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I'm not interested in being easy on the eyes. I want them to flinch, think twice before they reach out their callous hands to bruise. I want to be a constant reminder to men that not everything is theirs for the taking.
Cassia woke up late the next morning to Rena pounding on the door for a solid five minutes straight. The woman then shouted something from the other side of the door in an agitated sweet voice before leaving. Cassia had skipped dinner the night before and remained in her room. She decided to peel off her mother's dress, neatly folding it on the dresser along with her shoes.
The shower was odd and extremely complicated. There was an unlimited amount of hot water and soaps and shampoos and oils that all smelled flowery and vanilla. She dried herself off with a towel and in the drawers, found a pair of dark pants and a loose shirt made of a soft material. Her hair dripped down her back but she didn't care as she walked down the hallway to hear a discussion being taken place over the sounds of silverware scraping against dishes.
Everyone looked over at her as she pulled out a chair and sat down across from Lark. Rena was there with a silver smile and ruby red eyelids. "I'm glad you could join us, dear," she chirped, her voice filled with a small relief.
Cassia said nothing to her as she felt her stomach aching to be filled. She didn't know where to start, so she started with what she knew looked familiar. She took a few pieces of fruit and chewed on that for a few minutes. A servant came over to her when her plate was empty and replaced it with a plate filled with steaming meat and scrambled eggs. While she ate, the conversation had picked up again.
"If you want to die, then sure, go right for the Cornucopia," Gia shrugged while sipping a dark liquid that steamed into the air. It smelled familiar, but she stuck with the water that was given to her.
"But that's where everything would be to survive. If I just run away without any weapons, how am I supposed to defend myself?" Lark retorted with a mouthful of food.
Cassia couldn't help that Finnick had been eerily quiet ever since she had arrived. His vibrant eyes that resembled a cat's flickered up to hers and she felt a shudder go down her spine. The interaction was odd, but she wanted to know what he was thinking. Because so far, he was proving to not be the most vocal of mentors. And perhaps he knew that, because he then asked her, "what do you think, Cassia? The Cornucopia or the wilderness?"
She stared at him, thinking over his words. "If you're lucky enough to be near something, I say grab it. But if you're smart enough, you'll stick around just long enough to know why it's called the Bloodbath."
Finnick nodded in approval and ate another piece of cubed fruit from his plate.
Gia's lips twitched. "We'll be arriving in the Capitol soon. You will be meeting your stylists and prep teams. They will be the ones getting you ready for the Opening Ceremony tonight."
