Deleted Scenes: The One Ring

(This scene brought to you by Eugene. Thank you Eugene!)

 Three weeks after the end of the 127th Hunger Games

-Anakyn Skyavich, 21, Citizen of the Capitol (?)-

Anakyn wasn’t sure what led him to this decision.

Maybe it was because of the love letters they wrote to each other. Maybe it was from all those kisses and sex. Maybe it was from picking too many fights. Maybe it was the texts and phone calls. Maybe it was from one of those rare pranks gone wrong because he looked too, quote on quote, ‘lovesick’. Maybe it was from the Pre-Games Party selfies they took together during Phases 1 and 2. Maybe it was because of today’s movie night with Gian, where he randomly brought up in a conversation that Riggs visited him in the hospital after the party and then blurted out about wanting to get married someday. Maybe it was because of the downhill domino effect of the protest and shootings, making him crack now for some reason (god, he got hurt too many times already). Maybe it was the side-effects from working ‘against her’, then allying with her, then impulsively ran away, then allying again, and then ‘against her’ again throughout last month as District 3’s escort, compared to being her escort and co-worker the entire time during the 125th Hunger Games as District 7’s escort.

Or maybe he just accidentally inhaled too much engine oil fumes from all that mechanic work lately (as you do).

But Anakyn Skyavich was certain of 1 important thing:

He wanted to marry Helen Bethel, Victor of the 120th Hunger Games.

...

No, not now. Duh. But... someday.

This chaotic sunshine couple has been dating for 2 years now. But Anakyn has known Helen for about 3 years (although he did see her own Hunger Games on TV 7 years ago and their earliest interaction before meeting each other properly happened nearly 4 years ago before Winter Fest) and has been pretty close pretty fast ever since. Their connection took an even bigger turn of events when earlier when it turned out they were both part of Cerena’s rebel movement, although Anakyn has been a rebel (a lot) longer than her. However, it took a while for their friendship to properly solidify as friends, let alone best friends, until the 125th Hunger Games, but that was when their relationship unexpectedly... changed.

Yes, the 125th Hunger Games, where the Quarter Quell twist was to make the tributes to fall in love and lust with each other and other people, willingly and against their will, throughout the Pre-Games and the arena... while killing each other at the same. It wasn’t just the tributes going through the Q-Serum that did this; pretty much every Capitolite (escorts included), in varying degrees, also gave into the whole love and lust thing in their own will despite the violent drama and downsides from each other. Like, holy motherfucking shit, man. It was one thing to end up becoming the resident pranksters in the building. But... somewhere along the line, their relationship became much beyond that and those curious feelings grew stronger since the first Pre-Games Party, when he got to be Helen’s date.

Simmering warmth lingered in her close contact, happy sparkles ignited whenever they had fun or made each other smile and laugh, competitive and passionate flares woke up whenever they competed with each other or against each other, and it was hard to resist her infectious charm and enthusiasm. There was even this one time when Anakyn even found himself staring at her lips, wondering randomly what it would be like to kiss them senseless, barely taking her breath away as she moaned and gasped out his name...

But the escort thought it would be insanely impossible for all of that to happen, just because Helen’s a Capitolite hater and he originally thought she actually hated him to an extent of wanting to kill him, just for what he is. That single realization practically pained him on the inside to no end. Also, despite being a romantic and flirtatious person, Anakyn had very conflicted feelings about the whole Quell and didn’t want to be a pawn in the Capitol’s love game (and any Hunger Games for that matter). He ended up being the only person to actively fight against his feelings and barely managed to avoid this fate. However, it turned out that Helen has fallen for him the entire time without him realizing it. So Anakyn didn’t even immediately connect the dots until... the first kiss came, ironically just after the Hunger Games ended on the final day that year.

Their kiss that time made him realize... he’s in love with her. He loves Helen.

You’re the one I want to be with.

So now, Anakyn Skyavich and Helen Bethel were boyfriend and girlfriend, partners-in-crime (literally and figuratively). Although maybe if luck was on his side, it might change…

Some days, Ani still had a hard time believing that Helen wanted to date him, of all people. A rebel, a mechanic, a part-time top fashion model, an escort, and a total outcast. Not that he was insecure or anything, just... wow. Then again, he himself sounded impossible on paper, let alone reality.

But if she finds out the truth about me, about what I really am... would she still love me or hate me?

But no matter, being Helen’s boyfriend was one of the happiest things that have ever happened to him. I mean, c’mon! She’s a fairytale princess and a knight in shining armour at the same time! And he loved her for it.

Admittedly, Anakyn almost didn’t want to go through the whole proposal idea at first because the recent events from 2 weeks ago (almost 3 weeks) still inflicted painful scars on him. Plus, he wasn’t fully recovered from the aftermath of Upward Voyager, the sudden military coup, and Henley’s death yet after taking them so hard (the fact that Jace, Camellia, and Coda were secretly rescued eased his heart, just like how he felt towards Montessori, Trap, and Malloy last year, but still...). That, and given that Helen was also going through a similar thing, except she has gotten a little happier now that Ceru was the Victor and Camellia was alive. Anakyn figured that it would be better to bring up this hopeful possibility when both of them were able to take on the world with a smile again.

He figured... maybe there should be at least 1 reminder that love never dies, no matter what kind it is and what they’ve done.

For Helen. For Anakyn. For both of them.

But now comes the hard part: FINDING A RING TO PROVE IT.

According to Anakyn, finding an engagement ring and/or a wedding ring would feel very different in the Capitol vs the districts. At least based on what he pieced together.

In the Capitol, you’ll probably have lots of designs, colours, and options of any kind of ring you want, to your heart’s content. You could even personally commission one from Capitol jewellers if you got the right connections, money, and vision. However, sometimes there’s too many options to pick to the point you’ll feel insanely dizzy. Not to mention some of those rings would be super expensive in Capitolite standards. Practically a king’s ransom, in district standards. And then there might be one of those Capitolite women who, for some weird reason, strived hard in their work and love lives just to, quote on quote, “get a rock in their finger”. In the districts, at least depending on where you live and/or your approximate social class, there would be limited yet straightforward options of choosing rings. Designs might be on the simpler side (as far as a plain metal band), although there’s also beautiful options if you’re lucky. He even heard about hand-me-down rings being passed down by family members for generations and generations (although a few rare sentimental or prestigiously noble Capitolites share this gesture, too), the same way with some wedding dresses from poorer districts. Prices are pretty expensive in district standards if you’re simply buying, but you can also obtain a ring through pawn shops or by trade if you can offer something in exchange. You could even make the engagement/wedding ring if you’re super-creative or resourceful enough. However, District 1 might be a partial exception to that rule because it’s the luxury district; majority of the jewellery were created there and gems, metals, and jewels were mined or manufactured there. Therefore, like the Capitol, they would have lots of rings to decide for the respective couple, just... not as much compared to the Capitol’s offerings and obviously, the prices would be mostly different. Also, the majority of the finished jewellery had to be handed to the Capitol, as per the requirements of its industry.

The only reason Anakyn knew all of this because as an adventurer, he tended to easily identify cultural nuances in even the most universal actions, and then pick them up subconsciously. It was a small yet unusual knack imprinted onto him. Everything else came from the perks of travelling a lot (in his past, as a model, as a university student, and as an escort) and the mechanizations of his dearly relentless mind.

Other than that, the young man didn’t entirely know how he was supposed to find an engagement ring, let alone something that Helen would like.

Yes, Anakyn has spent a lot of time with the young Victor either in the Capitol, District 7, in other various districts, during the Hunger Games (so far, it only happened to them during the Quell and last month since the District 7 Victors rotate shifts every 1-2 years), and for team-up missions from the rebellion if they were any. But that didn’t mean he knew everything about her that deep… yet.

Anakyn’s part-time modelling career wasn’t helping much with this predicament either; yes, the top fashion model has obtained a few jewellery pieces from designers or fellow models as gifts, but he didn’t own a lot of rings in general (maybe he should wear them more, huh) nor did he star in any photoshoots or advertisements for jewellery alone yet. So he wasn’t  too knowledgeable in that area right now.

Also, it wasn’t like he could get any helpful advice about rings from other people he knew; asking any of the older models or the married escorts would arouse weird suspicion, he’s not sure if any of his friends knew about this kind of stuff, especially the ones who are dating each other (besides, none of those friend couples wanted to get engaged or married so far, although Riggs… might be the closest other person to think that far for Gian, but Ani doubted it), and his mom didn’t even get to have a wedding or a ring after she met dad, only calling themselves a married couple in spirit as much as they always wanted to get married for real someday…

On top of that, he and Helen... weren’t fully public yet in their dating status. A few people knew or found out, but nobody else straight-up knew. Ok, so that part Anakyn didn’t want to hide personally and it was totally excruciating for her to not spill. His nervousness on going public was probably his fault. If you ask him, he would say he just wanted to make sure he’s absolutely in love with this person first before being announced as someone’s boyfriend. While it was true, that wasn’t the main reason. But given Panem and the Capitol’s increased antagonism, the main reason for hiding his relationship might cost him his life; half of him felt afraid and half of him felt very angry about how they might react… and then there was what happened to his parents… Anyway, asking openly about engagement rings was a total no-go.

Back in reality, Anakyn was thinking all about this while skateboarding, deftly weaving in and out of the Capitol streets at night. His chest still ached a little from weeks of guilt, crying, and excess anger, but thankfully it was almost gone now with recovery. Currently, Anakyn was staying in the Capitol for the last few weeks of summer vacation because he wanted to wrap up some work there before going back to the main District 3 University for his final year in September. Photoshoots, fashion shows, advertisement or commercial work, interviews... those kinds of things, as well as any short meetings with the boss or other fellow models from the agency he worked in. If he wasn’t doing any of those things, Anakyn would either be at home with his mom and spending time with her, trying to check up on Aristotle and Trixie for Numitor’s sake, socializing with a few of his friends (depending on who), working out with Gian and sometimes Wolf every few days (or trying to, ugh; man, Ani and Gian hate working out with a passion, but someone’s gotta stay in shape for photoshoots and shit), secretly doing various missions for the movement, or just exploring around the city on his own whim. Basically trying to get his life back on track. After everything that went down last month during the Hunger Games, Anakyn was now trying to keep himself active and preoccupied with some work and social stuff to heal his mental health faster, since it ended up being more damaged than he anticipated...

