𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙡, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙊𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙧

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 24: 𝒯𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽 𝐻𝓊𝓇𝓉𝓈

She sees Finnick in a completely different light. Sure, she knows that he's always been a sex symbol in the Capitol, but never once did she imagine the horrors are as dark as this. She just thought the Capitol makes victors do their dirty work. 

        Like killing people. 

        After her tributes are dropped off in the training center, along with the rest of them, she approaches Finnick first for once. "Good morning," she greets in her most pleasant voice. 

        Finnick squints his eyebrows in confusion. "Well," he answers. "Yourself?" 

        Raven thinks for a moment, realizing his usually radiating eyes now have sunken holes underneath them. "Fine," she says instead of interrogating him. "What'd you do after going back last night?" 

        A slight moment of hesitation happens which Raven knows is him recalling the events. "Cleaned myself up, went to sleep." 

        "Is that really what happened?" She asks almost accusingly. 

        Finnick pauses, his usual demeanor changing. "Yes. Excuse me." 

        Raven face palms, realizing how much of a jerk she was just now. "Why can't you do one darn thing right," she mutters to herself. Since she isn't necessarily friends with any of the mentors, she retreats back to her room for the lonely company of the luxurious couch and food. 

        As she munches on a bowl of fruit, she does realize she can't just expect Finnick to open up to her when all she does is listen to him and give blank stares. Aw man, so that means I'm gonna have to tell him stuff? 

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.

"Why would you do that!" Raven groans, realizing her tribute messed up her few simple instructions. "What happened to don't try to show off?" She almost yells. 

      Eve sniffles and Raven has to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "I- I just wanted more allies." 

      "You have your brother," she motions her hand to Jonah. "He's more than enough. Trust me, the moment you become allies with them, you are bound to them until they decide to kill you. And you'll be the first on their list," she spits out harshly. "I told you I can only help if you listen to me. So tomorrow, stick to survival skills and basic weaponry, and try to listen to me."

        Jonah nods, and elbows his sister slightly, getting her to nod. 

        Raven puts down her utensils and wipes her mouth with her napkin. "I'll be heading out. Get some sleep," she instructs. 

        She quickly rushes out of her door, running past the peacekeepers and onto the elevator to the fourth floor. Once the elevator dings, she steps out cautiously for any peacekeepers or god forbid, tributes, on the floor. Not wasting a second, she knocks the door to the district 4 suite. No response. She knocks again, a bit more aggressively this time. Footsteps approach the door, and a tired looking redhead opens the door. "What the hell are you doing here?" The girl groans. Raven ignores her and brushes past the 17 year old. "Where do you think you're going?" 

        "Where's your mentor?" she asks. 

        She hears the girl sigh behind her in defeat. "The balcony," she answers, retreating back into her room. Raven swiftly makes her way to the balcony, but stops before stepping in.

        He's a different person. He isn't standing with a straight back and a confident presence. Instead, he is hunched over the ledge and is shaking. 

       Raven slowly opens the sliding door, causing Finnick to turn around quickly. He wipes his eyes, shocked to see her. "What are you doing here?" He asks in a panic. 

        "I came to talk to a friend," she solemnly says. "I was a jerk earlier, and I figured friends would apologize for that. So... I'm sorry," she sincerely apologizes. 

        Finnick chuckles, pain at the back of his throat. "Thanks uhm... thanks." He takes a deep breath, looking ahead at the view in the Capitol. 

        "Finnick..." Raven softly speaks. 

        He looks up, his eyes swollen and puffy. "Raven." 

       "Friends tell each other the truth, right?" 

        "There isn't really much to tell," he chokes out. 

        "I know what Snow is making you do," she blurts out, her face convulsing into sadness. "I'm so so sorry, Finnick." The floodgates open, and Finnick's eyes begin flowing out rivers. Without thinking, Raven throws her arms around him, to which he desperately embraces back. "I'm here for you," she mumbles, resting her head on his shoulder. 

        Finnick's tears are dropping onto Raven's hair, but she can't care less. Her heart aches for the hell he has to be put through. "I just... I know I said-" His voice chokes up and he continues sobbing. "I wanted you to be comfortable before I did the fucking trauma dumping," he cries out. 

        Raven stays in the embrace with Finnick, ruffling her hand through his hair. After what seems like a few long minutes, Finnick finally leans away slowly, sliding down onto the ground. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Raven asks, sitting next to him. 

        Finnick inhales a deep breath, and nods. "I kind of knew it was coming," he admits. "But they couldn't touch me the last two years cause of the law but now... Snow wanted to sell my body for money." Raven nods, listening intently. "Honestly, the day you came to District 4 was the last day of happiness for me," he admits. "It was just a day before you came that Snow told me what he needs me to do. Like any person with an ounce of dignity, I refused." He fiddles with his fingers, not sure how to proceed. "There was a protest happening in district 4 because of your speech, so things were already at unrest. And then..." He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. Raven rests a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it reassuringly. "Two of my friends died. At first I thought it was cause they were leading the protests, until Snow made it very clear it was for my defiance."  

         "I'm sorry," Raven says, not sure how to react to something so horrendous. 

         "The morning after you left, they were found dead. It was brutal- god it was brutal," his voice squeaks out, as he cries into his knees again and goes back into the land where his friends are still alive. 

        The realization hits Raven like a boulder, and she slides further down on the ground. 

        There's no way... 

        Snow wouldn't make me do that...

        But he would. And Raven knows that. Her breath catches in her throat, and she gulps, trying to force her throat to not become a dry pit. "These friends..." she slowly starts. "Were they both boys?" She asks, slight hope in her voice. 

       Finnick lifts his face up and shakes his head. "One was a man, the other was a woman." Raven's mouth drops open as the realization sinks in. Finnick's head is on Raven's shoulder as he attempts to compose himself. 

       Raven truly is the same monster the games made her.