Name: Duke Kison
Age at Victory: 18
District: 1
Hunger Games: 02
"Well that was some story," a platinum blond woman said. She looked around the room nervously before cracking her fingers ten times. She impulsively wandered toward a man a few decades older than her and held his hand nervously. "Do we have to stay here Chase?"
"We have some 40 minutes before our next investigation, Rhinestone," Chase, a seventy year old man who looked four decades younger said. "Are you okay?"
"I think so," Rhinestone said. The two of them walked over to a banquet table before Rhinestone turned abruptly. "I want to hear this next one, it's the first victor of District one."
"Of course." Chase took Rhinestone's hand and guided her back to the main amphitheater.
Before
"Do you know why we named you Duke?" his father asked. He sat a bold and strong man who spent his teenage years modelling for some of the best of the capitol. Now he managed a combination gym and library for the future models, future bodybuilders, and adults who desired to make a change.
The older of the Kison twins shook his head. "Why?" Duke asked. He was six years old and already an inquisitive mind. His father liked that in him.
"Because it means something," his father replied boldly. "It means that you belong to power, you belong to strength. Not just of the capitol, but to our family. We're not much in the grand scheme of things, but we're strong together."
Duke nodded his head. "Is that why Prince has his name? And why Dowager has hers?"
"That very much is," his father agreed. "Now, you and Prince and Dowager have to leave for school in 15 minutes. Finish up."
Duke gulped and willed his hands to stop shaking. "Dad, I'm scared."
"Of school? Ah, I don't blame you. It'll be okay. Just live a day at a time. And the first day is always the hardest. You'll make friends and you'll be fine. Now, can you call Prince?"
"Okay," Duke hugged his father tightly.
After
Czar Kison stood at the door holding his wife tightly by the shoulder. He wasn't going to admit it, but he was scared, scared of the man his son grew into. He took a deep breath and opened the door. "Duke?" he called out.
"Mom, Dad," his son called out. He walked out of the kitchen, trembling with eyes fleeting and hands that looked clammy. "I didn't think you'd be here early."
"Well since you're hosting Prince and his family, we thought you'd want some extra help. Prince's allergies have really been swelling up," Czar replied.
"Sure, let me show you into the kitchen."
Czar could tell his son was a lot gruffer. He always was a big guy, taller than him at 15 years old, and he made good use of what gym equipment were saved for their bunker. Duke took his parents coats into what looked to be an already worn down closet. In the three years Duke had the house a wall of holes lined the inner walls of the closet.
"What are we having for dinner tonight?" Czar asked.
"Just some pot roast. I thought I'd also make some chicken pot pie and top off dessert with a little bit of ice cream." Czar heard the hiccups in his voice that Duke was trying so hard to deny. He decided not to press things.
The two parents walked into the dining room. They faintly heard Duke shout in frustration followed by the sound of what seemed to be expensive glass cracking. Czar only wanted his son back, he didn't want to live in fear of him.
Before
"We're allowed three pieces of luggage each. That means…" Anneal trailed off.
"Then we have to buy bigger luggage right?" Duke asked as he and Prince looked up from their books.
His older sister, Dowager, took the list from their mom's hands. "This family will move to Bunker Forty Nine with the esteemed Yarez, Ruggeiro, Mensa, and Juliard families." She went down the list and pulled out a map of the bunker. Duke and Prince peered over the map with wandering eyes and easily found out where they'd be staying as adolescent males. "Space is limited so each person is only allowed 3 pieces of luggage of a maximum length of 36 inches, width of 20 inches, and a height of 15 inches."
"We're due to leave in 3 days," Anneal said. "Your father has arranged for his gym supplies to be in a safe place. We have it on best authority that our house is not anywhere near routes. Our suburb only has the shopping center." Though her words were calm and collected she seemed to be shaking as her lips seemed to close. "Excuse me."
