Light the Way

Chapter Five

He made his way to the Creed residence on the other side of town. Festus and his family lived in one of the old towers that survived the rebellion and the dark days, it was no Corso, but it was just as nice. His parents had gifted him an entire floor to himself for his birthday, just in time for him to begin University, and Festus was more than excited to show it off by hosting a party to kick off the beginning of the year. Coriolanus was sure he had spared no expense in making the evening extravagant, inviting anyone and everyone their age, so he dressed accordingly.

He was draped in a red suit, more luxurious in nature than the Academy uniforms, but an ode, nonetheless. It fit him much better too, tailored to the point of it being envious. The jacket was a deep, crimson red, with the lapels of the jacket made of velvet, decorated with gold accents around the outer collar. He wore a rich, white, silk button down underneath it, leaving the top two buttons undone. The slacks were the same colour as the jacket, ending just past his ankles. He had Tigris to thank for most of his party attire – something which benefited them both. He got to wear one-of-a-kinds that none of his other friends could ever get their hands on, and Tigris got some free advertising for her brand.

The party was in full swing when he arrived. It was dark at first, all of the lights turned off except for these flashing party lights that had been set up. Various streams of white and yellow danced across the space in beams, lighting up people's faces and allowing people to see. There were clusters of groups, people eating, laughing, gossiping. Dressed up in their best. He noticed some others in the corner enjoying their dose of morphling, retreating to the edges of the room to partake in more anti-social activities. There were Avoxes roaming across the apartment, carrying trays of drinks and refreshments, keeping everyone full and happy. Coriolanus was greeted by one, a short blonde haired man who offered him some Posca, to which he gingerly accepted.

Taking a sip, he made his way through the crowds of people, spreading his hellos across the familiar faces, laying the charm on thick when needed. Saying hi to people he didn't really care to know of, but somehow knew of him. Receiving compliments on the suit, to which he thanked them for.

It was almost enough – the grandiosity of it all, the crowds of people, their bodies bumping against one another, the loud hum of their conversations filling the room, the lights flashing across his face every now and then, his heart beating in line with the music playing. It was almost enough to forget that mess of a girl he had to deal with earlier after class. Livia's wails were loud and unforgiving. The embarrassment seeped into his body as students and professors shot them disapproving looks for the disruption and he tried to pull her off to the side. He couldn't even remember how he had phrased it to her as he was already trying to block out the memory. Likely that he had to focus on the eleventh Hunger Games, how important it was to him and to Panem, the easiest and most believable excuse. Something like that. He just hoped she was too heartbroken to show up tonight. He imagined her crying all alone in her room, sparing everyone from having to bear witness to the fat, sloppy tears she emitted.

He drank more of his Posca, liking the way it settled into his stomach. It was different this time on a full stomach, the food absorbing a lot of the effect of it, leaving him with a small feeling of lightness, but still in full control. Now he understood why his friends could drink so many of these without falling over. He began to sway a bit to the music, still looking for his friends.

The music... There was something about it that was different. It had words.

The Creeds were mainly known for the investments in the lumber sector, but what many people didn't know was that they had a specific interest in collecting relics and artifacts of the pre-rebellion day, even dating back to pre-Panem. They all required government approval, so it had taken them a while to build up their collection. The apartment was decorated in various vases and sculptures, all from the times before. Festus' father was a big advocate for bringing back some of the old culture to further enrich the Capitol, but Coriolanus reasoned it was just another silly hobby to fill him time with – constantly petitioning the Capitol to let him purchase a vase that resembled a garbage can so he could talk about it to whomever came to visit.