II. Sapphira and Liana

     Sapphira Starlett. 18.

Victor of The 25^th Hunger Games. 

Mentors’ Lounge. 10:15.

Jealous.

Sapphira wishes that wasn’t how she felt as she watched the final moments of the 26^th Annual Hunger Games. There’s no reason for her to feel so jealous, yet Sapphira Starlett can’t help it. It’s just that her finale was… bland, or at least it was in comparison to the movie occurring on the high-definition screens in the Mentors’ lounge. 

In hindsight, the final moments of the 25^th Games were far from the picture-perfect film ending Sapphira had always dreamed of. Her victory was almost too easy… just her and the boy from Eight a few feet away from the marble building that housed the Cornucopia after being led there by yetis. Which didn’t even make the slightest bit of sense, yetis in the presence of what was otherwise a rather urban arena. It felt out of place, Sapphira’s victory was out of place. And she would keep reminding herself of it by watching it on film in her living room in hopes that it would be more satisfactory this time.

It didn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter. Sapphira Starlett is alive and that’s enough. 

(It would never be enough.)

The end of the 26^th Games is different. Sapphira’s sprawled out on a leather sofa and she’s watching it all happen on top of a volcano. This arena is far better than hers was, and this victory will taste sweeter to whoever it’s for.

Two Tributes are left. There’s Liana Taylor, the girl from Three and Sapphira is shocked to see her there. She never had any allies, not even in training, yet here she is in the final two. And she’s a menace. Liana Taylor is fifteen years old and she’s a menace. Sapphira thought that her escapades of drama and lust in the arena were a masterpiece of cinema, yet Liana’s somehow got her beat. It seems like she isn’t even trying. The Careers kidnapped her and put her on their ship and Sapphira thought it would surely be her end. Yet it wasn’t; she jumped off the ship and set it ablaze. It was a breathtaking display of showmanship and it was just Liana Taylor’s beginning. 

She was feral almost, she took a knife to the girl from Ten’s neck and examined her veins in her hands before the hovercrafts came. It was a game to her almost. She turned the girl from Ten into nothing more than her prey, and she looked at the sky with a manic smile that said she enjoyed it. Sapphira never did such a thing during her Games, surely her time in the spotlight was coming to a close. 

And now she was on top of a volcano with Eros. 

Eros Fortuna, District One, the boy Sapphira mentored. He’s made mistakes. Sapphira’s seen him make millions of mistakes. He left his ally to the girl from Four who maimed him and slaughtered her like he didn’t even care. Eros was reckless, but maybe that would be enough for him to win. Maybe his unhinged way of dancing through life would have him come out on top. There had to be a reason that he was the lone survivor of Lana Lotus’ reign of terror, Mags Flannagan tapping Sapphira on the back after she was eaten by a scylla and saying, “She was awful; I’m rooting for your boy.”

The other Mentors said similar. They said Eros had star potential and if Liana’s meek nature during her interviews was any indicator, she sure didn’t. They said she’d be the type of Victor who’d be forgotten after their Games, and Sapphira feared she’d be forgotten alongside. Yet Eros, if Eros won then Sapphira would still be a star. Two Victors from One in two consecutive years and Sapphira played a part in both. Eros wouldn’t be this close to winning without her, and yes he’d get attention when he came out of the arena, but he would ultimately be a star in Sapphira’s constellation. The same couldn’t be said about Liana.

So here they are, on top of a volcano, neither knowing what to do. The girl from Seven died just twenty minutes prior when Eros speared her in the abdomen and people are telling Sapphira he’s got it in the bag.

“He’s just got to push her in,” Micah Fairforge, her overcast shadow from Two says as he walks by the back of the couch, “Three is tiny; it shouldn’t take much work.”

She’s never been the biggest fan of Micah yet she appreciates him just this once. He’s right after all, the only thing Eros needs to do is give her a little shove and then it’ll all be over.

Liana doesn’t seem to think the same. She’s fearless and she’s digging tiny holes in the sides of the volcano’s rim and she’s using her foot to kick the dust into the basin. Sapphira has no idea what Liana’s doing but she sure does. 

Is she trying to..? No, she can’t be.

Eros approaches Liana. Good boy, knows what he should be doing. Should let her waste time playing in the dirt when he can easily cause her end. 

Liana looks up. She isn’t afraid of the Career boy. It’s almost like she didn’t even notice he was there and even if she did his presence didn’t mean a thing to her. Seems she’s going to continue doing whatever it is she’s doing until Eros gets too close.

Sapphira realizes what she’s doing. She’s kicking the dirt back into the volcano and causes an eruption. Such a terribly smart girl. And Eros has no clue what’s happening. And he doesn’t have his spear. Where the hell did his spear go? Probably rolling on the mountain or stuck in Seven’s stomach somehow. It doesn’t matter. He can still easily push her. Why isn’t he pushing her?

“I don’t deserve this,” The monitors pick up sound from a microphone by Eros, “I’m so sorry.” 

