A/N: In the beginning when I was talking about Aegon I didn't mean freaking Jon Snow! Who do you think handled confinement better in the books, Katniss or Arianne?
Pollux was outside on the yard sunbathing, sitting on the fake grass, and drinking pink lemonade. There were boxes and wrapped furniture scattered around him. She's been moving the whole day and he's been lazing around, admittedly he does need a tan.
"Poll...what the hell mate! Why are all my new stuff outside?" She waved her arms. She didn't expensively order this from district 1 to have it arrive and thrown out like this. Pollux explains that the movers were busy and just left as soon as they emptied their truck. "Unbelievable, what a lousy excuse." He signs leave a seething review and she bites her tongue.
"We'll help. Hello," Sansa says from behind her. Pollux waves politely and squints at the new company Cress had brought along.
Quickly Cressida signs don't even think about it, the redhead, she's taken accompanied with a glare. Pollux breathes like he's laughing and signs back message received.
"Oh. He's-ow. Sorry," Arya says and Cressida assumes Sansa elbowed her sister.
Pollux peers down at Arya and signs what an adorable small child.
"What?" Arya looks at Cress for help.
"He says your height is adorable," Cress translates.
"Thank you but here's a warning. She's vicious," Sansa rolls her shoulders. "I try to tame her but..."
They all look down at Arya who rolls her eyes in irritation and Pollux slips out a giggle that causes Cressida to grin.
"I'm 5'1. Whatever, do you need help or not?" She huffs indignantly.
"Yes, but first introductions. This is Sansa and Arya Stark from district 7," she says and Sansa flashes a pretty smile.
"Don't be fooled by the pretty face, man. She's as cutthroat as I am," Arya chirps and Sansa rolls her eyes.
"They're both sweethearts," Cressida tells him. She spent more time with Sansa in district 7 but she had a pleasant time with all the Starks, they were good people. "This is my amazing assistant Pollux," recently promoted assistant.
Pollux eyes widen and he smiles at Sansa knowingly. Cressida and Messalla had gone to district seven with a special permit for a project but they weren't allowed to bring anymore. Fortunately for her she had seen Sansa first and Messalla had no problem sharing Cressida's little adventures with Sansa the rest of the crew when they came back. She had called dibs on Sansa and Messalla had the same work hard play hard mentality that she did and was less discreet in district 7.
"Nice to meet you," Sansa shakes his hand and he signs, why do you always get the pretty girls?
"He says likewise," Cress lies with a small smirk.
"You were with Katniss and Cressida?" Arya asks him, eyes bouncing from him to Cress.
He nods and goes to lift the new leather couch. Cressida clears her throat.
"Let me show you to your rooms," she breaks the ice. "Ignore the mess."
"Mess?" Arya shakes her head. "You should see our place."
"Did you move?" Sansa asks.
"No. The peacekeepers didn't leave anything untouched," Cress lowers her camera equipment on the table.
Sansa and Arya both take in their surroundings and Cressida wishes things could have been different. She was so warmly received in district 7 but the Capitol had a different way of doing things. The Capitol was intimidation, grandeur, and wealth, evident with the Lannister's. What Cress liked about traveling through the districts was the variety she got.
She's glad they cleaned yesterday, the house is barren but clean, she moped so there was no sign of the peacekeepers, dirty footprints. Cressida was a slob and house cleaning and groceries shopping was usually done by her mom.
"There's only two rooms?" Arya asks and falls on the mattress.
"Yeah. Are you two okay sharing?" Cressida asks leaning on the door.
"Yes. Arya doesn't take up much space," Sansa assures her and Arya glares at her sister. "I'm done. Promise."
"I'm going to order pizza. You two get settled in," she tells them and walks out but overhears Arya asking what that is. "Pollux, any toppings you want on your side?" She grabs her phone from the kitchen counter. He signs pineapple and she wrinkles her nose in disgust but doesn't comment.
They all get busy lifting and dragging things inside. Sansa and her team up and Sansa takes that opportunity to talk.
"I find it difficult to believe you didn't just move here," Sansa states but Cressida had to throw away all her shit the peacekeepers didn't take. She had to borrow a broom from her neighbors because the peacekeepers broke the only one she had. Cressida could swear it was done by the orders of Cersei.
"I do. I don't know what the peacekeepers did with my family photos. My mother lived here. I'm going to get her tomorrow."
"Oh, I'm almost worried."
"How come?" Cressida looks up from what she's doing.
"The woman that raised you must be a force," and Cressida laughs at that.
"No. She's a gentle and kind woman. Quietly never supported the hunger games or Snow's crass reign," Cressida says as she lifts a box full of china. She should tell Sansa about her mom being dead later but Cress doesn't really want to think about that. "I don't know where I get my ability to get in and out of ugly situations from. Walk into fire and walk away mostly unscathed."
