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wreywrites · 1 year ago

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Tiger Shark

Part 5: The Net

Chapter 27

None of us can believe how this turned out. Of all the ways for the reaping to go, this somehow seems the least fair. But there is nothing to be done now. And nothing is what we do. We spend the train ride in silence, we sit in our living quarters in the new Tribute Center in silence, we watch the replay of the reaping in silence. Cashmere and Gloss from One. Augustus deflates when they call his mentor’s name. Brutus and Enobaria from Two. She bares her teeth at the camera. Johanna, whose name is the only one in the District Seven female fishbowl. In Ten, the woman who didn’t get drawn—Rein, I think is her name—screams when they draw Beau. Alvan volunteers. And in District Twelve, Katniss and Peeta, and Haymitch volunteers.

Everyone goes to bed, but Finnick and I sit on the couch, watching a replay of Johanna’s Games. He reaches over, tapping on my leg, You have to trust me in there. There’s more going on. I can’t say, but you have to trust me. Stay with me.

I nod. Then suddenly, like we’ve never left, I stand up, go to the snack table, and retrieve the platter of cream cheese rolls, because of course they are there. I bring them back to the couch. Johanna goes on her rampage, and Finnick and I eat all the rolls.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

We get the fish nets. I shouldn’t be surprised. Finnick takes it in stride. I am less confident, even when he assures me with a wink that I look good. He passes me a sugar cube, just like five years ago.

“Stay with me,” he says with an easy smile. “Just stay with me.”

I nod. I know what he means. I have never wanted to slip, but I know that I can’t now. Not anymore. It’s not just my life at stake—if I go blank at the wrong moment, that’s the end of Finnick too.

He gives me another sugar cube, and we go out into the waiting area with the chariots and the rest of the tributes.

Someone whistles, and I take half a second to compose myself. I am the Tiger Shark of Four. I look off to the right, and see Gloss.

In spite of all of it, a grin splits my face and I flash a wink back at him. He laughs and waves me over.

“Go on,” Finnick snorts. “I’ll catch up.”

He starts off toward the District Twelve chariot, and I head for Cashmere and Gloss. I only get halfway there when I see someone else I have to talk to.

Alvan and I have spent enough time together to be something like friends. And no one else quite understands what the two of us went through in the arena.

He smiles good-naturedly as I approach, then extends both arms to offer my choice of a handshake or a hug.

I opt for the hug, a little awkward around the light-up belt on his cow costume, but surely that makes it no more awkward than my fish net would on its own.

“I mean this in the nicest way, but we look ridiculous!” I laugh.

Alvan chuckles, a smile lifting one corner of his lips. “Well, ya look better’n me.”

“Thanks. I’m sure that’s what Marius was going for.” I do my best Marius impression. “‘I don’t care what we put them in, they just have to look better than Ten!’”

Alvan laughs, and it is maybe the first time I’ve ever heard him really laugh. He has a nice laugh, a good strong booming laugh that is surprising at first, but fits him perfectly upon inspection.

Then he shakes his head, still smiling, and says, “Ya better get goin’. I’d hate to be the one who held up our Tiger Shark.”

“See you after, then,” I grin as I walk away, on toward Gloss, who gives me what I can only describe as a friendly up-down as I approach. I return the favor. He’s not wearing much either, and he might be approaching thirty, but he’s still in fantastic shape.

“I see you finally ditched Finnick,” he smiles, leaning against the chariot.

I shrug. “Maybe I’m looking for someone a little… newer.”

Cashmere’s bright laugh rings out. “Not sure you’ll find what you’re looking for here. My aging brother just isn’t what he used to be.” She sighs dramatically as she looks off into the distance. “Any day now the Capitol will tell him his services are no longer required.”

I snort at Gloss’s pretended offense, then he rolls his eyes and says so quietly I barely hear him, “Wouldn’t that be horrible.”

Finnick appears next to me, handing me another sugar cube. “Talked to Katniss. She’s…”

Cashmere and Gloss raise opposite eyebrows, giving the hilarious illusion that their outside halves are two pieces of the same person.

“Boring,” Finnick says after some thought. But it’s almost a question, and there’s something strange in his eyes. “Or at least not nearly so interesting as you three.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Cashmere says, reaching for a sugar cube.

Finnick pulls them out of her reach. “Ah-ah-ah.” He pops one in his mouth, then does the same to me.

Five years ago that would have had me up the mast like those stupid strawberries, but now it’s just life.

He grins. “Close your mouth, honey, you’ll catch krill.”

Absently, I close my mouth, watching Finnick smile cheekily at Cashmere.

“You didn’t say please.”

Cashmere rolls her eyes. “I don’t think you made her say please.” She jerks her head in the direction Finnick came from, where apparently Katniss is.

