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"You'll have to let me parade around the capital in that attire sometime." the almost familiar voice rung through the weave of people. Twelve districts, two in each, all dressed in some sort of way to represent their district. She should have stayed with her own tributes, give them advice on how not to panic when the fake electricity bolts bounced off their costume. Yet she hadn't, her mind and eyes too occupied with Haymitch and his own tributes.
Peeta and Katniss turned their heads at the same time, the new voice dancing around their ears nearly putting them both on edge. Though, the pair recognized her after a moment. Neither were use to seeing the winner of the 73rd Annual Hunger games without blood or nightlock berries spread across her. Now she's stood tall, a healthy amount of weight gained, her skin cleared, and her attire far from the items of clothing she'd bloodied up in the arena.
Zoya Butterfield.
"Ah, look who showed up." Cinna smiled her way. When Zoya smiled, her grin favored one side of her mouth more. Her teeth had been fixed recently, once over lapping each other slightly and now pearly white and completely straight, "Haymitch was looking for you."
"Well, enjoying my last moments of fame before a new victor is crowned." Zoya lied, lied straight through her fixed teeth. All the attention had been on her for the past year, everywhere she went something was said, patted on the back, congratulated. Congratulated for having killed people, could you imagine? Having a new victor was all she'd been looking forward to the entire year, but she'd never say that in the presence of every district, all watching her. Zoya turned her head to the pair of District 12 tributes, "What about these two? Should I bother making a bet on either of them?"
"No one thought you'd win, yet you did." Katniss commented, because Zoyas attitude was rubbing her the wrong way. She acted like Haymitch, like it was all some joke because she wasn't the one about to die. Zoyas eyebrow rose as Katniss stared at her, "No one made bets on you."
Zoya cracked a smirk across her lips, "And I made them regret every second they didn't."
Her words made Katniss almost smile, feeling slightly better now they she'd seen through the arrogance and now was looking at a rebel, a hater of the Capital, someone on their side.
"And what about you?" Zoya turned to look at Peeta. His eyes widened slightly, the sudden attention she laid onto him having a source of panic set in. Zoya was all Panem had been talking about for the past year, the way she'd won her games so clever, so worth speaking about. He'd seen her, of course, everyone had seen her. But in person, so close, with all her attention set into him was nerve racking, "Some makeup team you have. Are you worth putting a bet on after already marking up such a pretty face?"
The clear bruise on his jaw was covered in makeup, but standing close under the bright lights made it clear. Peeta remembered what Haymitch said, telling him it would make him look intimidating and tough because the audience would think he'd already gotten mixed up with a tribute before entering the arena. Peeta was looking for a quick story in his head before she spoke up again, "Did you get it before or after you got off the train?"