Today in particular, Anakyn had to do a photoshoot with Gian for Capitol Couture. It was for a 10-page fashion spread inspired by last month’s Hunger Games, meant for a Winter Fest issue; luckily, they were using a real fancy hotel and casino for the shoot location and not the actual arena (thank god), but the fashion themes over there revolved around cards, card suits, gambling, bar culture, poker, slot machines, fate, classy formal wear, jewel tones, metallics, and that luxe and glitzy hotel/casino aesthetic. Gian was in a more prominent spotlight while modeling many debonair and jewel-toned suits and tuxedos, while Anakyn had to play bartender for his shoots in casual dapper looks. Ironically, he doesn’t even drink alcohol in real life contrary to popular belief, but it was interesting to act as one for the cameras because despite being surrounded by the bar’s liquors and alcoholic drinks, Ani had to imagine himself as a café barista to get the basic gist (indirect courtesy of making lots of coffee for Gian, thank you dude). After the shoot, they went to a nearby movie theater for their monthly movie night. Normally, the two best friends watched movies together either in their apartment dorms, Gian’s mansion in District 6’s Victor Village, or Anakyn’s house for their little tradition, but if there was a newer movie they really wanted to see, they would go to one of the Capitol’s movie theaters together. The movie itself was really awesome to watch and it was really nice spending time with Gian for the entire day. Just now, Anakyn dropped off Gian at the train station and was now heading his way home on skateboard.

Between his earlier bouts of internal conflict, Anakyn immersed himself into the fast speed he was gliding in near the roads and sidewalks. Digital advertisements flashed inside the TV screens and holographic projections blinked every now and then. Light blurs sparkled and dotted his vision while city lights dissolved into neon and pastel trails next to him, amongst the darkening glass and stone landscape. Riding on skateboards were technically more reckless and dangerous at night especially with limited lighting, any late-night traffic, and hidden dangers, but as a skater boy and lover of speed, he could navigate those streets with ease even in the dark. Something about being on a skateboard made him pumped with thrill and energy, but in the night time, he could also soothe down the nerves this way from a busy day he had. A therapeutic contradiction.

Speaking of night time, the young male had to speed up faster to get home soon. He also now switched his thoughts into his current ongoing mission for the rebellion. Lux and Wolf wanted him to conceptualize and create new Capitol identities for Jace, Camellia, and Coda as part of the new Out of Spite members. In this rebel’s case as a stylist, his focus was more specialized towards minor make-up work and outfits, just like what he did to Malloy, Montessori, and Trap for 8 months. He’s also using his modelling career to up his hairstyling and make-up game, any sewing, mending, and embroidery skills his mom taught him, whatever he managed to learn from Ashton, and his recent foray into cosplaying to understand skin dying for this kind of ‘role’ (if it’s even a role in the first place, what the fuck). Anakyn wasn’t sure what’ll happen to Numitor despite being targeted for treason, but maybe he’ll get further information about it by holo next week. Throughout his current stay in the Capitol, Anakyn had to consult Jace and Coda every few days in the bunkers to help them out on their new disguises and identities. He was close to finishing them for both boys since a few other rebels helped him out with the clothes and the 2 survivors managed to behave long enough to plan their makeovers, but... Camellia still wasn’t done yet. Make-up, check. Hair, check. And body work, check. Outfits... still fucking no.

So the next step will have to be arranging Camellia’s new Capitolite wardrobe. Since it’s late August right now, Anakyn could tell that autumn trends will emerge soon for the upcoming season as they anticipated September’s arrival. Then by 2 weeks or so, all the Fall/Winter collections from designer brands and clothing shops will be available for the public. So that’ll mean paying attention to long-sleeved tops, long pants, skirts, warmer fabrics, stylish and cozy jackets, maybe a scarf or hat, and hopefully some cute boots, sneakers, or heels that are actually comfortable to walk in. However, it was still late summer, so maybe he could also forage for at least 1 or 2 summer outfits for Camellia if he’s lucky, but she couldn’t get more of them until next year by late May or June. And then there’s the jewellery and accessories...

While mentally visualizing all the jewellery shops he knew, Anakyn suddenly got an idea!

“Hey, that’s it! Maybe I can find a ring while I’m shopping with Camellia!”

Somehow, tomorrow’s personal mission has now become an even bigger adventure. He couldn’t wait!

~.~.

“Wow... this place looks huge.”

“I know, right? It’s insane.”

The next day, Anakyn was able to sneak Camellia out of bunker hell for the first time in god-knows-how-long since her ‘death’ so that he could take her to a mall for the day. It wasn’t easy to start his secret unauthorized mini-mission without being caught by the other rebels from the cause, let alone sneak her out of whatever boredom-induced madness and chaos Trap was unleashing onto everyone today (with Jace, Coda, Malloy, and Montessori being dragged into the crossfire). But thankfully, she accepted the rebel’s offer and they managed to arrive there without any problems. This mall they were standing in was located not too far from his house, but it was one of the biggest ones in the Capitol. There’s bound to be a mix of luxurious and trendy shops over there. Best of all, it was located at the edge of Main Street so if they couldn’t find any new clothes (or in Ani’s case, a nice engagement ring that’ll fit Helen), they could check out more stores over there as back-ups.

Right now, the pair just entered the mall and suddenly felt intimidated by the sheer size, shininess, and the contemporariness of it all. Camellia due to her first time ever visiting a mall and Anakyn simply out of astonished fascination. For a moment there, they almost forgot why they even stepped foot here in the first place. At least until she opened her mouth.

Camellia cleared her throat and inquired, “Anakyn, why are we here?”

As soon as she said that, Ani couldn’t help but to chuckle. “That huge-ass building we’re standing in is called a mall; it’s part of our little outing today.” He said with a smirk.

“Outing? Isn’t this a mission?”

“Well yeah, it’s an outing and a mission. It’s part of helping you out with your new Capitol identity.” Anakyn replied. Good thing he remembered to convince Camellia to switch her hair colour temporarily as a quick disguise before they left for the mall trip. Today, she was able to procure some of Ani’s leftover washable liquid gold hair dye (originally used for his own hair) to create balayage highlights and tips on her long reddish-brown hair with his help. It made the Seven girl’s actual hair colour and skin tone look more sun-kissed from the summer’s heat, in several darker shades. Probably not the best cover-up at the moment due to rushing their way here, but the makeshift hair dye job wasn’t too bad; according to Anakyn, sometimes you can easily throw off a Capitolite’s trail just by changing the colours of your hair, skin tone, or eyes alone. Besides, neither of them could use the hair colours and skin dye meant for Camellia’s Capitol identity until she ‘debuted’.

With a flourish of his right arm gesturing to the outskirts of the mall, where multitude rows of different shops laid ahead, he explained, “A mall like this one is basically a huge building containing many different stores, restaurants, and other amenities into one area. Lots of Capitolites love to visit here because it’s the best place to buy the latest fashion, make-up and cosmetics, toys, different kinds of technology and gadgets, all kinds of stuff.” As an afterthought, he added, “Sometimes they’re so big, they’re practically their own districts.”

“You’re telling me. I can’t believe only the Capitol has this and not in District 7.” Camellia commented with a small scowl marring her face, most likely thinking about her home district not having this kind of stuff, no thanks to the Capitol’s greed and selfishness.

Anakyn just nodded in quiet agreement; sometimes whenever he visited a really fancy mall or shop in the Capitol, he couldn’t help but to wish that he could take everyone in the districts to this kind of wonderland, so that they could to explore and afford everything they want and need, to their heart’s content...

“Yeah... Anyway, I know it’s hard to find any concert outfits you’ll like, and I’m pretty sure the other rebels still don’t know fashion and shit as well as I do. So I’m gonna take you out clothes-shopping here to find something you want, Capitolite-style. Just think of today as a 1-on-1 outing together, ok? My treat.” The blonde offered while sounding as sweet and hopeful as possible.

However, Camellia unexpectedly got caught off-guard by what he just said. She still looked reluctant to believe him, a mix of surprise from this amount of generosity and edge just from being reminded about Anakyn reaping Syca 2 years ago, as well as last month’s Games while he was still standing. Him actually working for the rebellion and opposing the Hunger Games complicated things, too. He sighed and ended up confessing softly, “Look, I just want to make it up to you for... everything in the last 2 years. For Syca, and especially... you. I mean, I know your impression of me isn’t that great just from what I do.” Truthfully, he was still uneasy on Camellia’s opinion of him in general for this reason alone, so the rebel didn’t have high hopes on getting along with her better at this rate…

The District 7 survivor was quiet for a while, thinking hard on things and reminiscing on what she saw and heard from the Quell from the looks of it. “Ani,” Camellia finally said with a firm voice, facing the rebel with direct eye contact. Come to think of it, it was the first time he heard her call him ‘Ani’, not ‘Anakyn’.

“It still hurts a little. The Hunger Games, I mean.” She admitted quietly, but then switched back to her resolute face again. “But what’s more important is the here and now.”

Anakyn wasn’t sure what to make of that, so he ended up saying in confusion, “......I don’t get it.”

Camellia let out a quiet frustrated sigh, either frustrated at herself for sounding too mysterious or at Anakyn for sounding like an idiot. Ani would bet on the second.

