Right?
Jo changed into the pantsuit and the lavender extensions, trying to convey that she was following along with them… Somehow.
Rose did her make-up (with Teddy being a backseat driver in the background). They went shopping downtown, where she had fun trying on all of the different outfits: even the ones that were rat-ugly.
They went to the dog park (much to DJ's delight), where some nice pooches greeted them with wagging tails. DJ laid on the grass and let the puppies climb all over him. Jo was more of a cat person herself, but Oliver made sure to tell each and every dog that it was a good pupper.
Then, just like Rose had said, they had a picnic for lunch. Only the older few drank, while Hosanna and DJ were given some nice apple juice. Jo wasn't sure if it was knowing that Wolf had a plan or the glitz and glamour of the Capitol, but she was actually starting to enjoy herself.
After a picnic lunch, they went to the biggest amusement park in the Capitol.
The others quickly went towards the roller coasters, while she stayed with Oliver to play games: and he won her a green stuffed frog. They met back up with Rose, who took her on the ferris wheel, and got cotton candy for them to share. It was so sweet and practically melted in her mouth. Jo was becoming more and more certain that the impossible could be true… Which was dangerous.
The group hit the water park, and it was the most fun that Jo had in a long time. She laughed so loud, almost non-stop as they swam together and did water slides.
After they were sufficiently dry, they changed again, and spent some time at the arcade. Jo wasn't sure she'd heard anyone scream as loudly as Rose and Teddy playing Dance Dance Revolution.
"They have ongoing beef about who's the best dancer," Oliver explained to her, as the two of them jumped and screamed to the music. It was close, but Rose just managed to come out on top. She laughed, and Jo clapped for her as she stepped down from the platform. They played some other games together, and all together they got enough tickets for the inflatable penguin they were all eyeing.
When they stepped out, Jo realized how late it was.
The sky was darkening, the sun was setting, and Jo didn't want to go back home. It was a day straight from her best dreams…
Jo was taken to a beautiful outdoor terrace illuminated by softly-glowing bulb lights for dinner with the group. The food was great, but she got to see some of their nicer qualities as they'd calmed down. Pierre grilled her: only a little bit, but she could recognize it when she saw it. It was obvious that he was protective of Rose, and if Jo was right, it made total sense.
What was she talking about? It was silly as hell to think like she was thinking, surely. They were dead. She was surely just projecting these qualities onto each of them.
But why would Wolf send her here and leave her alone with these people if there wasn't a reason?
Jo felt a lump form in her throat at the thought that she was just being stupid, she was wrong about her hunches...
But it was like an automatic connection…
"So what was your favorite part of today?" Teddy asked her, and Jo blinked at him.
"Oh, um…" How could she possibly choose a favorite!? "I... feel like it still hasn't happened yet."
"Wise," mused Teddy, leaning back into his chair.
After dinner, Jo was left with her thoughts for a moment as the band went in to change and warm up for the private performance she was going to get. Wolf finally showed back up to escort her to the private venue, and with how the windows were closed and the place was closed in, Jo wondered just how private they were talking here. When she walked in, her breath was taken away.
It was a small, dingy apartment, but the room was lit by candles. When she heard his singing voice, she knew.
"The strands in your eyes, that color them wonderful stop me, and steal my breath…" She looked to the empty dance floor, realizing it wasn't empty.
Rose was waiting for her, but she looked much less like Rose now, and more like…
"Camellia."
"I'll explain later."
"You don't have to explain." Tears rolled down Jo's cheeks as she ran forward and collapsed in her arms. Nothing mattered to her anymore. All that mattered was that she was actually here. Camellia held her and they swayed together as Malloy serenaded them. It didn't fucking matter who any of the others were. She was here. She was really here.
"You're my survival, you're my living proof… My love is alive, not dead…"
She held Camellia close, still in complete disbelief but not even wanting to ask any questions about it. She could feel Camellia crying, which made her cry in turn, holding so tightly onto the person she loved so much… her dreams coming true… Everything she ever wanted.
It was impossible. But now, it was real.
The song ended too soon.
Their second kiss was slow and tender, and the fact that Jo knew now made it even more magical. It ended too soon, but Jo knew that there could now be plenty more of them. They were safe now.
Jo brushed the tears out of her eyes as she looked at the group: Jace's milky eyes, Coda's general expression of confusion, Montessori, that sweet little girl, without all that glitter on her face… The sharpened teeth of that vile Career from District One.
