Onyx was sat nervously on a chair on a large stage in front of a live audience, the othr tibutes all in a line alongside her, she and Dustin were at the end of the line that were waiting for their turn to be interviewed with Ceaser Flickerman, the interviewer for many of the Hunger Games that had passed; every year he had changed the colour that he wore and this year it was a bright blue that wasn't too light but it was still as garish as every other style he wore. He had the job of questioning all of the tributes about their scores which many played coy about (such as Glimmer from one and Clove) while others told him the truth (Cato and Marvel). Little Rue made her impression as she skipped up to the chair, with wings sown onto her dress making her look like a bird which emulated the reason of why she had gotten the score she had from the game makers.
She herself was dressed in a floor length dress that was just a mixture of colours that she usually wouldn't think would go well together but Cinna went above and beyond. The top of her dress was a red that when reaching her waist. slowly broke into a mismatched mixture of red and white which created the image of rose petals falling down the fabric until they slowly turn into orange embers in coal at the bottom. Cinna had once again only put eyeliner and blush on her but she had a wrist and head band on that held small bursts of fire that wouldn't hurt her.
All in all, she loved the style she was put into.
"And now District Twelve's, Miss Onyx Rose" Ceaser called as the crowd cheered louder than they had for everyone else which overwhelmed the young girl. getting up gingerly from her chair, trying not to fall, she took the seat opposite Ceaser who smiled a genuine smile and looked at her dress in awe.
"That is a beautiful dress Miss Rose" he told her lightly and honestly, she knew that Ceaser had a sense of fashion but he hadn't commented much on the clothes the others wore which made her to blush lightly.
"Thank you Mr Flickerman, my stylist Cinna decided that he wanted to use my name and district as inspiration tonight" she told him softly, she was afraid that she would need to speak louder but she could tell that the crowd could still hear her due to a microphone that was pinned to the chest of her dress.
"Please my dear, call me Ceaser, that is if I can call you Onyx?" He inquires with a sweet (and totally fake) smile. Onyx nodded her acceptance with a small smile of her own, Haymitch had wanted Onyx to be sweet and yet shy which was something she could easily pull off because she was terrified so really didn't want to speak up. "Now Onyx there are two main questions that I wish to ask you tonight"
Onyx watched him carefully before nodding in acceptance, he usually just went staright into the questions so hearing that he only had two was a relief for her, she bites her lip slightly in nervousness as she tried to keep her cool.
Ceaser eyed the young girl with a small smile at the small action of comfort which he knew many children were scolded for in the capital due to the effects it could have on their lips as they got older, his smile grows wider as she quickly release her lip and ducks her head slightly in embarresment
"Sorry, its a bad habit, Haymitch keeps telling me to stop biting my lip" She informed him sheepishly as if to explain her embaressment, the crowd made a small aweing motion at the action, one that signaled to Ceaser that she must already have them under her spell with only a few actions. Something no one has been able to do since Finnick Odair had competed in the games. "He says it'll cause my lip to bleed more often"
Ceaser couldn't help but grin when she mentions her mentors name, as if she had walked into the question without knowing it, but Haymitch and she knew that they would bring up their relationship since it was the talk of the metnors and tributes after the Opening Ceremony. "That my dear is my first question to you, what is your relationship to the mentor of your district? There have been many rumors and speculations since the opening ceremony"
Onyx giggled lightly, just like she had the moment she first told Haymitch about what Cato had told her; which caused many of the crowd to fall in love with her even more than they already were. "We're not together as many people have assumed. Honestly?, he's my hero, he's saved my life many times, and he's the dad I never thought I would have since the death of my parents a few years ago"
The crowd all looked shocked at the young girl, out of the number of tributes they have had, there were very rarely any orphans; the president always wanted to make a statement by taking children from loving families to remind them of the hold the Capitol has.
"You're an orphan?" Ceaser questioned shocked, he had the basic knowledge of how the Capitol worked and how they often rigged games to suit their purposes, that was the reason the two twelve year olds were originally reaped but then the couragous young girl in front of him put a spin on those plans that no one could have seen.
