#Finnick’s poem

[fantasybuff96]

“My love, you have my heart for all eternity. And if I die in that arena, my last thought will be of your lips.”

[thedelicatearcher]

poet!finnick odair who can’t stop writing about you. ever since his eyes laid on yours at a mutual friend's party, he has been completely mesmerized by you, his mind utterly enthralled by your existence. since then, you have become his muse. the protagonist in his sonnets. he spends days and weeks searching his mind for the perfect words to describe your captivating eyes that have held him prisoner since the day you met.

when you finally get together, he feels he doesn't deserve the sacred privilege of knowing you, of memorizing every part of your body, and learning every reaction and gesture you make. there are moments when you are spending time together, existing side by side in your own world, yet he simply stares at you, totally consumed in his thoughts, admiring every feature of your face. and you just know he will be writing about you later that night.

he has written many poems about you, some of which will never meet your eyes. yet, he likes reading some of them to you, blushing intensely as he recites the words so inspired by you. his feelings are so raw and pure that having another person listening would feel like an invasion of privacy.

[inkluvs]

the way plants turn towards you like you’re the sun <3

[anniecrestalover]

me having a good day until i remember how in love finnick was with annie

[ballads-and-bairds]

Their Hands, the Light: A Hunger Games Poem

The winter snow must bow to spring,

Just as nightmares die to the dawning light.

But how to make them see a thing,

When reason is out of mind and further from sight?

We find ourselves in dead end darkness,

And that's the world where our children are born.

We survive and wither amongst the heartless,

Until there's nothing left to mourn.

I see no beacon, nor lighthouse flare.

I hear no Orpheus with a song to guide.

With no senses left, we can only dare,

To walk hand in hand and side by side.

We'll run obscured through the mist,

And answer the call of the void.

We'll choose to still care and exist,

When all else is destroyed.

They say the blind will lead the blind,

And throughout my life that's been true.

But when we lead with hope to find,

We find each other - together, me and you.

[65ths]

finnick & his son (the finnlet, as it were)

[solar-halos]

this mood board monday is also phenomenally special. this one is for where soul meets body by @ellizablue

[mrsnancywheeler]

finnick odair x sweet & oblivious!partner hc's

based off this request

masterlist

finnick usually considered how sweet you were one of the most endearing things about you

except when it was towards certain people who didn't seem to understand it was just your way, being so sweet, in a tooth rotting way, that they assumed you must be flirting with them

additionally you always assumed they were doing the same back even if their flirting was egregiously overt

someone could wink and comment on how nicely your jeans fit, yet you'd assume it was genuine, smile, and thank them even tell them where you got the pair

finnick was constantly in your ear telling you that people were hitting on you, which you'd laugh off and deny

you'd try and make an effort to be more conscious of it when you could see how much it upset finnick that other people would act like you weren't with him

finnick of course never blamed you, it was just how kind you were that would draw everyone in

he adored the sweetness though

the way you'd dedicate lengths of time to find or make something he liked, spend hours with mags and annie to keep them in good company, the way you'd softly take care of him if he wasn't even slightly feeling well, when he was sad you'd cradle him, kiss him, say the loveliest things he imagined a person could no matter how cheesy

"you don't have to doubt us, finn, I'd stay with you past the time when everything's dust, I'm never going to let you go"

"you're my everything, the sea, the sun, the moon, the air, the wind, the grass, the dirt, it's like the angels decided we were meant to be."

