❝ ALONE WE ARE STRONG,
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER, ❞
in which talia riverthorn,
a citizen of district 4,
finds her heart torn
when she is forced into the
71st hunger games.
and the handsome,
mysterious finnick odair
is her mentor.
and as well...
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HOME
Home. It was so close. Just a train ride. Talia was sitting in the train compartment, her hair loosened out of its bun and her dress pulled out of shape by her legs being tucked up underneath her. Finnick was sitting opposite her, nursing a warm cup of tea. She didn't understand how he did it every year- trained a new tribute and had to watch them either win or die. Her chin was resting in her hand, fingers tapping against her cheek, eyes focused on the window, watching the world go by at such speed.
"We'll be home in about 10 minutes," Thelan announces, sending Talia a smile.
"At last," She mutters, she gets up, her wrist was sitting in its cast still but she was dying to take it off. Two more weeks Finnick said, then it can come off.
10 more agonising minutes and the train pulled into the station, Talia rushed to get off but Finnick slowed her down, "You have to be patient, let Thelan announce your arrival,"
Thelan steps off the train and announces to the cheering crowd that their 'Pearl' has returned home. She wonders if this would be her nickname, the Pearl of Panem.
She steps out onto the platform with a bouquet of white roses and her crown on her head, a real Capitol darling, and she waves to the people of her District.
And in that moment, as she held those poisonous flowers and wore that crown of thorns, that the games never ended in the arena, that the games were still being played, right here, in that very moment.
Her mind was distracted when she saw her family in the crowd, her father sitting in a wheelchair. She wonders why on earth he's in that, but right now, as she's whisked away into a car that will drive her to the Victor's Village, she can't ask questions.
As the car pulls up outside, her eyes widen at the size of the houses. Finnick leads her to her new home, Thelan gasps at the beauty of it, reminding Talia of all the riches she's won because of the games. Talia tours the house, waiting impatiently for her family to arrive and when they do, her legs carry her as fast as they can. The front door is swung open and she immediately hugs her elder brother, his arms squeeze her, as if to make sure she is real, that all of this is real.
Finnick greets the rest of her family while she takes it in turns to hug them all, and finally she reaches her little brother and is taken back to that moment before the games when she promised to return to him.
"You came back," He says and she pulls him into her arms, her wrist aching from all the shoulder squeezing she was doing.
"I did it for you, I did it all for you," She whispers to him. She finally pulls away and turns to her father in his wheelchair, his left leg cut completely off from the knee down, "What happened?"
"Fishing accident," He says, "Need a new leg,"
"I'm sure the Capitol can help their new favourite Victor get their father a new leg," Talia smiles, "Please, find your rooms, make yourself at home, I want to talk to Finnick for awhile,"
"These flowers are gorgeous," Her mother remarks.
"Bin them," Talia orders, "They're filled with poison,"
"What?" Her mother exclaims, letting go of one of the buds.
"Not actual poison. They're from our darling President," Talia says.
"Yes, so bin them," Her father smiles, sending his daughter a wave as if to dismiss her and Finnick.
The two Victors step outside, closing the front door and sitting on the porch steps, looking out across the Victor's Village. It was deep Autumn now and soon enough Winter would be here, just after the new year begins, thats when the Victory Tour will be.
"Finnick, I wanted to thank you," Talia begins, turning her attention to the man beside her, "Thank you for all you did for me in the games, I'm forever in your debt, and so are my family,"
"Its my job," He says, shaking his head, "You have nothing to thank me for, Talia,"
"I owe you my life. If I didn't have you to advise me, get me that trident...I wouldn't be here and my family would starve," Talia says, she reaches over and takes his hand, "Just accept my thank you,"
His eyes lift to meet hers and he nods, "Your thank you is accepted,"
"Good," Talia laughs, her first laugh since before the Arena, "It feels good to be home,"
"Indeed it does, though I'll be back to the Capitol next week," Finnick says, shaking his head.
"Why?"
"Business," Finnick replies bluntly, his eyes glance to his hand that was still resting in Talia's, "I'd better go,"
Her hand retracts and they stand up, he smiles at her and she pulls him into a hug, she leans closely to his ear and whispers, "I know President Snow isn't who the Capitol thinks he is, I know you know more than you say,"
"Just stay out of his games, Talia, your family should be your priority, not me, not anything else," He says and he pulls away out of her hug and walks down the steps, "Goodbye, Little Bird,"
