The Desert's Edge ➣ Gloss/OC

In this storm that sets my ship astray,

Chapter Twenty Seven | In this storm that sets my ship astray,

"Famine is in thy cheeks,

Need an oppression starveth in thy eyes,

Contempt and beggary hangs upon thy back.

The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law."

5.1, 69-72 Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare

The first time Elara Winston meets Johanna Mason is during the 71 st Hunger Games. Her first glimpse of the soon to be Victor is not very impressive. Johanna is dressed up like a tree for the Chariot Parades, and Elara thinks it's vaguely amusing. Johanna doesn't really appreciate it.

"Think it's funny, yeah?" the tribute sneers as she catches sight of Elara's smirk. "You're from 5, right? Well at least I'm not a fucking lightbulb."

Those are fighting words, but Elara isn't in the mood to fight with a tribute from a different district. She has other tributes to give her time to. She doesn't grace Johanna Mason with a response as she walks past her on her way to the District 5 chariot, but Johanna just keeps sneering at her until she's gone.

When Johanna wins, though, Elara can't ignore her. She arrives in District 5 for her Victory Tour six months later, and she hasn't seemed to have lost her sneer since the last time Elara had seen her.

Elara is accommodating, as she always is to new Victors. It's the new ones that are the most fragile, after all. They don't have more regret or nightmares as the others do – the difference is that the older Victors have learned to get a handle on it, at least in public.

Johanna Mason doesn't seem to be at all interested on 'getting a handle on it'.

"Hello, Johanna," Elara greets after the woman has finished with her speech. She doesn't blame the girl for skewering her tributes. It's the Hunger Games and frankly, she gave them a faster death than they would have had otherwise. The rest of her district isn't as forgiving though. They aren't pleased to see the latest Victor, and they make it fairly clear in the deadpan way they receive her.

Johanna doesn't appear to care at all.

"Fuck off," she mutters, storming passed Elara on her way to the quarters that she's been given for the evening. The Justice Building of District 5 isn't much to look at, and most of the rooms inside of it are in various states of disrepair. Peeling wallpaper and rotting windowsills are just a few of the components. The beds aren't exactly comfortable either, or so Elara has heard.

Of course, District 7 isn't much better. She knows from experience.

Raising her eyebrows at the brusque and frankly rude brush off, Elara glances over at Harley, who just shrugs unhelpfully.

"New Victors..." he mutters beneath his breath, and heads out of the room without another word. Elara rolls her eyes at him and makes to follow.

During the feast later that night, she has another chance to speak with Johanna, though to be perfectly honest, she isn't all that interested in cultivating a relationship with someone so cutting. She knows that people have different facets though – different angles to their personalities that are driven forward at different moments. She makes another effort to talk to her despite better judgement. She was that way too, once. Angry at the entire world.

These days, she finds that she's much more resigned.

"How do you like District 5?" she asks her as they all dig into a meal of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. The fare is simple, but hearty. Johanna just picks at her plate, though, apparently not hungry.