.Stone And Lumber (Johanna Mason X F.OC).

-72nd-

"Well this doesn't start off good for me." Athena said with her Capitol sanctioned smug smile, not sparing the sponsors she was talking to a glance as she watched the screen hung up in the ball room sized area.

"I suppose it does not." They laughed along with her but they truly found it amusing while she was playing comedy, watching the desert arena displayed on the screen with district 1 having betrayed 2 and was literally smothering her female tribute in the sandy dunes only because of a dispute on who'd get a certain weapon.

"I sadly couldn't expect more from her, a princess." They laughed at her words while she felt awful on the inside as she mocked a dying child. "But I'd bring your attention on Walas, if I do say so, he is a prim district 2 future victor."

"He does look strong."

"And have you seen how he killed that girl? Marvelous!"

"Yes I think so too."

Athena looked on at the screen, drinking from her champagne as her company would convince themselves without her help to sponsor a gift for the remaining tribute of 2, the girl's dead hollow eyes now staring up at the screen.

---------------------------------------------------

"Heymitch, what are you doing here?" Athena asked, it was rare to see the sole mentor from district 12 be presentable.

"They have the best drinks here." He shrugged.

"I think they found a way to make you show up." Athena smiled, holding a cocktail simply called 'Liberté', she didn't know what that meant, didn't sound like a real word but she knew it had a punch from seeing it be prepared, so she took it slow, she needed to be presentable.

"Where are the others?"

"How'd I know?"

"Because you know everything."

".... Finnick is away over there, talking too the one in a red suit, Annie I am sure she was forced to stay away from public view, Ares is off making friends, those are all I know off."

"Not true, you are forgetting one."

"And who might that be?"

"Don't play with me, your little wolf."

"She's her own woman Heymitch." Athena didn't really like the tone he was using with that smile he had.

"Say what you want, she's your wolf, welp, time to get a drink, I am parched here."

She glared at the back of his head but since she was brought up, the victors eyes swiveled to find her.

It was not hard, each victor stood out between even the fanciness of the Capitol, dressed to stand out and be a sore thumb, to be jewels to look at, to marvel at like shiny new toys.

And so the woman with an oak brown skirt with thrills that mimicked roots, a sleeveless top that was completely covered in bronze glitter with matching eye shadow, bronze lipstick, a bun and several small fake green leaf on branch bracelets, was quite easily spotted in the see of other extravagant outfits.

Athena knew just how much Johanna despised being seen as a tree, that stylist has been doing tree based outfits for her whole carrier which had lasted for twice the amount of time that Athena has been alive, never had that woman made a dress that was not inspired by a tree.

She couldn't complain with her eternal bad girl look since it was eternal, not forced to always reinvent herself with a stylist, her's would change the stitching method, the material or the way it rested on her body but it remained mostly the same so she was recognizable as the Reaper, the Capitol's sweetheart, as Athena Hadley.

She smiled with an eye roll, putting her drink down, abandoning it as she made her way too the woman that only wished to vanish from the surface of the earth.

It was hard for Johanna to enjoy anything, even the idea of telling some Capitol bastards to buzz of didn't bring peps too this moment, in this loud room, screens showing the games all around them, people happily betting and working out alliances.

She just felt sick, not helped by looking like a tree, the top of the dress so tight, not enough that she couldn't breath but it felt like it.

And she knew this was her life now, like many victors, she was regretting surviving the hell her games had been.

"Hello there little wolf, you look fancy."

Well.... Almost regretting it.

The victor from 2 looked like she always did and this time with the correct look too her outfit unlike in the lounge, all looking like how the Capitol wanted it.

All but those captivating eyes, mischievous and malice somehow melding in the greens that looked like home.

Her previous jealousy felt alien too her and yet currently it almost felt understood, not knowing why and knowing at the same time, how she hated seeing that man ghost his hand down Athena's back and ass before whispering and nudging his friend and all laughed, the victor having nothing more then a cheeky taught smile thrown their way.

"Little wolf?"

Johanna shook her mind out, blinking back to reality, it was so easy to get lost in those eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She ended up asking, she had been off to the side, as far as she could without it being obvious.

"What an odd question, the Capitol just loves me so I am always mentoring instead of being switched out."

"You know what I meant, why are you here? Like right here." She pointed at the ground between them, they were quite close, half an arm length between them.

"Do you know you are a bit taller then when we first met?"

"Now it is you that don't me sense."

"Would you prefer me pointing your outfit out?"

"No, I look like a shining tree."

"Yeah the glitter helps with that."

"I will have glitter on me for years."

"Oh how true, Cato once used glitter for a birthday card he made for me, I still sometimes see a piece twinkling here and there in places he never brought glitter too." It was an odd conversation but Athena couldn't say she didn't enjoy this, there was always something new with Johanna. "Come on, follow me."

Johanna didn't need to be told, she had already moved to follow her when Athena stepped away from her.

"Where?"

"You'll see, I don't think seeing kids die interests you that much, the games will reach their ends in the following hours anyway, 1 and 2 have been starting the go after each other."

Johanna was more then happy to follow and get away from it all and Athena knew that without needing an answer, no victor was happy to be present.

Each year, reliving their own games through their tributes and always being dragged around and shown off.

So Athena knew Johanna would have followed her without being asked too.

Tho she didn't truly know how far she'd have followed.