Eleanor "Norrie" Holmia, 16

District Five Female

Eleanor stifled yet another yawn, peering out the window as she finished tying her shoes. The sun hadn't even breached the horizon yet, light reds and oranges only just beginning to color the sky. It was an overall peaceful start to what would be a long, hard day, but mornings like this made everything so much easier.

Well, that's what she liked to tell herself.

She stood up and stretched, her bones already aching. Eleanor wasn't sure if it was from her sleep-deprived state, her job, or something else entirely. What she was sure of, though, was the fact that she really needed to hurry up if she was going to get to work on time.

Ever since the day Cosmo Converse had approached her, back when she was only fourteen and still in school, she'd never missed a day of work. Working at Cosmo Converse's Incandescent Colors had consumed her life, quite literally in some ways. It was more of a burden these days, as it was taking a toll on her body. And Eleanor was determined to get to the bottom of whatever was causing those physical changes.

Absently running her hand over her hair, Eleanor cringed as several long, curly black hairs stuck to her hand. She'd been losing more hair than ever, even if it wasn't easily visible to others. She could feel it, in the way her head was lighter and held sparse patches of hair instead of the head full of thick hair that she used to have. At least the missing hair wasn't as bad as the three teeth that had fallen out, all in the back of her mouth.

Sighing, Eleanor smoothed down her drab grey smock and headed out of her room to meet up with her mother. This bit of time in the mornings where their paths crossed was part of what got her through the day.

Her mother was softly humming in the kitchen, her blonde hair swaying as she moved around. Something in Eleanor's heart panged at the sight of her mother, who looked so different from herself, and how she was sure that her own dark hair and green eyes that mirrored her father's were hard for her mother to look at some days. She didn't know much about Kieran Lito, just that he was someone her mother would never be able to shake.

"Good morning, Mom," Eleanor said, reaching up on her toes to kiss her mom on the cheek. "Not another late night, I hope?"

Eileen's answering smile held a weariness that Eleanor resonated with, but she just responded with a smile of her own. Oftentimes it was like the two had a silent understanding of what they'd give up for each other, but they wouldn't dare voice it out loud.

"Not too late," Eileen said, though Eleanor knew she was lying through her teeth.

Nodding, Eleanor went to grab an apple to eat on the way to work. Her appetite wasn't what it used to be, and this was all she could manage in the mornings to prepare for the long days ahead of her. "I'm glad to hear that," she responded without looking over her shoulder. "I'll probably be home at the usual time today."

Most days, Eleanor and her mother were like two passing ships. They would both be gone during the day, though her mother's hours fluctuated more and she would sometimes have late nights instead, but when they got home they were usually too tired to do anything besides sleep. Any of Eleanor's spare time was spent watercolor painting or reading, just trying to destress in case that's what was making her rapidly lose weight or making her hair fall out.

From what Eleanor could tell, stress was a powerful thing. But she wasn't sure if it was powerful enough to do this kind of damage to all the girls at work.

The one good thing about Eleanor hardly seeing her mother was that Eileen couldn't notice the changes in her daughter's appearance. She didn't need her mom to worry; her mother had enough on her plate as it was.

Eleanor turned back around to see her mother staring at her quietly, her eyes filled with a sadness that Eleanor had grown familiar with. She bit her lip as Eileen sighed and moved to finish getting ready for work.

"Hey Mom?" Eleanor kept her eyes on her mom, taking in the golden hair and blue eyes that she was achingly familiar with. Her mother had always been there for her; after Eleanor's father had left and her grandparents died, the two now only had each other. And Eleanor hoped that would never change.

"Yes?" Eileen stopped to look at her daughter, her hand stilling on her keyring.

Eleanor opened her mouth, hesitating before giving her mother a reassuring smile. "Nothing. I love you."

"I love you too."

Unable to stick around for much longer, Eleanor grabbed her own keys and headed out the door before she could be considered running late. She missed the days where she and her mother could run around the house laughing, back when her grandparents were alive and everything was okay. Now, Eleanor wondered when the last time she'd heard her mother's laughter was.

All things considered, it was a lovely morning. There were enough clouds to block the sun as it crept up over the horizon, yet its brilliant rays still managed to shine through the gaps. Eleanor lifted a hand to shield her eyes as she looked up to the sky, the sun rising and illuminating a whole world full of possibilities.

