"Wow, and you look fantastic," Finnick smiled as he entered her room.
"Thank you," she blushed as she straightened her dress and turned to look at him. "You look very dapper Mr Odair," she smirked as she walked up to him and flung her arms around his neck.
"We're on the train tonight. Home in the morning."
"I can't wait," she smiled up at him, leaning up to kiss him.
"And I have no jobs tonight, so I can relax a bit more."
"I just want to talk to our newest victor. Don't really feel like dealing with Capitol people," Taiya sighed.
"Speaking off, Tyler told me you had a conversation with her in the elevator. Why didn't you tell me? You could've gotten in trouble for that."
"I didn't say anything bad," Taiya defended. "I just said I thought she'd win."
"No faith in our own tributes?"
Taiya looked down. "Honesty I tried not to pay them any attention. I can't help them. It hurts less not to notice them."
"She seems like she's going to get herself into trouble. Just be careful alright?"
"I'm not going to jeopardise anything. But, Finn, she looks like she could do with a friend."
"I know," Finnick agreed, taking ahold of her hands. "But we can't save everyone ok. Just please be careful ok? We've got a good balance. Well, I mean obviously not good... but it's working."
Taiya nodded before changing the subject. "First thing I'm doing when we get home, swimming. I miss the beach."
"Agreed," Finnick smiled as he turned to her mirror to fix his tie. "Go for a swim, see Mags, then make out on the couch. That's our to-do list," he said with a wink.
"Are you sure you want to talk to this girl?" Cashmere asked sceptically. "I said hello and she told me to get lost."
"She's angry isn't she," Taiya smirked.
"Yeah, so why would you want to be her friend?"
"I'm angry too," Taiya pointed out and Cashmere snorted.
"Yeah right.
"We're all good at acting, Cash. I like you, but you and I only see each other in public. When we're both acting, we can't stop and be ourselves because when we're together, someone's always watching. She'll scare people away, they'll avoid her. I just want someone that I can talk with at these parties and not have to act."
"That's dangerous Taiya," Cashmere warned. "Besides, what makes you think she won't fall in line as well?"
"She's not the type," Taiya shrugged. "And she's going to need a friend."
"Fine," Cashmere sighed. "I'll distract your lover boy. But keep an eye out, I don't know how long he'll entertain my rambling without you around."
"I owe you! Thank you," Taiya smiled before darting off to the surly new victor. Johanna was standing by the bar, she'd scared off everyone else. "I'll have what she's having," Taiya said to the bartender.
"You," Johanna noted shortly.
"Me," Taiya winked as she picked up her drink before looking at it.
"Tequila," Johanna smirked. "Come on, drink up."
Johanna raised her glass in the air, and Taiya held hers up in response before she threw back the shot. Taiya immediately burst out in a coughing fit that made Johanna laugh.
"That's gross," Taiya groaned as she wiped her mouth.
"But effective," Johanna smiled sadly.
Taiya looked around the room and found a couch in the corner that was currently empty.
"Two more drinks," she requested. "But not those again. Two mojitos please."
"What do you want Ambersnow?" Johanna sighed.
"We are going to sit on that couch over there," Taiya nodded her head in the direction.
"Do I have to? I've spent tonight scaring people away so I'd be left alone."
"Because Johanna," Taiya smiled as she took the two drinks off the bar. "You're going to have to come back here every year. And I do too. You may as well have a friend."
Johanna clearly decided to follow, because when Taiya sat down, Johanna plonked down next to her and took one of the drinks.
"Are all the parties like this? So suffocating?"
"Some are worse. This is when the Capitol people are on their best behaviour. Only gets worse," Taiya said as she sipped her drink.
"I could use an axe right about now," Johanna muttered making Taiya snort in amusement. "Look if you're going to threaten me or say you hate me for killing your tributes, I really don't care."
"I don't hate you. Especially not for that. The thing is once you're victor and out of the Games, no one cares what you did in there. Because we've done it too. We've killed each other's tributes in the arena, there's no point being resentful. We're all victims," she whispered at the end.
