Pidgory Blinkoe | Capitol | GM

Pidgory Blinkoe had not been expecting anyone that afternoon and found himself in his study reading a memoir of a long since dead Games Victor when his wife rushed in frantic and bewildered, like a miniature hurricane with little sense of direction. Setting down his book, Blinkoe peered over the rims of his circular spectacles as his wife pattered on about something Blinkoe must of missed. “Averia, whatever is it?” He said with an almost frustrated sigh as she continued to babble “Slow down woman you sound like a parrot led to copy a sped up record!”

Averia paused and turned to look down at him, scowling ever so slightly that he had called her a woman. Averia Blinkoe was the daughter of the late Argun Hansen- a man known for his work as a Doctor and- more recently- his status as Capitole traitor for attempting to smuggle children from within the Capitol. A slender young woman, Averia was blessed with stunning dark brown eyes, waist length black hair and tawny coloured skin which was littered in delicate floral tattoos and despite appearances, was blessed with an intelligence for things that even Pidgory was jealous of. A sly little fox, with a smile that would win a thousand hearts over, Averia was- sadly- the wife that Pidgory never did really want. He had married her for social standing more than anything, that and to rid him of his pestering mother, but regardless he cared for her still even after all these years and everything they had struggled through.

She was a woman of many graces, her beauty being one of them, but her ability to remain calm was often not one of them. “He's here!” she exclaimed- a twinge of nerves hanging on her lips.

“Who’s here? Is it the grim reaper finally here to rid me of my mother” he quipped with a smile on his small, shrunken features. His wife- however- was not smiling.

“The President! President Snow!”

Blinkoe’s smile faltered for a second, briefly replaced by a look of nervousness and fear as his wife’s words slowly sunk in. Pidgory Blinkoe was no fool, in fact he had an higher than average IQ- not as high as his wife’s mind- and so knew that he would have preferred his wife to announce that the Grim Reapers had come for tea than President Snow. As someone who worked with dozen of Gamemakers in the past to ensure the traps and their subsequent tribulations ran smoothly, he knew that Snow was here for one of two reasons, neither of which had eventual desirable outcomes.

He looked to Averia, who was wringing her hands nervously, causing the tattoo’s on her hands and arms to ungulate as if they were dancing softly in some magical breeze. Reaching out for her hand, he touched it gently, giving her a soft and comforting look; she turned her gaze to his, and in that moment a thousand words lay unspoken between them, but they both understood.

Hopping off his chair, Blinkoe brushed himself off as he headed for the door to his office and out into the corridor with his wife at his heels. “Where is he?” He paused, answering himself before she could “The living room….” Folding his reading glasses away and settling them into his lapel pocket, Blinkoe paused briefly before walking out onto the landing which overlooked the vast white living room. Below, on the ivory couch, he saw platinum grey and a dark suited man waiting patiently for him. The scene was surreal- the grey clouds and grey buildings outside the tower painted a picture, it was as if Blinkoe had stepped into the heart of an old movie where colour was absent from the moving image. Blinkoe became very aware, as he hurried as fast as his little legs could carry him down he glastic spiral staircase that his palms were beginning to sweat.

He slipped on a comfortable expression as Snow turned, suddenly aware of Blinkoe and his wife’s presence. Pidgory smiled, eyes to lips to hide the fact he was somewhat afraid, extending his hand to the elderly gentleman as he reached the sofa.

“President Snow! Its an honour to have you in our home!” He said, quickly retracting his hand when the man didn't take up his offer to shake his hand. “Not one for handshakes? Nor am I really, can scarcely reach the hands of men I am offered to shake. Can I offer you something to drink? Some wine perhaps?”

“That would be splendid, thank you. I expect we may be here talking some time”

Blinkoe nodded, feeling as if he had a chain tugging at his throat. “Yes of course! Averia will fetch us some of our best” he shot a glance at Averia who grinned broadly, her ruby red lips spreading into a garish toothy smile, before she hurried off into the wine cellar (which was more like a wine closet given they lived on the 18th floor in a penthouse and did not have a cellar) before returning with a vintage red and two glasses. Pidgory could see that her hands were ever so slightly quivering as she began to pour out a glass under the watchful haze of Snow.

After the wine was poured and Averia had hurried off to do something other than linger in the room with the man who had ordered the death of her father, Blinkoe swirled his wine in his glass before taking a sip, watching as Snow simply watched him stoically. “I find that I get on very well with people who enjoy wine, I hear you have an affinity for the stuff.”

