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Post by Jules on Mar 5, 2009 0:04:58 GMT -5
Fitz edged out and followed Effie, who was chattering brightly about something but she wasn't paying any attention. She was more focused on the ache in her hand reminding her of the twin she was never going to see again. The thought made her stumble a little.
Effie, seeming to predict the awing effect the Capitol would have on them lead them directly from the train into the place they'd be staying for the next several weeks while they were prepared. "Look at this place. If they cut back even just a little, they could easily improve life in The Seam tenfold."
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 6, 2009 19:09:34 GMT -5
Djali silently agreed, though he wouldn't feel entirely guilty acting the part of a hypocrite and enjoying the luxuries placed before him. He couldn't even fathom a lifestyle so easy. How did anyone age past immaturity living like this?
Effie led them to the dining room first, where Petra and Katniss would join them. He wasn't eager for conversation centered around the games, or for another confrontation to start. Perhaps they could eat fast enough to avoid them.
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Post by Jules on Mar 6, 2009 19:29:02 GMT -5
Fitz had the same thought, she did not want to meet with Katniss and Petra and go over everything again and try and explain. But she wanted some of this food so badly. So, thinking quickly, she upset a basket of bread and began filling it with her favorites. Effie looked affronted in the worst kind of way.
"What are you doing?"
"Picnic." Fitz replied happily.
"SIT DOWN!" Effie cried shrilly.
To which Fitz replied with lobbing a spoonful of white globby stuff (mashed potatoes, but she didn't know that) at Effie's wig.
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 6, 2009 21:17:18 GMT -5
Djali gave a choked sound of surprise as the potatoes ran through the synthetic tresses than plopped onto the crisp shoulder of Effie's shirt. Effie looked baffled for several seconds before the furious indignation began to darken her features.
Acting quickly, Djali crammed several more things of preference into the bread basket. He grabbed Fitz's arm and hauled her out of the room. "Good idea. Picnic. Let's go."
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Post by Jules on Mar 6, 2009 21:28:10 GMT -5
Fitz, already anticipating Djali's reproach, hunched her shoulders and focused her gaze on her basket of goodies.
"Well, what? She was asking for it." Whether or not that was true, or if Fitz's temper simply made her unreasonable didn't quite matter to the girl. She suddenly felt very tired and drained, "Where do you think our rooms are? Think they'll put me in a closet now?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 12, 2009 20:56:07 GMT -5
One eyebrow gave a subtle lift. "I wasn't going to say anything," he said with quiet innocence. Which was mostly true; though he might have a few unspoken questions that would remain so.
"I doubt it," he said, in reference to the idea she would be kept inside a broom closet. "Anyway," he continued, giving the basket in her hands a pointed look. "Any room would do for an improvised picnic, I think."
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Post by Jules on Mar 12, 2009 21:19:49 GMT -5
They walked until the end of the hallway they were currently in, and then turned left. There was the occasional Avox, of course Fitz had no idea who they were or why they wouldn't answer her when she asked where her room was.
"Rude." She snorted, even as one opened a door and showed them not either of their rooms but a smaller, dustier version of the dining room they'd just been in. "Well, this will do, thanks." She placed the basket on the table and began washing off some of the dust with her sleeve. "I know I'm kind of difficult." Fitz focused on the dull wood of the table, "Sorry you got stuck with me. If I'm ruining this for you."
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 13, 2009 15:54:13 GMT -5
His eyes rolled briefly to the ceiling before he offered her a humorless smirk. "Yes. It'd be a real vacation if only it weren't for you."
He assisted in clearing off some of the dust, and then he held out a chair for her. "Miss Petrarch," he said formally.
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Post by Jules on Mar 13, 2009 16:28:20 GMT -5
Fitz froze for a second---who knew manners still existed. No one had ever held out a chair for her in her entire life and she, to be honest, hadn't actually heard of it happening. But she recovered quickly, taking the offered seat and tucking herself in, "Mr. Roarke." She replied with a grin and began looking through the basket. Fitz pulled out an apple and what looked like chicken. Pigging out on everything would've been great, and she was tempted, but with her diabetes it wasn't such a good idea to throw her blood sugar out of whack like that.
"She makes me so angry." Fitz took a big bite of the apple and swallowed it too soon so that it stuck in her throat, "Acting like this is normal, a good thing. This is how Capitol controls us, right? By making children kill each other. What would they do if we all refused to compete?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 13, 2009 22:33:15 GMT -5
Djali broke a roll between his fingers and stuck a chunk into his mouth. His eyes automatically slid closed and his jaw stilled. This was not bread. This was some kind of heaven masquerading with the name of bread, but it was nowhere near the rock-hard, tasteless stuff he used to associate with the word.
