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She is a wisp of a girl, with the sea in her blood and madness in her eyes.
That’s not quite right, though—she is so much more than that.
Like most Fours, she trains.
People forget, sometimes, that District 4 breeds careers like 1 and 2. The thing is, though, 4 makes them likeable. Whilst the others intensely train all of their children, shaping and warping the innocent into the terrifying figures that play to win--rather than to simply survive like the rest. In 4 one must volunteer for the academy.
The academy only takes the best--the strongest, the cleverest, the most sly. It is no surprise to anyone who knows her that Annie Cresta signs herself up.
Annie watches Finnick in his Games.
He is golden and terrible, spearing those who he discovers with the trident.
Day by day, his eyes get wearier, his posture gets stiffer and he stares over the waterfall within the arena longer than anyone who wasn't consider jumping would.
Annie watches Finnick get broken during his Games, and the absolute wrongness of the entire situation suddenly becomes clear. She does not wish to fight, but if she is reaped, Annie will be ready. She will win, of course. She has always been a winner.
The night before she enters the arena, Finnick hugs her tight against his chest. His beautiful face is contorted into something that looks like agony, tears are falling thick and fast.
(annie can barely remember when they went from finnick and annie to finnick'n'annie)
He is murmuring into her long hair, which shines from all of the chemicals and toxins that her stylists polluted it with--Annie had not been used to such extravagance and excess, but such was life in the Capitol. She just misses the sea--but there is a desperate tone is his voice that unsettles her. He, after all, is Finnick Odair, the Captiol's golden boy; he doesn't get scared, not for girls from home.
She strains her ears, and hears Finnick's pained pleading--they don't tell you that the lucky ones die, Annie Cresta. pray for a quick and painless death, and may you be spared from this hell oh fuck Annie Annie Annie Annie
It's easier not to listen.
Andrej's head is thrown at her feet.
Annie can see the blood pooling; the top of his back bone, brain stem poking through. His mouth is caught in a silent scream, his mouth bloody where he'd bitten through his tongue during his moments.
After that...something breaks.
nothing is the same again
the girl from district four treads water for three days before the final canon rings
her tongue is salty with water eyes dry limbs heavy what's my name again?
annie they tell her annie cresta
she repeats it over and over and over and over annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie
his name is finnick and he has the bluest eyes she has ever seen
he holds her tight and swears that he will kill them all for what they did to her
she claws at his arms because she cannot remember what they did to her in the first place
the boy with the blue eyes cries when she tries to tear her eyes out of their sockets
he talks of vengeance and secrets
for a shinning moment she is Annie Cresta, District Four Victor (not that she'd ever been or ever will be anything less) and she snaps at him "It's not your vengeance to take, Finnick. It's fucking mine."
the boy is so surprised he drops his bag
behind him is andrej's head, lolling
annie can see the blood pooling the top of his back bone, brain stem poking through his mouth is caught in a silent scream his mouth bloody where he'd bitten through his tongue during his final moments
her screams replace his her arms covering her head her eyes shutting tight
she is annie annie cresta
she has a crown
she had a husband
she has a son
she
has
survived