𝙒𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍𝘾𝙊𝙇𝙊𝙍 𝙀𝙔𝙀𝙎 // finnick o.

𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧

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THE ESCORT SMILED AT the two tributes from her position standing a few inches away. The male tribute and Lilac looked at her as she walked off to go and find their mentor.

She turned to the boy, barley even twelve years old if that, he looked horrified, but who's to blame him?

Lilac stuck her hand out to him, her palm facing upwards as she waited to see if he'd reach for it. Her cautiously grabbed her hand, latching his own onto it. The older girl gave a smile to him as she moved her thumb back and fourth over his hand, trying to comfort him.

The two of them ended up talking for a bit, as much time as they could. To get their minds off the games Birre Walker was his name, twelve years of age. He had curly hair, a dirty blonde color. The boy was now another reason to keep Ivory motivated, the poor child didn't deserve this.

Birre was quiet at first, according to Ivory though, he's a gentle soul. The young boy talked to her about his family, an only child, caring parents, and they also managed to get a goat as well.

As Birre's description of his mother flickered something in Ivory's brain and her mind traveled back to the reaping.

"Birre Walker." The escort had said, all eyes turned to the boy. Birre reluctantly turned and walked to the center where he was met by peacekeepers. His innocent eyes revealed his terror.

A scream was heard from the back, a malnourished woman in the arms of her husband, crying out as her child was called to the stage. It appeared like the man holding her back was threatening to let tears fall from his face, but Ivory was to far away from him to tell.

Lilac almost let her act fly, remaining confident for the cameras, she remembered what she did after they turned off and lifelessly fell back to their place to finish the live recording.

She'd grabbed the child's hand on the way to the train, she wanted to be there for him. As much as she knows she shouldn't care for any of the other tributes, there was just something about him.

Birre was so pure, so innocent.

That's what Lilac recalled thinking as the left District Twelve behind, both tributes believing they'd never see it again.

THE DOOR FLUNG OPEN revealing a middle-aged man with blonde hair that ran down past his ears, but to short to reach his shoulders.

Both tributes were startled at the person they could only assume was their mentor.

He carried a fancy glass cup in his hand, filled with an alcoholic beverage. Lilac couldn't care enough to recall what the drink was, she probably didn't even know the answer herself.

The man slowly went to sit down in a chair across from the two children. It took him a minute before speaking. "So, I know the both of you are probably eager for tips and whatever but," he paused, taking a sip from the cup her held, "the only thing that really matters is to assume your intimate death."

"You don't think we have a chance?" Birre asked.

"No one from Twelve ever has one."

"But you won your games." Ivory said.

"Yeah, one of us could win ours, we just need to know how to play it." Birre added.

"Look if you want to y'know, not die, then you need sponsors. And since everyone saw the reaping on TV your probably not gonna get any." he turned from the boy to Ivory, "You might, since you put on an act. The Capital loves that stuff."

"How would we get sponsors?" Birre asked, Haymitch slowly stood, turning to Birre before leaving.

"You need to get people to like you. Or at the very least, pretend your interesting, act like a victor." after he finished the statement he left, grabbing a bottle of whatever drink he was consuming beforehand.

IVORY STARED AT the food in front of her, baffled. Never in her life had she seen this much food. Effie and Haymitch had already begun to eat whilst the two tributes hung back.

There were many different dishes, some that Ivory wouldn't associate with breakfast, perhaps people in the Capital preferred fancier dishes along with their wealth.

Ivory grabbed some bread like object along with what else was familiar to her, eggs, potatoes, and some bacon. She'd rather not try the weirder looking courses.

Effie smiled at her two tributes, determined to win something for District Twelve this year. She started the conversation off with a rather unexpected breakfast table topic.

"So, are the two of you good with anything? Like weapons- or whatever sorts of things you use in the arena?"

Lilac was actually a bit surprised that she'd ask such a question, she'd originally though Effie'd only ask fashion or Capital related questions to the children, and leave the games talk to Haymitch.

Birre snapped his eyes immediately away from the table, looking uncomfortable. Lilac swallowed some of her meal before responding. "I've used a spear before- and an axe, only a few times when the boys would let me go out with em'."

Haymitch seemed slightly invested now, "Have you killed anything with either of those weapons?"

"With the spear, yes. Sejanus taught me how to use it, the axe i've only used to chop off small tree limbs for our group. I'd prefer to not fight actually."

"But if you had to, would you?"

"I- of course, sure, but you can't kill nothin' with no training. And I have none."

"But you said your brother taught you?" Haymitch raised a brow.

"To the best of his abilities, which unfortunately isn't much since the Capitol never lets us do anything in our District."

Haymitch took a sip from the glass that now laid in his hand, "Alright, well how about we start training for that then."

Lilac raised a brow, "How are we supposed to do that?"

Haymitch pointed to one of the tall chairs, the legs being quite long, not half as big as an average spear but enough to use in practice if they wore torn off.

Effie gasped, "No, no! We are not tearing those chairs apart! Do you two even realize how expensive that type of wood is?! That chair is made out of-"

Haymitch cut her off, "-You want this kid to die in the arena?"

Effie shook her head before turning to Birre, the boy'd been silent since the conversation started.

"Well, let's get started." Haymitch said, both people being genuinely surprised at his actions. He hadn't done anything like this in a long, long while.

And maybe in a few years, he'd do the same for someone again.

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