｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ 𝔤𝔞𝔪𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔳𝔦𝔳𝔞𝔩 deux. — pretty and mean!
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｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
Mallory's fingers were tightly clenched around the top of a chair as she struggled not to pace the elegantly decorated room. With the camera's now absent she allowed her calm facade to break for a moment — her teeth worrying her chapped lips so hard she was worried they may bleed. Mallory did not enjoy the constricting feeling inside her chest, like vines wrapping around her organs and filling her heart and lungs with mildew and thorns.
Her confident demeanour reappeared in an instant as a group of Peacekeepers marched into the room with her father and siblings in tow. The door had hardly shut behind the peacekeepers before two bodies collided with her's, little hands clinging to her waist as she felt tears wet the fabric. Crouching down to their level she placed a hand on each of their cheeks, "Hey, no crying," Kaleb managed to keep his tears at bay, but Violet couldn't stop sniffling, "don't you have any faith in me?"
"I don't want you to go." Violet's voice was small, Kaleb nodding in agreement as their father stood back and watched the scene with glassy eyes.
"I'll be back before you know it, okay?" Mallory gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "You won't even notice I'm gone."
Violet sniffled again before reaching a small hand into her pocket and taking out her violet coloured handkerchief, "For luck," Mallory clenched the soft fabric in her hands, "make sure you bring it back to me."
"I promise," pulling them into a final hug she looked over at her father, "you need to step up and be a real parent, I'm not going to be around to help out."
"I will."
"You have to," Mallory pulled him into a hug, "keep them safe until I get home."
"I will - make sure you stay safe," he pulled back, staring into her green eyes that she had inherited from his wife, "just survive somehow."
"I always do."
"Times up."
Mallory's mind would forever be imprinted with the image of her families crying faces as the Peacekeepers came and dragged her away. Herself and Titan were led through the gaggle of reporters to the train station, and then forced to wait in the entrance while the cameras greedily took in their features. Mallory tried not to scowl too much when Titan put his massive arm over her shoulder, though she did nearly laugh at how much he had to hunch over to her height.
Would it have been unprofessional to trip him up? Perhaps, but it was certainly fun.
They were immediately led to cabins, rooms that were far bigger than Mallory's bedroom that she shared with Violet. They'd be on the train for little under a day due to the immense speed of the train. Missy the capital escort made a fuss about the two tributes getting changed before supper, apparently their best clothes weren't up to the Capital's standards.
