"Welcome!"
The shop door jingled as it opened and a customer walked in, her heels clicking loudly with each step.
"Seraphine! Darling!" Emilia greeted back while strutting over to the counter. Sera was taken back by her appearance, not expecting her to show up out of the blue like this. But before she could ask Emilia anything, the escort engulfed Sera into a hug, uncaring of her attire or state she was in. "Oh, I've missed you. Look at you!" She pulled back and inspected her. "In your adorable little apron and those gloves. How delightful!" She clapped her hands together and took a step back.
The District 5 escort had once again changed her appearance but she still looked the same.
Her hair was now a pastel mint green, pinned to the side in curls. Her full heart shaped lips were painted with an icy mauve color which oddly didn't clash with her hair. She wore an indigo and silver pantsuit with lilac fur on the collar, shaped like a flower. In the center of the flower was a small pink diamond.
"Emilia. What brings you here?" Sera asked carefully, going back to her station where she was working on an arrangement.
"Don't tell me you forgot." The escort put a hand over her mouth and shuffled to where Sera stood over the bench. Sera blinked innocently, trying to recall what she forgot. "No. You did." Emilia looked a little relieved rather than upset, pleased Sera had forgotten and was busy living her life. "The victory tour? Ring any bells? Well I won't hold it against you, considering how busy you look."
Sera was busy. The shop was left unattended as everyone was suddenly far too busy. It fell to Sera to manage the shop. At times, she felt as if she couldn't cope but she was glad Huxley and Clarisse were there to help. The former of whom was currently out for a delivery. She was very thankful for her childhood friends. It was natural the thought of the oncoming victory tour had completely slipped her mind.
Sera looked at Emilia and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I just had a lot on my plate...with the shop and everything."
"Oh I understand, dearie. Don't worry about a thing." Emilia waved it off, she didn't mind if the young victor had forgotten and she looked more pleased than anything. It was a little different than what Sera expected. She expected Emilia to be overly dramatic and drill the importance of the victory tour and the games by extension into her mind but she didn't.
Then again, Sera did think the escort for District 5 was a little stranger than most. For one, she seemed to prioritize the tributes over the importance of the games and would constantly tell both Sera and Eugene, the two needed to remember where they came from rather than simply focus on the game. Emilia looked like someone who knew more than she let on.
Emilia said nothing for a while and instead she walked around the small shop, marvelling at the display. "Who made these? They look absolutely wonderful."
"Well," She wiped her hands off on the apron and she flinched, remembering Emilia was still there and she should have used a towel. Emilia paid her no mind. She eagerly waited for her answer. "The ones in the top shelves were made by my aunt and the middle and bottom shelves were me." She gestured to the displays of the readymade flower arrangements and floral centerpieces.
"And the front window display?"
Sera glanced towards the front window of the shop where a large floral arrangement was displayed along with smaller pieces. "That was all me." Her aunt had been too ill to do any large pieces and Talissa nor Ramiel were any good at arrangements.
"My! Aren't you talented?"
"Welcome!" She paused the conversation with Emilia to greet the new customer who had just walked in.
The customer nodded his head at Sera and walked over to her. Another two customers walked in. Both were from the Lux. They had become a more frequent type of customers lately. She sighed and prepared herself before moving around the shop to get their orders done. It didn't help, one of them wanted a personal consultation with her sister who was notably absent all day.
"Would you like some help? You look like you might be a little overwhelmed." Emilia said. The customers mostly ignored her but she still waved and smiled at some.
"Thank you but...I'll be done in a few. Why...don't you take a seat over there?" Sera gestured to the set of seating which were newly placed in the shop.
Emilia ignored her and went to the back of the shop. Before Sera could stop her, she traded her blazer for the shabby apron. Her movements were very natural like she had done this before. She tightened the ribbon attached to the robe and nearly tied into a bow in the back. The old green apron clashed heavily with her pretty lilac blouse but Emilia didn't care.
"Now, where shall we begin?" Just as Emilia spoke, the door jingled, indicating a new customer had walked in. "Welcome! Welcome!" She greeted while Sera was left stunned. She had no choice but to carry on.