"Yes" Onyx nodded sadly, remembering her parents still hurt even with having Haymitch in her life so having them brought up on live television wasn't pleasant. "My father passed when I was nine and my mother when I was ten, and since then I've lived alone on the streets, Haymitch allowed me to clean his home for him after he was approached by a mutual aquaintance, and has protected me since I met him, he's the only family I have now"
Onyx had a family in the Hawthornes and the Everdeens but she knew that if she made any mention of them then there was a target placed on them if she went against the Capitol or spoke out while in the arena.
Ceaser actually looked heartbroken for the young girl and made to ask her more about her life and her link to the lone mentor of District Twelve but then noticed he only had a minute left which meant he needed to ask his last question fast.
"Who was the young girl you volunteered for?" he questioned her quickly as they both looked at the timer "we all thought you were so brave for doing that for her and her family"
"Primrose, she is a young girl in the part of town that I have spent most my time in, she is such a ray of sunshine to everyone who meets her because she doesn't seem to have a single bad bone in her body. The day my father died was the day that hers died also along with many others, her older sister and her sisters best friend are two of the most stubborn people I have ever met but they have looked out for me in any way they could. I just hope Gale takes my advice and finally asks Katniss out after all this"
The crowds all laughed at the young girl calling out her friends and Onyx just smirked at the camera in hopes that Katniss and Gale will finally get their happy ending out of all this, Gale was now at an age where he wouldn't be reaped again, and Katniss was getting there.
"My apologies Ceaser" she told the man who smiled at her with a shake of his head showing that it was okay, it was definitely something new in one of his interviews and he liked when the tributes surprised him; the bell soon sounded showing that it was the end of her interview which caused a small amount of disappointed noises come from the audience.
"Thank you" he told her genuinely and held her hand up for the crowd as he aided her up from the chair and so that her dress was now on full show to emphasise his next words, "Miss Onyx Rose, The burning rose"
Onyx blushed deeply and ducked her head at the nickname that the Capitol had began to link to her ever since the Opening Ceremony, the play on her name and the embers that burned on her dress just made her shake her head but Haymitch liked it.
She quickly looked back at the other tributes, but Cato was the one who caught her attention as he glared at the ground, he looked up at her as if sensing her eyes on him and glared at her causing her to dip her head to him in mocking since he finally found out about the link between her and Haymitch.
Soon Dustin went up on the stage and went through his interview quickly, Onyx frowned sadly as she realised that he didn't hold the audiences attention as much as she or some of the other tributes did. Haymitch had given him little things to say and do when he was on stage with Ceaser to make him lovable, and thanks to Haymitch's thinking, Dustin did seem lovable, bringing laughs and smiles to the crowds face, but they seemed forced; as if this act was something they were bored by every year.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the tributes of the 74th annual Hunger Games" Ceaser cheered at the end of Dustins interview as he gestured to the twenty four tributes that were lined up behind him, which caused the crowd to go mad with screaming and cheering and signalled the true beginning of the Hunger Games.
Onyx left the stage as fast as she could before crashing into Haymitch who was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, knowning that she would need the support after the nerve wracking perfomance. He took her hand in his and gently pulled her towards the elevator followed by Dustin who shook his head at the protectiveness that Haymitch had over his district partner, Dustin found it entertaining to see the drunk hlding onto the girl as much as he could, but also heartbreaking because they all knew there was a chance this was the last time they could see each other.
As soon as the door opened when they finally reached the top floor, Cinna pulled Onyx into a hug as she laughed into his shoulder; she knew that this was the last night that she had with all of them and so she wanted to make it her best night so that they had good memories to remember her by. Haymitch had finally given in and given her permission to go up onto the roof one last time as the celebration was coming to the end, so she stood at the railings watching the parties spilling out onto the streets below them as the people celebrated the fights to the death that they would soon be witnessing. She startles after a few moments as the elevator bell seems to echo on the open roof top and looked behind her with her guard up instantly; she relaxe the moment she catches sight of Dustin walking over to her with a small shy smile on his face.
