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

[peeta_bread]

[Peeta pauses, tapping the journal with his finger while he thinks.]

Despite what I've been through, I would never do that. Where would it end?

[eat_me_beat_me]

[That gives her pause. For someone to go through what he had and NOT want to fuck their shit up? That's impressive. And... well... she's not really in any position to argue. She sighs]

I guess you're right. But something should be done. They can't just be left to fuck everything up, can they?

[peeta_bread]

You're right, but I don't know what should be done. Maybe if I could speak with the president somehow, show him how cruel it really is...

[Right, Peeta. Because talking's gonna work.]

[eat_me_beat_me]

I hope you can figure something out. But, for now, I'm glad that you're away from all that. You should relax while you're here. Take advantage of it.

[peeta_bread]

Yeah, I will! I think I'll get some serious painting and cooking done while I'm here.

[eat_me_beat_me]

You paint? I'm an artist, too. I draw, paint, all kinds of stuff. What mediums do you use?

[peeta_bread]

Really? That's awesome. Mostly acrylic. I just started last year. How long have you been painting?

[eat_me_beat_me]

A few years. I use any medium I can get my hands on. I like to experiment. I actually work in the art gallery down town, too.

[peeta_bread]

[His voice is awed and excited.] An art gallery? That sounds like something you'd only find in the Capitol! Are people allowed to visit?

[eat_me_beat_me]

Of course! I can take you there if you want. [She grins] It's a pretty cool place.

[peeta_bread]

I would love to! I couldn't afford to start painting until after I won the Hunger Games and got all that money. It's kind of a frivolous thing in District Twelve, ya know?

[eat_me_beat_me]

Well just let me know when you want to go. It's right down town, not too hard to find at all.

And I say you should definitely take advantage of things here, then. You can get paints you've never even dreamed of.

[peeta_bread]

Sure, yeah! Is your work there? I'd love to see it, too.

Mmhmm! Seems like I'll have lots of spare time here to paint.

[eat_me_beat_me]

I don't have any work there, no. I've never really been the type to display my stuff like that. All my art is up in my room and in the apartment I stay in downtown sometimes.

[peeta_bread]

Oh. I guess I'm just kind of used to every part of my life being on display.

If you don't mind, I'd be interested in seeing it sometime. I'll let you see some of mine soon!

[eat_me_beat_me]

Every part? How could you stand it?

[She pauses] Yeah, sure. I live in 427. You can stop by sometime if you'd like.

[peeta_bread]

Sometimes it was hard. Especially when I was with Katniss, or when I saw a kid get killed, or I...

[He clears his throat, hoping she didn't notice how upset he had just gotten.] Okay. I'll do that.

[eat_me_beat_me]

Katniss? [She can't help but be curious. But she pauses] I-if you don't want to talk about it...

[peeta_bread]

Sorry. Um...I never told you about Katniss? She's the girl I'm in love with back home.

[eat_me_beat_me]

The girl you're in love with? [She smiles brightly] What's she like?

[peeta_bread]

[He laughs.] She's indescribable. But I'll do my best.

I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. We were five. The teacher set her up on a stool, and she sang to the class. I swear, all the birds fell silent just to hear her sing.

[He laughs again, drunk with happiness at just the thought of her.]

She's beautiful and strong, tough. She speaks her mind and never holds back.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop. She's amazing.

[eat_me_beat_me]

[She smiles] You don't have to stop if you don't want to. That's how If feel about Mark, actually. I could talk for hours about him. It's... it's nice feeling this way about someone, isn't it?

[Her smile turns into a wistful grin as she thinks about it] I think it's sweet that you've loved her for all these years.