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HEAVEN IN HIDING
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AS HER PREP TEAM surrounds her in a whirlwind of chaos, Ontari drinks her coffee greedily. She's glad that they have learned to work through her constant motions over the years. Sleep hadn't come easily the night before, and she craves the caffeine in her hot beverage, hoping it will lure the remnants of fatigue from her body. Today isn't one for rest— it's interview day.

Once again, she has no idea what Venus has in store for her outfit. Her team stays cryptic about it the entire time. They don't answer any of her questions, though Sable's face pinches when she pleads in a softer voice. Leome elbows her. She doesn't relent.

Ontari tries her best to relax in the chair as the trio does her hair, makeup, and nails, but she can't help the tension in her shoulders. It's as if her entire body is being pulled taut with a string. She's had to deal with years of press, of being on camera for most of her time after the Games, of pretending to be someone she's not, that she shouldn't be nervous for tonight. But she is. And she can't figure out why.

Something about the fact that she has to present herself to an audience of people who already adore her and try to get them to love her even more makes her feel queasy. The opening ceremony and training days were fine. But the end-all is approaching, and in twenty-four hours, she'll be released back into the place she loathes the most.

It hasn't hit her until now— really hit her. There's this talk about saving Katniss and Peeta, of forming a strong enough team to make them survive. Her real life has come to a standstill. Everything she's ever known outside of the Games will never be the same. She might never be able to return to her home in District Eight. She may never be with her parents again, or even her sister.

District Thirteen. They have to save them. Surely they will, right?

Ontari convinces herself this in order to calm her nerves. Of course they'd save their families.

Her prep team is eerily quiet for the remainder of the time it takes to get her ready. Since the opening ceremony was only days ago, there isn't much for them to do except make her hair glossy again and paint her nails. The makeup is what takes the longest.

As usual, Ontari doesn't pay much attention to her reflection across from her. Her eyes are glazed over. She feels the soft motions of brushes on her eyelids and cheeks as if they're from far away. She's retreated to her own little corner of her mind— one that's filled with Cassian smiling with a book, Hestia making tea, her parents, and Finnick laughing. All of the things that keep her sane amid this unstable world.

"Open, sweetheart," Leome instructs in his choked-sort-of voice.

Ontari obeys. At first, she doesn't notice that much different about herself, but as she looks closer, she realizes that's the point. The dark circles under her eyes have been covered up. Soft hints of pink and gold lightly dust her eyelids. Her lips are a glossy baby pink. The biggest difference, though, is her skin. She isn't sure what they did to it, but she literally seems to glow. It's as if she has a light inside of her that can't be contained. When she looks down at her arms and legs, she notices that they'd airbrushed hints of gold that she hadn't even felt.

She looks like...

"Our angel," Flaxe gushes with his thin lips pinched in a line. His hands are clasped together, pale skin seeming even more white under the impossibly bright studio lights.

"I think this is my favorite look," Sable admits with a dreamy sigh. She pats Ontari's shoulder. "It's been an honor, dear. A true honor."

Ontari can't muster any words to reply with. She merely allows them to lift her up out of the chair and walk her to meet with Venus, where she'll be dressed in her final outfit. How can he beat the opening ceremony's costume? What will be his last hoorah for Ontari Nightfall?

"My dear," her stylist greets as she enters the sitting room, still shocked and with her prep team scurrying out before she can thank them. "It's time."

Ontari finds herself choking on a lump in her throat that she didn't expect. She has to force herself to take the steps toward him, toward the wardrobe, toward the full-length mirror awaiting her. It's a strange sensation, knowing that this man has been planning her every outfit for seven years and that this will be the last time he ever does it.

Even if this Golden Alliance does work, even if they do manage to outsmart the Gamemakers and the entire Capitol, it's goodbye to expensive clothes and comfort. It's goodbye to frequent visits to the Capitol or having her clothing made for her.

She's been forced to live like this for so long that she doesn't know how to act without it.

Ontari stays robotically still as he helps her into the outfit. She doesn't see, doesn't process anything that's happening. It's like her body is on autopilot, moving when he tells her to and stepping into a pair of heels with no recollection of doing so.

Venus doesn't seem to mind the quiet. His bald head gleams in the lighting as he adjusts the hem of the dress and tweaks a few aspects of it. He works in silence, occasionally breaking it by humming to himself.

"Okay," he says, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "I present to you, Ontari Nightfall, my final gift."

She turns so she's facing the mirror. Her breath catches in her throat.

Previous interview costumes have merely been frilly, short dresses or neatly pressed suits. But, like everything else, these circumstances have been changed for the previous victors. Everyone will be attempting to outshine their neighbor.

Ontari is fairly certain she won't just outshine someone, she'll blind them.

She's dressed so drastically different from her opening ceremony costume that it's almost laughable. All of the dark and ominous colors have been replaced with much brighter ones. Her dress is gold and accented with white, rising above the knee in the front and draping nearly to her ankles in the back with sheer fabric. Her heels are covered in sparkling rhinestones. As she turns to the side, hints of sparkles within the fabric of the dress wink in the lighting. And, to complete the outfit, she has another diadem on her head— a halo that looks like rays of golden sunlight are bursting from her head.

