Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 4

"Move over," Taiya complained as she kicked Kenna.

"Why?" Kenna complained as she shoved Taiya's foot away.

"You're over the line," Taiya gestured to the space between the couch cushions.

"Who cares? You're basically sitting on top of Finnick anyway."

"Ok," Finnick interrupted. "You two are ridiculous. Come on," he lifted Taiya and moved her to the other side. Separating her and Kenna's petty argument.

"I don't understand why this is mandatory viewing," Taiya complained. "I mean seriously, I do not care about Katniss bloody Everdeen's wedding dress."

"I'm not voting," Kenna confirmed.

"Neither. She can pick her own wedding dress, she doesn't need us doing it for her."

"Do you have ideas for a wedding dress?" Kenna asked.

Taiya hesitated, Kenna didn't know anything about the reality of their life in the Capitol. She knew some, but not everything. She'd also never dared to ask.

"It's complicated," Taiya answered, and Kenna chose to leave it at that.

"Let's get Katniss Everdeen to her wedding in style!" Caesar Flickerman cheered. "Stay tuned ladies and gentlemen for the other big event of the evening. That's right, this year will be the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games, and that means it's time for our third Quarter Quell."

"That must be what the mandatory viewing is for," Taiya realised. "Not this dress nonsense."

"Maybe they're announcing the rules?" Finnick suggested.

"The last quarter quell was your aunt right?" Kenna asked.

"Yeah," Taiya nodded. "Haymitch's year. They had 4 tributes from each district. Double the tributes. I wonder what they'll do this year." It was no doubt going to be something horrific.

"They read a card," Finnick explained and the two girls looked at him. "They say that all the rules for the Quarter Quell were written back when the Games first started. They're pre-determined. The reigning President reads the card to announce the rules. That must be what's happening."

"Great. So we watch Katniss parade around in wedding dresses and then the announcement of the Quarter Quell. Shit night."

The Panem anthem then begins playing and Taiya and Finnick both stiffen on instinct as President Snow appears on the screen. He runs through the usual speech, lecturing the nation about the 'dark days' before the Games, how the laws were made and the Quarter Quell's marking a significant anniversary as a reminder of those killed in the initial rebellion.

His words were pointed. Targeted. It was more than just District 4 rebelling. This was widespread across Panem.

He then recaps the 25th Hunger Games and then the 50th. Taiya swallowed thickly as he explained. Two rebels had died for every one Capitol citizen, and as a reminder, the districts had to send double the tributes. 47 dead and Haymitch was left as the one standing.

"And now we celebrate our third Quarter Quell," the president announced.

"Celebrate," Taiya scoffed angrily and Finnick took ahold of her hand.

"As a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol."

Taiya looked over at Finnick, this was what she'd been saying. It was how Snow wanted people to think.

"On this, the third Quarter Quell Games, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors in each district."

Nothing.