Vybe swore under their breath and piled more food onto their plate. Still nowhere near as much as the insane about Jule planned on eating, but more than they'd ever had in one go. They raised an eyebrow at Jule. "Do I look like I come from somewhere rich? You're one of the kids that broke into the Mayor's house, aren't you?"
Jule cocked a brow, momentarily stopping the piling of food on her plate. She pinned Vybe with a stare that was merely assessing. Almost bored, if she had anything to say about it. Perhaps, though, it came off a little bothered as well. "Yeah, so what? Prick should share some of his liquor with the poor." Not that she was necessarily someone poor. Her parents had enough cash for the three of them. And yet, Jule only ever made us of it in the worst ways. And now? Never again. "Ever gotten black out drunk on the mayor's neck? Would help you a lot, I'd reckon."
Vybe had never more ridiculous in their entire life. A light bulb really? This felt like some weird revenge for having absolutely to say to the stylists when they all met. They could barely walk. The stylist team had needed to physically lift Vybe up onto the chariot.
"I think our stylists might actually hate us." Vybe muttered to Jule as they forced themselves to smile and wave as they chariot began to move. "Do you think it's too late to vote them into the Games instead of us?"
Jule snickered and made some sort of sly comment that Vybe lost to the noise of the crowd. At least this would be the worst of the noise, right? That helped. The interviews were quiet and the Games were the Games. They could just make it through this horrible costume and this awful parade. Then they could focus on trying to survive.
Of course, Cab considered it. Knowing the game makers, they probably just wanted to gloat. It wasn't like the Capitol had much in the way of greenspace so what better way to prove that no expense would be spared for the games? Still, he kept that to himself. Snow and his minions had ears in places where you'd least expect it.
"This space was barren when I first came here. It's all supposed to boost morale," he said as if they weren't risking their lives regardless if there were a few potted plants there or not. "Do you have a lot of plant life where you're from? We don't get much of it in Six."
Looking to the side, Jule couldn't help but quirk a brow at Cab Bogey. Cab Bogey of all people, victor of the 13th Hunger Games. "And what boosted your morale, when you got here? Can't imagine a fucking plant garden made much of a difference." She'd watched Cab's Games. A junkyard, a scenario frighteningly plausible. "We don't," she shook her head. "Plants are a thing in some places in Five, but it's a lot more urabn than rural. What... what about Six?"
Jule's plate had so much food. Vybe didn't know how she'd managed it, but she was probably going to survive these Games better than they were. Vy swallowed around the lump in their throat and grabbed a few rolls and something that looked like fish. That was a good start, right?
"Do you think we'll get to take it with us?" Maybe with less people around they'd finally be able to eat.
"Nah," she snorted, piling more onto her plate. Too much was better than too little, at least that way she wouldn't have to worry about going hungry in case they cleared out the buffet early. "We definitely won't. Eat now, or wait until next time they serve us something." Jule glanced sideways, giving Vybe a sweeping up and down look. "Where do you come from? Somwhere rich or some shit?"
Since she had been completely lost the whole day, Blossom decided to just roam and explore. She was careful to not going into any restricted areas or off-limit areas to make sure she didn't get into trouble. Feeling that her tour was coming to an end, she walked up every step that was in the stairwell. Curiosity struck as she wondered was the top floor of the facility would be. It had to be something great.
As Blossom walked out the door and entered the rooftop, she almost gasped. The view of the Capitol around her was breath-taking. The plotted plants and flower also made this the best place ever. It almost felt like home. As she wandered further, she noticed another person had found their way to the roof. She hesitated for a moment but when they began speaking to her, Blossom walked over and placed her hands on the railings.
"That sounds like a possibility." She said with a small giggle. "I'm sure the plants are much happier up here instead of being in some stuffy apartment with artificial lighting, anyway." Blossom then shrugged. "And we get to see them, so that's a win for us."
The cheerful demeanor the other tribute carried made Jule's sour a little further. No other reason than the smallest bit of petulance. "Sure. I suppose if they're getting watered by blood instead of water, they're already quite distinguished." Her voice came out bitter and challenging, wanting to know how the other girl would react. It sounded macabre, but no matter how metaphorically, one of them might be water for the metaphorical plants soon. Advertisements, campaigns, victory tours and balls. "Does that make the plans more distinguished than the blood watering them, though?"
Her fingers wrapped around the metal of the fence that surrounded the rooftop. Jule leaned her forehead against the cool surface, looking out over the lower rooftops of the city as her teeth sank into her bottom lip.
When she looked back towards the expanse of the rooftop, a person had joined the sad collection of potted plants. "D'you think someone just had a couple too many of these dumb plants in their apartment and was looking for a place to dispose of them?" she halfheartedly joked. "Seems like it."
where; the cafeteria of the Tribute Facility
whomst; open
Vybe was staring. They knew it. But god, where on earth did the Capitol get so much food? According to their Mentor they needed to fatten up before the Games started but they could only do that if they made up their mind as to what to eat. This just felt excessive. Vybe didn't even recognize most of it.
"We're really allowed to eat any of this?" They asked incredulously. "This feels like some kind of test. Or trap. Or both? Probably both."
