First Painting: [Action/Voice]

[victorbychance]

[Peeta officially has his own bakery. Which is pretty interesting, and he takes it all in stride. It's not really his bakery, after all--it's Luceti's bakery, and he's just making sure it doesn't die. In the meantime, all kinds of new and delicious things are appearing at the bakery--specialized breads, goat cheese and apple tarts, cookies and cakes with delicate frosting decor, an interesting pastry with a bittersweet chocolate and raspberry filling, cheesecakes in the shapes of flowers, things like that. There's also an abundance of cheese buns. Don't ask why.

Today he stops by the item shop, looking for things to have around the house, and ends up picking up a gift for Rue while he's at it. Later, he sits at home and speaks into the journal.]

Where I grew up, you didn’t really choose for yourself what you wanted to be. You usually did what your family did, or you went and worked in the coal mines. I guess it was safer that way. Everyone was so focused on having enough and providing for their families that there wasn’t really much time to branch out. You did what you had to do.

One day, I was watching this program on television. It was this interview with a young girl, at the Capitol. A lot of the usual stuff, like what it’s like for a girl from one of the Districts to visit the Capitol, but one question made both her and me go quiet. He asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up. I’ve never seen a twelve-year-old’s eyes go that wide.

I think I was about seven when I saw that, and I never forgot it. I used to wonder, if I could choose to do anything, anything I wanted, what would I choose? No limitations. Anything I wanted. And I knew almost right away, every time I asked myself, that I wanted to make beautiful things. Thing is, beautiful things don’t really sell when most of your District is poor. Most people like that don’t buy anything they don’t need. Then one day I realized, everyone needs food, don’t they? My father’s a baker. So I started decorating cakes. I got pretty good at it, too. At first I thought I might be wasting my time, but then the cakes I decorated started really selling. Mostly for special occasions.

But here, it’s different. Here, there’s no money. There’s no reason to do anything except because we want to. I could paint pictures all day here and no one would mind. Thing is, I don’t think I could if I tried. People here need things, too, things the Malnosso can’t provide. Like cake decorators. You think you don’t need one, and next thing you know, your girlfriend proposes. Or maybe you’re having a baby, or someone’s having a birthday. Maybe those robots are unbeatable, but put one in an apron and give him a spoonful of icing and he’s clueless. Besides, I’d rather be doing someone some good. Everyone should be able to smile sometimes, even prisoners.

So you. You could be anything here. What do you want to do when you grow up?

[A long pause before this last is written.]

By the way, I think I scared some people when I first showed up. I'm sorry about that. I promise I'm an okay guy.

Comments

1/2

[godbent]

There's no way those robots are unbeatable.

[...That's probably too snappish for how poetic this is though. So she falters, screws up her face, and sighs]

[voice]

[godbent]

--But. It's true what you're saying besides that, and it's good that you found something you can enjoy doing. [...After a hard life like that? No, that would be pretentious to say]

[voice]

[thebellthatbinds]

[That's a pretty loaded question for Sabriel, one that leaves her thinking for a good while before she answers, her tone heavy and bittersweet...and familiar if Peeta can link it back to the tiny woman that spoke to him when he first arrived.]

What I want wouldn't be possible here.

[voice]

[victorbychance]

Do you only want the one thing?

Voice;

[theblogger]

[ Beautiful things. Interesting way to make the best of a bad situation, definitely. Whoever this boy is, he's sure to have a lot of endeared replies, John thinks. It sounds heartfelt and altruistic, which does win points with the doctor, even if cake isn't something he can personally enjoy all that often. ]

You only get good at things when you keep trying, in most cases. And growing up usually means trying a lot of new things. You ought to try picking up painting; like you said, it doesn't cost you anything.

[victorbychance]

Oh, I paint. But that's not the only thing I'm gonna do.

[Voice]

[geniustheveil]

[The girl in the picture window looks to be in her late teens, perhaps about twenty but not much more or less. It gives her a slightly different perspective on the question.]

I feel like I sort of understand what you mean. When I was younger, I just wanted to follow Mama's footsteps. She was expecting it.

I love Mama, and I still became a doctor, but I had to find my own reasons instead of hers. I did it to make her happy, but also because I wanted to for myself.

[Voice]

[victorbychance]

My parents were bakers. That's what I'm doing now. Doesn't make it any less mine.

voice:

[shenevermisses]

I've done it.

[What else can a proud Career, taught to care only about the Games, answer?

And she sounds every bit the girl she was supposed to be. Except, perhaps, for a very low note deep within it. A thought-- not even bold enough to be a dream-- that all the training of the Academy and all the violence of the Games could not quite suffocate it.]

voice:

[victorbychance]

Right. What now?

[Action] Backdated to the 20th because yes

[fuckthemission]

[Doyle had stopped by the bakery on occasion before to get a morning thing or two—just before he'd run off to exercise or practice to make perfect at the battle dome. He should have logically figured that Peeta would end up here — he remembers the baking thing. Kid with the bread over there. He remembers enough.

But he's still a little surprised when he looks up from the counter to the person on the other side of it, like a deer in the headlights. Oh, of course. He'd known you were here, but it's one thing to see you over knowing you in some distant fuzzy dream reality at the back of his mind.

Fucking weird, reliving events that never actually happened. But he's getting over it.

He blinks and realizes he's suspiciously awkward, so he just smiles faintly.]

Oh, hey.