In any other Games, Sapphira would be watching this moment alongside the other finalists Mentor yet Three no longer has one. Pascal Packard faded with the dust and Sapphira can’t feel sorry for him, though District Three won’t have a Victor Mentor next year if she has her way with this.

But why is Eros sorry? He’s a Career, a future Victor, and he was born to do this. 

Liana takes advantage of his moment of remorse and comes closer to Eros. She sweeps the dust with her feet until a cloud of smoke forms and neither of them can likely see a thing. Not even the cameras can see much. But Eros’ head is spinning and Liana is huffing and puffing like she’s practiced this. She brushes the ground again until smoke pours out of the volcano followed by a deafening sizzle and the fire of a cannon.

But who’s it for? Sapphira doesn’t know who fell into the volcano and who made it out because the smog is too thick for her or anybody to see. She suspects Eros will walk out of the smog in a minute after successfully pushing Liana in yet it never happens. 

The smog eventually clears and there’s a disheveled body passed out on the ground. Cameras zoom into locks of red hair and Lucky Flickerman’s voice plays through the speakers.

“Presenting the Victor of the 26^th Annual Hunger Games… Liana Taylor, Tribute from District Three.”

And Sapphira’s in disbelief. Everybody in the Mentors’ lounge is clapping for the newest Victor but Sapphira doesn’t clap. She’s in disbelief. Eros should’ve won. He should’ve been the body being lifted from the arena on a hellicraft instead of Liana Taylor and all Sapphira feels is jealous.

The world’s fading to black and white for her. The color is gone just like her spotlight. Nobody’ll care about Sapphira Starlett because nope, it’s now all about this fifteen year old girl who didn’t rely on anybody else the way Sapphira did.

And she’ll have to be there when they crown her.

Sapphira will have to watch Coriolanus Snow who’s inauguration she performed at take her crown, her fame off her head and place it on Liana’s head. And just like that, Sapphira Starlett’ll be gone. Nothing once more, just the girl she was back in One. An addict, a bimbo, nothing short of a loser.

She’s just supposed to deal with it. Be happy for Liana even. Congratulate her. Yet she can’t find that in herself. All Sapphira finds is jealousy for the girl she could have been. A killer ending for a killer Victor, an underdog surprise that the people will love. She can do nothing about it. The album contracts and the film deals will soon fade to black like her and she’ll be stuck with herself.

It’s scary. She doesn’t know who “herself,” is even after being alone in her basement watching movies for all those years. 

All Sapphira Starlett knows is the jealous and undeserving addict who peaked too quickly and that’ll never be enough.

__________

Liana Taylor. 15.

Victor of The 26^th Hunger Games.

Ravenstill Square. 23:42.

Liana’s never been as overwhelmed as she is right now.

Cameras, lights, they’re all on her and she feels like she’s choking harder then she did when she was in the presence of the gas just that very day.

How was that just today? Time no longer feels real to Liana Taylor. It didn’t in the arena and it sure doesn’t now. It seems like she’s been on the stage of the Capitol for her whole fifteen years of living, or at least like none of the time before that even mattered. Has anything ever mattered? Will anything ever matter again?

Liana doesn’t know what’s going to happen when she gets home and she’s terrified. Her parents will hug her and say something alone the lines of “We’re so proud of you sweetheart,” and she’ll stare at them in confusion because they have no reason to be proud. She sure isn’t proud of the blood on her hands and the ashes in her throat. And her parents won’t actually be proud of her. Who from Three is proud of their daughter who set two boys ablaze and slit through a girl’s neck like it was putty. Liana doesn’t know who that is.

Yet people are clapping for her because they seem to know who that is and they like who that is too. They like the monster that Liana hardly recognizes and wants so badly to be gone. And she’s scared, she’s scared that they’ll exploit that monster and make a show out of it. She doesn’t want to be a show she just wants to be normal. Liana’s never been normal and she never thought she would want to be normal. She never thought she wouldn’t want to be.

She’s popular now though, people seem to love her and the one word answers she gave to Lucky during her interview. She heard an older lady passing by and saying “Oh, she is just so adorable,” and it’s all so new to Liana. The kids at school… they thought Liana was weird, a freak. She embraced it too. She didn’t need to be liked by them. She’s always been best off alone after all. It’s how she won the Games and it’s how she plans to live the rest of her life however short she fears that’ll be.

Liana smiles at the people who wave at her as she walks back to the Victor’s suite so she can finally sleep again. Lysistrata Vickers and Clemensia Dovecote escort her and all she wants to do is be asleep. If she’s asleep then she can forget, and all Liana Taylor wants to do is forget.

“We should introduce you to somebody,” Lysistrata stops in her path and Liana is too afraid to say that she doesn’t want to meet anybody else, “I reckon you’ll be spending a fair bit of time here at the Capitol over the years and it would be nice for you to know a few people.”

“It wouldn’t be nice,” is what she wants to say but instead Liana inquires, “Oh?”

 “Who are you referring to Lys?” Clemensia asks her wife.

“The other Victors, or at least one of them,” She squeezes her hand and smiles, “Liana’s going to be a Mentor alongside them, she might as well know them before hand.”

