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

video;

[sunlitcrown]

Games? Like... do you mean the Sacred Games? [Her tone is hesitantly hopeful.] But I don't remember seeing you there.

Re: video;

[howherolls]

The Hunger Games. And, trust me, if they were the same you'd remember seeing me.

[sunlitcrown]

Oh. I've never heard of those... I guess you're not from Falena, then.

[a beat] You aren't the only one who doesn't want to fight. I think there are a lot of people here who aren't so willing.

[howherolls]

Panem.

It's not that I don't want to fight. I don't, but I'm not going to be much use to them anyways.

[sunlitcrown]

[wrinkling her nose] That must be really far away, if I've never heard of it.

They must have thought you were useful in some way. Unless the people in charge are just that stupid.

[howherolls]

[ he seems troubled for a moment ] Or...not real.

[ he shakes his head ]

I know exactly how useful they think I'll be. It was the same in Panem. But I'm not good for what they want anymore. And if they try, I'm...

I'm going to kill people.

[ there, he said it ]

[sunlitcrown]

Why wouldn't it be real?

[long pause goes here]

You shouldn't have to kill anyone if you don't want to.

[howherolls]

[ he takes a long time before answering the question. his hands go back to the paintbrush- twisting it ]

A lot of things aren't real to me.

[ the paintbrush bends-]

No. I shouldn't have to.

[ -snaps ]

But I will.

[ and starts reassembling itself again ]

[sunlitcrown]

[She stares at him for a long moment, watching the brush snap and put itself back together. u ok there bro

This is not something she's equipped to deal with, but she'll try, at least.]

Well, this is real. What's Panem like? I bet that's real, too.

Don't give them what they want.

[howherolls]

Panem?

[ his eyebrows draw together ]

Panem is. [ he sighs ]

There's twelve districts. [ pause, he corrects himself ] Thirteen. They each specialize in providing something in the Capitol.

Until last year, they gave two children to participate in the Games. One year it was me.

Two years I won.

[ he falls silent ]

[sunlitcrown]

...You had to fight each other in the Games? [She resists using the word "kill," but she knows.]

[howherolls]

Real. [ his response is more of a habit now, he doesn't think about whether she understands the game ]

Until one is left. Or, in our case, two.

We survived, so I guess that doesn't leave a lot of imagination for what this place wants from us.

[sunlitcrown]

I guess not.

[She almost doesn't want to ask, but--] Why did they make you fight?

[howherolls]

Punishment.

Seventy-five years ago the people of the Districts rebelled. Every year the Games are hosted to remind us they lost.

[sunlitcrown]

Whoever decided to do that is stupid.

[She clenches her fists and frowns, having gone from sad loli to angry loli. That is not very nice. >B(]

If the people rebelled, they must have had a reason to. Punishing them won't solve the problem; they'll only fight back again later.

[howherolls]

It took over seventy five years for the people of Panem to do anything. I'd say that's not a bad investment.

Fear can do a lot of surprising things to people.