Starlight // Geebs

Zanita Luzell

Another Games had taken over the country bringing with it the dark cloud of death hanging over its citizens. As long as the screens in the district square flashed the faces of young children in the Arena no one would be truly happy. Then again were people truly happy the rest of the year? Zanita Luzell was feeling pretty upbeat this year, but she was keeping it mostly to herself. If someone saw her smile they might try to become her friend, or, god forbid, think she was nice. Despite the dwindling numbers of her tribe and the general crap mood everyone in District Nine tends to be in, Zanita had a little glow to her. With the victory of Colgate O'Leary the entire District was awarded extra food and the girl could see the differences in her body because of it. Instead of just skin stretched over bone, there was some softness to her now.

The girl had come to respect the name of O'Leary. For a boy whom she had spoken to once he had done a great service to her. Besides the food, he had volunteered for Kovu during the Reaping which is a miracle within itself.

Although her hips may be softer, her personality was not. When a member of their tiny little gang spoke ill of her, or Sebastian, or even Colgate O'Leary she was quick to threaten them and remind them who they were talking about.

Speaking of Sebastian, the boy was his usual moody self but with an extra touch of gloom. She realized their situation wasn't the best a person could have- living in canvas tents in the woods and eating scraps of anything they could steal. Zanita had never really known any other kind of life besides the one of a street rat so this was normal. She knew Seb had big ideas and plans for the future and while they sounded grand they weren't going to happen. The girl was happy sleeping on a dirt floor as long as he was beside her.

Walking back from the Square (she wanted to see how the District Nine tributes were doing. After that extra taste of food last year, she was really hoping for another one), she took her time peeking into alleyways seeing if there was anything worth taking. Same as yesterday and the day before, nothing much.

Stepping through the bushes on bare feet, Zanita entered a little clearing and saw Sebastian waiting for her.

"Shouldn't you be holding down the camp?" she asked, tilting her head the direction the ragged circle of tents should be. Zanita preferred for there to be at least one of them at the camp to keep the others from doing anything ridiculously stupid. Did Kovu piss him off again? She may have been thankful for Colgate volunteering for her little brother but the boy caused the lion's share of trouble in the camp. "Is it Kovu, again?"

Zanita Luzell

As a rule Sebastian Rothul was not the kind of man you hear chuckling unless it means your imminent demise. Considering their history, Zanita was one of the few people who had been able to see him smile or laugh from true happiness. It was a rare occasion, just as it was with herself, so she knew how to appreciate the moments when they happened.

It was a relief to know that Kovu hadn't fucked up again, but she was curious as to why exactly he had been waiting for her. It was dangerously hot outside and she figured any casual conversation could happen in the shade instead of a clearing that was framed by thorny bushes. However Zanita didn't rush him, if Sebastian was using words like "stuff" and "things" it meant he was nervous. Any other time there would have been a long speech dotted with words that had a Capitol price tag.

Whatever Seb was trying to say he was having a hard time with it which for him was a pretty odd occurrence. Normally, Zanita might have waved it off for until later or picked at his nervous ticks but something told her to just stand there and let him work out whatever was on his mind.

"The world is a fucked up place and well, you make it suck a lot less." A smile crept across her lips as the words left his lips. That was probably the best compliment Zanita had ever received. People will spout fanciful language just to get in your pants for one night but something simpler was more her style. Of course they both knew that already.

Truthfully, Zanita thought that Seb was just having a sentimental moment and it'd end with a kiss and a rarely sighted blush across both of their cheeks. Instead of sweeping in for a hug or a punch in the arm, the boy lowered one knee into the dirt. The posture made the girl stop, she had seen that pose before on the screen in the District Square. She had heard it described in books people read aloud, but never in a million years did Zanita Luzell think someone would be doing it in front of her.

Seb fumbled in his pocket before presenting a tiny thing that caught the sun's rays and spread them back out across the clearing. "Zanita... Will you...marry me and all that shit?"

Stunned. That was probably the best word to describe the Luzell girl in that moment. Stunned or in awe, shocked would work too but she wasn't one for fancy descriptions or a thousand words that all meant the same thing. Despite being somewhat attractive, Zanita never imagined that anyone would propose something as permanent as marriage to her. People often found her coarse personality unlikable and men specifically didn't care for her territorial attitude when it came to her tribe. Hell, Sebastian hadn't like it when they had first met. Of course two ambitious people being thrown together over one shabby campsite will produce sparks. In fact, it was in this clearing that he had... threatened. It was hard to imagine the man in front of her threatening her now.

Among the circle of people Zanita knew marriage was not prevalent. The poor and unwanted of the District kept to themselves and made have flings but most of the time they worked alone. If they partnered with someone else it was usually out of necessity and dissolved once the situation changed. Marriage was so final, and when you're talking about people who camp out in the woods and have to ready to run in case Keepers get fed up with the mess it was no easy thing to consider.

With Zanita it came down to trust. You only tied yourself to another person if you completely and utterly trusted them. There were few people she had that kind of faith in. If anything, their rocky start made Zanita trust Seb more because she knew exactly what he was capable of. You don't know a person until you've seen the darkest side of them, and Zanita and Seb definitely knew one another.

Before she had met Seb it was just her and Kovu and as her younger brother explored the world by himself and it was becoming more and more of just her alone. While she never thought anything was wrong with that it wasn't until she was with Seb everyday that she realized that even one night without his warmth beside her was torture. She had come to rely on him and, dare she say it, trust him. While her first impression of him was a complete ass she figured that was usually other's first judgement of her. You could say they were made for one another that way. She always figured they would stick together for a long time but this would make it official.

She had to glance at the ground for a moment to put her thoughts together. Zanita had refused to even say his name the first months she knew him and now she'd have his name. She had to laugh at the irony of it all. Looking back up at the man still kneeling in front of her, she laughed before nodding.

"Yes," how silly a single word can change one's world so drastically. "Yes I will, Sebastian."