Not that any of it was for her.

Her fate had been sealed since she was fourteen, the day she shook Cosmo Converse's hand and accepted his offer, even if she hadn't known it at the time. Back then, it was all about the potential for money and how it would help her mother to get an extra source of income before the two of them were overcome by bills. Only the top five girls from each of the different high schools in District Five were lucky enough to get this offer, and Eleanor certainly felt on top of the world at the time. It was like a dream, getting to work hands on with what would soon be a new fashion trend in the Capitol: glow in the dark nail polish.

All the girls had to do was mix it up with regular nail polish from District One, a simple enough task. But things were beginning to fall apart as the girls working there were starting to get sick. Eleanor herself was losing hair, had lost three teeth, and was weaker than ever. But she just had to make do with what she had at this point, and she was certain that the factory was the cause of their suffering. She wasn't the only one that knew something was wrong, but sometimes it felt like it. It was certainly lonely at work, and Eleanor hated feeling alone.

"Hey Norrie!"

Eleanor smiled as she saw her friend and fellow worker, Kaia, bounding over to her with more energy than Eleanor could summon on a good day. Her deep brown eyes still sparkled brightly as her short curly hair bounced around her head.

"Good morning!" she chirped, easily falling into step beside Eleanor. "Are ya ready for another day of work?"

Eleanor shrugged, glancing around at the kids headed to school. In some ways, she missed it. The learning environment was something that had been very important to her, as the act of learning was something that she'd always thrived on. She had never been about going to school for friends, though it was clear that some of the kids milling around were doing exactly that. Eleanor couldn't help but watch a dark haired boy and a blonde girl laugh together, their cheeks turning red as they looked at each other before getting interrupted by a taller boy slinging his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders.

"As ready as I can be," Eleanor said as she turned back to Kaia, trying to shake off any negative feelings. Those would only drag her down, and she needed to stay afloat to make it through the day.

Kaia bumped her shoulder against Eleanor's and laughed a bit. "That's the spirit! Oh by the way, one of the other girls was telling me about her boyfriend and I think he's cheating on her with one of the other workers…"

Eleanor nodded along as Kaia continued detailing all of the gossip that Eleanor hadn't caught (and some that she had). Her love of learning wasn't limited to educational matters. It also included which workers were doing worse than others when it came to their health, the two girls that were dating (and were very bad at hiding it), and anything in between. She just liked holding on to the knowledge; she never intended to share it. Doing something like that would probably damage her reputation, which was something that Eleanor took pride in.

The walk was invigorating in a way, and Eleanor had grown to enjoy the everyday journey to and from the factory. In her life, it was all about the little things, and she wanted to make them count. Besides, she wanted to keep her mind as active as she could, given that the work was mindless, something that had caught her by surprise when she started working there. Cosmo had told her himself that he'd been looking for the smartest girls of each grade, so then why was she just filling bottles and mixing in the paint? It didn't make any sense to her, but questioning the process was taboo.

Glancing at Kaia, Eleanor could still hear the sounds of Cosmo Converse yelling at them for poking their nose into places where it didn't belong. Since that day, neither of them had spoken a word about the mysteries surrounding this place. Eleanor didn't doubt that the scene was still etched in Kaia's mind, never to be forgotten.

Eleanor sure wouldn't be able to shake it anytime soon.

Tears threatened to sting her eyes at just the memory of his screaming, and she had to blink quickly to get them to go away. It made her frustrated, the way people could do terrible things like that. But she knew that people were better than that, and maybe if she could figure out how to get the other girls together things would finally change…

With a sigh, Eleanor shook her head. Change needed a leader, and it sure wasn't her. She couldn't even make friends on her own! She'd never be able to lead a group of girls towards a brighter future.

"What is it?"

Eleanor looked back up at Kaia, chewing on the inside of her lip before responding. "Nothing too important," she insisted. "Just… wanting to get back to my mom already."

The look of understanding in Kaia's eyes was clear as she nodded. "I feel bad leaving my siblings at home," she said slowly, "but I know they need me here. It's the best way for me to show them that I love them."

Eleanor nodded quietly. "It feels wrong to be away so often, even though I know it's what's best."