“I don’t hate you, or blame you, for what happened to Syca and how he died. Even if you did reap him. You couldn’t have done anything more than you did, and it wasn’t your fault.” Her eyes fought against the mistiness that snuck in, but her voice stood strong and resolute. “But you did give my little bro a fighting chance for a few more days with that lifeboat, and... it meant a lot.”

She remembered that? He didn’t see it coming.

“Syca wouldn’t let you beat yourself up like this.”

“And neither should you.” Wow, that wasn’t something Ani didn’t expect to say today, but it’s true though. For both of them. They really should remember it more.

“You know, you have a bigger heart than I thought, when no one asked you to.” Camellia said slowly and thoughtfully. “You didn’t just take care of Syca, you also looked after me, too... I still remember your gift with the origami camellia, by the way.” That reminiscence gave her a small smile. “You dealt with the chariot outfits for Jace in his place and I certainly know Jace and Numitor’s reviews of you are fucking glowing whenever they brought you up.” That specific sentence was punctuated with a grin, which must’ve meant that part was important to her. “I’m even surprised you wanted to help Coda, of all people, from what I heard. But looking back... I think I get it now.”

Ok, Anakyn will admit he already knew about Montessori’s opinions back then, but not Jace’s (he thought Jace hates him, but... maybe there’s more to it than that since the water-filled canteen) or Numitor’s (because of last year and despite knowing him the longest) until now. And out of all the many lines Ani toed during sponsoring, Coda was the riskiest to try saving, but it’s so worth it. For him, for Henley, for the tributes who don’t deserve cruel fates. His sponsoring methods must’ve paid off even if he’s not a real mentor.

Anything to test the limits of the Hunger Games, and anything to destroy the Hunger Games from the inside-out.

“And Anakyn, I’m just grateful you’re styling all of us. And trying to help us adjust to the Capitol.” The Seven girl commented with finality.

Hearing all of that lifted off some tension from his shoulders, so he told her with a smile, “Yeah, of course, I’ll help all of you in any way I can.”

Ok, maybe things won’t be so bad.

At least, until Camellia randomly said this little tidbit.

“Besides, I still can’t believe you gave Malloy blue balls, of all things. Like, really? Blue. Balls.” She pointedly joked with a snicker.

What the hell, she knew?!?!?! About his skin dye job on Malloy?! Recently, whenever Lux, Wolf, Trap, Numitor, Kat, Coda, or Helen brought up that part right at his face, Anakyn would suddenly short-circuit, wanting to crawl into a hole and die. And he rarely gets embarrassed, so that’s saying something!

But that didn’t stop Ani from feigning a scandalous gasp and throwing a dramatic hand over his heart. “Dude, as much as I’d love to take credit for being the sole reason he’s with you again in the first place, I didn’t think I’d have to literally give him blue balls to do it.” He defended between little airy giggles; once Camellia brought it up in that perspective, it was really funny now that he thought about it. 

Blue balls, man, literally and figuratively. 

Double entendre aside, two can play that game. “Besides, I didn’t even think I’d learn how to dye skin tones until your boyfriend came along, all the way down there.” He smirked, his head gesturing downwards toward the crotch area for emphasis. “And man, being light blue really gets into people skin-deep.” Whoops, unintentional pun ahoy.

Now that sent Camellia spiralling into a huge random laughing fit. And then Ani ended up laughing from her laugh.

The two didn’t care if they got weird looks from the other Capitolite passerby at this rate, but they finally stopped laughing as soon as they ran out of air in their lungs. Damn, it felt good to purely laugh and relax again.

Camellia finally said, in soft agreement, “Ok, I’ll take your word for it. Spoil me rotten with this mall trip you’re planning for me.” Her voice and gray eyes were tinged with anticipated eagerness this time.

“Awesome! This is gonna be great! I sure hope we’ll find some nice clothes in all those places today.” Her reassurance surprisingly made the earlier regret and guilt ebb away and now his enthusiasm pumped up again. For finding new clothes and hopefully, a new engagement ring for his girlfriend, no, fiancé-to-be. “Besides, I’ll need to buy something, too.”

“Really, what?”

“A... gift. I’m looking for a gift.” His thrown-off answer was slightly betrayed by the slight blush on his cheeks. But that didn’t take away Ani’s bright, energetic smile. “Man, you’re really gonna like all the cool stuff out there! C’mon!”

Briefly grabbing Camellia’s arm, he led the way, as the duo headed over to the vast, glamorous yonder that is the shopping mall. 

~.~.

Shopping with Camellia Gallen turned out to be a fun and intriguing experience so far.

Their time in the mall had started off with wandering into whichever shop she was fascinated by, as Anakyn patiently let her explore everything at her own pace. At first, she gazed at everything with quiet curiosity, but then became more actively engaged as soon as she got the hang of the social and environmental aspects of the mall atmosphere. Sometimes Camellia would ask the male model about different Capitol products displayed right in front of them and other times, she would lightly touch and hold them to understand what they looked like or how different textures felt.

As soon as they hit every clothing store they could find, Camellia and Anakyn got more excitable as they prioritized on what kind of clothing items her new Capitolite alias would like to wear, as well as which clothing items Camellia herself would like to wear (should she be finally allowed to return to District 7). Even though some of the clothes sold there were too outrageous, garish, and intense-looking in district-standards, there was still a nice selection of items that served concert-worthy inspiration out there. Particularly in Capitolite-standards, but palatable enough for both realms. They had a blast with the discoveries they found and getting to try some of them. In addition, Anakyn was good-natured enough to offer her some tips on the clothing items he personally wore to stand out better from his Capitol contemporaries, and how to style them; that way, she could still express herself comfortably without fully conforming to their outlandishness. To the model’s surprise, Camellia’s got a good sense of style herself and absolutely knew what she wanted to buy.

As the two walked out of the trendy clothing store they were previously in, they carried around a huge number of shopping bags in their hands. So far, Anakyn and Camellia bought a maroon velvet moto jacket, a black lace bralette, a bright green shirt, dark-wash jeans, black ripped leggings, a loose white tank top, a sheer black shirt, a khaki green camo jacket with painted rose motifs on the shoulders and back, maroon crop top, white flowery bikini, and a pastel rainbow tinsel jacket. They even managed to obtain 3 shoes in the form of black lug-sole platform shoes, silver sandals with a chunky heel, and brown suede knee-high lace-up boots with fringes around the collar. In Anakyn’s own mind, he even got an idea for a future creative project during the shopping; he wanted to give one of the worn-out denim jackets, which he scavenged from District 6 once, some new life by embroidering camellias and sycamore seeds onto the back (reminders of the Gallen siblings together), and then giving it to Camellia as a present for either Winter Fest or her birthday, whenever that’ll be.

Camellia was the first to peer over some of the bags Ani was holding. “Looks like we’ve gotten ourselves a pretty good haul.” She commented with a small impressed whistle.

“Yeah, I’ll say. Better than I thought, too.” He agreed with a short nod; sure, their excursion was a little hard to pull off due to the clothing stores having more autumn-based clothing than summer-appropriate garments this time around. Today might be the low 20s of August, but their efforts didn’t die in vain. “Now we just- holy shit.” He couldn’t believe what he just saw in front of him. He just had to step inside, Camellia following straight after him.

There was a big jewellery shop that, at first glance, seemed a little softer in presence compared to its louder counterparts at the mall. Its walls, furniture, cabinets, and shelves were pretty much a warm white colour, but they also had gold and silver metal accents. There was also a lot of glass casings on the displays, cabinets, and some of the shelving to protect the fine jewellery. High up, there were draping and dangling strands of small fluorescent light bulbs and crystal beads; in fact, the entire ceiling was full of them, acting like a chandelier in itself whilst providing bright lighting for the entire space. Anakyn has never seen this place last time he visited the mall, so he easily deduced that it was a recently-opened business. He had to admit he liked its interior design compared to some of the other jewellery stores he often passed by or visited; it wasn’t too gaudy, dim, old-world conservative, extra, or straight-lined sleek... it was a little more understated if anything, with just the right amount of sparkle and chic.

Suddenly, this particular jewellery shop was making Anakyn feel weird just by standing here. Ok, so maybe he wasn’t having a punk day today, but if he knew that ring shopping would be as meticulous and detail-orientated as this place, maybe he would’ve dressed better for the part. His white boxy crop top with a pastel solar system illustration on it, plaid blue skirt that resembles a flannel shirt tied around his waist, gray sandals with winding neon yellow elastic straps winding around his feet and ankles, and black cap bag sure looked out of place against the mostly warm white environment. Same with Camellia’s gray sleeveless jumpsuit, a brown belt around her waist, and black buckled boots with silver buckles. Not that ring shopping itself was extremely serious and formal or anything, but on principle...

“Umm, Ani?” Camellia piped up next to him. “When you said you’re looking for a gift... who are you giving it to in the first place?”

Ok, fuck, how was he supposed to answer this??? Panic started to flood his brain, but he barely managed to hold it together. “Helen.” Anakyn finally said.

“Helen?” She inquired further with a raised eyebrow. “You’re gonna find a gift for Helen here?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully.” Could he really find an engagement ring in this place?

Interestingly, there were plenty of employees walking around, but the inside of the store didn’t have any other customers except them. Sure, jewellery stores like this one were a little quieter with at least a few extremely-dressed Capitolites wandering around and buying jewels to wear, but he was surprised that nobody was here at this time of the day. Then again, being a new business does take a lot of adjusting with the Capitol populace and community.

“Hello there, may I help you?”

Anakyn and Camellia certainly didn’t expect this startling voice out of nowhere, nor this regal and polished older Capitolite who was standing right next to them. His accent may sound sophisticated, but otherwise got a firm and gentle presence. This Capitolite man, who must be the boss of the business, wore a sharply-cut pale gold suit whereas the other employees were dressed in white button-down shirts, light gray slacks with silver flecks, and gray waistcoat vests with gold buttons.

