"Excuse me. I have to go make a scene."
— Unknown
...
The tributes waited for individual evaluation. Beetee was being evaluated at the moment. Wiress would be next, then Finnick, then Cora. The District 4 tributes were signing to each other while they waited.
What are you going to do? Cora asked Finnick.
The man thought for a moment. Tell them their secrets.
Most of the board had slept with Finnick. The man knew a lot about them. Outing their secrets would be great payback for sending him back into the games. For sending Cora back into the games.
What about you?
Cora really wasn't sure what she would do. She wanted to rebel, she knew that much. But she didn't know how to get her point across.
I want them to feel the way I feel about the games. To understand the loss and the horror they're putting us through, she decided.
In that case, I have an idea. The man smirked and began to explain.
...
Cora walked into the evaluation room, the gamemakers seemed flustered from Finnick's little gossip session. Good.
"You have fifteen minutes, you may begin." Plutarch told her through the forcefield that separated Cora from him and the others.
Cora got to work. Finnick knew the names of the gamemakers' children. Cora had already known some of the names, but Finnick, being the king of secrets, knew more.
The woman dragged out twenty-three dummies and placed them around the space. Then, she beat them up. With knives, with her bare hands, with any weapon she could find. Some were beheaded, some hair various limbs ripped off, some had weapons stuck where vital organs would be.
After that, she got out red paint and added blood. She made it as gory as possible.
That's when she added the names.
First, the boys:
Ballentine Pandarus
Archard Pandarus
Sachiel Arviragus
Nectarios Apemantus
Hansedt Apemantus
Camilos Publius
Gentleman Sorm
Yahto Sorm
Marrok Sorm
Odis Damaskinos
Kierce Seavolt
Vine Seavolt
For Finnick and Mr. Odair. For Reef, and Ocean, and Sean. For Johanna's brothers. For Mr. Cresta. For Blue. For every little boy, every father, every son, and every brother affected by the games. For all the lives lost and damaged beyond repair.
Next, the girls:
Calendula Pandarus
Usdi Arviragus
Faten Apemantus
Aloani Apemantus
Tabasa Publius
Tetisheri Vakos
Amitra Vakos
Maka Damaskinos
Sarotte Damaskinos
Tennen Damaskinos
Camie Sunstar
Coral Newport
For Mrs. Odair. For Mauve. For Johanna. For Lyra. For Isla Fillies and Mrs. Cresta. For herself. For every little girl, every mother, every daughter, and every sister affected by the games. For all the lives lost and damaged beyond repair.
She wrote her own name, just like the names of the gamemakers' children went in front of their mutilated dummies, in front of her own body. Then, she took the bucket of red paint and poured what remained over her entire body, covering herself in a deep blood-red.
"You did this," she said to them. Her voice was strong but without emotion.
The gamemakers looked sick, many of them pushing their food-piled plates away from themselves in disgust. Vermillion Vakos threw up next to the table.
"Dead children aren't so entertaining when they're your own, are they?"
She threw the metal bucket to the side, creating a loud clang! Then, still dripping with paint, she stormed out of the evaluation room.
Cora received alarmed looks from the other tributes. She got a smirk of admiration from Johanna and looks of bewilderment from Katniss and Peeta.
...
"I don't remember telling you to cover yourself in paint and give a speech," Finnick laughed when he saw Cora enter District 4's floor.
"I think it made it more meaningful," the woman answered with a grin. "The more dramatic, the better."
"Because killing their kids isn't dramatic enough?" The man laughed again.
"Obviously not."
"Good job," he told her. "I'd give you a kiss, but you're covered in paint."
Cora's paint-covered face twisted into a mischievous smile and she began to chase after him, trying to get that kiss as he ran from the paint monster. He ended up trapping her in the bathroom.
"I won't let you out until you take a shower!" Finnick shouted from the outside of the door.
"What about my clothes?!" Cora shouted from the inside.
"You'll get them when you're clean!"
"You're the worst!"
"You love me!"
"I have bad taste in men!"
"I disagree! Now go get that paint off!"
By this point, the two were laughing. Or trying really hard not to laugh.
Cora took her shower after that, finally ridding all the paint from her body. She was lucky Ambrosia wasn't there to see the paint. The woman would've screamed.
When she left the shower, she saw pajamas folded and on the bathroom floor. She put them on and went out to find Finnick relaxing on the couch, having polite conversation with Klavien and Orasta. Orasta supported the rebellion, but couldn't bring herself to leave the Capitol.
When the bronze man saw her, his face lit up. She walked up to him and sat down next to him. "You owe me a kiss."
The man smirked and went to place a kiss on her check.
She, realizing what he was doing, turned her head and caught his lips on hers.
Finnick laughed at her triumphant smirk.
Klavien looked away in what was possibly mild discomfort, though his face showed no emotion.
Orasta squealed and clapped her hands, making the victors roll their eyes in amusement.
Cora loved moments like this. Moments when, even though she was in the Capitol, the atmosphere was light and fun. The moments when it almost felt like she was with family. She tried to commit this feeling to memory, to save a bit of light for when she went into the arena.
Maybe, hopefully, after the rebellion, life would be more like this. Light.
YOU ARE READING
You Asked For This - Finnick Odair
Fanfiction"Like breathing, loving you is the most natural feeling I've ever known." -Alicia N Green ... In which Coral Newport manages to make a deal with President Snow. [Finnick Odair x OC] [Annie Cresta x OC] [Primrose Everdeen x OC] [OC x OC] 65th Hunger...
