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{TW: Mentions of physical assault. Please read with caution.}
"𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓how grateful I am towards the Capitol for all they have provided for me."
Sage Rowan starts the same speech she has delivered to every single District she has visited, doing her best to keep herself composed and her voice steady. She had her hands placed behind her back to keep them from shaky in front of the cameras. She did not need any cards to read from, not since the first moment she read the speech Bird had given her on the train. Even though she opted to tweak some of the sentences, the speech always ended up the same.
"Coming from where I did, to where I am now is a big change, one no one really can be prepared for. But given the fact that I am a progeny child, being the daughter of Deirdre Rowan helped prepare me for what to expect when becoming victor." Sage spoke the words like a robot, staring at the crowd who was just chanting her name only moments ago, who were all wearing the color green because they knew the significance behind it than all of Panem. She could see Mora and Atlas standing tall, the former with tears in her eyes and her hands placed on Atlas' shoulders, who stood there with his walking stick in front of him, head down and expression unreadable.
"Sage," the redhead heard a whisper coming from her left, looking over her shoulder to see Walker giving her a look, to which Sage shook her head, realizing she had stopped speaking.
"I may have been only eight years old when my mother tragically passed, but I remember how much better her life was after winning the Hunger Games and now I get to experience the same courtesy the Capitol had provided her but in a different light. I-" Sage stopped again, locking eyes with the Ellison family, the two people who Lorcan was supposed to be reunited with if she had not failed in saving him. She felt Walker move closer to her, most likely scared that another panic attack was going to occur, but that is not what is happening here. Not even close. "I'm sorry... I can do this. I can stand up here and read the same speech over and over again. Not here. Not for this District."
She noticed some of the citizens shifting, some even leaned towards a family member or a friend to whisper to them. Sage is pretty sure Bird is about to have her own panic attack for going off script but she didn't care... she was fine being fake anywhere else. She was fine being a robot for other Districts. Just not this one.
With a deep breath, Sage looked up and stared directly at the residents of D4. They may be a career District, but if this place can produce someone as spectacular as Lorcan Ellison and then help her honor him by wearing his favorite color... well, they deserve more than some half-ass speech that she didn't even write.
