Disclaimer: I own very little.
Chapter Thirty-One: Image
"I know that complex like the back of my hand," Seneca explained as we traveled down the stairs and to the back exit of the restaurant. "Not that President Snow would already be targeting you, but before we speak of this…we must be sure there is no chance of being heard."
"You've worked there?" I asked, following close behind him.
"Correction: I work there," He said quickly, clearly distracted as if he were looking for something as we flew down the stairs. "Same building, just different part of the complex."
"Then, I've a question, why is there a-" Just as I started to ask, I watched him stop instantly and press his hand firmly over my mouth.
The feeling of his flesh on mine nearly scared me out of my mind. With wide eyes, I looked at him as he spoke," Don't say anything about any of it yet, alright?"
I looked at him as he slowly removed his hand and continued running down the stairs. I followed along, not daring say anything until we reached the fire escape door. He pushed it open as we exited and climbed down another set of stairs. Before I knew it, we were in a very secluded portion of the Capitol that I had never seen before. To my left, I noticed a lovely courtyard and garden with a fountain spewing in the middle. To my right, there was a long, narrow stone path that stretched on for what appeared to be miles. Slightly baffled by this new space, I looked to Seneca for some sort of explanation.
"Where-?" I tried, but before I could get the words out…he was already explaining.
"It's my family's property," He said as we strolled toward the garden. "My mother and father crafted it after they discovered the lack of privacy we have here in the Capitol. It was a place just for our family to be able to discuss anything we wished."
"President Snow has no knowledge of this?" I asked him as we approached the fountain, with water that seemed to be glowing a bright violet color.
"Not that we know of. If he did, then based on our conversations alone, he would have already killed us all," Seneca said, taking a seat on the side of the fountain. Tentatively, I sat beside him as he smirked. "It's alright, trust me it's just a fountain."
"Oh, it's not some trap door that's going to take me to some deep, dark Capitol dungeon where I find out that you've been setting me up this whole time?" I asked with a smirk on my face.
He looked away smiling," How'd you figure it out?"
I shrugged my shoulders," I certainly didn't win the Hunger Games because of my strength or intimidation factor."
He paused for a long time, the smile disappearing from his face as he looked down at his nails and kicked his feet back and forth. I watched as he didn't laugh at this comment, but took it rather seriously. His eyes were looking into the water as if he were searching for something. I found that it would be best to wait for him to speak, but after several long moments of saying nothing, I decided to pry a little.
"Is there something…?" I trailed off, looking at him for an answer.
"Wrong?" He asked, untying his shoes as he did so. Carefully, he kicked them off before sliding his feet into the water. "It's funny that you mention the Hunger Games, actually."
I furrowed my brow as I stared at the glowing water. For that brief second, I flashbacked to my friends bodies laying in the water that ate away their skin in the Hunger Games. I remember being terrified out of my mind to even touch the water…not to mention having to scale the trees in order to escape drowning in it. I closed my eyes to try and erase the memory, but Seneca started speaking again.
"They're all pretty ticked that you won," He told me, kicking his feet in the water.
I forced myself to look away," President Snow seemed pleased. He quickly whisked me into the most confidential branch of the Capitol."
"You see, Savera, that's the issue. The Gamemakers, the men who I work with, think that they were cheated out of having a real winner. Now, remember these thoughts are very dangerous to have, but they like it when they can predict who wins the Games. They like their stereotypical winners from Districts One and Two. Normally, President Snow does too, but for some reason…he wanted you," Seneca explained to me. "And I could say to the rest of them was that I was right all along."
My head was tilted as I looked at him," You're making it sound as though you all actually do pick the winners, regardless of what happens in the arena."
"Well, of course," He said, looking directly at me. "You don't actually think the Capitol would allow even the slightest chance that something may not go the way they exactly predicted it to go?"
"They did this one time," I said, looking away.
"Exactly, which is why everyone's throwing a fit," He added.
"You said that you were right all along though…what do you mean by that?" I asked him, avoiding eye contact with the water.
I heard him take a deep breath in as he kicked the water around, staring at his own feet," I was the one who suggested the arena being a labyrinth this year. I received a lot of criticism at first because this doesn't necessarily allow for the best areas for say a bloody finale. The people of the Capitol have always loved watching the fights and whatnot, but I thought it would be more interesting to set it up for the clever players whom we receive every year, but hardly stand a chance in the end because the Gamekeepers just want a brute to win. Eventually, after several long, tiring meetings and proposing ideas, I was granted my wish.
"I told them that they wouldn't regret their decision and President Snow himself met with me to congratulate me on my 'brilliant' idea and creativity. I had always been one who was more impressed with the underdogs, you see, but I never dared say this to anyone.
Many weeks passed as we continued to design the arena and the rumors were that District Two had the strongest, more ferocious tribute that we had ever seen. I had little interest in him first of all because I never really cared for the favorites and secondly, I had an arena to design.
"After the Reaping took place, there was a large division amongst the Gamemakers. Flux, as you know, was an immediate favorite amongst everyone. Not only was he strong, but he was the son of Brutus, whom the Capitol was still attached to. They never really forget their victors, you see. The division was between those like me who supported the labyrinth design and those who wished to immediately scrap the idea and make an arena that was more friendly toward Flux.
"Even thought the argument was quickly put to rest by President Snow, there were still some who held on to their bitterness. Especially, after you were catching attention for being clever. You were their 'nightmare'. You were the one they tried to dispose of several times within the Games, but since you figured out the maze's tricks so quickly…you were outwitting them."
"And they didn't like that," I said, cutting him off briefly as he looked at me again. "They wanted Flux to win and that's why my companions received the short end of the stick on so many occasions."
