[[picking daisies]] ~ open

[annamarie]

Ilse Madonfried

It was a quiet day in the marketplace. Not too many people wanted to be outside shopping when it was so cold. The perfect time for stealing food. People would be paying too much attention to keeping warm than they would be to their goods, allowing for kids like Ilse to come and take them. Wonderful. These were the times Ilse lived for.

Today was one of the days The Justice Squad was going to let her steal the food herself. While she liked the distraction job enough - sometimes she could even trick the merchant to giver her some food without having to steal it - she liked getting the food even more. It was more exhilarating and made her feel more useful than she did being the distraction. And it seemed that the older she got, the less of a distraction she could be, and the boys kept getting caught. Pretty soon they were going to have to get a new little kid to help them or just forgo the distraction thing altogether.

There it was. The apple cart. The only place in District Eight where they sold the delicious, juicy, crispy fruits that Ilse and several of the boys loved so much. The apple seller was so absentminded you could practically steal the fruits right out from under her nose, but what was the fun in that? There was no point in stealing anything if you didn't actually try. But today Ilse was in a hurry. By chance, her mother had been home when Ilse got back from school, and the nine-year-old almost didn't get away.

Ilse waited for the woman at the apple cart to turn away. When she did, the girl ran up, stuffed as many of the fruits as she could into her bag, and ran off. Easy as picking daisies.[/size]

[wingsonmyheels]

(open right)
Hector Alexander:

It was frekin cold, and not the dry, nippy; cold with an edge. This kind of cold made you lose feeling in your fingers and cold, the actual bone in the center of all of that flesh was the only aching in the hand surrounded by numbness. I huddled down into the front of jacket biting the little flap that sticks up in front of my face. Stupid move, now the wet bit rubs up against my chin chapping it and aggravating me furrther. At least I had a hat on, without that my earlobes would've fallen off after they frosted over.

The cold was not going away though and I was in town to buy food, so there was no wussing out. I'd gotten the broccoli, picked up some bread, I just needed somthing else, so I was walking around until I turned the corner and saw an apple booth, which was perfect. It reminded me of earlier days hanging out with a friend who I don't get a long with any more, trying to blow rings with the hot air from our breath.

I noticed a girl moving a lot quicker than the freezing people around her, but she slowed as she approched the booth. A women who I guess was the owner, sat behind the counter looking straight at the ground, completly oblivous. The girl ran up quickly, her lack of height working to her advantage, since the keeper couldn't see the girl over the cart. She herded the apples into her bag and scurried off. I rolled my eyes, I'd been young too, and then I suddenly felt old. Shaking the creepy feeling off I walked up to the cart paid the women what I thought the girl had taken, she didn't notice until the cash was on the table right in front of her, then she snatched it up without a second glance. Tracking the little girl was a pain but a finally found her and when I did I snuck up behind her flipped open the top of her bag, took an apple, tapped on her shoulder, and when she turned around I took a big juicy bite.

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[annamarie]

Ooc| You were kind of powerplaying there

Bic| She had the apples now. Ilse's fingers itched to open her back and take one - just one - apple for herself before the boys got to them, but she knew it would get her in big trouble with The Boss. Obviously, The Boss wasn't his name. He just called himself that, and when Ilse had asked him what his name really was, he had smacked her so hard she had ended up on the other side of the room. Touchy.

Just when she was about to head off to The Justice Squad's "headquarters" in the treehouse, Ilse felt a tap on her shoulder. Who in the heck... She turned around, expecting anybody from her brother Ian to a Peacekeeper. It was neither of those. Behind her was a teenaged boy, about the same age as Arren and Jonquil, and he was... eating one of her apples. How did he...? Ilse looked down, and, sure enough, her back had been opened and this strange boy had taken one of the red fruits.

"What the heck? That's my apple!" she said, trying to reach up the foot and a half of space between them to grab the apple. It was useless to try, and it wouldn't have been of any help if she could have gotten the apple back. Neither she nor any of the boys would eat a half-eaten apple. Still, Ilse wanted it back, because this boy had stolen what was... not-so-rightfully hers. She hadn't worked hard to get it, sure. But it was hers, and that was all that mattered. "Give it back, it's mine!"

