Cw: anxiety, comments about beauty and youth, mention of death and fighting.
āāā
Read part one and 2 here:
oneā and twoā
The Capitol dressing room was alive with activityāstylists flitting around with last-minute touches, assistants holding mirrors, and the faint hum of voices echoing through the halls. You sat in front of the vanity, your reflection staring back at you, looking far more composed than you felt. The shimmering outfit you wore was tailored perfectly, another creation from your stylist that echoed the ocean theme of the parade.
But as you ran your fingers over the fabric, you felt that familiar weight in your chest, the same pressure youād felt on the train and in the chariot. The Capitol might adore you right now, but you couldnāt shake the knowledge of what came next.
āYouāre quiet,ā Finnickās voice broke through your thoughts, and you glanced at him through the mirror. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed and an amused smirk on his face. āIām not used to seeing you this serious. Whatās going on in that head of yours?ā
You hesitated, choosing your words carefully. āJust⦠trying to figure out how to survive another Capitol spectacle.ā
Finnick chuckled, pushing off the doorframe and stepping closer. āItās just an interview,ā he said lightly. āIf you survived the parade without tripping, youāll survive this.ā
You gave him a look. āThatās not exactly reassuring.ā
He crouched down beside you, so you were at eye level. āYou did more than survive the parade. The Capitol loves you. Theyāll eat up whatever you give them tonight. All you have to do is flash that smile and pretend youāre not terrified.ā
āI wasnāt smiling last night,ā you muttered, your fingers tightening on the edge of the vanity. āI was just trying to breathe.ā
āAnd they loved it,ā he said, his tone softer now. āTrust me, youāre doing better than you think. Besides, youāve got me in your corner. That has to count for something.ā
It was hard to argue with the confidence in his voice. You glanced down at your lap, where your fingers brushed against the little carved fish heād given you. It was smooth now from how often youād held it, a small comfort against the chaos of the Capitol.
Before you could respond, your stylist appeared, fussing over your hair and making sure everything was perfect. Finnick stepped back, giving you space but keeping his sharp eyes on you. As the stylist finished, she placed her hands on your shoulders and smiled at you in the mirror. āYouāre ready,ā she said, though the words felt more like a command than reassurance.
When they called your name to go onstage, you froze for a moment, the noise from the crowd hitting you like a wall. Finnick must have noticed the hesitation because he stepped close enough to whisper, āRemember what I saidāconfidence. Even if you have to fake it.ā
You nodded, standing up and forcing your legs to move. As you walked toward the stage, Finnickās voice followed, low and teasing. āDonāt be too dazzling up there. Iād hate to lose the spotlight.ā
You rolled your eyes, but his words pulled a reluctant smile from you. Maybe, just maybe, you could do this.
When the bright lights of the stage hit you, the roar of the crowd almost swallowed you whole. Caesar Flickermanās beaming face greeted you, and you felt your heart pound just as it had in the parade. But you straightened your shoulders, forcing the fear down, and stepped into the spotlight.
The Capitol might have owned the arena, but hereāon this stageāyou could own them. At least for a little while.
Caesar welcomed you with his usual flair, extending his arms as the crowd roared. āLadies and gentlemen, from District 4, the tribute whoās been making wavesāletās give them another Capitol welcome!ā
The applause was deafening, and you forced a smile as you made your way to the seat beside him. Caesar was a master at his job, his charm and energy a lifeline for anyone who stepped into the spotlight. Still, your heart raced as you sat down, the bright lights making it hard to see past the first row of Capitol citizens.
