Now she felt lucky, even if the fact that she did so made her feel equally as awful; made her stomach roil. She had suffered for years in those pits, fighting for her life, knowing only the crack of fragile bones and the smell of blood. But she had been freed eventually, taken into a noble house and cared for by a man too good for the shit world they lived in. She had a family, a home, and a life of adventure in the years where Finnick was still subjected to the horror of his reality.
Nina was violent because it was all she knew for so long. Fighting was what she was good at, so she kept doing it. Despite the comforts offered to her, she never left that fight or flight mode that was stuck in fight. And Finnick couldn't turn off that charm — that need to seem desirable, that need to be liked because it meant he would survive.
A part of her wondered if it was some inherent knowledge of their similarities that made her press him to begin with. Some ability to see past the facade and not knowing entirely why.
"A lot of things suddenly make sense." She said quietly, voice low to try and stem the fury rising in her throat again. "I'm sorry doesn't change shit, but I am sorry you had to go through that, on top of everything else. You were just a kid." She bit the inside of her cheek. "You don't deserve that shit."
Nina saw through him, even if she didn't know exactly what she was seeing. Really, it isn't too hard to catch onto Finnick; there are always times when his mask cracks, or when he says something so offbeat and cynical that even his charming smile can't cover up the dark undercurrent beneath it. She isn't the first one to notice, but she is the first to blatantly call him out, the first not to play into his flirting. Hell, there are people here he fucks regularly who don't know any of what he just told her. If people want to keep it surface level with him, he will play along, but he does silently judge those who don't make an effort to get past his facade. When people push through the niceties and ask him about the horrors, it shows they really care, that he's worth more to them than just a quick fuck or a flirtationship.
Despite her aggressiveness, he's glad in the end that she interrogated him.
His gaze is cast down at the table now, a sad smile on his face.
"Thanks," he says quietly and sincerely. "It's fine, though. I'm fine now."
Heavily debatable, Finnick. He inhales deeply through his nose and looks up at her again, as though to snap himself from his thoughts and break the tension.
"I'd love to say all of that is why I'm annoying, but truthfully I think I was born that way." He grins.
Nina didn't believe him for a second. No one was fine now after that. If she had to guess with some simple math — he was being sold off into his twenties, and there was no way in hell he was much older than that now.
For once though, she didn't say anything. Nina had gotten enough out of him — a lot more than she expected, really.
"It only made you more annoying. Got it." She quipped. "I'd say I can't believe that shit works on people, but I've known plenty of guys who do the same thing and people are falling all over them."
He's definitely not fine now. But he can lie to himself and everyone else, and if they turn this shared drink into a therapy session they'll be here all night talking about his shit. Best to move on.
"It certainly didn't help," said with a smirk. "I often can't believe it either. But rich people are stupid and the people here are too nice. They probably just pity me sometimes," he shrugs. "And people like compliments. They like being noticed."
Rich people are stupid. True. Nina nodded her head in agreement to that, having attended her fair share of noble gatherings and listening to the inner workings of the higher ups just fucking shit up repeatedly.
"Too nice. Like — Zevlor levels of nice? Because I don't know if I can handle that from everyone."
"Zev's pretty high up there for good guy-ness. But there's plenty of others I've met who are up there with him, or at least way further toward good on the scale than I'm used to."
He's used to the rich, and other Victors. Rich people are 'nice' but not kind. Victors are... Well, no one is a Victor by mistake. There's always some crookedness in there somewhere.
"But hey, at least we have each other for a good refreshing insult or punch to the head." The punching done by Nina, not him, obviously.
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cw: descriptions of violence against children
Nina was violent because it was all she knew for so long. Fighting was what she was good at, so she kept doing it. Despite the comforts offered to her, she never left that fight or flight mode that was stuck in fight. And Finnick couldn't turn off that charm — that need to seem desirable, that need to be liked because it meant he would survive.
A part of her wondered if it was some inherent knowledge of their similarities that made her press him to begin with. Some ability to see past the facade and not knowing entirely why.
"A lot of things suddenly make sense." She said quietly, voice low to try and stem the fury rising in her throat again. "I'm sorry doesn't change shit, but I am sorry you had to go through that, on top of everything else. You were just a kid." She bit the inside of her cheek. "You don't deserve that shit."
no subject
Despite her aggressiveness, he's glad in the end that she interrogated him.
His gaze is cast down at the table now, a sad smile on his face.
"Thanks," he says quietly and sincerely. "It's fine, though. I'm fine now."
Heavily debatable, Finnick. He inhales deeply through his nose and looks up at her again, as though to snap himself from his thoughts and break the tension.
"I'd love to say all of that is why I'm annoying, but truthfully I think I was born that way." He grins.
no subject
For once though, she didn't say anything. Nina had gotten enough out of him — a lot more than she expected, really.
"It only made you more annoying. Got it." She quipped. "I'd say I can't believe that shit works on people, but I've known plenty of guys who do the same thing and people are falling all over them."
no subject
"It certainly didn't help," said with a smirk. "I often can't believe it either. But rich people are stupid and the people here are too nice. They probably just pity me sometimes," he shrugs. "And people like compliments. They like being noticed."
no subject
"Too nice. Like — Zevlor levels of nice? Because I don't know if I can handle that from everyone."
no subject
"Zev's pretty high up there for good guy-ness. But there's plenty of others I've met who are up there with him, or at least way further toward good on the scale than I'm used to."
He's used to the rich, and other Victors. Rich people are 'nice' but not kind. Victors are... Well, no one is a Victor by mistake. There's always some crookedness in there somewhere.
"But hey, at least we have each other for a good refreshing insult or punch to the head." The punching done by Nina, not him, obviously.