Dying is easy, living is harder

Part 16

Day Six was slow with nothing new happening except Percy adjusting to being part of the hunted and not the hunter. The shots would flicker between Annie gathering berries to eat and sleeping in her tree, the Careers leaving the cliff to hunt for Percy, Grayson torturing the District Three girl for information on where her partner is and the boy from District Three and District Eight's girl doing their own thing.

There was a silent mutual agreement between Ollana and the rest of them to ignore each other. The Dragon Riders mostly played board games while the reality show played on mute in the background. Only being turned on when Stoick saw his daughter on screen. It was easier to ignore what Grayson was doing if they couldn't hear the screams.

Day Seven came with the boom of the cannon as the girl from District Seven died to the relief of everyone in the room. At least she isn't being tortured any longer by a boy she went to school with. It was a success, Astrid told herself, Annie was still alive. That was all that mattered.

***

"As you all know," Caesar began. "When the number of tributes are down to eight, we get a special look into the home life of our tributes."

"The interviews!" Fishlegs looked close to crying. "They never came here to do them!"

"You didn't think they'd come here, did you?" Ollana said, shocked.

"Of course we did," Ruffnut said. "Who else would represent Annie's family other than her father and us her friends."

Astrid tried not to think about how bad of friends they've been to Annie.

"Ruffnut," Stoick sat in his chair. "Most of Panem doesn't know anything about the world outside of their country. They live in a little bubble and as far as they are concerned, they are the only people left in the world. What do you think would happen if citizens of Europe took an interview that went nationwide?"

Ollana looked awkward. Astrid suddenly wondered if she'd been aware of the world beyond Panem before she was assigned with them or if she just signed an NDA and swore not to speak of what she learned here.

"I was assigned as a dignitary there to see if they could be convinced to join the new UN that we finally finished setting up. They could not. Then I met Valka who had been in the Capitol on a trip and well," he faltered. "Annie happened."

Gobber put a hand on his shoulder.

"I was demoted for compromising the mission. I was lucky I was able to take Annie when I left. They didn't want her to leave Panem as she was a citizen of their nation. They made few demands to let her go in my custody without a legal battle that I didn't think much of at the time. I didn't know any better because well, we knew nothing about Panem," he chuckled. "Turns out they were biding their time. Their president is a real piece of work."

"My granddaughter has always been the stubborn sort," Mayor Cresta said. Annie's grandfather! Astrid never thought she'd meet him even as she often wondered what he was like when they were younger. "Very smart. I always knew she'd go far in life so I sent her to the Capitol for school since young. Her mother's daughter in every way. From her looks, her brain and her heart."

"I guess they need to give an excuse for why she isn't in District Four more than a few weeks a year," Fishlegs said, weakly.

"But the rest is completely true," Gobber chuckled. "Aye, she's got her mother's looks and from what Stoick's told me, everything else. For the best really."

The twins laughed loudly at that and Snotlout attempted to hide his chuckles.

Stoick gave Gobber an annoyed glance.

"I would remind you of all the times you've said that she's inherited my stubborn nature," he said drily.

"I was sorry to hear that she was no longer with us," the interviewer replied. "Would you mind terribly to tell us what led to Annie's mother's passing?"

"Childbirth," he said simply. "Unfortunately, the father was a rake that she never named before her death."

"You decrepit old liar!" Stoick banged his fist on the table loudly.

"Still at war with the old man then," Gobber probed.

"I haven't seen him since Annie was a baby," he snarled. "Is this the shit he's been feeding my daughter when she stayed with him?"

"It's for the best," Annie's grandfather looked straight into the camera and at Stoick. "He never deserved my girls."

"Bastard," he growled.

"He's wrong, Mr. Haddock," Astrid attempted to console him. He and Annie might've had their problems but she never doubted that they loved each other. Annie looked up to him so much.

"If you could talk to Annie right now, what would you tell her?" She purred, looking up to him with doe eyes.

"She's got the hots for Annie's grandpa!" Tuffnut exclaimed before he fell into a laughing fit. Snotlout began giggling like a nine year old over a fart joke.

The old man, clearly thrown off by the visible interest, took a step away from her awkwardly.

"I'd tell her that I love her and to just stay strong for just a bit longer. One more push, it's almost over," he said with a tone of finality that those in positions of leadership did so well.

It went on to show an interview of a girl called Pearl who clearly didn't know Annie yet called herself her best friend. She proclaimed that they'd been friends since they were five, Annie apparently dreamed of becoming an artist one day and she's been in love with Finnick Odair since he's won his games.

It's lies, she wanted to yell. All lies! This Pearl probably never even met Annie! She never went to District Four until she was twelve, Annie wanted to become a mechanic and was traumatized by Finnick's Hunger Games!

It was a relief when the interviews ended.