gemma coco makes no apologies (fourforu) wrote in colosseum, @ 2014-01-14 15:56:00 |
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Time seemed to stop in many ways after winning. Sometimes it felt like he had just step off the arena (a regression, painfully reminding him that he was not better yet). At other intervals it made him feel much older, too old; bones cracking beneath the weight of all the dead tributes piled on year after year. Every fucking year. Maalik remembered now the precise time: two years since he had stepped off the arena. After him D1 and after that -this year’s Victor a D10. Imagine those odds. He had not seen much of Fawn Aras since her win, but this party was to celebrate her; he felt so disconnected that searching for some peace had overtaken any desire to meet people. It happened, moods that swayed him, refusing to be ignored until he caved in - two directions: company or solitude. Sat down on the grass beneath a tree in this fancy Capitol home, Maalik ignored the potential stains of grass on his outfit- tossed aside the cufflinks and tie. He sulked, glaring at nothing as if the air had caused some great offense simply by being. On some days, Maalik couldn’t help it - he was still young, and he was still upset on some level that his mentors had expected him to be the losing tribute. It made sense, Maalik knew why they had thought that - it still stung. Gemma wasn’t really enjoying the party. For a year, she had spent time in the Capitol limelight, soaking up everything being a new Victor had to offer. She had relished in the attention and grown quite used to it, so a brand new Victor wasn’t sitting well with her. And one from District 10 on top of that. Perhaps it would have been easier for her to deal with a fellow Career, but having her position usurped by some butcher’s daughter. To her, that was downright embarrassing. But she played her part at the party well and continued to smile through her perceived pain. If anything, at least a winner from District 10 meant a resurgence in leather products and if the Narses Langfield dress she was wearing was any indication of fashion to come... well, Gemma supposed she would survive. Between the dress and the alcoholic milkshakes at the party, it looked like she would survive this gala as well. After a milkshake or two, she found herself wandering away from the party and by pure accident happened upon one of her favorite fellow Victors. “Maalik!” she called with a wave once she realized it was him. With a big smile on her face, Gemma teetered over to him on her ridiculously high heels before plopping herself next to him. “Are you having fun at the party? Why are you out here?” It was Gemma. Thank god. Maalik was not sure he could’ve avoided sharp comments if someone else had decided to join him while in this sombre mood. They would be back in their Districts soon enough and he could curl on the sand, far away from everyone else. Until Ondine realised what he was doing and set him straight. “Not really.” The frown and glare faded a little, but he trusted Gem - had come to trust her easily and wholeheartedly. “Those heels could make someone break an ankle.” Maybe he should count his blessings that it was only ties and cufflinks that he had to contest with when getting ready for most parties. Most because Capitolites were exotic and wanted some really weird things. He nudged her heels with the tip of his shoe. Frowning slightly, she tilted her head to the side and examined her shoes for a good ten seconds after he nudged them. Gemma turned one with her foot so she could examine the heel while she thought about his comments. While the heel wasn’t the highest she had ever worn, it certainly was on the skinnier end of them. They were in style though, so she really hadn’t given much thought toward the safety of them. “Oh, they’re not that bad. And if I did, the Capitol would just fix it for me!” A benefit of being a Victor was one never had to suffer too long with things, especially injuries. “And between you and me, I’m not really having much fun either.” “They didn’t fix this.” He shifted his weight and poked at his ribs through the shirt. There was a scar there, left behind by a decision not in his hands. Maalik wanted it gone (later on he’d grow used to it, grow to appreciate it) but right now he wishes it were gone. “So they might not, maybe they would like you to limp.” The words come out a bit more biting than intended, so he offers an apology with a simple tap of his fingers her shoulder. “Why not?” The parties weren’t all bad, surely Maalik knew that - all careers wanted this. The fame, glory, money - it was about different values than the outer districts. Careers won and Outliers survived. “You don’t like our newest Victor?” While Gemma tried her best not to frown, a little one managed to appear on her lips despite her best efforts. She had been injured during her games, though not as badly as some other Victors, but the Capitol had fixed her up fairly quickly. Perhaps it was because no one wanted to see a female Victor with an ugly mark, but more than likely it was because she had played her games exactly as the Gamemakers had wanted. “It’s not that I don’t like her. She seems nice enough,” she answered as she took his tap to be a hint that perhaps they should move onto a different subject. “I just liked my parties better.” “She’s very young.” The newest addition to the Victors, “Small.” He frowned slightly, it had been surprising to see her win (not in a bad way, Maalik thought, just an unexpected one). Maalik didn’t care right now to think about the newest Victor, so he turned his mind away from that to Gem, a slow smile at her comment, “I didn’t think they were very different from this one.” He paused, assessing her outfit, “Though they had better fashion. Maybe.” He smiled a little wider, “Less dangerous looking heels.” The first light twinkled near Gem’s heel - Maalik tensed and was about to warn her to move because in the arena anything that was sudden and pretty could be dangerous. Then he remembered that they were not in the arena, but in one of the fanciest gardens of the capitol. Of course this was just a firefly. It wouldn’t explode or something. Right? “There was much better fashion at my party. Heels and all. Definitely.” Leather in no way could top fashion inspired by the district of luxury Deep down though, Gemma knew she was just jealous that the spotlight had shifted from her to someone else. Not that she would ever fully admit this, especially out loud to other Victors from her district or another fellow Career. Even in the dull light, she could see Maalik tense beside her and without thinking did so herself out of a deeply rooted fear only Victor’s understood. But this wasn’t the arena. Neither of them were in any danger, at least not from the tiny bug that had landed on her shoe. So leaning forward, she put out a finger and let the tiny bug crawl on to her finger, it’s light blinking in some unknown sequence. “Guess we have a whole year of leather and burgers to look forward to though.” “Doesn’t sound very appealing.” Leather and burgers? The thought made his stomach turn, but then he had not really been very interested in eating meat after his arena. One day he would again eat it, but for now the sheer thought of anything raw and bleeding made him shudder. He covered up any signs of that discomfort by turning his mind to the source of blinking light. Maalik watched as the tiny bug crawled on Gem’s finger and shuffled to peer closer. “I think it likes you.” Smiling, she moved her hand closer to Maalik so he could take a good look at her little friend. “Of course Everyone likes me,” Gemma answered with a smile. While her time as reigning Victor may have been over, she was sure no one would be forgetting her anytime soon. |