Finnick shrugs. “Didn’t have to. She didn’t want one.”

“Is that the first time a girl has said no to you?” Gloss raises a playful eyebrow.

“It is…” Finnick looks thoughtful. “Not a pleasant feeling.”

The rest of us laugh, and then the anthem starts, signaling us back to our chariots.

“Good luck out there!” Cashmere calls, her clear laugh ringing out as she jumps into One’s chariot.

“You too!” Finnick laughs, grabbing my hand as we hurry back to our chariot with its iron gray horses. It’s a lot easier to run in the fishnets than it was to walk in the mermaid tails.

Before we can take too many steps, Finnick turns back. “Cashmere!”

She turns just in time to see him toss the sugar cube. Face split in a wild grin, she opens her mouth and catches it easily, then turns back to face the big doors as One’s white horses trot out onto Victor’s Way.

Finnick and I jog the rest of the way to our chariot. He springs up, then offers a hand back and pulls me in beside him.

Suddenly it all feels real again.

The horses start forward. I wonder if they’re the same ones from my Games.

My head whips around to look at Finnick before we pass the doors. “What now?” I whisper.

“Smile,” he says, already grinning smugly himself. “You’re the Tiger Shark. Show them your teeth.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

After the Parade, we watch Johanna snag an elevator with Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta.

Finnick chuckles. “I can only imagine what she’s going to do to them.”

“Scare them finless, probably,” I say as we get in an elevator with Mags and Beck.

“Probably.”

We get out on Level Four of the new Tribute Center. I see now what I couldn’t put my finger on about it last night. It looks shinier than the old one. Sharper. Colder. All hard edges and glass.

But the same snack table, and the same plate of cream cheese rolls.

Finnick has already eaten two by the time I return from changing into shorts and an oversized sweater. He’s sitting on the couch, watching the pre-replay of the Parade, still in just the fish net.

I sit down next to him, take a bite of a cream cheese roll, and say, “Are you really going to keep wearing that?”

He glances down, then at me. “Yeah. Do you find it distracting?” He winks.

I roll my eyes. “Something like that.”

It is only a few more minutes until the Parade replay begins, but I can barely force myself to watch it. These are my friends. At the very least, these are people I know. How do you kill someone you know?

“Finnick…”

Thankfully, he seems to know what I want to ask but can’t find the words for.

“I would love to be allies with you, Annie Cresta. I think a good strategy for people of our skill level would be to go straight for the cornucopia. In our interviews, we need to remember who we were when we won, but also show the audience who we are now, and how we feel about being reaped again when they told us we were done.”

I nod. “Alright, Finnick Odair. That sounds like a plan to me.”

Five years ago, he told me most alliances break themselves. It was true then and it is surely true now, but I’m not going to worry about it yet. I have four more days with him before the arena, so I will live these last four days like there is no arena.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“So,” Beck says over breakfast the next morning, “any ideas on allies yet?”

Finnick shrugs. “Three’s never a bad idea. And I bet Haymitch will be shockingly useful. Ten.” He shrugs again and glances at me.

“Johanna,” I say.

Finnick nods. “Yeah, definitely Johanna. Other than them, we’ll see how today goes, I think. And you two, feel everybody out for us.”

Mags nods eagerly, Beck more reservedly.

We escort ourselves down to the Training Center.

Finnick is almost bouncing. “Think of all those shiny new toys.”

“Finnick…”

“Hey.” He puts a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t think about that. Think about all those shiny new toys. Spears nobody’s ever thrown. Rope that’s never been tied into a knot before. Think about that. This will be just like recess.”

The doors open to reveal less than half of the tributes gathering around the same woman from five years ago.

Just like recess.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Cashmere and Gloss are setting up hammocks. Why there is a station in here with anything resembling hammocks, I don’t know, but I don’t particularly care. I care even less when they wave me over, Gloss sitting up and making room for the two of us to sit next to each other as Cashmere lounges in the other. We watch everyone else for a while. No one seems particularly concerned with any of this. I know we are all planning last ditch attempts for our interviews. Until then, there is nothing to be done, so everyone who bothered to come down to the Training Center is either goofing off—Finnick tying a noose and pretending to hang himself in front of Katniss at the knot-tying station—or enjoying what they are already good at—Johanna throwing some axes in a manner that is much more recreational than “I’m planning to kill you all.” And then there are the three of us in the hammocks, chatting and watching the others.

When they call lunch, we drag all the tables together and sit as one big group, talking and laughing.

I cannot kill these people.

I tell Finnick as much that night as we watch a replay of his Games. There are tears in his eyes every time they show Leena. He doesn’t talk about her. He hasn’t since just after I won, when he told me how hard it is to go on, to keep moving forward, to keep living with what you’ve done and the people you’ve killed.