"I think I'd be yours in every lifetime and you would be mine, we'd always find each other."

you'd call him handsome, say he was hand sculpted by angels, what a pretty boy he was, literally any time you had the chance

your kisses were so soft, hugs so warm, finnick felt like he genuinely could lay with you for eternity

you'd write him cheesy little poems that would have him blushing and kissing you until you were giggling and kicking your feet as he peppered you with kisses

finnick couldn't understand how someone as sugary sweet as you were could ever love someone as damaged, as ruined as he felt

but if you even saw a glimpse of those feelings you'd fall into pure prose of how worthy he was of love and you could pour buckets of it on him every day

even if he had enough money to buy a new closet for any piece of ripped clothing you'd insist on stitching things back together for him, it's what you parents had once done for each other so you adored doing it for finnick too

nsfw - finnick also was enthralled by the times your obliviousness came into clutch for him, he'd see how far he could go before you even realized what he was trying to do to you, all the comments he could make without you realizing the intentions, it was always adorable when you finally did manage to catch on

you'd bake him his favorite sweet treats, make breakfast and feel guilty if he ever didn't wake you up when he woke and ended up making it for both of you

finnick loved it and seeing the way you insisted on doing anything else to make up for it

finnick would move the heavens and the earth for you and all your kindness, he could never do enough for all the things your big heart would do for him and others

maybe you thought he was made by angels, but he was sure you were one, in the flesh, his own guardian angel intent on showering him in love

[bramblrose]

“Finnick recites a poem he wrote to his one true love in the Capitol, and about a hundred people faint because they’re sure he means them.”

[allovesthings]

One of the things I think the hunger games series does really well is rebellion through art.

It is present everywhere, through Lucy Gray writing the hanging tree after the hangings and that song being banned for being too rebellious.

It's Katniss using her voice to sing the Hanging tree in Mockingjay (and even deep in the meadow in the hunger games) and hanging Seneca Crane to reminds the gamemakers they could be next.

It's Peeta painting Rue in front of the Gamemakers to hold them accountable, just for a moment.

It's Cinna and his costumes for Katniss.

Even Finnick reading a poem for Annie during the interview in catching fire is a form of rebellion against the Capitol

And the Mockingjay pin is a fashion accessory from Madge.

[coryosmin]

Final Sweet Nothings

Finnick Odair x fem! Reader

Summary: Finnick and Reader have both had feelings for a long time. Reader is the 68th Victor of the Hunger Games, winning her games at 18 years of age for District 4. As the 75th Hunger Games arrives, the reader volunteers in the place of Annie. As the night before the games arrive, Finnick and Reader share their thoughts and feelings for one another.

Backstory: Just to give you guys some backstory, Finnick and the reader are the same age. He was her mentor when she fought in her games and after that, the two of them became good friends. The two of them had always had unspoken feelings for each other but as the 75th Games comes up, they take a moment to admit their feelings for each other.

Warnings: Angst, crying, kissing, references to prostitution, confessions, no smut.

1,400 words

It all began when they arrived back from the interviews. It had been a very emotional night with every tribute trying to get the games to be canceled in some way, shape, or form. Y/N hadn’t spoken a word since the interviews had ended. Finnick giving a love poem to the Capitol felt too real. Y/N’s use of just simply trying to charm the cameras. Having heard everything that the other tributes said to try and get the games canceled, it was a lot to take in.

Y/N made it to her room without speaking. She immediately got herself out of the ridiculously provocative dress that she had been forced to wear to maintain her facade as the Capitol’s Princess. She walked into the attached bathroom, taking a shower to take off the caked-on makeup and the hairspray that was crunching her hair. When she finished, Y/n dried herself off and got herself dressed in her nighttime clothes which consisted of a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of yoga pants.

The twenty-four-year-old sighed to herself as she looked out the window of her room. She currently had it on a setting that would show her the ocean. The houses in Victor Village were right along the shore and truthfully, she missed being back home.

She was beyond saddened by the Quarter Quell. All the tributes were. Being a Victor was supposed to mean peace, at least relatively speaking. So when it was announced that all previous victors were to participate in the Quarter Quell, Y/N’s heart absolutely shattered. There was only one living District 4 male Victor, Finnick. They were both the same age, though Y/N won her games four years after him at the age of eighteen. Finnick was doomed regardless and Y/N felt deeply for him. He was her mentor. The boy that turned into her best friend. So when Annie’s name was called, without hesitation, Y/N volunteered. Why?

