#ᴠᴏʟᴛ —— 𝔞𝔫𝔰𝔴𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡.

[rebellicnrising]

caesar flickerman :

“ volt , pretty much all of us just adore your watches and will miss your expertise if you don’t come back to us . will your token be yet another watch this time around ? ”

“ tell us a little bit about the collection , you’ve been teasing it for a while now ? is the final piece complete ? ”

“ ellie is a lucky girl to have such a brave uncle going into the arena with her , your sister would be so proud . if you could speak to her one last time before the arena , what would you say ? ”

— feel free to include more questions & answers , caesar usually has around 5 minutes with each tribute

“ volt , pretty much all of us just adore your watches and will miss your expertise if you don’t come back to us . will your token be yet another watch this time around ? ”

there's a quiet humility in the way his mouth picks up in a gentle curve at the mention of his watches, the art he'd spent the better part of two decades creating— art that would only increase in value the moment his cannon boomed in the arena. but the mention of the token has his right hand unconsciously creeping to the band of gold on his wrist, twirling the cuff before rubbing his thumb across the inlaid band of jasper. "no— i think i learned my lesson last time," he says with a laugh that sounds almost canned, "having something that ticks in a pitch black cave system was perhaps not my smartest move." thinks back to how he'd smashed that heirloom between two rocks, shattering the glass face and denting the hammered bronze until it fell silent; thinks back to how it had been the gateway into those art pieces that made him oh so popular among those painted faces, how mending that broken timepiece had felt a little like mending the broken pieces of himself that had been shattered in the arena— how he'd been able to take that ruined piece and breathe new life into it, how the project had breathed new life into him.

there's this desire to look out into the crowd of shadowed painted and glittering faces- to let his eyes seek them out, knowing that somewhere in the crowd they were watching— ( you breathed new life into me too. ) instead volt turns his gaze back to caesar, mouth fighting to keep his smile warm and pleasant despite how the question has his heart flipping and sinking all at once, "i've picked something much quieter this time— never let it be said that i don't learn my lessons." pause for laughter; caesar presses and it's then that volt turns his gaze towards the crowd, letting his eyes sweep over those featureless faces as if all of them and he were sharing some private joke before turning to caesar, "now, we all know i'm not much for jewelry myself- we've talked about this—" another pause for laughter, the joke being how volt was every stylists nightmare; that any time he was adorned with any sort of jewelry, it inevitably ended slipped off and ended stuffed into pockets— and when they had tried to correct this problem by removing his own pockets, they ended up in others pockets. rings felt clunky on his fingers and necklaces weighed on his neck and bracelets on his wrists; pause for laughter; his mouth pulled in a wide smile and his own chuckle adding to the tittering noise before his expression sobers up and eyes drop to the cuff on his wrist, "to take it off now in exchange for any other token would honestly leave me feeling quite naked, if i'm being perfectly honest, i'm just so used to it being there." and true to caesar's form, there's that prompting- let's see it!— and the crowd joins in. it's all a performance- the playful reluctance that gives way to an exaggerated eye roll and a mouth that stretches into a near bashful grin before he moves to pull back the sleeve of his suit jacket and shirt to flash the simple golden wrist cuff, the beige jasper running in a band through the center, turning it first towards the host across from him, feeling caesar's hand move to cradle his wrist as if to inspect it before turning it out towards the crowd; there it is folks! after all these years, we finally got him to accessorize!

it's a rippling wave of laughter that goes through the crowd, punctuated by some whoops and whistles and volt joins in on the laughter- it's all a good joke, shared between friends- but when he draws his hand back to him as the laughter dies down, there's the slightest pinkish hue to his cheeks.

“ tell us a little bit about the collection , you’ve been teasing it for a while now ? is the final piece complete ? ”

he's grateful for the transition away from that token and back to the watches, his eyes lighting up at the question and he reaches out to give caesar's wrists a light shake, "i was hoping you would ask that. though, if i'm being perfectly honest, i did not realize that the piece i was currently working on would be that potential final piece— or that i would be working on such a crunched time frame in order to finish it. even so, i have to say, i think it might be my best yet." there's that secret satisfied smile gracing his face as he leans closer towards caesar, "would it be alright if i showed it off?" the delight in caesar's expression is to be expected as is the hum coming off the crowd and volt can almost feel as if they too are leaning in closer from their seats in that grand auditorium. his hand dips into the pocket of his jacket— first comes the chain, black titanium links that glint in the bright stage lights, followed by the watch itself. instead of the sleek flat circular case design, when it leaves his pocket volt reveals the jet black sphere connected to the chain by a bow of the same color. as he lets the watch spin at the end of that chain, the light catches the glittering circles that cover the entire piece.

