01. vid

[howherolls]

[ the video feed flickers on, and a young man sits at a desk. On it, there's a paintbrush, a small canvas and a set of watercolors. None of them have been touched, but the young man's fingers keep flexing around the brush. ]

I'm...not sure why I'm here. [ he slowly clears his throat, staring not at the feed but at the brush ] My only guess is they saw something they liked on the footage. [ a finger twitches against the brush ] But...I am pretty sure I have other ideas this time.

[ he looks up ]

That person you saw in the Games and the interviews wasn't me. Not the me that I remember, anyway. So if that's what you were expecting, I apologize. I'm not here to fight. You don't want me fighting.

[ there's the sound of a sharp crack as the paintbrush snaps in half. It begins to reform itself ]

My name's Peeta Mellark, and I'm going to sit this one out.

Comments

[howherolls]

[ Peeta shrugs ] It's something I know how to do. And it helps.

[ a wane smile, he looks like he doesn't sleep much ]

Hello Collette. I'm guessing we had the same deal laid out to us.

[whatsupcroc]

Was that a deal? It sounded more like an ultimatum.

[ Which appears to amuse her, outwardly. ]

Then maybe a bakery where you make the things you want to, when you can. I'm not sure how that'd work exactly, but it could be good! "Peeta's Bread and Other Baked Goods."

[howherolls]

You start to forget the semantics after a while.

It's an idea. I'm not sure I'm ready to be around so many people, but I guess that's why delivery exists.

You sound like an entrepreneur.

[whatsupcroc]

Sounds more like you to me! Thinking up a whole bread bakery, and then going straight for the competitive edge with home delivery...

[ She grins. ]

Not a bad plan, Peeta!

[howherolls]

[ a small, tight smile. it looks forced ]

Maybe. I don't think I'm that inventive, but if you insist I'll take credit for it.

Have you been here long? [ what he really means is, have you been fighting ]

[whatsupcroc]

Nope!

[ If she'd gotten past that question -- if she'd thought anything past the surface -- it doesn't show. For all intents and purposes, she's a far too cheerful and perhaps a bit brainless girl, not inclined toward coming down to deal on reality's front.

Or is she? ]

I'm brand new. I hear the shine wears off before long, but I'm enjoying it as much as I can.

[howherolls]

I've found it's not a good idea to trust anything with shine in the first place.

...is there anything you can enjoy here? [ it hadn't dawned on him that, like the Capitol, Exsilium might want to primp before the slaughter ]

[whatsupcroc]

I've found the dull things can be just as scary, and glowy things? Yeah, stay away from glowy things not in the hands of friends. Shine's hit and miss! Glare -- glare can be good.

[ She considers his question. ]

Doesn't that depend on what you mean by enjoy? Like me, I doubt I'm going to find anything close to a decent mountain if I wanted to go skiing or something, but there has to be a decent pool, or even something like sky diving inside Exsilium's borders.

So what do you actually enjoy doing?

[howherolls]

[ she's... a lot to take in. He just stares. ]


I...bake.

[whatsupcroc]

[ It........ only gets worse with time, really. ]

... You bake.

That's the one thing that makes you want to smile? Dance for joy? Your slice of happiness when the clouds roll in?

[ She blinks, then shakes her head. ]

So why're you hesitant with the whole bakery thing? Heck, I'll even deliver for you. Run something out of your apartment, keep it small, and be a little happier for it!

[ It works in sitcoms, okay. 8| ]

[howherolls]

Because I might kill people.

[ it's hard to tell if he's joking, since it's possibly the most deadpan statement ever made ]

Or we might be forced to kill each other.

[whatsupcroc]

Over bread?

[ She knows that isn't the point -- and frankly, way to go to the weirdest possible not quite worst answer ever. ]

Now I've got to see what kind of bakery you'll run. Though you know, as much as I appreciate the sense of paranoia and mysterious tragic background that might be making you this particular flavor of pessimistic, you're going to sit there and stew on a "might be?"

[howherolls]

People have killed over less before.

[ he just shakes his head, the optimism confuses him. Mainly because it's been so long since he's seen it ]

The might be is pretty dire. And I...don't think I'm ready to stop stewing. So yes, I guess I am.

[whatsupcroc]

Yeah, yeah, and people slip in the shower and drown in an inch of flowing water. Are you going to stop bathing because it might happen? Death's dire, no matter how you slice it.

[ Stop, Collette. Stop thinking breadly thoughts. ]

You know, this totally isn't fair. You're making me hungry.

[ A playful... pout? Frown. She's teasing, however poorly. ]

The nice thing is you get your own door to lock and stew behind if you want to around here, and then anywhere else you can get yourself away to from the other people. As long as it's on the island! Getting off the island to stew is probably a whole different story.

[howherolls]

No, but I'm not about to coat the bottom of the shower with grease, either.

[ his eyes dart to the kitchen ]

There's baking supplies here. I think.

[ he almost has some humor in his tone ]

I think stewing in the locked apartment will be efficient.

[whatsupcroc]

Or drop the soap.

[ Such a sage nod following that bit of recommended wisdom. ]

You know, I think I believe you when you say that. Good luck with stewing, Peeta! Send word when you're ready to be social with the world at large.

[howherolls]

Hopefully the world's not waiting for a reply anytime soon.

[whatsupcroc]

I think something billions of years old can wait as long as it needs to. The people on it, on the other hand...! No promises for any of them.

[howherolls]

[ his tone is flat, almost distant ]

They get tired, eventually. It only makes sense. They were ready to throw away the victors they loved only a few years ago. It's all part of the Games.

[whatsupcroc]

Now you're talking about something from your home, I know it, since that so isn't how the X Games go down where I'm from.

[howherolls]

[ it seems as if Peeta was checking out, but the mention of X Games brings him back ]

They have...games in your world?

[whatsupcroc]

Sports games, sure! Last year, at the winter X Games, they had all sorts of crazy things going on. I mean we had the skiing, obviously, but it wasn't just racing. There were the crazy long jumps, the tricks in the half pipe, the mogul racing, I think they even did stuff with snowboards?

Either way, it was so much fun to see. People can do the most amazing things on a pair of skis!

[howherolls]

...nothing you just said makes any sense to me, I'm sorry.

[whatsupcroc]

[ Part of her wants to laugh -- half the time it's her intention to keep people a bit confused, so they don't think too hard on the particulars. Easier to get them to buy what she wants, over what might otherwise be apparent, but in this case, she's just going to give Peeta a mock shocked face. ]

Has no one seriously ever heard of skiing anywhere in this whole place?

[howherolls]

[ an apologetic shrug of the shoulders ]

We didn't have a lot of time for fun back home.