Written for the Caesar's Palace Monthly Oneshot Contest, month of April.
Not one of my better fics, but oh well... It's supposed to be focused more on the dialogue than the description (which is quite obvious).
Thanks to Slim/Silm/Silmaril, [Chasing Silmarils] for beta-ing this oneshot!
Summary: During Johanna's first stay in the Capitol, her and Finnick discuss truths and lies.
"Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure;
seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken."
-From Emma by Jane Austen
Finnick's question was invasive, and hit far too close to home than Johanna preferred: "Why are you lying, Johanna?"
"Lying?" Johanna repeated, clasping her hands under the table so he wouldn't know how nervous she was. "Why would anyone want to lie? I don't like liars." She forced her face into an expression of timid disapproval. I'm really getting good at this act, she thought smugly.
Finnick smiled at her without any happiness, eyeing her suspiciously across the table. "Look, Johanna. You're in the Games now- everyone lies here. You're lying."
"I don't lie," said Johanna, accidentally forgetting her 'weak-little-girl' act and letting a trace of her own stubbornness show. "I never lie." She attempted her best innocent smile. "I'd never lie here, of all places, either," she said. "I mean, it's the Capitol!" She widened her eyes, as if she was awed by the grandeur of the city of death and malice she was in. "Who'd ever want to lie to anyone here?" Me! she silently said. "Everyone's so kind." Kind, my ass!
The handsome victor raised an eyebrow. "Johanna?" he asked, sounding slightly frustrated.
"Yes?" Johanna asked, forcing a bright smile onto her face.
"You're lying right now," Finnick told her manner-of-a-factly. She clenched her hands over her kneecaps anxiously. How did he know? she thought, bewildered. She had just met Finnick- it wasn't as if he knew her well enough to know that she was lying. And Johanna knew that she wasn't so terrible at acting that she was giving herself away- she practiced her shy, unassuming expressions in the mirror every morning until she was satisfied with her masquerade.
Finnick sighed. "Johanna, you should admit it. Everyone lies in the Games," he said again.
She gave in. "Fine. I'm putting on an act, all right?" she snapped. She mentally kicked herself as she thought of something -what if he tells his tributes?- and she quickly added, "but you can't tell anyone!"
"Don't worry, I won't," Finnick promised. He twined his fingers together and looked intently at her. "You think you've got it all worked out? What you're going to say in your interview and all?"
"What's it to you?" she asked. "You're not even my mentor." Johanna was confused as to why he would even waste words with her.
Finnick shrugged. "It's a good idea," he said. "I'm just curious. It looks like you've got everyone convinced, though."
"But not you," Johanna stated flatly. "Why?"
"Not me," Finnick agreed. "As to why... it might be because I tried doing the same thing."
Johanna looked at him skeptically. "I've seen your Games," she said. "You didn't put on an act at all."
"I did," Finnick assured her. "I'd just finished my interview when I decided to stop it." His sea green eyes were full of remembrance, and he seemed to be looking at a point somewhere above Johanna's head. "It was pretty much the opposite of yours, actually," he said. "You're faking that you're weak and shy. I was faking that I was collected, confident, and a perfectly-bred Career Tribute. The truth was, the Capitol scared me. I was uneasy about their crazy outfits and personalities. I just didn't like them. And I was disgusted with the Gamemakers. But I hid that and acted like I loved the Capitol."
"What made you stop?" Johanna asked. She hadn't known this about Finnick, and she found herself rather interested.
Finnick hesitated. "I just thought, 'I might die tomorrow. I don't want to die a liar.' And so when I was scared or in need, I asked for help from my sponsors. When I was angry at the Capitol, I walked around and found someone to take my anger out on."
"Again with the lying thing," said Johanna tiredly. "I'm not lying."
"Then what are you doing? Practicing for your audition for the grade-school play?" asked Finnick with a trace of humor in his voice.
"I like to think that telling the truth," Johanna said. "I mean, none of the tributes actually knew me before I got reaped, not even my district partner. So technically, I'm just reinventing my personality. Giving myself a blank slate."
"It's still lying," Finnick said. He sighed again. "I would love to meet someone who doesn't lie. Someone who just says whatever they feel like and doesn't act like they're someone they're not. You know?"
Johanna snorted. "That's impossible," she said. "Everyone lies."
"I know," said Finnick. "But I'd still love to meet someone who doesn't."
"You'll be waiting a long time," Johanna said wryly.