The Name of the Game I Finnick Odair

The Interviews

The tributes were gathered offstage, talking softly. For example, Kenzie was talking to Johanna, as Finnick came up behind her.

"You look ravishing, Mackenzie." Finnick whispered into her ear.

The seductive purr was evident in his voice, which made her blush and smile softly.

"Thank you, Finnick," Kenzie replied softly. "You look quite dashing yourself."

Finnick smiled widely at her compliment.

Just as Johanna wanted to say something else, Katniss and Peeta arrived and all of the tributes fell silent. Instantly, Katniss noticed the tributes were staring daggers at her wedding dress. She wondered if they were jealous of its beauty, of the power it might have had to manipulate the crowd.

Finally Finnick spoke up, "I can't believe Cinna put you in that thing."

"He didn't have a choice. President Snow made him." Katniss said, somewhat defensively. She wouldn't let anyone criticize Cinna.

Cashmere tossed her flowing blonde curls back and spat, "Well, you look ridiculous!"

Then she grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him into a place to lead their procession on to the stage.

The other tributes began to line up as well. Katniss was confused, because, while they all were angry, some, like Kenzie, were giving them sympathetic pats on the shoulder, and Johanna actually stopped to straighten Katniss' pearl necklace, "Make him pay for it, okay?"

Katniss nodded, but had no idea what Johanna meant. Not until all of the tributes were sitting out onstage and Caesar Flickerman, hair and face highlighted in lavender this year, had done his opening spiel and the tributes began their interviews. This was the first time Katniss realized the depth of betrayal felt among the victors and the rage that accompanied it. They were so smart, so wonderfully smart about how they played it, because it all came back to reflect on the government and President Snow in particular. Not everyone. There were the old throwbacks, like Brutus and Enobaria, who were just here for another Games, and those too baffled or drugged or lost to join in on the attack. But there were enough victors who still had the wits and the nerve to come out fighting.

Cashmere started the ball rolling with a speech about how she couldn't stop crying when she thought about how much the people in the Capitol must have been suffering because they'd lose the victors. Gloss recalled the kindness shown here to him and his sister. Beetee questioned the legality of the Quell in his nervous, twitchy way, wondering if it had been fully examined by experts of late. Finnick recited a poem he wrote to his one true love in the Capitol, but when about a hundred people fainted because they were sure he meant them, Katniss noticed how his eyes flickered to Kenzie, who looked absolutely stunning in her purple glitter outfit. Caesar opened Kenzie's interview with recalling how he had called her a Soft Soul in the interviews in her Games and how the name was still used these days. For her interview, Kenzie told the people about how she still wanted to compete in surfing contests and how she still wanted to teach children how to surf. What caused the audience to gasp was that she told them about her dream to have children once, when she'd find the right person. Much to Katniss amusement, even if it made her feel bad too, Kenzie seemed to be glancing at Finnick.

By the time Johanna got up, she was asking if something couldn't be done about the situation. Surely the creators of the Quarter Quell never anticipated such love forming between the victors and the Capitol. No one could have been so cruel as to sever such a deep bond. Seeder quietly ruminated about how, back in District 11, everyone assumed President Snow was all-powerful, so why didn't he change the Quell? And Chaff, who came right on her heels, insisted the President could have changed the Quell if he wanted to, but he mustn't have thought it mattered much to anyone.