Vybe stared at the food, as though undecided on what to choose to eat.
Jule did not have the same issue.
She piled things onto her plate, whether she recognized them or not. This was her opportunity to feast the way she only ever had when the occupants of whatever home she'd stepped into weren't home. Even then, it wasn't the same sort of opulance.
"Anything and everything. C'mon, I doubt we'll have all day. Before they clear this all away and herd us back to our rooms."
"As for the female Tribute for District 5... Jule Maxwell."
Jule would've snorted in disbelief had she not felt so numb in that moment. Blood rushing in her ears as she made her way through the suffocating crowd, people of all ages mingled in the Reaping square. A minute minute sigh of relief seemed to leave them as a collective, some looking at her pityingly, some with satisfaction, the rest not at all.
She shoulder checked a girl who didn't get out of her way on her own who smirked to her friends as Jule passed by.
Jule had to grit her teeth too keep the venomous words from passing over her tongue, clenched her hands to fists while walking towards the stage.
Up there, she was met with much of the same. What surprised her, was that they mayor himself, who had blown their entire shared story up like he had, didn't look at her.
Perhaps he simply wouldn't. Or, he couldn't.
Perhaps, he hadn't quite considered that her choice had merely robbed him of an expensive bottle of booze. His choice would kill her.
Jule shook Vybe's hand on stage, glancing at them for only a moment before they were both herded off towards the train. She didn't yet know why they were here, but Jule knew she would find out one way or another. It seemed the people from Five voted with hatred in their heart. It would not surprise her if it were the same when it came to Vybe.
Did that make them allies, though?
She pondered that thought as she sat in a seat near the window of the train, watching the landscape flit by. An electronic cage, moving at high speed.
Allies or not, she probably wouldn't be able to trust anyone.
Lies looked better gilded, but they were lies nonetheless.
✗ CONFIDENTIAL TRIBUTE FACILITY SIGN UP SHEET records the attendance of JULE MAXWELL, a TRIBUTE from DISTRICT 5. The applicable authorities may note, that the 21 year old FEMALE / SHE/HER/HERS is SHREWD, PERSISTENT, AND RESILIENT, but has also been known to be DISHONEST, AVOIDANT, AND CHAOTIC. Similarities in appearance can be seen with MARGARET QUALLEY. According to previous reports, they’re often associated with the gleam of neon lights in a dingy bar, sneaking out through a window at night and a suddenly empty pocket after passing someone on the street.
BIO
Jule Maxwell grew up well.
Well, in this sense, meant that the family’s house was large in comparison to most others in District 5. Well, for her, meant that her parents kept jobs that paid so well that Jule did not particularly care to get and keep her own.
Well, in this case, did not mean that Jule grew up to be who her parents would have liked her to be. She looked for the thrill in everything she did with her life. It started out with little things. Sneaking out at night to meet up with friends that lived on the other side of town and led lives so very different from her own. Ditching work to pursue spontaneous whims and subsequently being let go from each after some time.
Then, it evolved into bigger things.
Pickpocketing provided small doses of adrenaline that got more and more addictive after each time she did it, slipped her fingers into someone’s coat pocket and retrieved whatever was in there. Wallets, small knick-knacks, and more. Somewhere down that road, it escalated into bigger things. The friend group snuck into the houses of the wealthy, foregoing security measures and guard dogs. They didn’t steal there, but they raided fridges and booze cabinets, indulging in whatever the scenery they were at offered.
Each and every time, she got away with it.
Coming out with zero repercussions would give anyone a big head, but Jule only cared about chasing the next high.
The downfall came, when the group set their eyes on the mayor’s house.
They got in like they did every other time. Slipping in through a window, foolishly unguarded, and went for the liquor cabinet first. The mayor had an array of the best whiskey available in Panem, displayed pristinely and almost proudly. This time, Jule and the others indulged a little too much. Drunkenness made them careless, and what happened next remained in Jule’s memory as a blur. They got caught, there was a tussle.
The next morning, Jule woke up behind bars.
Her parents paid the fee to get her out while her friends remained in prison, while Jule was ordered community service. The case was highly publicized, the Maxwell family in shambles.
On her own, Jule faced anger from other residents in the city, as though bottled up wrath had finally found an outlet.
When her name was called at the Reaping for the 25th Hunger Games, Jule felt that thrill go through her limbs again.
I don't want to be me anymore, lord, help me be better
1 Fydoror Dostoevsky "the insulted and humiliated" // 2 Rainer Maria Rilke Rilke's book of hours:love poems to God // 3 Ethel Cain strangers // 4 Jihyun Yun some are always hungry // 5 icon for hire happy hurts // 6 Alice Notley from in the pine: poems; "in the pines" // 7 Edward Hopper interior, model reading (1925) // 8 Julien Baker Guthrie // 9 Clementine Von Radics dream girl "sweet the sound" // 10 Bao Phi Thousand star hotel "vocabulary" // 11 unknown // 12 Phoebe Bridgers funeral // 13 Yves Olade belovéd // 14 unknown // 15 Julien Baker everybody does // 16 Anne Sexton a self-portrait in letters // 17 pat the bunny I'm not a good person // 18 unknown // 19 Julien Baker sour breath