Because Y/N is a ride or die. If Finnick had to be subjected to the Games, she would be as well.

And now it was the night before the arena. Y/N couldn’t help the anxiety. There were so many things she wanted to tell people but ultimately, she had no opportunity to do so.

Suddenly, there was a knock on Y/N’s door, causing her to jump and get out of her thoughts. She walked over to the door and opened it, revealing a soft looking Finnick. It was different from his normal appearance, the one where he was always smirking, cocky, rizzing people up. But this Finnick, he looked scared. He too had gotten showered and changed into comfortable clothing. “Hi,” Finnick said softly, looking at Y/N with shiny green eyes.

“Hey,” She said back, looking at Finnick. Y/N moved to the side to let Finnick come into her bedroom. He stepped in and she closed the door behind him. “Are you okay?”

Finnick’s attention was to the window, seeing the waves crashing into the shore. “I forget that the windows have those settings,” he spoke, shaking his head as he looked at Y/N. “You didn’t speak much after the interviews.”

Y/N shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I didn’t have too much to say.” She replied, her e/c eyes looking into Finnick’s green orbs.

“Did you like my poem?” Finnick asked.

“It definitely made the hearts of the Capitol swoon.” Y/N replied, walking over to her bed and sitting on it. Finnick followed, sitting next to her. His thigh brushed against hers.

“Did it make yours swoon?” Finnick asked, his lip curling ever so slightly.

Y/N let out a breathless chuckle, shaking her head no. “Takes a lot more than a poem to make me swoon, Odair.”

Finnick pouted slightly. “That’s a shame. I wrote it specifically for you,” he murmured.

This caused Y/N to pause. She furrowed her eyebrows. “What?”

“The poem,” Finnick looked down at his hands in his lap. “I wrote for you.”

“What do you mean?”

Finnick looked up from his hands, looking at Y/N. He licked his lips nervously. “Under the circumstances we’ve been under, I never got the chance to tell you how I truly feel about you.” He gives a bitter laugh. “Being the toys of the Capitol. I didn’t want to burden you with all of it. But since we’re going to be walking on death’s doorstep tomorrow, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you now.”

Y/N looked at Finnick, not saying anything as she listened to him. Her eyes started softening as she looked at Finnick. The impending doom that they’re about to embrace together makes it easier to speak the unspoken feelings they’ve had for one another for quite some time.

“I’m in love with you.” Finnick said simply, his voice unwavering. “I have been for a long time but I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I didn’t want to burden you with it.”

“It wouldn’t have been a burden, Finnick.” She replied softly, placing a hand on Finnick’s shoulder.

He looked down at her hand on his shoulder before gazing back into her eyes. “It’s stupid though, isn’t it?” He murmured. “Being in love with someone that you know you could never have due to the pathetic circumstances the world has put on you.”

“I don’t think it’s stupid.”

“Why not?”

Y/N turned her body so she was sitting criss-crossed on the bed, facing Finnick entirely. “Because it shows that even after everything the Capitol has put us through, forcing us to have sex with them, fight in these awful arenas, murdering innocent people, we can still feel.” Y/N’s voice was so soothing and honest as she spoke to Finnick. “I’ve loved you for so long, Finnick. And to know that you love me as well warms my heart so much.”

Finnick teared up as he listened to her, unable to help himself. He looked down, not wanting Y/N to see him so emotional. “I wish things were different.” He whispered.

“Me too.” She said back, reaching her hand to caress Finnick’s cheek. She lifted his face slightly so his eyes were looking into hers. “When we get in that arena, I want you to know that I love you so much. And if I’m to die, I’d die happily if it meant protecting you.” As she spoke, Y/N also began to tear up. The impending death really does make confessions much easier. But the emotions are just as hard.