It wasn't much longer before the factory loomed ahead of them both, the bright exterior entirely too gaudy for what it held inside. Eleanor let Kaia go ahead of her, flashing their IDs at the workers standing at the doors before they were let inside.

Every day was like clockwork, and this one was no different. She and Kaia split up just inside the door, their stations on opposite sides of the room. Kaia gave her an exaggerated wave that, after a moment of hesitation, Eleanor quietly returned before she turned her gaze to her station. Her eyes briefly snagged on the still-empty station where Winifred used to sit, something tightening in her chest.

Something had to change.

Settling down at her station soon after, Eleanor felt herself begin to settle into the comfortable rhythm of the day. She smoothed out her smock, which would soon be covered in new colors that would glow at night and make her wonder what she was really doing there.

This job both gave her life and drained her to her very core, a sentiment that she knew resonated with every other girl there. They were all just as weak and beaten down as her, and after all, there was only one thing they had in common. Cosmo Converse's Incandescent Colors, their salvation and their ruination all the same.

Eleanor Holmia would seek out the truth. She was close, she knew she was. She just had to unravel everything going on behind the scenes and find a way to share it with the world.

All she needed was a little more time.

Arcturus "Nash" Prior, 17

District Five Male

"Come on, what're you doing? Are you falling behind already?" Nash called over his shoulder.

He couldn't even see Seiren behind him anymore, but the other boy's loud sigh sounded as if he was right next to Nash. "It's not my fault… that you're… so much faster," he panted.

Nash couldn't help but grin to himself, moving through the brush to get farther up the hill. He tugged his jacket free from one of the bushes, reluctant to let his beloved jacket get more worn than it already was. The top was nearly within reach now; just a bit more hiking through the undergrowth and they'd be able to see all of District Five.

"We're not supposed… supposed to be out here this late!" Seiren yelled up at him, making Nash shake his head in exasperation.

"So what? No one will find out as long as you keep it down," Nash said, throwing a grin over his shoulder. He wasn't even sure if Seiren could see him at this point, as the other boy was lagging more and more behind.

Nash had always known that Seiren's strength wasn't in his physical activity, but in the way he could always figure things out. The two had been childhood friends, back when life was just innocent dreams, unshattered by the harsh brutality of life. They were always the best of friends, Nash's blind optimism able to lure Seiren out of his shell. (Well, not shell - hat. Seiren had worn one every day, the brim sinking low over his eyes in a way that showed how the hat was too big for him.) Nash would meet up with Seiren every day after school, whether Seiren wanted him to or not. The other boy didn't seem to particularly care, he just stayed quiet as Nash talked about anything that came to mind - his dreams, their homework for the day, a teacher that kept getting on his nerves. Seiren was always good at just listening. He rarely said a word, but Nash knew that he held Seiren's full attention.

Slowly, things started to change in Seiren's attitude. He was almost more… upbeat. Accepting of himself. It was like Nash had somehow worked his way into that shell and found the boy inside, coaxing him out into the light.

The hat came off, and Seiren truly became Nash's friend.

They were inseparable ever since, and Nash thrived on hearing more about Seiren's life and the things he was interested in. It wasn't a one-side conversation anymore, they were both involved and Nash couldn't be happier. In a lot of ways, it was Seiren and Nash against the world.

Their goals were seemingly unattainable, but that's part of what made them stronger. If one person couldn't accomplish them, maybe it would happen with them working together.

Nash finished climbing the steep hill and looked out over the city. District Five was the power district, and it certainly showed. The whole city was dazzling in an odd way, the lights gleaming brightly before the designated lights off, like it wanted to shine as brightly as it could before it was snuffed out. Nash could understand that, though the city would be back on tomorrow like nothing had happened. Besides, he wanted the lights to go out tonight. It wouldn't be fully dark, but it would give him exactly what he needed.

There was a faint buzzing coming from the city, much quieter than what Nash could hear in his bed at home. It kept him up many nights, the city thrumming with power and energy. Nash was consumed by it as much as it drained him, making him exhausted but giving him the time to think. To dream, even.

The city was stretched out before him, as were a lifetime of possibilities. All he had to do was reach for them.

"You could've at least slowed down a little," Seiren grumbled as he finally reached the top. "What is this, another one of your training exercises?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Nash said cheerfully, stretching his arms up over his head. "If this was a training exercise, we'd have gone up and down this hill at least twice now!"

