Roots of Destruction 𓅫 Finnick Odair X OC

☆5☆

With the individual assessment sessions coming up later in the day, Briar knows that it is best to preserve as much strength and energy as she can. Following her usual morning routine of changing, a hearty breakfast, and stretching, herself and Oakley are escorted down to the Training Suite for their final half day of practical training. After a brief farewell to their mentors, Briar leads Oakley over to the survival skills stations. Even if only one of them can win, she still wants to give him as much help as she possibly can.

"Don't waste energy on physical exercises today; we need to be on our A game this afternoon. Today is all about survival skills, alright?"

"That's— actually a good idea." The shock in the boy's voice causes Briar to shove his arm gently and laugh. "Yes, I'm aware that it sounded like I was shocked you had a good idea. No, it wasn't intended to."

"Good, otherwise you would have beat that District 1 girl to the top of my hit list." She winks.

Remaining side by side, Oakley and Briar make their way across to the fire and shelter station as the edible plants stations are occupied.

"Not bothering with actual training, 7? I see you're already accepting your inevitable fate." Briar cringes at the shrill tone of Eden's voice calling out from behind her. There are not many things that Briar hates, in fact she can probably count those things on one hand, but Eden is most definitely one of them.

Briar turns, her smile clearly forced, and drags her eyes down the blonde's form as she snarls, "are you trying to be rude, or is it just that you're wildly in love with me and are concerned for my well being?"

"Well, I am certainly not stupid enough to fall for a 7, especially not one that will be dead within a week."

"Well then you certainly need to work on how you go about being rude to people because taunting me with death just days before I enter the arena doesn't bother me." Briar narrows her eyes as she mocks the girl's wording choice.

"I'll take great pleasure in killing you," Eden spits at the girl, but doesn't dare take a step closer.

"I hope you do, you psychotic, crazy bitch," Briar responds, her volume and bored tone unfaltering as she turns her back on the girl.

With her attention now fully back on her chosen station, Briar takes two slightly thicker sticks into her hands. She creates a small dent in one of them and places it on a small pile of leaves and kindling, then secures one end of the second stick into the dent. Her small hands move to be flat against each other, the stick secure between them, and looks at Oakley with a smile, "you have to run your hands back and forth quickly, and move them down as you do."

The boy smiles sheepishly at her and mumbles, "can you show me?"

The brunette nods and begins to demonstrate the required movements to spark the flames. After a minute, smoke begins to float up from where the two sticks meet. Although she can't see it, Oakley is in awe as he watches the older girl working. Prior to the reaping, they hadn't met, but Briar has been nothing short of lovely to him, and he has quickly began to view her as a big sister. Briar has taken him under her wing, taking care of him and making him laugh constantly. He feels bad; he knows that he will slow her down and rapidly become a liability in the arena. But, he also knows that, provided he makes it past the bloodbath, Briar won't let him out of her sight.

Briar bends as her waist, leaning her torso closer to where the sticks connect so she can blow on it. The added force moves more oxygen to it and a flame appears. "Blowing on it displaces the carbon dioxide and provides the fire with more oxygen. That, in turn, allows the flame to build."

A few moments later, after the flames had begun to increase, a trainer placed a container over the fire to starve it of oxygen and safely extinguish it, "well done, you managed that quickly."