the chain wraps around his hand and his other palm moves to cradle that sphere turning it towards caesar, "i have to admit, this project was a bit more challenging- the spherical case design was something that i had wanted to explore more with further pieces but if this is to be my last piece, it's one i would be proud to leave." his thumb runs over glittering circles- mother of pearl inlaid into the surface with such care- and over the small bumps of opals that catch the light and splinter off into rainbow hues. his smile turns a bit sly as he looks over at the host, "you know, caesar, there's a secret with my watches-- in the case designs." the watch case settles in the middle of his palm and his opposite hand traces those circles, "i've never made two watches the same; while most people look at the embellishments on the case as nothing more than an artist's flare-- they must think i really like circles." and he pauses for the quiet ripple of laughter, turning his attention to that crowd before winking, "which- i do- but it's more than just my own particular filigree; it's a language." another one of those pauses but instead of laughter, his ears pick up a quiet murmur that runs through the crowd, "hence the difference in the design of this final piece-- i had quite a bit to say for this last piece. a secret i had planned on keeping for much longer but, should i not return from the arena, i wanted to leave panem with that knowledge. i'm sure there are those who will take great care in trying to translate those messages-- i can only hope they take as much joy in the puzzle of translating them as i did in creating them."

gathering the chain in his hand, he turns to take one of caesar's hands, pressing the watch and chain in his palm, "i wonder if you might do me one last kindness, caesar." of course, the host is all too eager to agree and volt's mouth pulls in a toothless smile, "this last piece is a gift-- a gift to whoever wins the hunger games this year. i wonder if you might hold onto it for me until then-- and do me the honor of presenting the piece to them." that smile goes a little teasing and his head tilts to the side, turning back to the crowd, "and you have all bore witness to me requesting this so, in the event caesar decides to hold onto the piece for himself, you all can hold him accountable. i expect there to be rioting in this chamber should he not honor my final request." another laugh ripples through the crowd but he can feel the unease that's settling over them at the thought. ( good. )

“ ellie is a lucky girl to have such a brave uncle going into the arena with her , your sister would be so proud . if you could speak to her one last time before the arena , what would you say ? ”

the smile on his face nearly freezes in place- a lucky girl, such a brave uncle, your sister would be so proud— before slowly slipping off, replaced with a furrowed brow and lips that purse to keep from frowning and his hand lifts to rub at his chin, trying to hide that slip and disguise it as an expression of deep thought. he knows the ploy: winding down the interview with something heartfelt and genuine, giving him the opportunity to play up that selfless act, to show the love for his sister and his niece as something deeply relatable to anyone who had ever loved another person more than himself— as if his volunteering for ellie were anything but an extreme act of selfishness; as if his sister, rest her soul, could look at the displays of the week as anything to be proud of.

"caesar, i'm afraid i have to disagree with you— i don't think she would be proud; i think she would be horrified," and his voice is soft, picked up by the mic on his lapel and sent out in gentle waves out into the crowd, "it's an easy thing to imagine- a lovely thought, don't get me wrong- that she would see my volunteering as some great selfless act of love; and perhaps she would at first. but once that first wave of relief had crashed over her, i can't help but think of how she would look further out-- that instead of losing only her daughter, she would stand to lose both of us. and not just us, but hita and nilani whom my sister dearly loved before her passing. it's easy to imagine that those who wait back in our districts look to us as selfless heroes, moving to stand beside the ones we love as champions for them but in the end, we all know that only one person will walk out of that arena and that our volunteering, no matter how we want to twist it, was done for selfish motivations. we all want our child to be the one who makes it out." there's a tightness in his expression, thinly veiled sorrow and regret lining his face, "we all want our own to be the one who walks out and we will do terrible things to those we have called friends for years in order to make that happen-- to their children. how can we expect any of those we left behind to look at this with any sense of pride?" his eyes move back to caesar's face, "truthfully, i'm glad she isn't here to see this. that i don't have to make those promises to her- that i will do whatever is necessary to keep ellie safe, even against those that i love.

"if i had to leave any parting words, it wouldn't be for violet-- it would be for those who will be left afterwards, the family the games created for us without even realizing it," and his eyes go past caesar, off to the far end of the stage and while those bright lights obscure his vision, he knows that they're standing off to the side of the stage, just out of sight: io, hermes, nilani, solara, hita and elianna. and even beyond them to dante, finch, mina, peeta-- all the faces up and down the line of those volunteers waiting for their turn in the spotlight and the mentors who wouldn't enter the arena again but instead would have to watch helplessly from the outside; there's that urge to look out into the crowd ( to look for their face ), but he keeps his eyes looking past caesar and his hands lift to sign, 'no matter what happens, know that i loved you; know that if i lived a hundred years, it would have never been enough time to be in your company. we were brought together through violence but love is what binds us together and i want you to never forget that-- even if i never walk out of that arena, you are all so tightly wound around my heart that i will carry you with me to whatever lies after-- i hope that you will carry me too.' he pauses a moment, feeling a lump of emotion rise in his throat and his hands tremble; he brings the three fingers of his right hand to his mouth, kissing them and making as if to blow the kiss only to let those fingers turn out towards those hidden in the wings, "i wouldn't change a thing."

