Chapter Twenty-Seven: Victor is born (pt2)

The cheers for her team are nothing compared to the screams Maize receives when she walks out onto the stage.

Despite the dread clinging to her back, she smiles warmly at the crowd giving a small wave towards the audience as Caesar comes to her side and offers his arm like a gentleman before leading her to the ornate chair like throne that she would be occupying during the rest of the show. For the next three hours, she would be forced to relive, in her opinion, the worst moments of the Hunger Games. The highlights of the Games usually depend on the winner, but the most important part were generally the death recaps of each fallen tribute.

"My dear, how does it feel to be the Victor for this year's Hunger Games?" Caesar asks her, his neon yellow eyebrows waggling in delight.

Maize smiled gently at him, hiding the disgust she felt not only for the Hunger Games but for the Capitol and its citizens, "Relieved," she answered semi-honestly, "relieved that I get to go back home to my family, and of course that I get to see you all once more on this stage." she added coyly as she flashed the cheering crowd a smile and a wink.

The interviewer laughed gaily, "And we are more than pleased to have you with us here! Aren't we?" he asked the audience as they erupted in cheers and catcalls. The man turned to look at her once more, "Now we are going to be viewing the highlights of this year's Hunger Games and your rise to victory!" he proclaimed enthusiastically, "Are you ready my dear?"

She didn't let her smile strain, even though the only thing she wanted to do was writhe on the ground and howl at the injustice of it all, "Am I ever Caesar." Maize responded in mock enthusiasm.

Numbness falls over her once more as the lights dimmed and the Seal appeared over the lowering screen. This year's Hunger Games was one of the shortest in the last seven decades of the events, but that only meant that the Capitol could emphasize the gory deaths at the bloodbath and the one's following after it. They practically sped through the Tribute Parade and the interviews –CanaCanaCana- before beginning to play the clips of the bloodbath. All the while a story was being spun on the screen. Maize and Cana -ithurtsithurtsithurts- working together in a gentle camaraderie as they flourished in the arena despite the struggles others were facing. Until that partnership came to an end at the hands of the District 2 tribute. Her fight against Tiberius was seemingly glorified by the Gamemakers as was the killing blow she'd dealt the other teenager –she had actually caved his head in, monster- before dragging her dying partner away to safety. Maize's battle against the flood was capitalized, even as they showed the brief clip of a deranged Annie –she was supposed to live- drowning after getting whacked face-first into a rooted tree. Her small smile was still painted across her lips even as her –deadunfeelingmonster- eyes stared up at her triumph as the hovercraft lifted her unconscious body in the air.

The audience, once more displaying their aggressive animal-like habits, howled and cackled in excitement as they cheered for their -she wanted to claw off her skin and scream, dirtydirtydirtydirty- newest Victor. Because Maize wasn't Maize anymore. She was a Victor. The Capitol's little Victor. Nothing more. The anthem played once more over the speakers, audience members practically swaying with the beat, as President Snow graced the stage and made his way to her seated form. From far away it was easy for Maize to understand why so many Capitolites were quick to fall under his spell, his seemingly grandfather-like gentleness as he smiled indulgingly at the audience, as if they were young naïve children, set her skin prickling. But his eyes –windows to the soul that they were- were black, cruel and unforgiving like a predator as he surveyed her up and down, measuring what she was worth in his eyes.

The little girl that had trailed after him was young maybe five or six years old, like Hibis, smiled widely up at her from her place as she carried the Victor crown on a small pillow. Snow turned to the child grabbing the crown before gently placing it upon Maize's head with a –fakefakefake- smile on lips. The crowd once more erupted into loud screams of exaltations.

Maize smiles at them, giving small gentle waves at their enthusiasm as if she didn't want to hurt each and every audience member cheering her name for the part they played in Cana's suffering, for the deaths of all the children that had suffered in the last seven decades because of their perverted version of entertainment and punishment. With that, Caesar finally bids the crowd a fine evening, pointing out that it was late and that they should all tune in for the final interviews the next day.

Goldie is quick to escort her to the President's mansion for the Victory Banquet, Seeder and Chaff quietly praising her for her quiet demeanor and overall good attitude during the interview. The banquet was spent with very little eating despite its name, not that Maize was feeling very hungry after having to watch her peers die on the screens for the last three hours, and schmoozing Capitol officials and the Sponsors that had provided for her last meal in the arena. Flash after flash of the cameras went off as seemingly every member in attendance wanted a picture with her. Maize was relieved when they returned back to the Training Center and she was allowed to sink into her bed and sleep. She never wanted to wake up. But the final interview would be at two in the afternoon before Maize would finally be allowed to board the train home.

Without Cana.

She ignores the wrongness brimming behind her chest and fell into a fitful sleep. She is woken three hours before the interview (they had arrived from the Victory Banquet early in the morning, hell the sun had risen by the time Maize had finally plopped onto the soft bed provided in the Training Center), for the prep team to help get ready. She downs two shakes for breakfast, deciding to avoid solid food completely for her post-morning meal before they get to work. There wasn't much that they had to get done, re-paint her nails and makeup before pulling Maize's hair out of the braids from the previous night into a different style before Orion appeared once more to help her into the new dress.

It was a pastel pink color that clung to her shape like a second skin with buttons going down from the front all the way to the slip in front of the dress so that she would be able to walk easier. The sleeves were long but puffy at the top and had a matching button at the wrist, she wore simple matching pastel heels to match and the -her- Victor crown was perched on her head delicately by Orion.

The interview thankfully takes place down the hall, the crowning chair -she'd like to set it on fire- from the previous night had been moved inside and Caesar's comfortable looking seat had been arranged across from her's in a 'tasteful manner.' She was just relieved that the interview wouldn't have a live audience this time.

Words: 1,250

Edited: March 19th, 2020