A few tears fell from Finnick’s eyes as he listened to Y/N. He sniffled, pulling her into a hug. His chin rested on Y/N’s head, pressing a kiss to her soft hair. “I don’t think I’d ever survive you dying, Y/N,” He murmured. “If you die, I’d never be able to live with myself. To know that you died and I would be robbed of ever being able to hold you in my arms ever again. I couldn’t survive a day where I wouldn’t be able to see your beautiful smile any longer. Because you mean absolutely everything to me.” Finnick’s voice cracked at the end of his sentence.

Y/N couldn’t help the small sob that left her as she listened to Finnick’s loving words. She lifted her head from Finnick’s embrace, looking at his face with glistening eyes. “God I hate this.” She sniffled, using her hands wiping her eyes. “We should be able to be happy.”

Finnick gently grabbed her face, his thumbs on her cheeks. “Let’s make the most out of tonight?” He whispered, his eyes glossed with tears as well.

Y/N nodded her head. And with that, Finnick leaned in slowly, pressing his lips gently against hers. The two of them kissed one another with a softness and sincerity that they hadn’t felt in a very long time. A tenderness and care that could only be shared with two people who loved each other a lot.

After a few minutes, Finnick pulled away, pressing his forehead against Y/N’s. “I love you.” He murmured, his breath hitting her face.

“I love you a lot.” She murmured back.

“Let’s stay by each other's side until the end.”

“Until the very end, always.”

[finnickeys]

one of my favorite finnick headcanons is that he enjoys writing a lot.

his victor hobby is being a poet (hence him reading a poem on stage) but it’s not something he picked for himself and instead was picked for him by his district escort because he couldn’t pick a hobby or talent.

besides being a collector of secrets for the purpose of one day maybe using it against people and being very aware of the social world of the capitol, he dealt in secrets and stories because he was raised on them back in district four. he can sit and listen for hours and it’s the closest he has to something like reading novels.

when he does expose everything as part of the district thirteen propos he does it in a very captivating way. more than just the stories being wild and unimaginable, he’s an incredible story teller and i think he wanted to be a writer/storyteller or whatever the panem equivalent of that would be if a career like that existed at all

after his games, and the years of being exploited, writing became more of his personal secret thing. his poems were bad on purpose, and everything he gave to the capitol was done with the littlest care and utmost spite. he writes in secret, if at all, and otherwise commits his own stories to memory

[lady-corrine]

Finnick and Annie's wedding as an act of resistance through joy and love; as an open defiance for all the people that expected to see only death and destruction, for Finnick's clients/abusers who felt they were entitled to him (see the way they fainted when he recited his love poem for Annie all thinking they were his one true love), for Snow who saw him as his possession to trade to the highest bidder, who most probably wanted to do the same to Annie, who seeked to control their whole lives and keep their relationship a secret; their wedding as a symbol for rebellion through love and happiness and dance and music and cake >>>>

[hummingbirdorchid]

So I was thinking about how much Johanna and Finnick's reputations conflict and if word got out that the sex symbol of district 4 was friends with the angry brutal Johanna Mason (who I doubt was very good at pretending not to hate the capitol) then people would start viewing him differently. Obviously Snow wouldn't want that so their friendship would be kept off screen. That could also be a reason that they had such a strong bond. They didn't have to pretend to be people they weren't to appease cameras when the other was around.

Also I think that it would be really funny if the capitol had no idea that Johanna and Finnick were friends when they run into each other in catching fire. Cause, like, even Katniss is able to recognize that they're clearly really good friends and she's really bad at recognizing relationships (her friendship with Madge pre-games, not the Gale vs Peeta thing). So obviously the capitol can tell that Finnick and Johanna are close and sense they only see Finnick as something to thirst over they assume he and Johanna are romantically involved. Like, imagine them thinking Finnick was talking about her in his interview when he recited the love poem. Everyone's all excited about having not one but TWO sets of star crossed lovers this year.

