one last blowout [tributes]

Will and I sat on my bedroom floor, a bottle of wine between the two of us and nail polish just as red. I have been trying to convince her to match my long sharp acrylics but no matter how much I threatened to slice her throat open with mine, she kept on refusing. At least she was letting me paint her nails to match the ones I wore.

Earlier that day we all seemed to receive a letter from eleven, not the one who bailed on our fight, but wannabee barbie that could not throw a punch to save her life. Even though I highly doubted that her ability to throw a party would be any better, I still told Will that our alliance should make an appearance and that I’d help her get ready. My little project has come a long way since last week, but there was still so much to do, and the time was ticking.

"There. " I sighed with a relieved smile on my face. "Isn’t that so much better, love? Now c’mon, I am certain this party will not match anything I am used to, but I guess we all must face genpop at some point. "

As we arrived at the party, I could see a few of the other tributes running about, mingling, and chatting away at a table littered with booze. At least the life-sized doll knew not to miss out on the most important part of the party. However, she stood at the front greeting everyone as we arrived. I guess she must not know that the host of the party is only to be seen in the VIP section. Greeting people is for the help.

"Oh, darling isn’t this just…quaint. " I proclaimed trying to do my best not to insult the host, it really is not her fault that she was born into a district that could not afford to have any fun. What can I say, a little bit of wine and I almost had some sympathy for the poor thing.

I turned back to face my friend, as I grabbed her hand, "Come on, Will love, let’s go get us some more drinks! I did promise you a good time after all! " I started to make my way towards the tower of drinks just calling my name.


                                            Table credits: Dars

I'm not invited to parties much. When your family is so closely associated with death, people tend to keep a wide berth. The tributes, unlike my classmates in district twelve, are not familiar with my family's profession. Two invitations in the span of a few days. First, for Xaa's rooftop meeting. Now, Elise is inviting me to something else. Leave it to her to want to throw some large party before we're all sent to our deaths. It's probably going to be photographed every which way to get her an extra sponsor.

When I got to the roof, I nodded at Elise and tried to move past her quickly. If I stopped for long enough, I'm sure she'd try to drag me into a social media post or give me a makeover. Neither of which sounds appealing right now. The other tribute from eleven is talking with her, the guy from ten looks like he's about to be attacked with factoids from Quentin, and Larissa hurries past me to make her escape. I'm about to follow in her wake until I see Xaa and Will standing near a table covered with drinks.

Making my way over to the only two people here I think I can stand right now, I look for the least nauseating thing on the table. Finally, I find a beer that's not sickly sweet or neon and I crack it open.

"Some party, huh," I say to them, looking at the crowd of misfits who found their way to the rooftop that night. Xaa clearly has had a drink or two already, and she seems less intimidating when she's not scheming. "Maybe Larissa has the right idea."

The letter goes to Xaa's apartment on the first floor which is...odd. It's like the Avoxes knew where she had been for the last three hours and as she looks at the red of her nails that matches Xaa's, she was sure they knew exactly where she had been spending her time. Stupid fucking tracker in her stupid fucking neck. Maybe she could convince Thomas to dig it out for her. He seemed handy with a scalpel.

She had been dragged, not necessarily kicking and definitely not screaming, to the Eleven apartments, following Xaa into the room that the girl from One commanded with a raised eyebrow, disdain dripping from her voice. Not that she didn't want to seem like she was One's arm candy, because that's definitely what she was, as Xaa grabs her hand, but she definitely didn't want to be seen as her special toy. The charity case.

That's definitely how people saw her. 

"Come on, Will love, let’s go get us some more drinks! I did promise you a good time after all!" She would rather slit her wrists. Spotting Krueger with a bottle of vodka in his hands and a grin on his face, Will inclines her head slightly in acknowledgment. Of all of the people she had met, he felt the most like home.

"Some party, huh?" Thomas drawls as he sidles up next to them. "Maybe Larissa has the right idea." Will smiles, eyes moving around the room, as she bends her head toward Thomas' ear.

"Think we can sneak out while Xaa's back is turned?" Will grabs a cup filled with...something. She didn't really want to drink it but she definitely wanted something to do with the hand that wasn't being held by Xaa. "Or d'ya think she would just flip a shit?"