"So a bouquet of pink roses, white camellias, baby's breath and purple hyacinth?" Sera asked one of the customers while keeping an eye on Emilia who looked right at home. "Hmm. Yes?"
"I said, yes. I wanted those flowers and could you add some forget-me-nots as well?" The customer asked.
"Forget-me-nots? Well, I don't know if it'll pair well with the rest and in a bouquet too. They are pretty small flowers."
"Oh, I know. I actually wanted them in an arrangement."
"Lemme just write that down." Sera took out a notebook from under the bench and started to write it down. "Do you have any particular idea for the arrangement?" She passed the pen to the customer.
The man nodded and took the pen from her and started to sketch something on the pages.
A jingle echoed through the shop. "Welcome!" Emilia chimed as the door opened. "Oh my. Julian and Leora, it's been a while. What brings you two here?"
Sera looked up to see Wells hobble in, with Leora's arm under his shoulders. He was supporting her weight and dragging her in. Sera left her post and helped Wells to sit Leora down on the seats.
"Aw. I see you've been up to your usual antics." She heard Emilia say with a tinge of sadness in her tone.
The customer looked alarmed and started stuttering out a question. Sera swiftly went over to him and started to talk about the order details, keeping an eye on Leora and Wells. Emilia was keeping them company.
"Is she ok-"
He was swiftly cut off as Sera shoved the receipt and order details in front of the customer. "This will be the final arrangement plans and I'm going to check if you're okay with the message of the floral arrangement."
"The message?"
"Yes." She laughed politely. "Every flower has a meaning. We often put them in the combination to spell out a message. You can see some of the common flowers used and the meaning over there." She gestured behind her on the brick wall. The man followed her finger while Sera checked on Leora.
"So I chose pink roses, white camellias, baby's breath, purple hyacinths and forget-me-nots. What does it mean?" He seemed momentarily distracted by Sera.
"Well, pink roses and white camellias practically mean the same thing. Baby's breath means everlasting love, purple hyacinth means regret and forget-me-nots can either mean either remembrance or everlasting love."
"Oh." The man looked down at the slip of paper and nodded. "Strangely fitting for me, I guess. I'll take it."
"Deposit payment, here please. Final payment can be made now or at pickup or would you like them delivered?"
"Pick up."
"Perfect. Here's your receipt." She signed it off and was in a hurry to send him off. "And we'll see in four days time."
"Aw, is she goi-" She started to usher the man out who tried to look back at Leora. With a smile, she closed the door on his face and locked it, not caring about the flowers outside. She could get those later. She flipped the sign 'open' to 'close' and then walked over to draw curtains over the windows.
Leora's leg had a bloody bandage on it. She looked noticeably paler than the last time Sera had seen. Wells was trying to nurse her wound while Emilia held Leora's hands.
"Emilia, can you lift her pants please and pull down the socks on her right leg?" Sera came back with a first aid kit and on her way, dragged her sister's apothecare's bench over to the seats.
"What happened?" Emilia asked.
"...I...uh...tripped and fell, cut my leg on a rock. I didn't see it when I fell. Y'know how the paths are these days...icy." Leora answered, glancing at Wells who nodded in agreement.
Sera skeptically glanced between the two but chose not to comment. Under the bandage, her wound looked like it had been stitched before. An old haphazard stitching had started to come off. "Who did the stitching?" She pointed at the bits of string sticking out.
"I did." Wells answered and Sera sighed. She didn't trust him to do a good job. "I know it's not great..."
"It's terrible. Your hands were shaking when you did it, wasn't it?"
"You can tell?" Emilia questioned.
"Anyone can if they look a little closer." Sera could also tell the stitching was done months ago and was in serious risk of infection. She didn't comment on that. "My sister's not in and she's not coming in today at all. If you don't mind, I'll be handling this."
"I think we'll rather wait." Wells oddly enough didn't slur when he spoke. It was then Sera noticed his face wasn't flushed or his eyes bleary. He was strangely sober.
"Sure, if you want her leg to get infected. Go right ahead." She got up and started to put away everything.
She was not happy. Wells was right not to trust her. She was young and in his eyes less experienced or not even experienced but a childish part of her annoyed her, he was looking down on her.
