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THE CAPITOL WAS AS HAUNTING AS IT WAS THE DAY SHE ARRIVED. Octavia keeps her head down as she walks from hallway to hallway everyday, from one patrons room to another's. She drank herself half to death to get through the few nights that she's been back. Octavia had seen Gianni twice, as well as another man and a woman a few times. She convinced herself that she didn't remember the nights, pushing away all memories she could. What she couldn't push away, was the memory of a certain fellow Victor that surfaces when she's here. Since she had got a glimpse of Finnick Odair during the tributes parade, Octavia had been scrambling in fear to avoid him. Of course, it would catch up to her eventually, not that she knows that.
She pushes through people as she tries to get back to her room. A few people call her name in surprise at the sight of her but she keeps walking. Being in the Capitol meant having eyes on her. In Eleven, it was easier to stay hidden. She sat in her house all day drinking herself to sleep just to do it again the next day. Here, she had no choice but to go from room to room. Octavia had forgotten how annoying the fame was. She was never interested in being the people's star. She just wanted to be a kid.
Her memories of being a child all circle back to one thing, her brother. Every single memory she has, the bittersweet memory of Augustus has taken over. To remember is to breakdown, and Octavia cannot afford a breakdown. She knows that especially when she's in the Capitol, she must keep her image to President Snow's liking. Octavia assumes he wants her to stay here until the tributes enter the Arena, which is way longer than she wants. She curses the reality of her stay, understanding that she is no better than a mindless puppet.
When she finally reaches her door, Octavia pulls her key from her left pocket and jams it into the handle. She jiggles the key around until the door handle fully turns, allowing her inside. She expected to come home to the mess she left the night before. What she didn't expect, was a certain Victor standing in her kitchen drinking her liquor. He looked like he did the day he left, but so different at the same time. He'd been away from Four for so long that his sun bleached hair had lost some of its highlights and his skin was paler. Octavia still thought he looked perfect, though.
"Finnick, how did you get in here?" Octavia shuts the door behind her quickly, locking the deadbolt. Suddenly, she's worried. Her conversation with Snow was clear about her interactions with Finnick.
"I have my ways. You've been here for almost a week and you haven't come by to say hello, so I thought I'd make it easier for you by coming here." His voice is almost taunting, like he's mocking her. Octavia sets her bag down before walking over to him. She takes the bottle from him that he hadn't made much progress in drinking.
"You can't be here. I'm sorry." She puts the bottle in the cabinet beside him, making no effort to keep eye contact.
"Why?" Finnick questions as his head turns to look at her.
