You Asked For This - Finnick Odair

Appointments

"Do not pretend that you are some meek, pathetic little girl when I can see that vicious mind working behind your eyes."
– Unknown

...

Once Coral Newport and Finnick Odair were put on the market, they became instant sensations. Everyone seemed to want them.

The "dates" always went the same. Some capitol prick of a teenager would meet Cora at a restaurant and they would eat there. Then, they would go to some party where her buyer would get drunk.

It always ended in some hotel room, where Cora was required to do things she'd never forget. Once her buyer was asleep, she'd get dressed and leave quietly.

Klavien was always waiting outside in his car to pick her up and drive her back to her apartment. The man never asked questions. He would only utter things like "It's over now," or "Let's get you home."

The more time Cora spent in the Capitol, the more she grew to appreciate Klavien's bluntness and apathetic presentation. She could tell that the man cared about her, in his own way, which warmed her heart.

No one else from the Capitol seemed to really care about anyone from the districts, Victors or not. Not even Ambrosia Vinette, the District 4 escort, seemed to really care about Cora or Finnick. They would always just be Victors to her– deadly, ethereal, little things that she got to parade around like trophies.

...

Cora and Finnick were playing cards on the coffee table in the living room of their apartment.

They had their own rooms, which they tried to stick to. They could never be together, so they had to learn how to sleep on their own. It hurt to be so close to someone they could never have.

But, on particularly bad nights, Finnick or Cora would knock on the other's door, and they would hold each other until the monsters went away.

"Any fives?" Finnick asked the girl.

"Go fish," Cora countered, proudly.

The golden-haired boy picked up a card from the pile with a smirk. "Aha! It seems the odds are in my favor, this time!" He set down three fives on the table, cocky as ever.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Any kings?"

The boy scowled and gave her his King of Hearts.

"Thank you!" She happily took the card and set down a set of three kings.

The two continued to play until about 5:30 pm when Klavien walked in, knocking first.

Cora looked up at the man, "Is it that time already?"

"Let's get you dressed, we leave in an hour." Was the man's simple reply.

Cora was dreading her appointment, as always. Finnick was too. He hated when she had to leave and be a sex slave for some spoiled Capitol brat. He didn't have an appointment that night, his had been the night before. He still had bruises on his neck from that one. The girl was more like a vacuum than a human, he had joked when he saw Cora staring at the bruises that morning.

The two didn't usually talk about their appointments. They both knew the sort of things that happened, they didn't need to know the specifics. But, occasionally, they could find ways to make light of their situation. Make fun of their buyers. Tell jokes in poor taste. In their situation, if they didn't find ways to laugh, they would never stop crying.

At 6:30, Klavien and Cora left the apartment.

"Have fun," Finnick shouted as they left.

"Will do," was Cora's sarcastic response.

Klavien just sighed. If being ridiculous helped the young Victors, then he would let them be ridiculous.

Cora showed up at some fancy restaurant in her tight, sparkly green dress and matching heels. She scanned the room for her buyer, some girl by the name of Xena Tinsley.

A young girl, about Cora's age, in a tight, sparkly hot pink dress and matching heels saw Cora and waved. The girl had eyes like Sean's, brown and monolid. Her hair was a mess of hot pink curls and her make-up was pink and sparkly. Her skin was a little darker than Sean's, but not by much.

It seemed that Xena Tinsley had requested Cora wear a matching outfit. The two girls were dressed almost exactly the same, except Xena was in hot pink and Cora was in pale green.

"Coral!" Xena greeted in her Capitol accent. "It's so nice to finally meet the pirate princess!" The hot pink girl pulled Cora in for a hug and the strawberry-blonde already knew that this night would be insufferable. Not that that was any different than any other night she had appointments on.

"It's lovely to meet you too, Xena!" Cora plastered on a smile, returning the hug.

"Why don't we sit down and order. Have you eaten today?" Xena asked as she escorted Cora to their table.

"That sounds wonderful, I am so very hungry..." Cora turned on her seductive voice. Her wording needed a little work, but she was getting very good at acting like she wanted her buyers just as much as they wanted her.

Xena gave her a curious look, one that Cora wasn't used to seeing. The District 4 girl didn't know what to make of it, but she tried not to think much of it.

"What would you like to order?" Xena asked.

"Whatever you want me to," Cora purred.

Xena made a face at the girl. "Stop with that voice you're using. I asked you what you wanted. I'll order what I want for myself."

Cora was taken aback, none of her other buyers ever minded when she talked like that. They all seemed to like it. "Honestly, I don't know what's good here. I'm still not used to Capitol foods," the girl admitted, still confused.

Xena smiled, "That's better. Now, I don't know what kind of foods you like, but I love the orange sticks for my meal and the pink fluff for dessert. But, if you want something that might remind you more of District 4, I'd recommend the green soup and the blue fluff for dessert."

Cora, even more confused than before, hesitated before responding. "I think I'll do the green soup and blue fluff, then."

"I thought you might."