Eyes fluttering open, he refocused on Fitz. "By she I assume you mean Effie Trinket?" He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "It's not her fault. She's filling a role, doing what she's told, perhaps even threatened, to do."
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Post by Jules on Mar 13, 2009 23:41:20 GMT -5
"She doesn't have to be so chipper about sending us off to the slaughterhouse. No one's watching us here, it wouldn't kill her to be human." Fitz shrugged and put food in her mouth to keep herself from talking more. Clearly, she and Djali weren't ones to agree very often and he was reminding her too much of Mica, who'd always been her voice of reason when she'd gotten too hot-head for her own good.
She was so lost in momentary self-pity that she didn't even notice when the door opened and Petra slid in, (although if she had noticed, she would've thanked the stars that Katniss did not follow), grinning slightly. "So this is where you two ran off to. This kind of behavior is going to be your downfall. If you'r willing to listen, we do have some advice that could help you..."
Fitz just chewed more furiously, putting more food in her mouth when she swallowed to keep herself from bursting out again. When she felt capable of responding in a mature manner, she cleared her throat.
"Speak to him. Impart your wisdom to him. Leave me alone." And with that she stood and fled the room, hoping that no one would come after her. She didn't see why they would, anyways. Fitz found what she was looking for easily enough. The stair well went up impossibly far. but she climbed anyways. She'd never seen so many stories in her life. A building so tall didn't exist in the Seam, but she wondered if the coal mines didn't run deeper.
Finally, she broke out on the rooftop, cool air buffeting her face. No cameras up here, although there were plenty of screens and the view, she had to admit, was breath taking. All those sleek, flawless buildings looked so alien to her, all those advertisements for things she'd never knew existed. Fitz walked forward and sat on the edge of the roof, her feet dangling over the street a long, long way below. She regarded it calmly, it would only take a few more inches to die on her terms instead of theirs.
There had been stories of tributes doing this in the past, but she couldn't recall any of them now. Would they even explain her death? Or would they smooth over it? Or would they pick another girl and have her shipped over a.s.a.p? Fitz wondered if she was just making up having heard about suicidal tributes to comfort herself, it certainly didn't sound like the type of thing Capitol would let leak.
She looked back at the door that had let her out onto the rooftop. No one barging through to stop her. They'd probably all be relieved, in fact. So what was stopping her?
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 14, 2009 21:06:53 GMT -5
Petra sighed and glanced back to the table, running a hand over his mouth. He looked up and met Djali's patient, perhaps even bored, gaze.
"Should we..." Petra started.
Djali dropped his chin. "Perhaps we should give her a minute."
Petra smiled tiredly. "At least she seems to like you."
Djali didn't answer. He couldn't say if they were actually friends, or not, or if Fitz's tolerance of him where she lashed out so readily at everyone else was due more to his lack of authority over her rather than any actual liking.
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Post by Jules on Mar 14, 2009 21:10:19 GMT -5
Katniss slipped in seconds later, a less tolerant expression on her face. "Why is she having a tantrum now?" They didn't have time for this, and Katniss did not have the patience to deal with some bratty Tribute.
"What's her problem, anyways?" Katniss blinked, realizing how juvenile that sounded and then rephrased, "Is there something we should know?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 14, 2009 21:35:58 GMT -5
Djali pressed his lips together. Here is where the question of their friendship would come in handy. If they were friends, it might be better to keep Fitz's confidence. However, it was merely an alliance of two people forced in the same situation together... his conscience wouldn't allow him to be indifferent.
"She has diabetes."
Well. He hadn't meant to just... say it, but there it was. There was also an icy defensiveness to his voice, which he hadn't planned.
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Post by Jules on Mar 14, 2009 21:41:05 GMT -5
Both Petra and Katniss were silent for a moment. Petra looked understanding, but Katniss---"So? She's just digging her own grave with this attitude. Don't you think kids have been in worse off positions than that in the past?"
Granted, none of them had won, but at least they'd tried.
...when had she become so morbid? At least they'd tried to kill other children? Capitol had a way of getting into your head.
"If she would work at getting sponsors, she might be able to save herself." Might, maybe, but not probable. Petra, however, was looking a little concerned. "Maybe we should find her."
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