#eventidesots

If Calista had learned one thing in her time in the Capitol, it was that the party always went on. She had thought that it might be canceled after the execution of the District Twelve stylist, but she should have known better. The party would go on as if nothing had happened. It was jarring, the way that nobody was talking about it. And if they were talking, it was about what a traitor Cinna had been, and how Portia Lux had come back to the right side. They spoke of it as if it was a television show.

It made Calista sick. And yet...she smiled and said nothing.

Sometimes Calista looked in the mirror and didn't recognize herself anymore. Calista had always prided herself on knowing who she was when she grew up in District Two. But a few months in the Capitol and she was suddenly not sure who she was anymore. It was a realization that kept her up at night.

A glass of champagne in hand, it scared her how normal it felt to be dressed in a pretty dress, standing in the Capitol, while terrible things happened around her. But what choice did she have? She had been left behind.

Sensing someone, Calista plastered her best Capitol smile onto her lips. "Lovely night, isn't it?" A sudden rush of disgust and self-loathing hit her, and she downed her glass.

The whole sordid affair between the stylists from District Twelve and their spectacular fall from favor was the kind of gossip that the readers of Capitolite Glamour wanted to read about, but Eris had been in this business long enough to know better. It was a shame, though, she thought. Perhaps a word in President Snow's ear could get her the green light. She would have to send out some feelers to see what was approved.

It was disappointing, really, but what better way to distract from a disappointment than shopping? Eris needed some new dresses, all of hers were so last Hunger Games season, so it was time for a change. And you never knew what you might hear at one of the shops, anyway. People just loved to gossip amongst the racks of clothes.

Spotting a familiar face amongst the racks, a smirk formed on her lips. "Oh, darling! It's been too long, how are you?" She paused, eyeing the garment in the other's hand. "You're not thinking about getting that are you?" Eris looked doubtful for a moment before her smile returned. "It's so last season, you see. But for you, I like it."

Once again Panem is glued to their screens. Unbeknownst to The Capitol and its Districts, the same image is being broadcasted to District Thirteen's televisions. Additionally, captives of Panem's government had a hologram wheeled into their prison block earlier in the morning. Now, they see the faces of two whose cries they've all become familiar with.

The air is tense as exactly one month after The Victors' Purge, the country is seeing two, prominent stylists face a similar fate. Cinna and Portia Lux are standing tall. After spending the last year in adoration, it seems that time has come to an end. They're donning matching red ensembles, Cinna in a fiery suit and Portia in a gown. The former has a white rose situated in his jacket pocket; the latter has one in her hair. They look united as they hold hands.

President Coriolanus Snow is on the same platform, standing at a podium in a pristine, white suit. His expression matches the somberness of the situation. The President of Panem takes a deep breath before speaking.

"It's been forty eight days since the Rebel insurgency caused a panic within the arena. Their treachery has not ceased. In fact, they've proven time and time again that they will continue upping their brutalization of the innocent citizens of our great nation. Districts Eight and Eleven have been their most recent targets, with Katniss Everdeen leading with her sonorous war cry.

For the safety of the people of Panem, parties guilty of treason cannot go unpunished. To do so would enforce a message that the actions do not hold the unbearable weight that they actively amass. With a heavy heart, I acknowledge that the two individuals standing here not only conspired alongside Katniss Everdeen and her band of rebels, but have the audacity to seem smug about such actions.

Cinna and Portia Lux, I ask you: has our nation been so horrid to you to inspire such acts? Panem has spent great time idolizing you both, only for the pair of you to spit on those who only aspired to gift you reverence. Before receiving the sentencing for your war crimes, are there any final words either of you would like to share?"