"What are you even doing with that Capitol pig?" Johanna asked as she leaned closer, obviously knowing they needed to be quiet.
Taiya looked around the room anxiously. They couldn't be heard. Taking a deep breath Taiya decided to subtly warn her. "Snow has certain expectations of his victors, if you don't follow through, there's punishment."
"Snow wants you to date that loser? Why?"
Taiya's hands started shaking, they were in a secluded area, but on the chance anyone overheard, it was over. For her and for Finnick.
"Influence over the Games," she realised on her own, not needing Taiya to voice it. Taiya ran a hand through her hair as she quickly nodded. "What a sneaky son of a bitch. Do you actually like him?"
Taiya looked around the room and saw the back of Finnick's head. If she wanted to be friends with this girl, she wouldn't lie. "I've got my eye on someone else," she smiled.
Johanna followed her line of sight and sighed when she realised. "Great. Two golden-haired fish sticks."
Taiya shoved Finnick's shoulder as they walked along the pier outside their house. They'd taken that long-awaited swim and would dry off before heading to Mags'.
"You did not beat me," she disputed.
"I won fair and square."
"You can't win 'fair and square' if you pull me backwards by my ankle!"
"Who touched the pier first?"
"Well you, but…"
"There are no buts," he laughed as he covered her mouth. "What's that?" he asked, looking toward the house, immediately making her tense up.
They could vaguely hear yelling coming from Victor's Village.
Taiya raced over and grabbed her dress and threw it on as both of them ran up to the house, through the house and then out the front door. As they came to stand in the middle of the village they could see Taiya's cousin Shark running toward them.
"Shark? What's going on?"
"I was coming to visit you," he panted. "And I was walking past Mags' house when I heard a bang," he explained as he grabbed her hand and started dragging her.
"Mags! Is she ok?" Finnick panicked as he sped after them.
"I went inside and she was on the ground, her face was drooping. I found Tyler, he thinks she had a stroke!"
"Oh my god!" Finnick gasped as he sprinted off to the old woman's house.
Taiya grabbed Shark by the shoulders. "Are you ok?" she asked.
Shark nodded anxiously. "I didn't know what to do Taiya," he sobbed and she pulled him in for a hug.
"If it's a stroke there's nothing you could have done," she comforted.
"There's Todd with the doctor," Shark pointed out as the two men ran through the village and into Mags. "He went straight away. I put a blanket on her, I didn't know what else to do!" he sobbed.
"Let's just sit here for now, ok?" Taiya wrapped an arm around his shoulders as they sat down on the ledge of the fountain. She wanted to be in with Mags, but she also had her upset cousin to look after.
Todd came back out of the house and looked around before spotting them. "You did good kid," the blue-eyed victor nodded at Shark as he approached the cousins. "You did very well."
"Is she going to be ok?" Taiya asked. Todd and Taiya had largely avoided each other in the time she'd lived in the village. He was a traumatised recluse, he didn't want to be involved in anything - not that she could blame him - but everyone loved Mags.
"The doctor thinks he got to her in time. But there's no telling how much damage was done to her brain," he sighed as he sat next to her.
"What if I could've done more?" Shark whispered.
"You couldn't have kid," Todd reaffirmed. "To be blunt, she'd old. It's unfortunate but these things happen. But she's going to have the best care."
It was well past midnight when Finnick finally walked through the front door. Taiya woke up from the couch where she'd been sleeping when she heard the door shut.
"Hey," she groggily greeted as she sat up.
"You could've gone to bed," he smiled lightly.
"I wanted to wait. How is she?"
"She'll make it," he nodded as Taiya walked toward him. "She's going to have long-term effects though. From the doctor's first assessment he doesn't think she'll be able to talk again."
"But she'll live?"
Finnick nodded, as his bottom lip started to tremble. Taiya immediately engulfed him in a hug. Whereas Tyler had been her primary mentor, Mags had been his. She'd made it her personal mission to look after him ever since, especially after their parents died. Those three years had made her like a surrogate mother to him.
