Finnick knows how little use sympathy is, though he's had little enough of it in his life. Understanding, though, that's something different, and he can understand the sort of fear that makes the simplest of comments seem like too much, because that's all he's ever known, he and anyone else from Panem who wasn't part of Snow's circle. Even before he was a victor, he'd known it, and known it without being told, because when you play the system in Panem you run the risk of losing, and playing the system was what the Careers existed to do.

Of course, in the end they all lost, no matter the outcome of their Games. The words New York, unfamiliar as they are, mean that Credence either truly isn't from the districts, or is going to pretend not to be, but that awareness of the threat that any stranger could pose is still familiar.

Finnick's still not used to being asked where he's from, as though people don't know. But someone who talks about their home in New York isn't even going to understand District Four as an answer. Or is going to pretend not to, and whichever is true, the instinctive answer still won't help.

"I think you'd say 'Texas'," is his reply after a few moments' careful thought. Not that there's much hint of it in his voice: far more in Annie's, but Finnick had learned a long time ago that a heavy district accent wasn't attractive.