"Oh, I should let you know Talissa isn't going to be in all week. You're better off showing it to one of the healers in Foxhalo or the Hollow."
"We can't do that! It's winter, all the healers are going to be busy." Leora protested. "Wells..." She hissed under her breath. "I can't wait. I have to be somewhere soon and if I'm not there..." She looked terrified, her eyes trembled while her body was shaking. "Can you just stitch me up? Please..." Anxiously, she smiled as she pleaded with Sera.
Emilia's face shifted and she sniffed like she was going to cry. She and Leora shared a look Sera didn't understand. Wells looked angry at Leora's words, at the same time helpless. It was strange really like they all shared a secret they wouldn't tell her.
Swiftly, she removed the old stitching and cleaned the wound. Then she wiped it with something to numb the area before going in with the needle. She stitched the wound carefully just as her sister had taught her and then grabbed some cloth to bandage the stitches.
"Done." She tied the bandage up and got up. "Keep the wound dry and leave the bandage on. Don't and I mean, don't let it get wet. There's a risk of infection, otherwise and...uh...you can have your stitches removed after seven to ten days. Don't do any strenuous activity until you're all good and the stitches are off. Other than that you're done."
"That's it?" Wells asked.
Sera nodded. "Do you need anything else?"
"No. How much would this all cost?" Leora asked weakly.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Sera walked over to one of the jars and opened it before taking out a pill. She handed Leora the painkiller and a glass of water. "Just be careful next time." She went over to the counter and started to pack some additional things for the wound including ingredients for a poultice.
"I'm surprised you didn't ask any questions." Wells stated while checking on Leora behind him.
"It's not like I'm going to get any answers." She said, putting the containers of medicine away into a canvas bag and sliding it across the counter to him. "But advice for next time, make sure to clean the wound first and add stitching later. Don't leave the stitching like that either for months on end. It was on the verge of getting infected."
"You could tell?" Sera nodded in response. "You're pretty observant."
"So I've been told."
"Are you not gonna ask me or her about it?"
"No, she doesn't look good and neither do you. There's something going on, isn't there?" Wells looked away but it was all she needed to know.
"It's best if you don't know." Emilia said from behind interrupting them. Sera raised her brow at her in confusion but the escort had already moved on.
"You. You're a good kid." Wells commented out of nowhere. He was trying to shift the focus of the conversation.
"You don't have to flatter me. I already said the treatment was free and I guess you can have the medicine for free as well." Sera would've preferred Wells would trade information for flattery. For her, flattery was useless, it wouldn't help her at all. She wanted to know what was working with Leora.
How was she injured?
Why was she injured?
Where she had to go and why it upset Wells and Emilia so much. Those were the things Sera wanted to know but she would need to wait more before she could get her hands on the information. Leora was a messy puzzle in Sera's eyes and she loved solving problems. A voice in the back of her mind warned her against the pursuit of answers. She swiftly ignored the voice.
"I can't, I can't do that. You can't do that either. Your aunt has a business to run."
"I have enough money to last me for a while. It's fine and I wasn't asking." She stood firm in her decision. "I'm closing the shop for the day so please take this and head on out."
Wells looked behind him and smiled ruefully. "Victory tour?" She nodded. "Well, good luck with that." He went over to Leora and helped her up before draping her arm around his shoulders.
Leora's movements were fidgety and her eyes darted around nervously. The two spoke in hushed whispers, unfortunately Sera couldn't hear. Emilia wouldn't let her hear anyway.
The two left, only Emilia and Sera were left in the shop. Without even asking, Emilia started to help her clean up. She appreciated the help but at the same time she felt very uncomfortable. She knew nothing came for free, especially favor from those who hailed from the Capitol. Emilia was no exception in her eyes.
Sera locked the door and stepped away from the shop. "Thank you for today. You didn't have to-"
"Nonsense, it was nothing. I quite enjoyed it as well."
"Hmm. You looked like you had some experience working in a shop." Sera quietly commented. She shoved her hands into her pocket and started to lead the escort to the Victors' Village.
Emilia seemed to have frozen for a moment before she tried to catch up to her pace. "Well, you could say I did." She glanced at Sera.
"So you worked in a shop? A flower shop?"
