safe keeping {cato}

[Knuckles]

Lotus Tansy Seventeen | Female | District Eleven

A smile twists across my face as I skip through an orange orchard in the district. My hands wrapped around a loaf of bread I carefully baked myself. Brown locks flop in the wind, and the sun slowly descends beneath the horizon. Clouds change from gray to red and purple. Dead grass crunches beneath my feet, and despite the heat of the day, it's cold outside right now. Somewhere across the district in the victor's village, Tobias sits inside - it's him I want to see. It's been so long, and it's been rough since the loss of his brother, but I make sure he's eating, and he's taken care of. Part of me feels guilty because I don't know what to do for him. Not once in my life have I experienced the loss he has, and honestly I pray that I never have to.

Twisting my way through the winding trail, keeping the warm bread tight against my body, I move forward as quickly as I can. Being outside after dark is almost considered a crime, and I don't want to end up as a public example.

Night is my favorite time of day because the work that needs to be done is finished. Ma has food sitting on the table ready to eat - she asked if I wanted to invite him over. But I carefully shook my head because I want to surprise him. Baking the bread cost lots of money, and I've worked hard every day to save every bit of money I could to buy the products needed; I hope he enjoys it as much as I do.

Once I'm outside Kirito's door, I'm raising my fist and pounding away. "Tobias, are you there?" I try using my inside voice, but I realize he may not hear me. Clearing my throat, I make my voice a little bit louder - "It's me, Lotus." And I just hope and pray that he answers.

328 words

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[Cato]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

I failed Iain as a brother. I tried to volunteer for him because I didn't want him to die, but for some stupid reason they held me back. They wouldn't let me. Iain's my little brother - I'm supposed to protect him! All I can think about is him now. I think about the meal we cooked together, the mess we made, him trying to live a normal life. Iain was strong, and he needed to survive. I would rather die right now than live. I can't look at cherry pie anymore. I don't want to leave the house. I don't want to do anything other than sit in this chair and hope nobody disturbs me. Every now and then Ikaia brings Junior and Ekain over, and it's hard to look at Junior because he's named after Iain, and it's not the same. Sometimes I blame him and Kirito. Kirito won the games, he brought Harbinger home alive - why couldn't he save Iain? It just doesn't make sense. A knock on the door draws my attention away from the blank wall. I'm tempted to ignore it because what's the point? I don't want to leave. I don't want to do anything except sit here and die. "It's me, Lotus." Hearing her voice makes me smile a bit, but I still don't want to move. But I force myself out of the chair, and I stagger over to the door. It's getting dark out, and if I don't let her in something could happen. "Hey, Lotus. Come in." I say as I open the door allowing her to come inside.

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

Lotus Tansy Seventeen | Female | District Eleven

All the hair on my arms stand on end despite the warm bread pressed against my chest, and the further the sun sinks into the abyss, the colder it gets outside. I'm shivering, doing what I can to stay warm. My gait shifts back and forth, and I wonder if he even cares that I'm outside. Shaking my head, I quickly push the thought away. It's wrong of me to think something like that. Each breath crystalizes in front of my eyes, and it's almost amazing, yet it reminds me that winter is around the corner. I had money saved up, but I spent it on supplies to make a loaf of bread. Seems foolish, but I hope that Tobias enjoys it since I worked so hard to make it.

The door opens, and Tobias is standing inside, and I can tell he's not doing well. He may have a smile on his face, but his eyes tell me differently. "Hey, Lotus. Come in." I give him a quick nod of the head before moving carefully inside. The walls of the house are blank, and it's almost as dark as it is outside. "Thank you." I manage between each breath.

Looking around before closing the door behind me, I turn my gaze towards him. The loaf of bread is still tucked away, and part of me is afraid to move it from fear of falling over with a nasty frostbite or something. But that's probably me just being silly.

Finally pulling it away, I hold it out in front of me - "I bake this for you." My smile twists from ear to ear. "I thought we could share it."