“You heard correctly” President Snow said, smiling thinly, finally taking a sip. “If I am not mistaken, this is a vintage from...circa the 30th Games?”

“Correct. It seems you do have a taste after all and the rumours are not just the gossip of wives. Pardon my questioning Mr Snow- may I call you that?” After Blinkoe received a nod of approval, he continued “- excellent. I mean no offence in asking this, but why are you here?”

Blinkoe sipped his wine as he waited for an answer. He knew that the President of Panem just didn't simply pop round someone's house for a spot of wine and small talk, he was here with purpose and reason; naturally Blinkoe was curious to see why.

“I am here to get to..” Snow paused, grinning slightly “get to know you better Mr Blinkoe.”

“Please call me simply Blinkoe if you must, Mr Blinkoe was my father” he said,pouring another glass of wine as he spoke "...Mr Snow. I am unsure what you have heard about me from your advisors- though I'm sure they each have told you intricate tales about where i came from. Undoubtedly you heard that I was raised by Lions in a Zoo, and you were probably also told I was raised by wolves in the wilderness after my mother abandoned me. Once I heard that I was not of this earth- an alien perhaps- but I can tell you, Mr Snow, that all you have heard about my past is mostly lies. Fantasies if you will- fantasies that are created by others because they cannot help but pity a tiny man and so to avoid such awkward glances during conversations held with myself they tell these stories to give me an upper edge, instil me with some ludecrious normality to make their lives that much easier"

"So...where do you come from Mr Blinkoe?"

"Oh well- I must admit it is quite dull compared to the extravagant falsehood that society paints me.” He smiled, taking a sip of his wine. “Firstly, I was not abandoned by my mother- in fact my mother is still alive and well, drinking my wine and draining my funds on what pretties she acquires on shopping trips. See, despite my stature and perhaps my monstrous appearance, my mother loves me dearly til this day though she won't admit it to anyone except myself. She was the youngest of my father's 5 wives- all of whom bore still born after stillborn for many years- so imagine my father's joy when my little sister was born! Yes, I know. I am not mistaken, my father took one look at me and wished that my mother had followed his other wives in suit. He was not cruel to me, but he didn't particularly pay much attention to me either. He was a tall man and I am- well- I am a short man and so perhaps he simply did not notice me. Truth be told he was far too busy making expensive hats to feed his wives expensive habits to pay attention to any of his children. Come to think of it, perhaps the mercury that took him to an early grave was the reason for my deformity and my step mother's losses...oh well it does not do one well to dwell on the past. My father ended up with 7 beautiful daughters from his 5 less than pretty wives and one hideous son to carry on the family name and business."

"And what happened to this business of your father's?" Snow asked, almost with a hint of curiosity in his sly tone

"Well I sold it didn't I? I am not sure you would be here in my company if I were a simple hat maker with the jitters. You see my father passed away some time ago, all when we were all in our 20's and I sold the business soon after while I was still climbing the ladder at Gamemaker HQ. But I suppose you already know all I have told you?” He looked at Snow, his grey eyes searching for an answer in the blank expression of the man across from him. “You must have read my file and you are either still sat there because this is my last confession before I am assassinated in my sleep for stealing printer ink or you are here to make me an offer I cannot refuse"

"You're correct Mr Blinkoe"

"About which one? I am hoping the latter since the initial statement was a joke." He chuckled slightly pausing to take a sip of his wine

“I am here to offer you a chance at becoming part of the team of Head Gamemakers for the 77th Games”

Blinkoe stopped mid sip. Swallowing, he set his glass down on the coffee table in front of him for the first time since the bottle has been opened. It was unlike Blinkoe to set his glass down before it was empty, let alone while the bottle was still half full and judging by the way the corners of Snow's lips twitched, like a cats who were eyeing a canary in a cage, Snow knew that.

After a moment, it was Snow who spoke.

“You have a daughter, don't you Blinkoe?” He spoke softly, the corners of his eyes creasing as he smile far too pleasantly “How is she?”

Blinkoe’s gaze shifted from the wine to Snow. If he was right about Snow, that he had read his file before coming here, then he would know about his daughter and her ailment...

It was then he realized that he didn't have much choice in this matter.

A from spread across Blinkoe’s face as he clapped his hands together in excitement “Kira will be absolutely elated that her Daddy is going to be a Gamemaker!”