the lucky one | finnick odair

deja vu

-now playing "deja vu" by Olivia Rodrigo-

Haymitch Abernathy stood in front of a large television screen as his two tributes sat before him on a large and comfortable couch. They had just arrived at the Tribute Center at the Capitol, and the mentor wanted to get a head start on training Katniss and Peeta on their competitors.

"Cashmere and Gloss. District one. Brother and sister. Won back-to-back Games. Capitol favorites, lot of sponsors. They will be lethal," Haymitch explained to the teens as the District Twelve Victors all stared at the video on screen of the blonde siblings smiling and waving to a crowd.

Haymitch then switches the screen to show the reaping footage of District Two.

"District Two. Brutus and Enobaria-," the older man starts before being interrupted.

"What's with her teeth?" Katniss blurts out, clearly unimpressed.

"She had them filed into fangs so she could rip people's throats out," Haymitch responds to the girl.

"She's committed, I'll give her that," Peeta adds in from beside Katniss.

The mentor continued on, "Wiress and Beetee. Not fighters, but brilliant, and weird. Real tech savvy," the man explained as he walked around in front of the television before speaking again, "He won his Games by electrocuting six tributes at once."

Katniss straightened her posture at that, eyes running over the screen.

Haymitch then went over the District Six tributes, "The morphlings, masters of camouflage. Basically won their Games by hiding until everyone else was dead. Self medicating ever since, which I applaud, not afraid."

The screen then switches again, and Finnick Odair appears on the screen waving to the crowd in District Four.

"Finnick Odair, right?" Katniss immediately asks, beating Haymitch to the punch.

"Yes, he won his Games at fourteen. One out of two of the youngest ever winners, extremely humble," Haymitch explained, waving his hands in the air, adding emphasis.

"You're kidding," Katniss immediately rebuttals, trying not to roll her eyes.

"Yes, I'm kidding. He's a peacock, a total preener. But, the Odairs are the Capitol darlings, they love him and his wife here," Haymitch starts to explain to the teens, causing Peeta to sit up, becoming interested. "He's charming, smart, and very skilled in combat, especially in water," he finishes.

"What about weaknesses?" Peeta asks, bracing his arms on his knees as he immediately identifies Finnick as one of their top threats.

"One. Cove-" Haymitch starts as the screen changes, a hectic video of Wavie falling into the audience before the camera zooms in on Cove stepping forward to volunteer.

"Cove Alora," Katniss interrupts the man again, standing up from her seat immediately.

"Odair," Haymitch corrects, "she volunteered for Koi Hydra, her mentor in her Games. Cove is Finnick's wife and best friend, they have been together for like nine or ten years now. She's apart of the infamous Alora Victor family."

The screen shows Cove walking to stand beside Finnick, the other District Four Victors on stage looking visibly shaken and surprised.

"She was there. In the crowd in Four during our Victor tour, they both were," Katniss recalls, remembering making eye contact with the woman and the smile she had offered her.

"Yes, I talked to her and Finnick both, invited them to come say hi," Haymitch nodded.

"They declined?" Peeta filled in, remembering how he had never met them before.