And, with tear stained cheeks… God, it was really him…
They strummed another chord, but Jo couldn't control herself. "No more songs from you until I get a proper greeting Mister!" Malloy barely had a moment to put his guitar down before she launched herself into his arms.
"How did you know it was me?" What a foolish question of him to ask.
There were so many signs. "Who has…" she sniffled, "…charcoal as a favorite color?" she asked, but she was still crying at the feeling of his tight bear hugs, which she had been missing so badly for an entire year…
"Good job Todd, I didn't even have to flirt with this one!" It earned him a slap from Rose- no, Camellia. Camellia.
"You've been here all this time?" Jo asked him, looking at each of the band members and sniffling.
"Every moment I couldn't be with you was agony Jo," Malloy said, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. She noticed how his hand lingered around the side of her face. "I wanted to be there with you." His face looked so sad, another tear rolled out of his eyes… But there was nothing he could have done, and they both knew it. Besides, that didn't matter now. Not now that they were both here.
"Don't apologize, you oaf!" she let out a happy laugh, looking up at him and cupping his face with her hand.
"Get a room!" Camellia called out, which made Jo laugh through the tears that were rolling down her face, tenderly wiped away by Malloy's thumbs as they smiled at each other.
"Kiss her already!" called Wolf from the other side of the room.
Malloy's eyes widened, and he let out his typical nervous chuckle as he bashfully became interested in the floor.
"Well? Don't leave him hanging now," she told him with a cheeky smile, as her eyes went to his lips.
He looked back up at her for just a quarter of a second. Then, she let out a small squeak of surprise as he swept her closer to him and pressed his lips on hers, but she soon melted into his arms. She could have done without the applause of the others, but at this point, she could barely kiss anyone she was smiling so big. His little nervous laugh made her clutch her chest, it was so damn cute. How badly she'd missed her two best friends.
"Hey, we have a whole show planned. We're trying to practice so that Coda actually sounds like he has rhythm," Wolf said.
"Hey!" said Coda.
"Of course," Jo said, still grinning ear to ear. "But I get a dance with both of them, right?"
"Do we all get pretty lady dances?" asked Trap, and Jace stepped on his foot.
"Just so you're not confused, that was on purpose," he clarified.
"Sorry Trap, I'm spoken for tonight." She took a seat on the chair Wolf had put out for her, still grinning as everyone took their places behind their respective instruments.
It truly was a magical day, but she desperately hoped it wasn't over for a long, long time. They launched into their set, and Jo smiled the whole time. It was an amazing day.
But a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
What the hell am I going to tell my parents!?
~.~.
-Cerulean Elpharae, Victor of the 127th Hunger Games-
It was an early morning for Ceru. His prep team was scheduled to arrive before he usually finished his (greatly needed) morning coffee.
Usually, Clair and Elphias stayed the night, but he had warned them that it might be an early morning, so they were free to stay back at their own places for the night.
Of course, Clair chose to stay anyways: she often wanted to stay with Ceru rather than going home, and having another person in the house made him feel a little more secure. He was working on renovating rooms to make them easier for him to exist in: better lighting, rearranging the furniture so it was facing each other, and other things like that. He figured, why not?
The lights flickered in the kitchen as he was making coffee, and he looked behind him to see Clair in the doorway, who signed, Good morning Cerulean.
He smiled when she incorporated his name sign into it. He had been given it by Lyra after a few weeks of getting to know her. The sign was for victory, one hand grazing the other as if stealing a prize: and coming up into the letter C.
He set the coffee maker and signed it back to her.
How are you? Something was weird about it. Clair quickly realized her eyebrows were down, not up, and signed an apology.
Ceru smiled and shook his head. You're OK. She was putting so much effort into learning ASL now that they both could, and he so greatly appreciated the effort more than just a couple of inflection mistakes. He answered her question, I'm … he paused, not exactly sure how to answer her question, both the sign, and trying to figure out what to tell her without worrying. Scared. And sad. I don't want to go.
Sorry. Her eyes were so sad.
I'm OK. He put his hand out on top of hers, and she perked up as if she heard something. She started to talk, but stopped herself.
You sig how?
Ceru smiled and showed her the sign, which looked like he was grinding coffee with his fists before he got up to get it, the beautiful smell wafting into his nose as he mixed in some cream and sugar and put in a mug for Clair.
