Title: Seaweed Cookies
Characters: Finnick Odair, Annie Cresta, Mags, some minor OC's, and Snow.
Pairings: Odesta, and maybe others depending on how far this fic goes.
Rated: T
Genres: Action, Romance, Drama
Summary: "I see it fitting that a sweet girl like you would be a mermaid." Caesar said smiling. "You should know that not all mermaids are as benevolent as you think." Annie replied with a smirk. Or, Annie Cresta is far from the poor little mad girl everyone thinks she is.
Disclaimer: All rights go to Suzanne Collins. She owns the Hunger Games books and I only own my OC's.
The sound of waves crashing on the wet sand, the feel of the salt water mist, the colors of the sunset, and the fishing boats in the distance. Finnick takes it all in so as not to forget it. For all he knows, the next time Snow will let him see it will be weeks, even months, from now.
Sitting on the beach of District 4 helps him forget the faces of the children from his games, the sound of their screams, the feel of his trident impaling their bodies. Tears flow from his eyes sometimes and he never is sure when he started crying. It's summer and the air is hot and slightly humid but Finnick doesn't mind. The 70th games will be starting soon and he's not ready to be a mentor again. District 4 has a plethora of victors, not as extensive as 1 or 2, but a little less than half of their tributes are volunteers, and join the careers. He sometimes thinks of how things might have been before Panem, back when it was known by another name, to get his mind off things. As a child his mother told him how Panem used to be called the United States of America, and how district 4 is made up of places called "Texas", "Louisiana", "Mississippi", "Alabama", and "Florida". Those names sound much nicer than "District 4" to him.
"Finnick! FINNICK!" he hears a woman shouting his name. Not the first time, he thinks bitterly. This one, however, is not in pleasure, it's laced with irritation. Finnick turns to see his older sister, her strands of golden hair whipping around in the wind. He turns back to the ocean to see it has darkened and there are storm clouds in the distance.
"You are such an idiot." She says bumping into his shoulder when he reaches her. They walk back to their house on the victor's village. It's the color of the ocean on a calm day, and it's practically identical to the others, but each home has it's unique traits given to it by it's owners. The home of the Odairs has a statue of a seahorse as a mailbox. Mags' home is way on the other side of the island since she is the oldest victor in 4, and has nets on the awning above the door, and on the shutters.
"There's a storm coming and you are just sitting by the water staring out into the clouds." His sister says disbelievingly.
"It helps." He says.
"With?" She asks with sympathy.
"Memories." with that one word she takes him into her arms, the five inch height difference disregarded, and rests her head against his chest, comforting her brother. Finnick hugs back, and remembers his mother when he would have nightmares as a child, comforting him back to sleep. He sees so much of his mother in his sister, the blonde hair, green eyes, the caring nature with some impatience, and definitely the stubbornness.
"I'm fine now, Marina." He tells her with a smile. She can tell it's not genuine but doesn't push because she hasn't been through the things he has, and doesn't quite know what to say to make it better. She only hugs him and comforts him in ways with which words she could never do. She makes those seaweed cookies that have put a smile on his face for the past twelve years, she takes him swimming everyday, gives him sugarcubes, and she forces him to dance with her in the rain, both laughing and jumping around in two minutes tops.
When he needs words, she gives him words. When he needs actions, she gives him actions.
When their parents moved out two years ago, she stayed so that Finnick wasn't so alone and didn't get into any trouble. Only three years his senior, she acts with the wisdom of an elderly lady when he is in a particularly bad mood.
"Finn, if you need anything, let me know." Marina smiles at him and makes her way to her bedroom after saying "Oh, and no more sitting by the ocean during a storm, 'kay?" Finnick chuckles and grabs a seaweed cookie from the decorative platter. His parents and sister know about his...services for the people of the capitol. Snow had sent him a letter after the death of his Uncle telling him to show up next time, and when Finnick was gone for a week with no reply his father had found the letter crumpled up in his room and talked to him as calmly as he could.
"What is this?" His father, Wallace, had asked him. He showed Finnick the crumpled paper.
"Exactly what it says." Finnick replied.
"It says 'Mr. Odair, please do not fail to be in attendance for your next appointment. Your services are in high demand, and I dislike my citizens being unhappy. Before you think of not showing up, please remember those dearest to you. We wouldn't want another lamented Odair on our hands, now would we?'" He took a deep breath.