“I’m looking for- no, wait, we’re looking for-” Damn it, Ani didn’t sound as smooth as he wanted right now. His unaccented voice wasn’t helping much with the nervousness either. Before he could open his impulsive mouth again, a surprised realization dawned upon the debonair Capitolite’s face.

“Oh! You must be Anakyn Skyavich! The model and escort for the Hunger Games!” Wow, sometimes Anakyn forgot that people could easily recognize him as a celebrity in both professions, even startling said people before he could even do anything. That was clearly identified from the boss man’s face despite his composure. The store employees, for a moment there, were too stunned and in awe to react any other way.

The model ended up laughing a little, dispelling his tension and the shaky start. “Yeah, I’m Anakyn. Hi.” He ended up greeting the older man, and then gave a similar sentiment to the other employees nearby, with a friendly smile and a small wave.

Once the older man calmed down, he then peered a little towards Camellia’s direction. “And this young lady over there is-?”

“My friend.” Anakyn answered for him with a close call and a cover-up. “We’ve been doing a lot of shopping today and we just happened to stumble upon this interesting business of yours.”

That older man looked rather puzzled at first, trying to process the information for a bit. But then he just smiled gently and said, “Well, we are grateful to have such interesting visitors as you two today.”

The duo breathed a quiet sigh of relief; at least that man was level-headed and not intrusive or anything. Anakyn found it hard enough to not slip up and accidentally say Camellia’s name out loud inside the shops compared to the mall perimeters. Even harder not to say Rose Westmore, her new Capitol identity as an Out of Spite prospect. And then there’s the fact that Anakyn, for some reason, is the only Capitol citizen who wasn’t born with a Capitolite accent and couldn’t speak it for shit, not even a faint one. You would not believe the crap he would get from many Capitolites over the years, just for that alone. Camellia was probably just grateful she wasn’t being cornered as much; besides, she couldn’t completely replicate a Capitolite accent yet to speak in full (Ani could relate) and Rose wasn’t musician-ready yet.

Down to business, Anakyn decided to get straight to the point for his visit, “Do you have any rings here? I want to-”

“Wait, a ring?” Shit, he forgot Camellia just heard that.

“A ring.” The man inquired, obviously taking note of this.

“Yes, a ring. It’s for this girl I like and I want to give it to her as a gift,” He said, then added, “She’s really special to me.”

“Ahh, so who is the girl you’re-”

A dramatic gasp ensued, from Camellia of all people. “No. Way. You’re gonna propose to Helen-”

“Shhh! Dude, not so loud!” Anakyn had to quickly quiet her down. But then he realized that the jewellery store owner and his attendants might be listening in, so he had to tell them, “Will you give us a minute?” before moving them away to a more concealed part of the shop and facing the survivor more properly.

“Anakyn, what the fuck’s going on here?” Camellia yell-whispered, barely remembering to not give away her real identity at the rate she’s in, just from her voice alone. “You took me away from bunker hell, dragged me into your so-called ‘mission’ of yours, and then you were gonna like, what? Pop up a ring? And onto Helen Bethel, of all people?! And who the hell gives a girl a ring as ‘just’ a present anyway?” She retorted, air-quotes included. Anakyn winced at her rant, especially that last part, although it was really hard to suppress that dash of fire inside.

Just for that, Ani braced himself for what he’s about to tell her. It’s now or never.

“I’m dating Helen. She’s my girlfriend.”

Camellia made a weird-sounding squeak and her jaw dropped, but promptly closed it as she couldn’t help but to ask, “How long have you two been dating?”

Man, why is talking about it so hard today?!?! Still, Anakyn answered with, “Uhh.... 2 years. 2 years and 1 month.”

Camellia wasn’t sure what to think of this response, from the looks of it, but something perceptive was brewing up into the inner workings of her mind. “The Quell?” She guessed in a quieter voice. “That love twist?”

“Kinda.” He answered, then decided to go to the honest route. “While I was taking care of Syca and Persei, Helen fell for me first. Hard. And fast. For all the flirting and dating I’ve ever done, I thought I caught feelings because I got the Q-Serum like the tributes or something. I couldn’t tell if they were telling the truth or lying. Even with how much all those Capitolites treated the love twist... I swore not to play their love game. Not to fuck every person I see and talk to or something. Not to fall for anybody...”

“But it happened. For real.”

“Yeah, even though I’m probably, like, the last person Helen would ever date.” That specific statement confused Camellia the most, so Anakyn had to redirect his answer to make her pay attention. “Anyway, I didn’t realize how deep I was in until we kissed the first time after the Games ended. Ok, more like, she kissed me first and I didn’t get to make a move until the second kiss. And then it took off from there... we've been in love ever since.”

Now that Camellia brought it up, it’s weird and bittersweet that he ended up being Helen’s boyfriend the same day as the end of the Quell, when Riggs and June won together, and when Bonaventure got executed for... treason......

“But Helen would never have the courage to tell you she loved you if they didn’t happen.” A small voice inside his inner mind told him. Anakyn couldn’t deny it at this point. Then again, a lot of big moments in his life weren’t his idea. But fate saw him differently than he ever could.

“Wait a minute, if I didn’t become an escort or I ended up as a tribute... would things be different?” His thoughts suddenly couldn’t help but to wonder. An uncomfortable gut feeling twisted his stomach the more his head got into the clouds. His mom found love when she escorted... and then him. “I would’ve ended up in the arena no matter how old I am.” Was the best he could conclude, even if solving that hypothesis was weak. However, now’s not a good time to think too much or too rashly, so Anakyn refocused his attention on the Seven survivor, even as that twisted gut feeling came back.

“You and Helen seem pretty cute together.” Was the first remark she ended up saying.

Well, fuck, Ani didn’t see that coming. “Really? You’re not mad? Or disgusted?” What? She could’ve been hiding a pitchfork for all he knew. 

“Why would I be?” Camellia queried with a head tilt and a raised eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. “You two aren’t that slick. Helen likes to gush about you. A lot.” She stated point-blank.

Oh. That. Lately, anyone who’s friends with Helen (Wolf, the rest of Upward Voyager, Pri, Ambrose, Kendal, and Maud) have told him, various times, that she tends to bring him up in conversation, especially if he’s not in proximity. Anakyn recently knew about it but wasn’t entirely sure why; hearing about it either makes him flattered or flustered. No in-between. Hell, he even sensed it from his tributes in District 7 during the Quell even though they didn’t flat-out say it (ok, Syca would be a little more direct, but his point still stands).

“I don’t know! I didn’t want you to be pissed! I mean, c’mon, I took Syca from you already and I’m dating your mentor/one of his mentors... wait, fuck, that just sounds wrong.” Ok, Anakyn will have to try again. “I thought you’d be the type to, like, think district and Capitolite couples are immoral and inhumane or something. You know, hate them?” He confessed quietly, trying to ignore the tinge of ebbed sadness and guilt in his voice.

And according to Panem, it still felt forbidden sometimes. Oh wait, it is. Even though he truly loves Helen.

Anakyn didn’t love Helen just because she’s a Victor. Anakyn loves Helen for her heart, her wicked sense of humour, her drive, her signature of defiance, her badassery without sacrificing femininity, being easy to talk to without being judged for being too vulnerable or too weird, and she’s really fun to be with. And she doesn’t deserve to lose all of that, even with the stuff she did in her Hunger Games. Vicious notoriety and presumed ditziness included.

But then the Seven girl’s next words stunned him.

“I didn’t see you together often, but from what I could tell, you two were practically attached to the hip.” Camellia commented with a smirk, even as her next words were more sincere with a smile. “I really like Helen, even with all the Games shit. If Helen’s happy being with you, then I’m happy. That’s all there is to it.”

Wow. Another less thing to worry about after all, as exemplified with a short yet melodic laugh from Ani. Damn, he felt better this time. Now back to the matter at hand, with the engagement ring thing.

“The point is, I’m planning to propose to Helen soon, but… I’m gonna need your help finding a nice engagement ring for her.” Anakyn prompted.

“Why me?” She queried.

That’s a good question. “Because you’re the best person I know, about Helen, about lots of things. I trust you.” He told her. Pure and simple. “Besides, I figured I could use some help from a feminine point of view.”

Camellia just looked stunned upon hearing this revelation.

“Hey, I gotta ask your blessing for Helen’s hand in marriage eventually, anyway.” Anakyn said defensively, trying to prove that he’s joking... kinda. Come to think of it, the young male was really grateful that his mom wasn’t from one of those Capitolite families, especially those traditional and prestigious ones, who organize arranged marriages onto their kids (even worse if they planned marriages for little kids, ugh) and shove those traditions into their throats or something. At least he’s lucky enough to get to choose an engagement ring, when to marry, and who to marry, with his mom’s consent. Still, for the sake of ‘courtship’, it wouldn’t hurt to ask Camellia since Helen mentored both her and Syca (by minor extension). Suddenly, as another afterthought, he added, “Besides, you’re one of the 30 people I have to get proper approval from in the first place.”

“...”

“...”

“.........Ani, you dumbass, 30?!?!” Camellia screeched out in exasperation, loud to the point where the escort had to place a finger on her lips to keep her quiet. “You don’t need to prove yourself to that many fucking people.” She chided in a lower voice.

“Oh yeah?” He dared.

“Yeah. Try me. Who’s even the so-called ‘30’, anyway? ” She shot back.

Here goes nothing. “My mom, Numitor, Helen’s parents, Wolf, Cerulean, Aristotle, Trixie, Pluto, Thor, Scorpio, Thack, Em, Benjamin, Priapus, Calliope, Ambrose, Kendal, Maud, Riggs, Gian, June, Prentice, Malloy, Montessori, Coda, Jace, Trap, Kat, annnnd you.”

Camellia’s lips let out a pfft noise at first in disbelief, but then those same lips couldn’t help but to let out a silent and deflated ‘oh’ to match her inner thoughts.

“See. What did I tell ya?”

