High Noon at the Golden Corral [Abel/Arthur]

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

a r t h u r .

"One foot in front of the other
All that we have is each other
One foot in front of the other"

If ever there was anything that made Arthur Rollei question his faith in bringing down the capitalist pigs that ran the world, it would have been the buffet in the training center.

Whole rack of rib that fell off the bone, macaroni and cheese drizzled with browned breadcrumbs, wagyu beef grilled to perfection, crisp, milky rich ice cream that floated like a cloud on top of his tongue – it’d be fifty-fifty whether he died by the blade or from a coronary at the rate he was going through the food. After the first morning he’d made sure to be the first through the doors and the last to leave. He’d already gotten to know the staff by name. Thelma that worked afternoons had given him a fresh slice of red velvet after he’d told her how much he missed his ma and pa back home.

He knew well enough that the cafeteria had its own fault lines, and in true Arthur fashion, had tried to avoid them at all costs. He hadn’t much of a reason to talk to the careers, even if one might’ve mistaken him for one based on his size. He had his brother’s friends back home to thank. All the hours hauling metal junk, skate boarding, and racing one another at least saved him from looking like another scrawny nerd from three.

“Hey dude, what’s up,” Arthur slid his tray along the table as he took a seat across from the boy from eleven. The lower districts felt like a safer bet, especially someone who had been related to a boy in the games last year. Either he’d have a slow burning fuse ready to go off or was ready to crumble under the weight of what the capitol intended to put him through.

“Love the hair you know? That like, the thing in Eleven?” Arthur picked up a spare rib and took a bite out of the middle. He spoke as he chewed, little bits of gristle flying out across his tray. “I heard you all are like, shadow careers. Like you secretly train your whole lives to fight. Though I can’t imagine how.”

He let out a belch and hit his fist against his chest.

“Plus, that little guy you all got, the one that I’ve seen on television before? No way careers would elect that weenie.”

elegant

[Deleted]

Out of all of the people to sit next to me, it had to be this guy, whoever the fuck this guy was. I knew he was from Three looking at his uniform, and that's all I knew. Honestly, I didn't care to know more about him. Just from looking at him I could tell his muscles were likely four times the size of his brain - if he even had a brain. Which, someone with biceps the size of my skull wasn't someone I wanted to piss off by giving the cold shoulder to so I'd have to deal with it for now.

His plate was piled with a grotesque amalgamation of food, I wondered if he knew he could just go back for seconds instead of piling food on top of food on top of food. Most of his food was junk, and quite frankly I had a stomach ache just looking at it. Back home, we ate healthy. After all, we needed to be fit if we were going to be Peacekeepers. And I planned to keep eating healthy. I had a salad, a turkey sandwich with avocado, and a fruit parfait for dessert. Looking at last years rations of trail mix in the arena, I wasn't hopeful for much healthy food in the arena. The junk food he was eating wouldn't help him in the arena and despite eating he might still end up malnourished - ironic coming from Eleven, I'm aware.

When this guy spoke, it was obvious he was trying to push buttons and test the water. Some of what he said did pissed me off, but I'd handle him like I handled Pa when I got drunk. I'd pretend there was nothing abnormal about anything he said or did. If you don't give them a reaction, they moved on. Pa was all about that, a reaction, seeing us kids scared. Eventually we learned not to show him our fear, even if it was there. I ate a cherry tomato from my salad and took a drink of my lemonade before responding. 

"C'mon, we both know I look way cuter with this hair than what's her face does. But no, not really a trend in Eleven. Is talking with your mouth full the trend in Three?"

I had to get just one comment in there, just one as I slid a napkin across the table. Watching him was reminiscent of the pigs eating their slop during the County Fair.

"Not sure what you mean by shadow careers, but growing up in a house of Peacekeepers my siblings and I can all fight, take down some guy twice our size easily. And Pa definitely didn't vote for our Mayor Vasco if that answers your questions."

[ table by griffin ]

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

a r t h u r .

"One foot in front of the other
All that we have is each other
One foot in front of the other"

A wiseguy, eh?

He didn’t know much about eleven other than the he-haw, till the fields and make the most out of nothing sort of district. Arthur saw himself as lucky to have been born in three. They may not have been careers, but he’d gotten his hands on the sort of tech that eleven likely could only dream of – threes had the stereotype of being futurists and Arthur wasn’t about to complain. If he’d been born in eleven, would he have ever got his hands on a camera, let alone had the chance to develop all the scenes he’d wanted?