"Not quite. It was a boutique, a clothing boutique. Actually it was Eos'."
"Eos owns a shop?"
Emilia nodded. "It's pretty famous too. I have to say, out of all the stylists on the different prep teams, our Eos is the best and I'm not bragging. She's quite renowned, I'll have you know."
"I don't doubt it." Sera chuckled. Emilia was smiling, genuinely smiling. It was nice to see. She could guess from her words Emilia and Eos were close. "Eos and you seem pretty close."
"Of course we are." Emilia barked. The ever present smile on her face didn't leave. "She's my sister-in-Ah." She clamped her mouth and pretended to check the watch on her wrist. "Oh dear. It seems we are quite behind schedule. Hurry up, dear." She picked up her pace and started marching on ahead.
Emilia reached the gates of the house before Sera and stood there. She wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for Sera to catch up. When she saw Sera getting closer, she waved at the girl with a bright plastic smile. Sera had touched a nerve.
Without a word, Sera unlocked the door. She jumped back when she came face to face with a familiar bird-like woman who fluttered close to her.
"Harp! My dear! You're here! Is Eos in-" Harp nodded, cutting Emilia off. Emilia beamed brightly before taking off her coat and hanging it up. She followed Harp inside while Sera was taking off her scarf and coat.
She walked into the living room and instantly she was met with the chatter of her stylist team. They were all busy listening to Eos' commands or going over sketches and plans that Eos had drafted.
There were all familiar faces she recognised except one. She stopped and surveyed the new face in the party. At first she thought it was Ovid who had decided to change his face and hair but the more she watched the new addition to the group, the more she was convinced it was someone else.
"Seraphine." Eos waved at her just as Sera's aunt walked past the stylist. She and the stylist traded some greetings before she was led away by Talissa.
"Eos, I know. I know. I forgot." Sera started, walking over to the center of the living room. She took a seat on the sofa and sat straight, focusing her attention on the stylist.
"It's fine. Honestly, I think it's a good thing you did." The stylist gestured to the newcomer who disappeared and then reappeared from somewhere with a whole rack of clothes. "Now, I designed and bought thirty-eight outfits just for this tour."
"I'm sorry. Did you just say 'thirty-eight'?" Sera asked. She didn't need that many clothes for the tour. She was sure she didn't. "Isn't that too much?"
"Nonsense. You can never have too many outfits." Emilia said, taking a seat in front of Eos. "Ah, Huxley, dear! It's good to see you again."
Huxley pursed his lips and nodded his head at Emilia and Eos. He waved at Sera before walking over to an armchair and propping himself on it.
"Now, I bought two dresses for the 'shoot later on for the tour and the rest are for the tour. For each district, I tried to get at least two or three sets of outfits." Eos carried on, walking over to the rack. "Our current task is the 'shoot and here-" She took out a faded coral, white and red dress.
Eos held up the dress, letting the skirt fall to the ground as she showed it off. The top of it was white with red and pale almost light gray blue crawling up on it from the skirt in gradient. On top of it were various layered flowers which made it look as if the flowers were drowning in water and blood.
"What do you think?" Eos asked. It was pretty. The white and red reminded her of the arena of the 68th Hunger Games. It was fitting. "I think I really captured the essence of your games." Sera nodded in response.
The stylist put down the dress and moved to the rack. She started going over the outfits and which districts they were for while the newcomer quietly attended to Eos.
"Ah. Yes. This is Mica. He's the newest member of our prep team and he's replacing Rietta." Eos noticed Sera staring and gestured to the newcomer. Mica weakly waved at her before going over to Harp. The two were busy chatting animatedly. Rietta was absent as well. Sera was surprised when she actually noticed the timid girl missing.
"Where's Ovid?" She noticed the azure haired stylist was also noticeably absent from the party.
Eos' face hardened at the mention of Ovid. "He's been promoted, he's replacing Cygnus soon."
Sera had almost forgotten about Cygnus, the other stylist for District 5. He was Eugene's stylist and the two were on amicable terms. They were not as close or friendly as Eos and Sera. She suspected it had something to do with Cygnus' age and need for perfection. Cygnus reminded her a little of Ovid at times and it was natural those two would close but it was not the case.
