In a Panem that followed a history different from what we know.
In such a world, tributes are pulled from the same pool, and so in addition to being reaped, sometimes you just know you don't have a chance; two boys from District 2 would plow through...
(I just remembered that we said I'd whip Peeta instead of Gale to avoid the love triangle and because Percy actually cares for him, along with him saying sorry for the kiss in that scene, but I realized something... Before the whipping, new peacekeepers come and take out those already in 12 (or at least one guy in the movies and Darrius in the books...) I am killing 12's peacekeepers. Dammit, this was not planned.)
"You too look like you eat shit before reciting your texts." Heymitch said. "Get it through your head, people need to believe you, Snow needs too. Now Percy you are doing great, it is miss sweetheart here that's the problem." He said, at the end of his rant. "And stop making me repeat it, after this it is not over Katniss. Each year, dragged out to show your love to the Capitol, rehash your games and be mentors."
"And how'd we do that?" Katniss asked. "It is not like we can do anything else." But an idea came in her mind and so Haymitch stayed silent to hear her out. "We could get married."
"What?" Percy asked, biting back more.
"It could work." Haymitch muttered.
"Well it is the next step, it needs to happen at some time in this future right?"
Percy didn't like it. This is still, still a game to Katniss... But...
"Fine... Let's do it." Slapping her hands on her knees and standing. "I'll talk to Effie about finding a ring."
Haymitch watched her go before grumbling and standing too.
"You don't deserve all that is handed to you sweetheart." He said, grumbling about needing another drink.
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Percy looked at her hands, left hand on middle finger the black ring of Artemis, the right on on the ring finger the white metal she now wore with Katniss. (I still haven't checked which finger I chose for the black ring but I know I chose the right hand so that dude didn't share the same hand with Katniss... At least I hope.) And she frowed.
Artemis' ring felt more genuine then Katniss' which was just a fake promise of eternity. Artemis was genuine in his own sick way when he gave her his ring, he meant it, Katniss it was a farce for the cameras as she smiled while Caesar cheered, inside this hurting more then the other occasions Katniss shot her down.
In public lovers, in private not, such was their life now.
And Percy hated it, why couldn't the black ring mean less then the white one? Why was the ring given through obsession more true then the one that should have been through love? Why was obsession the bitter truth and love the sweet lie?
Percy can never catch a break huh?
She'll just need to move on and watch her be with someone else in 12 and only with her for publicity stunts...
No... It would be quite hard... She'll always watch over her and treat those fake moments as reality, she'll live like that, always there but too far.
And that'll be enough for her...
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Finally
The final frontier.
The Capitol itself.
Katniss found this outfit more normal then any of those these people wore.
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(Yah know, this one, I just realized that her skirt part is see through.)
Like look at everyone and what they are wearing, at least she looked normal.
"Don't you think they went a bit hard on the mockingjay idea?" Percy had asked, there were clearly motifs of the birds in her outfit.
"You are the one talking? It is like they are trying to dress you up as a trackerjacker." Tho she needed to admit it, the personality of Percy and just who she was fit that animal. The brutality it can show and how hard it is to kill.
"What can I say? I like them."
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The top jacket had fake insect like wings on the back and the tail of it was a long fabric peace and hung down, the pants also being of the same shimmering blue green cloth with the similar bug-like pattern in it.
"You liked being stung by those little things?"
"I never said that. I just find them neat, strong even if they are alone, stronger as a group but being alone doesn't make them vulnerable. Plus they are calling you mockingjay, the girl on fire, of course they'd make up a title for me too and what other thing was prevalent in the arena? Your wake up call with trackerjackers and how I got in a fight with the careers after that happened... They couldn't really call me bleeding out bitch could they." Since that's what she had done most of the games.
Smiling when that made Katniss chuckle.
"Come on, one last night and we'll be brought back to 12." Katniss had been down since that first man was killed and she got told that the games are never over.
Percy gotta admit it, she got complacent and numb since the fake proposal but she couldn't not smile at Katniss when she was looking at her for that.
"Come on, let's do this." She offered her arm, more like elbow, to be grabbed and guide her off the train. "Let's get this over with."
"Alright." Katniss smiled back and Percy wished more then ever the matching rings could have meant something.
