Though now she lived in the districts, she was capitol born. She knew all of his hardships and never looked at him any differently. She handled him with such gentleness, and kindness. She was a rare bird, His Nightingale. Just like he had been for h...
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A\N: This is how I picture Juniper to look like now.
I worked hard on this so I hope you guys like it.✨
Maude Ivory planted herself firmly in front of Juniper. She scrunched her face and balled her hands into tiny fists. "Now you get out of here, Billy Taupe. None of us want you anymore."
Billy Taupe rocked slightly as he surveyed the group. "Less want than need, Maude Ivory."
"Don't need you neither. Go on and get. And take that weasel girl with you," ordered Maude Ivory.
Juniper encircled her with her arm, pressing her hand against the little girl's chest, either to soothe or restrain her.
"You're all sounding thin. You're sounding thin," slurred Billy Taupe, and one hand slapped his instrument.
"We can do without you, Billy Taupe. You made sure of that. Now leave us be," said Barb Azure, her quiet voice underlaid with steel. Tam Amber said nothing but gave a small nod of assent.
Pain flashed across Billy Taupe's face. "Is that how you feel, CC?"
Clerk Carmine curled his fiddle in close to his body. Although the Covey varied in complexion, hair, and features, Coriolanus noticed a distinct resemblance between these two. Brothers, maybe?
"You can come with me. We'd do all right, us two," Billy Taupe pleaded. But Clerk Carmine stood his ground. "All right, then. Don't need you. Never needed any of you anyway. Never will. Always did better on my own."
A couple of Peacekeepers began to close in on him. The one who'd given Juniper the bottle of white liquor laid a hand on his arm. "Come on, now, show's over."
Billy Taupe jerked away from his touch and then gave him a drunken shove. In an instant, the sociable mood in the Hob changed. Coriolanus could feel the tension, sharp as a knife. Miners who'd either ignored him or given him nods over their bottles became belligerent. The Peacekeepers straightened up, suddenly alert, and he found his own body almost standing at attention. As a half dozen Peacekeepers moved in on Billy Taupe, he felt the miners surge forward. He was readying himself for the brawl that was sure to follow, when someone pulled the plug on the lights, sending the Hob into blackness.
Everything froze for an instant, then chaos erupted. A fist connected with Coriolanus's mouth, sending his own fists into action. He struck out arbitrarily, focused only on securing his own circle of safety. The same animal wildness he'd experienced when the tributes had hunted him down in the arena swept over him. Dr. Gaul's voice echoed in his ears. "That's mankind in its natural state. That's humanity undressed." And here was naked humanity again, and here again he was a part of it. Punching, kicking, his teeth bared in the darkness.