Duke, ever the dutiful son, wandered after his mom into one of their trophy rooms. They were comfortably living, had a room for each of them if they needed to be on their own. "Mom?"
His mom looked over the photos of her long lost brother, her recently deceased parents, the rest of her family. Her hands traced a giant chest, filled with mementos of a time long ago. She was distantly capitol, and she longed to reclaim the days. "They won't fit," she murmured.
"We'll find a way then." Duke walked behind his mom and hugged her tightly. "There's always going to be a way, right? This will be over, right?"
Anneal turned to her son and reciprocated the hug tightly. "I sure hope so Duke."
After
Anneal sits on a chair, beautiful at a distance but incredibly gaudy at close. Fingernail marks and bite marks decorated the chair haphazardly. She stared in the distance, out a window to Duke's rather elegant but unkempt background. Duke was still preparing the little bit of lunch.
"He seems physically healthy at least," Czar mentioned, holding her hand tightly.
Anneal didn't respond.
She could swear she heard a knock at the door. Duke walked out of the kitchen to welcome his twin brother. He greeted Prince and his wife warmly and made a loud fuss about being an uncle or something.
Anneal found a plate hanging on the wall. On the lip there was a signature from someone, someone capitol.
She thought they'd be spared. She thought that they'd acknowledge that her great grandmother was a leading politician in her prime before the borders and the guards went up.
They didn't.
She stared at Prince and his wife as they walked in the room with an empty glare. She barely moved.
Before
"I think that's the record," Duke said as he lifted the bar back onto the rack. "A full set of 135 pounds on a thirty five degree angle."
"Not until I get on there and make two reps," Prince cockily replied. He added an extra pound to each side and sat under the bench press. He cockily smirked to one of the Mensa girls and was summarily met with a disdainful eye roll. He heaved a deep breath and pushed.
He barely got the bar level to his chest when he felt his arms give way. Duke leaned over and helped lift the weight off. "Nice one Prince," Maxine Mensa chortled.
"Oh here's the problem," Prince looked over the weights. "Duke lifted 150, not 200. So.."
"I still hold the record dude," Duke said. He playfully punched his brother. Prince pushed him back in return, and the two boys fell to the ground wrestling.
"I'm going to my lessons," Maxine said. She grabbed her sister and went up the stairs of their multi level bunker.
"Umm," a small voice asked. The two boys looked up to see twelve year old Nikolai Juliard with his hands curled. He was only 4 years younger than they were and they wouldn't have been friends before this bunker, but you had to make do with socialization. "Can you two help me with the squat on the bar?"
"Sure," Prince got up from the mat. He arranged Nick in front of the squat rat and adjusted the bar. "How many are you going for this time?"
"Five."
"That's a nice amount, try to do five two times in a row."
"So ten times?"
"Ten times," Duke said as he stood up from the mat. "But take a break between 5 and 6."
The two older boys watched as Prince made it through eight of the ten reps with ease but once his knees buckled the two brothers were there to help. "I could only do five before," Nick scratched his head.
"It took me a long while before I could even squat a plate," Prince comforted.
"Yeah, and you still can't meet me with my three plates," Duke snarked. The two pushed each other as Nick awkwardly left the situation. "Hey, it's about time for class, let's go."
After
Prince and Maxine waited at the door. Prince gripped his wife's hand tightly and shielded her stomach once they felt the air conditioned breeze come from inside. "Duke," Prince said warmly. "Looks like you've been working out."
"It's only been a week since our last dinner. And you still owe me for that plate."
"That plate costs more than one of our bedrooms!"
"Not my fault you're still a clumsy doofus. You should know better, working in the gym and all." The two laughed and Prince walked inside. Of hsi family he was sure he still had the closest relationship with Duke. The twin bond didn't go away after he killed people, Prince figured.
"Hi Maxine," Duke added, seemingly distracted. Prince sense the coldness in the air suddenly appear. "Let's get you inside. Dinner isn't going to be for much longer."
