The Hunger Games has been proven to test everyone's virtue, not just the young and unfortunate kids plucked from their districts and thrown into the arena. Venus Hummingstill has never cracked under pressure. Regardless of everything being stripped...
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Venus has always hated the smell of black nail polish.
Her anxious habit of nail biting had returned following the banquet on Reaping Day. Throughout her ride home, she had managed to bite and crack the acrylic layer of her nails. Breaking the fresh set she had gotten only two days prior. Refusing to allow her peers see her in such distress, she soaked off the remaining acrylic, deeply inhaling the toxic chemical mixture in effort to feel some sort of relief from the tragic day she endured.
Tears flowing from her bloodshot eyes, she repaired her nails quickly before bed, painting them the deepest shade of black that made her want to gag. Whatever chemicals used to produce the dark pigment always disgusted her, it seemed like the only solution to her nervous fixation on her nails.
Venus needed to lock in, to focus on the task at hand. She only allowed herself a couple hours to feel bad, to cry, scream, anything she needed to do to let out her anguish before contemplating how to escape the predicament she was in.
Coriolanus invited her to meet him at the train station platform the following morning. During the banquet he shared with her his plan to greet Lucy Gray at the station, getting a jump start on learning more about her and what he could work with. He suggested Venus join him, she could assess the damage Dill had and decide how she wanted to move forward. Possibly if she had a good enough case against the girl, she could plead with Dean Highbottom to replace her tribute with another.
Venus knew it was no use. Highbottom was of no help while Gaul gave her an ultimatum, why would he be of any now? Even going to the platform was risky. The students were not explicitly told to not go there, but, Venus knew she was tap dancing on thin ice and didn't want to shorten her chances at living even more. She insisted Coryo go by himself and she would meet with Dill at a later time, maybe once the tributes were placed in the Zoo.
Taking out a notebook, the girl sat in her bedroom and wrote down everything she knew about various illnesses. Based on Dill's appearance, she could rule out a common flu and rabies. The girl was coherent, she was well aware of what was happening she just did not contain the strength to do anything about it, not even shed a tear. Her lips were already dry and cracked, meaning she hadn't had water in a while. Venus made a note to bring water with her to the Zoo.
She was determined to make the girls last few days on Earth as comfortable as possible. It was the least she could do. But with illness comes aches and pains, her body is fighting against itself. How can I bring peace to someone who was to be locked in a cage like an animal? Treated worse than an animal at that, at least when they're sick someone is able to provide them medicine.
Venus stopped writing, her ink pooling at the middle of her notebook as she gasped. That was it. Her privilege, her access to certain spaces, her money could be put to use in providing medicine for the girl leading up to the Games. She could heal her in that short time frame. Instantly giving the girl an advantage to her counterparts as she would be in pristine health.
