DESTINED ✧ F. ODAIR

[ 31 ]

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CHAPTER 31
❝ TRAINED KILLER ❞

"OH COME on, love. Do you really think we need to impress anyone?" Finnick chuckled. His hand grazed the table filled with countless ropes and paint buckets. Mags rolled her eyes at him, fiddling with the thick rope in her hand and turning it into a knot in a mere second. The elderly woman sat on the ledge, playing delicately with different items she brought with her and silently watching the two children in front of her.

The loud clanging of different weapons bounced around the training room in an ominous way. Everyone was competing with each other, fighting for a means to obtain allies by seeming more deadly than the other. It felt strange.

From laughing and befriending each other just a year ago in the mentors lounge whilst watching the games to being at each others necks in silent tension. It was a compete one-eighty from their previous camaraderie. It wasn't taken personally though. Everyone in this room are friends, they're just doing whatever it takes to survive.

Enobaria and Johanna who shared a glass of wine at the capitol party held for Katniss and Peeta just a month ago were baring their fangs at each other. Brutus and Cabel who saw each other as father and son were on opposite sides of the room, making an obvious effort in ignoring the presence of the other. Brutus, standing beside Cashmere and Gloss whom shared equally as intimidating looks on their faces; Cabel, standing beside Beetee and Wiress as they fumble around in confusion with some sticks and strings.

The moment Finnick and Mags walked into the room and greeted Persephone, Tiffany and Jackson from District 10 had made a rather poor attempt to start-up a conversation. Although, Persephone couldn't pin whether it was due to Tiffany's inability to talk due to the morphling that numbed her tongue or Jackson's horrendous attitude and hatred towards his own partner. The terrible conversation effort has deterred other tributes from speaking to them and has left the three alone in their chosen area.

Messing up the knot yet again, Persephone groaned in frustration and tugged it roughly in attempt to rip it apart but failed. Persephone frowned, looking up at the man that stared at her in amusement. "Never-mind, you're not looking to impress anyone with that knot." At the sight of her glare, he giggled and stepped behind her, guiding her hands through the motion for the knot. "Let me show you the best knot in the arena."

His voice was mesmerising and she was distracted by the feeling of his breath on her neck. She turned her head and looked up at him to which he glanced down to meet her gaze.

"Don't look at me. Look at the knot."

He tugs the knot closed and he jokingly laughs, "Here's where it gets complicated," he pulled it over his head and tightened it with a mocking grunt. Persephone lightly hit his arm.

"Finnick!"

He chortled, attempting to hide his laughter before it began to bubble out unrestrained. He turned to look at Mags to ask her for her opinion on his distasteful joke but was met with the wall. Persephone followed his gaze and hummed in confusion, "Mags?" she whispered out. Her eyes washed over the entire training arena before noticing the large crowd in front of the new simulation room.

Pointing towards the group, she tugged on Finnick's hand, "She might be over there." He glanced over before shrugging.

"Maybe Mags will soften up the fiery girl and convince her to agree to be our friend." Persephone rolled her eyes at his bitter statement and said, "Well, we didn't really play nice. I don't blame her if she wants Mags and not you."

He snorted and lightly punched her shoulder, "I'd like to think I charmed her." To which Persephone responded with, "You wanted to?" and Finnick defensively raised his hands in surrender and shook his head.

"Absolutely not, I would only actively charm you."

Behind them, a new laugh joined their conversation. Johanna's voice boisterously echoed across the training room, "What did you do this time, Odair?" Cabel was quick to join in on the slander, "What doesn't he do?"

The group size instantly doubled. Cabel eyed the knot still tight around the older man's neck before raising his eyebrow, "I didn't know you were into that, brother." Finnick opened his mouth to deny the accusation but was too slow when Johanna spoke up, "I'd kill myself too if I were you Finnick, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I was such a royal pain in the ass." Persephone choked on air, her laughter stuck in her throat as she coughed and punched her chest to catch her breath. Finnick shot daggers into the side of her head before pulling the rope off his neck.

"Shut the fuck up Johanna. You're so insufferable."

"You're one to talk. The moment you walk in the room everyone disperses like you're a monster. It's probably because of your ugly face"

Finnick's jaw dropped and Cabel soon joined his sister in her laughter. The sun-kissed man turned to look at his girlfriend and pointed his finger towards Johanna accusingly. "You're going to let Mason talk to me like that?"

Persephone sniffed, muffling her laughter behind her hand and shrugged. "Maybe-" she coughed, "You deserved it."

Johanna cheered and threw her arm around the petite girl, pulling her closer. "She's mine now, Odair. We're getting married tomorrow." Finnick's back straightened at the mention of the word, nervously flickering his eyes between the two before he relaxed at the realisation of something unknown to the group. Cabel slapped the back of the taller man, smirking, "You're gonna let her steal my sister from right under your nose?"

This was meant instantly with a head shake in response. He stepped forward and grabbed Persephone's hand and pulling her to his chest. "Sephy is mine."

Johanna bit down the smile that threatened to appear on her lips and pretended to gag. Her voice fluctuated as she mocked him, "Sephy is mine," she made air quotations before saying, "Whatever fish boy."

"Seph calls him seaweed brain."

Johanna burst out a laugh, "Seaweed brain!" She slapped her knee, "That's genius!"

Persephone peeked her head out from behind the man's arms that hugged her, "I know right." Her voice was quiet, her face almost mushed into the training shirt that Finnick wore. She held up her hand and gave Johanna a thumbs up, "You can call him that too, Jo."

She gave it a thought before shaking her head, "I'll just call him a dumb bit-" Finnick elbowed her harshly, causing her to belch over and grunt. To which Persephone pinched his chest tightly and he yelped. The group all looked at each other before laughing simultaneously and catching the attention of the other tributes.