Smolder - Interlude II:

Dark themes in this chapter.

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Being a mother isn't easy.

Being a mother living in the poorest District of the whole Panem - District 12 - with three of them being daughters-

One would have said that it was a miracle that they've managed up until now.

Clara Everdeen knew it wasn't because of her.

(She had always been a tad dependent on her late husband, like a frail flower blooming solely for a single person.)

It would've been sweet if she hadn't broken down after her sunshine left.

It would've been something her daughters would be proud of - a touching love story with parents that cared for each other very much if only-

If only she had been there when they needed her.

When her children needed her.

(Even until now-)

(She was struggling to be there for them despite her fervent wish to make up for her mistakes in the past.)

(It was difficult.)

.

As someone originally from the merchant's side of the district, losing her husband took away her fight - her will to continue living.

Losing her husband meant losing everything, since from the start, when she left her parents behind to start over, she had always been unsuited for this kind of life.

Clara was pampered by her parents, by her husband, and well-

By her daughters.

She was weak.

Clara once thought during her depressed stupor. Looking at her children's thin, emaciated faces-

It's okay to die like this. Maybe-

They'd eventually die with her.

She smiled then. Smiled, while tears fell down her face one by one - a tortured whimper in her throat as Katniss stared at her in horror, anger, and resentment.

Better to die from starvation than face the fate of exploitation from twisted people in this part of the district.

From certain Peacekeepers who were nothing more than traffickers as they prey upon the weak, turn a blind eye to the crimes of the powerful, and cater to the whims of the rich.

There were worse ends than dying, she thought.

At least they get to keep their dignity by dying with her.

At least they'll be together.

If it weren't for Katniss pulling them out of the mire, she wondered.

She wondered if she would've killed her daughters and then herself at one point.

(She probably would have if she could.)

..

.

Clara struggled to hold the plate in her hands in a more stable manner, failing, as she couldn't quite stop herself from bringing it down on the table with a large clatter. She was too tense, muscles pulled tight in tension while she, along with her daughters, wait for the Tribute Parade to start.

Prim looked at her in concern.

Katniss didn't even give Clara a glance, her attention concentrated on the screen, frown fierce, as the host start their commentary on the event.

"Let's eat," Clara said lightly.

Prim hummed in response but didn't touch the food set on the table.

The sound of the Capitol audience's screams and shouts were loud as tributes from the rich districts - District 1 and 2's chariots moved forward to begin the event.

It was almost too much, making her ears ring in discomfort.

(They were screaming for their deaths.)

(For her daughter's death-)

(For the violence, the entertainment that would come out of this poor excuse of a show-)

Clara fought to swallow the lump in her throat, unable to stop the keening sound of distress from coming out of her lips.

(Please.)

(Please let her daughter survive this.)

...

..

.

Solanum took after her. Hair blonde with pretty delicate features. Face a bit softer than Prim, like Clara's mother in her youth. However, her eyes were like Katniss, beautiful grey eyes that shone with light.

(Until it lost its luster - her daughter tortured by nightmares of hallucinations-)

(-of memories - Clara heard her daughter sometimes murmur - that weren't even hers, to begin with.)

Solanum had always been a melancholic child.

Sad and weary with the world, yet fiercely devoted to all of them - to Katniss, to Prim, to her husband, and to her.

From her daughter's sad smiles to her rare laughs, to her sneaky glances and awkward attempts to show affection-

Clara has always had the impression that for her dear second daughter, the world may be difficult but Solanum has them, so it's okay.

It makes her chest ache a bit, reminding Clara of her grandfather when she was a child.

Worn down, disillusioned yet warm. Inexplicably warm and comforting as he tucked her hair on her ear listening to her babble about her day. Even as he at the same breath, he lost his grasp at the present, watching the mountains near the district with yearning and grief.

(She lost one of her aunts in the games before. Her grandfather has lost children, relatives, and friends to the game, to the Peacekeepers, to the Capitol and had never quite gotten over it despite the time that passed.)

It unnerved her husband, Clara knew. Their baby was too mature, her change too abrupt as Solanum, over the years, turned into someone heavily dependent on their touch-

On their comfort to calm down from bursts of heaving breaths, imploring sobs, and panic attacks.

