F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N T O T H E C A P I T A L "Well I'm glad that they enjoyed my show."
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VALERIA COULD SEE THE embarrassment, radiating off Coriolanus body. Being locked up with the sewer rats apparently wasn't good for his reputation. Valeria couldn't help but smirk at it.
Children had begun to chatter excitedly and point at Coriolanus school uniform, drawing the attention of the adults. Faces were filling all the available space between the bars. There was a pair of cameras positioned at either end of the visitors, sending horror through her mentor.
Capitol News. With their omnipresent coverage and their saucy slogan, "If you didn't see it here, it didn't happen."
Guilt ran through her body at that moment. It truly was bad for his reputation, and if he wanted to get her to win, hiding wouldn't do it. The capital would be dug his grave so far, he couldn't come back up.
Worst came to worst. She needed to help her mentor. If she wanted to win and survive, and show Mayfair and her father, that she was capable of winning, she would need her mentor to be excelling.
Coriolanus straightened up to his full height, subtly shifted back his shoulders, and attempted to look bored. The audience began to call out to him — first the high-pitched children's voices, then the adults joining in, asking what he was doing, why was he in the cage, did he need help? Someone recognized him, and his name spread like wildfire through the crowd, which was becoming deeper by the minute.
"It's the Snow boy!"
"Who's that again?"
"You know, the ones with the roses on their roof!"
The district tributes began to circle, taunting him. There was the pair from District 11, and the vicious little boy who had called for his death, and several new ones, too. Valeria remembered the hatred in the truck and wondered what would happen if they attacked him as a pack. Perhaps the audience would only cheer them on.
She could see that Coriolanus was trying not to panic, but sweat was running down his sides. He was slowly starting to loose it.
"Show them you don't care Coriolanus. Own this performance." Said Valeria to her mentor.
She saw him taking a deep breath and turned to where stood, placing the white rose in her braid. She thought she might as well utilise the rose.
He extended his hand to her as if she was the grandest lady in the Capitol.
The edges of Valeria's mouth curled up. She took his hand and lopped her arm through his arm. She needed to show the capital that she wasn't just some scum from the lower districts. She was greater than that. A fighter. If she won, her plans would fulfilled. Though her plans had loads of layers. This was only the starting to her plans.
