You Asked For This - Finnick Odair

The Reaping

"So much more was said in the unsaid."
— Bridgett Devoue

...

Laughter. "You're not gonna catch me!"

The little boy sprints through the sand, barreling into the ocean.

"Reef!" His sister shrieks in rage. He had just thrown sand into her hair.

She sprints after him and tackles him. They fall down on the shore, both laughing and covered in wet sand.

"I'm gonna miss you," he says after the laughter dies down.

"What?" little Cora asks, this isn't how the memory goes.

"When you die."

...

Coral Newport woke up with a start. Her strawberry blonde hair stuck to the sweat on her neck.

She calmed herself down, deep breaths, deep breaths.

Today was the day that she accepts her death. The day that she was to announce it to the world, "I volunteer."

...

She had tried her best to live life as usual for the past year, but the nightmares had become more frequent the closer she got to today.

Ocean, Reef, and even Sean had noticed the change. They tried their best to protect Blue from it. The last thing they wanted him to remember was how his sister would wake up screaming to nightmares.

She had found that Mags was a very understanding type of person during the past year. She'd known this already, of course, but it just seemed different.

Mags couldn't possibly know about the deal between Coral and Snow, but, having been a victor for so long, the woman knew Snow and had a pretty accurate idea of what happened that night.

The older woman, as well as simply comforting Cora through her unspoken anxiety, had also taken on a parental role for Finnick and Lyra.

It was, perhaps, more helpful to Finnick than to Lyra simply because Mags was someone who understood what it was like to survive the games. Lyra really could've done well with any caring parental figure, so long as they were truly a good person.

Finnick needed Mags.

Coral and Finnick didn't talk much during that year. Occasionally, when they weren't actively ignoring each other, they would give each other nods of respect.

They both fought battles during the last games. They both saw death.

Lyra, however, became rather close with Coral. And so, while Finnick and the strawberry blonde hardly glanced at one another, Coral was often over at his house during the day.

It turned out that, not only could Cora braid hair, but she could also sing. And Lyra loved music.

Coral became like Lyra's older sister. Both girls had always wanted a sister, so it worked out perfectly. Except for the awkwardness between Coral and Finnick.

Sometimes, Cora hated herself for letting herself get so close to Lyra. After all, she was going to die in less than a year. It was cruel to form such a relationship.

But sometimes, it's just impossible to not love someone. And even more impossible to stay away.

...

Cora had given each of her brothers and Lyra a big hug before going to the ceremony today. But they just assumed that she was shaken up from last year.

They didn't realize exactly how right they were.

Once again, Ambrosia Vinette gave her speech. Her color was sunset orange this year.

"Ladies first, as always!" Her Capitol accent prevalent in her speech.

"Annie Cresta!"

Annie Cresta was a fearless girl. She had fiery red hair and never backed down from a challenge. She was quite beautiful, Cora had to admit. She was also only thirteen years old.

Now, Cora had never really met Annie Cresta, but she was glad that it was her name that was called. Because that meant that Cora would be volunteering for an amazing young woman.

"I volunteer!" Cora shouted into the crowd.

Everyone turned to her in shock. She refused to look at her brothers, Lyra, or Finnick. She glanced at Mags, who seemed to understand, before looking back at Ambrosia.

"Oh! A volunteer! And a young one at that! How exciting!" The woman gushed. "And what is your name, dear?" She asked as Cora walked up to the stage.

"Coral Newport."

"And, how old are you?"

"Fourteen years old," she smirked. The confident role worked for Finnick, maybe it could work for her too.

"Inspired by last year's victor?" Ambrosia asked, noting that Finnick was also fourteen when he was reaped and won.

"You could say that," Cora smiled again. Make it worthwhile.

"How wonderful! And now, for the boys."

Not them, not them, not them, not them, not–

"Ocean Newport!"

The crowd gasped. Cora, whose smile did not fall, felt her world stop once more.

She looked at her older brother, fear in her eyes.

"I volunteer!" Reef. Somehow, this was worse. Reef was her best friend. Half the time, they really did wonder if they were somehow twins separated at birth. And now they might be separated once more.

"Wonderful! Another volunteer! And who might you be?"

"Reef Newport, at your service!" He was going for funny.

"Oh, my! It seems that this is a family games this year! Are you two siblings?"

"Twins, actually," Coral and Reef said at the same time.

The two shared a look. They both had confident smiles plastered on their faces, but their eyes showed just how afraid they were.

"Well, this will certainly be a worthwhile Hunger Games!"