Gale's POV
"Miss Hawthorne," Snow begins, his snake like eyes trained on his most recent target to terrorize; my almost seven year old daughter. You would think that even Snow would let things slide at her age, but let's be honest; Snow's a fucking bastard who has no limitations when it comes to terrorizing. "Do you know why you're here?"
There's a brief pause before Kennie's voice comes out of nowhere (pretty much confirming my suspicions that the camera is on her), "Because I'm in big trouble." Well that's certainly true enough, and Snow confirms that with a nod and a slightly amused expression.
"Yes my dear girl, yes you are." Snow replies, "Now tell me; did you know that you would be in trouble for what you did?"
"Only a little." Kennie states, the camera moving as I think she shrugs, "I didn't think that anyone would get that mad cause Daddy said he was gonna do something too." Oh great, blame me. I go to roll my eyes but Katniss seems to realize what I'm about to do and hits me on the chest without looking away from the screen; her own way of warning me to shut up and pay attention.
"He certainly did." Snow muses, clearly pissed off which I'm satisfied with. Good, I wanted him to be anyway. It was part of the point of that whole thing to piss off Snow, show him how incredibly stupid and horrible this move was. Well, if it bites him in the ass at least he can't say that I didn't warn him-or Kennie for that matter. "But I assure you he will pay for that." Oh goody the punishment. What's he going to do, kill me? Gee that's so different from the original plan. Give me a bad training score? Probably. Or he could do the opposite; make me a target with a high score. It's sort of what happened to Katniss with her 11 but that really wasn't the intent. Not that it actually matters too much anyway because I can't see Snow allowing sponsor gifts to come to us even if we have the money and really, that's what the scores are mostly for. "What I would like to know is why you did it, and not because your father told you too." Oh great, him too? Why are people always assuming that I put her up to this? I wouldn't…okay, maybe I would, but I didn't this time!
"It was my idea." Kennie protests, and while Snow doesn't look entirely convinced that it was he lets her continue speaking, "And I did it because…"
"Because why Miss Hawthorne?" Snow asks, his eyebrows raised, "You can tell me the truth, I assure you."
"Because…because it's not fair!" Kennie claims, and Snow actually laughs at that.
"My dear girl, life isn't fair. I would think that you would know that by now." Snow states, clearly less angry than amused at this point.
Kennie, however, does seem mad that he's laughing at her. "It doesn't mean that you have to be a meany to everyone."
"A meany?" Snow asks, now half annoyed. Well, it's better than the laughing. Plus I'm pretty proud of her for telling him what he is. Katniss, I, Finnick, and many others may be too scared to tell this sick man who he really is but a seven year old girl can. Makes you wonder who raised her to have that much guts…oh right, us. That's what Snow gets for ordering the two of us to have a kid.
"Yes." Kennie confirms stubbornly. Snow just studies her for a minute, long enough for all of us in this room listening and watching this conversation to be uneasy.
"I'm going to get her." Katniss finally says.
"Katniss, you can't take her out of the meeting. It will only make things worse." Beetee protests rationally.
"Well I can at least wait outside the door for her! And I'll be right there if he tries to even touch her." Katniss half yells. Well she has a point.
"Go. I'll stay here and watch her." I tell her and with a fleeting thankful glance she leaves the room quickly.
"Interesting." Snow finally says, his head resting on his fist as he thinks. "Miss Hawthorne, I believe that you are the first person to ever tell me what you truly think of me. Can you guess why?"
"Because people are scared of you." Kennie answers.
Snow nods at that. "Yes that's true. And they should be, but do you know why?"
"…No." Kennie replies, and I have to say I'm amazed I haven't heard the fear in her voice once this entire time. Maybe it's because Snow's not…yelling or anything. The way he goes about threatening people in a polite, almost creepy way is far worse than any yelling. If you just heard his tone you would expect that he could just as easily be talking about the weather. But I guess Kennie is too young to see how more harmful that tone can be than yelling.
"Because Miss Hawthorne, I have power. I have power to do whatever I like whenever I like, and that does in fact scare people, rightfully so." Snow explains eyes boring into her as he tries to truly scare her now. But somehow I don't think it's working; the camera isn't shaking or anything and that's what I have to go by if I can't see her face.
"You can do anything you want?" Kennie asks, more curious and pressing than scared. What the hell is she getting at?