"Hey" she whispered to him softly as he made his way over to where she was stood and took a place next to her as he too gazed down in disgust as the people of the Capitol celebrated the upcoming battles that they were being forced into.
"Hi" he whispered back and stood in silence as he scowled down at the streets full of parties for a few minutes, he didn't understand the need for these Games but he also never spoke aloud his thoughts. "I'm not going to make it home"
Onyx looked at her district partner surprised at the words that he spoke, but her expression soon became one of sadness and understanding, she gently took his hand into hers and give it a small squeeze; showing him that she felt that way too.
"I don't think either of us are, not with these Careers" She admits to him quietly as she moves her gaze back to the bright city surrounding them "Haymitch... he's holding onto the hope that I'll survive, but the boy from Two seems to want me dead for some reason, I won't survive long, and I can't stomach the idea of killing a human being"
Dustin was the one to squeeze her hand in understanding this time. "You know, I've seen you around the Seam so many times, my mom always wanted to house you but my dad wouldn't let her. I don't know why, he just always said no but would always look sad after saying it"
Onyx sighed lightly, she knew many people who did the same thing as Dustins parents, it hurt but she understood why they wouldn't house her. "Your pa knew that there would have been consequences for helping me keep out of the community homes, he was smart not to get you all into trouble. But I always did wonder why he would drop a small coin on the floor whenever he came near me"
Dustin eyes the girl in front of curiously before making a quick decision that he may regret, he turned Onyx around to face him and then placed his lips on hers gently, she stood shocked at the action, not expecting him to do that; but when he pulled away he looked at her with a soft, sad smile and she understood.
"I'm sorry Onyx, but I didn't want to die before I had my first kiss" he told her carefully, waiting for the backlash; but she just nodded numbly and he sighed before leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Onyx touched her lips as the linger senatsion of his lips on hers remained as a reminder of what had happened, but rather than reacting even further, she just turned with her back to the elevator as she let a tear fall down her cheek. Dustin had made a point as he kissed her, he wanted to at least have a first kiss before he died in these games and she had never thought of that but now he had stolen her first kiss; but rather than being angry about it, she was happy, she trusted Dustin and had come to get to know him more than anyone else in her life, she was glad her first kiss was with him.
With a small sigh she took one more look at the beauty of the Capitol and left the roof bracing herself for what she was about to face the next day.
It didn't take long for her to get back to her silent floor, but after an hour of trying to fall asleep she gave up with a sigh and carefully climbed out of her bed moving into the living room to maybe find something that would help her sleep.
What she wasn't expecting, however, was to see Haymitch wide awake with a cup of something in his hands as he looked out of the windows of their apartment at the streets that were still alive with activity.
"Not drinking already are you?" Onyx asked softly as she made her way further into the empty lounge, she moved towards the table that was constantly filled with fresh foods and drinks and grabbed a mug of hot chocolate.
Haymitch jumped slightly at the sudden noise and was surprised that he hadn't reacted viloently like he once used to before she had entered his life, he turns to look at her with a sad smile as he moves away from the window and onto the couch where she could join him.
"It's just a small one, it helps me sleep, what are you doing up? You should be fast asleep by now young lady" he scolded halfheartedly, he could understand why she couldn't sleep, he had been in the same situation as her years ago.
Onyx smiled at the scolding lightly and silently moved to sit next to him before placing the mug on the table in front of them and laying her head down in his lap; Haymitch automatically started to run his fingers through her hair which he had learnt calmed her over the weeks and which in turn slowly started to make her fall asleep.
After half hour of watching his daughter sleep, Haymitch tried to lift the girl in his arms to take her to bed but she kept stirring, so instead he moved so that Onyx was asleep on his chest while he was lying on his back on the couch. Her weight on him allowed him to slowly fall asleep as he felt her chest rising and falling against his own; Onyx stirred long enough to look at him carefully before putting her head back on his chest allowing his heart beat to send her into a deep sleep.