[It can still hold, Finnick thinks. He hopes. But he licks his lips a bit nervously when she finally backs down, and he makes his way over to her. His fingers slide over her wrists as he turns her hands around. There's nothing in this room but them and a knife and a bottle he's sure is poison.

He makes a noise in the back of his throat before letting her hands go.] You didn't break anything, at least. There's the good news. [He looks back up at Johanna, quiet for a moment. He doesn't want to die, but he doesn't think he can vote to send her to her death either.

and he knows her too well for that. There's too much pride in her to just be taken like a lamb to slaughter.] Do we fight?

Like it matters. [Grousing is a small comfort as he lets her wrists go, gentler than she expected. Johanna frowns, rubs the top of them and contemplates his next words in silence. Him leaving the choice to her, because he knows she's too selfish to agree to an end where she doesn't make the one in charge regret choosing her. Because she can't just go quietly after everything that happened, even though she has nothing left and he's the one with everything waiting for him.]

If we do, whoever gets out of here makes them regret it. [She answers at a length, straightening the golden bracelet on his wrist.]

Wouldn't want to leave you defenseless, would we? [She'd fight even with broken hands, he knows that. She's a bit of a monster. Part of him wants to cut up his wet suit to wrap her hands up with. There's a knife in here, after all.

He's quiet again, watching her straighten the bracelet that Haymitch gave him, a token of the alliance with Katniss. Will he die here before their plans are finished? Will he leave Annie alone? Will he leave Johanna behind instead?

There's a sigh on his lips.] I meant them. Whoever they are. Do we fight them?

[Finnick doesn't want to make a choice, doesn't know how to choose between her life and his in this kind of way.]

[She'd fight if all she had left were her teeth and a pair of legs to walk on, that's a given. Still, Johanna is no Beetee. No amount of tampering is going to a way out for both of them with just a knife and a vial of poison.]

We can't. [It's a huge admission, with just a few words.] We'll play, and we'll go all in. Anything we can give up, if it means getting out of here. [Like they have much to give in the first place.]

[There's a fraction of a second where his shoulders slump, because she's right. And there's part of him that's not so much of a defeatist as it is someone who has had a long time to accept the inevitable.]

At least we know how games are played. [He gives her hand a squeeze and steps back.] Me, then. I'll be the one who dies.

[He says the words before he can rethink him. Finnick would rather one of them have a chance than both of them die, and he knows Johanna. He knows her better than she might think, and he knows that even if she has nothing, she'll always have her life.

He thinks of Annie for a brief second before banishing her away.]

['You aren't going to die,' the words are on the tip of her tongue but she can't make herself promise that, not when he's putting his life on the line for her and she can't do the same. Johanna nods, expression grim before she turns to glare up at the top of the dome.]

You hear that, you sick fucks? We've made our choice! Are you happy now?!

[He smiles grimly at her, listening to her rant. What are they going to do to her anyway? She has nobody. Mags will be alone, Annie will have nothing. It'll be up to Johanna to protect the Mockingjay. He almost laughs.

They're so fucked, either way.] We're allowed to make an offer, right? [He glances up, walking around the domed room.] That's part of this game? We make you offers, and you judge them. You make us beg for our lives, and I bet you love that, don't you?

[Finnick has never begged for his own life before. He's begged for others, for his family. For Annie. He's listened to kids beg for theirs before he gutted them.] You can have me. [He licks his lips and tilts his head, that smirk he owns so well on his face.] For our lives, you can have me however you want.

[His stomach tightens to the point where he thinks he'll be sick. But he never falters, never breaks character.]

[She's pacing now, vicious grin on her face that doesn't falter - even with Finnick's offer and what it implies. Instead, Johanna imagines getting out, grabbing that leader bitch at the party and pressing thumbs into her eye sockets until her screams cut out, until her body stops twitching. It helps, but only just.]

How about I don't kill you once you let me out? Does that sound good? [Head cocked to the side as if she's seriously considering this a good offer, but this isn't her bargaining chip and she doesn't want to make promises she can't keep. There's a shake of her head as she pushes her bangs out of her eyes.] Fine. I'll give you a memory. You bargain in that, right?

[Vanessa's voice can be heard. From where, who knows?]

As memories are yours to give, they are indeed acceptable.

[She bristles at the answer, tempted to throw the bottle of poison at the glass but refrains for now. They might need that later. Still, she doesn't take long to make a decision.]

My family, my friends, when they were taken away from me. [When Snow and the Capital gave her a reason to fight, when they gave her no choice but to be the monster they made her into. Even giving some small part of who she is would be asking too much, if her and Finnick's life weren't on the line.] You can take them and shove them up your ass.

Edited 2013-12-30 06:49 am (UTC)