"'I hope to see you soon, President Corailanus Snow.' Now i'm not quite sure what this means, son. What does he mean by services? And your uncle?" Finnick looked up at his father and explained, tears streaming down his face. He told him about the first letter, the one that came on his 16th birthday, when he was finally of age. He told his father about how when he went to the capitol that week Snow told him about what he would have to do.
And how when he refused his uncle died a week later, in a house fire, with a white rose placed delicately in the middle of the home.
Finnick had never seen his father so angry. The older man was spewing profanities about Snow, and how as if sending these kids into death wasn't enough, he had to whore them off. He flinched when his father used the term 'whore'. The older man noticed his son's hurt expression and apologised, saying that it wasn't his fault, how he did a noble thing and how he wished that there was another way.
"So do I" He remembers saying.
"Anais Cresta! You get back here right away!" The young brunette ran along the coast as her mother called for her to come back. She had stolen a seaweed cookie from her mother then made a run for it laughing all the way.
"Nah, I think I like it over here!" She yelled back, grinning. Deciding that it wasn't worth it she made her way back to her mother's side, giving her a hug, and saying sorry. Not that she meant it, they were her favorite cookies and she was hungry. Her mother shook her head goodnaturedly and giving her daughter the cookie back.
"Don't spoil your lunch, though." She warned.
"I won't. God, mom, what am I? A toddler?"
"Wouldn't surprise me. Now shove it in your mouth and help me with the nets, Annie." The brunette sits down on the beach with her mother chewing the cookie and weaving the net in her hands. She looks up at her mother and the ocean, and she never wants this to change, never wants to leave home.
People in the districts rarely get what they want.
Two weeks later, everyone is getting ready for reaping day and Finnick feels sick. It's only when Mags puts a hand on his shoulder and a sugarcube in his hand that he feels a bit better. They were chosen as the mentors for this years games, and Finnick doesn't want to see more children die.
His stylist puts him in a casual suit, making it clear that his is wealthy, but not standing out too much. He wears his hair mussed in a way that makes people swoon, with his signature playboy grin. He's got his capitol face on; He is no longer the boy from the districts who likes to swim with his friends on the weekends and go fishing with his parents. He is now the desirable young man with eyes made of the ocean and looks that made gods jealous. He is now Finnick Odair, object of the Capitol's undying affection.
He looks over to his stylists three assistants, who are all fanning themselves and making googly eyes at him. He winks at them, falling into character. He has mastered the art of seduction by now, and uses to his advantage sometimes, but it works best in the Capitol.
The peacekeepers escort him and Mags onto the stage along with the mayor and a few other officials. Finnick looks at Mags, who just has this pained expression on her face as she watches all of the children in the audience, knowing that two of them are about to face certain death. Taking her hand, he tells her things will be okay, but he himself doesn't even know that. He takes a deep breath as the escort comes to the stage and doesn't let go of Mags' hand.
The escort stands tall in her towering heels, shaped like sea shells. She looks around the audience and smiles. "Welcome to the reaping for the 70th annual Hunger Games! First let us listen to the national anthem and watch the beautiful film made by the capitol." The video reminding the people of the rebellion is shown and the escort wipes at a fake tear.
"So touching." She says. Then walking over to the bowl on her left, she announces 'Ladies firsts!' and sticks her hand in procuring a white folded piece of paper. A collective breath is taken in by the audience.
"Anais Cresta"
The girl in the seafoam colored dress and traditional District 4 plaits makes her way to the stage after her initial shock. She is on the older side, either 17 or 18, and made it obvious to anyone and everyone watching that she was beautiful and would be remembered for that alone. Mags could practically hear the clients' offers. It made her sick.
The young girl stands tall on the stage, body showing no fear, eyes showing the opposite.
"Any volunteers?" when no one came up the escort walked to the other bowl. There were no female volunteers from district four that year.
"Now for the gentlemen." The escort, Elmas, announced. She stuck her sparkly hand into the large bowl and plucked out a name.
"Percival Clarich"
A boy with sand colored hair and brown eyes comes up to the stage with no emotion in his eyes. Elmas smiles and announces their names one more time and then leads them to the rooms where they will get to say their final goodbyes.
One, if not both of them will be dead within weeks.
This is a short one but it's more of a trial. Tell me what you guys think so far. I have a bit more written already but I'd like to get some feedback before going all out with this story. Reviews mean a lot! :D
