VENUS《 FINNICK ODAIR

Chapter 34. FLAMES & FIREWORKS.

ONCE THEIR BODIES WERE UNDER SOIL AND FRESHLY PLANTED DANDELIONS, JOHANNA AND EDITH TOOK THE FIRST TRAIN BACK TO 8 TOGETHER. Johanna had nothing left. And after nearly a month of breakdowns, panic attacks, sleep paralysis and crying; Edith wasn't going to risk this wound splitting after being left unattended.

    It was almost funny how even after all the calls to Cecelia and Silvanna, there wasn't a single performance she needed to attend.

     Almost coincidental in fact.

     As if Snow anticipated her attachment to Johanna, and played into it.

      Because he wasn't some considerate, gracious leader.

       But moreso Edith had a feeling that she was carving out a home in the snake den.

     Johanna said that she found a note on her front door before the tangy scent of metallic blood and rot hit her nose; it wrote...

TERMINATED POSITION - JOHANNA MASON, DISTRICT 7.

      Apparently her terminated position was being a desirable - the one she hadn't even accepted or denied. Johanna had walked out in a mad frenzy from Snow's office - she still didn't want to admit what transpired inside. But Edith could guess.

      The new Victor would still have to attend her Victory Tour, and mentor the female Tributes of 7, but she would never be invited out to the Capitol otherwise and she wouldnt be featured on TV for her Victor talent (which was painting to Edith's suprise), and she wasn't able to travel on a train unsupervised - meaning Blight would have to pick her up when she needed to go back to 7 for the Tour.

     Johanna spent the majority of Autumn and the beginnings of Winter in 8, where apparently the snow wasn't as cold and there was more grey than there was green in 7. But Edith managed to get a smile out of her eventually, and when she was called out to the Capitol, then either Kaif, Cecelia, Woof or Lucy filled the role.

     They welcomed her with open arms, and Lucy had another sister.

    And over time, Johanna began to heal.

     Edith and Johanna played target practice with the old maple tree in the street, and they baked and read with Lucy into the sunrise. Cecelia would dance with them in the kitchen and Kaif and Woof would bring Edith and Johanna in on their card games. And little Arlo and Dawn seemed to be attached to Johanna's hip, unable to stop staring at the bright green strip of hair Edith dyed for her.

       It was when Edith was away the facade would crack. She would sing until her throat burned, cry until the stars disappeared.

     She had developed somewhat of a codependency for Johanna - Edith didn't realise how much she relied on her laughter, making her smile and playing around with her and Lucy.

      She had another sister, and it scared herself how much she saw of those she had lost in Johanna. She had the spirit of all her siblings combined. And by the stars she missed them with all her heart.  So to have Johanna by her side, she was willing to risk it all again if it meant having her as a sister.

      And if that meant visiting the Capitol every fortnight, performing and dealing with insane personalities, not contacting her family, dealing with Silvanna Rome and Finnick Odair's insult to imagery...

     Then so be it.

       So she would always come back with a smile on her face, and a story to tell about some whacky Capitolite or how Finnick attempted to degrade her.