"Of course." Snow exclaims, clearly not knowing where she's going with this any more than I do.
"So you can let everyone go home that are going in the Games this year? Send us home and leave us alone?" Kennie almost pleads. I think it's safe to say that Beetee and I are as shocked by her statement as Snow is, but the difference is that I'm proud of her and Snow looks somewhere between angry and amused. Probably another first for him-someone asking him to end the Games.
"I could, but that will not happen, I assure you." Snow assures her, anger in his tone now.
"Why not?" Kennie asks, but I can hear the fear creeping into her voice now that she can tell he's mad.
"Because I have to punish those who think that they can fight me, mock me, go against my power." Snow argues back in an even tone but his eyes wickedly glaring. "Where did you get that necklace you have on."
What? That's an odd question. I look to Beetee to see if he thinks the same which I'm sure he does, but strangely he looks almost…dreading. Did Snow figure out that there's a camera on it?
Kennie touches the necklace for a second and the camera is blocked, but we still hear her answer. "Aunt Prim gave it to me before we left."
"I see." Snow's voice says, "And do you know what the bird on that necklace is?" While the camera is still blocked, it does shake so I'm guessing that she's shaking her head. "A phoenix, Miss Hawthorne. A phoenix represents the rebellion that I wish to obliterate. And of course a phoenix can rise from the ashes, but I assure you that you are no true phoenix and neither is anyone else they wish to use for their purposes."
Phoenix?... Rise from the ashes?...Oh my fucking god, a rebellion. That's what Finnick was talking about I bet! It makes sense now! The breakout, the get as many people out as they can, the necklace representing that Kennie is…wait Kennie is what? They can't want her as a leader or something, she's a little girl! But who is they? I glance over to Beetee and he's shaking his head, clearly not happy that Snow knows this. Which means he knows something obviously.
"Beetee-" I start, but he cuts me off.
"Not now Gale." he bites back so in a tone so harsh for him that I turn back to the screen.
"…huh?" Kennie answers, clearly knowing even less than I do. She lets go of the necklace and the camera comes clear again, Snow looking rather content now.
"You may go Miss Hawthorne." Snow orders. "Oh and please remind your parents that I always win these kinds of games." Why that fucking…well guess what you bastard? Like hell I'm letting you win this one, rebellion or no rebellion.
Katniss's POV
As I get dressed in the mostly modest black dress that Cinna left for me for the interviews, I somehow think that it's appropriate given Snow's most recent warning to us. That he always wins these games. And if he wins this game, then that would mean that I lose both Gale and Kennie instead of the best case scenario where I only lose Gale. And trust me, that's not winning either. So looking like I'm going to a funeral instead of the interviews seems appropriate. I can't see a way around it, especially with their training scores.
We knew Snow was angry, but we had no idea what that would entail for the training scores based off their stunts in the private sessions. After Kennie's talk with him we were pretty sure that they were going to be targets, but what we didn't know was just how obvious Snow was going to make that. Kennie and Gale made history that night with their scores, being that they have never been given as a training score before. Kennie received a 12, something so obviously making her a target on purpose that people are probably not wondering anymore that she was reaped on purpose, though they probably wonder what on earth she did. And Gale also made history…with a big fat zero. When it came up he actually laughed, but I just buried my head in my hands, dreading what is to come. A zero may be the lowest score ever, but it doesn't make him any less a target than Kennie's 12. Maybe more so, because people may realize that he did something to piss everyone off in his private session and his intent is not a secret to save Kennie. Heck, a zero wasn't even on the scale-that's why no one would expect it. As if they weren't targets already.
Since we had the next day to help them prepare for the interviews and that wasn't really necessary, we told Effie that we wouldn't need her to help. To my surprise, she wasn't annoyed or angry at all; in fact, she looked almost glad, and flitted off immediately with little explanation. I still have no clue what that was about, but I decided to ignore it for the day. Since this was most definitely our last day together to be a family, we decided to order a bunch of food and took it up to the roof, where the three of us spent the whole day. It's certainly not our woods by a long shot, but no one bothered us and we had a nice time despite where we are and what would happen in two days.
