Ocean Eyes - Finnick Odair

Five

TW: mention of forced prostitution

Marissa has not seen her prep team for a long time, but she is not surprised when she sees the two of them running towards her, their outfits and hair consisting of the same blue shades Sterling had been wearing the day of the Reaping.

"What have you done to your hair?" Galla gasps horrified at the uneven cut Marissa sports. The woman tuts, shaking her head as she runs her fingers through Marissa's fiery locks. Marissa doesn't tell them that Finnick is the one who had cut it for her a while ago. "Oh, and look at your eyebrows! This is going to take longer than we thought!"

Galla and Honorius have been Marissa's prep team since her first Games. Any time Marissa is expected to attend a Capitol event or look her best for the cameras, Galla and Honorius make her look presentable. Marissa has to admit she is grateful for them even if she hates going through prep because she would have never gained her sponsors in the first Games if they did not work so hard to make her look good.

"Come on, let's make you pretty again," Honorius pats her on the cheek, his gloved hand tickling her skin. Marissa forces a smile to grace her lips and follows them to the Remake centre where she will endure hours upon hours of cosmetic torture, washing, exfoliating, manicures, plucking and waxing until she is finally ready to be dressed for the Tribute Parade.

But Marissa is prepared for the cosmetic procedures. What she is not prepared for is the tears Galla and Honorius fail to hold back. They are practically wailing the whole session and Marissa does not know what she can do to soothe them. She cannot play with their hair or ask them to tie knots like she would if it were Finnick and she cannot hold them close and kiss them on the top of the head like she would if it were Mira or Annie. She just has to endure the pain and the emotions.

"Oh, you look absolutely beautiful," Galla gushes when they are finally finished preening and pruning Marissa's body. She claps her hands together as she admires the redhead.

"Everyone will be so jealous of you, our victor!" Honorius exclaims, proud. He places his hand on Marissa's shoulder and squeezes it. "You've always been my favourite."

"Let me call Chambray," Galla chimes. Her prep team, no matter the occasion and regardless of the fact they have been sobbing their eyes out the whole morning, always manage to sound cheerful. "She has such a wonderful outfit for you. You and Finnick are going to steal the show!"

Galla and Honorius leave when Chambray enters and Marissa sighs in relief. Chambray has always been the tougher one so she doubts the woman will cry when dressing her. Chambray is the first member of the District Four team Marissa has seen that does not have bright blue hair. Her naturally brunette hair is pulled up into a tight bun with intricate braids wrapped around it and her makeup is subtle apart from the golden eyeliner that frames her eyes.

"Marissa, I've missed you," she pulls the redhead into a hug. "I just wish you weren't here for this reason."

"Me too," Marissa breathes out. They hug for a moment longer before Chambray is escorting the victor to lunch where they enjoy a course of pheasant and strange jewel-coloured jellies followed by dessert which is a pot of melted chocolate that they dip chunks of fruits into. "What are we wearing for the opening ceremony?"

"Well, it's not the outfits I had in mind for you, but President Snow insisted that you wear what he has selected," Chambray explains and Marissa's heart drops to the floor. She cannot think of a reason why President Snow would pick out her and Finnick's outfits.

It all starts to make a little more sense when Chambray is dressing her, pulling the skimpy clothes onto her body. The top consists of a golden net tied around her torso with different shells placed strategically to keep her modest and the bottom half is no better. There is thankfully a strip of gold fabric around her bottom half which the net is tied above but the outfit does not hide much.