Sea Salt and Murder (Finnick Odair x OC)

Chapter 5 - The Parade

The dress is gorgeous. I don't know how she designed it, but I want to know. It looks like waves, but not the foamy kind that are common and fun to play with. No. This dress looks like a storm out to sea–dark and unforgiving. The kind that you'd see and go to shore in panic, in regret for going out that day. It looks like the kind paired with an antecedent red sky. The dress is moving, swaying back and forth in a seemingly random ungulation. It has a train that flows behind me, and I'm wearing black chunky heels. They have to be 3 inches tall and I'm about 6'1" with them.

I look beautiful, just like Athyla said. But I don't just look beautiful. I look haunting and fierce. I look powerful. I look like someone the careers should run away from, and I love it. I thank Brachia with a genuine smile, one I didn't expect to give.

When my team sees me they gush, when Athyla sees me she squeals, and Mags smiles more than she has so far. When Finnick sees me, he stares, mouth a little open. He looks startled.

"You look terrifying," he says, smile growing.

"Good, that's what I thought too," I responded.

When Maddock and I see each other, we grin ear to ear. I've never felt more confident than right now. His outfit is a classic tuxedo, but with a black undershirt and the rest matching me with dark waves. We both look ominous. That's the best way to describe it I'd say. Like a storm brewing, ready to let some lightning loose on anyone in range.

Stepping into the chariot room, I already feel eyes on us. Good. I used to not want them to see me, for fear they'd take me as a threat. But the more I think about it, the more I consider that a good thing. Maybe this way they'll be scared of hunting me down after this and my training score, if I score high like I plan. Finnick said two skills was an advantage, maybe I can win over the judges even more right now.

I glance at the career pack. They're staring me down and I stare right back. I don't want them as allies, what's the use in letting a smile take over my scary looking face. Instead, I smirk a bit and look back to Maddock.

"You ready?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Much less nervous when I know I look like this," he chuckles.

"I'm sure," I give, hopping up into the chariot. With the heels on, we stand the same height making us both look bigger, seeing as he's only fifteen.

"I know we don't get along all that perfectly, but I think at least for today we should act like it. It might make us look even better," he conjures.

"My thoughts exactly," I smile.

When the doors open and the cheering begins, the horses begin to move the chariot. I offer my hand to Maddock and he takes it.

"When I squeeze, raise both your arms," I whisper in his ear. He nods. The Capital will eat this shit up.

We exit the doors and I feel the ever present Capital sun on my face. I glance down at our outfits in the sun and it makes it even more intimidating. The blackish waves are lit up by the light into a still stormy navy. But what you didn't notice before you see now. The top of the dress and the shoulders of Maddock's suit have a red toned base. Blood. Brachia meant it to represent blood. She's a genius.

I send a grin and a few waves out into the crowd and receive chants of 'I love you Jennifer' and 'marry me' along with quite a few 'holy shit's. I don't know if those are for us or someone else, but they're there all the same. We're stealing the show. Oh my god we're stealing the show! I squeeze Maddock's hand and we raise them together. The screams get louder! I can't believe this.

This is huge. Four is technically a career district, sure, but we never shine in the district parade. The last time this happened was Finnick, and he attracted attention because of his good looks, not the outfits. I have a feeling mine is both and I'm ecstatic. Maybe I've got a chance at this.

When all the tributes have arrived in the circle, the cheering dies to a whisper, and Snow begins to speak. He makes his opening announcement speech for the games and soon we're being moved back inside and exiting the chariots.

We're greeted back at the tribute rooms on floor four of the training building with praise and some hugs, particularly unexpected from Athyla and Finnick. Mags is always affectionate and motherly, but Finnick is less touchy and I thought Athyla hated us, quite honestly. Maybe she's just happy we're not numbskulls and know how to work an audience.

"We're so proud of you guys!" She exclaims, outwardly twitchy. "The last time I had tributes with this much potential was Finnick and look where he ended up!"

"This is pretty exciting, I've gotta say. But, it's just step one. Now we've gotta focus on training and getting those skills that we talked about down and ready to go," Finnick says with a smile. 

He's looking directly at me. Not Maddock, but me. I don't know if it's allowed to pick favorites, but it seems like he's got one, and I drew the long stick.

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