Calm Before The Storm {Finnick Odair}

Overgrown Cupcake

After the shock of receiving those letters from Snow, Finnick and Hebe only had a short time to finish coaching Annie before she was sent down to Estelle. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about it, and now, so close to the games she worried that every action she took could mean the difference between life or death.

What if Annie bombed her interview? What if she got no sponsors? What if she got sick in the arena, ran out of food, or water? What if Hebe's emotional response cost Annie her life? Could she live with that guilt?

She wasn't sure she could even live with the guilt of getting her reaped. It was undoubtedly her fault, no matter what Finnick tried to tell her. Even worse was the fact that Hebe knew, even if Annie made it out alive, she'd be condemned to the life she and Finnick lived. A life of enslavement, and transaction.

Hebe remembered the way she had felt when Snow first told her, how she'd wretched over the toilet bowl, and the emotions she'd expressed to Finnick. How sometimes she wished she'd never volunteered, or even that she'd died in the arena. She wasn't sure she'd be able to take Annie feeling like that, well aware that she was the sole reason for her.

As she escorted Annie down to the remake centre, standing beside her on that underground cart, she realised that Snow had her well and truly trapped. No matter what happened in that arena, and who emerged as victor, it would end in suffering for the both of them.

Finnick watched his victor with concern as they dropped off the tributes outside of their respective prep teams, noticing her obviously stiff posture and pained expression.

"You ok?" He asked, and she barely registered the hand on her shoulder and warm green eyes peering at her.

She nodded, but he could tell she was lying. Then her hands moved.

"Tell you later." She signed.

"Roof?" He responded.

She nodded, before parting from him, and making her way down the corridor towards her prep room. As she walked, she tried to focus her mind on the present, rather than whatever may happen in the future. And her current focus was on helping Annie win, even if she was all too aware of the consequences.

The usual incessant chatter from her prep team filled the room, all of them asking about how the tributes were going, as well as exchanging gossip about the betting.

Stylists, escorts, and prep teams weren't allowed to bet on tributes, as they were believed to have 'insider information' that may give them an unfair advantage. So most of them instead took part in sweepstakes amongst themselves, where the only prize was the 'glory' of winning. It was a mindset that, to Hebe, was strangely reflective of the one beaten into her at the academy.

They also followed the betting fairly closely, living vicariously through those that were able to wager large sums onto the tributes.

Usually Hebe would have been uninterested in such gossip, but it could provide her some useful insight into the other tributes.

"If I could, I'd put some money on that boy from 10." Blaire declared, "No offence Hebe."

"None taken," She murmured through gritted teeth, mostly from the pain of the wax strips on her arms and legs rather than irritation at the man.

"Really, Blaire? Why would you go for him? It's gonna be a career this year, no doubt about it." Boa piped up.

"Hmm, I'm not so sure. I think it might be a shock victory. Yes, he's an outlier, but he's definitely muscular. And you know those ones from 10, always pretty handy with a knife." He replied, yanking another one of the strips away from Hebe's body particularly hard, and she let out a yelp of pain in response.