Sea green eyes

2 - Music loud enough to kill

I can hear Odair's music from my floor, which is saying something as we are separated by a thick ceiling/floor of pure stone. Although, perhaps it's coming up through the elevator shaft, I muse as I press the button to go down.

Odair's parties, loud as they are, are legendary here in the capital. There were even some in the earlier days where President Snow himself showed up to survey the Victors and numerous Capital guests who attend. But now adays he tends to stay in his mansion, apparently spending his time picking out my wardrobe for every public event where there's even a chance of me being seen.

In fact, the dress - if you could call it that - is about the opposite entirely of what I would choose for myself. This... slip of teal fabric is tight enough that I can barely breath, falling to rest halfway down my thighs, the top held up only by the tiny spaghetti straps, it's so low cut. At least the fabric brings out my eyes. I sigh through my nose as I remember a lime green monstrosity he made me wear a couple of years ago.

Although, I most likely won't be lucky enough to keep this dress on my body the whole night, not with so many of my... clients coming to the party tonight. I whip my loose braid behind my shoulder, the ends of the strands falling to my waist. The silver strands, odd as they are, shine in the lights of the elevator as I step in. It's one of those strange ones, with the mirrors on every side.

I stare at myself in the opposite one. Smooth, pale, freckled skin. A slim, lush figure that so many women desire. Perfect brown eyebrows, long lashes framing bright teal eyes that seem to glimmer with stars. Plush pink lips. Beautiful, by the capital's standards. I don't think they will ever see the things I do. The nails long enough to draw blood, the muscle beneath the figure so I can run, the twisting white scars all over my neck and shoulder that almost blend in to my skin tone.

I stand there for what seems like a long time until the elevator opens with a ding. As I walk out, I wonder if it is only me that can see the blood on my skin that will never wash away.

---

Although I hate to admit it, Odair certainly has outdone himself this year. As I walk into the plain apartment room, I am almost both deafened and blinded at the same time. I don't know the song, must be some new capital band, because the people practically throwing themselves around on the dance floor seem to know it well enough to scream the lyrics. Through the flashing lights, I scan the room, looking for another Victor who I can be reasonably friendly with. My eyes land on Sara Vesille, a fellow District 5 Victor.

She won the last year's games at sixteen, making her the 73rd Victor. I walk to her, smirking down at her as she winces slightly at the music volume. She's wearing a practical red dress, which perfectly matches her bright red hair and green eyes.

"Kasia!" She says. Gods you have to practically scream to talk over this music. "You look... like you could get anything you want with a single word." I smirk.

"Or with a single knife." She smiles slightly but just takes another sip of her drink. I scan it discreetly. Whisky.

I slide into the seat next to her and grab a gin and tonic from a walking server. Sipping it, I scan the room. Chaff and Haymitch are already drunk in the corner, belting out some drinking song that I can't quite make out. Gloss and Cashmere are in the middle of the dance floor, Brutus and Enobaria looking ready to join them from their spot on the wall. I can't see Johanna, Betee or Mags anywhere. The last two are a given, they never come to these things, but Johanna usually is in the center of things like this. Huh.

"Are you going to dance?"

"What?" I yell back at Sara.