Groaning at the very thought, Seiren took a few steps closer so he could look out at the city as well. "So if we aren't doing that… what are we doing up here?"

Going quiet, Nash stared at the city, waiting for the lights to blink off. It was already past curfew, and pretty soon the lights would go out one by one. Without the city illuminating everything, it would get dark, as dark as it could be, and Nash would finally feel at peace.

His shoulders relaxed as he saw the first light wink out, knowing that the domino effect was about to take place. Sure enough, more lights followed that first one until the whole city was dark, save for a few places permitted to be open late. Only the kids had a strict curfew, and with the reaping growing ever closer, the leash on them had tightened even more. No one wanted to lose an eligible kid right before the reaping took place, so what Nash and Seiren were doing was highly illegal - not that Nash particularly cared about that part. No one was out to catch them, and no one would notice that they were gone.

The grass was cool under the dark sky as Nash laid down on the ground, his jacket settling beneath him. He stretched out his body, putting his hands behind his head. From this angle, he could see everything above him perfectly, just how he wanted.

Seiren's confused face peered down at him, his dark eyebrows knitting together. "So… this isn't training? You just dragged us out here to… lay on the ground?"

For someone as smart as Seiren, he sure could be slow sometimes.

It didn't take much longer for Seiren to sigh and lay down next to Nash, twitching as cool blades of grass tickled his skin. Nash breathed in and out softly, relishing in the peace and quiet that he wasn't normally accustomed to. It was always so loud, whether he was at school or practice or at home with his family. But beyond that, the view here was better than he could get anywhere else.

"Hey, how about that girl?" Nash asked, jumping on a conversation topic before Seiren could bring up the same thing he always did. "What's her name… Allegra Kasner?"

Nash obviously knew the girl's name, just as he knew without seeing Seiren's face that the boy was bright red at the mention of the lovely musician. Nash had never been into all that sappy shit, but he could practically see the butterflies churning in Seiren's stomach whenever the girl was around. It made Nash feel odd in a way that he could never quite put his finger on, but he was beyond excited that Seiren had someone else that made him feel happy.

"Y-yeah, uh… what about her?"

Shrugging, Nash kept his eyes on the sky above, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. "Oh, nothing. You haven't asked her out yet?"

Sputtering, Seiren sat up quickly beside him. "I… well, no, I haven't yet but that's just because the timing hasn't been right."

"It probably won't be."

"Huh?" Seiren looked over at Nash, whose eyes were still trained up at the sky.

A soft smile finally tugged at the corner of Nash's mouth as the stars began to appear for him. "I said, the timing probably won't be right. You'll have to look past that part if it's what you're waiting on."

Seiren fiddled with his hands in his lap, hunching over. "I don't see why she'd say yes to being with me though," he muttered under his breath. "She's insanely talented and gorgeous and… what am I supposed to bring to the table- ow, what the hell?"

Flinching away, Seiren rubbed his arm from where Nash had smacked him. Nash finally looked over at his friend, frowning up at him. "No one gets to talk about my friends that way, not even you!"

"That didn't mean you had to hit me," Seiren grumbled, still clutching his arm.

Nash sat up and leaned in closer to Seiren, who blinked in surprise at his sudden close proximity. "You're an idiot if you think you bring nothing to the table!" he insisted, Seiren's eyes widening. "That makes it sound like you're giving up already, and I know you're better than that! I won't stick my nose into your business too much, but you should tell her how you feel! You can't keep questioning it or else nothing will ever happen!"

Seiren reached up a hand to tug at his dark hair, an action that was familiar to Nash. It mirrored when he used to tug his hat down to hide his face, but he couldn't hide any longer. He wasn't the exceedingly shy and insecure person he'd once been; he'd grown into himself. Nash could see it, and he admired the person Seiren had become. He knew Allegra saw it as well. All Seiren had to do was own up to it.

"There's… a little concert in the park this weekend," Seiren said slowly, finally glancing away from Nash. "She's always loved music, maybe I could take her there."

Nash laughed and pulled Seiren into a hug. "That's perfect! See, what could go wrong? You already know what she likes!"

"That's not quite how that works," Seiren said as he squirmed out of the hug, his face slightly flushed as he looked away. "She could always say no."

