Chapter 4: From the Outside...
Shimmer Boleyn, Age: 25, Victor, District 1
This year's Hunger Games were off to a wild start.
District One's train had hardly reached the Capitol when Shimmer Boleyn found herself offered an impromptu interview. She took it, of course, because she needed to market Adonis and what better time to start than before the Tribute Parade even began?
She heard a rumor that someone wanted an interview from Five's Victors as well, to talk about their unexpected volunteer; but per usual, outer district Victors didn't take the opportunities offered to them on a silver platter.
Shimmer would never make such a mistake. "I was thrilled when Adonis told me he was volunteering," she said with her biggest smile. "I knew he would be a perfect tribute; he's strong, smart…"
"Easy on the eyes as well!" giggled the interviewer.
Laughing, Shimmer said, "We're so proud of him already!"
"And you will be his mentor?"
"Of course! He's family; what else could I do?"
Most of Shimmer's time during the three training days was taken up with the typical appointments and parties that favored Victors like herself were expected to attend. She didn't resent the expectations, not really; the parties were fun, and even the appointments weren't usually too bad. The only thing she didn't like was how rushed she felt her check-ins with Adonis ended up being.
He did take what she could give him with smiles and ready responses.
"You and Alysia are working together well?"
"Yes, and Flint and Petra, too. Tara's also good, more quiet but strong. Gill's such a good fighter, but there's something off about him sometimes. Alysia agrees with me."
"Watch your backs, then. Any other alliances forming?"
"A couple district pairs are sticking together, like the Twelves, but no large or powerful alliances. That Five boy is keeping to himself."
"Keep an eye out for him, but I wouldn't worry too much. There's only so much an outlier like that would be able to do to you by yourself, let alone your entire alliance!"
"I wasn't worried, but thanks." He grinned and gave her a hug before heading off to bed. After watching him go, Shimmer shook off her own weariness and went back to her own room to get ready for yet another exclusive party.
Throughout the whirlwind of Capitolite social events, Shimmer inevitably ran into and picked up information on the Victors from other districts whether or not she wanted to.
She was used to hearing from and about the Twos and Fours all year round; many of them were her friends, after all. The others, not so much. But, having a good memory for detail, she still absorbed information about them between paid-for drinks and tiny meals and all the typical expectations.
The Threes were keeping to themselves. The Fives had no idea what was going on with their own tribute. Per usual, Axela from Six kept turning up in public high as a kite, with Lee Anders having to do damage control for her several times. Tim and Alder went around maintaining relationships with potential sponsors while Johanna ran about having fun with a smirk and a mouth full of insults. Cerise and Tion from Eight were a common sight at the same Capitol functions Shimmer attended, but avoided each other like a plague. Ira from Nine kept being paraded out as a recent Victor and kept needing to be rescued by his mentor Bonnie. There was little noteworthy about the Tens this year given their lack of spectacular tributes, but Ava's ability to attend so many events while being barely noticed at any was quite impressive. Mika was doing most of the mentoring work for Eleven as Chaff was unwell. The Twelves kept to themselves as much as possible.
As for the Victors Shimmer actually knew well, they were all doing more or less what she was: fulfilling their duties to the Capitol that had given them and their districts everything.
She, Gloss, Romulus and Eve from Two, and Pike and Mola from Four had more to do than the rest given their status as mentors. Elegance, less popular and therefore less busy than Shimmer due to being over a decade older, kept offering to take over being Adonis's mentor. "Or I can take Alysia and Gloss can take your cousin; it's no trouble!"
"It's no trouble for me to mentor him. He's family."
The Boleyn family was one of the wealthiest in District One, with ownership of one of its most lucrative gemstone refining factories. Outside of Victor-related matters, they associated with the best of the district, with families such as the Versailles, the Devereauxs, the Castilles , the Sterlings, even the Beaumonts after Gloss and Cashmere's victories led to their rise from well-off to truly wealthy status.
Day-to-day district aristocracy life aside , many of One's top families also sent their children to the district's Tribute Training Academy; the Boleyns were no exception. All received a fantastic education and job opportunities, and the best of the best went into the Games. Most didn't return, but those who did almost always cemented their family's position.
The most glaring exception to this in the past half-century would have to be Helvius Glitz. His victory had led to the slow but ongoing downfall of the entire Glitz family, and his disrespectful antics were still recounted to Academy trainees as an example of what notto do.
Upon her victory, Shimmer had intended to avoid him; he took care of that for her. He clearly hated her from the moment she was crowned and never even bothered to explain why.
However, that ungrateful traitor was the least of her concerns. Shimmer hadn't been the first Boleyn in the Games, but she had been the first in a while, and the first to win, gaining glory, honor, and wealth for herself and her district . She had elevated her family to a position relatively few in One had ever attained.
Now, Adonis had the chance to raise the Boleyn status even further by winning a mere seven years after her. It wouldn't be quite the feat as the back-to-back victories of the Beaumont twins, yet he'd been talking about it since she had won, back when he was eleven and already in the Academy. That goal of his had bridged the age gap that had always existed between them, and Shimmer had made sure that his dream would come true for both of them. As well as their family and district, of course.
She managed to be in One's Training Center apartments when he returned from his individual scoring session. He came in looking very pleased with himself. "Don't worry, cousin, they were impressed for sure!"
Multiple Victors from One tended to show up early for the score announcements to offer their support, congratulations, and criticisms , and this year was no different. The room was both crowded and loud until the actual broadcast began, so Shimmer and Adonis sat together and stayed quiet, jittery with anticipation.
Sure enough, Adonis, both Twos, and both Fours all received tens. Alysia only got a nine, which Gloss chastised her for while the Two's scores were being shown. Then he muttered something about how he couldn't believe any of his tributes hadn't beaten Helvius's training score yet.
"What a thing to still be going on about," Cashmere said from a corner, wineglass in hand. "How long ago was that? Fifteen years? Sixteen?"
"Shut up, sis," Gloss snarled. "Go find your pet and his dirty outlier boyfriend if you're going to be like that."
Shrugging, Cashmere got up and walked out, causing an immediate change in her brother's demeanor. "Cashmere, wait!" he called as he jumped up and rushed out after her as the boy from Three's score came up. E veryone assembled seemed to silently agree not to touch th is familiar Beaumont drama with a figurative ten-foot pole.
After the Fours, Five volunteer boy's score popped up: a ten. No other outlier received such a high score.
" You should go for him first," Shimmer said as she walked her cousin to his room later.
" Flint already called dibs."
"Well, if he fails, you move in and finish the job."
"Yes, ma'am!" Adonis hugged her. "See you tomorrow?"
"See you tomorrow! Make sure to get some sleep."
In that moment, Shimmer wanted nothing more than to do the same thing herself, but there wasn't any time for that. She had another exclusive party to attend.