280 words

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[Cato]

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Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

A small sigh leaves my chest as she shuts the door behind her. I'm glad she's here. I'm glad that she took the time to come and see me when most people just leave me alone. It's a harsh world that we live in. Nobody in charge cares, and I don't know what to do anymore. I often visit his grave and try to talk to him, but it isn't the same. Then Lotus pulls something from beneath her jacket, and the scent of freshly baked bread fills my nostrils. "I bake this for you." My chin drops to the floor, and I don't know what to say. Her smile makes me smile, and I feel like everything will be okay for the moment. "I thought we could share it." Bread is expensive to buy from the markets, and I know it's expensive to make from home. Buying the supplies cost a lot. I'm at a loss of words, unsure of what to say at this moment. She's always doing things for me, and I never do anything for her. I know she doesn't want me to, but I don't want her to keep giving me things. I do appreciate them, and I want her to know I am grateful. "You didn't have to do that." I almost wish I wouldn't have said anything because I've told her the same thing over and over again. Just being in her presence is enough for me. "Of course we can share it. I'm sure there's some leftover food in the kitchen we can add to it. Make it a feast." It's the least I can do. I want to make her happy, but I don't know how because I'm not happy myself.

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

Lotus Tansy Seventeen | Female | District Eleven

All the hard work is finally paying off. Instead of drowning in a sea of guilt and unwanted moments, Tobias has let me in. Taking off my hood, and moving into the kitchen, I carefully place the bread on the counter. He insists that I didn't have to make this. It took hours to make, weeks of prepping and buying things, and he's telling me I didn't need to do this? That is something I know, something I want to tell him. I didn't need to do this - I wanted to. That's the difference. It's for him. It's a way to express how much he means to me, but it's not defined by this lonely loaf of bread.

Moonlight flickers through the window casting shadows from the branches outside the house. It's almost an eerie feeling watching the world fall asleep. I make my way towards the window springing joyfully with each step - "It's such a beautiful night, Tobias." My voice is quiet, and it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't hear me. "A full moon and all."

My eyes dart through the kitchen. It's been a while since I've been inside, and it's been a while since I've looked at anything like this. I'm not fortunate enough to have all this at home. The Miristioma family, the Persimmon family, the Rhodes family is lucky to have all of this placed in front of them, but I know it came with a hefty cost, and it hurts my heart.

Tobias perks up a bit, or at least it seems that way. Sharing is something I enjoy doing. It helps me to move on in life. It keeps me sane. And he adds the possibility of making it a feast. Rummaging through the kitchen, I try to find all the hiding places for some food, but I know I'll never find them. A feast is nice, but this loaf of bread is enough to fill my stomach. Has living in the victor's house with riches changed him?

I nod my head quickly letting him know that I heard him. "Oh, I could definitely use a feast." Trying to make myself sound really excited, I end up jumping up and down hoping to not wake everyone up. "What all do you got left? Anything I can help warm up?" I would tell him he didn't have to do this, but it would ruin the fun, and potentially ruin the night.

409 words

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[Cato]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

Lotus walks into the kitchen, and I follow behind her. I want to be happy. To smile for real. To feel the joy inside me again, but I can't. I shouldn't be here, and my brother should. But Lotus is here, and I refuse to burden her with my problems. She places the bread on the table, and prances towards the window. I've never been much to pay attention outside. Didn't care about it. I used to, but not now. She talks about how it's a beautiful night, and that it's a full moon. Iain loved full moon's. He loved watching the clouds make it spooky. And I would sit with him. We'd talk. Share stories. I shouldn't be feeling sad, but I can't help it. "Yeah. It's nice." I feel like I may be a dead person living inside a shell of my body. I have trouble feeling. Trouble moving on past the sadness. Trouble making sense of things. But I'm not dead. I'm very much alive, and I hate it. Lotus rumages through the kitchen, and I go by her side and start helping her. If one thing, I won't send her away with an empty stomach. I know what it's like going to sleep hungry. My heart jumps a bit when she's excited about the feast. I thought for sure she'd turn it down, but she wants to have one. And she asks what we got left, and I open the refrigerator doors. Inside is one of the soups Iain always made. I'm sure it doesn't taste like his, but I did the best I could. And beneath that is a cherry pie. Bread, plant soup, and cherry pie. They're his favorite, and here I am eating his favorite meal without him. "Well, it looks like some soup, and cherry pie." I remove them from inside, and I place them on the table before getting some plates and forks out of a cabinet. "Oh, maybe this syrup." I set the plates down before moving back to the fridge. Everything I make is only a way of making me sad, but I have to, to keep my brother alive. "We can put it on the bread. Like a spread." I get ready to pull out a chair from the table when I get an idea. "Maybe we can eat outside under the moon." It's been a while since I've done that, but it might help. Maybe.

