A release of air, the quiet exhale of relief that came with kindness. Cress did not think herself worthy of it -- people were not traditionally gentle with toys. But Bobbi had extended her something precious, an offering she would not forget: understanding, however small. Her breathing hitched with the idea of a laugh, but it didn't quite make its way up from her lungs. "We're only able to see the things in others that we see in ourselves. The sharper the observation, the more prevalent the self-loathing in the observer." Domitia had told her that when she'd come home, a half-human thing. Cressida, the vibrant girl from One -- now a lifeless creature, body half-healed, dead behind the eyes. She had so much hate. For herself, for others, for the Games. Time had healed most of those wounds.
"What do you think it is about us that craves to be seen?" Cress was admiring herself in the mirror, gaze reverential upon Bobbi's creation. It was perfect, a masterpiece complete. She lifted her chin, straightened her spine, wishing to become a deserving host. Perhaps her inquiry was rhetorical in nature, though perhaps it was not. The night felt quickly impending, time unraveling faster now than it once had. In the mirror's reflection, she could see part of Lex's costume, discarded on the bed. An omen for what had passed, for what was still to crumble, to come. "Well, we'll certainly have them looking tonight," Cress turned, taking Bobbi's hands appreciatively in her own. "And tomorrow, we'll have them talking too. Thank you, Bobbi. I feel beautiful. I owe that to you."
Bobbi stepped back, taking time to admire her creation and the beauty who would be showing it off. It was a masterful collaboration, if she did say so herself. However, you'd never guess it from the stern look on Bobbi's face. She turned abruptly and began packing away her tools - her pins and her clasps, the spare jewels and thread. Cress' question caught her as she was putting things away.
"We are creatures of senses. Sensual. We have eyes - we want to be seen. Ears, we want to be heard. Skin, to be touched. Lips. All of it. It's not any one part of us that wants it - it is our entire being." She spoke with her back to Cress, the faux anonymity lending confidence to her speech. After a breath, she turned to face her creation again, smiling as Cress took her hands.
She was beautiful, this woman. She found herself caught by Cress' eyes - the clarity and openness with which Cress seemed to live her life. She squeezed her hands, feeling her own walls and life building inside. "We're Victors, Cress. We went into those Arenas and so much - so much - was taken from us. So people like us? Like you and me? We owe nothing to anyone. We've already paid in full."
Bobbi forced another tight-lipped smile onto her face before releasing Cress and turning back to her things. "You look stunning. I'm sure we'll see each other at the Ball tonight." With one final nod, Bobbi took her workbag and exited the First Floor lounge. After all - she had to prepare herself as well.















