Aftermath;

FEATURING –––

ANNIE CRESTA- Victor of the 70th Hunger Games

PRIMROSE EVERDEEN- Medic from District 12

CAIUS GALLIO- Victor of the 78th Hunger Games, current volunteer for the 94th Hunger Games

SCARLET FLICKERMAN- Creator of Scarlet's Letter- a gossip newsletter about the Capitol elite

ARES COIN- Undercover programmer from District 13

ELECTRA PRICE- Escort for District 5

It was just Ash's luck that she'd wind up a prisoner in the Capitol. She put her trust in the rebellion and waited around for weeks while they did nothing but delay the inevitable, only to end up captured the moment the rebels finally made a decent move. It was laughable, really, the way she constantly found herself being screwed over by everyone around her.

As if being locked in a cell wasn't bad enough, she found herself a rather noisy neighbor. One might be thankful for the distraction, for it might help pull away from dark thoughts that tend to haunt the lonely and downtrodden, but Ash was nothing but annoyed at the commotion. After a few moments of listening to ARTEMIS GOLD'S screams, she wandered over to bang on their conjoining wall.❝Will you shut up over there? the only one who can hear you is me, and I'd rather not get a fucking migraine on top of everything else.❞

Ash lost count of how many days she'd been trapped in the Capitol. The days blurred together after about a week, and after another week, she gave up on any thoughts related to a rescue. Maybe the rebels decided they only needed one Dewitt to further their plans. Maybe no one even noticed she was missing--- something Ash used to be proud of back in her youth. Either way, the victor found herself unable to do anything other than pout and stew in the anger she'd adopted since her games ended.

Her eyes glanced up when the entrance to her cell began to open. For a fleeting second, she wondered if it was the rebels finally circling back to rescue her from this mess, but her last spark of hope faded when she spotted AURORA HEAVENSBEE. Ash didn't bother learning the names of the elite, but she knew the women's face well enough to associate her with President Snow. Just the sight of her was enough to make Ash's eyes narrow.❝Unless you're here to let me go or give me some decent food, then I suggest you fuck off. I'm missing out on my mid-day nap.❞

The promise of reuniting with her loved ones brought a sense of peace to Prim, but she already knew being locked underground would make her antsy sooner rather than later. It hadn't even been a full day before Prim asked to volunteer at the medical bay-- insisting that she would be more useful healing the injured tributes than waiting around in her dorm. Plus, this way she could keep a close eye on those she cared about.

Perhaps that's why she found herself wandering over to Finch's room. She told herself it was merely to see if they were okay, but truthfully, their heart had missed Finch from the moment she left their apartment the night of the interviews. She knew the victor may never reciprocate her feelings, but even just being around them was enough to make her content.

She quietly peeked her head into their room, eyes widening when she saw they were awake. Her heart raced as she gently slipped into the room, a light smile perched on her lips as she settled next to their bed. ❝Hey, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?❞

When Primrose first left home weeks ago, she hadn't expected to end up in District 13. All she wanted to do was spend more time with her sister and nephew before they disappeared back into the games, but she wound up in the middle of the pending war between the Capitol and the rebels. It was a shock to her system to hear about the rebel activity, but it certainly helped make sense of all the strange events that went on during her time in the Capitol.

Now, she found herself curled up in the medical bay. Her upper body was draped over the edge of Katniss' bed--- determined to stay by her side until she woke up. However, the exhaustion from the recent events hadn't truly hit her until that moment, and it wasn't long before she found herself drifting off to sleep by her sister's side.

Primrose didn't know how long she fell asleep, but a slight movement caused her to jerk awake. She yawned slightly as she fought away the leftover remnants of sleep, eyes shifting to her sister once they fully adjusted to the harsh lights of the medical bay. A slight movement caused her to gasp, moving closer to take hold of her sister's hand.  ❝Katniss? Are you awake?❞ She lightly squeezed Katniss' hand as she tried once more, ❝It's me, Primrose.❞

Caius trailed a hand along the edge of the cave's entrance as he waited for his fellow victors to maneuver their way out of the snowbanks. He never saw much thrill in killing a prone victim-- much preferring his target to fight back and attempt to take him down. Perhaps that's why his body perked up at the sight of a shadow moving toward him--- his hand instantly grasping at the handle of his ice axe as he eagerly awaited their presence.