Her prep team wasn't lying— she really is dressed like an angel.

"Heaven in Hiding," Venus explains. "That is what I call this outfit."

Ontari draws in a breath, unable to stop staring at the glitter flashing every time she moves. "It's beautiful."

"Isn't it?" he asks coyly, but the amusement and pride on his face slips away as he takes a step closer and puts a hand on her shoulder from behind. "You were always my favorite. I saved my best ideas for you, every single time, and you never disappointed me. I would hate to think that this will be the finale."

Ontari can't deny that, while she has had a difficult relationship with Venus, he has been a constant in her new life. Not having him around will be... strange.

She straightens herself. "Maybe it won't be."

Venus smiles sadly, revealing the slight gap between his front teeth. "Possibly. Now, you must quickly eat something to tide you over and then you'll be off."

Ontari can barely stomach the mere thought of food, but swallows some cheese squares and a bit of pineapple to please her stylist. She quickly allows him to do one final assessment before stepping out into the hall.

Cassian is waiting outside, leaning against the wall opposite of the door she walks out of. He straightens once she appears. She falters, blinking momentarily to allow her eyes to adjust to his outfit. Even without the blinding stage lights, he glows like she is, dressed in a fine suit of gold with even deeper accents of color in the thread. He also wears a halo-like diadem on his head, though his is more simple than his sister's.

"Nightfall? We look more like the day," he halfheartedly jokes. Ontari gives him a small smile at his attempt to ease both of their nerves. She knows that he hates these interviews more than anything, though tonight might be different depending on what the other tributes talk about. He's been a revolutionary since he was born. Maybe now he'll have a big enough platform to speak out about the injustices of the Capitol— subtly, of course, because they still have loved ones to protect.

Ontari reaches up to flick a spoke in his halo. It makes a metallic ting, ringing against the one beside it until Cassian stops it with a glare. She grins innocently at him.

"Let's do this," she says decidedly, straightening her chin and inhaling a breath before settling into her façade. It comes almost as easily as putting on a coat by now. She isn't sure how to feel about that.

Their walk to the stadium is silent except for the soft clicking of Ontari's heels on the floor. She's sure her feet are going to be aching tonight from so many hours of standing. She should be used to it after so many years of wearing them, but her feet haven't fully adjusted to keeping them on for extended periods of time.

"Maybe I should have asked my stylist for some tinted glasses so I wouldn't be blinded standing next to you all night," is the first thing that Johanna says upon the siblings' arrival.

Cassian doesn't change his facial expression from a neutral state. "Then don't look."

"How can I not when you're taking up all the light in the room?" she quips back with a sly grin, then shifts her eyes to Ontari. "You two look great, though."

Ontari nods as if to say likewise. Johanna always looks good, and she knows it, so she merely tilts her chin higher at the silent compliment. Her dress mimics a tree, her collar riding high above her neck in the back and cut into strips to imitate branches. Her lips are painted gold, her raven hair twisted above her head. She looks like a queen. And what a cruel queen she'd be.

"The angels of the Capitol?" Cashmere questions in a slightly rude tone, blonde eyebrows raised.

"More like a fallen angel," Finnick says slyly. He steps out of seemingly nowhere, dressed handsomely in a loose white shirt that has a deep vee, revealing a glimpse of his toned chest. His belt wraps around his hips several times, making him look like a pirate. A shark tooth necklace hangs around his neck.

Most of the other tributes look away when he hooks a finger under her chin and tilts her head up just enough to catch her lips in a relatively chaste kiss. It doesn't last long, however, because Katniss and Peeta arrive and steal the show.

Ontari understands immediately that she's been outshone. Katniss is wearing a wedding gown — no doubt the winner from their competition on the Capitol Report — and it is absolutely breathtaking. It's tight at the top and sleeveless, with ruffles that gradually get bigger as the dress flares out toward the bottom. There's a large silver decal that starts at her midriff and juts out to the side of her face, appearing like it could easily stab Peeta in the eye if she suddenly turns. Her makeup is heavy and makes her entire face shine with gloss.

It'll be a tough competition, but seeing Katniss in that dress makes Ontari feel even more nauseous for a completely different reason. She wouldn't have gotten to wear it otherwise. The wedding had probably been a Capitol scam and it was brought to a halt by the Hunger Games.

"I can't believe Cinna put you in that thing," Finnick says as a means to break the utter silence that has fallen.

"He didn't have any choice," Katniss replies defensively. "President Snow made him."

Cashmere, clearly sick of being one-upped again, flips her glossy blonde hair and exclaims, "Well, you look ridiculous!" before grasping her brother's hand and pulling him away to lead the procession onto the stage. After this movement, the other tributes begin to line up as well.

"Good luck out there," Finnick whispers in Ontari's ear before he walks to join Mags toward the front. She shivers at the ghost of his breath.

