knight to f6 [alice & daniela] | frankel

[shrimp]

She rubs the towel on her face, feeling the soft fabric as a small comfort as her lungs heave and her calves burn. Whoever told her to take the two hour cardio course was a fucking asshole because if she's sore tomorrow she'll only be able to get so much weapons training in, and if she can't handle a weapon then she can't handle the arena. But regardless, they burn in a good way, she thinks. She'll have to run a marathon the day of, after all. Hopefully the adrenaline helps.

She's one of the last in the cafeteria today, and she grabs a plate to look at the offerings. Eventually, she settles on a clear looking broth with roast duck and noodles, an assortment of deep fried vegetables, a side of spicy tofu and a blueberry soda. Balancing the tray back towards the seating, she notes that there only seems to be one spot left at a long table, across from Eight, she remembers.

For a moment she considers just making the people near Moreno and Six move, but no. If nothing else, she's gotta know her competition, and she's gotta weigh out her options.She's still trying Atticus, she'll give you that much.

Silently she slides into the seat, a quick "Heya - Alice, Three." to Eight before she digs into her food. She's starving, the tofu seems to be gone in a flash and the soup's down her gullet once it's cool enough to drink. It's kind of strange, she thinks, how being selected for death has allowed her to experience such cool shit. She wonders if Chloe enjoyed this type of luxury, or if she hadn't cared at all. She was used to it back then, when they had almost anything they wanted, when the future seemed bright.

It's still bright, just muddied a bit. She's getting the hell out of here or she's going to die trying. Two forks in the road, and she aims to take the one less traveled.

She finishes her drink and explores the dessert table, taking what looks to be a small cloud with cream and berries. She peers at it as she walks back, the small cracks in the meringue alluding to its fragility. When she gets back to the table she chips at it with her fork.

While sculpting, she looks back up at Eight. There's a question in her mind, for a fair amount of tributes, but she fits the bill.

"Hey, Eight," she says. "I've been wondering -" She takes a bite of the dessert and chews over her question.

"Why the hell did you volunteer for this?"

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

Even my sleep schedule is dictated. I have escaped from the grasp of my father but now I have landed in the hands of the Capitol. Early wakeup call and every hour filled with one activity to another. I have such little choice in what I do; even the clothes on my body have been placed on by another. Although Adessia bizarre style is growing on me, it is the polar opposite to the styles back home, probably the only thing in the Capitol that I have a taste for. The food really is not one of them.

My mouth floods with desire after every mouthful but it is the hours afterwards that draw a red mark on the Capitol’s cuisine. Is it because I am eating too much? A battle is raging between my stomach and brain. An assortment of eye catching food always draws the serving spoon to my plate; colours I have only ever thought existed in dye. Purple carrots and blue tomatoes, it must be the colouring that is ensuing rage onto my stomach. But whatever, they are serving something different today; less vibrant and colourful but just the sight of it, I can imagine how delicious it is.

Just thirty minutes to make my own decision, before I am back on the Capitol’s rota, it may be options dictated by them but at least I have a choice. There is one lesson that I have learnt so far and that is not to pile my plate high, and especially now that I have some sort of cardio hour etched in later today, whatever that means. Fried garlic mushrooms swim in a cheesy sauce on my plate; I accompany them with two slices of a crispy bread and pineapple juice to water it down.

The only vacant table, I claim as my own. I push the spoon onto my plate, making sure I get an equal mouthful of the sauce and mushrooms but it isn’t long before my peace is disturbed. "Heya - Alice, Three." I just nod as the girl invites herself onto the table. Rocko has exclaimed the need for interacting with the other tributes but I’d rather choose who they are and when. This girl’s uninvited arrival has already marked her onto the do not bother list.

She is gone.

And she now she is back.

The sweet treat on the female’s plate, sends a slight hunger pain into my stomach as I soak up the last drop of the sauce with my final piece of bread. But that desire is quickly shattered as the girl begins to speak with it in her mouth. "Why the hell did you volunteer for this?"

My eyes go on a rotating marathon inside my head as I roll them. This question has been on repeat since I said the three words. Who the fuck even cares? ” Because I can and I did.” I drop the spoon onto the plate; the clatter of the metal onto the porcelain creates a rather exaggerated sound. I can’t be bothered with this.

[ dars ]