Thanks, signed Clair, smiling at him as Ceru took a sip. They tried to have voices off as much as possible, more and more as both of them learned more. Ceru loved to go to ASL classes in the Capitol. The teacher, Lyra, was really kind and more than willing to stay after class to practice more with Ceru. She was a stylist for the past few years' Games, and her favorite sign was beautiful. Piccolo Wallace attended her advanced class, and usually when Ceru arrived early for beginners, Piccolo was in the classroom signing with Lyra.
The thought made him smile, before he saw a great flash of light that indicated someone was ringing his doorbell.
I think now is time, he signed to Clair.
She frowned. You ready?
He didn't have enough time to try and express what he was feeling through ASL with his beginner skill, so he turned his voice back on. "I don't have a choice."
Clair gave him a tight hug as the lights flashed again, obviously his prep team was impatient. He let go before he was ready, giving her one last smile as he signed, I'll be back soon.
She patted him with the I love you sign and he returned it before he went to the door, ready for these hellish days to be over, but not ready for them to begin. Ashton was in the middle of the excited Capitolite girls, looking calm as they both chattered over each other, obviously not caring at all about Ceru not hearing what they were saying.
"Come in," Ceru said, stepping to the side as the party filed into his house, quickly turning the living room into their workspace without even really greeting Ceru (and if they did, he couldn't hear them).
"Good morning," Ashton said at least, as the ladies that worked with him sat Ceru in a chair and got to trimming his hair, while one of them heated wax to put on his eyebrows.
"Morning," Ceru said quietly, as his head was turned somewhat forcefully by one of the ladies' hands. Ashton mentioned in passing about how glad he was to have a tribute this year that wasn't, in his words, as hairy as Sasquatch. He soon got back into that place he was used to: sitting quietly as they worked on him, probably telling him what to do or chattering amongst themselves, but he wouldn't know.
He was sure Clair could hear, so if they said anything bad about him, she would let him know: if she didn't storm out and give them a piece of her mind first. Clair had become even more protective of her boyfriend since he'd returned from the Games. He was so glad to have her, but couldn't help being worried about her. This was far different than just some bullies at school. This was a matter of life and death.
That was why he would have to do whatever he was told. Cornelius had his eyes on Ceru like a hawk. Ceru knew that one wrong word: one wrong look even: would get him killed, just like Phil. Or worse, Clair…
Ceru couldn't let that happen. He obediently stepped in the bathroom for them to rinse and dry his hair, put all sorts of stuff on his face, making sure he was in tip-top shape for the Tour. The Tour, where he would have to stand in front of the nation and convince them that he is alive for a reason.
While his prep team was washing him up, Ashton had laid his clothes out on his bed so that he could change in private, which Ceru greatly appreciated. He changed into the nice clothes and the thick peacoat that was set out for him, tailored to pick him perfectly as always. Ashton made sure everything was perfect. Next to him, to Ceru's relief, was Maud, finally.
Maud came in to meet him. "There will be cameras out there filming you leaving the house," she warned him, bringing him out to the door. Helen was standing in the living room, not having gone back to the bedroom but wanting to wish Ceru good luck. When she did the sign, though, Ceru's eye was caught but something sparkly on her finger.
He couldn't control the gasp as he quickly signed.
Engaged you?!
Helen held out her hand to look at the ring, giggling and signing back, Yes! with so much fervor Ceru was worried her wrist was going to snap: or her neck.
Ceru beamed, hurrying over to give her a hug and do a sign she taught him: congratulations! He was so happy for Helen. Though he was suspicious of Helen and Ani, he actually had no idea they were officially dating until she'd come around to ask him for help picking a ring for Anakyn. Obviously, though, the escort had the same idea in mind for her. The ring was beautiful, and absolutely perfect for Helen. Ceru held her hand to get a better look as he oohed and aahed at it, so happy for the young woman who so quickly became his ride or die in the Victor's Village.
I want to know everything, he signed to her quickly.
Helen looked like she was trying to put her thought into ASL but Ceru was being whisked out the door so she turned on her voice so he could read her lips. "I'll tell you when you get back!"
OK! Ceru signed, barely able to give her a goodbye as he was whisked out the door by his prep team.
He saw the cameras: not even operated by people: watching him as he left. The District Seven sky was still illuminated pink as the sun was rising. The wind was bitter cold, and Ceru could feel his cheeks turning pink from the weather. He tried to tap into the excitement he was feeling for Helen and Anakyn as he walked out the door towards the Square where the train would be waiting to take him to District Twelve. The smile was enough to carry him there, smiling and giving them a wave before the doors closed.