From what Sera remembered, Cygnus despised Ovid. The older man couldn't stand Ovid and he was constantly criticizing him. He would even ignore Ovid whenever he was in the room and focus his attention on Eos who surprisingly enough got along with Cygnus.
"But wouldn't it be next year when he actually replaces Cygnus?"
"Oh. It should but District 5 only has one stylist now so he's doing quite the heavy lifting. There's also the recruitment for the new stylist that'll be replacing me soon." Eos shrugged it off. She didn't care one bit about Ovid or his new duties.
"Wait. What do you mean by the only stylist-"
"I quit." She answered without hesitation and walked off. She didn't offer any explanation or anything but just those two words.
"So did I." Harp chirped. The bird-like woman seemed quite happy with her choice as well. She looked visibly happy and her eyes gleamed like gems as she went back to chatting happily with Mica.
Huxley chuckled lowly and shook his head. He found this matter amusing. He knew it was inevitable for both Eos and Harp to quit the team soon. They couldn't stay, not without butting heads with Ovid. Eos despised Ovid for whatever reason and she had taken the chance to finally put some distance between the two. While Harp was afraid of Ovid. Deathly afraid. Ovid's constant belittling of Harp had made her afraid and anxious to be around him and it didn't help Ovid hated Harp's origins.
Sera didn't say anything. She instead busied herself, going over the sketches for the outfits. Eos had actually done her research. The stylist had noted down each of the flowers used on each of the outfits and labeled their meanings alongside the tributes and districts.
"What happens now?" Sera sat back and picked up her feet off the floor, tucking it under. "What do you do after this? Do you all just go your own separate way or..."
Looking up, Eos dropped one of her sketches. "No. We won't go our separate ways, otherwise Mica wouldn't be here."
"Then what-"
"You'll know when it's time." Eos gave a pat to Sera's shoulder and went over to her team members.
Sera observed the prep team members carefully. Harp looked less bird-like than before, almost normal. Her feathered hair had changed to a more pink hue which seemed to match Mica. The newcomer had iridescent pink glitter tear stains on his face and a combination of white and pink lips. He seemed more lively and closer to Harp than Rietta who Sera assumed had chosen to stay behind with Ovid.
The team looked happier and more lively in the absence of Ovid. It was like his promotion and their subsequent leave from the official District 5 Stylist team had injected new life into them. Mica's presence also seemed to help.
Unfortunately for Sera, she couldn't relate. Her mind felt like a hurricane. Only for a few months did she manage to forget the confusion and the tragedy of her games. Then a few months passed and she was exposed to more confusion. She had so many questions with so little answers. Everyone around her was hiding something from her. Huxley, Leora, Emilia and even Eos. Wells didn't care enough about her to even tell her what this huge secret was.
She looked around the living room, her eyes meeting her mentor. He nodded at her before going back to his book. She wanted to ask him then and there about Leora and what he was hiding. She had a feeling they were related. But unfortunately she didn't get the chance.
Eos returned a few moments later with a bunch of sketches in her hand. "We need to come up with a talent for you." She said, looking at Sera.
"Sera is very good at floral arrangements." Huxley answered without hesitation and reminded everyone he was still there.
"That should do well." Emilia chirped.
Eos placed her sketchbooks and tablet on the glass coffee table in front of her. "Floral arrangements, it's quite fitting for the 'Flower of Panem' and would be a good talent as well."
Sera rolled her eyes at Emilia's words. She hated that name along with 'Angel of Mercy'. Both made her recoil with disgust and it didn't reflect her at all. She knew 'Flower of Panem' was coined because Capitolites struggled to say her name at first. Caesar Flickerman even had to spell it out for his partner, Claudius Templesmith during one of the broadcasts. It was only then did they get her name right.
Emilia breathed out in relief. "It's fortunate, you have a talent or we would be troubled."
"Why?" Sera asked.
Everyone in the room stopped moving. They all shifted in their seats before glancing at each other. It was as if they were silently communicating with each other. Sera understood just from the look on their faces that this was a sensitive topic. They all looked uncomfortable but still she needed to know.