And when he and Johanna are reunited in Mockingjay they're able to laugh about it. I'm talking "if you were my husband, I'd poison your coffee" "If you were my wife, I'd drink it" kind of thing. Sometimes Annie will play along too, in a "you're such a cute couple, how did you guys meet?" kind of way. I don't think she would ever play it like Johanna was stealing her man or that Finnick was cheating on her, because that would be a sensitive topic (not that Finnick would ever cheat on her, but he probably felt like he was). I think it would be really nice for them to be able to joke about something like that because they all know that they can trust each other and that they're safe in that respect. Something that could never have been said before, especially for Finnick. I just really like the idea of them having something to joke about.

[friendship-ditch]

Katniss Everdeen Masterlist

﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

- You came back

After everything in the Capitol had begun to settle and your memories are stable, you return to the Victors Village for Katniss.

- Training

You meet Katniss while training to be a soldier.

- You really do

You and Katniss attend the party together at Snows mansion, then she starts acting a little weird, a little jealous.

- Happy Holidays

You introduce Katniss to a Capitol holiday.

- Her plus One

Katniss takes you as her plus one to Finnicks wedding, which is where you learn she gets jealous very easily.

- The 74th Games - Pt. 1

It’s reaping day. You expect the most surprising thing to be Katniss Everdeen volunteering for his sister… until your name is pulled right after.

- The 74th Games - Pt. 2

You and Katniss get thrown into the Hunger Games arena, each of you sharing the same goal; keep the other alive.

- Compromise

A little drabble of you doing Katniss’s makeup.

- Flowers in her Hair

After Katniss has a bad nightmare, you take her out for a little walk.

- Capitol

Katniss can’t help but be jealous when her ex-girlfriend from the Capitol finds somebody new.

- Your Muse

Your girlfriend Katniss loves to read your poems, so you write one just for her.

- Wild Girl - Pt. 1

While out in the woods, you see a girl, and then you see her again, and again. She’s not the friendliest of the bunch but you can’t help your fascination with her —Interactive, ended

- Wild Girl - Pt. 2

After deciding to follow Katniss through the woods, she begrudgingly lets you tag along and reveals she’s not so cold after all. —Interactive, ended

- Wild Girl - Pt. 3

After you and Katniss grow closer, and you finally gain the courage to ask her on a picnic. —Interactive, ended

- Wild Girl - Pt. 4

You and Katniss dry off at your home and she finally opens up. She'd love to stay, but she has to take care of her family, so you walk her back home. —Interactive, ended

- Broken

After the mutt attack, Katniss takes care of your broken bone.

- Scripted

Lets be honest, Katniss isn’t the best actress, especially with a script and a green screen, so you help her through it.

- Temporary Home

After being rescued from the Quarter Quell, you and Katniss try to adapt to life in District 13.

- Anywhere

Being the daughter of President Coin herself, you have a bit more freedom than others to do what you want. And after meeting District 13's newcomer, Katniss Everdeen, you use that freedom to make her feel at home.

- Promise

After arriving to District 13, you and Katniss find solace in each other and more than friends, but that all changes after Peeta’s return.

- Your Guardian

After running into some old bullies at the Hob, Katniss reveals her protective side.

- You healed Me

Katniss takes it upon herself to nurse you back to health after you experience a traumatizing accident.

- Something Stupid

Katniss comes to your rescue after your mission into the woods doesn't go as planned.

[ilguna]

☼ breathtaking pt2 (Finnick Odair) ☼

summary; you thought that you were going to go into the arena without ever meeting your soulmate. little did you know, he's been next to you the whole time.

warnings; swearing, gore, death mention

wc; 2.7k

part one.

–

There’s hope that you’ll make it out of this alive, after all. 

While you and Finnick were discovering you were soulmates, the Capitol anthem was playing its last few notes, when they began to shut off the cameras. And further, the lights that lit up the stage, in a final attempt to cut you off from the outside world, and the audience that sat feet away.

They were entirely too late.

