thecapitol

Entry tags:

OTA

WHO| Finnick Odair & YOU!
WHAT| Watching the start of the new Games
WHEN| Cornucopia Bloodbath
WHERE| Green Room
WARNING/NOTES| None

Finnick blinked a few times as the images flashed on the large screen. His eyes narrowed as if trying to focus on something he didn't believe was right in front of him.

That had been his trident out there in the arena once again. His initials and Game number were etched into it. It had been a hot item after he won his own Games - the most expensive gift a sponsor had ever given a tribute in the arena. He had gone down in history for that alone. Several wealthy citizens of the Capitol had told him it was them who had sent it- who had saved his life- but it was through President Snow that he learned who the real sponsor had been. That was when they found it beneficial to "give" him to that person. Even for just one night it had been the start of something horrible for Finnick Odair that even to this day he would have to play up.

Finnick was surrounded by other victors watching their new tributes in the greenroom. It was still strange to see the tributes return once they had died on screen. However seeing his trident out there, to be used to "kill" innocent people, well he was going to need a stiffer drink.

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Max's own eyes are riveted to the screen; her feelings are convoluted.

"I'm not sure." she admits. "I'm glad to have won, but the consequences are different...and better me than some poor innocent who's been ripped from their own reality and doesn't know what the hell's going on. So I just don't know."

"Could you tell her that I'm looking forward to our Girls Night?" Max seems quick to change topics. "I'd invite you, but you know, wrong equipment."

"For what its worth, knowing what is going on isn't any more of a comfort." Finnick spoke of the years of tributes that had come from Four knowing full well what they were in for and the terror in their faces when they were each reaped.

Finnick eyebrows raised when she mentioned a Girls Night with Annie. "A Girls Night?" It wasn't so much the event that struck him as odd, it was that they were in the Capitol. "Are these some sort of plans?" He would agree that Annie could do to get out of the district suite and socialize with someone who had survived what she had. However Finnick was still protective of his secret girlfriend and wondered if Max really knew what she was suggesting. "You two aren't planning to go to the clubs or anything, are you?" Loud noises easily triggered some of Annie's upsets. "Those are rather loud and flashy. Not her thing."

"I know." Max says without any real rancor. "We were just going to hang out. Annie doesn't have enough friends and neither do I. I think she's brave." She leaves it at that.

She looks back up at the screen. "They still suffer. They're still afraid. It's still a hard question to answer. I can't figure out the line between being grateful I'm done and being frustrated that other people are being forced to take my place yet."

Its that sort of kindness to Annie that has Finnick interested in Max. It could easily be a trick, however Max had seemed to proven herself a valued asset - an ally and not a foe. Still, one couldn't be too careful. "Its a shame I don't have the parts as you said." Although actual girl friends wouldn't be a bad thing for Annie, he would have just have wanted her to have some outside of the Capitol. At least Max wasn't trying to use her to get to him, he'd seen that act pulled far too many times.

"I'll let her know." He sips his drink, focusing still on the screen.

"Its an awful position to be in, isn't it?" He smiled a little hearing her speak like a true victor of the Games. "Try being in it for 10 years. You learn to cope-" He gestures towards a camera without even looking at it. "Never forget that you're still performing."

"You know, you really need to get in the habit of not assuming that your experience is unique. I was a performing lab monkey during the first twelve years of my life." Max's expression goes flat as she watches the screen.

"I may not have had to perform for millions, but I had to perform. And if I wasn't up to par, if I had been very lucky, I might have been shot. If not, I'd have ended up on the vivisection table so the scientists could figure out what went wrong."

"I suppose I really need to get into the habit of realizing that people from other worlds even exist." he pointed out. "I don't suppose many of us come into your realm often."

"I wouldn't advertise that fact, it makes you sound like a muttation, which is certainly not something you want people to know here." He paused as he watched two tributes fight over a bag. "Strictly speaking for your own safety."

"The public already knows." Max points out. "Besides, if they've openly embraced Donatello and that Bunny Rabbit guy, I think my itty bitty bit of kitty genes isn't going to phase them at this point."

"Just remember, the Capitol loves perfection - the mutts and freaks are just pawns in all of this. They won't last as long as you will if they think they're useless." Just years of experience speaking. "In the other arena, that is." he speaks with his eyes wandering to see if anyone is listening or watching them. She hopefully had been around enough to realize what he is referring to.

"Just keep mingling- it won't hurt to keep them liking you."

"Well, I'm not useless." Max says mildly, shrugging and watching the screen. Finnick's world is not the same as it was before the Capitol started pulling people from other realities. Max operates under an essential truth universal: adapt or die.

Under her breath, she adds, "In any arena."

The corner of her mouth quirks in amusement.

"You my press manager now?"

"It wouldn't hurt to have one." he smirks now when he speaks to her. "You do have a stylist, don't you?" That was one critical thing to have in the Capitol. It was no wonder that the stylists made a killing during the Games, but with these endless ones its a fortune to be had.

She laughs at something, and then just shakes her head. "Yeah, Cheekbones. I have a stylist. I'm doing alright. But since you seem to be in the mood to dispense wisdom to the masses, anything else you want to share?"

Finnick chuckled, "Ah, well how are you doing getting sponsors? Being one of the first foreign tributes to become a victor I don't imagine its hard to get people here to take interested." He pauses and smirks at her. "Doesn't hurt that you're attractive as well."