The cameras on the train weren't hidden this time: Ceru figured that Cornelius didn't want to kill his most recent Victor by giving him the false sense of security or privacy. It was a scary time to be a Victor, but he was glad that Maud was there to be with him. Vanilla was completely detached: Ceru wouldn't be surprised if she was gone before next year, nor would he be particularly hurt. Despite getting a Victor, she was just as bland and detached as ever.
Maud brought a game of checkers for them to play on the road, and Ceru appreciated something to take his mind off of the trip. His outift remained the same on his way to District Twelve, just with an additional scarf, much to his relief.
The ride took longer than Ceru thought it would: multiple rounds of checkers with some time to spare, which Ceru used to put his head on Maud's shoulder and take a couple of deep, calming breaths. His mentor had become like a mother figure to him, and he was forever grateful to her for all that she's done for him.
When the train stopped, Ceru's heart came back up to his throat. This was disgusting, what he had to do. But he couldn't let any of it show.
Maud rubbed his back, and together they were let into the back of the Justice Building. He was revealed to a District of people that practically looked dead. He held the notecard that contained his designated speech: obviously not supposed to be translated into sign. Cornelius didn't give a damn about Ceru, he only cared about keeping this country for war. But, Ceru couldn't help but think back to the chariot costume that was designed for him. Was war worth it?
These were not questions for him to answer right now. He had to focus on trying to enunciate these words. If he stuttered, would that count as treason? He didn't mean to, some words were just hard for him to conceptualize when he couldn't hear them…
The eyes of a devastated father on one side, and a pair of parents that had obviously lost their only child, holding each other as they watched Ceru.
Ceru took a deep breath, his heart pounding as he looked down and trilled off the words. He tried to make his inflection match the words on paper, but he was basically helpless. It was certainly going to be a long day. He barely even knew what he was saying; he was just reading to get it over with, but not comprehending.
Thankfully, the speech was short and simple. Ceru got through and he was pretty sure he didn't stutter too much. He shook the mayor's hand, not hearing applause and not even wanting to look for it. He was soon on the train to go to District Eleven.
He hadn't known Eden or Union very well, but seeing the huge family standing for Eden was impossible for him. Union had a pair of parents, the mother obviously sporting a baby bump and a defiant look on her face.
He read the card- was it the same as District Twelve? He couldn't tell. He didn't know what he was saying, nor did he want to.
Soon, he was on the way to District Ten. He didn't have the heart to play games with Maud on the way. He just kept thinking about Lonan. What the Games did to someone who was once so kind. They made monsters out of all of us.
He felt ashamed of what he'd done.
Maud was there to offer physical comfort, rubbing his back gently from the time he was changed until they arrived.
He wasn't ready to face them. On Oona's side, two parents and a boy that looked high as the sky. And Lonan… Parents, a boy that looked like an older version of him, holding a baby. Ceru swallowed a lump in his throat, praying that his voice didn't break as he read the words from the card, unable to look back at them as his hand was shaken and he was on the way to District Nine.
Once he was back on the train, he let the few stray tears drip out of his eyes before wiping them away. He had to stay focused. The train kept moving, and Ceru had to keep moving too.
District Nine was easier, but by no means easy. Parents stood with a little girl on Hallie's side, while one single man, looking exhausted, stood for Burton. Ceru read from the card, not giving the District another look as he shook the mayor's hand and hurried back to the train.
District Eight passed by in a blur: Sonnet's side inhabited by a pair of parents and a girl that looked almost nothing like her. Coda had a couple of parents and two boys: one older and one younger. Ceru read the words, trying to keep his heartbeat steady so he didn't stutter too much as he concluded the speech. He didn't look at the crowd, he received his spoils from the tired woman and got back on the train.
He knew they would be skipping his home: which both relieved him and terrified him as that was where Camellia would be.
Instead they went to District Six, where her closest ally was from. Ceru hated to watch her cry over him, whatever happened between her and Jace, it was just so painful. Elliot's side had a couple of parents, while Harleigh had a woman that looked young to be her mother, but looked just like her, and her twin brother, who was practically her male spitting image.
In a blur, he was back on the train, and suddenly he was on his way to District Five. He wanted to stop time. He didn't want to go and face it… He hadn't been back to District Five since telling Mrs. O'Connor that he wasn't Owen… He killed her son… Ceru didn't know how he was going to make it through this without crying. Somehow, he would have to find the strength to do it.
The first tear rolled down his cheek as the doors slid open and he slipped into the Justice Building. He wanted to panic, run away from there, but he didn't have a choice but to be strong.