āSo,ā Caesar began, leaning forward with a gleam in his eye, āyouāve already captured the Capitolās attention. The parade last night was one for the booksāhow did it feel to have all eyes on you?ā
You hesitated, gripping the armrest for a moment before answering. āIt was⦠surreal,ā you said honestly. āI didnāt expect that kind of reaction. Itās overwhelming, but Iām trying to take it one step at a time.ā
Caesar nodded as if he completely understood. āOverwhelming, but you handled it with such grace. And letās not forget that stunning outfitāyou practically stole the show! Tell me, does confidence come naturally to you, or is it something youāve had to work on?ā
A flicker of uncertainty passed through you, but you quickly remembered Finnickās advice. Be bold. āI think confidence is like swimming,ā you said, your tone steady. āSometimes you dive in headfirst, and sometimes youāre just trying not to drown. Either way, you keep moving.ā
The crowd laughed and cheered, clearly entertained, and Caesarās grin widened. āWell said! Youāre already a natural at this. Now, tell meāwhatās the secret to standing out in a sea of tributes? How do you make sure youāre remembered?ā
You hesitated for just a beat, your eyes scanning the crowd before landing on Finnick, who stood near the edge of the stage, watching. His posture was casual, but there was something in his expressionāa hint of pride, maybeāthat gave you the courage to push forward. āI think the key is to just⦠be yourself. People can see through an act, but if youāre genuine, theyāll remember you for that.ā
Caesar clapped his hands together, delighted. āAh, authenticity! A rare quality in the Capitol, wouldnāt you agree?ā He gestured to the audience, earning more laughter and applause. āBut speaking of authenticity, Iāve heard youāve got a pretty interesting mentor. Whatās it like working with the famous Finnick Odair?ā
The crowd erupted in excited murmurs, clearly eager for gossip, and you felt your face heat up. Finnick raised an eyebrow at you from the sidelines, a smirk playing at his lips. You cleared your throat, trying to sound casual. āHeās⦠helpful,ā you said, choosing your words carefully. āHeās given me a lot of advice, and, well, heās definitely good at keeping things interesting.ā
Caesar leaned in, clearly loving the tension. āInteresting, you say? Care to elaborate?ā
You shook your head, trying not to laugh. āLetās just say heās got a way with words.ā
The crowd roared with laughter, and Caesar nodded knowingly. āOh, we all know that! Finnickās charm is legendary, after all. But donāt let him hog all the attentionāyouāre holding your own just fine.ā
The rest of the interview went by in a blur of laughter and applause. By the time it was over, you felt a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. As you stepped off the stage, Finnick was waiting for you, arms crossed and that ever-present smirk on his face.
āāA way with words,ā huh?ā he teased, falling into step beside you.
You rolled your eyes, though you couldnāt hide the small smile tugging at your lips. āDonāt get used to the compliments.ā
āOh, donāt worry,ā he said smoothly, leaning in just enough that his voice was a low murmur meant only for you. āIāve already gotten used to you.ā
Your heart skipped a beat, but you refused to let him see the effect his words had on you. Instead, you quickened your pace, pretending not to notice the satisfied look on his face. The Capitol had their show, but it seemed Finnick had his own gameāand whether you liked it or not, you were part of it now.
Repost and likes are very appreciated! Keep in mind that I read All comments and request on my page, so if anyone has ideas or requests for this series let me know.
I will say this series is planned too have at least 10 parts? I want it too end with the reader and finnick in district 13. ļæ¼
How about flirty Cato and Marvel with a shy reader š Please š„ŗ
I donāt know these characters as good, so excuse me if this is short or slightly inaccurate! Hope you enjoy :)
Cato:
Cato would take advantage of that and tease you so much
Flirting is a given with him, but your reactions make it so much better
āLooking good today, Y/Nā Heās just really blunt about it
āThanksā¦ā You avert your gaze and start blushing
So Cato just laughs and holds your chin so you look at him
āWhat, you didnāt like my compliment?ā He would smirk at you
āNo, itās not that, itās justā¦ā You chuckle when you realize what heās doing
āWhat is it then?ā Knowing you know, he gets all smug
āStop itā¦āĀ āBut youāre so cute when you blushāĀ
Itās always like this, him complimenting you and flustering you
And then teasing you about being so shy and making you blush
Marvel:
Marvel doesnāt really tease you about it, but he enjoys it
Youāre actually adorable when you get all giggly and embarrassed
He would say something nice about you to make you smile
But seeing as youāre so shy, he would get a little cheeky
And comment something that would have you blushing in no time
And sure, he does it on purpose for sure, and laughsĀ
But he doesnāt torture you any further than that
Might make a comment about how youāre cute, but thatās it
Still, he really enjoys how flustered you get
How you smile timidly and look away from him
Blushing and softly pushing him to get him to stop
He loves it, makes his day every time
Tag list: @welcome-here-in-my-world / @fortheloveofbenyandtom // If you want to be added or taken off the tag list for these fandoms or characters, let me know!! // Reblogs and comments are appreciated!
