𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫, Finnick Odair

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓

Aphrodite stood against the ornate wall of the grand Capitol ballroom for the 70th Victory Party, her expression carefully neutral as a group of brightly dressed Capitol women surrounded her. Their laughter bubbled over the sound of the music, and their attention was fixed on her hair.

"It's too basic," one of them declared, twirling a strand of Aphrodite's blonde hair around her finger. "Blonde is so... district. You need a pop of green! Or maybe pink!"

Aphrodite forced a smile, biting back the urge to pull away. She didn't care about the victory party, about their opinions, or their oblivious fascination with her. All she could think about was Annie. Annie Cresta had won the Games, but she hadn't escaped them.

"Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I need to borrow Miss Clearwater for a moment," a familiar voice chimed in.

Aphrodite turned her head to see Finnick approaching, his charm on full display. He gave the women a wink, earning a chorus of giggles and fluttering hands. They nodded their heads enthusiastically, stepping aside as Aphrodite slipped out of their circle.

"Thanks, Finn," she muttered under her breath.

He offered her a quick smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd. His pace was urgent, his grip firm and Aphrodite stumbled as she tried to keep up.

"Finnick, what is it?" she asked, her voice low.

He suddenly stopped and turned to her, his expression a mix of fear and helplessness. "It's Annie. She's freaking out, and I don't know what to do." His voice was louder than he intended, drawing curious looks from nearby partygoers.

Aphrodite placed a hand on his back and gave him a gentle push. "Let's go. Take me to her."

They weaved through the crowd to a corner of the room where Annie was huddled on the floor. Her hands were pressed over her ears, and she was muttering to herself, her body trembling.

Aphrodite knelt beside her, reaching out gently to take Annie's hands in hers. "Annie, honey, I need you to breathe," she said softly.

Annie's eyes darted around wildly. "I see them. I see them—the Games."

Aphrodite kept her voice calm, her grip steady. "That's not real, Annie. You're in the Capitol now. You're safe. You're not in the Games anymore."

Annie's tear-filled eyes locked onto hers. "I can't tell what's real and what's not anymore," she whispered brokenly.

"Then ask me," Aphrodite replied with a small, reassuring smile.

Annie hesitated before nodding shakily. "I'm safe from the Careers. Real or not real?"

"Real," Aphrodite said firmly.

Annie nodded again, her breathing finally evening out. She smoothed her dress and stood quickly, mumbling a quiet "Thank you" before excusing herself to the restroom.

Aphrodite sighed, running a hand through her hair as she stood. The stress of the night weighed heavily on her, and she didn't care about staying at the party any longer. Without a word to Finnick, she walked out.

⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆ 

he next morning, Aphrodite woke in her too-big Capitol bed. The emptiness of the room only added to her exhaustion. She dressed quickly and made her way downstairs to find Finnick sprawled on the couch.