Hell, Ani’s surrounded by badass people on a daily basis. How the fuck would he compete with that?!?!?

“Well, you wouldn’t need to worry about that; I already gave my seal of approval to you and your girlfriend a long time ago.” Camellia teasingly said with a knowing and sincere smile etched onto her lips.

Ani only laughed a little and smiled softly in response. No mischief, no sinfully dirty smirks, no shit-eating grins. Maybe he made the right call with sneaking Camellia out of the bunkers and taking her to the mall after all. All the quests in the world need all the support to finish them.

“So... will you help me?” Anakyn finally asked, but corrected himself with the polite addition of, “Please?”

“......You don’t even need to ask twice, Ani. Of course I’ll help.” The Seven girl decided with a smile.

“Dude, you will?! Awesome!!” Anakyn couldn’t help it with the grin pushing across his cheeks. He’s just happy right now.

Camellia scanned around the entire jewellery store, accessing its surroundings and its many twinkling treasures and trinkets in wonder and awe. “Hey, hold on, how do you even look for an engagement ring?” She ended up asking first thing in a louder voice.

“...” Well, crap, he almost didn’t think about how to even find a ring here. Anakyn knew that finding an engagement ring must be carefully chosen and he can’t just half-ass his way through it. Just like choosing the right colours for a painting. Or picking the best dress or suit to wear for a high-society party. Or deciding between whoopee cushions or thumb tacks on chairs for a prank. Or finding the right parts and tools to fix a car. Or selecting a proper gadget to sneak inside a heavily secured building. Or even arming himself with a good enough weapon to take down an opponent.

But an engagement ring, on the other hand, has a lot more impact because it’ll be on his girlfriend’s fingers at any moment. Something that he’ll like on her. Something that she’ll like on herself. Something to easily identify her, but also as his fiancé. And later, his wife.

“I don’t know how it works either.” The escort confessed in deflated defeat. C’mon, he’s only gonna get married to someone once; how would he know stuff like this?

The jewellery store owner must’ve sensed their problem, for he made himself heard again to say, “An engagement ring can be chosen from one of our many rings in this store. But for a fine young man like you, Mr. Skyavich, you and your friend can have the whole store to yourself for a while and the attendants will help pick out whichever rings you want. Look over what you want before you decide what to buy.”

Camellia’s lips let out a small surprised “Oh!” while Anakyn was equally startled as he asked, “Really, we can?!!” Honestly, Ani hadn’t even thought of searching through this possibility.

The man laughed. “Of course, a well-crafted ring is a fine work of art in itself, so we can assist both of you in decision-making. Or if you do decide to customize your version of your chosen ring as a commission, that’s acceptable, too.”

The duo contemplated on this suggestion, Ani even more so; he thought, like with most fine jewellery, you only had to select your customizations and then build up from there. Either that or ride and die with your singular choice. Maybe, just maybe...

“Alright, we’ll do it.”

Whoops, Anakyn and Camellia legit said it at the same time. Jinx.

With determination now etched into his face, the secret rebel turned to Camellia briefly before facing the store’s expanse again. “Welp, we better get started then.” He told her.

Camellia nodded as she said, “Yeah.” with the same fervour.

And that was when they kicked off their search.

The search for the one ring.

The one engagement ring for Helen Bethel.

Ok, in theory, Anakyn could’ve just commissioned and customized a ring for Helen entirely. His jobs’ wages would allow him to afford it and she deserved something really unique to prove his heart and soul for her, but... No matter how armed he was with ring metals, gem cuts, carats, and diamond qualities, he could never be truly secure and satisfied with what he’ll end up with unless he found the one ring.

This was why the young man planned to check out each store’s specialty rings first. This was his Plan A. 

Rash, yes. Impulsive, yes. But not impossible.

For the next hour or so, Anakyn and Camellia spent their time exploring around the jewellery shop and observing the fancy plethora of rings and engagement rings, as many as they could find. It practically felt a scavenger hunt, in Ani’s opinion. Whenever they saw a ring they liked and imagined would probably fit Helen, they would ask any of the assisting employees nearby awaiting them and politely requested to take their choices out, from stock or from the original display cases they were in.

In Anakyn’s perspective, he couldn’t believe there were so many different types of rings in this mall store alone. And who knows what else could be out there in other places? At first, he thought there would be a lot of options there were tacky, bulky, run-of-the-mill, bulbous, and/or just... ugly. But to his surprise, there weren’t a lot of those in this jewellery store. Rather, there were plenty of classical forms as well as astonishingly beautiful yet quirky manifestations in all of their rings. There was also a lot of diamonds, different kinds of metals, and an eclectic variety of jewels, coloured diamonds, gemstones, crystals, minerals, and quartz, most of which he had never seen or heard of anywhere in Panem. The ring designs intrigued him the most, some of which he could even see himself wearing at some point, maybe even getting inspiration for converting jewellery pieces as weapons...

While the rebel found himself eyeing intently at these black stackable jagged rings he found at the moment, he thought long and hard between searching and picking on what kind of engagement ring would probably suit someone like Helen. A ring that’s equally beautiful in district standards and Capitol standards, but ultimately be part of her.

“Something not too opulent, but still elegant and precious enough that she’ll love and treasure no matter what. Just as much as our entire relationship.”

Having Camellia with him while looking for a ring was actually a pretty good idea now that Ani thought about it; as Helen’s recent mentee, she might know a couple things about the Victor’s personal tastes. Maybe even better than Anakyn’s own knowledge.

She was fascinated by every single intricate and delicate offering the shop presented, most of which were a lot different than the rings or other jewellery pieces being sold or made in District 7. But Camellia also examined them with critical eyes as she muttered little comments and observations under her breath. In Anakyn’s occasional proximity, he swore he could’ve heard stuff like “That’s a pretty design.”, “Fuck, that’s a lot of diamonds.”, and “Ugh, it looks so ugly.”

A little while later, the man called out from the counter, “Have you two finished picking your rings yet?” In response, Anakyn and Camellia both glanced at each other, then turned to the other direction to voice out a resounding “uh-huh” from where they currently stood in the store.

The man gestured to one of the store’s marble countertops, which acted as a makeshift table, and a few stools next to it. “Please, take a seat.”

As soon as the two sat down, their current ring options were now laid out in front of them on a black velvet tray. They ended up deciding on 6 rings each, making it 12 in total. Individually, they all stood out in their brilliance, but seeing them together made it even more challenging to compare, let alone pick.

From Anakyn’s picks on the left side of the tray, there was an interesting collection of assorted types of metals as the ring base and more colourful accents amongst the jewels. The first one was a delicate diamond and yellow gold band, with a mysterious emerald-cut light red and green gem. His second choice was a silver ring with this big oval-cut dark diamond (at least, it looked like a diamond?) with dramatic black flecks everywhere, flanked by 3 small round diamonds and 2 bigger triangular diamonds.  Following ahead in third was a deceptively simple blackened white gold ring with a thin diamond-covered band and an oval-cut lavender-coloured gem. The fourth ring pick had a really thick and elaborate diamond-encrusted silver band and a big pale pink jewel in the middle of its royally stylistic frame, while it’s 2 sparkle shapes and jewel border were made of rose gold. The accompanying fifth was a thin diamond-covered platinum band with triangular diamonds that either pointed upwards or downwards within a small gap between each other. The final ring, as his sixth, had a thin gold band, a round light blue sapphire, and 3 smaller round grayish-white diamonds next to it.

Camellia’s selections on the tray’s right seemed to have a few specific traits next to each other, either intentionally or subconsciously. Her first choice was a simple rose gold ring with a medium round-cut bright pink sapphire. The second companion was a yellow gold ring dotted with a few sapphires and diamonds, where a pale blue sapphire heart softly gleamed amongst a nestled diamond frame. Another one, her third, was a gold ring with a thin diamond-covered band and a huge octagon-shaped diamond, with tiny diamonds surrounding it. The fourth ring, in blackened white gold, was very thin and narrow, but its remarkable quality was its simple multi-pointed crown shape while being adorned in petite diamonds. Her fifth was a rose gold ring with a big oval-cut pinkish lavender-hued jewel and tiny diamonds were clustered at the sides while a few of them also encircled the gem. And in sixth, her final selection was an asymmetrical stone cluster ring that appeared delicate at first glance with its yellow gold frame. But its real impact came from the tiny round clusters of diamonds, 2 dusky pink gems, and 3 peachy pink gems, as well as this pretty big smoky gray gem off the center.

One thing’s for sure, though, was their design choices reining more towards whimsy over simplicity.

“Wow, there’s a lot of pink tones from the ones you picked.” Anakyn remarked.

“And yours is a lot-” Camellia cut herself off mid-sentence, as if she couldn’t find the right adjective she wanted for a moment.  Then she glanced at his rings and tried again. “Quirkier.”

“Touché.” He admitted, holding both of his hands up in surrender.

Camellia then said, “I can’t recognize some of the jewels, gems, or minerals in our picks. I mean, an engagement ring is supposed to prove how much you love somebody, but you also have to pay attention to the other person’s taste...”

“Yeah, like, what kind of jewel is this?” Ani had to query as well, the question being directed towards the man seated in the front as he poked the main jewel from the fourth ring he picked, its pale pink tones practically matched the rose gold accents as the ring gleamed. “Or this?” He repeated the same action with his third ring, its oval-cut lavender gem resting onto its diamond band.

“Well, since you two asked, I’ll be glad to identify any of the ones you don’t. For example, the one you just pointed at is morganite. They are usually in pinkish-colours. Whereas your other ring here has a gem called spinel.” The older man explained.

“How about this pinkish-lavender one?” Camellia gave her curiosity a shot as she examined her own fifth ring more closely.

“Ah, that would be kunzite; it’s a very uncommon gem so not many people know of its existence, not even us Capitolites.”

“What about the red-and-green one?” Anakyn pointed at his first ring with the aforementioned gem.

