Welcome to the 2nd Annual Hunger Games

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta is in the kitchen, cracking eggs and measuring flour. But something’s on his mind, and he feels he must do something to clear his conscience.]

Filtered to anyone encountered on arrival
Thank you, for helping me out. I can’t deny that I killed someone, and I’ll live with that for the rest of my life, but you should know the whole story before you judge, if I didn’t already tell you.

I'm from a nation called Panem. In that nation, there is the Capitol, and there were 13 districts. The districts rebelled, but they lost, so the Capitol blew the 13th sky high as a show of power. Ever since then, they've held the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a competition of sorts. Two tributes from each district, a boy and a girl aged between 12 and 18, are selected to take part in the Games. I was one of those tributes.

It's a televised event in which children are forced to kill each other, or be killed. The last one standing wins.

I once said I didn't want the Games to change me, to become a piece of their Games. But they have changed me. It may not count for anything, but I killed that person to save the girl I love.

You can think what you want, but I thought you should know. I would appreciate it if you didn’t go around telling people, though. Obviously, it’s kind of a sensitive area with me. Thanks.
/Filter

 
[There’s a break in between the first filter and the second one in which he cooks for a while, clanging things around as he works. The following filter is thrown out there just in case.]


Filtered to Katniss Everdeen
Are you here?
/Filter

 
[If one were to enter the kitchen right now, they would find it a complete mess. Bread is EVERYWHERE. But don’t try to eat it; it will either be half-done or burnt. A completely frustrated Peeta is taking it out on cakes. Egg shells are scattered across the counters, flour is lightly dusting the surface, a bit of icing lies on the floor. On one counter is a completed cake, all decorated and pretty. It looks something like this: http://www.cabaretsquidoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/985494702_3d5bd9f4cf.jpg . In the middle of the table is a larger, four tier cake. It’s white, a blank canvas, except the small pink rose Peeta just sculpted out of fondant. Peeta himself is covered in flour. It looks like he’s been here for hours.]

I made some cake, if anyone would like some? I’m in the kitchen. Sorry about the mess.

[He pauses, then adds:]

Also, if anyone has a birthday or a wedding coming up… or if you just want a cake, I’d be happy to make you one.

[ooc: Oh so open, in person or over the journals. Also, I apologize for my slowness on the lj tags. If you wanna answer this, but want to play out the arrival more, you can leave a placeholder? :3 ]

Comments

Filter + Action since Bucky wants cake

[blue_sniper]

[He wanders down to the kitchen a little while after he announced the cake was done, and goes to look at it. It's pretty damn amazing.] ...I almost feel guilty about asking for a piece of it.

And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about that. We did talk about that, and I'm pretty sure if I judged you, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

1/2

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta turns, furrowing his brows. He doesn't remember telling this man...]

I...you...?

2/2

[peeta_bread]

[He studies Bucky's face for a few seconds before it clicks.]

Oh! Bucky! Hey. Yeah, thanks. I'd like to talk to you about something, actually.

[He takes out two plates, two forks and a knife.] And cakes are made to be eaten.

[blue_sniper]

Yeah, but I've never had cake this fancy before. [It looks like a work of art, and he's a poor Brooklyn boy.]

And what did you want to talk about?

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta concentrates on slicing the cake and putting the pieces on the plates before answering. He sits down at the table and looks up at Bucky.]

You said you were in a war, right? How do you deal with the fact that you... killed someone?

[blue_sniper]

I killed a lot of people, Peeta. Because I had to, because they were on the wrong side of the battlefield and they were going to shoot me if I didn't shoot them. A lot of times it's just...survival. And you learn to let it go, because if you hadn't killed them, they would have killed you.

...And then there was HYDRA. It may seem cruel, but I don't regret killing even one of those men. [Revenge is a horrible, horrible thing.]

[peeta_bread]

[He cuts off a bit of cake and pops it in his mouth, chewing it slowly.]

Why don't you? Regret killing those men?

[blue_sniper]

HYDRA was a breakaway group in the war. They were the Science Division of the country we were fighting.

They captured my entire battalion. And they killed so many people to do it. Their own people and some from my battalion, all to capture men to work in their factory to make...something. More weapons, probably.

[He says this quietly.] ...They split me away from the group and experimented on me.

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta puts his fork down, his eyes wide. When he speaks, his voice is quiet, horrified.]

They...they experimented on you?!

[blue_sniper]

I...I don't remember much. It was a lot of darkness and hallucinations and all I could do to keep my mind off of it was say my dog tag information over and over again. They train you to do that so you don't give away information. [He smiles bitterly.] James Barnes, Sergeant,32557241. That's my serial number.

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta runs his finger over the handle of his fork, biting his lip as he processes this information.]

I can't even imagine. I'm sorry.

[blue_sniper]

It's fine. I don't imagine you could understand. [He smiles at him, trying to reassure him, then gets more serious.]

But yes, anybody from HYDRA, I don't actually care about. They've enslaved hundreds of prisoners, and probably I wasn't the first they experimented on. That's enough to make me hate their guts. I can hold a grudge pretty well.

[peeta_bread]

[Oh boy, this is something Peeta has trouble with. Revenge, no matter how much the other person deserves it, is never an option with Peeta. But what Bucky had been through is so awful, he can't even imagine. Maybe he'd consider revenge after something like that.

So, Peeta is sitting there, staring at the table with all this inner turmoil going on.]

[blue_sniper]

[Bucky sighs.] Kid, I know that revenge is wrong. But sometimes, just shooting the people who hurt you makes you feel a bit better. I'm not trying to say I'm not a bad person. I probably am.

[peeta_bread]

But Bucky! When will it end?! You killed some kids' moms and dads! Don't they have a right to seek revenge on you? And your family on them?!

[Peeta's frown deepens.] You're not a bad person. I know you're not.

[blue_sniper]

And if I hadn't killed them, they would have shot and killed me. Easily. Because they don't care either. Even their own people hate them. Because they don't care who they shoot, who has to die so they can win. [He sighs. The poor kid really isn't cut out for what they put him through. Which makes it worse.]

Peeta, this is the group who has blue energy weapons that when you get shot with them, there's no body left.

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta looks away sadly. He really hates war and violence and revenge. And he's naive in his thinking of it.

Finally, he looks back up at Bucky.]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like... I know you did what you had to do. I know you're a good person, and that gives me hope...

[blue_sniper]

...Hope for what?

[peeta_bread]

Hope that I'm still a good person.

[blue_sniper]

...Peeta, you've killed one man, and you said he was going to kill the girl you loved. Nobody thinks you're a bad person. Only you seem to.

I know it's hard, killing someone. But you have to think what would happen if you hadn't killed them.

[peeta_bread]

[Guilty look.] ...I killed another person by accident.

[blue_sniper]

Killing someone by accident also doesn't count. Because you didn't mean to. You don't have it in you what it takes to be a killer, kid.

[peeta_bread]

[He chews on his lip for a moment, thinking over what Bucky said. Then, he gives him smile.]

Maybe you're right.

...I feel like we should hug now, or something.

[blue_sniper]

...really? [He's laughing at that. Go ahead, Peeta. He won't kill you. It can't be worse than a bunch of girls hugging and crying on him.]

[peeta_bread]

[He's a touchy-feely person! He hops off his chair and gives the man a hug.]

Thank you.