The Hunger Games party was not at all what Lucy Gray had anticipated. Instead of the blared music and blinding lights she had envisioned, the room was filled with a stifling silence and large round tables, each filled with someone who looked important. She would have felt more comfortable in the former.

The dancefloor, far from being crowded and vibrant, was practically deserted, with people only using it to get to the buffet table. It was a stark contrast to the pulsating energy she had imagined. Lucy Gray couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment as she gazed around the lackluster party venue.

Before she could really feel any more disappointment, a peacekeeper grabbed her firmly by the arm and whisked her towards her seat. Faces passed in a blur as she walked towards her table. People had clothes that Lucy Gray had to actively dodge due to how sharp the edges looked. She could hear laughing somewhere in the distance and had a rather uncomfortable feeling that this laugh was directed at her.

When she got to the seat, she felt extreme uneasiness around her. The seat seemed to be made out of pure gold, completely reflective, four spindles going down the back. As she pulled out her chair, the coolness of it made her jump slightly. Now that she thought about it, it was quite cool in the hall, even though she felt on fire.

She pulled down the back of her dress, ensuring it didn’t ride up on her as she took her seat. Her thoughts were racing as she continued to look at her lap, the chair she was sitting on pulled out from the table. Voices from all around her consumed her, too many to focus in on any one. Her hands felt rather soaked by the time she had brought herself back to earth.

Then something snapped her out of it. She raised her head sharply, smelling the distinct smell of roses. As she raised her head, she found herself face to face with a young man, seemingly of similar age. She had now became aware of how far out of the table she must be sitting, she quickly pulled herself in.

He had a buzzed head, but enough hair to tell that he was a natural blonde. He wore a white suit with a rose in the top pocket, a black undershirt and white tie. His eyes were the bluest eyes Lucy Gray has ever seen, and for a moment she just couldn’t help but not look away.

“Hello,” The boy said just above a whisper. It felt like an intimate greeting. He brought her hand to his mouth as he gently kissed them, a usual capitol tradition Lucy had assumed. His hands were rough and warm. “I’m Coriolanus.”

Before she had gotten the chance to reply, she was ambushed with questions for other people at the table. “Lucy Gray?! What an honor to be sat next to crowds favourite!” A boy in blue screamed from across the table, leaning over and reaching to her in a dramatic way. His eyelashes were the longest eyelashes Lucy Gray had ever seen, his blue suit was so reflective she could almost make herself out.

Before she knew it, all of the blue boys mates were surrounding her and Coriolanus had disappeared from her sight. What must he think of her? Someone who craves fame, attention? That couldn’t have felt further from the truth.

"So, Lucy Gray," the boy began before being interrupted by a girl who looked eerily similar to him. "The way you did your hair was-" a girl with yellow ribbons throughout her hair chimed in excitedly, admiration twinkling in her eyes, "impeccable."

Beside them, a man sitting next to the blue boy joined in with his own comment, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Absolutely brutal! Hitting him so hard-" he started, only to be interrupted by another girl who added, her voice filled with emotion, "I cried!"

The conversation swirled around Lucy Gray as multiple voices merged into one, each person wanting to share their thoughts and reactions. It was chaotic, with words colliding and overlapping, creating a whirlwind of excitement and curiosity.

Lucy Gray tried her best to keep up, but it felt like a whirlpool of words pulling her in different directions. She glanced around the table, unsure of how to respond amidst the flurry of comments. The room seemed to spin as the conversation continued, and she found herself longing for a moment of calm amidst the chaos.

Before she could respond to any of the comments, they all had already moved on to talking about the shirt that the President was wearing.

After a beat, she heard Coriolanus’ voice. “Lucy Gray, is it?” It was a whisper in her ear, demanding her attention. Ensuring it doesn’t get lost in the noise of the room.

She span round to face him, smiling widely. “Coriolanus!” She said a little too loudly for how close they were. Now that she was close to him, she noticed how full his lips are, and how he has a dimple on the side of his mouth when he smiles. He stood at least a foot taller than her, and normally she would be intimidated, but she felt protected. Like nobody could creep up behind her.

She feared he would’ve been put off by her brashness, but instead he looked at his shoes and give out a little chuckle before meeting her eyes again. He gave a quick scan of the area around him, moving in close to Lucy Gray. “You wanna see the garden?” He asked quietly.

“Absolutely.” She had responded at the same level this time, best not to bring attention to herself.

Coriolanus took her hand in his, guiding her towards the door that leads to the garden. The smell of rain filled Lucy Grays nose as she started to get excited about something for once - she was happy to escape the smell of sweet perfume and the sounds of fake, high pitched laughter.

After dodging a few people, and having to change the pace often, they were finally outside. Coriolanus let go of Lucy Gray’s hand as she walked around the garden with her mouth agape.

The temperature was significantly warmer than the building, allowing Lucy Gray to let herself come out of her shell a little bit. The atmosphere changed dramatically, going from an intense setting, to a place of calmness, quietness. A place to be intimate.

It was nothing like she had ever seen, a warmth washed over her as she walked towards the stream. The quietness was somewhat overwhelming to her in this moment, so she focused on the sound of the stream. The water rushing along the wet rocks on the side of the stream, Lucy Gray crouched and put her fingertips in the water.

Coriolanus hung back for a second, joining her reluctantly. This wasn’t how people in the Capitol acted, but then again, she wasn’t capitol. “How is it? Being a victor?” He asked - out of genuine curiosity. He looked at her hand in the water, and moved his eyes to her face.

“I’m not really a victor. I am, but not really. It never ends for us. But I don’t want to talk about it; I feel like all I’ve done since leave is talk about it.” She spoke like she was in a trance to a water, and suddenly she returned back to the garden by the Capitol building. She took her hand out of the water, wiping it on her dress and standing up. “Is that all right?”

Coriolanus smiled up at her, taking a moment to return to his feet. “Of course, we can talk about anything you want.”

Lucy Gray had a feeling she was going to like Coriolanus.

—————-

Just a disclaimer I do not own these characters! These characters belong to Suzanne Collins from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - I am only using these characters as a way to practice my writing skills :)