Song Suggestion: Jack White—"Love is Blindness"

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An Offer She Couldn't Refuse

"You know by acting pathetic, you just gave them what they wanted from the beginning."

Though Prim agreed with her, she felt the instinct to protest, "But—"

"There are no excuses in this culture, or second chances. It was an initiation stunt, nothing more. Albeit, a crueler one than usual. But still, you failed, and it will taint their view of you from now on."

"Well, I could—"

"You can't do anything. It is what it is now." She paused. "The only way to exit this place is to never come back again."

Prim went back to wiping her face with the rag. The tips of her hair dripped. She resembled a monster in the mirror, as if she came back from war, drenched in the blood of her enemies.

"That isn't an option."

"It is."

The world seemed to stop at the comment. What was she getting at?

Then Prim snorted, loudly, understanding.

"There are several roadblocks to me leaving. The biggest is named Cato Carthage."

"Cato won't matter. I could get you away."

The florescent bathroom light flickered behind her, and the sink gave a steady drip, drip.

"I don't want to get away." Prim was surprised to find it was the truth. She had stopped trying to escape long ago, and her life had improved since then. Besides, Snow wanted her to keep up appearances at all costs. "I love him."

Persephone's sly smile dropped for a moment, revealing a storm.

"There's no need to lie to me," she said it like a warning; "He wasn't built to handle glass without breaking it. And you're just a ripe peach, one squeeze and you're bruised." She shook her long curls, letting them tumble down her back. "Besides, I already know the whole thing is a load of shit. The power in being beautiful is my easy access to information."

Prim didn't doubt she knew what she said. She remembered the way Cornelius gulped then told his secrets after a brief touch to his knee. Prim hated Persephone's beauty, how everything seemed aligned and angled the right way. She tried not to compare herself, and failed.

What could Cato see in me? She thought in despair. After possessing, even for a time, such perfection?

In that moment, Prim understood jealousy resembled fear more than anything. Something inside trembled at her competition, knowing she could lose everything.

"Like I said, I don't want to leave. Not anymore." Prim hands went to her clutch. The video rested safe and secure in its folds. "And if I ever do want to leave, I have my own way out."

Besides President Snow's threat to her family, she corrected herself. Not to mention that even if she did destroy the video, she still had to deal with a living, breathing, angry Cato Carthage. But Persephone didn't need to know that.

Persephone mask dropped again. Her green eyes glowered, her hair a halo of fire around her head. This wasn't going the way she wanted, and she had no qualms in letting Prim know that.

"Let's say I hypothetically would want to take you up on your offer," Prim said, "Why would you do that? I have a hunch it wouldn't be out of the goodness of your heart. What do you want from me?"

That threw Persephone. She blinked a couple of times, her annoyance replaced by surprise.

"I," she started, and then stopped, "I want to see her."

Her? Prim was stumped for a moment before recognition.

Coral.

"No fucking way." Prim was through with this conversation. She stomped over to the door, pushing against Persephone soft body to get out. She plugged her nose so she wouldn't have to smell her stupid, heavenly perfume. Just before she reached out her hand for the handle, Persephone's hand shot out and flipped the lock on the door.

Prim attempted to hold in her anger.

"Let me out."

"I'm willing to pay a high price… any price." Persephone breathed heavy, giving small gasps with her speech. It sounded like desperation. "Whatever you want, I'll give it."

Prim had enough. She wouldn't be as easy to manipulate as a man. Persephone had nothing to offer her.

"You've messed up that little girl's life enough. What makes you think I'd let you hurt her further? What do you want me to say… Oh, Coral, here's your real mother. You know, the one that didn't want you and left you on your father's front doorstep, a man who had the emotional capacity to love as a shark. No," she shook her head, "I won't. The best thing you ever did was exit her life."

Prim once again tried to edge her way out. But claws dug into her shoulder, flinging her away. With surprising strength, she tugged Prim around so she pressed against a bathroom stall.

"You little bitch," Persephone seethed in her face. Her red curls fell out of place, frizzing at the ends, and her nose wrinkled unattractively, "you have no idea about anything. I didn't—" Persephone physically stopped herself, breathing in out deep three times. Then she straightened and smoothed her dress. When she finally looked back up, her face was once again set in her habitual cocky sneer. "Aren't you even curious to how I have the ability to set you free, without harm to your family or yourself? Aren't you curious about my plan?"

Dammit, she was, but there was no way for all the money and promises in the world that she would admit it.

"It doesn't matter," Prim stepped away from the stall and edged her way over to the sink where she had been. It felt like a spot where she had more power, a spot she chose. "I'm not letting you see her. There's no point in explaining. Now, you can step aside and let me out, or I'll finish being nice and show you that Cato allowed me to train with Lorcan Gabatha."

