among royalty {justice's dinner}
Sept 4, 2016 1:02:32 GMT -5
Post by Python on Sept 4, 2016 1:02:32 GMT -5
VENUS AZRAEL
relapse
the stress of the matter
when i shatter like glass
the stress of the matter
when i shatter like glass
Everyone tuned in to the finale; it was tradition. Even if one didn’t know a single name on the list of twenty-four tributes, the finale would decide which of the final two (or four, on rare occasion) would become the Capitol’s next groundbreaking celebrity. As a former Gamemaker, this was important. How would it compare to his own finale? Two underdogs at each other’s necks in a spring running red with blood. It was an easy fix – simply add a career with a famous name, then pair him with an underdog only the odd fanatics would root for. Of course, Gamemakers didn’t get to hand-pick who would rise above the rest, but he was certain they were not complaining.
Justice was not his sister. He was a tad more obnoxious and a lot less cruel. Most of his infamous attitude appeared to be a façade, but that didn’t stop Venus from feeling a bit uneasy at his victory. Scout had been the worst of the worst – a waster of lives, a sadist with no human motives. Demons were old news and a boring cliche. He didn’t like the idea of the Fray name crawling out of the shadows, but one bad apple didn’t ensure a rotten tree. Justice had potential.
And so it was decided very quickly that new and old recent Gamemakers would schedule a dinner. It was customary to mingle, especially with a victor at present. Justice would sit across from the two men that murdered his sister, and Venus would sit across from the brother of that disgusting murderer. He didn’t care how Justice perceived him. What he cared about was how worthy of a victor he was. Another waste of Capitol space was not what he wanted to see, and there were too many of those already. Weaklings and luck-stained victors whom people labeled “underdogs.” Iris would’ve been among that bundle, but her luck ran dry when she was finally faced with her reckoning. Sometimes, a career was all it took.
They were due at seven, so he arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes early. Cameras were poised outside, ready to flash for the newest victor and capture him at his best angle. Venus ducked his head and vanished behind the doors. There would be three other guests besides himself and Justice; Ambrosia, one of the 73rd Gamemakers, Vepar, his twin brother and previous Gamemaker, then Petelia, one of his top biologists. Normally he wouldn’t request another plus one, but Petelia was very interested in this Justuce Fray. She also remained one of his closest friends outside the workplace. Working with her was an honor. Sun had her to thank for his new pink lion.
He sat down and ordered a glass of wine. People expected Venus and Vepar to be inseparable, but their schedules were so wildly different that they rarely arrived together. Vepar was most likely at home, making sure Sun and his new pet had everything they needed. The lion was a bit of a handful – as expected – but he was forever grateful to Petelia for offering such a gift. She was a special light in Sun’s life that Venus would never forget. He had yet to truly thank Petelia for this, so a dinner invitation was in order.
The waitress brought him his wine before he could contemplate the menu. He could hear a ruckus outside; somebody had arrived.
Here’s to an interesting night.
He took a sip.
