𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙡, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙊𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙧

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 33: 𝒮𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝐿𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝐵𝒾𝓇𝒹𝒾𝑒

She sobs. On Robin's floor. Pathetic.

        Raven has been playing a role for the Capitol for so long, she forgot it was just a role. She stayed in the role during the 67th Hunger Games when she lacked empathy towards her tributes. She stayed in the role when killing Finnick's friends. Raven isn't a ruthless killer. She isn't a predator like the ravens. She's just a fourteen year old who makes impulsive, stupid decisions. Robin holds her in his arms, his limbs tight. His face rests with an unreadable expression Raven only saw when he found out about her killing.

        "It'll be over soon," Robin says, leaning his head into Raven's shoulder, rubbing a hand on her arm. "Trust me."

        "I killed all those people," Raven keens. "I'm so selfish. I stayed the same killer I was in the games and I haven't left the arena for two years. Why am I such an awful person," she cries into his shoulder. "I should be dead, why am I not dead?" Her wails and strained voice make Robin's eyes glossy, as he keeps her in his arms. "You should hate me."

        "You can leave the role now," Robin whispers. "You're safe," he reassures. "I'll keep you safe. Nothing you do can make me hate you, you've saved my life more times than I can count. Now let me do the same. Let me take care of you." 

        Opal comes later that day, holding a drink in her hands. "It's just coffee," she says. "I had some leftover," she tells Raven as she hands the cup to Robin, which he gratefully accepts. Opal notices the blush on Robin's cheeks, chuckling. "Your hair is a little tangled, no?" Raven sighs, shaking her head at Opal's motherly tendencies. When she isn't killing herself with drugs, she is nagging Raven and making sure she's taking care of herself.

        "I'll comb it," Raven sighs, heading upstairs, trying to outrun Opal as she follows her up the stairs. Raven grabs the comb from her bathroom, but Opal is already standing behind her.

        She snatches the comb from Raven's hand, clicking her tongue in disappointment. "Kneel," she instructs. Raven reluctantly does so, preparing for the pull of her hair as Opal recklessly combs out her hair. Raven hisses in pain each time a knot is tugged at, along with the yelping which Opal ignores.

        "Calm down, will you?" Raven shrills. She lets out a sigh of relief when Opal finishes, and smoothes out her hair.

        "There's my Raven," she says quietly, to herself mostly, looking at Raven in the mirror with a rare smile. Raven feels warmth inside at the motherly affection from Opal, and the moment she stands, strangles her with a hug.

        Opal freezes at first, but then embraces her back, exhaling freely.

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.

The 68th Hunger Games are close. Raven is determined to make a winner out of her tributes this time around. No more rolling her eyes. No more being a carbon copy of Opal Grace. She will be there for the tributes, without any question or doubt. 

         The reaping is on a cloudy day, and seems worse because of everyone's gloomy spirits. The girls and boys separate on the two sides of the square, nervous per usual. Many of the girls hold hands together, holding on to perhaps the last interaction with their friends. Many of the boys whisper to each other, making terrible jokes for maybe the last genuine time.

         Raven sits up on stage, watching Oakley Chain as the video plays. The children's arms tense as the finishing beat of the video plays. "As a courtesy," Oakley repeats the same words, "ladies first." She walks on over to the bowl, picking up a random name. "Sage Bloom." A girl who is about 15 years old comes up on stage, shivering. "Now the gentlemen." She approaches the bowl with the names of the boys. "Star Clarence."