"Well, you see..." Emilia started, trying her best to explain it in a way it would not scar the young victor anymore than she already was. "...If a victor does not have any particular talents, they are assigned..." She let out a tired breath and her eyes shifted while she nervously pinched her fingers. "Work by the President or someone who represents him."
"Only if they are popular and well-liked enough else they're ignored, mostly." Eos added in, trying to sound more reassuring. She glanced at Huxley who was the living example of her words. He ignored her but silently acknowledged what she said. Emilia nodded and smiled in thanks. The two women looked like they were struggling and something weighed heavy on their mind.
"What kind of work?" Sera asked, in turn.
She sat back and got a little comfortable as she observed those in the room with her. Huxley's brows were furrowed, his eyes dark while Emilia looked nervous and Eos seemed uncomfortable. It was a range of reactions, she didn't expect to get from a single question. Surely, the answer to her question wasn't that concerning?
"A certain type of work." Emilia robotically said. She was usually a better liar than that but something about Sera made her hesitate and her mind would not cooperate with her. She didn't want to lie, the girl deserved to know but she was still too young.
Narrowing her eyes at Emilia, Sera scrutinized the escort. She was trying too hard to keep something yet at the same time not that hard where it would be almost impossible for her to tell apart her lies.
Still, she decided to play along. Perhaps, by playing along, she could get someone in the room to tell her the truth about this 'work' that she kept hearing off. "So like what President Snow offered me?" She carefully asked.
The trio looked at each other in alarm with Huxley standing up. He balled up his fists and his brows were scrunched up in anger. She got him. There was something they were hiding from her.
A pang of guilt hit Sera but she brushed it off. She was tired of being kept in the dark especially about things which concerned her.
Eos being the most level headed of the party took a step forward. "And what exactly did President Snow ask of you?"
"He asked me to visit hospitals and clinics, visit sick patients and listen to them."
"That's it?" Emilia was in disbelief. It seemed too simple to be true. She looked a little more optimistic now. "Well, that's not too bad is it?"
"That's not it. That can't be it." Huxley didn't believe things could ever be as simple and easy for her. "Is there anything else he asked?"
"Well..." She tried to go over what else had happened at that dinner but her mind was a foggy mess. She remembered being half-scared and half-angry at the man sitting in front of her to really pay more attention to the conversation. She only remembered what he said to her and if she was being honest, she would prefer to forget everything all together. "He did ask me to tell him anything concerning that happened on my visits-I don't know what that meant."
Eos, Emilia and Huxley shared a look between themselves. Huxley shook his head and smiled bitterly. The two women silently talked about something but her childhood friend didn't care to join in.
"Well, I guess this is for the best." Huxley sighed. He didn't want Sera to know the truth about those winners yet. She was still too young in his eyes. "A snake is better than a sewer rat." He commented quietly as Emilia and Eos nodded. Harp and Mica seemed to also agree.
What did it even mean?
Sera was left even more confused than before.
A snake is better than a sewer rat.
What does it mean? She needed to know the meaning of his words. Was he calling her a snake or did he mean something else. She hated it whenever Huxley spoke cryptically.
"Wha-" The sound of incessant knocking on the door interrupted her and the whole group turned to the front doors. They all looked at each other in confusion.
"Are we expecting anyone else?" Emilia was nervous. She glanced at Sera and then Huxley for an answer before looking at Eos. Huxley shook his head while Eos looked just as confused as she was. Her team also mirrored her.
With a deep sigh, Sera got up. Disappointed at being interrupted. She was never getting that answer now. Huxley would brush it off and forget about it or pretend to.
She went over to the door and unlocked it, not even bothering to check the peephole.
Scarus scowled at her when she opened the door. He had his arms crossed as he tapped his foot against the icy doorstep. "Took you long enough." He said, pushing past her and going into her house.
Her jaws clenched and she tightened her fist, turning around to say something snarky but one look from Huxley shut her up. He looked visibly annoyed seeing the young guard and sighed when the guard came up to him to talk.
Scarus' mood shifted the moment he laid eyes on Huxley. Like a little boy meeting his hero, he all but skipped over to her childhood friend who made a signal to Sera. She understood what he wanted. Without anyone noticing she went back inside and let her sister know not to come out until the guard was gone. Nobody knew of Huxley's upcoming wedding and the two District 5 victors wanted to keep it that way until it was done and over with.