Prompt: "Maybe there is someone I love after all" with Johanna Mason / The Hunger Games; hopefully such one's fine :)
Thank you so much for the request! This is my first Johanna writing, so bear with me :P
REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!
When the arena stopped changing around us and we finally felt safe, we came to a halt. Breathing heavily because of the dash, I glanced at Johanna. She had risked her life to save me.Ā Her eyes refused to meet with mine, perhaps because of the other people present.Ā
āYou still think the alliance was stupid, Jo?ā I asked her to claim her attention.
We briefly locked eyes, but she didnāt reply.Ā The others might have noticed the tension between her and me, because they walked away with the excuse of exploring the area.Ā
Johanna still didnāt move, standing there motionless as her own elaborate breathing slowed down once she started recovering from the sprint. She was unusually quiet, and I knew something was wrong. I also had an idea of what it was.
āAre you hurt?ā I asked her, looking her up and down searching for blood.
āNoā Johanna finally spoke up, daring to look into my eyes.
āI thought you said every person to themselvesā I reminded her, cocking an eyebrow.Ā āOr did I imagine that?āĀ
āI did say itā Her voice was surprisingly low and timid.
āYou didā I teased her, trying to get a reaction out of her.Ā āBut I thought you didnāt care about anyone other than yourself, that there was no one you loved. Why try to save me then?ā
āMaybe there is someone I love after allā Her glance met with mine, but she didnāt linger.
Astonished that she actually admitted it, I froze in place. Johanna rolled her eyes at me, awkwardly crossing her arms. After a few seconds, I recovered.
āThank you, Joā I just said, going in for a hug. To my surprise, she hugged me too.
āDonāt get used to itā Johanna pushed me off her and pointed at me.Ā āI still hate your gutsā
āSure you doā A smile tugged at my lips.Ā āYou hate everyone and love no oneā
āWe have more important things to worry about right nowā She started walking, grabbing my arm and tugging at it.Ā āLetās try to stay aliveāĀ
Tag list:Ā @welcome-here-in-my-world / @fortheloveofbenyandtom //Ā If you want to be added or taken off the tag list for these fandoms or characters, let me know!!
Dating Clove (Hunger Games) would include? If possible, maybe an AU in which she survives? Like being a victor from a previous game or being persuaded not to volunteer for the 74th
Sorry, but Iām not familiar enough with Clove to write for that character.
Hi!! Can you do a ficlet where youāre Gale Hawthorneās girlfriend and he comes home from the games :) with fluff
If you donāt mind, I will put this together with the other Gale ficlet request I got since I had an idea and they mix pretty well. Thanks for requesting!
Could you write a ficlet with Gale Hawthorne were he tryās to breakup with the reader because he knows other guys would provide for the reader better?? (no rebellion) I love your writing! š
Iām really sorry, nonny, but Iām really not inspired for this one š
Hi love your work, I wanted to request a gif reaction with hunger games Where your katness' little brother who got repped in the 75th hunger games by snow Could you get her reaction to getting repped and her reaction to you losing an eye but winning barely please? Have a good day š
A gif imagine? Sure, Iāll add it to my writing list, thanks for requesting! :)