The Flying Fish (Exocoetidae)|| Finnick Odair X Fem!OC

Meet

To Cress' surprise, they'd gathered her old prep team to attend to her. Tazzel, Saffrin, and Sorrel all wandered into her room, Tazzel immediately attacking her with a hug. His hair was bubblegum pink now, no longer the icy blue it had been during her Games.

"Oh Cress, you look so grown up now, just look at you!" he wails, clinging onto her with all of his rather pathetic strength. "Oh but your hair is just the loveliest still, all nice and bronze! I'm jealous, I really am!"

"Hi Taz," she laughs.

"Tazzel, please, there are others who want to speak to her." Saffrin raises her eyebrows pointedly, which encourages Tazzel to step back and let Saffrin check Cress over.

"Hi Saffrin," she says softly. Saffrin's familiar pink irises meet hers as a smile spreads across her face.

"Hello Cress." To her surprise, Saffrin's arms wrap around her in a tight hug. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too Saffrin." Sorrel peels Saffrin off of her, giving her a one armed hug.

"You look good, Cress." he gives her a soft smile.

"I just can't believe you're really going back in, I mean, it's just so surreal!" Tazzel gushes as he starts washing her hair like he usually does.

"Tell me about it," Cress mutters, her brows scrunched up in a frown.

"One thing's for sure, you're going to be the most attractive pair of tributes in that whole arena." Sorrel smiles as Saffrin and Tazzel primp and prep her for the Tribute Parade. God, the Tribute Parade, she'd forgotten all about it. Last time she'd been in this position, she'd been a scared sixteen year old who had no idea of the world around now. Now she was a scared twenty three year old with a constructed image and an unrequited crush on her fellow tribute.

Cress gave herself fifty-fifty odds of surviving this Games. Her mind drifts back to a conversation she'd overheard on the train the other day about uprising in the districts. Apparently, they were rallying under Katniss' name, branding her the Mockingjay. That sounded one hell of a lot cooler than the Pearl Princess if she was being honest. She'd also talked with Finnick about the displeasure in the Capitol over the victor's being sent back into the arena.

"Cress, up and at em, it's time for your outfit." Sorrel's voice snaps her out of her thoughts as she sits up, wearing just a robe as she awaits his brilliant ideas. "This year, we're going princess and her bodyguard for you and Finnick." He shows her a sketch of a flowy gown that went past her ankles. It was a light ocean blue, with pearls embroidered into the waist and neckline. They once again gave her a crown of bone and pearls that resembled the one given to her during her first Tribute Parade, paired with white strappy sandals.

"It's beautiful," she says softly.

"Good thing you like it, because it's right here for you," Sorrel says, pulling aside a curtain to reveal the dress sitting there on a mannequin.

"Oh please, you know I love all of your work." Cress rolls her eyes, running her hands along the material. "Truly, Sorrel, it's amazing."

"I'm glad you like it, Cress, because Tazzel might've had a heart attack if you didn't," he laughs. "Now stand up, let's get this on you." Cress climbs up onto the platform, letting Sorrel do his thing as she ponders various things, like what Finnick would be wearing. How Katniss and Peeta would handle themselves. If she would have to kill Enobaria, who she had actually become rather tentative friends with during her years as mentor.

"Cress, you look simply perfect!" Tazzel exclaims as he runs back into the room to start on her makeup. "It's perfect! Perfect, perfect, perfect!" She's swept up by Hurricane Tazzel and plopped into the makeup chair as he chats at a mile a minute. Saffrin eventually saves the day, and Cress' ears, by taking over.

"We're doing a rather harsh look today. You're no longer the sweet innocent Pearl Princess, you've grown up. You're ready to fight, and you're ready to win." Saffrin gives her a wink as she starts on her makeup. She had a shimmery grey eyeshadow, stark black eyeliner, pink lips that were subtle as to not take away from the eyes, and her cheekbones had been accentuated with makeup to give her a harsher, more commanding appearance.

"No longer the Pearl Princess, but the Pearl Queen," Sorrel muses, a smile on his face.

"I like Pearl Princess better," Cress mutters as her face sours. "Pearl Queen doesn't sound as nice."

"You'll warm up to it in time," Sorrel laughs. "Now then, off you go. You have a parade to join." Cress gives each of them a hug before leaving. She heads down to the ground floor, where the other tributes waited with their chariots for the parade to start. When she'd last been here, most of the tributes had been glued to their carts and their district partner, but this time people were mingling around.

"Cress, you look good." Finnick's charming smile distracts her for a moment. So do his abs, actually.

"Wow, they really made sure to keep it revealing," she teases. He looked every bit the part of a bodyguard to a queen, from the subtle makeup on his face to make him look more rugged to the way his outfit had been designed.

"The ladies love the body." he shrugs. His eyes lock onto something behind Cress, prompting her to turn around. Katniss Everdeen, stroking the horse for her chariot, and Peeta Mellark who was approaching her. Before Peeta can arrive, both of them slide over to where Katniss was.

"Hello, Katniss," Finnick says smoothly as he pops a sugar cube in his mouth.

"Hello, Finnick." Katniss turns around and blinks in surprise when she sees the both of them there. "Cress."

"Hi Katniss," Cress says, giving her a practiced smile.

"Want a sugar cube?" Finnick holds out his hand to offer one to her.

"No, thanks. I'd love to borrow your outfit sometime though," she says, her wit making a brief appearance. That makes Cress snort as what Finnick was wearing could barely be called an outfit.

"She's got you there," Cress mutters, causing Finnick to roll his eyes. His attention remains on Katniss as their verbal spar continues.

""You're absolutely terrifying me in that getup. What happened to the pretty little-girl dresses?" Finnick asks, leaning forward slightly.

"I outgrew them," Katniss responds coldly. Cress wanders off to where Peeta was waiting for Katniss to finish up with Finnick, which looked like it wasn't happening anytime soon.

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Peeta felt her presence before anything else. She radiated an aura of absolute calm, her mind always calculating a new strategy.

He had severely underestimated just how intimidating Cress Bronzetide really was. Despite her being a bit shorter than him, he felt tiny next to her.

"Hello, Peeta," she says, her voice like ice water against his nerves.

"Hello, Cress," he responds, praying his voice doesn't betray his nerves.

"I must say, your stylist is simply excellent." she examines his outfit closely, her lips curling up at the corners.

"Thank you," Peeta mumbles.

"Oh, no problem. I just tell it how I see it." Cress shrugs.

"What's going on over here?" Finnick asks, having walked over to stand behind Cress like a guard dog. He was watching Peeta like he was a threat. Not to Finnick himself, but to Cress.

Now Peeta understood what Haymitch meant about Finnick 'bending over backwards for Cress'. He was just waiting for her to give him one sign that she was uncomfortable and he'd undoubtedly attack.

"Oh, nothing really. I was just admiring Peeta's outfit," she says. "I suppose we should get to our chariots, hm? Come on Finn." Cress saunters away, Finnick just a step behind her. Looking around, he could see that all of the other tributes were watching them as well.

The Pearl Princess and the Golden Boy.