Why should he? whispered the voice in the back of her mind. He followed you here, so he probably saw you steal them. And it's not like you actually payed for the things. So what? They were still Ilse's. Hers and the Justice Squad's, and nobody else's.

[wingsonmyheels]

((Sorry if u thought I was powerplaying. U said that she grabbed the apples and ran off so I just described it more in depth from Hectors point of view. My bad though))

Hector Alexander:

The girl turned around too face her thief, looking up at Hector like she'd been slapped by a stranger. Hector felt bad instantly and had to change his plan, this little girl's eyes seemed like Hector had hurt her. He felt bad that he'd forced that mouth to be anything other than a smile. Then she said that that was her apple, why did he take her apple??

He looked right down at the girl and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Hector, your hungry arn't you? Well stealing isn't the best way to get your food, but sometimes its the only way isn't it? I paid for your apples, keep 'em, but you should only steal from people who don't really need it. I can show you if you want, but it seems like your an expert at getting what you want arnt you?"

Hector felt like a dick to be honest. He was wording this way too harshly, and since when was he some kind of parent. He was only 16!! But Hecto hoped the girl understood he was doing somthing nice, he paid for her apples, and now was offering to help her get some real food...

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[annamarie]

Ooc| It was the saying she turned around part. But it's okay ^^

Bic| Ilse's eyes narrowed as the boy began to speak. She grew angrier and angrier with each word. "What, you think that because you're older than me you can tell me what to do? Heckton, or whatever your name is, I've been doing this for longer than you would believe. And why the heck did you pay the lady for her apples? Trust me, she's fat enough that you can tell she has enough to eat at home." So do we, but we steal food anyways,[/color] she thought. She fixed the boy with an icy glare of her blue eyes, a silent way of telling him to back off and leave her alone. Maybe that would be enough to scare him away.

Ilse had been stealing food for more than half of her life. It had become so much a part of her life, it was like breathing for her. A necessity to stay alive. No 16-year-old was going to break her of that habit, let alone one she has just met. What right did he have to tell her what to do? He wasn't her mother.[/size]

[wingsonmyheels]

Hector:

The girl was getting really upset, but she was losing her hold on Hector. If she had started to blame him for being mean, and went on about hungry she was Hector would've felt bad. An adorable little girl, calling the person she stole from fat, just didn't have the same charm as that she had when she was looking adorable.

"Look why don't you tell me your name and I'll show you who reallly needs to be stolen from ok? That women there paid somone else for those apples, so she needs every dollar she can get. But there are people that need to be stolen from, and they're a lot more challanging, and a helluva lot more fun. You say your good, lets see it, I'm giving you a challange."

[/size][/blockquote]

[annamarie]

If Ilse has narrowed her eyes any further, they would have been invisible. She should've just turned around right then, taken the apples and left. But there was something inviting about what the boy was saying. Things had been getting boring lately, and she could use some excitement. Something more than just stealing apples from the ditzy fruit lady. True, she had some obligations to The Justice Squad, and they would probably be against her going into any danger for food. Ilse was one of their main sources of goods because she was so small. But, then again, couldn't she have some fun on her own? The Justice Squad had taken up nearly every single day of her life since her sixth birthday. Shouldn't she be able to have a break? Of course, she would still be doing practically the same thing. Just for herself.

Ilse stuck out her hand, offering a handshake. "The name's Ilse Madonfried," she said, "And you've got a deal."

[wingsonmyheels]

The girl slowly started grinning in realization as she went through her thoughts on what Hector was proposing. Hecot smiled as she agreed, and he told her his evil plan. An evil plan that was right in so many ways.