“That’s watermelon tourmaline. It’s called that because the jewel colour is like a watermelon.”

Camellia tapped the multitude of gems in her last choice as a challenge, mostly clad in dusky pink and peach. “Can you identify the ones in this ring?”

The older man’s eyes twinkled in amusement upon hearing this particular question. “Now this ring is one of our most unique specialities. Besides the usual diamonds, the dusky pink jewels you see here are spinels, whereas the peach gems are actually different coloured sapphires, just as the grayish one near the center.”

“And what about this ring with the black... diamond? Jewel?” Ani wasn’t sure what he saying was correct, but nonetheless, he poked at the second ring he personally picked. He chose this one because the black flecks swirling around intrigued him.

“Diamond.” The man corrected momentarily before remarking, “Really, I didn’t expect you to choose this ring for your selection; we’ve made jewellery pieces with natural black diamonds yet every Capitolite that has visited seems to have scorn them.”

Now that was new information Anakyn didn’t see coming. Then he unexpectedly remembered something that just conjured up in his head; something that quickly occurred to him throughout his 5 year modelling career. “Wait a minute, I’ve seen jewellery and accessories in the Capitol that have black diamonds looking all pitch-black. What’s the difference between those and a natural black diamond?” He quickly inquired, curiosity immediately activating his mental gears.

Camellia, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow upon hearing Ani’s seemingly random question. One that was probably irrelevant to her but made perfect sense to him.

“Good question; let me show you.” As soon as the man said that, he reached for a set of drawers underneath the countertop to take out 2 containers full of small diamonds. One was full of pure black diamonds, while the other one must’ve contained those natural black diamonds like the one in the engagement ring option. Half of them looked smoky gray with dark gray or black flecks, while a couple of them either looked almost entirely black with a faded tinge or had a little more transparency, but you can see more dramatic and turbulent sequences of black lines, flecks, and smears.

“Most of the black diamonds that are this dark are heated or treated to get this colour, though there are a rare few naturally super dark ones out there.” The man lightly shook the container with the “pure” black diamonds for emphasis, and then tilted the second container with the “less” black diamonds, continuing with, “Natural black diamonds, on the other hand, are more like a smokey gray and that was what they originally looked like when they were dug up. Also known as carbonado or salt-and-pepper diamonds, they are one of the toughest forms of natural diamond, as well as more porous.”

“Wow...” The duo leaned closer to gaze upon the natural black diamonds being shown to them. Anakyn couldn’t believe that the Capitolites like pure black stuff over something as cool as this (not that there’s anything wrong with it, but still), whereas Camellia expressed amazement despite her disinterest just a few seconds ago. Both identified little grains, spots, flakes, and splatters of black and different shades of gray amongst a barely clear, transparent, or light gray background in each individual diamond. Markings like these either accent as salt and pepper, dot up into bubbly marks or sand-like grains, or lash into ribbons or flecks on the inside. Sometimes they got transparent or iridescent shine that had slightly coloured tinges of faded gray or brown inside, depending on which angle you look at them or how deeply you stare at its depths.

It looked like Ani’s curiosity was sated for now, so he redirected his attention back to his and Camellia’s engagement ring collections. “Ok, I think we should think about what Helen likes first.” He told the District 7 girl. “You know, style-wise? Or colours she like? Maybe we can get a better idea from those references alone for the ring.” He tried again to prompt Camellia better.

“Got it.” They put on their thinking faces and tried to decipher anything from their own memories of the Seven Victor, even as the jewellery store owner left the two to their own devices for the time being until they have the next say.

Camellia was the first to speak up, recalling, “I think she likes to wear pastel colours a lot. And pink.”

Oh! That statement and observation ignited a spark in Anakyn’s brain immediately. “Hey, I think you’re right. She does usually wear pink and pastel stuff in the clothes. Helen likes those colours.” Now that Camellia mentioned it...

“When I first met Helen, I thought she was a tomboy at first because of her love of sports, the outdoors, and her competitive drive, but her girly and feminine side surprised me.” He suddenly told the Seven girl as memories of his cute girlfriend quickly blossomed inside his mental image. Anything about what he’d seen and things she told him whenever they hung out, had dates, and during the Pre-Games Parties. Between the two, Helen didn’t care too much about outfits (although that’s been changed a little since they dated) whereas Anakyn is more fashion-savvy (yet also having anti-establishment moments) due to his modelling job and his own eye for style. “I think... I think Helen’s more of a girly-girl and liking very girly things style-wise, but her personality is more of a sporty girl. I mean, she could fucking destroy your ass many times over ’til Sunday and you will thank her.” He deduced in conclusion, even if that last sentence made the younger girl snort. Ani would know about the sporty part; he played enough games and random competitive stuff with the District 7 Victor to tell the difference. Not to mention their sparring bets (which sometimes led to… other things), back when the movement was led by Cerena.

“That makes sense; I saw her wearing pastel and glittery make-up plenty of times. Oh, and ruffled clothes!”

“Oh my god, I was just thinking that, too! She likes them for fancy events or whenever she goes out! She also loves florals a lot!”

“Alright, so pink, pastels, and... Sparkly? Glittery? Maybe some flowery stuff, too? Whatever, it’s a good start. That can’t be too hard for a ring.” Camellia noted with her slowed-down words, then ended it with a remark.

“Yeah, but here’s the thing about pink; anytime she does wear pink, it’s usually in darker shades, the pastel kind, and muted pinks. Helen once mentioned she doesn’t like extremely bright and saturated pink...? Or at least, doesn’t wear it a lot.” Anakyn felt the need to point out. But Camellia looked confused at what did the word ‘saturated’ have to do with Helen and pink in the first place, so he’ll have to try to clarify it further. “There’s a lot of saturated versions of different colours in the Capitol, the kind that’ll burn and blind your eyes if you, like, overdid it or something. Either that or vomit. With an icky aftertaste.”

The District 7 survivor seemed to get the point across, indicated by her scrunched-up nose and a small disgusted, “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

A miniscule moment of awkward silence ensued for a minute, which was broken by Camellia’s new question.

“Wait, if she’s sporty, wouldn’t that mean she doesn’t wear jewellery or-?”

Ok, crap, he nearly forgot about that part. He’s seen his girlfriend wear jewellery before, but didn’t think about how often. Anakyn had to hack further into the depths of his memories to extract anything about it.

Camellia took initiative again, telling him, “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen her wear any of them too often.”

That ain’t good. “Man, that’s not helping much, ain’t it?” He commented with a sigh. “You know what kind Helen does wear? At least, from what you’ve seen?”

She rested her head on the countertop for a bit while rubbing her temples on one hand and finger-combing the disarrayed gold-tipped hair strands away from her face with another. Stormy gray eyes went glazed and hazy while spacing out very deep into her thoughts. Obviously trying to recall her mentoring sessions with Helen, no matter how temperamental she acted towards the Victor at times. 

“Helen... she’s worn...... necklaces... 1 or 2 rings...... and I think I saw earrings a few times?” She tentatively inputted.

Hey, come to think of it... “Ooh yeah! You’re right; she did wear those things.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh. I nearly forgot about that until you reminded me, so thanks for that. She likes wearing hair accessories, too.” Now that those little reminders resurfaced on his brain, it gave Anakyn some kind of ease into the decision-making for the ring.

He made sure to note to himself, “If Helen’s worn necklaces, earrings, and rings... oh shit. I just remembered! She isn’t huge on bracelets!” A new memory suddenly occurred to him. Something that Helen told him once 2 years ago.

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, not sure why. Maybe it’s too suffocating around her wrists? Or it feels heavy?” Somehow, hypothesizing the reasons why made the escort puzzled just talking about it. “I gave her a corsage 2 years ago though, when I was Helen’s date for the Quell party. You know, like those colourful roses worn by the tributes for friendship/romantic purposes? I’d thought I’d give her one to match her dress to seal the deal with the Victor date thing. Not sure if that counts though, since it’s not really a bracelet. Surprisingly, she did really like it when I gave it to her.”

That unexpected piece of information sparked intrigue within Camellia, even if it’s not really Syca-related that time. “Hmm... interesting.”

“It also reminds of that headband I created, that has little string lights that light up with a flick of a switch. I gave it to Helen as a Winter Fest present when we first interacted. Like, ironically, before I escorted for Seven and met her properly.”

“Wait, seriously?!”

“Yup! Invented that little thing myself!” Admittedly, Ani’s impulsive mouth hinted at his love of tinkering, which was very unusual in Capitolite-standards. But if anything, Camellia was surprisingly impressed in a quiet way.

“Wow... that’s pretty cool.”

“Yeah. Whatever I do, or make for people, I give my heart into it. Everything. Even little things. Even the little details. But... an engagement ring is a different story; it’s either luck by design or simply sealed with fate, but that’ll... mean......” Somehow, his last sentence trailed off as Anakyn realized he got a little carried away with the words he just said in this conversation. He couldn’t help it; he just sees the world differently and sometimes tends to express it as such while talking to people. They’d make a lot of sense to him with his unusual sense of logic, but Camellia would probably think he’s rambling irrelevantly at this point. An unfortunate side-effect of what he is. Fuck.

A new worry now approached him; if Helen doesn’t wear a lot of jewellery, then what if she doesn’t like the engagement ring...? Or simply wearing one...?

Camellia must’ve sensed his worry and discouragement over there, even with the seemingly off-topic tangents loosely connected by a common thread, for she said, “Hey, don’t worry about it. Maybe if Helen does wear jewellery, it must be a lot meaningful to her. Like, from a loved one.”

“Including that ring I’ll be proposing to her in?”

“Yeah.”

“...”

“C’mon, as long as you love her and she loves you, that’s all there is to it. As long as you’re the one giving it to her, I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“...yeah...I guess you’re right.”

