art latersss TW: mentions of d34th ___ "now presenting, somerset cromwell of district 12!" they did not give him a flowering title around his name. perhaps it was because they did not know him yet. but soon he would be the haunting melody. the glass shard. the anemone. the turqoise light was as thick and heavy as seawater, coating somerset cromwell into a bioluminescent shroud. he moved across the stage like a secret whispered in a crowded room -- fluid, silent, and devastatingly intentional. the cromwell boy donned a suit, dark as a starless trench, that seemed to drink the light, making the golden splatters upon it shimmer with the oily luster of a dying sun. around his throat, a mane of anemones danced. they were a riot of fleshy, velvet petals. a living collar of love and rot. he took a seat, wearing his ever-present, award-winning smile. ambrose lux sat enthroned in his chair, violet eyes wide and vacant, shimmering with a century of half-remembered dreams. he adjusted his violet brooch. "oh, look at you," ambrose lux sighed, xyr voice a romantic trill that ignored the grim reality of the games. "a garden in a storm. you look like a poem i once read.. or a poem i once wrote? you're quite lovely, mr.. mr.. summertime, isn't it?" "cromwell. somerset cromwell," the tribute corrected. /who let this man onstage? and where is the actual interviewer?/ "somerset. yes. a sturdy name. very structural," ambrose lux wandered. he reached out a trembling paw as if to touch the air. "tell me.. why the flowers? so sticky. they die so easily when the wind changes." "because the anemone is born from tears of the heartbroken. it is the only flower that knows love and death are so intertwined that one cannot dream of finding where the heart stops and where the rot begins." somerset meowed, never missing a beat. his voice was like a scalpel dragged across silk. ambrose lux blinked, an unintelligent giggle escaping their throat. "how poetic. but poetry does not climb trees or fish, does it? mr. autumn.. do you plan on reciting a sonnet when the tributes come crawling? or is the gold the bribe?" as they spoke, the turqoise beams began to bleed into a murky, bruised violet. the silouhettes of sharks grew larger, their jagged fins slicing through darkening light. "not a bribe," somerset chimed. "it's the cost of the show. i don't need to climb trees when the forest falls in love with me. my strategy is simple: i will be the last beautiful thing they see." "how delightful!" ambrose lux clasped their paws together. "uhh.. how are you finding our capitol?" /they probably forgot what they were going to say,/ somerset blinked, although his expression gave away nothing negative. "oh, ambrose -- can i call you ambrose? -- the capitol is more than i ever dreamed. it's a masterpiece! and the people --" he blew a dainty kiss toward the audience, masterfully winking at a camera -- "you loves have been so incredibly welcoming. i truly love you all." "how lovely!" ambrose lux chirped, though his expression remained very nonchalant. "but tell me, before i forget why we're here.. the cats here.. they love to see things break. are you ready for that? to be broken? or are you just another secret that will stay hidden when the lights go out?" "broken. what a dull word," somerset smiled. "if anything, i'll be shattered. like a crystal. when you break something beautiful, you don't get just fragments; you get sharp edges that catch light. you can't bury the wind. and you certainly can't bury the tide. you just have to learn how to breathe while i wash over you." ambrose lux blinked, xyr memory already fracturing. "strategy? did we talk about strategy? i was just thinking about how thirsty i am. it's almost time for bed. when the b!ood is real and not gold paint, will you forget your own name or drown in it?" "i won't," somerset's voice drifted through the void, sounding closer than it truly was. "in the dark, names are just anchors. and i have always preferred to float." ___ did anyone notice the foreshadowing from his gamemakers? lol ANYWAYS!! somerset is hinting (quite heavily) at his masks, specifically the director. also he doesn't like ambrose lux LOL and i'll respond to all my rps sometime... i promise </3