Beck says ever since the reaping, they have had a constant replay of the Games this year’s tributes won. Curiously absent, he and Mags have noticed, are Katniss’s Games last year, and the last Quarter Quell—Haymitch’s Games—which you would think would be their big-ticket item this year.

Finnick doesn’t answer. He blinks away more tears as he and Leena call off their alliance, and his hand drifts to my leg and he starts tapping. Won’t have to. Trust me. Stay with me, and we shouldn’t have to.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The next day, about eight of us decide now is as good a time as any to learn to juggle. Seeder knows, and Blight, and by lunchtime the rest of us are not too bad, though my mind is preoccupied with Zalea’s interview, when she said she could juggle eight oranges.

Over lunch at the tables we have once again pushed together, Gloss jokes about juggling for the Gamemakers for his one-on-one. None of us are taking that too seriously either. They know what we can do—or at least what we used to be able to do—and none of us want to be here, so why play their game? Why not play our own?

“Think I’ll weave something,” I say, with a glance at Finnick.

He nods. “I’d tell you to weave me a hammock and then I’ll nap for mine, but I have to go first.”

“Maybe you should weave and I’ll nap!”

Seeder laughs.

Throughout the afternoon, we all discuss what we are going to do. Haymitch jokes about mixing drinks for the Gamemakers. Beetee wants to try to build something that would play the anthem backwards and even launches into an explanation of how he’d do it, but he loses me somewhere along the way. Cashmere says she is going to string up a hammock and nap. Cecelia has several children’s books memorized and thinks she’ll just recite one of them. Alvan and Kivvie are talking about walking the Gamemakers through butchering a cow, which inspires Johanna to try to make a wood carving.

I’ll be amazed if they don’t kill us all before we get in the arena, just because we won’t play by the rules. But it might not be the worst thing that could happen.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The next day as we wait to be called in before the Gamemakers, everyone—even the people who haven’t been down to the Training Center yet—jokes about the useless things they will show off. Everyone except for Katniss, who seems confused by our camaraderie, but Haymitch says she’ll come around.

I don’t know when. We’re running out of time to all be friends. Once we’re in the arena… Well, I guess Finnick does want Haymitch as an ally. Maybe he and Katniss are a package deal.

Finnick and Johanna and I are laughing at Augustus’s expense, since he isn’t here to defend himself, when the voice calls, “Finnick Odair, District Four.”

He winks at me. “I hope they’re ready to hear the epic tale of Finnick and the octopus!” He’s out the door and I am laughing hysterically. I can only imagine him reenacting the whole story, probably with props and voices.

Johanna raises an eyebrow. “Finnick and the octopus?”

Still giggling, I say, “Yeah, you’ll have to ask him about it tonight. It’s a good one.”

Before I know it, the voice speaks again. “Annie Cresta, District Four.”

I stand.

“Weave good!” Johanna teases.

“Go get ’em, Tiger Shark!” Haymitch calls.

Someone else laughs.

Grinning, I head through the door, and spend my fifteen minutes weaving the best sunhat I have ever woven. Mags would be proud, I think as I settle the hat on one of the archery dummies. The tone sounds, and I leave.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

They show our scores, and they are ludicrously high. All of us from One, Two, and Four pull elevens, despite Finnick saying he dramatically reenacted the octopus story, Gloss’s sworn statement before he went in that he was going to juggle the little rocks that were always at the camouflage station, and me having left a woven sunhat perched jauntily on one of the archery targets’ heads.

Johanna gets an eleven, Alvan gets a ten, and Katniss and Haymitch get twelves.

Finnick swears, though whether it’s at their scores or his dropped cream cheese roll, I can’t be entirely sure.

“Here I was worried about you two having the target on your backs,” Beck says without humor. Then he and Mags go to bed, and Finnick and I settle in with the cream cheese rolls and the Game replay of the night.

When it starts, Finnick reaches for the remote.

“No.” I grab his wrist. “I have to- I have to get through it. If I can’t watch this, I’ll never survive the arena again.”

He looks at me for a minute. Long enough to hear replay-Casca call my name and then Mako’s. Then he nods. “Okay. We’ll watch it. But let me know…”

“I will,” I say quietly, watching Mako walk to the stage to stand next to me.

They are showing the scores when it clicks.

“They want us to kill Haymitch and Katniss first.”

“That is what they want,” he says slowly, emphasizing every word. There’s something he isn’t telling me. I know this, but I also know him. I trust Finnick Odair with my life and with everything else. If I needed to know, he would have told me. Maybe tomorrow he will. But tonight, it isn’t important.

I trust you, I tap on his leg.

He smiles, taps back. I love you.

What a night for confessions.