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

Lotus Tansy Seventeen | Female | District Eleven

"Yeah. It's nice."

Somewhere deep inside my conscious is telling me something is wrong, yet when I think about what all has happened, it makes sense. My hazel eyes rest on the moon's reflection taking in every piece of it. If I look close enough, I swear there's a face looking back at me - what if that's where the dead people go? Closing my eyes, I feel the stress and pressure leaving my body. It's been a while since I've had the chance to sit down and enjoy a nice meal. Ma and Pa are good cooks, and I love eating with them, but I hope they understand that sometimes I just need more.

He takes a step towards the refrigerator, and he's looking through it - I stand on my tiptoes behind him wondering what he's getting. He pulls a couple of items out, and states that it's soup and cherry pie. A once genuine smile turns away for only a moment. Tobias had made a cherry pie for Iain on the reaping day, and I know it has a place inside his heart where pieces are broken and missing. He reaches into cabinets and pulls out a couple plates and forks.

"It all looks amazing!" My stomach growls despite eating a meal before leaving home, and I try to make enough noise to hide it.

"Oh, maybe this syrup."

It almost stops me in my tracks.

"A syrup?" I ask quietly wondering what it is.

He sets the dishes down on the table, and opens the door once more. A cool air hits my skin sending a chill down my spine. It has to be expensive, or maybe it's something he's learned to make throughout time? Apparently it goes on bread like a spread, and I'm not sure how it'll taste. It's green in color, and is very thick.

He's about to take a seat when he stops almost in the middle of a thought - "Maybe we can eat outside under the moon." My heart drops into the pits of my stomach. But I nod my head in agreement. "Yeah, it sounds like a fun plan." Grabbing the bread, the forks and the soup, I make my way out through the door leaving the plates, syrup, and cherry pie for him.

"I do want to warn you - it's a bit cold out." I turn the handle to the door before flinging it open. "But it's a nice night out, and I'm sure this meal is perfect."

420 words

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[Cato]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

"It all looks amazing!" At least she's happy. That's all that matters right now. Lotus has given me so much. She's brought me through to this moment, and without her I doubt I'd be alive. She asks about the syrup, and I just shrug my shoulders. I watched him make it. I watched him smash the plants together. I learned from him. I went out and gathered my own plants this time. He told me what to get and where to find them, and that's exactly what I did. The syrup is slightly icky looking, but it's how it's supposed to be. I've made it this way, and it tastes delicious. I didn't want to eat it the first time he showed me, but I eat it now. Just have to get past the disgusting color. Lotus nods in agreement, and starts gathering things up. I grab the plates, cherry pie, and syrup and follow her outside. She says that's it's cold out, but I'm sure it's a wonderful day. It's been so long since I've done this. He was the last person I have done it with the night before the reaping. I promised to keep him safe. I promised that I wouldn't let him die. I promised that it wouldn't be him, and I broke every single one of them in the blink of an eye. Lotus says she's sure the meal's perfect, and it makes me happier. I always make a bunch of food to keep leftovers for. Before Kirito won, left overs was all I had. Rotten oranges that nobody else wanted. They hit the spot. "It'll be alright. I can grab a couple blankets. Like a picnic." Sitting the stuff down on the ground where we're going to sit, I quickly head inside hoping she doesn't seem like I'm throwing her out. I grab some blankets off the couch, and I grab one long enough to sit on the ground. I'll place the food on it, and we can sit on it. I have one blanket for her, and one for me. I hope I didn't take to long. I return outside as quickly as I can hoping she's still there and that nothing is wrong. "We can put this one on the ground." I say holding the long one up before spreading it out on the ground. "We can sit on it and put the food on it." I nod my head before sitting down. "And I got a blanket for you to cover up with." I hand her the blanket and help wrap it around her shoulders. "And I got me one." I wrap my own around my shoulders, and all the pain goes away for a moment. I feel like someone is there with me. I feel like everything is going to be okay, but I know in the morning it'll just go away. "And now we can eat." I take a knife and cut a piece of bread and hand it to her as well as offering her some of the syrup.

OOC notes go here