Clara mused if this was retaliation from the pain she caused her parents when she abandoned them for love.

If her daughter was paying for her selfishness. For her weaknesses. In some sick twisted sense of karma.

(Clara was calm when her daughter left because she knew she couldn't stop it, couldn't shelter Solanum as she once again failed into being a mother for her children.)

(Clara wanted to appear strong, at least. To give Prim and Katniss a strong front this time, as she feverishly - desperately tried to believe that Solanum would come back.)

Prim's grip on her hand snapped her out of her reverie.

"Here come's District 12-"

A gasp.

As the chariot for District 12 came into sight, a visible hush came over the previously loud crowd in the live broadcast.

After a beat of silence, Caesar Flickerman sighed in admiration, "How stunning."

Hair half up adorned with a silver crown designed with patterns that mimic flames on her head, Solanum was striking.

The visual impact of black unitards and pale, soft visuals were as the host described it as was stunning.

Stunning to the point that it's almost otherworldly. With lips painted pale rose pink, her daughter appeared inordinately regal as she stared ahead, aloof.

Cold, but delicate- like a nymph or immortal from the stories and whispers told around certain parts of Panem. Legends from a culture almost erased by the Capitol after they won the war.

Both of them were a picture. Gale - strong, lean, and handsome, and her daughter - slender and lovely with a beauty reminiscent of a deity long forgotten.

The two exude a sense of isolation - a sense of indifference amidst the rabble around them.

"District 12 everyone!" Caesar continued energetically, elevating the excitement in the Capitol plaza as the crowd roared in approval. "Gale Hawthorne-"

The outburst rose to its highest as the visual impact was further enhanced by District 12's chariot erupting into flames.

"-And Solanum Everdeen."

When the camera moved to focus on Solanum, her daughter moved a part of her hair from the back to her chest casually, then stared at the camera with lost gray eyes.

Her daughter slightly smiled, adding a touch of warmth - a touch of humanity, from her otherwise distant facade.

Clara felt that everyone must have held their breath at that moment.

"Welcome to the start of the 74th Hunger Games everyone," Caesar chuckled. "As always, may the odds be ever in your favor."

-----

Striking the balance between being noticeable yet not, was an art that "Foxface" had yet to master.

Being noticeable was the key to getting sponsors and although she knew that her features weren't gorgeous enough to net her great support from the rich Capitol audience, she hoped her soft appearance and flashy costume will be enough to make an impression.

They don't need to like her.

She just needed to get remembered once the game starts.

Gauging the reaction from the chariots that came before hers, Foxface deduced that as expected, the Careers would be the most difficult opponents in the games.

They were as popular with the crowd as ever.

(As expected of sellouts and ass lickers of the Capitol.)

Deadly too, considering how the tributes for District 2 this time looked a tad more unhinged than usual.

(Clover seemed like the kind of person that would lick her knives in front of someone as a form of intimidation.)

(Yikes.)

Other tributes she's keeping an eye on was the male tribute from District 11, Thresh - a considerable opponent evident by his huge hulking figure - as well as the two tributes from District 12, Hawthorne and Everdeen.

From what she observed so far, Hawthorne reminded her a bit of that winner from District 4 before - Finnick Odair. Not to mention the prowess his gait and the way he held himself suggests, Hawthorne's appearance was enough to get potential rich voracious men and women of Capitol invested in keeping him alive and happy.

(Can probably work as their boy toy or eye candy in the future too, if he's amenable to it. His career is secure if he'll ever get out of this alive.)

Definitely dangerous.

Everdeen on the other hand, Foxface hummed, readying on a smile as District 5's chariot moved forward.

She's an unstable factor too. Considering how efficient she was in putting down her sister for the tribute position, she can be a wild card.

Then again, the fight between the two ended way too fast and way too easily that Foxface couldn't get an accurate measure of Everdeen even if she wanted to.

It will be 50-50. Everdeen can be another unhinged Clove or she can be just another self-sacrificing fool who won because the other volunteer let her win.

(It's a valid conjecture. Maybe the other volunteer, after knowing that she wasn't the only one volunteering for the sister that got picked through the raffle, feigned weakness and valued her life over heroics.)

(Foxface would have, in her position.)