Liana wants nothing less than to meet the other Victors. Sure, they went through the exact same thing as her, but she’s different. They’re all happy and cheery and they praise the Capitol with glee while all Liana can do is hurt. There’s a chance it’s all fake of course and they too are miserable, but it’s not like they’ll admit that to her. Why would they even want to deal with some child anyways? The last thing Liana wants to think about is mentoring other Tributes anyways. She just wants to forget the Games ever happened. But she’s not allowed to.

The wives guide her into a corridor of the same building that houses their office and lead her into a room with a red velvet sofa and two leather chairs. They tell her to sit on one of the chairs, relax with a cup of the warm tea that’s brewing from a white ceramic pot in the center of the room, maybe enjoy a piece of the biscotti. But Liana doesn’t want any of it. She just wants to sleep.

“She should be here any minute now,” Clemensia’s gone to get whoever they want Liana to wait so now she’s alone with Lysistrata, “Sorry if it’s late for you. I just think you need to meet this person. It’ll help you in the future.”

Finally. Some sort of consideration for the fact that thirteen hours ago I thought I was going to die and I don’t want to have tea and cookies this late at night. Not that it matters since I’m going to have to stay here no matter what.

Liana didn’t get who the hell would be so important that she had to meet her practically in the middle of the night but she knew it was best if she didn’t ask any questions.

So she tried to make the best of the scenario, have a piece of the biscotti (which admittedly was way better than the crunchy pasta she had in the arena) and wait for Clemensia to open the heavy oak door and walk inside the room with a tall brunette girl with dazzling hazel eyes and a shimmery blue dress. 

Liana knows who she is. She’s Sapphira Starlett, District One, last year’s Victor. And unlike Liana, Sapphira looks like a Victor, walks like a Victor, and probably talks like one too. She’s everything Liana isn’t and everything Eros from One would have been if he was there instead.

Oh that’s right… I killed the boy she was mentoring earlier today. She understands… right? She’s not going to be mad at me… right?

Sapphira approaches the ever-nervous Liana who gets up from the sofa and extends her hand, “Hi my name is Liana.” Her voice is softer than usual. She’s so scared. She hates meeting new people.

“I know,” Sapphira’s instantly turned off by her it seems and Liana can’t figure out why, “And I trust you know who I am?”

“Sapphira Starlett?” Liana asks, noting that Sapphira looks fursterated, “You won last year.”

“I’ll leave you girls to get to know each other then,” Lysistrata leaves with Clemensia through the door.

Liana still doesn’t quite get what she has to be meeting with Sapphira. Thinks it’s pointless and Sapphira does too. Are they supposed to get along? Bond about their trauma or something? Judging by her appearance, Sapphira doesn’t seem to have any. That’s how Liana wishes she would be if she wished she was a Victor at all. But she still doesn’t want to be a Victor.

“I did indeed, darling,” Sapphira’s voice is a delicate butterfly soaring through the winds with self importance, a symphony even, “How’s the Capitol treating you?”

It’s all superficial, Liana’s sure of it. Why would Sapphira actually care about how she’s doing? She clearly doesn’t want to be there just as much as Liana doesn’t. But Liana doesn’t want to make a scene so she lies.

“It’s really quite lovely,” She gushes, unsure that she’s doing a good enough job at pretending to be content, “What’s life like you know… after you win?”

Liana’s actually been rather curious about this but she doesn’t think Sapphira will give her a genuine answer. She’s just so… superficial. If only Liana could be the same.

“It’s grand,” Sapphira’s clearly hiding something but Liana doesn’t want to bother pushing to find out what it is, “I’m sure you’re so relieved to be done with the Games.”

“Thrilled,” Liana isn’t lying, as much as she hates being Victor and as much as she would have preferred never going to the Game at all, this is inarguably the best possible outcome even if she feels the worst, “It’s nice not worrying about dying every minute of the day.”

“Oh you’ll still worry,” is what Liana swears she hears Sapphira say under her breath but when she inquires about it she’s dismissed with a, “I didn’t say anything. Not being in the arena is splendid, I agree.”

So Liana begins to assume there’s more to Sapphira Starlett then what she’s leading at, yet she knows she’ll never know the truth. Sapphira’s embarrassingly closed off it seems, as bold and flamboyant as she is, Liana can tell it actually is fake. She can tell that in a weird way Sapphira is just as resentful as she is.

“So I’ll be fine then,” Liana hopes for at least a smidgen of connection, some sort of confirmation that she isn’t alone in her suffering, that somebody else actually relates to her, “As odd as I feel now, I’ll be fine like you eventually?”

“You think I’m fine?” Sapphira whispers at herself again before speaking louder, “Of course you’ll be fine, doll. You’re a Victor and the world is your stage. Embrace the spotlight.”

“Oh.”

Liana never will. She’ll never once be proud of herself, happy that she belongs to the Capitol now and has to return every year. She’s a monster, it’s time she faced it. And a monster can’t be left alone untamed. No matter how Sapphira acts about it, Liana’s life isn’t a movie and she doesn’t want to be the star.