VENUS《 FINNICK ODAIR

Chapter 27. SNAP.

T/W: Gore, violent riots. Mentions of forced sex work.

"SNAP! I WIN!" VIENNA SQUEALED WITH DELIGHT, HER PUNY HAND SQUASHED BENEATH THE MOUNTAIN. Clearly the pain was worth the win by her ignorance to the redness of her palm.

"Wow Vivi, I'm impressed, you might not have to steal all the winnings this week," Delilah poked, Vienna only retorted with a wicked grin.

"Well, Snap is my forte," she comically gestured, Jak and Jorja squinted at the word.

Jak hummed, "What kind of word is that? Did she say a bad word Jorjie?"

"No, just a fancy one. Fancy words for someone who only won once, unless we go double or nothing you are left with the scraps tonight-" Jorja pestered, slightly annoyed that she broke her winning streak. It was about time really, Edith thought to herself, with a quick glance to Jaida and Jak beside her - they agreed. Jorja had somehow won every game of go fish, rummy and even a long whinded game of one sided solitare while everyone else finished their dinner. They loved her, but competition overuled most notions of familial pride amongst the family.

"Well fine, let's go again," Vienna pestered, passing the cards to Lottie to shuffle. Paylor only handed another deck into the pile, her eyes watching the playful hostility bounce around the round table.

"I want to play rummy again, I'm the best at that one-" Lottie sulked, shuffling the cards between her long fingers.

"We'll play it again when we come around next time," Lucy offered. She had joined them for the annual family barter game. In Paylor's household it was something regarded as tradition, and was extremely competitive. Cheating was allowed but frowned upon; meaning it was any who didn't have a moral backbone's game.

Edith squinted at this week's winnings. Lucy brought in a packet of lemon sherbets and a box of macadamia nut biscuits they made yesterday with Kaif. The contents Lucy brought in alone paled in comparison to the spare change, a pack of sugar cubes and the last ginger teabag from a pack bought at the markets that her siblings added in. (Although the latter was often the most coveted possession of them all.)

Edith herself planned on buying a pastry to add to the mountain that afternoon, but with the riots popping up in every corner of the city, Edith decided left over teacake to share with the group was a better idea.

"Yeah, I think at that you two better head off, the trams are shut from the protests and I dont want you two to get caught up in anything, keep your hoods up until you are out of the street," Paylor warned, pouring out the kettle for Jak and Jaida who combined, probably drank more tea then the rest of the table. Taking a glance at the look in their eyes - it was a race. For what? Who knows.

"Where did they parade last night?" Edith asked dragging her eyes away from their faces, she herself wasnt entirely prepared for the answer.

Paylor sighed, sinking down onto her stool. "The Basin and the market square - its why I couldn't buy a treat for the winner, they- well. Let's just say I wasn't welcome there..."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, scraping her rickety chair to get up.

"Well they want me there, fighting with them, I mean of course I agree that we need monetarial support for the damage done but- I dont completely agree with the message they are sending - they nearly hurt the Mayor's pregnant wife and a bunch of kids coming home from school. I cant lose my job and if they see me rioting in the street then we're doomed."

Edith sniffed at that. Of course she wasn't going to say that she had enough money to support her whole family but still, the fact stood: Mali said that was the reason she didn't want to riot. Not that it could endanger her children and have them targeted.