He pouted slightly when he realized it was Mina. He had told her early on that he wouldn't actively try to kill her in the arena, and so far, he wasn't intending to break that promise. He leaned against the side of the cave's entrance as he watched her wander over to him. He noticed that her sister was nowhere to be seen, and a slight realization dawned on his features. A normal person would offer apologies for the loss, but Caius never quite understood the meaning of empathy. ❝Mina.❞ He drawled, arms crossing as he watched her. ❝I'd say I'm sorry about your sister, but honestly, you're better off without the dead weight. You and I both know she was never going to win.❞ Caius should've stopped right there, but he added,❝Plus, now Caius Jr. has a better chance of making it out. It's a win-win.❞

Scarlet always strived to be seen as a perfect individual. She used her newsletter to destroy other people's reputations in an effort to paint herself and her family in a better life. She kept those closest to her on a tight leash in an effort to control what they said about her. Even her clothes are tailored to her body--- appearance designed to paint a picturesque vision (perhaps to hide the rotten core underneath). She carefully curated her life, but much like the scandals she writes about in her newsletter, not everything can be predicted and planned in advance.

Perhaps that's why she didn't expect the events that unfolded in the city centre. If she did, she would've made sure to place herself far away from the action. Instead, she woke up amongst the rubble and destruction. Her clothes were covered in soot and ripped at the edges, her manicured nails were chipped, and her shoulder throbbed horribly. All she wanted to do was hide away and make herself presentable again, but with her luck, she managed to run into PRISCILLA HIGHBOTTOM just as she was attempting to flee the scene. Her eyes narrowed at the socialite as she commented, ❝Tell anyone about this and I'll destroy you and your family name, Highbottom.❞

Primrose thought their job would calm down after the victors and tributes went back into the arena. They initially dreaded the calm period, scared that it would lead them to think about their sister and nephew fighting for their lives in the arena, but now they wondered if they should've valued those quiet moments.

They weren't told much when they got deployed--- just that there was an incident at the city centre and that they'd need all the medics they could get. Their eyes burned from the smoky air, and they could feel themself getting cut on the loose rubble and shards of glass that littered the floor. They weren't sure what exactly they were looking for as they roamed the area, but their body told them to press forward--- that their services were needed in this location.

They froze when they spotted movement in the distance. The medic clutched their first aid kit to their chest as they struggled to weave their way through the aftermath of the fires, stumbling a bit as they cleared some of the wreckage. It wasn't until they righted themself that they realized the person before them was MAXIM CRANE. Cuts and bruises littered his body, and they frowned as they continued to examine the boy. ❝Max...❞ They murmured softly, stepping closer to the Capitolite. They gently touched his cheek, thumb running along one of his cuts as they continued, ❝Let me fix you up. You shouldn't be walking around like this.❞

Although the delay had intrigued Scarlet, she quickly lost interest in the games the moment the event officially started. She saw no point in fawning over tributes who most likely wouldn't be alive by tomorrow, and though she participated in the betting pool, it was more for boredom than true interest. She probably would've just stayed home and skipped the viewing party entirely if it wasn't for her aunt. She knew that the woman held a strange attachment to her tributes, and figured she should be a good niece and aim to comfort her during her hour of need.

Of course, her quest to find her aunt took a detour when she spotted ATLAS HELLTHORNE. The man was a constant figure in her life, and she couldn't help but be drawn to his presence. They were like twin flames--- two destructive forces pulled toward each other like a black hole. She practically sauntered over to him, manicured hand resting on his shoulder as she purred,  ❝Hey stranger.❞ Her hand shifted, the edge of her finger lifting up his chin as she continued, ❝I hope you haven't missed me too much. I know you must feel empty inside when I'm not standing at your side.❞ Scarlet was never truly gone from the spotlight, but her quest for answers regarding the delay had taken up a lot of her time over the past few days. She's only now going through her usual rounds in a quest for more recent gossip.  ❝How are your beloved tributes faring? Haven't lost money already, have you?❞