leave out all the rest {tom|VT}

Seven would be the district that was the hardest to face in person. He knew it the moment that he stepped on the stage. A gentle breeze that sends fallen leaves along the ground as he can see reminders of Chester everywhere. The smell of the trees that were in the district giving it the same smell that he could remember on his nose. The gentle touch of warm that he woke up to every few nights that Teddy cuddled into Chester in the middle of the night. His own security being put in the arms of Chester who was now dead. A stone cold grave waiting for his body to be buried in the ground.

The speech was rather dull, just like the rest of them. He didn't write them and he stuck to them most of the time, except for the occasional comment on how great someone was. Chester and Clementina were everywhere. They're looks following him around the district with every movement, pair of eyes, and sudden burst of emotions. Eyes look for family members of Chester and Clem, but he stops at the lone person who stands in the spot of where Chester's family was meant to be. A lone male who looked nothing like the Chester that he had promised to win for.

It confusing in his head, but now he can remember the coldness that Chester had first had. There's a reason for it, but Teddy may never know why Chester had no one. All he could do was watch the lone male as he finished the speech. Hands wrapping his coat a little tighter around his torso as he steps back letting the event end. Peacekeepers begin to try and push him back into the Justice Building for his safety, but the lone male approaches the stage.

"Thank you for showing him friendship and compassion. It means the world to me."

Teddy doesn't hesitate as he waves off the peacekeepers and climbs down from the stage to land on the ground in front of the lone male who seemed to know who Chester was. In some way or form, there was someone else who had cared for Chester like he had. A smile pulls to his lips, but falters at the thoughts of Chester like it always did. He's been avoiding the thoughts in his mind since escaping the arena, for fear of breaking down, but now he stood there with a small smile and the sorrow that lingers in his chest.

"Thank him for showing me friendship and compassion. It meant the world to me. Still does."

The chill that leaves his skin lingers along his back as he speaks again.

"C-Could you show me some of the places he would have been at? I wanna see who he was outside of the games."

He chokes down the tears that threaten to fall, but he could see the stranger had the same compassion for Chester as he did. And that was enough. Enough to give his walls an opening to someone else because he wanted to know him. He wanted to carry him upon his shoulders in every way. He wanted to be the man that Chester saw deep down in him.

He wanted to be the Teddy that Chester would have been proud of.