"People here are interested enough. So far I'm giving the government my best foot forward, so they're inclined to keep me in shiny things and caviar. But I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

At his last statement and smirk, she gives him one right back. "Almost as attractive as you, Cheekbones?"

"Almost." He grins playfully and winked to her. "Its a gift and a curse being this pretty." At that it was hard to tell if he was joking or being serious as he acted as though he was admiring himself in a mirror. "I just hope no one has asked you to do anything...against your morals." he said this so casually it would have gone over someone's head that he was speaking of prostitution and the like. That, of course, was the point.

Edited 2012-08-22 05:45 (UTC)

"What, you mean like force me to hunt down other people I don't even know and kill them for sport and entertainment?" says Max wryly. "Oh don't worry, I'm over that part." Yeah, right.

But no, no one's told her about the whole buy a Victor for an evening program. Until now. Good job, Finnick!

"I get that's not what you mean, though." she says, peering at him warily. "What do you mean?"

He chuckles softly realizing that she didn't catch his drift. "Well, sometimes the more attractive victors are used as favors." He paused, speaking softer now so that only she could hear. "Party favors. By the wealthier citizens of this fine city."

"Only looking out for you." His voice returned to normal and he flashed her a smile as if to signal to anyone around that everything was peachy keen with them. "It may never come up for you, but well, many victors have experienced it. Its usually in your best interest to go along with such events, but then again you don't have family here so no one can really be used against you." Like Johanna. "Its a unique stance actually- I would use it to my advantage if I were you."

Max's eyes half-lid with regard to not having family. This is true, but there are other people in Panem that Max cares about.

"I'll keep that in mind. So far no one has approached me about anything like that." Max's tone is perfectly pleasant. It's not Finnick's fault this is happening, after all.

"I'm sorry." she says, under her breath, eyes back on the screen.

"For what?" he smiles to her as if they weren't talking about something awful. Of course he isn't about to admit guilt or any association that such things may have happened to him. It will be obvious enough when she puts two and two together with his reputation. This is certainly something he doesn't share with anyone who isn't a victor and possibly in danger of becoming what he is.

"Just a heads up is all." he waves the topic away and continues to smile to Max.

"I think you know what." Seriously, does he think she can't put two and two together? He's gorgeous. There's no way he wouldn't know about this prostitution crap firsthand. But she silently acknowledges his urging to change the topic. She'll worry about what will happen if the Capitol tries to whore her out if and when it happens.

"So you must at least be friends with Annie seeing as she's the other Victor from 4, right?" she asks. "Maybe you can suggest to me some things that will make her more comfortable when she comes to visit me? Things she likes? Food or music or whatever. I want her to feel at home."

"Not a clue." he kept his front up giving her a look to suggest to move on.

"Um, yeah, we're pretty good friends." He often forgot how closely hidden the secret that was him and Annie was in the Capitol. Some of the victors knew, just from how he would tend to her when she would have a breakdown, or some just guessed. However the two of them worked hard to keep in under wraps. "Just from being victors, I was her mentor, and yeah we're from the same district."

"Well, she likes quiet places, private - not much into alcohol, though she'll drink it." To cope when things got real bad. "Try tea or some music- nothing loud -one of the cafes here or the roof like where we met." Annie wasn't handicap she just had...limits.

"Just try to keep her away from the screens." All they needed was for Annie to catch a glimpse, have a flashback and be a mess right there in front of Max. However he couldn't dismiss how she was being attentive to Annie's needs considering how most victors dismissed her as crazy.

She rolled her eyes in response to the look, but the rest of what he has to say, she pays attention to.

"I can do tea." she says affably. "A beer is nice, but I'd rather she be comfortable."

Why has Max taken to Annie? Maybe it's the admiration. Maybe it's just nice to have a female she can talk to.

"And what do you for fun, Cheekbones? When you're allowed to have it."

Finnick knew that Annie would drink anything this girl brought to her out of politeness, but he appreciated her being considerate. Maybe one day he could truly express it when Max could know the true nature of their relationship.

"Ah, I just like to look pretty, drink and talk to beautiful women like you." The flirting was all in fun seeing that he certainly wouldn't be coming on to someone like Max now that she took an interest in being Annie's friend. "Oh and you know, being from District 4, swimming. Although the pools here aren't the same as the ocean back home." The sound and feel of the waves just weren't there.

Max is certainly not intending to sabotage Annie; she's eager for a friend.

"Oh, Finnick, sugar, while I appreciate the attention you lavish on me, I think we can firmly establish that in public we'd be a sensation, and in private we'd rip out each other's gizzards." She grins suddenly, with evident delight.

Plucking up a bit of caviar from a nearby tray, she nibbles. "I used to live near the ocean.' she says. "Though most of the time it was too cold to swim in."

Finnick chuckles, amused at her observation based on such limited information of him, but for that he can appreciate it, "I'm sure that would most certainly be the case." He nods slowly. "So I guess with that said, if you need any publicity you ought to come to me, huh?" He winks to her as he finishes his drink.

"I ought to continue mingling," he nods to her again before his eyes flashed to the screens again. "Although this has been a pleasure, my tributes are still alive as it would seem and I need to find them some sponsors to stay alive." He places his glass down on a passing Avox's tray, "Let me know how things go with Annie, would you? Just looking out for a friend."

"Ta." Max says blithely, wiggling her fingers. "Good luck." Her tone turns wry, "And may the odds be ever in their favor."

At his query about Annie, she actually eases up a little. "Sure. I'll do that." She even sounds like she means it.

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knottherapy - 2012-08-28 15:26 (UTC) - Expand

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