And she'd shown no hesitation to help Taiya either, she was about the only person Taiya hadn't demonstrated utter contempt for after she returned from her Games. No one wanted to see a soul as pure as she suffer.
"We're just thankful Shark heard it when it happened. It might've been too long by the time we showed up," he sniffled and Taiya pulled back to hold the sides of his face. "How is Shark?"
"He'll be ok, he's really shaken up. But I walked him home and he calmed down a lot," Taiya said quietly as she lay her forehead against his.
Finnick sniffled again. "I'm glad he's ok."
"You need to sleep," she whispered. "You can't do anything for Mags now. It'll only hurt her more if you don't rest properly," she warned. "You can't help her unless you're ok yourself. Come on," she took his hand and led him up to her room.
2 months later
"No, Mags, I'll do it!" Taiya raced around the kitchen to grab the cooking tray from the woman.
Mags simply scowled down at her own hands for not having the strength they once did before she walked around the bench and loudly sat down in frustration. Taiya smiled at the elderly woman's frustrating behaviour.
"Come on Mags. It's heavy for even me," Taiya tried to comfort her. Mags wasn't having it though as she scowled at the teenager.
They'd developed a sign language amongst the victors that Finnick had so eloquently dubbed the 'Fantastic Original Utopic Relationship' language, of which the acronym was FOUR. Unsurprisingly, the only one who liked it was Finnick himself. And he found a way to work it into every conversation with Mags' doctor. The doctor wasn't impressed either. In fact, all the victors had just taken to calling it Mags' language, despite Finnick's continued protests.
"You have to be easier on yourself Mags," Taiya smiled as she put the last of the dishes away. "You're doing better than the doctor expected. You should be congratulating yourself."
Mags simply rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, making Taiya snort. Mags stood up from her chair and came to stand in front of Taiya, she signed a few things to her before touching the girl's cheek. "Are you sure?" Taiya asked and Mags nodded. "Ok, if you need anything, please Mags. Just call someone." Mags nodded before ushering Taiya out of her house.
5 months later
"There you are!" Johanna yelled as Taiya entered Johanna's victory tour party in the Capitol. "Mind if I borrow her?" she slurred to Seneca as she yanked her away from him.
"Umm…" Seneca stuttered. He hadn't seen her since the end of the Games and he'd been wanting to spend time with her.
"I'll be back," Taiya promised. There was something frantic in Johanna's movements. Without even being told, Taiya knew something was wrong. "Are you ok?" Taiya whispered.
"Great!" Johanna yelled aggressively. "You know what I love? Margarita's," she cackled. "You want one? You're having one. Hey! Barman! 4 margaritas!" she screamed at the man, who immediately jumped and began quickly making the drinks.
"Woah, hey, settle," Taiya warned, looking around to try and make sure no one was watching them. "You can't yell at a party like this."
"Why? It doesn't affect me," Johanna laughed.
Taiya froze. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I think," Johanna sighed as she grabbed a drink and thrust it into Taiya's hand before taking a big sip of her own drink. "Margarita's are one of the only things left in this world that I love. I guess you and I could actually be friends though, he can't afford to lose you."
"Oh, Jo!" Taiya gasped as her suspicions were confirmed.
"Is it weird that I'm not sad?" she asked drunkenly. "I mean, I never really loved my family I guess. But who do I talk to now? I mean, I've heard all about how close the 'beloved' District 4 victors are to each other," she rolled her eyes. "Whereas I'm stuck with idiots."
"Jo, you have to be…"
"I know," Johanna interrupted. "Quiet right? You know the thing that I feel worst about is?" she asked. "That I don't feel a thing about it. What does that say about me?"
"That you're traumatised Jo, it's nothing bad. You have friends though. You have me. Finnick."
"Wonderboy," she laughed. "And a future Capitol wife. What a dream team," Johanna giggled.
Taiya's eyes widened as she looked over at Seneca who was chatting up the Gamemaker crowd while waiting for her. She knew Snow wanted her in a relationship with him, but how far did he want it to go?
Another update! Wooo! We're making progress here, here's hoping the writing inspiration keeps coming.
If you have any questions about the story, please ask away