She was seated in her house, found in District 4's Victor's Village. It was luxurious, of course, and Cress took great care of it, but Junie and her mother weren't the best with house maintenance. It didn't help that Jaycee basically lived there as well, escaping from her brother's sickness. Annie also preferred staying at Cress' house rather than her own, despite the fact that she lived next door. Basically, Cress ran a hostel.
"Cress, don't slack off now," her mother chastises. Aimlee Bronzetide was kind of a hypocrite in Cress' opinion. Yes, she was her mother, but that didn't mean that Cress respected her. She'd always chosen the bar over her own children, only cleaning up her act after Cress had won her Games. Needless to say, she didn't hold her mother to the highest regard.
Cress resorts to giving her a 'back off' look that usually sent her in the other direction. Today, it seemed, was not her lucky day as her mother didn't give up.
"Cress, don't make me do everything myself now, come on." she shakes a spoon in her daughter's direction. Cress' expression deepens into a glare, which seems to have it's desired effect on her mother when she finally backs off.
"Cress, can you-" Jaycee starts to ask but pauses when she sees Cress' face. "I'll just ask Junie."
"Good idea," she mutters, standing up and walking down the road to Mags' house. She knocks on the door gently, and it cracks open. Mags smiles at her, signing excitedly. "Hi Mags, yes, I made bread. You want me to bring you some?"
Mags signs yes, her eyes practically sparkling with happiness.
"Then you'll get your bread, I promise. I'll have Junie bring it by later." she smiles at Mags, who quickly hugs her tightly. Cress wasn't the tallest person ever, only 5'7, but Mags was still tiny next to her, only about 5'3 if Cress had to guess.
Mags claps her hands and shoos her off, exhaling to show how her breath was appearing. "Yes, I know it's cold, I'm fine Mags." She just shakes her head and shoos her back towards her house, waving. "Alright, I'm leaving. See you later, Mags."
Cress doesn't go back home, unsurprisingly, instead walking down the road towards the main drag. She walked past the bait shop, past the general store, over the bridge that covered the creek, and down the dirt road that led to Halle's house. She lived in the outskirts of town, out by the old watch tower. Cress knocked on the door, her knuckles and fingertips red from the cold.
"Halle? You there?" she asks softly. The door clicks open and Halle's weathered face meets hers.
"Cress, sweetheart, how are you?" she asks, opening the door to let her in.
"I've been better, but how are you?" Cress asks, helping her back over to her chair. Halle had a rocking chair that sat in the corner of her room where she was basically always found, unless she was sleeping. She had a fire going, the small cabin warm and cozy.
"Oh, I'm alright. Can't complain, really." Halle smiles at her, motioning for her to sit as well.
"I made bread today, would you like me to bring you some?" Cress offers, smiling.
"Oh, well wouldn't that be lovely!" Halle says, pinching Cress' cheeks affectionately.
"I'll be sure to bring it to you tomorrow." she stretches, cracking and popping her back.
"I remember the days that I could do that," Halle chuckles. "I made tea, would you like a cup for the road?"
"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother, but I would really love some," she says, smiling. Halle hobbles around, getting a warm canister of tea for Cress.
"Here you are, sweetie. Be careful out there, it could be icy." she pinches Cress' cheeks gently again. "See you tomorrow, alright?"
"See you tomorrow, Halle. Don't miss me too much." she smiles, quickly running back down the dirt road, over the bridge, past the general store, past the bait shop, and entered Victor's Village once more.
"Cress, there you are!" Junie exclaims, running towards her. "They're announcing the Quarter Quell soon, come on home quick!" She grabs Cress' arm, dragging her back into her own house.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Cress sighs, and Junie giggles. "You are the most immature nineteen year old ever, I swear. Stop laughing, it's not funny."
"Sorry, sorry," Junie says, giggling still slipping through as they all sit down on the couch. Annie curls up on the floor in front of Cress, sitting between her legs, while Junie and Jaycee are on either side of her. Her mother sits in the lone armchair, legs crossed and hands in her lap as she stares at the crowd of girls around Cress.
President Snow graces the screens of every TV in Panem as he starts his speech on the Games. On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it." No one Cress knew had been alive for that one, except Mags. "On the fiftieth anniversary," the president continues, "as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes."
Haymitch's Games. She could picture how his face would sour and he'd take a swig of whiskey, maybe flipping off his TV as if Snow himself could see.
"And now we honour our third Quarter Quell," he says, a small little smirk on his lips. The little boy in white steps forward, holding out the box as he opens the lid. Cress can see the tidy, upright rows of yellowed envelopes. Whoever devised the Quarter Quell system had prepared for centuries of Hunger Games. The president removes an envelope clearly marked with a 75. He runs his finger under the flap and pulls out a small square of paper. Without hesitation, he reads, "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors."
The room is silent before Annie starts breaking down. Junie and Jaycee immediately tend to her, while Cress stumbles to her feet. Existing pool of victors.
Finnick.
She races out the door of her house and across the road, knocking furiously on his door. She can feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she wills them to stay put. "Finnick! Finnick!" After a moment, she hears his heavy footfalls and the click of the lock as it swings open. Without saying anything, he wraps his arms around her and buries his face in the crook of her neck.
"Cress," he whispers, and she just now realizes that he's shaking slightly. "We might go back in."
"Finn, I have to go back in," she says and he jolts back. He starts trying to argue but she cuts him off. "Annie can't go back, it would destroy her, and Mags is too old. It's going to be me."
"But, Cress-"
"No, Finn, I've made up my mind," she whispers, the tears starting to spill over once more. "I'm going back into the arena."
YOU ARE READING
The Flying Fish (Exocoetidae)|| Finnick Odair X Fem!OC
Fanfiction"Hello Birdie." "Not in the mood Finn." The 67th Hunger Games, with Iuvartus Templesmith as Head Gamemaker, was nothing special. The victor that year was Cress Bronzetide, a 16 year old girl from District 4. She was an unexpected victor, as her dist...
