a sort of welcome // [Colgate & Flynn]

Colgate.

Another year, another loss.

Not that he’s much for data, but Col’s pretty sure Nine’s the District that’s gone the longest without another victor. The thought tears at him on the best of days, and he tries not to see the scathing looks from the people who hold it against him. Everyone wants someone to blame their troubles on, and there are a hell of a lot of families in Nine that need someone to blame. If they start blaming shit on the Capitol, well, that’ll bring trouble. Colgate’s the next best thing, and he guesses he deserves it.

It’s taken him a while, but he’s gotten used to not blaming the other victors, at least. Mentally, he blames the Capitol, but he only says that kinda stuff in whispers with his family. Perhaps that’s why the relationship with Cordelia was so rocky -- it was hard to reconcile the part of himself that wanted love with the part of himself that saw her as a Capitolite through-and-through.

(But it was sort of his fault, too. He knows he’s not an easy person to be around, not after everything.)

So he’s been doing what he can to hang in there. It’s been 20-some years since he won his Games, and falling out of the public eye has been a godsend. Well, at least in regards to the Capitolites who like their news stories. He’s never going to be out of the public eye in District Nine, not when he’s the only Victor they’ve had for as long as some people have been alive. Some current victors weren’t even born when he won. Colgate will let them have the attention; he’s over it.

Still, he’s always curious about the new victors that arrive on the train. This year’s is named Flynn Garner. He’s from Six, and he’s got that same war-torn kinda look that they’ve all got. When the Capitol lackies are parading him around for the good of the District (or whatever the purpose is of these demonstrations), Col decides that he’ll try to be welcoming instead of indifferent.

He gets his chance after the speeches and the obnoxious publicity act. Col’s not entirely sure this is allowed, but he does it anyway -- he strides toward the victor and his entourage once they've exited the stage set up before the Justice Building.

”I’m Colgate,” he says, nodding politely at the boy and then at his team. ”Victor from the 66th Games. Do you have time before you have to be off to the next District?”


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ooc: sorry, no formatting today, as my internet is Going Through It and I didn't trust it to open another page