"Dahlia Blossom. Don't let the name fool you. She's better known as the Black Dahlia. And she didn't earn that nickname by smiling and looking pretty."
"She sure knows how to perform for the camera."
"Because she knows how to play the game. She alwa...
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With wedding preparations advancing swiftly under Annie's strict supervision, Katniss generously offered to take Dahlia to her home in District Twelve to try on dresses. Dahlia was touched by her kindness, especially considering how hostile she'd been towards the girl when they first met. She didn't hesitate to agree and soon the two girls (plus self-designated wedding planner Annie) were setting off in a hovercraft bound for District Twelve.
"It's a shame we can't travel to your district so you can wear your own dress." Katniss commented as they soared through the air towards her home.
Dahlia just scoffed and bitterly muttered, "Trust me, it would be more difficult finding an appropriate dress in my wardrobe." When Katniss turned to her with furrowed eyebrows, Dahlia sighed and explained, "I don't think there's a single strip of fabric in there that isn't black."
"You're forgoing your signature colour then?" Katniss asked with a jesting hint to her tone and a faint smirk on her lips.
Mirroring the girl's expression, Dahlia quipped back, "I don't think it matches Annie's strict colour scheme." Subdued laughter left the two girls at Annie's expense, who playfully glared at Dahlia for the remark. "Besides, I want this to be a new start with Finnick. My old dresses will just be an unwelcome reminder of a difficult past. I think it's time for something new."
The other girls couldn't agree more, beaming at Dahlia with encouraging grins and supportive nods. At that moment, she was never more thankful that the pair had decided to tag along with her. For most of her life as a Victor, her outfits had been chosen for her, usually planned months in advance to an event and always consisting of dark revealing costumes which hugged her figure. Her body was never her own, merely an exhibition for others to gawk at. And her wardrobe as a Capitol soldier wasn't very inspired either. Now that she was taking control of her life, she had no idea what she actually liked to wear. So she needed Katniss and Annie's input to decipher her own opinions.
District Twelve was a sorry sight to see. Most of it had been bombed into rubble, forever trapping its citizens beneath the buildings that had once provided them shelter and sanctuary. There was very little left standing to identify as key landmarks, save for the abandoned Victors' Village which appeared to be frozen in time. The lasting legacy of a doomed district.
Dahlia and Annie tried not to cast their eyes in the direction of the ruined houses as they landed in the Victor's Village, determined not to witness the devastation the Capitol had left behind. In a way, Dahlia felt guilty for avoiding the demolished scene, not quite able to shake off the shame that she had fought for the people who had ordered it. Some part of her pondered if she could've been partly responsible.
"This way." Katniss ushered the two girls in the direction of her old house as quickly as she could. The growing sorrow was evident in their features and she didn't want those bad feelings to linger. This was a happy day, a cause for celebration not sadness. They need not concern themselves with the downfall of her district. Nothing could change the past. "I'm afraid the wedding dresses Cinna designed for me are in the hands of the Capitol. But I still have some dresses left over from the Victory Tour."