"Right so now that it's winter the Captiol is sending a train through to collect furs, and already made coats to take back because its a little chilly in the Rockies. That train coming through though has already gone to the other disticts that are farther east than us, which just happen to include 10, and 11 where all the food is grown. If we somhow get a way onto that train we can take as much food as we can carry. I'm not sure what we'll face though, it could be completly unguarded, or their could be a peacekeeper after ever corner. I just don't know so, what do ya think, are you still in??"

[/size][/blockquote]

[annamarie]

Leaving the district? That was one thing Ilse had never done. It sounded exciting. And completely illegal. But, then again, wasn't nearly everything she did illegal? But this was different. Stealing food was... stealing food. But leaving the district, if they got caught, could get both Ilse and this strange boy Avoxed. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case. She'd managed to evade capture many times before, hadn't she? Surely it wouldn't be any different on a train with one more person. And stealing food? That was her thing.

Ilse considered asking for some more time to think it over. She might change her mind if she had time to sleep on it. But the chances were low that she would ever be able to see this boy again. And if she slept on it and decided she didn't want to go, the girl would be missing out on a big opportunity. And opportunity to make herself known in the crime world. "I'm in."

[wingsonmyheels]

Hector Alexander:

"Follow me" We were heading to the train station. I wasn't sure what day the train was coming in, but I knew that it came this week, and that it wasn't here yet. We walked past all the dirty factories, and I had a mini coughing fit as I breathed in a little to much smog.

It was sad that the district was so dirty, I didn't even understand why it was dirty. Why did making coats take coal and gas, and smoke? Somthing had to be done, one day, one day soon, it would start to affect the sheep. And then wool prices would go down, no one would want the meat, and the district would collapse.

"Lets hurry to the station, I don't like this part of town."

[/size][/blockquote]

[annamarie]

Finally. Something exciting to do. Ilse followed the boy, watching in amazement the district around her. She hadn't even been to these areas before, and it seemed amazing to her. Even the smog filling the air and stinging her eyes and nose couldn't dampen her mood. The mouth that was normally in a smile or a smirk was now wide open in an expression of awe. Most people could've cared less about this part of Eleven, but they weren't Ilse. Ilse was a nine-year-old petty thief who hadn't been out of the raggedy part of the district her whole life. "Most people" weren't.

The girl barely heard Hector speaking. When she realized what he had said, Ilse almost didn't understand. Why didn't he want to stay? This place was cool! Oh yeah... the train. Stealing food from the train. Right. "Um, okay," she said. "But... where exactly is the train station?" She felt a little embarrassed to be asking that, but she didn't show it. Ilse had never had any need to use the train, ever. She went to school and stole food. That was it.

[wingsonmyheels]

Red Jameson:

She didn't know where the train station was, well could one really expect her too? This girl was eight, she was the youngest thief Hector had ever met, and definatly one of the best. If she wasn't sure where we were that could be even better. The more helpless the girl appeared for the sake of the plan the better. We were almost at there now so soon the two of us were going to make our move.

"It's 2 minutes away, and on the far side of town, you think it would be nice seeing that the Capitolites see the part of town a lot, but its not. It might be the worst, all the bums in the district live near the tracks."

[/size][/blockquote]

[annamarie]

Two minutes. That wasn't long. Long enough to steal a bushel of wheat. Well, to steal one from a completely absentminded stall-keeper. There weren't a whole lot of those, but if you could find one, you were in luck. Not that wheat would do much good as food. You had to make it into flour first, and then you had to cook it with different ingredients to make different things. So, really, even if she had two minutes and a really ditzy seller, Ilse wouldn't have stolen a bushel of wheat. Not unless the boys had specifically requested it. Even then, she would probably argue their reasoning, and The Justice Squad would give up before procuring an adequate excuse.

Snapping back to reality, Ilse grinned at the boy and dashed ahead. "What are you waiting for?" she called back. "If you wanna catch the train, we're going to have to move faster! Come on!" She set off in a random direction, not exactly caring where she ended up. If she wandered the district long enough, the girl would have to end up at the train station eventually. Of course, she did actually have a guide, and they were sort of in a hurry, but what was the point of going the direct way? A meandering path was much more fun.