He nodded," Capri and Lani…Marley was actually planted with an idea that was never his to begin with. His mind was violated by some of the Gamemakers who were so determined to make Flux win. They thought that Marley could take you out. I had different thoughts on this. If they could violate Marley's mind, then I most certainly could intervene."
My eyes widened as I thought back to the night when Marley had attempted to kill me. The idea of the Gamemakers infiltrating his mind was monstrous, but I remember an arrow coming from seemingly no where and killing Marley just as he was about to take my own life. Blinking several times, I turned my head to Seneca," You were the one that sent that arrow."
Slowly, he nodded," It didn't come easy, though, Savera. It nearly got both me and the Gamemakers in hot water with President Snow for being too obvious with our meddling. However, I certainly don't regret it. You were different. When it came down to you and Flux in the end, you had to win. You weren't stuck on yourself and you had more functions that simply killing and violence."
"I was the winner that you were looking for," I muttered under my breath.
"Yes, you were the winner that showed the rest of the Gamemakers that we don't have to keep on favoring the Careers. We don't have to keep on stacking the victors with these absolute brutes whom everyone expects to win," He answered, I felt his eyes on me once more. "You should be proud."
"But the Games weren't designed for people like me…they were designed for the biggest and the most intimidating to suceed while the weak ones cower. That's what the Capitol wants, Seneca. I don't care if this year was the different year…they want to prove to the rest of the districts how strong they still are and having a victor that reflects that is their image!" I argued, shaking my head all the while.
He took a deep breath in," As I told you before, the system is flawed, Savera."
"You work for them, Seneca. That's not something you should be saying," I mumbled to him, picking my nails.
"But it's true and my whole family knows it. Why would I say something like that, Savera? Why would I claim that there is something wrong with the system? Why would I continue to work to gain respect for someone I despise?" He shot at me, forcing me to look straight into his piercing blue eyes.
All of it made sense. The way he spoke…the passion he spoke with.
"You want change," I said softly. "That's the only way you can change it is if you work with the ones who are causing the issues."
He smirked and pat me on the shoulder softly," Now, that's why you won the Hunger Games."
"It's very ambitious, Seneca," I said, slightly uncomfortable. "You would have to work for a long time at it."
"How hard would it be for a victor to stand up to the Capitol? Someday, someone could have the guts to do it and I wouldn't even have to be linked to it. I'd just have to make their path a little…simpler. Because think about it, all of the tributes, deep down have a desire to be free. There's that pinge of bitterness hidden within us all; chances are that someone will come in with a grudge. Someone will be above the system," He spoke as if he were some sort of revolutionist.
I truly did respect his spirit, but I was tentative because I certainly didn't want this spirit to get him killed.
"The only ones with that much zest would be someone from the outer districts. You know that their chances are slim to none of winning anything," I added, looking at him again.
"They've won before. It'd just have to be in the right place at the right time," He said firmly as he leaned in closer to me. "Let me put it this way, do you like the fact that you can't see your family again, Savera?"
"No," I answered dully.
"Do you like the fact that inside that room in the complex labeled 'The Capitol' they are monitoring our every move when we're out in public? Or perhaps, the fact that they quite possibly have been watching you inside your private home back in Two ever since the day you were born?" He asked, his face only inches from my own. "We're in the Capitol, Savera. We're supposed to be living the best lives and yet still, we live in bondage."
"That's just how it works," I answered weakly.
"But it doesn't have to!" He said, frustrated. "I know deep down you want true privacy everywhere you go just as much as I do."
Again, I forced my gaze away from him because I did know that he was true. Ever since birth, I had been taught to fear the Capitol and to live in submission to it, even though we were one of the more favored districts. Fantasies of life outside of Panem may have slipped into my head every once and awhile, but never anything serious. Seneca Crane was correct in the sense that I, deep down, wanted freedom.
I felt his hand underneath my chin, forcing my gaze back to him," Savera."
I pulled back," I do, Seneca, but I can't think this way yet. You, unlike me, have more respect. I swear I will openly say that I support this, but give me time to work my way up in the ranks. It shouldn't take long seeing as I already received a promotion on my first day. I will start helping you more."
"You're probably right. I'm still only known for my name right now mostly…perhaps, in more time, I will have more freedom , as well," He added, nodding.
I, too, nodding, still looking at him," So, what do we do? Lay low until we feel comfortable with our positions at work?"
He leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows," I've got an idea, but you'll have to not laugh when I say it."
I cocked a brow at him as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small tablet that appeared to be a portable phone with many other amenities on it. Carefully, he set the tablet on the edge of the fountain and pressed a button. Immediately, newspaper-like holograms floated above the tablet, the headlines presenting themselves in front of me.
Seneca and Savera: A Budding Romance?
The Capitol's Newest Couple: Seneca and Savera.
Caught! Crane and Stone out together again.
Underneath each bolded headline was a very high-quality picture below. After analyzing them all fly by one by one, I finally looked over to Seneca.
"You realize that image is power in this city?" He asked me, pressing a button that made all of the headlines disappear.
"If we present ourselves as one 'power' couple…then more respect could be given to both of us whether or not the Gamemakers like it," I added, realizing where he was going with this.
"Unfortunately, our little incident the other night didn't exactly help this image that we had in avertedly built already. If we want this to work, then we're going to have some damage control," He said, swallowing hard as he looked at me.
"That's what I was thinking. And I've another question…" I trailed off, seeing that he was waiting for my inquiry. "Are we officially dating or are we putting on a show?"
A/N: Some of you may hate me for cutting it off there, but once again…things are about to get interesting :D Anyways, please let me know what you think! Oh, and what's the answer to that last question?
