Less than a day and she'd be trapped in that arena. Less than a day and she'd have to kill. Less than a day and she could be dead. Niamh knew the odds were not in her favor but she also knew she made a promise; she had to try.
Niamh looked over herself in the mirror. In barely any time, she'd be on stage. She'd have to giggle and twirl and pretend she was happy but deep down, she knew she wasn't. Anyone who knew Niamh Murphy could tell she wouldn't really be happy on that stage.
Her gaze wandered over the dress. She knew the dress was beautiful but she didn't feel it. To Niamh, she was average. She knew she wasn't ugly but sometimes she felt like a complete troll.
The dress:
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"I was right, sweetheart." Finnick grins, walking into the room, "as beautiful in pink as you are in blue, though blue definitely brings out your eyes."
"Oh really?" Niamh smiles up at him teasingly.
"Oh really indeed, sweetheart." The Victor teases in return. He looks down at her with a playful smirk when he realises, despite her heels, he is still taller. "Short-stuff."
"Are you sure this doesn't involve ya terrorising Atticus?" She giggles up at her mentor, "don't act surprised, I heard him complaining that ya ruined his 'beautiful' ideas f'me."
"They weren't beautiful, they were practically nudist." Finnick says with a grimace as he remembers the dresses Atticus had chosen, if you can even call them that. Not that he'd ever tell the younger girl why he cares so much. "C'mon, we gotta get you to that cue, can't have you making Caesar wait, can we?"
With a bemused smile, she follows him to wait in the line. In front of her was the boy from 3, Blayne. Though out his entire interview, he had a nervous stutter and she couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. Her heart stopped when she heard her name.
It takes no time before she is having to walk onstage to an arena sized hall of cheerleaders. "Now, we have Niamh Murphy of District 4." Caesar announces to the crowd.
She forces herself to smile and blow kisses to the Capitolites as she walks towards Caesar and his blue hair. Despite feeling sick, she keeps up her sweetheart act.
"How are you feeling today, baby?" Caesar asks as she moves to sit across from him with her feigned smile. "So excited!" Niamh continues her act, "don't think I've ever seen so many people."
"Well, we're very excited to have you here with us, Niamh." The host continues on, "now I'm just gonna ask a few questions, is that okay?"
Niamh knew he'd ask them nonetheless, so she feigned the same smile and nodded. "Good, good. Now why don't we start with this dress?" Caesar suggests. "It's quite a pretty thing, is it not?"
"It is, Caesar! Has to be my favourite so far." The tribute keeps up the act with a giggle. Despite hating how she had to play pretend, she knew in the long run, it would help.
"And the bracelet? Doesn't seem like a design of a Capitol citizen." The host asks which seems to relax Niamh slightly.
"Because it isn't, Caesar. It was actually made by my best friend, Callie. We have matching ones and all, I'm calling it my something old." Niamh continues the act with a flirty giggle.
"I heard your mentor has been making quite the impression with your stylist, can you confirm or deny for us?" He asks with a smirk. Every year, they tried to make drama from nothing and this was part of the 69th hunger games' drama.
"I wouldn't say an impression, Caesar. What I would say is Finnick wants the best f'me, any good mentor would do the same." Niamh keeps up her charming persona despite feeling sick on the inside, accidentally letting her district accent slip into her words. "A good mentor puts care and passion into their work."
"Well he certainly puts care into something!" Caesar laughs obnoxiously which only causes the audience of Capitolites to cheer alongside him. Despite feeling disgust at his words, Niamh makes sure the false persona remains.
"Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your little stunt in the parade, baby?" The man continues on as the crowd quietens slowly. He was no doubt on about her kiss with Morgan.
"What's a little love between district partners? Who's to say the people won't enjoy a little show in the arena?" Niamh forces a giggle. She knew she didn't like the boy and he didn't like her that way, what she did need however in that moment was sponsors and this would secure them.
The girl wasn't stupid, even if she may act it sometimes. Niamh had seen previous games, some of the ones with the most sponsors were the ones who flirted their way to them and that's what she planned to do.
"How cheeky! How cheeky! If you won, do you think you'd share the love with any of us?" Caesar asks. Backstage, Finnick feels his heart drop to his stomach at the question and the sweet, oblivious girl it was aimed at.
"I certainly will be!" She giggles, unknowing of the implications his question had.
"Well, I hope to be seeing you back here very soon but our time is up." The man finishes off, "why don't you give a twirl for everyone?"
"Yes I will" she says, gleefully as she gets up. She twirls energetically in front of the uproarious crowd before slowly down and blowing a kiss to them all. Thankfully for her, the interview ends and she skips off the stage, waving to the crowd.
Finnick tries to hide his upset as she comes off stage. He notices how her smile drops and the look of confidence turns to one of a scared kid. He asks after a small moment, "you okay, sweetheart?"
This time she doesn't speak as tears bottle up, instead she finds herself hugging the older man. "I- I wanna go home.." Niamh murmurs against his shirt and he feels his heart break.
"I know, sweet girl, I know. I'm gonna get you home, I promise." He comforts as he rests his chin on her head. Niamh can't help but notice how his district 4 accent laces into his words whilst in interviews she'd seen, he'd always forced it away.
That night neither of them question it when she shows up to his bedroom, hugging his teddy bear to her chest. "Can I stay here please?" She whispers, her soft accent broken down.
All it takes is a nod for her to get beside him in the bed, arms still wrapped around the teddy. She notices how he's in a simple jumper and pyjamas pants compared to how he always seems dressed up by the Capitol any other time.
Neither of them speak for a while as she turns to cuddle closer to his side, his arm wrapped around her. "Y'know y'r sweet, Odair, even if you pretend to be all mean and scary." Niamh murmurs against his side, holding the teddy bear to her chest.
"Don't you hate me?" He asks, resting on his elbows to look at her with a look of almost affection.
