blinding lights | andal&flynn
May 30, 2023 14:26:55 GMT -5
Post by ☢️ on May 30, 2023 14:26:55 GMT -5
I grew callouses for the Capitol’s blinding lights but my near year of self-seclusion has softened them.
There is barely enough time to settle in my mentees before I am already attending the first item of the mile long agenda that has been written up for me as a punishment. Moon has filled me in on the first event,The Sparklers – a private welcoming party with two very special guests of honour. ”And why am I one of the guests of honour?”
”You know why, you have a lot of events to catch up on after last year’s absence. There will be a lot of cameras, make sure you smile.” Moon wipes something off my forehead with his thumb, likely an outcast spec of glitter that the stylist plastered me in earlier.
And Moon is right, there are a lot of cameras here, as soon as I am welcomed to the private event in a hired-out club in Saturn City, I am passed around like a fresh out of the womb baby posing for selfies and short video reels. The muscles on my cheeks are beginning to ache but then a champagne chute is shoved in my hand for the next photograph, one I must clink glasses for before the flash of the camera. ”Drink up Flynn! There is glitter in the drink, look!” The Capitolite swirls my forearm, along with the contents of the glass that sparkles with the motion. ”Is that even safe to drink?”
”Of course it is!” And the overdone it on the eyeshadow Capitolite necks his own drink and grabs another from the tray of a passing by waiter, it seems to be the only beverage on the menu for this party. Whatever it is, I guess I will have glittery shit to look forwards too in the morning.
There is a small break in the selfies, all attention is on the second guest of honour that I am sharing this party with, Andal Searley. One of the victors that I wish to actually put effort in to get to know, despite my year long set back we have exchanged a few short words. Advice on colleges and he was the last one I brought to Dale’s Dinner. Maybe I will bring this year’s victor, I don’t know yet.
”Say cheese!”
Breaks are short lived in the Capitol.
The DJ changes up the mood in the club and the attendees focus on the dancefloor, rather than taking pictures with Andal and I. Before I am scooped up as some middle-aged man’s dance partner, I grab the chance to share some whining with the one person I have any kind of similarities with here.
”They overdosed you on the glitter too, huh?” I say to Andal, his stylists must have got the same memo as mine. That ever-familiar District Ten-edged look, even if the Capitol did design it themselves is painted with as much fabricated powder as my own. We are both the same age, but he definitely looks older than me. Probably more mature too. Like Johnny was. District Ten has always been on my radar; it will be when my travel ban is done. Veterinary medicine and to finally have a taste of District Ten burgers from its source, something to compare to Dale’s grilled patties.
I lean past Andal, ditching the champagne chute on the sticky table that is already carrying spilt drinks.
”Do you think they will notice if their two guest of honours disappear? I will be blind before the night ends if they flash anymore cameras in my face.” I lean my back against the sticky table, rubbing shoulders with Andal as a few Capitolites nudge past us to get to the neon flashing dance floor. ”They look like they have forgotten about us, but we will have to get through that dance floor if we do want to get out of here.” If all I know, Andal might just be enjoying all of this and it will be a solo escape. There is a reason why he was chosen as the second guest while I am on Capitol probation. ”Unless you want to dance? There is not much else to do here, the drinks suck!”