Suddenly, as the doors opened, Ceru felt a peace like he'd never felt wash over him: courage, the strength to speak with a steady voice, the ability to look at Linn, standing for her son, and the fathers and siblings standing for Rammie. For the fifteen minutes he needed it most, the tears stayed away, the words flowed clearly from his lips, and he was able to keep the tears away. He stepped off of the stage after giving one last look to the forlorn District, walked calmly back to the train with Maud, and the tears immediately burst forth. He hid his head in his knees, trying not to make his misery obvious: out of spite maybe, out of embarrassment, or out of fear that something will happen to Clair. Maud got him a glass of water and sat with him, but Ceru couldn't appear in District Four with puffy cheeks and red eyes.
He went into the bathroom, trying to calm himself down enough to face the world. He splashed his face again, looking at himself in the mirror, feeling like somehow, he had grown since the last time he was here, on his way home. So much had happened in the six months since he'd been here last. Owen was still dead, but Ceru was still growing. He was still learning, he was still fighting. There was something powerful about that that Ceru never wanted to let go of. He took a deep breath, taking a few blinks as the train stopped in District Four.
Kelwyn had a large family: two families of people crowded onto his podium. Willie had an older guy and a couple of teenage girls that didn't look like Willie. The speech was even shorter, if possible, and for once, Ceru could feel the applause of the crowd in his bones as he received a wreath and went back into the Justice Building.
District Three was rough once again. Henley had died early, but Jace had gotten pretty close. Being a fellow disabled tribute, Ceru could empathize with Jace, and couldn't explain why he was here and the boy wasn't other than some bad luck. Henley's side had one man that looked absolutely nothing like her. Jace had his ragtag family: an older woman and a young teen who looked alike, another girl looking like an older teen, and the boy with raging red hair that matched his little daughter.
Ceru felt himself blubber for a moment, quickly collecting himself, trying not to look afraid, as he finished his speech and Peacekeepers flanked his sides, heading back into the Justice Building.
He sighed. From here, it was mostly smooth sailing. Sure, District Two would see a tribute that he killed, but he was only killing out of revenge. Not like Owen…
The crowd was excited to see him. It was disgusting. On Remus's side stood his parents, his little sister, and another man that Ceru recognized as his uncle. Their faces were forever implanted in Ceru's brain after watching the Final 8 interviews and knowing what he'd done. Arden's side had one man, that looked like he was disintegrating into nothing. Ceru was given a golden laurel crown and a medal, and then was on his way to District One.
These teens weren't bad people: he believed it despite all they had been through: but he didn't know them personally, making this speech among the easiest, despite the looks on the faces of Celestia's parents, brother, and sister, and Merc's parents and two brothers: one younger and one older.
He was applauded for again, which he could feel under his feet on the stage, as he went back to the train. Finally, he could breathe, but only for a moment. The worst was yet to come.
He attended the shortest Capitol party in Victory Tour history: just barely hitting three hours. Thankfully it was pretty quiet and not much happened. Ceru didn't talk long to people that weren't even trying to accommodate him, giving a slightly cold (but not rude) goodbye and moving to the next person.
A pull at his pantlegs caused him to look down, where a little girl that couldn't have been more than 5 was chattering to him. Ceru was about to cut her off to try and explain, when her father caught up to her: Lux Hastings. He signed a quick, sorry, and the little girl clung to his pantlegs, who was just beaming with joy.
You're OK, Ceru signed back quickly.
Lux signed to him. Her name A-L-I-C-E.
Ceru nodded with a smile, even at Lux's incredibly slow, somewhat bouncy fingerspelling.
Pretty name, he signed.
He could read Lux's lips as he talked to his young daughter.
"This is Ceru. Ceru can't hear, so he communicates with his hands through sign language."
Alice's eyes got wide and she beamed up at him, obviously not at all afraid of someone so famous: and not afraid of his deafness either.
"Here, I'll teach you how to say hello to him, and other people that can't hear."
Alice bounced on her feet and threw up her arms at this. Lux showed her the sign for hello, and helped move her little arms so she was doing it right. How was a little harder for her to get, but she got close enough as she rubbed her little fists together. Lux then pointed at Ceru, and Alice was great at that. Lux was telling her what they were signing as he taught her, but Ceru was focused on their hands, giving Alice an encouraging smile and crouching down to be her height so she could see his hands.
Good. You?
