Roots of Destruction 𓅫 Finnick Odair X OC

☆8☆

Waking Blight up and bothering him because she can't sleep seems like a catastrophically bad idea; the man loves his sleep, just like Briar, and if he's anything like her then he won't take nicely to being disturbed. Johanna is nowhere to be found, so Briar heads through to the kitchen to make herself a tea as her nerves are preventing sleep from consuming her. When she approaches the counter she spies a piece of paper on the side that has been torn out of a notebook with writing scribbled on it. The handwriting, which she recognises instantly, is Johanna's.

Blight,

I've headed down to floor one for the evening. Will be back later tonight.

-Jo

If Johanna is on the first floor, it is likely she's visiting her two blonde friends so Briar strides to the elevator and rides it down to find her. As the doors open and she exits the lift, Briar pales, noticing the group of people all gathered in the living room. Johanna, Satin, Cashmere, Gloss, Cato, Finnick, Annie, Enobaria, and the other male mentor from 1 are all sitting across the various couches and chairs in the room, and most of them have some form of alcoholic beverage in their hand. It's evident to anyone on the outside looking in that the group are all particularly comfortable with each other and do not have the district rivalry that the Hunger Games portrays everyone to have; it is rather refreshing and reassuring to see.

"Hi," Briar greets nervously, her eyes fixated on her sister out of sheer awkwardness.

"What on earth possessed you to think that coming down here was a good idea?" Her sister is livid. Her brows furrow as she glares at Briar, waiting for a response.

"I– well– I couldn't sleep because– well, the nerves, and I saw your note. I assumed that you were just down here chatting with Satin and Cashmere, not that there was a party going on."

"It's not a party," Johanna dismisses with a wave of her hand.

"Fine, gathering then. Still," Briar looks around the room, addressing everyone at once, "I am sorry for intruding. Happy birthday, wedding day, congratulations on your engagement or marriage or graduation, sorry for your loss... or whatever this celebration is for?" Most of the group let out small laughs, both amused by the girl and pitying her as she is clearly uncomfortable.

"None of our family has died," Gloss states, looking at Briar.

"Okay, so that narrows it down to this gathering being for one of the siblings. I'm glad to hear no one has died. I am going to head back upstairs–"

Satin swats her brother's arm with the back of her hand and hisses, "Gloss! She is clearly uncomfortable, why did you need to make it worse?"

"I'll see you later." Briar goes to turn on her heels and head back towards the lift when the other male mentor from 1 speaks up.

"Why don't you stay?"

Briar looks at Johanna, expecting her twin to answer for her, but Johanna just stares back and states, "it's not up to me. This is for Satin."

"You can stay," Satin smiles as Briar moves her head to look at the blonde woman.

"Sure. Okay, thank you." Briar smiles back and asks, "do you mind if I make a tea?" She doesn't mean to, but Briar eyes Gloss, or more accurately Gloss' appearance and body, as she speaks.

The man gives her a smile and nods. "Sure."

Briar walks through to the floor's kitchen and opens a few cupboards to look for a suitable mug. Just as she opens the right one, she hears her sister's voice from behind her. "I saw the way you just looked at Gloss."