It was pitch black on the stage, causing confusion and minor chaos as all twenty-four of you struggled to make it to the elevators. You lost your district partner in the mess, you think he let go of your hand on purpose to try and make it out of the crowd faster. Which you would be mad about, if it weren’t for Finnick holding onto you tightly, guiding both you and Mags to the elevator, where Johanna managed to slip in just before the doors shut. 

Inside, Finnick didn’t waste any time, grabbing your shoulders to tell you that he’d find you inside of the arena. If he didn’t, then you’d need to find him. There was a bigger alliance, and you’d be safer if you joined it. He didn’t have time to tell you who exactly was in it, before the elevator doors opened and he left with Mags.

You’ve been thinking about it since.

Finnick cares that you’re his soulmate, enough to the point where he wants to protect you inside of the arena. It wouldn’t be such a heinous idea, if it weren’t for the fact that you thought that Finnick was already taken, especially with that poem he did during his interview. Unless, it was meant for his soulmate, who he knew was watching at that moment, but unaware that it was him.

As for a bigger alliance, you have no clue what that means. You spent all three training days trying to figure out who was going to ally with who. The only alliance you managed to figure out was the most obvious one: the careers. As for everyone else, they’re some gigantic mystery.

If you had to guess now, you’d say that Johanna, Blight, Finnick and Mags are together. Which is a regular sized alliance, it’s not big by any means. You’re not entirely sure who else would be inclined to join something like that. Johanna and Finnick are intense people to be around, inside of an arena, it’s got to be worse.

At that rate, you’d say Katniss and Peeta, but they were entirely uninterested in Finnick and Johanna the whole week. You can’t see them all deciding to survive together in the arena. Unless, that’s what they want you to think, because they’re all similar in some way.

Still, that’s not necessarily a bigger alliance. That still falls under the career category, which means there are more people. You couldn’t even guess who they are, if you wanted to.

It doesn’t matter, you’ll be finding out in a few minutes anyway.

You fix the wetsuit on your body, straightening it to feel more comfortable. When you’re done, you pull your hair out of your face, knowing that it’ll give you a clearer sight above. You’re really hoping that it’s not going to be anything too extreme. You don’t want the desert, but you don’t want a frozen tundra, either. And you sure as hell don’t want the same nightmare arena that Haymitch lived through.

“It’s time.” Your stylist tells you.

You turn towards the cylinder that’ll raise you to the surface, stepping onto the metal plate. You take a few deep breaths to calm the anxiety that’s beginning to rise in your stomach. You did this one, which means that you’ll be able to do it again. You can do this. 

The glass door slowly slides shut, sealing you inside of the tube. You turn away from your stylist to face the wall, and then close your eyes when you begin to get lifted.

A warm breeze washes over your skin, telling you to open your eyes to see where they’ve placed you this year. When you do, you’re met with a white light, blinding you instantly. You spend several vital seconds blinking away the sun.

“Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games begin!” 

A tight pain strikes your chest when you realize what you’re in the middle of. You slap both of your hands over your mouth, taking half a step backward, when you realize that you can’t go any further without accidentally killing yourself. You’re completely surrounded by beautiful blue water, before it would be grey.

You look over your shoulder, and you let out a breath of relief when you see a beach, and beyond that, a dense forest. No, not a forest. It’s much too lush and crowded to be just that, and the trees are too tall to compare to anything from home. The higher the branch, the bigger the leaves. That’s a jungle. A vibrant and healthy green jungle.

You turn back to face the golden cornucopia, and the island it sits on. From what you can tell, there’s twelve spokes coming out of the island, which means two tributes toa  wedge. All you do is glance to your right, and you’re met with the girl from Six, who’s hugging herself right now, bony hands pulling her shoulders inward.

What are the chances she’s a part of the alliance? Does she know that you joined last night? No, how could she? There was no way to communicate after the interviews. If she’s not, will she pull herself together long enough to come and attack you as soon as the gong sounds? If it came down to it, you’d be able to kill her, considering she’s barely on her feet.