Ninety percent of her speech had been a complete bluff, but Persephone seemed to believe her.

"Please," Persephone stepped completely in front of the door, barring her exit, "just listen to me. I promise if by the end you still think the same, I'll let you leave and will never come in contact with you ever again. You can live happily ever after, blah blah blah."

Prim considered that. She really didn't want for it to resort to a physical altercation. Prim doubted she had the fortitude, desire, or ability to win.

"You have five minutes to convince me."

Persephone smiled like a Cheshire cat, as if Prim had granted her wish.

"I'm President Snow's daughter," Persephone said, glancing at her nails.

Prim's left hand found the edge of the sink to steady her body. What did she just say?

"Wha—" She started, unable to understand, "Wait… explain again."

"Well, you see," Persephone said in a sarcastic voice, "when two people love each other very much, or at least fuck very much—"

"Stop. I'm not asking how you happened. I'm asking how this affects your plan, or even matters in the slightest."

But it did matter, as much as she tried to downplay it. It mattered a lot. Persephone seemed dangerous before, but in a way that was harmless if contained. By telling her parentage, she showed her teeth and claws, her weapon for success.

"Let's just say," Persephone crossed her arms in a delicate way, "that if I created a little expose on your little faux love story. If I provided a few little facts to the media in a way that seemed as if it was what my father wanted. Let's just say if I televised it across Panem, especially into the average Capitol citizen's home, the ones who are stupid when it comes to suffering and poverty. What do you think the outcome would be? Wadda-boom wadda-bang, little Primrose Everdeen is suddenly the poor victim of kidnapping and rape and brutal Cato gets his just rewards. You can go home and live in your filthy hovel for the rest of eternity and pop out little rat babies to your heart's content."

Prim ignored the insults, and she shook her head. Something about the story didn't add up.

"I think you're forgetting something."

Persephone raised her eyebrows at the challenge, and Prim went ahead and poked holes into the plan. What she offered was no simple thing; it was treason.

"You're forgetting that all of this can be traced back to you," Prim said, "And like I said before, I don't see you as the martyr type."

Persephone smirked as if this was the point.

"And that's where being his daughter comes in handy. Well," she corrected, giving a little purse to her lips, "Technically his bastard daughter, but whose name-calling? Everyone knows I'm his favorite: his apple, his stars, his twinkle. You get it. If it 'gets traced back to me', there's nothing a few tears won't fix. He would never get me in trouble, not seriously anyway. All would be forgiven."

"And how are planning on keeping me out of it?"

"You're part in the story will never be told. Your mother would be safe if that is what you're worried about. The games are getting close; he doesn't need the distraction as much anymore. The destruction of your relationship will be a side note to the excitement in the Capitol and the fear in the districts. I'll blame it all on myself."

"And what would be the motive?

"Huh?" Persephone said, looking taken aback, as if she had never thought that far.

"I said what would be the motive? You father may not look deep into the issue; however, he is not dumb enough to believe a response without a sufficient drive behind it. I don't think saying you did it just to help out a poor, slum rat will go over smoothly."

"Oh," she looked relieved, "That's easy. I'll just tell him it was prompted by jealously."

"And are you?"

Prim regretted the question at once, but she had to ask it. Why else would other people find it believable unless parts were true? However, Prim recognized the idiocy of the question.

"Jealous?" Persephone wrinkled her nose, as if she smelled foul. "Of you? I'd be more jealous of a dumpster."

"Point taken," Prim tried to hide the misery in her voice when she said it.

The sat silent for a moment, Persephone tapping her fingers against her crossed arms, and Prim staring at their movements in a trance. The five minutes were up, and that led them back to square one.

"I'm sorry but none of this convinces me to let you see Coral. In the end, her happiness trumps everything. Letting her see the woman who abandon—"

"Abandoned? Is that the story fed to you? They took her away!" She screamed, uncrossing her arms and balling her fists. "They ripped her from my arms just hours after birth. Papa did it himself. He doesn't believe in mixing with the districts, you see. 'You'll thank me later,' he said. 'I'm doing this because I love you. She needs to be with her own kind.' Her own kind!" She spat, "as if she belonged in a dump. No she fucking didn't. She needed …. She needed me…I needed…" She burst out in tears.

Prim, despite having reservations, crumpled a little at the sight. After a few moments, her will to hate her shriveled up, popping to dust in the fire. I'm sorry, she almost said, I didn't know. Prim edged closer to the girl swallowed in misery and attempted to give the most awkward hug of her life, but Persephone's eyes snapped up, sparking with rage. She had rallied into a fierce being, eyes blazing. And Prim guessed that if she hugged her she would lose an appendage, so she backed away.