Prince walked inside to see that Duke's wall was lined with new photos, seven of which were paintings that framed all of his kills. A chill ran through his shoulder and up Maxine's spine before they found themselves at the table. "Duke seems like he's doing well," Maxine commented.
Prince looked around the room. It was almost as big as their old house, and undoubtedly had a lot more room for his family should he want to grow it. "Is Dowager joining us?" his mother asked.
"We'll have to see," Prince said. Another chill ran through his spine. Maxine didn't even feel it.
Before
Dowager walked into her new home with her family. It was a miracle that their father's storage hold was untouched by the bombs. Their home was three bedrooms and only one bathroom. It wasn't what they were used to living in. Before Dowager could split off from the rest of her family her mom let out a scream.
She looked at her mom and the capitol official who just left. Her mom fell to the floor and curled up in a ball. Her dad rushed over to his kids and herded them out of their mom's sight. "We learned that your uncle Shimmer and your aunt Sparkle were likely involved in rebellious malcontents. They were executed summarily."
"What?!" Dowager cried out. "That can't be true!"
"Dowager please, the capitol was merciful enough-"
"That's not true at all! If they were merciful then-"
"DOWAGER KISON I WILL NOT HAVE YOUR MOTHER HEAR ANY MORE OF THIS UNREST!" Czar motioned for Duke and Prince to head to their shared room. "DOWAGER KISON WE ARE DISTRICT ONE CITIZENS AND WE MUST ADHERE TO THE CAPITOL! WE ARE NOT REBELS FROM DISTRICT THIRTEEN!"
Dowager's chest suddenly matched the heat of the sun as she gulped heavily. Looking at her father one last time, she ran to her room, shoved clothes into a bag, grabbed her meager savings, and left.
After
Dowager heard her family walk through the door one by one. Duke was...Duke was...Duke was gracious enough to forgive her. Yes. Her brother forgave her.
The capitol forgave her.
Duke shouted down below. Dowager didn't know much but Duke seemed somewhat more angry. Never at her. Never at her.
Some 15 minutes later Duke came to bring down Dowager. She hated stairs and always stumbled. Dowager held onto her tall and strong and broken brother. "Mom and Dad are here. You remember them right?" Duke asked.
Dowager blinked. She opened her mouth and nodded. She can't speak anymore, her tongue is gone, but she can still understand. Her brother guided her to a seat. Mom seemed quiet. Dad seemed tense. The food seemed good though. She had enough of it to feel not hungry.
Before
The Kisons sat at a Dinner table. Czar 38, Anneal 36, Dowager 10, Duke and Prince eight. THey sat around the table eating Duke's favorite, Tuna Casserole, and Prince's favorite, Lasagna. Czar told a story about how he placed third to a boy from the Capitol and a boy who worked down in the factories. Czar mentioned the only reason he won was because he split his pants. They all laughed.
After
The Kisons sat during dinner. Duke brought out his new favorite, a chuck steak pot roast, and sliced it for all of his family. He looked to his father, his mother, Prince, Maxine, and Dowager. He willed for conversation to start.
The main course, nothing was said.
Dessert, just as silent.
The drinks thereafter, almost nothing.
"SAY SOMETHING DAMMIT!" Duke cried in the kitchen, hours after his family all left and Dowager was well asleep.
The dishes shook, but remained silent.
"Duke Kison, seventeen years old, seven kills by the official tally, District one," Terrence wrote down in as neat a hand writing he could manage. "Imposing victor."
"Tallest for a while," Shimmer added. "I can trace some of my ancestry to him but I don't know the exact details."
"He was pretty popular too," Cody mentioned. "They still used his face as one of the best District One victors."
"Because he was the first," Shimmer continued. "Prestige was definitely more popular than him and I can think of at least 2 more victors."
"Is District one a popularity contest?" wondered Terrence.
"So let's move on." Terrence voiced.