Arthur shoveled another scoop of macaroni into his mouth and nodded along. Abel’s hair reminded him, too, that plenty of guys just didn’t give a crap about what they looked like. He’d feign being like that too, the sort of boy that threw himself into a hoodie and jeans and never cared one lick about how he looked, but all of that was a lie. If his hair were out of place he’d run it under the tap and comb for a good ten minutes until it was reasonable. And while his family never had the money for fancy clothes he still collected hoodies of every stripe. Enough that his brother once made fun of him for having a whole rainbow coalition.

“I don’t really follow politics,” Arthur said absent mindedly before taking another swig of water. He sloshed it around in his mouth and rolled it over his tongue.

Peacekeepers. Huh.

“Oh so you’re like, from one of those families where they thought bending over for the capitol would get them somewhere. Sorry man. That must’ve been rough,” Arthur gave a shrug. He started to scoop some mashed potatoes into his mouth as spoke, “But y’know, it’s not your fault other people make shitty decisions. We’re just kids anyway. Not like people who actively choose to be fascists and then go ahead and fuck over their whole family.”

He swallowed. What Arthur wouldn’t have given to murder the peacekeeper that had taken Stanley. The glancing rage held for an instant and slipped down below the surface. Still roiling, ready to shoot upward at a moment’s notice.

“Sounds like at least you learned a thing or two. So at least there’s that.”

elegant

[Deleted]

Part of me was glad this slob was anti-peacekeeper. After all, I didn't want to be associated with someone like him. On the other hand, that threw out any notion of friendship - or allyship - with him for that matter. Not that I wanted to be friends with him. He was like a worse version of a career. Not as noble or proud without the raw strength many of them had. It was a little pathetic to be honest. He was pathetic.

I was done playing nice with him. This was my family he was talking about. This was not just Pa, but Cain and my other siblings as well. Hell the oldest kid in my family just finished their training not long ago! And here he was, bashing all of that hard work. Spreading rebellious lies about fascism. His response told me something though, something from experience. Whenever kids at school had issues with Pa it's because they had family members who were fairly punished.

"You're obviously dumber than you look, which is surprising because you look pretty stupid. My family defending the greatest government to exist isn't a stupid decision. But your family? Your family had obviously made mistakes. They broke the law and got what they deserved at the hands of Peacekeepers. What did the Peacekeepers do? Whip them? Beat them? Arrest them? Put them down like the animals they are? Whatever they did, they deserved it. And you likely deserve a similar fate. Unless, you want to repent."

My tone of voice changed. It was cruel, uncaring. It was moments like this I felt like an O'Malley. Where aspects of my Pa really came out to me. Maybe it's something I picked up from years of watching Pa, from seeing him work. Or maybe it's just something I was born with. After all, Cain could be cold too, and far cruller than I. God believes in mercy for those who repent, but sinners get what they deserve in Hell, simple of that.

"Though I'm glad you agree one of us learned something, because you obviously don't know shit."

And with that, I popped a strawberry from my fruit parfait into my mouth, a polite and fake smile coming back onto my face.

[ table by griffin ]

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

a r t h u r .

"One foot in front of the other
All that we have is each other
One foot in front of the other"

Repent?

For starters, Arthur would have rather shoved two fingers in the back of his throat and vomited up the whole of what he’d just inhaled and be forced to scoop it all up again with his fork than apologize for anything he’d ever done. His only crimes were those that any teenage boy should’ve been free to commit; staying out too late, carrying on, maybe posting the head of Snow on top of a poster where he was a pig getting fucked by another pig. Nothing that was particularly earth shattering or all that original.

But the thin skin of the capitol had meant anyone associated with Stanley’s studio got what was coming to them.

Funny how the world’s greatest government took such an interest in tearing families apart to show how powerful they were. From what Arthur had gathered, they could have spent a lot more time trying to figure out how to bring some of this future technology out to the districts rather than building up monstrous arenas over and over again.

Weren’t they tired? Weren’t they exhausted from all the greed and bitterness they’d surrounded themselves with?

Arthur gnawed at another spare rib and crunched into the bone. He listened to Abel rant as though anything he’d say would suddenly have Arthur feeling remorse.

“It figures, you know, a boy from eleven would be willing to shove a peacekeeper’s boot so far down his throat. How’s that boot taste, anyway? Seems like no matter what I did, we both wound up here, didn’t we?” Arthur wiped a hand across his mouth and couldn’t help but grin, “Where’s your god, huh? Capitol’s come and set you with the rest of us sinners and criminals, so that must mean you’re just as bad as us, right?”

Arthur snickered as he dug into his slice of red velvet. He smacked his lips as he tasted the sweetness of the icing.

“Just be a good little boy and eat your food. Capitol wants you big and strong so you don’t die too early. What a waste of a storyline that would be.” He chewed through another bite as he spoke, “You got a brother or sister? Maybe next year we’ll get them both. Only the best from my government.”

elegant