Thinking about it now, what Camellia just said reminded Anakyn of his original intentions for finding the engagement ring suggestions in the first place. The aspects he guessed and conjured up in his search for the one ring. The one ring for Helen, his girlfriend. He didn’t want to forget them again like this.

Something not too opulent, but still elegant and precious enough that she’ll love and treasure no matter what. Just as much as our entire relationship.

Then again, whatever jewellery piece Helen did wear would highlight her neck and collarbone area, her fingers, her ears, her easy smile, her vibrantly bright green eyes, her warm tan skin with little freckles dancing on her cheeks, and slightly wavy strands of copper brown hair…

“..ni...Ani......ANI!” Suddenly, a great flare-up of electric jolts erupted on his forehead, almost making Anakyn fall off his chair. Luckily he didn’t, but he automatically reacted by jerking his back upright and covering up his forehead from the hurtful twinges.

“Ow! What the heck?! That hurts!” He exclaimed out in pain, glowering at the girl who flicked him.

“Says the guy who just blanked out on me.” Camellia sassed back, hands on her hips. The only response she got was a few blue-eyed blinks and hands uncovering the pained forehead.

“Wow, I went in that deep, huh?” Anakyn muttered indignantly. He must’ve daydreamt or some shit and he didn’t know it. “Then again, maybe being in love does that to everyone.”

“No shit.”

But he smiled softly just thinking about his effervescent lover. “Helen is very beautiful. And she’s very badass whenever she’s throwin’ fists.” Then a cheeky realization randomly struck him and leaned forward to whisper it to Camellia. “Like mentor, like mentee.” He added, his expression immediately changing into a devilish smirk and a wink.

The Seven girl rolled her eyes. “Oh stop it, you’re making me blush.” Camellia just said sarcastically, but had a little pleased smile despite herself.

Nevertheless, back on track with the ring, as Camellia stated, “Anyway, some colour would be nice on her. Helen doesn’t strike me as a girl with too classic tastes or anything; she’s pretty much vivid by herself.”

Anakyn nodded in agreement. “Yup, she definitely deserves some colour.”

“But we’d better stick with the ones in the pink or light-coloured range for Helen’s tastes.”

Ah, ok. Nothing too bold or intense then. As a result, they had to eliminate Anakyn’s first ring with the watermelon tourmaline and his second ring with the natural black diamond.

“What about the ones that solely have diamonds? Aren’t diamonds usually super-important for an engagement ring because their toughness is supposed to represent the strength of a couple’s love or something...?”

“...You’re right. Maybe keep them around a bit longer.”

“Ok.” At least the duo’s engagement ring tally was starting to get somewhere.

“Can’t look too threatening.”

“Right.”

So Anakyn’s fifth ring was out; it closely resembled barbed wire too much, anyway.

Camellia’s fingers now smoothed out the tiny diamonds and points of the crown ring she picked as her fourth option. “I only picked this one just because its crown shape looks really cool.” She mused a little softly.

“Yeah. Practically fitting for an edgy royal.” He agreed. “And the biggest queen in Panem.” He couldn’t help but to think to himself before speaking up again. “Maybe Helen would’ve liked it if it’s more like one of those stackable rings or something; it ain’t really looking like something that screams ‘I’m getting married’.”

No offence to the crown ring, but its shine didn’t emit that kind of significance. The Seven girl opened her mouth for a rebuttal, but she ended up closing it. “Hate to say this, but you have a point...” She admitted and ended up surrendering the crown ring into the ‘rejected’ pile of engagement rings. By then, the jewellery store owner returned from whatever he was doing and went over to check on the discussing duo.

“Oh, we’re getting there, thank you for asking.” Anakyn smoothly assured him. “We’re just torn on a few rings left, sir.”

The man nodded in understanding. “Engagement rings are rather difficult to sort out, for everybody. Both of you can take your time.”

“Thanks!” The duo voiced out, and they were left to their own devices again.

“So... we got these nice rings left.” Camellia realized upon examining their current state of their trays; she now got her first ring, second ring, third ring, fifth ring, and sixth ring left, while Anakyn retained his third ring, fourth ring, and sixth ring from his. “Just not ‘the one’ yet.”

“Man, picking an engagement ring is getting harder and harder to decide now.” Ani sighed. Not to mention it’s currently tough to pinpoint anything else about Helen. “We need- wait! Helen doesn’t like anything too gaudy in her jewellery!”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah; thinking about the stuff you said earlier, about the ‘meaningful’ thing, she probably likes more subtle, beautiful, and meaningful jewellery from the way she’s worn them... and we nearly overlooked that part! By accident! So if we pick something elegant...”

Camellia’s eyes lit up alongside Anakyn’s upon processing this new revelation. “Oooh! Now I get what you mean!”

With this new clue in hand, it brought up a new round of discussion. And a surprising topic of debate: What counts as ‘subtle’? The two of them spent an unpredictable chunk of time (probably 30 minutes, sheesh) deciding whether enlarged gems and thin, simplistic bands are technically ‘subtle’, and whether or not the gaudy rings are ‘subtle’ in Capitol standards or ‘excessive’ and ‘ugly’ in district standards due to their bulky-looking qualities. Cultural differences aside, the standoff ended up eliminating Anakyn’s third ring with the lavender spinel and fourth ring, that silver and rose gold one with the large morganite and sparkle shapes, as well as Camellia’s first ring with the medium round-cut pink sapphire and its third companion with the octagon-shaped diamond (even with that big diamond being the classical prominent piece). 

And then after much surmising, they noted from their reminiscences that Helen would stick to small earrings, necklaces, or rings whenever she wore them, so they had to examine their dwindling ring choices from the ‘small’ and ‘delicate’ category. However, Anakyn found 1 problem with smaller stuff in their rings, which was struggling to identify if it’s a proper engagement or a wedding ring, compared to a ring you’d just wear every day or special events through extremely delicate designs alone. Besides, according to Camellia, engagement rings and wedding rings don’t have to be glaringly obvious at who this wearer belongs to or anything, but they still have to show up well. As a result, Anakyn’s sixth ring, the one with the tiny pale blue sapphire and the 3 grayish-white diamonds together resembling a shooting star (the real kicker was its name being the shooting star ring), got rejected, as well as Camellia’s second ring with the pale blue sapphire heart (that one was called the wisteria ring because its design was inspired by wisteria flowers). 

Now 2 potential engagement rings were left standing into this proverbial fray, and they were both from Camellia’s selection: it’s the rose gold and kunzite ring surrounded by diamonds vs the asymmetric stone cluster ring.

“Dude, have you noticed that those diamonds remind you of flowers? You know, the clustered ones in that kunzite ring?” Ani observed as they examined said ring.

Camellia nodded a little. “Yeah; that’s one of the other reasons why I picked it. There’s even this other option of replacing the diamonds with purple and green gems. To make them look like literal flowers, I guess.”

“You think that change will make that ring pretty or garish?” He couldn’t help but to wonder out loud.

The Seven girl hummed quietly as she pondered on an answer, “I dunno; as pretty as having extra flowers sound, it’ll probably just make the whole thing a little more on the tacky side. Sticking with only diamonds would fit that ring better but it still looks kinda garish, bulky, and gaudy just because of how big that kunzite is.”

Anakyn was reluctant to acknowledge this fact, but since she got good points here, he ended up nodding with a little humming noise reverberating from his throat to prove his agreement.

“That would mean.....” Two pairs of eyes, one in lapis lazuli blue and the other in stormy gray, ended up straying over to-

“That one!” Jinx again. They suddenly said it in unison and dramatic serendipity, pointing to the asymmetric stone cluster ring.

Camellia said, “It’s a really hard decision, but... I think this ring’s my favourite. I think it’ll fit Helen the best. It’s the most... her.”

“I really like that ring, too.” Anakyn smiled, totally agreeing with her; he loved how unique the design looked, as well as the colour palette. Normally, dusky pink and peach would’ve clashed tonally because of the warm/cool value clash, but somehow for this particular piece of jewellery, it works. The clusters, elegant asymmetry, and the small diamonds gave the sapphires and spinels a lot more synergy, too. Admittedly, out of all the rings they ended up picking together, particularly from Camellia’s choices, he could see this one adorning Helen’s finger.

My fiancé. My wife.

Mine.

“But... it’s missing something.”

“Missing? What do you think it’s missing?”

“That grayish sapphire near the center does look pretty, but it’s a little confusing with the peach and pink tones of the ring.” A short pause. “...Ok, that and it needs... I don’t know? Some spice?” She inputted.

“The spice... The spice! The flair! The DRAMA!” Hey, Ani might not act like most Capitolites for the life of him, but he couldn’t help but to let out some theatricality today. Anakyn ended up glancing over at the gray sapphire and Camellia’s ‘are you fucking kidding me?’ face as he did so, smiling apologetically and sheepishly at how that turned out. “Sorry, I just need to let out some Capitolite dramatics today. Seriously though, that engagement ring does need something spicy. Something even more interesting... what kind are you thinking though?” He inquired further.

“Uh...” The Seven girl’s gaze shifted towards the rejected pile of rings (which were not laid out on a velvet tray or anything) and her fingers reached over to pick up that Anakyn’s second ring. “Something like this.”

Ani’s train of thought began to generate something. “Like... what? A natural black diamond? You think we should replace the big sapphire with that?”

“Yeah... honestly, that natural black diamond was growing on me, somehow. Maybe it’ll give that extra spice, and edge, I meant.” As she told the rebel that, the former tribute's finger tapped on the asymmetric stone cluster ring to state, “Those pink and peachy gems are totally Helen, but we gotta make the ring more Helen and Anakyn. You know what I mean?”

At that very moment, Ani perfectly understood what they just pieced together. “Yes! Yes I do get it!”

“Not the exact same diamond though.” Camellia clarified.

“Right. I get it.” Anakyn knew what to do with that ring idea now. Just in time, the jewellery store owner came over to check up on his 2 customers again. “Sir, can we please look at the natural black diamonds? The ones you showed us earlier?” The model requested to the older man as politely and sweetly as he could.