You angle yourself away from her and toward the spoke, not willing to even take the chance that she’s on your side. 

You can’t imagine how Finnick must be feeling at this moment. He’s got to be ecstatic over the fact that he’s got the advantage this year. He’ll have no issue cutting through the waves. While you’re going to struggle to get to the spoke without drowning.

Fortunately, you know how to swim, you’re just rusty. It’ll all come back to you once you’re in the water, you just need to have a little hope. Although, the more you stare into the blue, you’re not sure if you can even bring yourself to get inside. Who knows how deep it goes beneath you?

The gong sounds, and you don’t move from the metal plate because of the paralyzing fear that’s telling you the water is too dangerous to get in. You watch as Six girl jumps into the water without hesitating, splashing around in the water until she gains momentum, heading to the spoke on her side.

When you look up, you’re met with the sight of a few other victors who also don’t move from their plates. 

Well, if Six girl hasn’t died yet, that means you won’t either. You suck in a deep breath of air before you dive into the water. You’re pleasantly surprised that the water’s warm, but it’s salty. The moment it hits your eyes, you can’t see straight anymore, and you rely of blind faith to get you to the rocks.

You know you’re pointed in the right direction, so you do your best with swimming that way. You know you’ve got to look ridiculous, but there’s got to be other victors that are embarrassing themselves more. You’re sure there’s a good number of them that don’t even know how to. You’re one of the lucky few that got taught in Five when you were young.

It feels like you’re in the water forever, until your hand hits the rock. You pull yourself out of the water, wiping at your eyes to get the saltiness away. You cough out the taste, face twisted at how gross it is. 

You get to your feet, eyes searching the open cornucopia mouth. All you can see is Katniss, a bow in her hand, digging through a pile of golden weapons. There’s got to be a knife in that pile with your name on it. That would be a good start to the Games, if you had something to defend yourself with.

As if Katniss is reading your thoughts as they come through, her head jerks up. An arrow is on her bow in the time it takes you to blink. You let out a panicked noise, covering your head as you drop to the rock to avoid being pierced. You can hear the whistle of the arrow flying over you.

“Fuck.” You murmur, daring to look up to see if she’s got another arrow for you.

She’s gone, though. And so is the theory that she’s part of the alliance that Finnick was talking about. What are the chances that Finnick was bluffing to you about that alliance to make you feel better about joining him? Did he really think you had anyone else to join?

Your chances at getting that knife are gone, the careers will be at that cornucopia in a matter of seconds, now. You get off your stomach and book it down the rocks, before careful not to trip on the way to the beach. You need to find Finnick. You’re completely weaponless, and there’s safety in numbers, usually.

Your shoe sinks into the sand, you stumble for a few steps before you catch your footing. Everything in you is screaming to run into the jungle, because you know that you’ll be hidden from the victors that specialize in long-range weapons. If you stay here, it’ll be easier to pick you out to kill.

You don’t move though, hesitating like you did on the metal plate, watching and waiting. You’re not even sure what for. You jerk away from the spoke when you see the careers picking through the weapons on the ground, but you don’t move from where your feet are planted in the sand.

That’s when you see them, three victors running into the jungle, a fourth one with grey hair being carried. The infamous trident that got him his win in his hand. 

You start running down the beach, arms pumping at your sides as you take short and quick breaths. You need to catch up to them before they get lost in the jungle. You need to be with Finnick if you plan on making it out of this alive.

You cross five spokes in the matter of two minutes, which you're sure will be some record. You swing yourself around the same tree that you saw them pass by, putting you on the right track. The adrenaline that you had used up until this point is dissipating the further you run up the hill, sucking all of the energy from your body.

It’s too hot to be going at this rate, it would be smarter to pace yourself. Especially with how badly you’re sweating, you don’t even know where the nearest fresh water source is—and that’s assuming the arena has one. 