Before she can begin her own journey to the middle, she catches sight of Cassian. He's giving Katniss a sympathetic expression that slowly morphs into rage the longer he looks at her. The younger girl's expression is well-guarded, but Peeta seems unnerved by his look. Before Ontari can beckon her brother to join her, he abruptly turns on his heel and storms to their place.

"Those bastards," he hisses to himself. Ontari knows he doesn't mean Katniss and Peeta. He's talking about the Capitol.

Moments later, they've entered the stage and the interview ceremony has begun. She stands confidently next to her brother as Caeser Flickerman, decked out in lavender this year, begins his introduction speech and gets the crowd warmed up with a few jokes. There's a strong tension in the air that Ontari can't discern until Cashmere gets on stage. She spends her entire interview talking about how the people in the Capitol must be suffering because they know they will lose their beloved victors. She even adds in a few tears.

And then it becomes clear that Ontari was right: if Cassian will choose any time to speak out about his beliefs, it'll be tonight. Never has such a clear opportunity presented itself.

When Finnick goes down for his interview, the half of the audience starts screaming while the others weep even louder. He's easygoing on stage. His infamous smirk never leaves his face, dimples carving into his tanned skin.

"Now, Finnick," Caesar begins, his blinding white teeth gleaming under the stage lights, "I understand that this is the first time that you have been... tied down to someone."

Finnick nods, though an irked expression crosses his face momentarily. "You're making it sound like a bad thing, Caesar." He smiles, and the host raises his hands in innocence. "Ontari and I decided to go public with our relationship because we love each other. And if one — or both — of us dies in that arena, well..." he swallows before continuing, "at least all of Panem will know how we really felt about each other."

"What a beautiful sentiment, Finnick."

Ontari's stomach clenches at his speech. She hadn't expected for him to publicly say they loved each other so soon, so it comes as both a shock and a hurt. The words aren't true. Knowing this burns a hole in her chest, a void spilling into her heart.

Johanna gets things rolling again by swearing at President Snow and the Capitol in general. Ontari wishes she had the freedom to do such a thing, but she also knows it's a result of them taking away everyone Johanna loves. They can't hurt her any more than they already have.

Next is Cassian's turn. Ontari draws in a breath as he takes his place beside the violet-haired host.

"Cassian Nightfall," Caesar greets with another blinding smile. "The first time we saw you, you were much smaller — barely up to my chin, I'd say — and so thin. Now you're making training videos for the Capitol and are much taller than me! What can you say about that?"

"Well, Caesar, it's because I won the Hunger Games," her brother replies patiently. "They change you as a person. None of these people you're speaking to are the same as the ones you interviewed the first time around. You see, the old Cassian Nightfall is dead, and so is the old Johanna, and the old Cashmere." His voice had gotten slowly edged with more and more spite as he'd gone on, the audience and Caesar now silent. He composes himself before softening his voice and throwing in, "I just want to be able to protect my sister."

The Capitol eats it up. They all collectively awww, causing Caesar to place a hand over his heart as well.

Before Ontari knows it, she's replaced her brother on the stage. The audience members are hardly more than indistinct figures from how intense the lights aimed at her are. She can barely see the stylists near the front row. Venus gives her an approving nod, somehow giving her even more strength.

"Ah, Ontari," Caesar says. "Forgive me for sounding repetitive, but didn't you think Finnick's speech was wonderful?"

Ontari nods. "Yes, it even brought a tear to my eye." She reaches up and wipes an invisible tear from her eye as if she still hasn't recovered. "But it's not just the thought of losing Finnick, it's losing... everyone." The words find her as she goes, and then she's on a roll, giving Caesar no choice but to wait. "I didn't get to say goodbye to my family. Did you know that? I don't remember the last things I said to them, and that thought is going to eat me the entire time I'm in the arena. But I still have to worry about Cassian, and how I couldn't protect him from this. Again."

Caesar allows for a brief pause before saying, "I see that you have a lot of things on your mind, Ontari."

"Yes," she admits, "but it's alright. I'll do anything for the ones I love."

And, just like that, it's over. The interviews have been shortened due to the fact that the audience already knows who the tributes are. Ontari almost yearns for the eight minutes they'd had the first time. She still has so many more things to say, so many more tactics to use, but it's one of the morphlings' turns now. Her time to shine — both literally and figuratively — is over.

_____

i'm waiting for a comment about "the old taylor can't come to the phone right now. why? cuz she's dead" on cassian's speech

this was originally going to be every interview along with an extra scene afterward, but i didn't want to rush the end and it would have been super long (i'm already at 3100 words!)

inspiration for ontari's outfit came from the 2018 met gala, which had a "heavenly bodies" theme. her halo is the one blake lively wore! also, cassian's outfit is essentially what his character alec wore in 1x12 of shadowhunters, except with a different hairstyle and a diadem. you can look them up for visuals!

also, fun fact: i was going to give ontari angel wings but didn't want it to be too close to katniss

fun fact part 2: i based venus off of christopher jackson, most known for playing george washington in hamilton and being a boss ass bitch

-kristyn