Finnick POV

I had seen the reaction of Cresta to the reaping of the thin girl in 8. She was the symbol of what I thought of female tributes. Too weak and emotional to win. I could simply hope she would die quickly and as less painful as it could be.

Her look when I had given her the handkerchief had stirred something inside of me. Something I hadn't felt in a long time. A wish to truly protect someone.

Women like her always looked fragile and delicate to me. Like one of the dolls they got children in the capitol. So easy to shatter and break.

I tried concentrating on the other tributes, but it was hard doing so. I would have to rely on the others to help me with that then. I was startled when she suddenly jumped up and rushed out of the room. Her face was so troubled it nearly hurt to watch her. Like a thunderstorm was roaring inside of her. A feeling I could still relate to at least partly. The days before you actually got into the arena, the moments in which there was nothing to do except to think were the hardest ones.

You would see yourself die, kill, go crazy, hurt the ones you chose as allies, you simply saw yourself becoming a monster or dying in the progress of trying to stay human.

I looked back at the screen and watched the last bit of the re-run in a somewhat dazed state, just trying to not let the all too unwelcome pictures of my own victory take over my mind once again. It was hard considering that with every year I was a mentor I saw new tributes, fresh meat all going to be suffering death or worse a fate similar to mine.

It took us quite a while until we finally arrived in the Training Center for the Tributes. I hadn't seen Cresta or Fresud in the remaining hours traveling, but I had preferred it that way anyway. My mind had been swirling with my games and it had been hard for me to keep a clear head.

After a lot of thinking I had gotten to a conclusion how to suppress those memories for these games. I would keep my utmost distance to Cresta. I couldn't allow myself to fail helping my tributes, because I was getting too emotional. So I would have to concentrate on helping Fresud. Yes it would be for the best if I would keep it that way.

When I walked through the hallway with the others, escorted by Peacekeepers I was so caught up in my own mind, that I only snapped back to attention when Cresta refused to go into the lift until someone explained to her what it was. I couldn't really judge her. I had also been freaked out by it the first time I had seen it.

Mags gladly smiled and explained the basics of what it was. A chuckle nearly made it's way out of my mouth, when she insisted on using stairs instead. "There are no stairs." I explained which actually got me a mean look. "I want to go, can't we leave her?" sneered Fresud leaning against the glass wall of the elevator with an arrogant and calm expression. Alistair sighed. "Be nice you two. Come on Annie. It's not that bad when you get used to it. It actually is funny and won't take that long." After she took in Hoodge's approving nod she stepped inside gingerly.

I made way for her to stand at the handrail. "In case you want to steady yourself." I tried to be reserved and nice at the same time, not too much of a challenge for me. This was usual business in the capitol for me by now. She stepped beside the rail and took a firm grip of it.

The doors closed and we finally took of and when I wanted to turn around to ask Alistair when we should meet up for dinner I saw Fresud's expression: Utter Horror. I had to laugh at that, just as Alistair who smiled.

I got out of the elevator with a slight grin and looked at the two of them. Fresud was trying very hard not to show that he actually didn't like this new technology at all and Cresta was actually smiling as she turned to Hoodge telling him how much fun it was.

"You two should go to your rooms and take a look around before we meet up for dinner later." Mags said and pointed at two individual doors. "That will be yours." She looked at Cresta "And you will sleep over there." Fresud immediately took off and I had a hard time not laughing. Cresta was a bit hesitant at first, but took of as well.

This would be a lot for them. The first evening was overwhelming. The new technologies, the luxury, the food and smells. I still remembered my first day vividly.

I had looked at all the stuff around me amazed forgetting that this was only my last station before slaughter, until I had to think of how much my siblings would have liked this.

The moment you thought of your families at home, was the moment that made you realize you probably wouldn't be seeing them again. Not ever.

I sighed heavily. "I will go to my room as well. Change." I smiled at the others and quickly went over to the mentors rooms. They weren't as luxurious, but still had the standards of our rooms at home.

As usual I already had flowers and presents spread across my table. I never actually bothered looking at them though. Even though it wasn't as hard anymore, because I had severed most ties at home, I still had to think of many people. My family, my friends, the tributes I had to mentor in the past and the ones I had to prepare for slaughter now.

What did all those presents and declarations of love mean if you weren't able to feel any joy in it? And how could I? I was only another luxurious item after all. An expensive pet kept in a golden cage for the Capitolists to play with.

I stripped out of my clothes and went under the shower. The water dripping over my body helped me relax and clear my head. If those stupid soaps, foams and other gadgets were good for something, then for the sake of forgetting that I was just another toy of the rich and famous.

As the drops of water ran over the body they adored, fell from the hair with the color they had tried to imitate after my victory and hung on the lips they paid to get near, I closed my eyes taking a deep breath.

Maybe this year I would be able to help save at least one life.