That night also was going to be the last night for Gale and I to be a couple for sure, since either way he's not coming out of that arena and we both know it. Besides the fact that he needs sleep tomorrow night so it only made sense for tonight to be our last real night together. We made love slowly, sensually, committing each other to memory in a deep, molten passion. Afterwards I could feel the tears on both our faces, though I don't know if Gale was actually crying or if it was just my tears on him. It could have been both for all I know.
With a sigh I look in the mirror at the finished look I'm in and decide with a shrug that I really don't care what I look like so I shouldn't be judging. And besides, if this is the precursor to the real funeral I don't have to hide what I feel. I go out to wait for Gale and Kennie and Gale comes first, dressed in a black suit. Oh great, he looks like he's going to a funeral too; guess I know what Cinna's vision was for tonight. It might get him into some deep water, but somehow it's probably the right way to go. It pretty blatantly shows how we feel tonight anyway. Gale wraps me in his arms from behind and gives my head a gentle kiss while we wait for Kennie.
When I see Cinna coming around the corner, I fully expect for Kennie to be dressed similar to me but I'm in for a shock. I'm immediately tense and angry and I can sense that Gale is too by the way his body stiffens. I glare at Cinna in disbelief and he puts his hands in the air as surrender with a frown on his face.
"Snow's orders." He tells us, obviously annoyed. Snow ordered this? As if this whole thing couldn't get any worse, he has to mock us too?
Kennie is dressed in what would have been her birthday party dress for the party held in Snow's mansion every year. This year it's a light blue dress with a gold seven on it, and she has a gold headband and gold shoes to match. It's in such a contrast to the funeral clothes that Gale and I are wearing that I have to wonder if Snow figured out that was the original plan and decided to turn even that on us. Because what it looks like is that we are at her funeral. And the very idea that he's mocking us with this…his goal is obvious. That Kennie will never have a seventh birthday party because she won't win. That she won't even turn seven because her birthday is on the third day of the Games and she won't make it that far. What he's saying is that we will fail, that he always wins.
When Effie comes out, all of us are still silent. She studies us with an almost content look until she comes to Kennie and frowns.
"Cinna, that wasn't part of the plan." she tuts, clearly annoyed. Wait, what plan? Was this funeral thing Effie's idea? Somehow I can't see that, but apparently it is. Wonder what that's about.
"Snow." Cinna explains again, and Effie shakes her head.
"Fine." she huffs, "We can work with it. Time to go everyone!"
Work with it? Work with what? Instead of asking I take one of Gale's hands in mine and one of Kennie's in the other, following Effie to the elevator. When it's time for us to part I kiss them goodbye and follow Effie. Cinna waves goodbye but says to Kennie.
"Remember what I told you?" he asks her and she nods. What is that about? I give him a confused look and he just puts a finger to his lips and shakes his head. Wait what? Later he mouths to me and I let out a huff of frustration. First Effie, now Cinna? I think the goal of tonight is to not tell Katniss anything.
When I'm sitting in my seat waiting for the show to begin, I'm fidgeting, not able to sit still. Nelia pats my arm to try to calm me but it's not really working. Strangely, most of the mentors are wearing either black or gray except for most of the Career mentors. Maybe they are acting like it's a funeral too? After all, Gale isn't the only Victor that will be up there and there are so many little kids too. Maybe this is a sort of defiance among us that we are all losing friends, that little kids who should be playing and going to school are being sent to their deaths tomorrow. Whether it's just a coincidence (not likely) or a stand, it most definitely shows the whole of Panem that Victors stick together no matter what. Our own form of a small rebellion, though it's not likely to do anything at all but make Snow mad.
And incredulously as the neon green haired Ceaser calls the tributes up to the stage, I think that our little rebellion is going to be overshadowed. Or maybe not overshadowed so much as complimented, added to the blatantly obvious one onstage. Because every single tribute on that stage is dressed in black aside from Kennie. Every single person on that stage looks like they are going to a funeral-their own. No one cheers or smiles. No one waves to the crowd. Every last one of them stands there in silence before they sit, some frowning, some of the kids crying. It even unnerves Ceaser, and the crowd is whispering among themselves, clearly affected by this funeral stand. If Effie planned this, I have no doubt that this is probably the greatest stand someone could do to show how we truly feel. Wow, Effie on our side; never thought I'd say that. And I have to keep a smile back because it would look horrible as I figure out what this means.
Snow may think that he can choose the targets, and he can. What he doesn't realize is that those targets can target others that can have an effect on him; his own people.