lover/fighter - Finnick Odair

Chapter 34 - Salty but sweet

"What is that? This is really good."

Quite a while later, they've come a long way on their culinary odyssey. Finnick just managed to shove something ring-shaped baked in dough into her mouth, even though she had already declared several times that she couldn't eat any more. He was right though, this stuff is awesome.

"Squid," he retorts, before setting about devouring the rest of it.

"The things with the tentacles and the ink?" asks Rhea thoughtfully. She's picked up quite a bit of maritime knowledge over time, but still often confuses one thing or another.

"The very same," he laughs, amused.

Rhea frowns but then shrugs it off. At first glance, you wouldn't think these alien-like creatures were actually that tasty, but you probably shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

"And you're lucky, you rarely get your hands on those here. Most of it goes to the Capitol, but the peacekeepers turn a blind eye during events like this because they want to have a good time themselves," he explains matter-of-factly as they continue on their way through the streets.

When he gently pushes her in another direction again after spotting something of interest, Rhea can't suppress a groan. "Whatever it is, you can have it, but I can't anymore. Honestly, I feel like there are rocks in my stomach already, and I'll probably have to hike all the way to the next district to digest it all. How can anyone eat that much? You're definitely not human anymore."

Finnick laughs but replies placatingly, "You said yourself that a good meal calls for dessert. But I accept the criticism and make the following compromise suggestion. We'll take something with us for the road and walk a bit, but maybe not all the way to the next district." Gradually, everyone else is also drawn into the narrow streets, which is why it's getting more and more packed. As Finnick himself is not a big fan of large crowds, he is also doing himself a favor.

So, a little later they leave the village center behind them, and the music that can be heard there from every corner since noon today, to walk in a northerly direction along the coast. The Victors' Village, as well as Isla's inn, are exactly in the opposite direction, so she knows her way around there best. She has rarely been in this part of the village, let alone further than the last houses.

They just keep walking, talking about this and that while the quay wall eventually gives way to a rocky coastal landscape. By now it's almost high tide, which is why it's impossible to see whether there's sand or gravel under the water, because if there's one thing Rhea has learned, it's that the coast has many faces, and none is like the other.

"We can go back if you want," Finnick offers as the trail slowly disappears and only rocks lie before them. He knows there are no cavities under the rock to watch out for here. The ground is stable and not as brittle as on the other side of the village, so it's easy to climb around there as long as you stay away from the edge.

"No, it's actually quite nice here. I just want to be back before it gets dark." Stumbling around here in the dark is something she really doesn't want to do, but at this time of year it takes quite a while for the sun to disappear into the waves, so they still have plenty of time.

That being said, the peace and quiet out here is doing her a world of good right now. The aftermath of all her inner turmoil from noon, of which Finnick seems to have noticed very little, combined with the noisy environment, all the voices and other impressions were slowly becoming too much for her. She knows herself well enough to notice the headache coming on, but now that they've escaped from all that, the signs seem to be slowly receding.

Finnick looks at her seriously. "If you're sure," he pauses, and it's more of a question than a response.

Rhea puts on her stubborn look, as she always does when she's unjustifiably underestimated, and replies insistently, "Keep treating me like a lady in distress, and I'll push you off the next cliff if that's what it takes to get back to eye level."