"I don't care what I have to give if it means I get to see her just once. Did you know that? I'll bet it'll burst the vessels in your bleeding heart. Do you feel pity yet? I've never even seen her, my little girl…" She stopped to breathe a moment and brushed her fingers under her eyes to wipe away the tears. Even crying, she retained her beauty. "Cato refuses to bring her to anything and neither does her family. They keep her locked away in that monstrosity of a house. Why else would I come to these pathetic little wanna-be-capitol parties their district host except for a glimpse. I thought maybe, just maybe… now that you're here that you'd—" she stopped and shook her head as if to straighten her thoughts, to get back on track, "Like I said before, I'll do anything. So name what you desire. If it's Cato's head, I'll bring it to you on a platter. If it's a home in your slum, I'll build you the grandest."

Prim shook her head. She didn't want anybody's head, least of all Cato's. And what would she do with another mansion? Persephone could give her nothing she wanted.

And despite Persephone's pain, Prim could imagine the collateral damage if Coral were exposed to Persephone. Good intentions never saved anybody from harm, she knew that better than anybody. Coral deserved more than that. Persephone's desire, though driven by pain and understandable, was selfish.

"I'm sorry," Prim finally said, and Persephone's features broke into fragments, "I'm sorry, I just... I can't do it to her. But, you know, maybe I can bring her to something, convince Cato to bring her to an event, or I don't know. You'll have to promise to stay away if I do. And I'm happy with Cato, really. Maybe it started wrong, but now… but now…" Prim stopped talking and backed up into the sink.

Persephone's features, under the flickering halogen lights, resembled a demon, her lips pulled in a snarl, her fingers clenched into claws by her side. Her once perfect hair frizzed around her head, defying gravity. Her teeth glinted in the light. For the first time, Prim was afraid. As afraid as she used to be of Cato. She felt hate piercing her, and Prim swore the air in the room turned icier.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Persephone said, "You could have had anything, any happy ever after you wanted. But now I'm going to have to do it."

"Do what?" Prim's voice came out meek.

"Shatter your fantasy." She pulled a plain manila envelope, document-sized, out of a satchel by her side. "After you see these, I won't even have to convince you; you'll be begging me to run away."

Prim was afraid. Persephone had planned this conversation in depth, she could see that now, having both a plan for if she readily agreed or if she refused the offer.

"Please, put it away. I don't want to see. I—I'm happy."

"You're only happy because you're ignorant. And I doubt that's something you prefer," Persephone pushed the metal tabs together on the folder and opened the top, "It's up to you, but I'm assuming he's never shared with you where he goes on those long weekends away." Persephone stopped to examine Prim's dumb expression, "Of course, he hasn't. Cato has always been a liar, especially when his own skin is on the line."

Curiosity was man's downfall, Prim understood this. It caused exploration, which resulted in confrontation, which dominoes into cruelty, greed, and annihilation. Only one side can be a victor in the end. But still. It was tempting. The knowledge. The forbidden. The sweetest fruit can entice a dying man to eat it, even knowing it would be poison.

And it would be poison. She didn't have to have Persephone to tell her that. When Cato returned from his sabbaticals, he wore his demons, drinking them into oblivion.

"Please, just leave me alone. I can…" Prim was unable to finish.

Persephone held out the envelope.

Her pleas sounded weak even to her own ears.

"All the answers are in here. And though the answers will be ones you'll hate, at least it'll be truth, and that's something you'll never get from him."

Prim gave in. She grabbed the envelope and opened it.

She pulled a document out, holding it up to the light. Only to discover it wasn't a document at all, but a picture. It only took a moment of looking to understand what it was a picture of.

Prim's heart shattered. She grasped the counter for support as if an earthquake rocked the building. After a while, Prim gathered her sanity, her strength. She was a victim wandering in the ashes, open-mouthed and shocked, unable to feel emotion. Prim looked up, after a while. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision until Coral's mother became just blobs of red and blue.

In a moment of panic, she upended the manila envelope. Picture after picture came fluttering out, floating to the ground like dying butterflies.

All the same. It was the only thing her mind could comprehend in its grief.

In that moment, Prim realized something. Despite their differences, Persephone and her were very much alike. They were living in lives with little control of the outcome of their fates, punishment for being a woman, punishment for being the weaker sex. Lies and sex and manipulation. If women didn't help out women, who would? Who would care for their secret sufferings?

Prim glanced back up, wallowing in the silence. What could be said?

They stared at each other until time held no meaning. Measuring each other, these mothers, but not mothers. She stared until she knew they grieved the same. And after feeling that pain, she could no longer deny her wish.

"Alright, I'll do it," Prim said in a surprisingly calm voice, "I'll let you see her. Just once, and there has to be rules, but...You don't even have to do anything for me. Tell me your plan. Your whole plan."