#79th

[1923]

Dusk had descended on the yard by the time Edward returned to the sheds. Most of the other engines had already settled in.

“Oh, here comes the showoff.” Muttered a voice.

Edward paid it no mind.

“I’m going out again tomorrow!” He told the other engines. “What’cha think of that?”

“Brilliant.” 8754 grouched. “Stay out of the way of my express goods, and we won’t have any trouble.”

“Sounds fine to me.” Edward smiled.

Gordon and 2984 then spouted some likely hurtful words, but Edward tuned them out almost immediately. He was in too good a mood to be dragged down by them.

From fan's in Italy!

There was a twisted and harsh kind of beauty to the capitol that intrigued her. The people all dressed in garish colors and mixed fabrics and then the buildings behind them all steel. It was like she’d been living her life thus far colorblind and only now seeing the full array.

The crowds cheering, their peering faces, were half for the new victor and her mentor Aspen. She’d avoided the girl on the train, too pissed at the obvious rigging to do more than glare at the ornate ceiling. After being plucked, bathed, brushed, bathed again, and shaved she was released by her stylist and found herself wandering down toward the reaping recaps.

There was food in every conceivable corner and she filled a plate with chocolate cookies and grabbed a stem of champagne before plopping herself down on the gold couch. They ran through the districts in order, broadcasting pictures and stats and commentary. She shook her head when they got to her. “Scrawny? Why don’t they grow up on day old bread and molded cheese and see how they grow.”

With training begun her days were spent mostly guarding the entrances to the training center and checking the tributes when they left for stashed weapons. Dull work, but also work that was being meticulously looked over by her superiors. Any toe out of line, any slip up and she knew that she would be facing a write-up and then another day of questioning. 

She was out of uniform now though and dealing with another not-so-little annoyance. “No Persephone, I won’t talk to her. I don’t care what she told you. Stop asking me. You weren’t there. You didn’t hear what I did.”

When she hung up she took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her long hair, noticing the person sitting just a few feet. “Sorry,” she said, realizing her voice had been pitched a little high. “Just family business.”