victorbychance | Fourth Painting: [Action/Voice]

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Fourth Painting: [Action/Voice]

[A new sign has gone up at the bakery.

The wood of the bakery’s new sign is slightly stained with leftover coffee, giving it a lovely rich brown color. With the shellac finish, it will be practically weatherproof. Such a luxury would have been expensive beyond belief back in District 12, even for a baker’s family.

The sign could be considered quaint, but falls short of being trite. The border is done with a fine brush in grass greens; a winding vine with yellow flowers. At the bottom, a pile of bread loaves. One is the sort of loaf 12 was famous for back home, a sort of drop biscuit. Another is the seeded loaf of District 11. Accompanying them are two cheese buns, as well as an assortment of cakes, cookies, and tarts, all of which are actually offered inside the bakery. It has a provincial look to it, natural and fresh, as if even on a rainy day one could find the sun and hot bread inside this building.

The word "BAKERY" is in the palest of blues, with a slightly darker blue shading the letters. He stands on a ladder to hang it up in front of the building, a look of intense concentration on his face.

Later, he puts a message out over the journals.]

Thanks to everyone who helped at the bakery while the Kin'corans were here. Actually, I could still use help now that they're gone. There are about three hundred people in the village, and lots of them like fresh bread. If you want work but don't have any experience, I don't mind teaching. I mean, even I started out washing dishes.

So who's up for it?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hey.

[Seeing her outside, he ventures toward her to wrap her in his arms and lean in for a kiss.]

[His voice startles her out of her reverie. If it were anyone else, her first inclination would be to go for her bow. But it's Peeta. She'd recognize his voice anywhere.

But what he does next still takes some getting used to. Being this affectionate in public, where anyone can see. It's reminiscent of the Games and everything in between, putting on that show for Snow. For the Capitol and all of Panem. But it's not, is it? It's for him, for them.

She's stiff just for a moment before she wraps her arm around his neck and meets his lips with her own.

For him. For herself.]

[It's not a long kiss. Just a light greeting kiss before he pulls away and smiles down at her.]

You're wonderful.

[It's a nice kiss, regardless. However brief or however long it is, she loves them. Funny how, before the kissing, before the Games, she never really thought that she'd enjoy them. And now, sometimes, it's like she can't get enough.

She smiles back. A real smile, if not one tinged with confusion. The response is automatic, out of her mouth before she even realizes what she's said:]

No, I'm not.

Hush. I think so. It must be true.

[He wraps her up in his arms.]

[Of course he does. He always has, hasn't he? Not that she's ever understood why. It's still hard to accept it most of the time but she tries. She tries her best.

So she stays quiet instead and hugs him back tightly. Her eyes close and she hides her head in the crook of his neck. He's so good to her. For her. She doesn't deserve him, but yet, he doesn't seem to want anyone else.

As much as she wants to stay in his arms forever, there are things she wants to do. Say. So she pulls back just a little to glance at the sign again.]

That's wonderful.

[He smiles doofily down at her for a moment.] Let's do something nice tonight.

[She's momentarily distracted by that smile. It's a very nice smile.

Then her brows furrow together in slight confusion. Theirs isn't a normal courtship. In fact, she's not certain that she knows how a normal courtship is supposed to go at all.]

Nice?

Yeah.

[He reaches to take both her hands in his.]

Maybe go to dinner. Or the hot springs.

[What was that term her mother had used once? When talking about the time she had spent with her father before their marriage? How he'd take her places, do things with her even though he couldn't afford very much.

It had been such a long, long time since her mother had spoken about those days. The word sounds funny as she tests it in her head.]

Like a date?

[He grins. That's the word, isn't it?]

Exactly like a date.

[Only Peeta. Only Peeta can do this, she knows. Make her feel all awkward and embarrassed and giddy at the same time. It's that smile of his, the enthusiasm in his voice. And how much she's discovered that she likes being the reason for that smile.

She nods, grinning a little herself.]

I've never been on a date before.

So will you go on a date with me?

[He draws her in closer and wraps his arms around her waist.]

