The Career (Finnick Odair/OC)

1

(Age 23, The 75th Hunger Games- Quarter Quell )

I hate my life and I have no one to blame but myself. I grew up in the wealthiest district in Panem and with that came certain expectations. Such as attending an academy at age seven. Along with volunteering for the hunger games once my instructors deemed me 'ready'. 

In the academy they groom you to kill, to have a signiture weapon and how to win the hunger games. Which to be a victor is considered the greatest  honour for any district. For District One, it was our right, our belief that we should be the best. Win the most games and in turn bring the most honour to our district. 

...What a load of bullshit right?

Wished they'd told me at eighteen what it feels like to live with the guilt of killing multiple children. Maybe would've been nice to know that if I left the arena then Snow would make my life a living hell. Or that the hunger games isn't actually a game.... shocker.

But they don't tell you this stuff in District One. 

My district has a culture of admiring and celebrating the games. It's an honour to be reaped and to represent our district. An even bigger honour to win. Victors are just as much celebreties in my district as they are in the Capitol. Maybe even more so, my district treats me like a god for winning.

I heard that in the outer districts that the children actually fear reaping day. A foreign thought that children or even an entire district could actually know the true meaning of the games.  You won't find any of that here. To talk badly about the games in my district is so frowned upon that I doubt it wouldn't go un-punished. 

And it's not like I volunteered for a humble reason. Like, saving a sibling or to become wealthy to feed my family. Nope, I volunteered because my mother gave me a lecture on the importance of honour and 'What would people think of us if you didn't atleast rasie your hand?'. 

We lived in District One so everyone here has money. The outer districts, bless they're poor hearts, volunteer for an actual reason. But in District One we volunteer because...it's just expected? At least that was my reason. 

Victors are prasied in every district and given wealth, luxtury and a life of 'peace'. Being from District One we're already wealthy, already lived in luxtury. Afterall that's what our District produces. So, the nice little mansions of Victor's Villiage in the outer districts resemble normal houses for District One residents. Thus, Victors Villiage in my district is so extravogent and extra compared to any other Victors Villages in Panem. 

Another way to seperate us, even Victors still had different levels of social classes. It's almost sickening to look at my house, a literal castle like mansion with flowing fountains and then compare it to other places in Panem. Especially when I had to visit District Twelve for my victory tour...that one hit home. 

I looked like everyone else in District One. Blond hair and blue eyes. Typical District One looking girl with a typical District One name. My name is Velvet Watts. Like the material. I know, I know, it's embarrassing. Well, embarrassing to anyone outside District One. 

That's another thing they don't tell us, apprently we name our children weird names. We only find out our names are werid once we leave our district. If you're not a Victor then you never leave the district, so no one knows it's abnormal to name their children things like Silk and Fur. 

We're taught that the names of children from other districts are 'feral', taught to despise any District but our own. You won't find anyone here named something like 'Sally'. It turns out though, we're actually the feral ones because we train to kill the Sally's of the world and call our children pretty things to make ourselves feel better. 

Anyways I won the 70th Hunger Games at age eighteen. Been living the life of a victor ever since. And that's not a good thing by the way! It was an honour for maybe a week and a half before I realised that I'd really fucked up by winning.

Constant nightmares are one thing, but to become a pawn for President Snow to use at will is another thing entirely. It's hell. I'm a prostitute and so is my best friend Cashmere. She mentored me through my games and is the shoulder I can count to cry on. Well, behind closed doors anyways. We couldn't possibly show the people of District One that their precious Victors are little more than Snow's slaves. 

Winning was worse for me for what I pulled during my games though. Winning came with a cost and that cost was the death of my entire family except my mother. Snow had to keep at least one member of my family alive so I'd do what he says. Fuck whoever he tells me to, otherwise Mummy dies. Gotta love o'l Snow. 

This year is supposed to be different because it's going to be a Quarter Quell. As a mentor, I'm required to help 'guide' the unlucky naive tributes of District One who win the reaping. Yes, you actually have to win the reaping here to be a tribute. Think a hundred kids volunteering at the same time. More then just raising a hand goes into winning the honour of being reaped here. 

So, like everyone in Panem, Snow's stupid ugly mug was on my massive screen with a mandatory announcement. I didn't really care what this twist is. It's just going to make it more annoying to train my tributes. Especially if I have to train double the amount of tributes. I normally can't stand the pure arrogance and naivity of the tributes from my district ever since I won.  

Although nobody knows that. Nobody knows anything about me apart from the fact that I'm a pretty career victor from District One. My life had suddenly all become about acting out a part for the rest of my life the second I won my games. Snow made it clear, even waited on the hovercraft that collected me from the arena. Made sure I knew that he'd forever be watching my every move. Made sure I knew that if I wasn't anything but a Career and hinted at even the slightest detest of the Capitol then my mother would be dead faster then I even can blink. 

I sighed. I wish he'd just hurry up. Snow's casual smile stared into me through my screen. But it held an essence of crulety behind it. I knew instantly, based off that look, he was about to say something that would change everything. 

"....As a reminder that even the strongest can not overcome the power of the Capitol. On this the Third Quarter Quell games the male and female tributes shall be reaped, from the existing pool of Victors." 

I dropped my coffee cup in shock, ignoring the burning liquid as it pooled onto my lap and down my legs. 

A scream made it's way into my mind. Only it wasn't my scream. It was hers. The girl from Four...

I swallowed and stared down at the burning liquid that was starting to make my legs turn a awful red colour. Red. Blood and screams...I can't go back. Not when I'm still there every waking moment in my mind.

I choked back a sob before I realised I might not have to go back. Who was I kidding? this was District One. We had just over twenty Victors, all of whom have volunteered and are hunger games fanatics. There's no doubt in my mind that two would volunteer. After all, we've never not had anyone in the histroy of the games not volunteer from this district. So I'm definitely safe right? This time I just won't raise my hand.