"Your father perhaps?" Sansa knows Cressida had never met her father.
"No, mother told me he wasn't ingenious or good at coming out on top," Cressida snorts. "Did I tell you the reason I wanted to keep things hidden is because I got arrested twice when I was a teenager?"
"What?" Sansa looks at her in alarm. "Is that why we did it in the woods?" She whispers.
"Yes, you know how vindictive Snow is-was. I had to pay a hefty fine and promise to stay out of trouble but..." Cress shrugs. "The first time I cajoled the judge to sentence me to community hours and donate money to the hunger games. The second time I was sure I was going to get my tongue cut out but I guess the judge was a fan because instead I got the added bonus of having to make hours of propaganda," even with Messalla's help it took weeks to make and it was one of her best and worst of her work. She can't believe she got arrested before Cersei or Brienne.
"You tell me this now?" Sansa groans.
"My criminal record isn't that impressive," Cress defends herself.
"Were you planning on rebelling then? When you were in district 7," Sansa asks and Cressida accepts that she has all the reason to be annoyed even if she doesn't show it.
"No, but it never hurts to be careful," as evident with star squad low survival rate. Cressida has always been careful to protect those she shows genuine affection.
They hear Pollux grunt from the strain of lifting the 3D projector and his heavy breathing. Cressida is going to have to connect it later. "What did you even get arrested for?"
"Nothing that deserved being thrown into a cell for," Cressida states. "It was because my petty feud with Cersei. I-" the doorbell cuts Cressida off. "Oh, the pizza, perfect. Let's eat first and I'll finish another time," everything is easier to do with a full stomach.
Just like she planned, Sansa grins in delight when she comes back with pizza and a box full of lemon cakes. Renly had warned her that the districts lacked savory food, restaurants, fast food restaurants, microwaves and that she should prepare herself. She had brought with her a bag full of snacks and shared them with Sansa and the rest of the Starks, Sansa had finished the lemon cakes so quickly she got a stomach ache.
Pollux eats slowly but finishes his half, the girls eat the other side although the girls do try slices with pineapple toppings. Cressida swatted Sansa's hand away when she reached for the lemon cakes and warned her to wait for her stomach to settle and that the lemon cakes were for everybody. Sansa gave her a look that made Cressida bite her bottom lip to hold back a chortle.
Pollux turns on the tv to watch the local news. They show censored footage of the killing sprees happening and Cressida privately thinks why they're censoring it when the Capitol residents have been gleefully watching kids kill each other for years. There was an influx of cults and of contracted assassins. A reported a explosive fire happening miles far south of district 3 and a shut down chemical plant explosion north of district 7, all privately owned. Arya and Sansa shared a glance at the mention of district 7.
Jaime and Brienne must have their hands full trying to quell small insurgencies. The nightly slaughter and daily bad news wasn't stopping the resident's from doing what they're good at, that is partying. She had to take Sansa and Arya to one before the bachelorette party.
"Perhaps it would have been better if you stayed with the Lannister's," Cressida mumbles as she watches the gory shots and the symbol of the mocking jay with an arrow piercing its chest. The woman says that it's a crime done by groups not just one crazy person.
"Arya defeated Lancel with a bag," Sansa shakes her head and Arya smirks. "I think I'm good," she takes another bite of her lemon cake. "Shouldn't the peacekeepers be keeping the tentative new peace?"
"Plutarch and Paylor can't be everywhere at once. It's not like they could have imagined Katniss murdering Coin, district 13 really wants Katniss dead, Tywin is also grasping power with this wedding charade, all the powerful families sending someone to represent them, and there's the nonsense in Finnick's district, strange weather," Cressida shrugs. "Problem after problem and there's just not enough man power or good politicians." Cressida had yet to interview the groomsman but she could bet they were members of prominent families like the Starks, names that carry power, power that Tywin would want. "Plutarch's main diet must be coffee at this point."
"How do you know all this?" Sansa's eyes are locked on hers.
"I like studying characters," Cress smirks. "You need to learn to read the players in the game. Their body language, diction, topics they avert from. Look at Peeta and Katniss in their interviews."
Pollux signs his input and Cressida throws a piece of pineapple at him. "And of course, I like snooping. My point is that in Paylor's list of priorities the reformation of the peacekeepers but is not her highest priority."
"What is she doing?" Arya asks with a look that unsettles Cressida. She wonders if there's a bigger reason why Robb sent his sister in his stead.
"I haven't seen her at all except in interviews or speech's. Is she even in the Capitol?" Sansa takes a small bite.
"I think she's in district 13 trying to defuse a bomb," Cress didn't know but that was her best guess.
"I'm going to enjoy all the splendor of the Capitol before they bomb us," Arya steals the lemon cake from Sansa's fingers.