[He's forgotten exactly what he wanted, but he's cool with that. Let him just practice his magical knowledge skills, since he figures that a.) Katniss either told him about the crazy-ass things that happened here, or b.) he's about to freak Peeta out. Which is cool with him, because he knows he's gonna tell him the god's honest truth about things regardless.]

... Peeta Mellark, right? You working the bakery scene?

[Action] Sweet

[victorbychance]

[He glances up and nods, taking it in stride. Katniss has been here a while, after all. Also: small town.]

Since birth, pretty much. You know Katniss and Rue?

[all7seas]

I think I'm both, actually. I didn't choose what I wanted to be, eh? My family chose for me. And then I chose differently.

And then I went back to the original not-mine choice. Funny thing, life.

[victorbychance]

My parents are bakers. I think only my father wanted to be one, though. I don't know if it's something I inherited from him or if it just coincides with it. Or maybe it's just what I know, so I do it.

[ribbonbon]

[Mention of baking catches her attention, but when she hears that question, the answer comes to her right away. For the longest time no other career has even occurred to her.]

When I'm older and I've gotten better at it...I guess I'd like to be a baker or a pastry chef.

[victorbychance]

Why not now?

[action]

[stillplaying]

[Is he even aware how eloquent he sounds? He would have made the better Mockingjay, if just for his ability to rouse people with his words. Even now, as she flips through the journal, she's not surprised at all these responses. His discussions with people.

It's Peeta Mellark. Utterly. Most of the time, it's easy to forget that they're from different times. That he hasn't been hijacked yet. He hasn't ever looked at her with the utter hatred she deserves. And then he does something like this. Acts the wordsmith she remembers so clearly from the Games. And it's hard to forget.

Rather than replying, though, she closes the journal and walks out of her room to find him. She hasn't done much today. A little bit of snare work, to set up in the river behind their house. Sleep. And staring at the journals, lost in memories.]

[action]

[victorbychance]

[Peeta is coming down the stairs after setting up Rue's gift for her to find in her room. As Katniss drifts out of her room, that look on her face, he almost casually diverts to pull her into a quiet hug.]

[Voice]

[bigsiskonagi]

[Yui quietly listens to Peeta's tale before she actually speaks.]

So that's how you got started...I don't really know what I want to do just yet. I could follow my grandfather's footsteps and be doctor one day, but whatever I decide to do, I'm going to make sure it's a job that will help me spread happiness everywhere!

[Voice]

[victorbychance]

See, that's the important thing. You know what you want to accomplish. You just have to know how you're going to accomplish it someday.

[voice]

[neverplaysfair]

I don't want to grow up here.

[voice]

[victorbychance]

[The shrug is almost audible.] I didn't really want to grow up where I grew up. I still grew up there.

[avaricious]

I wanted to be an emperor when I grew up. Unfortunately that's not really an option while I'm here.

[He's only answering to be difficult.]

[victorbychance]

[Instead, he's answered with a laughing tone.]

I think a lot of people appreciate that.

[video]

[toujoursfluer]

I wanted to be a librarian.

[And that her mother would come home so that she would have a real family who liked her. Strange how life works out]

Would you be any good at decorating a meat cake?

[Provided Luffy can make one without consuming it, he might like a nice decoration or two]

[video]

[victorbychance]

...Call me unprofessional, but I've never baked a meat cake.

[Action]

[rutagraveolens]

[What do you want to do when you grow up?

It's a loaded question for a twelve-year-old that died before she even had a chance to live. In District Eleven, she would have been expected to help out in the orchards or fields for the rest of her life. Day in, day out, day in, day out. There weren't really options. Surviving, making sure her family had enough to eat, those were her priorities.

So for awhile, Rue sits in her room, journal open on her lap, and thinks. She can be anything now. What does she want to be?

Instead of answering, she closes her book and quietly heads into the rest of the house to look for Peeta.]

[Action]

[victorbychance]

[Peeta cannot be found in the house. He's hiding. But when Rue heads downstairs, she will clearly be able to hear his footsteps going from the upstairs closet into her room.]

[voice]

[thedicearecast]

Already grew up. And I don't think most people want to be here long enough to get a completely new profession.

[Although technically she already has, but being a marine is close enough to being a bounty hunter for Amelia to deal with. Something like decorating cakes? Not so much.]

[voice]

[victorbychance]

It doesn't have to be new. I mean, if you're already doing what you love, there's no point. Unlike saying "what do you want to do when you grow up" to a bunch of grown-ups.

[He's tone is so genuinely friendly, and that's not sarcasm.]

[action]

[beltbucklerebel]

[Booth certainly hasn't been having the best couple of days...and they hadn't improved at all when Bones had told him, in no uncertain terms, to be somewhere else. Somewhere that wasn't around her.

He'd reluctantly given in, and been wandering the village for a few hours, but he looked more sullen than intent when he showed up in the bakery, hands in his pockets. Maybe, if he found something for Bones, she'd forgive him.]

[action]

[victorbychance]

[Peeta looks up as he sees an extremely unhappy man walk in. There's something tensely morose about the man, like a coil that was too close to springing and never found the right time and instead bent into its current position more permanently. His mother sometimes got like that, and he'd feel sorry for her, but she'd spring as soon as he said anything to her. At least she wasn't taking it out on anyone else when he did that.]

Hi.

voice;

[dragoneer]

[Huh. What does he want to be when he grows up? That's a pretty heavy question. Because it all depends on whether he stays here or gets to go home.]

Here? I...I want to build things. Invent things. You know, just...things people need. But don't realize they need them yet.

voice;

[victorbychance]

That sounds amazing. Like what?