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?

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[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?

[It's a glimpse out of the corner of her eye, but she sees it. The slight tremor of his hand when he offers her his arm. She's taken back, for a second, to the first time they held hands. The nerves and fears and excitement of he chariot ride, presenting themselves as a united front, two tributes agreeing to be seen as a team. There's no one to see them now as she links her arm in his. No one to know how his own nerves soothe here. He's nervous, too. Peeta, who rarely ever seems that way.]

Yeah.

[More ready than she would have ever expected.]

[All right then. He leads her into the restaurant. A restaurant. Back home, he might have made her a picnic. Ooh, that's an idea for another day. But here, money is no object. There's nothing keeping him from giving her a perfect night except himself.

They're seated at a table for two. Peeta immediately orders hot chocolate for them both. When the server leaves, Peeta smiles broadly at his date. His date!]

[She let's him lead her into a restaurant and to a table. It's what she's supposed to do, right? She had tried to make time between her other errands this afternoon to go to the library and find a book on dating and courtship. By the time she had, she had little more than five minutes to skim through it. But tonight had to be perfect. It had to be. Peeta deserved this.

The order of hot chocolate is met with a smile, even before she catches him beaming at her. The drink will always be one of her favorites, a luxury she had never tried before the Games. But when she catches him smilin a her, her own smile widens. Good. That means that he's enjoying this, doesn't it?

She opens the menu, glancing away from his gaze only briefly.]

Have you been here before?

A couple of times on lunch breaks. That's a thing here, by the way. Lunch breaks.

[He opens the menu as well, but doesn't want to look away from her.] Some of the food is practically Capitol-quality, but the difference is that it's available to everyone.

[Fifteen minutes in the mine to eat your meal. Less if your overseer was in a bad mood. There really wasn't such a thing as a lunch break in District Twelve. Not outside of schooling, not that she could remember. Why would anyone care that much about them?

But she forces herself not to think of that. Not today, not here with Peeta. Not on her first date ever. Today's a day to focus on living. On the here and now. There's been more than enough time to mourn the past.]

I had a hamburger once. It's ground meat on bread. [A quick glance down at the menu and then her attention's back on Peeta.] With lettuce and tomato and some kind of sauce. Just as good as the things we at in the Capitol.

I had the curry a few weeks ago. [He reaches to point to the mango chutney curry on her menu.]

[She remembers the curried stews she sampled in the Capitol. The way the spices tingled her tongue, the assault of flavors that were unlike any she had sampled before. It had been so, so good.

She smiles broadly at him.] I think I'll try that then.

[He grins. Then, unable to resist, leans across the table to pluck a kiss from her lips...and the server comes back with the hot chocolates. He doesn't abort the kiss, but does smile apologetically at the server afterwards as if to say, "Sorry, but you can see I couldn't help myself."]

I'd like the chicken pot pie, and the lady would like the curry.

[This has been the hardest part to adjust to. Public displays of affection. But as soon as their lips meet, she's lost and it's surprisingly easy once again to forget about the restaurant around them.

Until Peeta pulls away, that is, leaving her to first puzzle why. The riddle is solved as soon as the chocolate is placed on the table and she slouches down a little in her seat. This shouldn't bother her, not after all the public kisses they shared in the Games. But this still feels so utterly different.

Katniss doesn't look up again until the waitress has gone to place their orders. She offers Peeta a shy grin.] Thank you for ordering.

[A little chuckle.] It's fine. I just...want to treat you like you deserve tonight.

[The hot chocolate has whipped cream on top. He picks up his spoon and begins to stir it in.]

[Like she deserves tonight. The words echo in her head as she mimics Peeta's actions, dissolving the rich cream into the hot liquid.]

You deserve it. [The words are blurted out but honestly meant.] You deserve for tonight to be perfect, Peeta. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.

Now you know, Katniss, [he says with playful wryness,] we're not supposed to argue on a date.

[She recognizes that teasing tone of his. It makes her lips quirk in a fond and playful grin. She tilts her head a little, pretending to consider his words.]

Really? What else are we not supposed to do?

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