caesar's hand settles on his knee and it pulls his attention back to the host, that mask of empathy on his face and whatever final words of comfort he says are lost on volt; it's just noise that rattles uselessly in his ears, never quite making it to the processing part of his mind. he follows caesar as he stands though, grasping the hand that's held out to him before he's pulled into a hug that lacks the warmth of any real camaraderie, feeling the host turn him back out towards the crowd that claps politely, confusion painted on the faces of those capitol citizens as those last words went right over their heads. he doesn't linger on the stage, walking with that slight limp out of those blinding lights and into the wings, feeling elianna's body slam into his chest.

arms wrap around her and he can feel her shoulders shake and moisture begin to seep through the shirt he's worn; he ignores the sound of caesar announcing the next volunteer from district four, focusing instead on the little girl in his arms, whispering into her hair, "i know-- i know--" and he wants to tell her it'll be alright but the words get stuck in his throat and all that will leave him is that simple acknowledgement; he knows. and he's so deeply sorry.

[rebellicnrising]

❝ here it’s safe , here it’s warm .❞ //io & volt

the smog isn't as thick here in the victor's village- the tight alley of houses that sat mostly empty, all aside from three; well those three are also empty for the time being as all of their occupants are outside, enjoying the comfortable warmth of the early summer evening. he watches as the three of them- solara, hita and ellie- crowd around nilani and the invention in their hands and how three heads tilt up as it rises from those cradling palms, zipping around with an uncanny ease. it's a mixture of excited shrieks and hands that furiously move to sign- a language shared between all of them- at the take off and the corners of volt's mouth stretch in a genuine smile, creasing the corners of his eyes.

here it was safe —— surrounded by the sounds of industry that never stopped in district three and the smell of that industry permeating that summer evening air; surrounded by the family brought together by tragedy meant to break them and by bound together by understanding and love. his hand reaches without a word for io's next to him, giving it a soft squeeze. this year's reapings were only a handful of days away and he knew that nilani and io felt the heaviness as that day grew closer settle on them just like he did- it was the same as last year and the year before that. ( who will they be? will they take one of the houses down the line or will we bring them home in pinewood boxes to deliver to their families? ) but moments like these: golden afternoons that bled into soft twilight evenings, surrounded by those dearest hearts... well, it didn't make that heaviness go away, but it certainly made it easier to bear. easier to forget for the time being.

here it was safe. here it was warm. and here, with them- io and solara, nilani and hita, his sweet ellie- it was home.

[rebellicnrising]

night terrors . hold my muse after they wake up from a nightmare . ( nilani & volt )

his chest had turned into a collapsing star-- an empty void that was swallowing everything-- and he can't seem to stop crying. he clings to nilani, arms wrapped tightly around her as he trembles, adrenaline rushing through his veins, heart slamming against his ribcage and thoughts racing screaming as he tries desperately to shake the last dredges of the nightmare- fueled from a hateful subconscious, dredging memories to the surface and twisting them with others- ( not again-- not again-- ) teeth bite into the inside of his bottom lip, fighting to trap any further disturbance to the third floor quarters and his shoulders shake with the scream sob he fights to swallow back. every night that passed brought them that much closer to the arena and volt had become almost obsessed with each tick of the second, a constant noise in the back of his scrambling mind, trying to think of some way to delay-- some way to stop time. ( i need more time-- i need more time! ) a shaking hand moves to cup the back of nilani's head-- his tribute, the one that made it out. after years- though not so many, not nearly as many as others who had the horror honor of calling themselves victor- of watching the faces of his districts children die while the capitol roared in celebration, it had been nilani who made it out. and he had been so devastated and so proud. fourteen years of companionship- someone to help shoulder the load like he had for io, someone who understood the weight they carried-- and in a matter of seconds ( because no matter how many of those seconds are still to pass, that's all they are: seconds- grains of sand in an hourglass, ticks of a watch hand ) they'd both be back in the arena, bound by love for those they volunteered to step back into hell for; but it's that same love that ties volt to nilani and just like he knew watching their games with that sinking dread: in the end, there can only be one. ( we'll figure it out-- we'll get out-- they won't this happen-- this can't happen-- )

he exhales harshly, swallowing and slowly loosens that damn near vice grip he's held nilani with ( as if he could hold her tight enough to keep those seconds from passing, as if he could hold any of them tight enough to keep the capitol's hands from taking them ). that nightmare still lingers on the edges of his mind but he's forcing his breathing to steady- in through the nose, out through the mouth- before pulling back, looking at their face in the muted light ( there's always a light on- has been for seventeen years- oh god the arena can get so dark-- ) but he forces that panicked thought to the far reaches of his mind, focusing on nilani. his tribute-- his companion, his friend, his family. the corner of his mouth picks up in a half smile that doesn't touch his eyes and he lifts a loosely closed fist, rubbing it against his chest in silent apology. leaning forward, his forehead bumps hers and he finds hands, taking them in his and giving a gentle squeeze, "i'm alright-- just-- wish we had more time."

[rebellicnrising]

TAG DROP !!  ＶＯＬＴＡＩＲＥ ＯＷＥＮＳ