[Does he even have to ask? How can she say no when he's looking at her like that, or holding her so close?

She nods again.]

Yes. I will, Peeta.

[He beams down at her and brushes a stray strand of hair from her face.]

I'll close down early and meet you at Seventh Heaven at six, okay? Then we can take the teleporter to the hot springs.

[And there's that smile again. That wonderful, wonderful smile that had been all too rare before arriving in Luceti. It makes being trapped here worth it, regardless of whether or not they're stuck in another game. Would she ever see this kind of smile on his face again back in Panem?

Another memory comes trickling back. Of the dresses her mother would describe, much to Prim's enjoyment. Clothing. She's going to need clothing. Something nice, something other than her normal slacks and shirt. Would six be enough time?]

Okay. I - I should go now then.

[His hands reflexively tighten around hers. You don't have to go! But something about girls and looking pretty for dates, as if they don't look pretty already.]

Okay. Six o'clock.

[Right. He has to let go for her to leave. And she has to unwrap her arms from his back. But so long as she can forget that they're standing outside the bakery, forget all those passerbyers, it's nice to be held by him. To be this close. She almost doesn't want to let go. But Peeta deserves a proper date. Deserves for her to act the right role.

Still, she doesn't want to let go.]

You'll be there?

I promise. [He plucks a quick kiss from her lips.] Six o'clock, Seventh Heaven.

[The kiss is both lovely and all too brief. She wishes it could last longer, that it could conquer these butterflies building in her stomach.

But if she's to make herself presentable, make herself into something that would make Cinna and her prep team proud, she has to go.

Slowly, reluctantly, she lets go of him. Gives him one more small, shy smile before heading in the direction of the items shop.]

[He watches wistfully until she's out of sight, then returns to work.]

[Six o'clock arrives all too soon in Katniss' eyes. The butterflies in her stomach never vanished. It had taken nearly an hour until finding a dress she thought would be appropriate. Another half hour to find black ballet shoes that satisfied both her desire for practicality and prettiness.

Make-up was a struggle of its own. Her prep squad had made it look easy. Even her mother never had any trouble. But it had never been something Katniss had shown interest in. Not ever something she thought she would need. In the end, she keeps her make-up simple, just enough to highlight her features.

But come six, she stands in front of Seventh Heaven, hair down and not a single weapon on her body. Her hands are clasped together to keep from fidgeting with the hem of her dress. It's Peeta. She should have nothing to worry about. And yet, she can't help but wonder if she did something wrong with her preparations.]

Edited 2012-09-13 17:45 (UTC)

[Peeta sees her from some way away. He'd gone home to shower and put on a nice button-up shirt and black pants, so that's the direction from which he comes. When he sees her, his entire face lights up.

She is so, so beautiful. Not that this is new. Or maybe it's always new. Yeah, he thinks it's the latter.

When he approaches her, he reaches for her hands.]

You're so beautiful.

[As she waits, she keeps looking in all directions, not at all certain as to which he'll come from. It's silly, really, when both the bakery and home are in the same one. But it keeps her occupied, keeps her from bolting. What if this was a bad idea? Going on a date, a normal courtship activity. She's not like other girls, she knows that. She neve really cared all that much before. There were always more important matters to focus on: keeping her family fed, not dying in the arena, surviving. Being attractive to a boy just... never really mattered.

And the Peeta told Caesar Flickerman, and all of Panem, that he was in love with her. This average, violent, not-so-pretty, selfish girl. He looked past all of that and, sometimes, made her look past it all, too. Her dandelion in the spring.

She wanted so much to please him. For tonight to be everything he imagined. She held no expectations. She --

-- didn't even notice him arriv until he was standing right in front of her. Looking...]

You, too. Beautiful. [She's momentarily distracted by her hands in his. Then she realizes her mistake, the way her tongue feela tied right now.] Handsome, I mean.

[He laughs, not at all offended, and offers her his arm. It's harder to tell with him, but he is just as nervous as she is. They've been together for weeks. This should be easier. Still, with his arm offered, she might notice his hand shaking.]

Ready?

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