The Flying Fish (Exocoetidae)|| Finnick Odair X Fem!OC

Parade

"Finnick, isn't Katniss gorgeous?" Cress asks, looking towards the District 12 chariot. Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire.

"Huh?" Finnick blinks, looking surprised at her words. "Is she? I didn't really notice."

"You're the least observant guy I've ever met." she rolls her eyes, climbing up onto the chariot and taking her spot. Finnick gets in beside her. She doesn't notice, but he's glowering at any tributes who look her way.

"Ouch, Cressie, I take offense to that," Finnick sighs, putting his hand over his heart.

"Good," she snickers, causing Finnick to lightly hit her shoulder. "Hey now, easy on the goods. I need to look picture perfect, alright?"

"Yes ma'am." he gives her a mock salute, smiling all the while.

"They're staring, you know." Cress glances around at the tributes around her, most avoiding her gaze.

"Oh, I know. Isn't it great?" Finnick's smile changes into a smirk.

"You're way too cocky Finn." Cress rolls her eyes as the tributes start rolling out. "Game face, Finnick, game face."

"Of course." Finnick and Cress emerge from the dark area and onto the street, following the three chariots in front of them. The cheers of the crowd exploded when they saw them, then got louder. Cress glanced down and saw that her crown was glowing, as well as her.. hair?

Tazzel had somehow slipped paper thin lights into her hair that made it look like her hair was glowing. Finnick hadn't been spared from the glowy lights either, the fishbone necklace around his neck glowing as well.

"Look at us, veritable glowsticks," Cress mutters, Finnick having to fight off a smirk.

"Don't make me laugh, sweetheart, you'll ruin our image."

"My mistake." Finnick grabs her hand, holding it tightly as the chariot continues down the path.

"Look at that everyone, Cress Bronzetide and Finnick Odair from District 4!" Caesar's voice echoes throughout the large area, bouncing off of the stone bleachers. "Oh my goodness, they're glowing! Literally! It's incredible, truly incredible!"

"Is it incredible?" she mocks under her breath, Finnick choking back a laugh.

"Cressie, seriously, I'm going to start laughing and then I'll look crazy," Finnick whispers. Cress' only answer was a wink as she turns back to the cameras.

"Finnick, Finnick, Finnick, Finnick!" the women in the crowd had started chanting his name loudly, the noise growing as more people joined in.

"Cress, Cress, Cress, Cress!" the males in the crowd had started up their own cheer, this one for the Pearl Princess herself.

"They've managed to whip the crowd into frenzy, folks, it's a competition out here!" Flickerman yells.

Finnick and Cress remain stone faced as their chariot carries them down the street, Finnick's hand moving to rest on her shoulder. A queen and her guard, both deadly but in different ways. Cress held the power, and Finnick held the strength. When the cheers reach their peak, Cress and Finnick's hands intertwine and are raised up to the sky, the chants of their names changing into something new.

"District 4, District 4, District 4, District 4!" Everyone who'd been cheering before was now cheering as one, the stands shaking from the people jumping up and down.

"It seems that the crowd has chosen their favourite district, 4 has won by a landslide!" Flickerman cheers. Cress, making a quick decision to further solidify their support, tugs on the necklace around Finnick's neck, treating it like a collar. The crowd roars, not expecting this from Cress, who'd usually portrayed herself as non-assertive. She leans in close to his ear, making sure only he can hear what she says.

"Follow my lead." Finnick gives her an almost imperceptible nod and she lets go of his necklace, the chariot stopping in front of the dias that President Snow would be speaking from in a few moments. The tributes were split between staring at Katniss and Peeta, who looked as if they were fiery wraiths, and Cress and Finnick, the pair of newborn gods. Cress notices how Snow's stare seems to be trained on Katniss, like he's speaking directly to her.

Mockingjay. Rebellion in 8. The memories flash through her mind as she continues to stare ahead, stone faced. A possible revolution was on the rise, Katniss seeming to be the figure head. What did this mean for her? For Finnick?

"May the odds be ever in your favour." Snow ends his speech in the same disgusting way as he did during her own Games, that stupid quote replaying over and over in her mind as the tributes do their final circle before being led inside. Cress tugged on Finnick's necklace again and he took that as a sign to wrap his arms around her waist in a protective gesture, making the crowd audibly swoon.

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Haymitch hadn't lied when he said that Cress and Finnick would be the biggest threats. They could put on a show, a show so convincing that they got the stands to cheer for them, and them alone. They had outfits that were on par with her own and Peeta's, rivaling their flames with their look of newborn gods.

"She's walking him like a dog," Peeta whispers.

"Jealous?" Katniss mutters in return, her eyes following Cress and Finnick as they disembark. Cress saunters off, Finnick following her like a guard dog that would kill anyone who got too close for his liking.

"Come on." Katniss grabs Peeta's arm, dragging him to the elevator with them. Haymitch falls in step with them as they climb in, joining Cress and Finnick. Before the doors can close, another person steps in as well.

"Hey, Johanna, how are you?" Cress' voice is the first to be heard in the cramped elevator as she greets the woman, who Katniss now recognized as Johanna Mason herself dressed as... a tree. A little on the nose if she was being honest, but it got the point across well enough.

"Isn't my costume awful? My stylist's the biggest idiot in the Capitol. Our tributes have been trees for forty years under her. Wish I'd gotten Cinna, or Sorrel. You both look fantastic," Johanna groans.

Johanna unzips the rest of her tree, letting it drop to the floor, and then kicks it away in disgust. Except for her forest green slippers, she doesn't have on a stitch of clothing. "That's better."

"Really Jo, in front of the newbies?" Finnick asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Relax, nothing they haven't seen before." Johanna rolls her eyes.

"Your boobs are glowing," Cress snickers, pointing out how the light from Peeta's still glowing outfit is now reflecting off of her bare chest.

"Guess I've got a case of glow boob, huh?" Johanna and Cress giggle in the corner, Finnick watching them with a soft smile. A smile, that Katniss noticed, was directed at Cress.