"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 had finally learned the escorts name as they approached the capitol. Diamond Pough, she had been an orphaned child who never really took to the games but decided she needed some way to come up into the social status of the capitol. Paisley liked her, rather liked having her as an escort. Diamond had been patching up the small cuts that Mally had made onto her hands and arms.
The gentle touch the escort had brought her an odd feeling of peace, and she wouldn't lie if you were to ask that every time Diamond squeezed her palms she felt cared for.
Paisley was to continue her plan of acting as a career, the strategy was smart considering, ten had a closer advantage to the career districts then other ones. Having plenty of food and protein was already an advantage but Paisley and Alex spent their whole lives working, building muscle, learning. Everything they needed to win they already had.
She was never more grateful for living in a poor district than she was right now.
"Now we need to watch the reaping, get to know your competition." Dallan stated before Paisley and Alex started to protest.
"We're all we'll need." Alex stated as Paisley nodded.
"I don't want to know everyone else." Dallan nodded in understanding as he sucked on his teeth before looking up.
"I thought of everyone from my games as numbers, I didn't want to know their faces and I wanted to go it alone." Dallan started as Paisley digested it. "Find at least two people in that room that you want as an ally. De-humanize everyone else." He told them before clicking onto the screen to pull the tributes from district one.
"One and One. Lethal both eighteen. they are a threat." He stated and Paisley really studied them so the next time she saw them they would be just a number to her. One and Two. One and Two. All from different districts but each of them having two tributes.
Did she want or need to know the number of their district? She wasn't sure but that's not how she wants to know them, she wants to know who will be the toughest opponent. "One like every year is allied with two." Dallan spoke as he moved the screen to the tributes from district two. Paisley analyzed them making sure to remember the faces of the tributes from two.
This is how she will know them, just by their faces, numbers. Nothing else. Three hadn't looked too promising but of course, tributes from three were known for their brains. The guy from four was young, younger than Paisley, he was strong and promising. The girl from four seemed to be a similar person to Paisley. She was sweet, but strong. Holding back her tears the same as Paisley had done.
The only other person Paisley hadn't de-humanized was the little boy from twelve. He couldn't have been much older than Zander.
"Alright my darlings, I'm so sorry. Once you're in the capitol you'll be sent to separate rooms. Where you'll meet your stylists, get ready for the parade." Diamond explained solemnly as the two siblings made eye contact with each other. Both feeling anxious about having to be separated inside the capitol.
