❝ 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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THE VICTORY TOUR
Months passed. It felt like years. It felt like decades ago when Talia Riverthorn was entered into the games. Her 18th Birthday passed, her wrist healed completely and her father got his new leg so he could go and fish again.
But when Thelan, Aldar and her old Prep Team arrived she felt her world stop turning again. It was as if she might end up back in that Arena if she ever go near the Capitol again. If she ever saw that snake again. But Aldar decorated her, made her pretty, she did interview after interview, as did her siblings and parents, as did Finnick. She developed a skill, a rather boring one Thelan thought, but she picked trident hunting.
And suddenly it was time to say goodbye to District 4 and go all the way to 12, where her tour would begin. She would then move through all the Districts, missing out 4, and end her tour in the Capitol at Snow's mansion, where a huge party would celebrate her, before returning home to another party in District 4 at the Mayor's manor.
District 12 was bleak. Coal dust covered every inch of the place and as Thelan handed her the card prepared for her she felt sick. She would have to look at Archer's parents, and any siblings he might have had.
The stage is set, and the Mayor introduces her onto the stage, but her feet won't take her. The gorgeous black dress she wore in order to commemorate the District was tight on her chest and she looks at Finnick with desperation in her eyes. He takes her shoulders in his hands.
"Breathe, walk, talk, breathe, walk and you're back with me," Finnick says, he looks into her eyes, "You have this, Little Bird,"
She gulps, turning and walking onto the stage, the District waiting for her is in total silence, everyone looks dirty. And there on the two stages in the centres of the crowd are the families of the Tributes who died, staring at her with pained eyes.
She reaches the microphone stand and looks out at the people, she lifts the card and begins to read, "I thank the Tributes of District 12 for their bravery and honour in my games, they both fought greatly..."
Her eyes scan the rest of the card for a moment before she looks up and meets the eyes of Archer's mother and the 4 small children that were all too young to even have their names entered into the bowl, all 4 children still had to face the odds of being thrown into the Hunger Games.
"I..." Her throat clenches as Archer's sister cries out, sobbing to her mother, holding her leg, "I'm so sorry,"
"I tried to protect him. I tried to get him home, I tried to get him back to you. I tried, and I failed and I will forever be in your debt. I wish it was me, I wish it was me who was dead. I wish I could have saved your son, your brother. He was so special, so beautiful, he reminded me of my own brother. I'm so sorry I failed you, I'm sorry it was me. I didn't want it to be me," She blurts, her eyes never leaving those of Archer's mother. Slowly, his mother lifts three fingers to her lips, pressed a gentle kiss to them and holds them to the sky. The children do the same. And slowly, the rest of the District follow, lifting their three fingers in salute to the Pearl of Panem.
In the crowd, a girl watched, her brunette hair braided down her back and beside her, her best friend and little sister. She too held her hand high, her mind ticking over like a time bomb. Neither the girl in the crowd, or Talia on stage, knew how important either would be one day. They caught eyes, only for a moment, but on that day, a spark was ignited that would one day become an uncontrollable blaze. Talia turns, and a blonde boy wearing a smart shirt and trousers holds out a bouquet of flowers. He must have been 13 years old. Talia takes them from him and sends him a smile.
"They're taken from the meadow here in 12, I hope you like them, Miss Riverthorn," He says with the politeness of a prince.
"Thank you, they're beautiful, what was your name?"
"Peeta," He says, "Peeta Mellark,"
"Its lovely to meet you, Peeta, thank you for the flowers," She says and she looks out over the District again, before lifting her three fingers in salute.
She walks off the stage then, carrying the yellow and purple bouquet in her hands and immediately walks into Finnick, her head on his chest as she chokes on her sobs. He passes the flowers to Thelan and guides the crying girl away, towards the train that awaited them.
"I can't do this," She says, "Its too much,"
"Talia, I had to this very thing one day, and I felt the same, I was 14 years old and I couldn't fathom what the people on those stands must have thought of me, reading some stupid Panem promoting card out to the families of the people who died so I could win," Finnick says, "Don't think about it, thats my best advice, don't look at them, don't look at the families, don't try and make eye contact, just read the card, thank the Mayor and walk away," Finnick says, "You've done one District, one District majorly wrongly, but one District is done and over, one step closer to being home,"
"Thank you, thank you for being here and thank you for letting me cry all over you and thank you for everything else," She cries, holding him tightly as he sits them both down on the train, waiting patiently for Thelan to board so they could go.
"Talia, I'm going to be here for you throughout this whole trip, I'm always here, no matter what time it is, I'm yours," He says, the words make her chest go tight. She looks up into his eyes and nods.
"And I'm always here for you too, I know there are things going on in that beautiful mind of yours and someday you're going to need to say them to someone, and if you want, I can be that person," She says, "I'm yours,"
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Had a little break from posting this to prewrite, but here we go!
