"Volunteered for her mentor, took a vow of pacifism after her games." -Haymitch
"Finnick's been in love with Paisley since her games, he'd do anything and everything all for her. He never even lets her out of his sight when their both in the capitol...
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Paisley looked at the girl to her left, who unfortunately had the look of relief mixed with pity.
Relief that she wasn't picked.
Pity that it was sweet little Paisley.
As her boots crunched over the rocky paved piece of the small aisle leading to the stage, she took it in. The bored look of Mally Monroe, the female victor of her district, the slightly baffled look of Dallan Crass, the male victor.
She begged the man to get his act together. Paisley Laurson would not lose her image because a victor couldn't man up. However a shrill voice broke her entire persona.
The persona of a career.
Zander.
She begged herself not to look back but at the smaller boys constant shouts and the pull of her dress, the shouts of her older brother as she nearly fell to the ground because of her younger brother.
How harsh he had pulled on her dress, his own strength stronger than hers. He had unknowingly made her look weak in his desperation.
"Paisley!" Zander's small voice and calling for her made her heart break.
"Zander!" The call of her older brother bringing tears to her eyes. She knew what was going through the oldest child of the Laurson family. The same thing she had thought.
"You have to let go." Paisley begged her younger brother whom she turned too. The distraught angry and heartbroken look on his face willing her facade to break. She glanced at the peacekeepers who were storming down the aisle, and to the line of boys her older brother were struggling against to get to them.
"You have to let go and get back in line." She begged as she wrapped him tightly into her arms, she knew the cameras were watching but she couldn't not comfort her brother. Paisley Laurson was the perfect example of someone loving to their own downfall.
So she squeezed her brother tightly and kissed the top of his head, allowing her tears to fall into his hair. "It's time little one, get back in line. Don't struggle, for me alright?" The shouts of her older brother hadn't stopped, the cries of her younger one hadn't yielded. Not for her.
Everything was turning upside down.
As she lifted her head she pushed her brother into the arms of the peacekeepers, giving him a stern look as he seemed to struggle for a minute. Before he settled watching Paisley turn on her heel, the graceful but assured steps she took masking everything she felt.
She had allowed herself to feel it, all for one moment. Now she could allow herself to wait. Mally Monroe looked slightly hopeful and Dallan Crass had a look of understanding. After all, Dallan had volunteered for his younger brother, only for his brother to die right after his games.
