𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐃𝐃𝐒, finnick odair

𝐢.𝐯𝐢. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬' 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

But when they eventually got to the knots and hook workshop, Elowen knew she was about to make a fool of herself in front of everyone around her. She tried to avoid it, but the instructor advising and supervising the area advised her that she might then regret not giving it a try. If the arena turned out to be designed under conditions in which those turned out to be decisive abilities for her survival ─ if not to defend herself, to not die of hunger. And under that thought, she couldn't leave from the workshop without a twisting sensation on her stomach induced by the what if.

It would only have been easier ─ both for her concentration and self-esteem, if Finnick Odair hadn't found himself wandering around nearby, glancing at her fingers every now and then.

Mags, the female tribute from District four, worked silently next to her. With nimble fingers which took the feather, thread, and a bent nail and turned it into a great hook, after the many twists and knots which her fingers had managed. Elowen, on the other side, with such tiny and thin material in her hands, could barely make out what she was doing, forcing her sight so deeply that her mind began to hurt and hit against her forehead like hammer blows.

The old woman attempted to help her, signalling and moving her fingers silently in the steps she was supposed to perform to end up with something similar to her finished result. But the materials in her hands were all blurry under her sight, to the point that Elowen almost couldn't make out which hand held the thread and which one the diminutive plume.

The ginger heard a chuckle coming from behind her when the thread escaped from her fingers one more time. And she didn't need to turn around to know who was observing her amused on her back. The girl, however, was about to shift on her feet to aim her first on his chest ─ both for laughing at her and not letting her concentrate under his deep staring ocean eyes, when his hands took a hold of her lower arms.

He took the few steps which distanced them to stand against her back, the female's spine encountering his defined chest when she was about to move aside. His palms gradually trailed through the length of her arms and wrists, to fall on the girl's fingers and the material in between them.

"Here," he told her, making her grasp on the objects tighter with his fingers pressing against hers. "Is the touch what you should be concentrating in, and not your sight. You can distinguish what you have in your hands by feeling it".

It was easier said than done when Odair didn't move his hands away from hers, but instead of arguing or objecting, the girl freed a sigh and gave it a try. Her index and thumb fingertips began to slowly grace the material, and soon noticed how he was right. However, she didn't admit that out loud.

"Okay, now take those two and make a knot at the top. Put them together and twist them around your finger, it will be easier".

"It would be easier if you gave me some room," Elowen informed him, twisting her head and rising it to meet his entertained sight. Mags, next to her, gave the female a sweet smile. As though coming to agree with her that the male wasn't easy to deal with. But Finnick's smile just grew larger into a smirk.

"Where would be the fun in that?".

The Alenerant elbowed his side moving her arm backwards, and her lips curved up in small satisfaction when she heard the blonde release the air in his lungs in a swift breath, caused by her impact. But then, she resumed back to her job and did as told. Twisting the plume and thread together and around her finger, and achieving to make a somewhat decent knot she had been trying for minutes.

"Good," Finnick praised near her ear, making her shrink and rise her shoulders by the sudden proximity of his voice. "We don't want you to starve out there, do we?".