𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝑶𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒓

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓.

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮.

"Don't snap at Caesar," Zavir told Rosie, glaring at her through the heavy door that separated them.

Rosie rolled her eyes on the opposite side as she tried getting into the dress with seemingly a thousand holes, every time she thought she found the bottom her leg ended up through the side. Her foot finally slipped into the bottom and she shimmied the delicate fabric up her body, thankfully quickly figuring out which hole to put her arms in.

The dress wasn't as tight as the one in the Tribute Parade, although was still equally as scandalous. With cutouts removing half the dress, and the remaining portion almost completely being made up of delicate olive rope holding the fabric together. Much of her back and chest was on show, all of which was covered in makeup to make her seem completely perfect. Her skin had the unnatural glow the people of the Capitol's skin held, it was shimmery and glowing but in a way that let everyone know her skin was anything but. Her hair was left loose, the waves being defined and a crown of woven flowers laid on her head.

"I won't snap at him," Rosie grumbled as she swung the door open. Zavir's eyes travelled over Rosie's body adorned in the stunning dress. "Can you tie me up?" She asked, turning around, exposing her back to Zavir. The Capitol woman began pulling all the ropes together-a little too tightly, in Rosie's opinion.

"Lola should be back soon, she'll put the finishing touches on the dress. But please be on your best behaviour, Rosemary. This is your last chance to present yourself to The Capitol before The Games." Zavir gripped the girl's shoulders and spun her back around. "Be delicate, but be strong. I'll be waiting with Kit, Haymitch and he went a little crazy on the wine last night. Commiserations for 12, and celebrations for you and Toby. Well, there's Lola, good luck, Rosie." Zavir rubbed a cold thumb over the peak of Rosie's cheek before walking away.

Lola stopped and said a few words Rosie didn't hear to Zavir, but then continued toward her new muse.

Ever since the Tributes Parade, Lola Kompton's designs had been flying off the shelves. Both old and new, everything was selling like hotcakes. Not that that particularly moved Lola, she had enough money that a little more did nothing much. The only thing it did was add further pressure for tonight's dress, and Lola thought she'd done well. This dress didn't have to be so eye-catching that people hundreds of metres away would notice it, it could be slightly more stripped back, but it still needed a bite.

"You look gorgeous, my darling. I had to go make some adjustments to Toby's shirt-his stylist is a joke." Lola scoffed. "The woman can't sow in a straight line. My dead Aunt who only had one arm could sow better."

Rosie laughed at Lola's clear attempt to loosen up. "I feel like a fish caught in a net. But a pretty net."

"You are a catch, Rosie." Lola stepped behind the teenager, straightened up the ropes and used fashion tape to tape them how she wanted them. "Finnick was hanging around the dressing room." The older woman didn't look up from where she was fixing the dress as she spoke. "I told him you'd probably be in a better mood after the interview. He asked if you were okay, isn't that sweet?" She smiled.

"Weird. That's what it is. I think he's plotting against me." Rosie finally admitted out loud.

"Or maybe he thinks you're pretty. He is, after all, just a teenage boy. And we all know how they think. Victor or not, that doesn't change what he is." Lola wiped her thumb under Rosie's eye, smudging in some of the green pencil eyeliner that hugged her bottom lash line, making her eyes pop. "He'd be stupid to not think you're pretty-even if he is plotting against you. Which he isn't, he looked far too flustered. It was funny seeing him flustered, the boy who walks around so confident, flustered by the assumption he may have a little crush."