Softening slightly, Nash nudged Seiren's shoulder gently. "Aw come on, say no to you? She'd have to be crazy to do that."

Seiren finally smiled, the boy that had always reminded Nash of the moon finally showing his own light. His soft laughter could fuel all the stars in the galaxy and still outshine them all. It was at times like this that Nash wondered why he wanted to go travel the universe at all. Didn't he have all he needed right in front of him?

Before Nash could lay down again, he noticed a slight shiver run through Seiren's body. Wordlessly, Nash shrugged off his jacket and placed it around Seiren's shoulders. The other boy gave him a soft smile (the kind Nash knew was reserved only for him) and Nash just nodded before laying down on the ground again, feeling strangely at peace with the world around him.

The stars weren't calling his name tonight, begging him to escape the world and explore the universe. Tonight, they just stared down at him, asking him what it was that he really wanted. Nash wasn't sure how to answer them.

"We're out here for the stars, aren't we?"

It hadn't taken much at all for Seiren to figure Nash out; in all honesty, he'd probably put the pieces together long before now. He was irritatingly smart like that, which was part of why Nash appreciated him so much. (There was more, of course. So much more, and Seiren didn't even know half of it.)

"They're a lot brighter from up here," he said softly, training his eyes on the stars once more. "After curfew, away from the city."

"You still think you're going to go up there?" Seiren's comment was softer this time, like he was testing the waters, unsure of how Nash would respond.

Nash just scoffed and nodded his head. "Of course I am! A guy like me can't be stuck in Panem his whole life. I've got a universe to explore, and I'll do it alone if I have to!"

Alone… It was something Nash didn't particularly want to be, as he valued his friends more than most things in this world. But he'd do anything to achieve his dreams. Space was his final destination, and it was sure to be lonely. Maybe he'd be able to drag Seiren into his plans someday, get him to look up enough to realize that anything was possible as long as he wasn't stuck in his ways.

"This is Panem we're talking about," Seiren said with a sigh. "Here, that's kind of-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Nash said with a roll of his eyes. "Impossible, I've heard it all before. I don't think anything can really be impossible though, not if you work hard and put your mind to it. So that's what I'm gonna do!"

He braced himself for the usual negativity, hearing Seiren's quiet sigh as he prepared to let Nash down again. Nash's dreams may be big - larger than life, even - but who the hell cares? It was his dream and no one could take it from him.

"You really think so?" was all Seiren said in response.

This time, Nash hesitated. Did he really think so? Was he finally second guessing himself, or were the years of this dream of his being pushed aside finally tripping him up?

Instead of lingering on it for too long, Nash cracked a smile once more. "Of course I do! I bet I'll even have a cool name, like… like…" He paused and tilted his head to the side, trying to think of the perfect title for himself. "The luminary of the stars!"

Seiren snorted and shook his head. "That sounds absolutely ridiculous."

Nash just shrugged, reluctant to let anything dampen his spirits. He tried hard to make sure things just rolled off of him, and for the most part it worked.

"You have to admit it's at least a little cool." Nash grinned over at Seiren and raised an eyebrow, daring him to say otherwise.

Seiren bit his lip in an attempt to keep from smiling and shook his head. "You're ridiculous," he insisted, a laugh bubbling up in his throat.

"Maybe you're just jealous," Nash teased, raising an eyebrow at him. "With all that schoolwork you have to do and all those mysteries you get yourself lost in, you don't spend much time looking at the stars."

The other boy fell quiet for a moment, making Nash worry that he'd somehow overstepped. He hoped that he hadn't, that Seiren would pick up on the fact that Nash wanted to be able to share the most important thing in his life with the most important person in his life.

"Tell me about them, then," Seiren said before laying down on the grass again, tugging Nash's jacket tighter around himself.

Edging a bit closer to Seiren, Nash raised his arm up and began to point out stars and constellations, the ones he knew better than anything else in the world. Seiren nodded along, listening enough to ask pointed questions about the origins of different constellations. Nash was more than happy to share everything he knew, glancing over occasionally to see the light shining in Seiren's eyes the way he knew it did in his own. Sharing his passions was way more fun than keeping them to himself all the time.

For all that the stars seemed to call to him, the earth kept doing the same. Nash was caught between two dreams, but he hoped that someday they'd become one and the same.