"Of course, but whatever for?"

“Well, didn’t you say we’re allowed to customize and commission a ring?” As soon as the man nodded curiously, Ani explained, “We are wondering if we could commission an engagement ring for Helen that is almost exactly like this ring,” Anakyn held up the asymmetric stone cluster ring with his right hand. “But replace that grayish-sapphire with a natural black diamond instead like the one in that ring?” He lightly fingered the jewel in question from that natural black diamond ring for emphasis.

The older man’s eyes lit up upon hearing such a request, even if it’s only a minor creative change from the original ring as the template. He vocalized, “Interesting... what an intriguing idea for an engagement ring. It’s unconventional, but it’s possible. Customized rings such as that one may take a while to make, even with just replacing 1 gem; are you certain this is what you want?”

“Yes!” Said the duo, with Anakyn bouncing in his chair in eagerness and Camellia nodded briskly straight after.

The man reached out for the container full of those natural black diamonds and gently poured them onto a separate black velvet tray. “Go ahead and pick whichever diamond you like.” He encouraged kindly.

Choosing a perfect diamond turned out to be a newly unusual challenge all together. Let alone comparing those candidates with the rest of the asymmetric stone cluster ring. Most natural black diamonds looked too similar to that grayish sapphire, although to be fair, the salt-and-pepper diamonds received a little more impact when coupled with the rest of pink and peach gems of the original ring. The clear ones with ribbon-like lines reminded too much of blade slashes dipped in calligraphy ink, whereas the blotchy ones got grayish, brownish, or purplish gleans mixed in. The gray-based ones looked too gray and a few looked very clear except for floating black marks. Amongst all those carbonados, however, one stood out from the rest...

“Holy crap, that diamond’s mesmerizing.” Anakyn couldn’t help but to exclaim upon what he just discovered.

Startled for a moment, Camellia ditched her own search temporarily to say, “Wait- what? Let me see!”

This natural black diamond in question was a particularly unique specimen; majority of it was translucent with a slight gray murkiness, but what made it stand out the most was its atypical pale pink tinge and the dramatic black flecks twirling and dancing inside.

The longer they looked at the natural black diamond they picked out, the deeper they got immersed into their own dreamscapes, contemplating the seductive secrets and picturesque messages hiding inside.

He wasn’t sure what Camellia could possibly be thinking at this rate, but in Anakyn’s perspective, he imagined lots of things. Dispersing ink droplets onto water, smoke tendrils, moth-eaten tatters, ribbon slashes, engine grease and oil smears, treasure gleams from the junkyards, ashes, charred bits of burning wood and coal, ragged confetti, mottled edges from flower petals and vintage lace, little bits of cloud on a sky full of thunder, lighting, tornados, and hurricanes, foggy mists, stray bits of sunlight peeking out after the storm, flower fields under a night sky, and a flock of mockingjays leaving behind black and white feathers into the air…

“Hey,” Camellia’s voice was the first to shatter the daydreaming. “Let’s pick this diamond.” To their surprise, while doing that comparison test, that natural black diamond with the pale pink tinge blended and complemented the tiny diamonds, dusky pink sapphires, and peach spinels remarkably well. The asymmetric clustered sequence added to the chaotic nature of the black flecks, everything else standing out in its thin gold band. All of it fits perfectly.

Perfectly Helen. With a touch of Anakyn. Together.

Anakyn confirmed his agreement with resolution and fire in his voice as he said, “Let’s do it.”

Engagement ring for Helen Bethel, found.

Mission complete.

Somehow, seeing the original ring being taken off, combined with the prospect of the real engagement ring, was like anticipating a personalized handcrafted toy or gadget from a well-renowned inventor or a huge lollipop you’re finally able to afford at a candy store.

As soon as the transaction was set and paid for the eventually crafted engagement ring, Anakyn and Camellia actually felt light-hearted now, not to mention surprisingly excited. Practically beaming from ear-to-ear. Ani more so than Camellia, since he'll be the one doing the proposal thing eventually. Although, that’s not to say...

“You’d better tell me shit about you and Helen dating, pretty boy. I want all the tea.”

...Yup, the escort owed her a lot more than he bargained for.

But it’s ok; they got all the time in the world to deal with it now.

~.~.

As soon as they left the jewellery store, the duo didn’t realize how hungry they were until after a few steps in. So Anakyn decided to introduce Camellia to the food court for lunchtime, where they ordered burgers with cola and french fries on the side. That said, they ended up subconsciously stealing some of each other’s fries between bites of their own because, man, those french fry urges are insanely tempting. Ani would know; he’s a huge sucker for that stuff. After that, they navigated around the mall perimeters for a little longer just to explore and chat this time, to learn about each other generally. Without the Hunger Games or the district/Capitol clashes involved, just them and only them as people. Period.

...Yes, Ani eventually caved in to tell Camellia some stuff about him dating Helen while they were at it.

(Honestly, there’s a lot more stuff he wanted to tell the Seven girl, but he’ll have to save the rest of those dating antics next time, whenever he visits the bunkers or the penthouse either for ‘stylist’ duties or just hanging out with Numitor and the other survivors.)

Despite the great amount of clothes-shopping they did throughout the day at the mall, Anakyn insisted that Camellia should take something to snack and indulge in back at the bunkers before they leave. So besides the shopping bags full of new clothes and shoes they both obtained, she was now also carrying 2 paper bags full of mini-donuts and powdered donuts, as well as a slushie. All of these came from the street food stands in Main Street. She ended up being in all-smiles throughout the rest of the outing, as soon as they reached the catacombs.

“Mmm, that slushie’s really good.” Camellia spoke up with a clear voice despite drinking the cold colourful semi-liquid and snacking on a mini-donut at the same time. Clearly, she didn’t give a fuck on talking with her mouth full out of happiness and adrenaline.

“Yeah, it’s one of the best drinks for the summer. Even with all that brain freeze.” Ani said with a grin. Then he spotted something funny. “Look! Your tongue’s turning blue!” He pointed out, trying but failing to stifle his giggling fit. “You and ‘Oliver’ match now!”

“What-?! Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” The District 7 girl stuck out her tongue and looked down at it to check. Sure enough, blue tongue from blue raspberry slushie components. “Thanks a lot, Ani.” She mock-pouted, then unexpectedly stuck out her now-blue tongue at him!

Anakyn just straight-up laughed at that and then retaliated back by sticking out his own tongue back and blowing a raspberry (pun intended) in response. And now cue Camellia’s own (blue) raspberry.

That got both of them to bubble up in laughing fits. Pure, spontaneous, and unfiltered laughter.

As soon as the laughter subsided, there was silence in the underground hallways again. If you don’t count the very distant echoing of Trap’s egotistical rants in one of the bunkers, and Wolf and Kat talking somewhere far away while making weird wet noises for whatever reason. Otherwise, Anakyn and Camellia weren’t sure what to say now.

After a few quiet minutes, Camellia cleared her throat and told the rebel, “Thanks Ani. For taking me on a day out of the Capitol when you didn’t have to, for helping me to find outfits, for taking care of me and Syca in the Games, for... everything, really.” Then she unexpectedly gave him a hug as soon as she said that.

That hug was a surprise, but a nice surprise nonetheless, so Ani returned it with his soft smile. “And thank you for helping me with that engagement ring. I just hope Helen likes it enough to say yes.”

“Oh, I’m sure she will.” Well geez, there’s practically a playful twinkle in her gray eyes now. “If she says yes, you’ll have to tell me everything.”

“Ok, ok! Next time I visit.” He quickly promised, then remembered something. “By the way, make sure to wash off the gold hair dye in the shower. And don’t tell everyone that I took you to the mall today. Literally, like, nobody. Especially for the clothes and the ring.”

“Why not?”

He really didn’t want to spill that this ‘mission’ was actually in his own volition, not from Lux and Wolf at this point. Camellia really did need the Capitolite outfits no matter where they’re from or how they’re made, but still. “Hey, if anyone asks, just tell them I did a supply run earlier and straight-up delivered everything for you.” Anakyn deflected instead, tapping on the shopping bags, donuts, and the slushie on her hand. “I mean, it’s kinda true when you really think about it.” He defended with cheek, even as a pained thought briefly hit him.

“I just wish they wouldn’t neglect me so much these days...”

If anyone found out that he took her to the Capitol early for this sole reason before Jace and Coda could, without authorization or otherwise, the rebellion will have a fucking field day. That and he’ll be so fucking dead. But the rebel didn’t care; he just wanted to give Camellia the right to choose, to have fun, and to be happy again. Maybe it’s just him, but it’s starting to feel like the movement didn’t fully care about Numitor and the survivors anymore outside of Out of Spite...

Let alone caring about Anakyn, period.

At the last minute, he spontaneously enveloped Camellia into another hug and whispered something into her ear,

“I’ll get you, Numitor, and the other survivors home, I promise.” 

But before the District 7 girl could even question that sudden statement, the rebel quickly pulled away from the hug and told her, “Bye Camellia.” before he immediately ran off. And he left the labyrinth headquarters known as the catacombs, no real traces of him left behind in the shadows.

Up above in the Capitol, the surface world, Anakyn decided to go home now that his 2 unorthodox missions were now finished. But even as his day ended with the setting sun, he walked his way with a lighter heart and a skip to his step. Soon after, his walking footsteps turned into pointed toes and sprinting legs, arms spreading out into outstretched wings.

Sure, he was relieved that Camellia now got some new cute outfits for her new Capitol identity for the time being and he even got to finally make amends to her after 2 years. But his real source of happiness today came from finally finding, well, and creating, the perfect engagement ring together.

The one ring he wanted to marry Helen with.

He’ll have to think about how to propose to her later, let alone when...

But right now, Anakyn couldn’t wait for the only 1 shot of hope he has left.

Helen is never going to see this coming!