Alice looked at Lux expectantly as he told her what Ceru said and showed her the sign for good, which she was able to do without his help. Ceru smiled and nodded at her, reaching over to straighten the fluffy white hat she wore on her head. She spoke again, and Lux signed, She thinks you fun.
Ceru laughed at this and signed, Thanks, which Lux communicated to her. He then scooped her up: Ceru couldn't catch every word of what he was saying, but the gist was that Ceru was very busy and they would have to say goodbye to him.
"Bye!" he could read Alice's lips clearly as she put up a hand and waved to him. Ceru smiled and waved back to her. As much as seeing Lux reminded him of all the terrible things he'd forced them through in the Games, Ceru wasn't sure if he believed the Head Gamemaker was a completely bad person. June seemed to have Opinions about him, from what Ceru could tell (and what tea Helen filled him in on when the met up to practice signing).
Later in the night, Ceru could see Alice bumping her tiny fists together and pointing at people when Lux stopped to talk to them. Seeing that in her was inspiring. There were people out there that wanted to make the world a better place for people like him. Since getting out of the Arena, he had found a group that did: and cut out the people that didn't. Things like that gave him hope that his Victory actually meant something.
It was unheard of for the entire Tour happened in one day, but before Ceru knew it, he was on his way back home. It was for security's sake, he was sure. He was sort of glad it was all over in one day: one day of hell, but one day all the same. The moon was up and the stars were out by the time he arrived back home, but it was too early for everyone to be in bed, so the Tour continued.
If anything, the moon and stars gave him a calm feeling. It was easy for him to see Camellia's parents, who both had gentle looks on their faces. Ceru had already visited them once: but they were so warm to him, he was sure he would be welcome over again whenever he wanted. They liked having a teen in the house again, and Ceru liked the familial atmosphere in the house. He would never replace Camellia and Syca for them: he would never want to: but at least he could check up on them and make sure they were fed and cared for.
Ceru continued to feel that peace, the strength in him, as he read through the index card, knowing that there was no bad blood between him and the people before him. There was still food set out, and while many people didn't stay to feast under the eyes of Peacekeepers, Ceru was still able to see some people practicing sign language and watch Helen hilariously trying to simplify an extremely complex and romantic proposal into ASL, until Ceru told her to just tell the story, and followed her well from there.
What he had seen and what he had been forced to say today weighed heavy on Ceru. He had to be careful, but he couldn't stand quietly and continue to let this happen to families like the Gallens. The time for action was now, but Ceru had to be careful about how to do it. This tour had only made him think deeper about his first step to figuring out who was involved and what was happening.
…
He was on the train early the next morning for his ASL class.
He arrived just as the advanced class was ending.
He found the interviewer, just as she always was, signing with Lyra after class, and tapped her shoulder. Lyra said goodbye and went to set up for her next class, and Ceru did the signs as small as he could in the basically empty room.
Song, he signed.
The song you all sang at the party.
I want to know the words.
~.~.
A/N: Don't ask me what I was doing with the ASL: some of it is grammatically correct, some is an English translation, just let it go, this is fanfiction lol.
CQ: As is tradition for my stories, I shall ask you all on the final chapter… What was your favorite part of the journey?
And like that, this is the end.
I'm still a little in disbelief that this is it, honestly. I think this has been the most turbulent story for me in terms of where I wanted to go with it and what I was thinking about it as we went. There were times I hated this story. I thought it was boring, I was stalling any action to keep from killing characters, and I just felt like I wanted to give up because I had no directions. There were times that I whizzed through updates, knowing exactly what I wanted to do. Sometimes it was left up to RNG and fate itself, and I took the reins back and did something with it.
I was my own toughest critic on this story, and there was a point or two where I was just doubting every single POV. And the thing that got me through that was all of you guys. Your love and support have really meant something to me over this whirlwind of an adventure and without you, I never would have seen it come to fruition as it did. Thank you all for every review, every kind word, and every bit of support you have given me. Because of you all, I get to mark this story complete with pride. For that I extend my greatest thanks.
This marks the end of the RNG chaos that was Whims of Fate. It's appropriate I think that it also marks the end and beginning of a new chapter of my own life as I've graduated college and am now going out into the real world with a job. Thank you again to everyone who subbed a character for this story, it wouldn't have been the same without you. I am truly humbled by every small morsel of praise I receive and I am so sad to tell this story goodbye.
However, this is not the end, it is only the second of the trilogy. The final installment of the trilogy, Sons of Light, is open for subs and will be posted soon! I hope to see everyone come back and grace me with your wonderful characters once more. Love you all and can't wait to see you there!