As District 5's chariot slowly started to stop and move to their assigned place, Foxface stiffened at the sudden loud collective roar from the Capitol audience.

Foxface discreetly looked at the screen to see who exactly induced the frantic reaction, then stopped, eyes dilating in shock, as she saw a silver crown with a design like flames, cold gray eyes, and then-

A smile that added a hint of intimacy, a hint of charm that melt a bit of the frost in the blonde girl's bearing.

The fact that the cheers came back with even greater fervor was a testament to the way Solanum Everdeen can successfully harness the atmosphere to her favor. Along with the flames licking their outfits and chariot, the entrance of the two to the scene is definitely for the history books.

Sensational but not too gaudy, with their good looks highlighted to an almost exaggerated degree.

District 12's tributes and their stylists had outdone themselves this year. Consider Foxface impressed.

Their temperament - how they held themselves - was a key factor to the reaction - to the awe that the audience has for them. It elevated their looks into a tier wherein one can dub them as divine and no one would disagree.

The first impression both of them made in their first public appearance as tributes were that good.

(Foxface didn't even need to know Everdeen's training center results to see the high possibility of her surviving the latter half of the games. After all, for the rich Capitol audience, the Hunger Games is an entertainment show. Everdeen's performance here alone ensured that she could stand out among all the female tributes.)

(Entrancing them enough that they most likely only remember her to boot.)

(Even Glimmer with her gorgeous features were shrouded in Everdeen's light.)

The best styling worthy for what seemed like the best set of tributes they have for the Games.

After all, District 12 had always been one of the poorest in Panem. The fact that they currently have both tributes that can pass as Careers-

Foxface needed to reconsider her chances once again of surviving and decided that she needed to re-assess her plans in light of this new development.

-----

Peeta knew that the relationship between his father and the Everdeen family had always been odd.

His father loved Mrs. Everdeen once, yet he didn't seem to have any resentment for her when she left her life to be with her late husband.

Peeta was aware that his father still cared for her to a certain extent. It can be observed in the way his father used his contacts furtively when Mr. Everdeen died, keeping any of the problematic Peacekeepers' from taking advantage of a household made up of a grieving woman and her three young daughters.

It was also due to his father's connections that enabled Katniss and her sister, Solanum, to easily integrate and exchange goods in The Hob the first they came for trade, despite their young age at that time.

Solanum and Prim, whenever they visit to buy a piece of bread or two, always get ones that were freshly baked from the oven. Most likely because their blonde hair and delicate features were reminiscent of Mrs. Everdeen's.

There were numerous hints and tells with his father lending a hand or two for the Everdeen family due to their shared past, yet despite all of this-

Peeta had never felt that his father loved his mother any less.

In spite of his mother being admittedly overbearing most of the time, his father always seemed to have infinite tolerance and care for her. They have a comfortable dynamic - a bond that made Peeta assured.

A bond that Peeta yearns for.

(He wondered-)

(If a relationship between Katniss and him has a chance, will their dynamic be as warm?)

(He couldn't help, but muse.)

Watching the Tribute Parade in the district plaza, Peeta decided to shelve his romantic daydreams in favor of watching over Solanum and Gale as they made their way to the streets of Capitol.

As expected of the two of them.

He wondered who would end up winning in the end.

(And what will Katniss's reaction be after it all passed?)

Peeta may be getting ahead of himself - considering the fact that they were against Careers who trained for this all their lives, and desperate tributes who, when push came to shove, would likely kill to survive.

However, he couldn't help but feel in his gut, that for these batch of tributes, the game will end with the two of them.

With Gale and Sol.

Moving from killing animals to humans wasn't much of a stretch, really, and both are far too experienced in killing animals for meat in the forest beyond the gate.

He was sure that both can get over the psychological hurdle easily enough in the name of survival.

They weren't as soft as Katniss was, despite the prickly facade she hide in.

(Moreover-)

(He heard of whispers, you see.)

(Whispers in the alley. Whispers from his friends in the district who are too hot-blooded, too uncontented with the status quo.)

(Murmurs of District 13.)

(Hope is in the current hunger games.)

...

..

.

Peeta hopes it would be Solanum.

-----

The name Clara for Mrs. Everdeen was from the movies.