"Scarus." Sera called out to him, stopping him from annoying Huxley further and before her former mentor did something he would regret. "What are you doing here?" She folded her arms around herself and took a few steps towards the auburn haired guard. He had his hood up, covering his scarred face from her prep team and escort.
The guard turned to her and smiled sarcastically before looking around. "I'm sure you're smart enough to know what I'm doing here." It was obvious that he was there to guard and escort her around during her victory tour but she was confused why he would even be there. Surely, it wasn't out of his own good nature. It meant only one thing.
"...That's not what I asked." She pursed her lips and looked at him. Somehow, she still couldn't get used to him. His hostility towards her was annoying. She understood that he preferred Huxley over her. She didn't care about his likes and dislikes but was it too hard for him to be civil to her. "You know what, forget it." She was not in the mood to play with him.
"Why? You can't figure out why I'm here." But it seemed he actually wanted to play. She paused and narrowed her silver eyes at him. His yellow-gold eyes had that spark of insanity, she knew he was up to no good. "Aren't you going to welcome me into your house."
"Hmm...I was going to but you just barged in when I opened the door."
"I was waiting for quite some time in the cold-almost froze to death out there."
"You knocked three times and rang the bell twice." She was not having it. Last time, she decided to play nice and was actually in a decent mood but she was tired now, so tired from managing the shop all day, looking after Leora and trying to find out what everyone was keeping from her. "Oh-and you did all of that, under five minutes, the time it took me to go from the living room to the front door. I'm sure it takes more than five minutes to freeze to death." She finished with a sarcastic grin on her face.
The guard stared at her in disbelief. Surprised that the soft-spoken and meek victor who previously was careful not to anger him was actually talking back to him. He couldn't help but laugh. It was adorable in a sense. A soft smile almost made its way to lips but he quickly covered his mouth with his hand, looking away from the silver-eyed victor.
Emilia looked between the two and got up, her hand in the air. "Okay, children! Behave." She chastised the two. Scarus' face soured hearing the escort speak. Sera found it amusing but she only nodded.
"I'm not a child." He retorted. His hood pulled back a little, revealing his scarred face. Mica made a sound but hushed himself before Scarus even looked at him.
The escort nodded without saying anything more. "Now, 'Scarus'-I don't believe we've met before." The escort turned to the guard and looked up at him. Even in her high heels, she was shorter than the young guard.
"Scarus Redcliff of the Elite Guards, assigned as the personal guard to Seraphine Reza under the orders of President Coriolanus Snow." He stated mechanically.
His face was blank, devoid of all emotions and his eyes were cold. He looked visibly tired as well and he just wanted to get this done and over with. When he was done, he glanced at Sera who had gotten up from her seat and was now leaving the room.
Silence enveloped the room, Emilia looked at Huxley. There were so many questions on her mind. Her hands started to tremble and she had to steady herself from being too obvious. Scarus didn't notice that. He was busy observing Sera who had gone to the kitchen. Eos reached out to Emilia and gently squeezed her hand in comfort. She knew what was on Emilia's mind as did Huxley.
It was too late. The unspoken words that hung in the air and the nervous glances to Scarus. Only then did the trio realize the importance of Sera's new role. Emilia let out a laugh of disbelief before she covered her mouth and busied herself with idle chatter with Sera who had just walked back in. The young victor handed Scarus a glass of water and sat back down.
Scarus noticed it was oddly quiet in the room. He glanced around the room watching each of the people in the room carefully. No one was really speaking if he ignored the idle chatter of Emilia and Sera who looked bored. He kept his gaze trained on the young victor who like she had done so far, ignored him and carried on in her conversations. Unlike last time, he didn't use that as an invitation to go and speak to Huxley. He just stared at Sera.
"Snakes and rats..." Harp chirped quietly to the room.
Her words shattered the peace in the room as everyone turned to stare at her. Mica attempted to stop her but it was too late., she had already attracted the attention of Scarus who glared at her and started advancing towards her. The bird-like woman looked straight at the guard and then Sera.
"...Snakes and rats." She parroted giggling to herself as Sera scrunched up her face in confusion. "Snakes and rats..."