****

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Tag List:

@avoxrising @snow-dragon-rider @anakins-ride-or-die

#wrey writes #the hunger games #thg: tiger shark #annie cresta #finnick odair #canon typical violence #ptsd #the beta and i have very long and involved backstories for everyone from ten #alvan is my favorite oc and i literally would not shut up about him the whole time i was writing #and from there it snowballed into generational trauma #fyi i literally still will not shut up about alvan #i will talk about him for days

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transwitchofthewilds · 4 years ago

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Here's my bio (since it's long overdue). The important things are in red.

I'm Jaeson. He/him. 15. I'm transmasc and panromantic. I love history. I'm neurodivergent. My fandoms consist of Night At The Museum, What We Do In The Shadows, Archer, Star Trek, Gakkou Gurashi, BTR, Daybreak, Merlin, DC, MCU, and the Heathers.

Fic requests are always open.

Fic request requirements

(I will also do icons/headers/moodboards if requested!!)

Also,

Napoleon lovers, Capoleon shippers, and Teddy x Wea shippers don't interact. Also, if you're a panphobe, transphobe, homophobe, enbyphobe, racist, biphobe, etc don't interact. Dni if you're a 18+ blog.

For NatM fans: the Tablet of Ahkmenrah

Face reveal

Other NatM blogs:

@askthedrunkexhibits @trans-at-the-museum @natm-ocs-blog @panpilotamelia

My NatM ocs blogs

@pan-persian-warrior @smol-boy-akim @lysandra-angelos @ichtaca-cuateco

My other blogs:

@hikaru-sulu-is-trans (Star Trek) @katya-kazanova-is-trans (Archer fx) @samistransandpan (spn) @by-the-circle-k (bill & ted) @slapped-with-a-gun (zoolander) @nadja-in-a-hat (What We Do In The Shadows) @trans-josh-wheeler (daybreak) @trans-angela-moss (mr robot) @trans-yuuri-wakasa (gakkou gurashi blog) @trans-jonathan-crane (dc blog) @transmasc-zukka (atla)

I do have a couple of state rp blogs--tell me if you'd like to know them.

If you wanna know my blogs for my other fandoms, send me a message and I'll gladly tell you them.

My queued posts are tagged queued at the museum and I'll only have posts queued if I'm having a rough time with Tumblr or if I'm busy.

My NatM ships: Sacagamelia (Sacagawea x Amelia), Alvan (Al x Ivan), L/D (Larry x Don), Tedphee (Teddy x McPhee), Latilla (Laaa x Attila), Kahmundar (Kahmunrah x Naudar--oc), Akimenrah (Ahkmenrah x Akim--oc), Joanandra (Joan of Arc x Lysandra--oc), Octaca (Octavius x Ichtaca--oc), occasionally Amelia x Sacagawea x Rebecca.

Yes, I do know Russian.

(My sibling's blog is @nonbinaryvulcan btw)

My master-list

Pride at the Museum (Sacagamelia, Jedtavius, Alvan)

What If She Says No? (Sacagamelia)

Burning Desire (Sacagamelia)

Reginald & Gus (Gus x Reginald)

Anything You Want (Alvan)

This Should Be Your Warning Part 1 (Sacagamelia)

This Should Be Your Warning Part 2 (Sacagamelia)

The Truth (Sacagamelia)

Parenting Wars Chapter One (Sacagamelia, Jedtavius)

Parenting Wars Chapter Two (Sacagamelia, Jedtavius)

Parenting Wars Chapter Three (Sacagamelia, Jedtavius)

Situations (Sacagamelia)

Just One Message Chapter One (Sacagamelia)

Leave Him (Jedtavius)

Flat (Al centric)

Taking The Blame (Kah centric)

That Wasn't So Bad (Sacagamelia)

For Me? (Latilla--Laaa x Attila)

WTSSMTP - Ch 1 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 2 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 3 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 4 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 5 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 6 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 7 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 8 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 9 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

WTSSMTP - Ch 10 (Ahkmenrah x oc)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 1 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 2 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 3 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 4 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 5 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 6 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 7 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 8 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 9 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 10 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 11 (Sacagamelia)

Stuck On Her - Chapter 12 (Sacagamelia)

Finally Growing Up - Chapter 1 (Sacagamelia, Alvan, Ahkmenrah x oc, Jedtavius??)

The Assassin Doesn't Play Nice...Or Maybe She Does (Sacagamelia)

The Legend of Sneaky Cecil

You Are Awesome (Alvan)

What He Does Isn't Your Concern (Alvan)

Jedtavius fic

When The Stars Align (Alvan)

If You Ever Need To Talk (Sacagamelia)

Just Breathe - Chapter 1 (Alvan)

Just Breathe - Chapter 2 (Alvan)

Just Breathe - Chapter 3 (Alvan)

Joan of Arc x Oc

#info about me #pinned post #tw language

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