The Taste of Death ~ Hunger Games- Finnick Odair/OC FanFiction

Chapter 20

Thank you for reading this far! This will be NEW. As in, this is not in the original Hunger Games Universe. 

Let me know what you think! 

As always, I'm so thankful for anyone reading this story and I hope I will see you continue to read it and comment.

Kindly take the time to vote if you are enjoying this story! It means so much to me!

Take care and stay safe! ~CANGEL

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Scarlet Wolfe

     Tonight's event, a grand gathering for the tributes, mentors, and escorts, along with only the highest and most influential members of the Capitol—if Penelope's word were to be taken seriously—would be held in the Training Center.

     Cassandra informed her the night before about the early arrival of the prep team and the extensive preparations that would be taking place. Penelope and Vera—Crimson's escort—had assured her, as if she cared, that the Training Center would be completely reimagined and would look nothing like it had in the day's prior. There would be a band that played only the most elegant and refined music along with a small feast, but the main objective would be to mingle with the Capitol guests and entertain them.

     There was zero chance of Scarlet doing that successfully, but her objection was dismissed. Her presence was not a request. It was a requirement.

     Apparently, the event occurred every year, but it had never been broadcasted to the outer districts, which is why Scarlet had not known beforehand. Apparently, it was a social gathering meant to allow the higher society a chance to meet each of the tributes before the individual training scores were announced. Those in attendance were the ones most likely to sponsor a tribute and send much needed gifts once the tributes entered the Arena.

     There was, evidently, an opportunity for some of the members of the Capitol to bet on the tributes predicted scores. When Scarlet had asked if that could affect the Gamemaker's scoring, her question was again, brushed off with a stilted laugh from Penelope and Vera as they assured her that the Gamemaker's were not allowed to take part in the betting of the Hunger Games.

     In preparation for this grand event—one that Scarlet absolutely detested and dreaded—she had been assaulted by the near-constant chattering of her prep team from the moment she woke up. It wasn't the noise, as she couldn't actually hear them. But their hyperbolic Capitol mannerisms—that were always mildly annoying—were so overdone today that it was nearly unbearable to be subjected to.

     Every gesture was overly dramatic, their faces animated with expressions that she couldn't decipher. Whenever Scarlet tried to focus on one of them, she found herself lost in the bits and pieces of half-finished sentences and overlapping conversations that she couldn't decode.

     The only relief was that the prep work needed on her body was not nearly as extensive as when she had first arrived in the Capitol. Instead of the 'gluttony and gold' scents Sotor had highly recommended, she was able to pick simple scents that appealed to her.

     With much complaint, they relented and washed her hair with lemon-scented shampoo and conditioner, polished her skin with the pine scented lotion and oil. The combined scents were heavenly to her nose, and she couldn't stop drawing in deep breaths.