"Be glad you don't have siblings Cressida," Sansa says as she sends a withering glare to Arya and doesn't notice Pollux crestfallen look.
"It's getting late," Cress gives a convincing yawn. "Excuse me."
After her hot bath she puts on her cutest pajamas and trimmed her nails, just because. Pollux was next and Sansa teased him about braiding his beard. Walking pass the bathroom when Sansa was showering led to the impure thought of if she had to buy toys. Figures that the peacekeepers didn't find her family's heirlooms but had no trouble locating and confiscating her stash of sex toys. To keep her brain from straying she and Pollux started cleaning the footage Pollux got. She was distractedly judging the images he attained today and is startled when Pollux snapped his fingers to grab her attention. He pauses and makes the sign for silence so Cressida tries to hear what he's hearing but all she hears is Sansa in the shower which was what she was trying to avoid doing.
The little sister is snooping, he signs, she's very good at being quiet. Cressida turns her head to the open door and she will never not be impressed at his good hearing. She knew Arya was a restless soul and by the looks of it their father's death have just made them distrustful and alert, that was a good thing to have in this day and age. She nods at Pollux and tells him if Arya scares him that much to lock the door tonight and he rolls his eyes, besides, they didn't have anything to hide. Do you think we should leave the Capitol? And that question grabs her attention more than Arya's sneaking around.
"No why?" Cressida looks at the bags under his eyes and maybe he needs to find a place far away from here.
The assassins, the creepy cults, the uncertainty, he shrugs and Cressida moves her hand to his shoulder and squeezes.
"There's so much to do. Just because Katniss and the rest are gone doesn't mean I'm finished. I can't leave without doing all I can to help," quitting isn't in her nature.
Pollux gives a long-aggrieved sigh and Cressida slides her hand down to the blond bush of his beard and turns his head to face her.
"Hey, if you need to go...go," she grasps his calloused hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
He shakes his head and signs not yet. She's worried he's staying for her but they don't tell each other everything and he has his reasons so she lets her grip loosen. I am worried about all the crazy people running around.
"I wouldn't be. By the looks of it they're only targeting corrupt politicians and the rich. We don't fall into either category. They wouldn't have anything gain my killing someone that can't talk and someone that is filming a damn wedding," Cressida groans and rolls her shoulders, exhaustion setting over her. "I'm going to sleep all day tomorrow and you should get your nails done."
There's light rasping from the door and Sansa steps in.
"Sorry to intrude."
"You aren't" Cressida sits straighter on the bed.
"I was hoping I could borrow your computer and email my brother and make sure he's okay?" Sansa says and Pollux nods. He pulls out his computer from his bag and types in the password before handing it to her. "Thank you. I'll give it back soon," Sansa smiles at Pollux's mocking jay sticker on the laptop before she leaves. Cressida remembers he got it in a shop in district 13, it was marketed toward children but that didn't stop him.
She has a pretty voice for singing, he signs and with a smirk that is almost as infuriating as her own he adds, but you already knew that.
"She certainly hits that high note," she flicks his forehead and collapses on the bed. "Another night of waiting to fall asleep. You take the bed, I'm going to sleep on the couch," or try to go pass fitful slumber. He doesn't argue but he doesn't look happy about it. "We should go shopping for suspenders. I looked good in them," that's all it takes to crack a smile on his face. He playfully brushes his thumb to her fashioned left eyebrow. "Say what you will but the eyebrow tattoo was a great idea."
Yes, two parallel lines on your face makes you a fashion icon, he teases her.
"I resent the sarcasm I can't hear."
Cressida stretches her legs and gets up to find Arya. The door of her room is open and Sansa is sitting crosslegged on the bed and typing on Pollux's computer, she gives a small smile to Cress as she passes by that warms her insides. Arya is down stairs, surfing the channels but Cress hasn't had the opportunity to get-
"Hey. I thought the Capitol had distracting worthy shows," Arya grumbles.
"We do. I've been away for a while and not paying the company I get my shows from. Nothing is free in this life," Cress sits down next to Arya and hands her a sheet. "These will be the questions I'll ask you."
"We have to do this now," Cress doesn't blame her lack of enthusiasm, she doesn't want to do this either.
"No," Arya lets out a breath of relief. "My place isn't exactly an appropriate setting to do conduct this. According to the tight schedule from the wedding planner," Cress grits out. "I have to interview Robert's best men and such in two days. As long as you don't mind being outside in the sun for this," Cress rubs at her forehead. She was going to end up meeting Renly sooner than she desired. "Either way, you should review the questions and practice looking sincere in the mirror."
"I'm great at pretending to be someone else," Arya boasts and Cress chuckles.
A/N: If you don't hear from me again assume that hurricane Irma got me.