#capitolhost

Alma looked up from where she had been working. It was late at night and she had sent everyone everyone else away. At night was when she worked best since sleep wasn't her best friend. It surprised her, however, to see none other than @capitolhost to walk into the room. Before she even had the chance to say anything, he already opened his mouth:

"What happened between us can never happen again."

Oh. So he had intentionally waited for her to be alone to tell her that. It was not exactly a conversation either of them anticipated to have with anyone around. She set down her pen, folding her hands on the table to keep them busy. "I shouldn't be too surprised," was all she said at first. What was she even supposed to say? Alma had never wanted to appear vulnerable in front of anyone, didn't want to give that power over her so freely. She simply refused to give anyone the chance to deeply hurt her. "Though you seemed to enjoy our time together. I should have known you would come to regret it." She turned her head to the side, pretending to look at something when she really just wanted to shield her face from him with her long hair. The first time in ages she had allowed anyone to get so close to her only to be told it can never happen again. She should have known better. Should have known that ultimately, people would always resent her.

starter for @capitolhost

Getting out of bed was easier than yesterday, but she still had to hold herself onto the IV stand to stay up. The days of her as a commander seem so far away even if it has only been weeks since the end of the war. Perhaps it appears so because Lyme has missed so much after having gotten badly injured to the point they had thought she wouldn't survive more than a few days. Luckily she pulled through, but at what costs. The only knowledge of what has happened came from the nurses who took the time to give her a timeline of the events that had taken place between the bombing in Two that nearly cost her life to her waking up weeks later. No visitor has come, but nobody knows that she survived as the doctors were so unsure she would ever wake up even after having repatriated to the Capitol for better care.

Head bowed down to avoid catching the curious gaze of some patients and staff, Lyme walks without goals throughout the hospital's hallways. Her frame easily catches the attention and she knows people probably recognise her, but she doesn't want to talk to them, not in this state. She is Commander Lyme, Victor from District Two, not some injured and broken woman who's the ghost of her former self after having spent weeks in a coma. There's a sigh as she hears whispers as two men pass by her and she's about to turn around to head back to her room when there's the sound of a voice. She would always recognise it even if it doesn't sound as strong as the last time she had the chance to listen to it.

"i never said i was a good man."

alma repeated those words in her head, again and again for what seemed an eternity, but it had just been a few moments. it was easy to judge someone else but a whole different thing to lable yourself. she would never call herself a good person; as if anyone in this world was truly just good. she did, however, like to believe that she tried to do the good things. to do what is right. does it make her a good person? no, but it also doesn't make her a bad person. i just makes her ... a person.

she must have been silent for a tad too long but eventually, she faced him again. "you aren't a bad man either. i believe we are quite similar, we try to do what is right." whether she tried to offer comforting words or if she just wanted to show that her and @capitolhost had more in common than they might have thought, she didn't know. either way, she was just telling the truth.

"i do not judge you, that would be quite hypocritical of me. you are far better than most."

is that what i'm doing? i feel like an exposed nerve, like a raw burn, floating without thought or purpose through the fluorescent halls of thirteen. the ring of bruises around my throat have faded to a sickly green-yellow combination but people still stare at them when they see me, even when they try not to. delly had given me a sympathetic smile and asked if i wanted to know how peeta was doing and it had stung that he would talk to her and not to me; i think she saw how it hurt because she'd apologized right after. so i don't know if i'm keeping it inside. i'm not talking about it, sure, but what is there to say?

they don't want me on camera until the bruises are less visible and i'd dissolved into incoherent tears when someone had tried to swipe makeup over them, so i'm still firmly on medical leave as my one and only task for the day. it means no one will scowl at me when they realize i've bitten my lips raw and chapped, gnawing at the lower one even now when i look at caesar and try to imagine him the first time we spoke. my dress. girl on fire. cinna in the audience, somewhere.

It had taken her weeks to plan everything and she even had had to ask Caesar's best friend to help her set the whole thing up. Naturally Bedelia knew he would have probably made some sort of plan and she had relied entirely on Plutarch to cancel any reservation Caesar might have done. It felt more like a spy mission that a date for Valentine's Day, but she wanted the day to be perfect.

The day of, Bedelia waited for him at the restaurant she had booked for them alone. Being the wife of the Caesar Flickerman had its advantages. Holding a bouquet nearly too big for her, she smiled when he arrived. Plutarch once again had done wonders in making sure this would be a surprise.

Age: 50s

Do you like to cuddle?: yes

Can we make-out?: in secret 👀

A night in or dinner out?: dinner out, he's gonna show her the pearl of panem~

Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: chocolate covered strawberries, its a surprise he's not gotten diabetes yet

What makes you a good Valentine?: he's quite fun, and if his jokes aren't amusing then at least he can be a good tease

Would you cook for me?: caesar can actually cook very well. surprising for someone from the capitol

Would you let me cook for you?: if it's more than stew with basic ingredients, yes. he will want to improve too much upon basic d13 food. bickering <3

(for miss alma coin)

valentine’s day application