❝ 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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CITY OF SIN
The atmosphere on the train was indescribable. Talia Riverthorn had volunteered, when she was supposed to have someone volunteer for her. Finnick might never forgive her.
He sat in his room on the train, his hands shaking with rage as his mind raced with ideas- none of them good enough. He needed to save Talia, not only for the sake of the rebellion but also for the sake of himself. He couldn't live without her, but she could survive without him. But Finnick also knew that the priority of District 13 was Katniss Everdeen. He had yet to meet Haymitch and discuss plans, but now had to consider Talia too.
In her own room, Talia was lying back on her bed, fingers tapping against the sheets, unable to even fathom what she had just set herself up for. She would have to kill other Victor's, she considered what might happen if Finnick and her were the final people left. I'd kill myself. Her thoughts race through her mind, only pausing when theres a knock at the door.
"Come in," She calls as she sits up. Thelan opens the door with a forced smile.
"Dinner is ready," He says softly.
"I'll be in in a minute," She replies, he nods and leaves her to it. She stands and looks in the mirror, she wondered what everyone else saw of her. During her first games people didn't think much- fragile, delicate, soft, couldn't hurt a fly. And then she won in the way she did. She watched Archer's head be torn off his neck. And she killed Ethan Bomer without a second thought. This however, was different, these people had all won before, some of them were trained for this, some of them have been mentoring for years. Talia had mentored once, in the previous years games, and found it relentless. She had had little training on the run up to these games, Finnick had been less focused on helping her than helping Mags get up to speed with some things and also making sure Annie was okay and relaxed in herself. Talia knew how to use a trident, but would they put a trident in the games knowing two tributes would favour those?
She pulls her eyes away from the mirror and straightens her clothes, heading out her room and finding the dining compartment, inside, Thelan and Aldar were seated, Finnick was pouring himself whiskey at the bar and chatting to who Talia assumed was their mentor for this year, she recognised him from the lineup at the Reaping.
"Talia," Finnick says when he sees her standing at the doorway, "This is Rossan, he's our mentor this year, and Coral will be here shortly,"
"Its nice to meet you," Talia says, "I didn't realise Coral was coming too,"
"Indeed, she volunteered to mentor," Finnick says, sitting beside Rossan at the table.
Talia couldn't help but stare at the scar that ran across Rossan's face, right over his left eye and down over his mouth and then over his chin and to the mid point of his neck. She shifted her eyes when Coral joined them alongside another woman.
"This is Olena, she'll be Finnick's stylist this year," Coral says, slipping into the seat beside Talia.
"I didn't realise you'd be coming, I thought you might wish to stay safe,"
"Trust me, the Capitol might be the city of sin, but right now its a lot safer than 4," Coral says quietly enough that only Talia can hear. The younger of the pair wonders where on earth Coral got such information, did she know about the rebel group too?
Talia simply nodded in reply and loaded her plate with the food on offer that evening, avoiding eye contact with Finnick who was sitting across from her. The conversation was fixated on the Capitol, Thelan telling them all about the brand new training centre and tribute floors. Talia drifted off into her own mind after about 5 minutes of mind numbing chit chat that she was sure only Thelna, Aldar and Olena were interested in.
After the meal Talia heads towards her room, sick of the giggling of the Capitol pawns, and just as she's about to enter her room, a shiver runs along her spine, she glances over her shoulder and sees Rossan standing there, watching her with his strange grey eyes.
"Something to say?" She asks, her voice thick with poison.
"Simply keeping check on you, Finnick told me that you're prone to doing crazy things,"
"Finnick should learn to keep my name off his tongue," Talia says, opening her door and stepping inside, "Goodnight Rossan,"
He simply nods to her before watching her close the door. He walks closer, pressing his ear to the door, on the other side, Talia had her own ear already against it, both of them listening. She turns the lock and walks away, pulling off her clothes and changing into some pyjamas. Outside, Rossan turns away too, heading off to find his room for the rest of the journey.
The Capitol greeted them in the morning, light flooded the train throughout breakfast and the train pulled in just as they finished eating, Capitol citizens awaited them on the platform, most of them calling for Finnick. Talia didn't bother waving when they exited the train, she was part of the game now, a game that would quickly become a war. Thelan and the stylists guided Talia, Finnick and the mentors to the training centre where they would first undergo their transformations. This was where Talia had the first few of some of the other tributes, she happened to notice Johanna Mason sulking in the bed of the District 7 female tribute. She gave a wicked grin to Talia, and Talia returned the favour- perhaps she had a friend in Johanna, and if she didn't, Finnick did.
Talia found her usual prep team of Fava and Zetta, Aldar popping in every once in awhile. There wasn't much work to be done, after all, Aldar never wanted to take away from Talia's natural beauty, he simply wanted to enhance it. Her hair was cut a little, her nails manicured and her eyebrows plucked, her legs and armpits waxed, which still made Talia cringe, and finally, her skin was exfoliated. After all, tonight was the opening ceremony, and she would have to shine for the Capitol and all its sinners.
_________
More of a filler chapter but hey ho, they have to be done !
thank you so much for 15k on Together, it means so much to me!
