Breathe in, Breathe out • F Odair² •

XII

"Too risky and not much time."

•∘♔∘•

She didn't recognise them, Athena realized with a jolt. Genevieve Moselle did not seem to recognize her or Finnick at all - well, not outside of being famous victors from District Four, that was. She didn't recognise them, and Athena realized after a moment that there was no reason why she would, because she hadn't seen them that afternoon, the day everything went wrong. She had no way of knowing that they had been there, witnessed their conversation, seen the Peacekeepers coming, and had been unable to do anything at all but give them a split-second warning.

        The moment Athena saw her, she wanted to do something, say something to her. She didn't know what to do, though. They weren't supposed to talk to the Avoxes; she always had to find subtle ways to show kindness to them or they'd get in trouble. Even if she could talk to Genevieve, she had no idea what she would say. They hadn't known each other at all. Genevieve didn't even know she and Finnick had been there that day. Even if she did know, what would she feel except resentment that they had done nothing to save her and her counterparts, that they had just stood there and watched then ran away?

        Before Athena could think of something to say, Alayne was saying, "Athena, Finnick, what's holding you up? We are all waiting for you."

        Athena tore her eyes away from Genevieve, who had been eyeing her and Finnick apprehensively, to see indeed that everyone else was seated. Athena and Finnick exchanged looks, before moving quickly towards the table. Mags was sitting at one of the heads of the table, so Athena and Finnick sat on either side of her. They looked at her meaningfully, asking her silently if she knew, if she recognized her. Mags said nothing but nodded once, her expression grave.

        All throughout dinner, Alayne, Tatiana, Syrio, Ajax, Leto, and Hestia all talked about the opening ceremonies, how fabulous Athena and Finnick looked, other standout tributes they liked, how ridiculous some of the other outfits were in comparison. Athena listened enough to know when she needed to chime in, but otherwise was barely paying attention to what was being said or even the food she was eating. Mainly, she kept an eye on the two women, particularly Genevieve, as they waited on everyone at the table for the entirety of the meal.

        When it came time to watch the recap of the opening ceremonies, Athena, Finnick, and Mags all sat together on one sofa, and she was glad. She didn't think she could stand to be physically close to anyone from the Capitol after seeing Genevieve like this.

        As the procession of the tributes into the city began, it was clear that they hadn't been lying when they said Athena and Finnick had been a success. Shots of the crowds saw Capitol citizens fawning over them as they remained smiling and inviting, yet cool and detached. Still, it was clear that Katniss and Peeta were the real stars of the night, in their outfits like glowing embers. In a departure from what tributes normally did during the Games, they showed no warmth or love towards the Capitol citizens. There were no traces of smiles on their faces and they did not raise their hands in a wave to the crowds, their hands remaining joined together. They were no longer lovelorn star-crossed lovers; instead, they were vengeful, unforgiving. And the Capitol ate it up.

        Besides Katniss and Peeta, the ones who got the most positive reception were Athena, Finnick, and Johanna, and Athena could understand why; even all popularity aside, they were the youngest tributes. It was bad enough, dressing up children in these ridiculous costumes and parading them around the city on a regular year; doing it with ageing victors, however, is almost pitiful to watch. A few of them, like Seeder and Brutus, who have managed to stay in good shape over the years, manage to maintain some dignity, but the majority of these victors, most of whom have fallen to the clutches of alcohol or morphling or illness, seemed almost grotesque in their costumes, dressed as cows and trees and loaves of bread.  The five of them were the very image of what a tribute should be in comparison, especially Katniss and Peeta, who were both only seventeen, in the age range to be Reaped during a regular year. Most years, there was much to be said about every tribute; this year, only the occasional comment was made.