The good news is that the path that Finnick is taking becomes clearer the further you go. The vegetation is harshly cut in odd ways, which means they must be swinging at it to make it easier to get through. If they’re traveling this quickly, that means you have to, too.

You’re not sure how long you’re running for, or why you’re still so far behind that you can’t even see them a little. It gets bad enough to the point that you begin to doubt that you’re even following the right path. What are the chances that someone else picked up a trident and you’re ignorantly following them?

You swear you saw Mags—

A sharp pain slices through your cheekbone, your head whips to the left, following the momentum of the weapon. You twist, tripping over your ankles as you fall to your knees, one hand cupping the fresh wound, and the other catches you from falling any further down the hill.

“Stop!” A familiar voice shouts, “Katniss—don’t!”

“Why?”

You’ve done it this time. Katniss already wants to kill you, and you’ve just managed to chase her a whole mile into the jungle without even knowing. What are the chances you can explain this and get away with it?

You turn to see who’s with her, and you’re relieved to see that you’ve been following the right people, after all. Finnick’s coming down the hill, curls bouncing with every step. “It’s just (Y/n), she’s our ally.”

“Ally?” Katniss echoes, she doesn’t look very happy.

“Yes.” Finnick doesn’t seem affected by her tone. 

He stops in front of you, offering his hand. There’s a small smile on his face, pleased that you managed to find him. You take it, allowing him to pull you to your feet. He gently moves your hand away from your cheek so he can get a look at it for himself, thumb rubbing underneath it.

“It’s not deep, she grazed you.” He tells you.

“Another couple inches and I’d be dead.” You murmur.

“That’s what you get for trampling through the jungle.” He laughs, “You’re not very discreet.”

“You’re lucky I caught sight of you, at all.”

The two of you wander up the hill, where you find Katniss, Peeta and Mags. Your theory about them being allies wasn’t so far off, it looks like. If it keeps going like this, you’re sure Johanna and Blight will join, and then you’ll be at seven. The numbers will probably stop there, you can imagine.

“Well, you two are close.” Katniss says bitterly, “Didn’t even know you two knew each other.”

“Well, when you’re soulmates, it’s almost like your whole world view changes.” You say.

Katniss nods slightly, “I’m going to climb a tree, get a better view on the cornucopia.”

“We’ll be down here.” Peeta says.

You take a seat next to Mags in the shade, trying to get your breathing back on track after running for so long in this heat. For a minute, you were sure that you were going to pass out.

While other victors might’ve trained for this day, you didn’t bother. 

“How—?” Finnick manages to get out, before the tinkling noise of a sponsor gift silences him. 

The four of you look into the air, curious on where it’s coming from, and who it must be for this early on. Normally, when you’re mentoring, you try to hold onto the sponsors until the most important moments. Every penny counts. However, you guess that the gifts are so cheap right now that it won’t even make a difference.

The medium-sized container lands right in front of you. You share a look with Finnick, unsure about opening it. 

“It can’t hurt.” He says.

You reach forward, moving the parachute out of the way before you pop open the lid. In the middle of the container sits a small slip of paper, with the word ‘congrats’ written on it. There’s a knife beneath it, beautifully carved with a sharp and curved blade. This is meant for you, there’s no question about it.

You begin to inspect it in your hand, when the sound of tinkling begins again.

“What’s happening?” Peeta asks.

“Congratulations gifts.” Finnick says, he catches this one in his hands. When he opens the lid, he lets out a laugh, “Water.”

You’re on your feet in an instant to see for yourself. There’s five bottles inside of the container, one for each of you. You take one out, and laugh for yourself, because they’re cold. You press the bottle to your forehead for a minute, before opening it and taking a few sips.

Peeta gets to his feet, coming over to grab one for himself. You move around Mags, grabbing Finnick’s shoulder to make him lean in your direction. You cup your hands to block what you’re saying from the Capitol, “We’re going to play this up, aren’t we?”

Finnick turns to you with the biggest grin, eyes dancing over your face, “You know it, darling.”