(no subject)

[inciting]

The fight or flight instinct still hadn't slipped out of Katniss's damaged mind.

She knew, factually they were in District 13. Even though they didn't even know it exsisted up until a few days ago.

Well, some of them.

Her family was here. Peeta was here. Gale was here. Katniss? She was pretty sure half the time she was actually still back in the arena. She had nightmares, she'd always had nightmares, but none has seemed to follow her into reality quite the same way.

Today was one of those days. She was completely still, breathing heavy, staring at the door, certain that what was going to come through wasn't going to be some District 13 medic. Sure the empty room was about to fill up with Capitol peacekeepers, or...worse. There was always worse.

Comments

yep. big old butthole.

[inciting]

"Yeah, that's a good thing."

And not just them. Katniss saw faces she knew, faces she was use to being dirty and gaunt. They might not exactly be sparkling Capitol fashionistasthank god, but they were clean, well feed...and something else. Something was gone from their faces.

It wasn't that they were happy. There was still too much hurt, too much war. But there was hope now. Real hope. Not the Capitol's manufactured hope.

"Maybe this was worth it..." She said softly, so only he could hear.

/kicks it

[bakersson]

Her words made Peeta smile. Having a positive perspective on everything was probably the best thing they could do right now to keep them sane, and if Katniss could manage it as well then he knew they had a chance of being all right.

Lives had been lost, countless people had suffered, but it wasn't the end.

"I'm with you."

[inciting]

The meal went fast. Once people realized who they were and that they were there, safe, and approachable, they had people coming bye, saying hello, offering support and condolencenses.

Soon enough it was time to report for their meeting.

[bakersson]

It was kind of nice to see so many people from 12 safe here. Although the circumstances of them even being here were awful and heartbreaking, and every sympathetic and kind word sent his way only felt like a new stab to the heart, Peeta was just glad there were still people alive. They weren't hopeless. So he just smiled and thanked them, shared some kind words of his own, before he checked the time and was almost thankful for the excuse to get away from the crowd.

"We should get going," he tugged on Katniss' hand lightly.

[inciting]

She nodded, gathering up their dishes and heading to set them where they would be washed.

"Do you think we'll find it?"

As if too answer her question, a pair of soldiers appeared, nodding to them. They were quickly lead back to the room from yesterday, although it was much less densely populated than it had been before.

[bakersson]

"Guess so..." He was relieved at the escort to be honest. If they were late for a meeting like this, they could have missed something important. Then again, Peeta had a feeling the meeting wouldn't have started without their Mockingjay in the first place.

There were some familiar faces again in the room, including Gale. Still not letting go of Katniss' hand, he immediately went to sit beside the other boy, nodding to him in a silent greeting. The air in the room was stiff and tense.

[inciting]

Katniss was surprised, but grateful that Peeta zeroed in on Gale. She still wanted to pick the others brain, but having him so close helped. They had a silent language, and she knew Gale would do his best to clue her in. Hopefully she could pass it on to Peeta.

This meeting was long. Intense. A lot of it, she could tell, was review for their benefits but...however long they had been out of the loop had been long enough for the festering misery of Panem to break into war. Simple and at the same time deeply complicated.

[bakersson]

They were shown images that Peeta wished he could burn from his memory yet at the same time knew that was the worst thing to do. Things like this were important to know and keep in mind when they too were out there, doing whatever they could to aid this rebellion and hopefully stop the war before it reached its worst. That was his wishful thinking anyway. With the look on Coin's face as she spoke... he knew that was the last thing on her mind; to stop the this before there were more casualties.

By the end of it, he felt emotionally exhausted yet determined at the same time. They were in this. Deeply. And they could actually make a difference if they tried. Coin had been clear that Katniss and Peeta were important in the process of this rebellion, especially Katniss representing their mockingjay or... whatever it had been they'd mentioned. So much had been said.

If we need a gale I might pop my gale in here btw.

[inciting]

Her hand had locked around Peeta's half way through the meeting, and didn't let go until it was done. Now that it was, that people were filling out of the room, she sat there feeling...numb. Drained.

Gale was called over to talk to Coin, with many glances in their direction.

"She's using him to maneuver us." Katniss said softly.

np! if you still even want to play with me after how shitty I've been in tagging back

[bakersson]

Peeta stayed with her, leaning in close as his eyes glanced between Gale and Coin. He could still feel Katniss' hand clutching onto his event though she'd let go.

"You think she'd go that far?" He frowned, looking at Katniss again.

[inciting]

Throat dry, she watched the two of them talk, feeling something tighten up in her chest.

"I know she would. It's him I'm not sure about."

And she should be sure. This was Gale.

But she wasn't.

[bakersson]

"Maybe you should talk to him," he offered quietly, never sure who was listening and when. "I'm sure he wouldn't... lie to you. Not about this."

Then again, he didn't know Gale much at all. Not nearly as well as Katniss.

[inciting]

She hoped not.

But really, here, she had no idea. Nothing here was how she expected it. But Coin and Gale were wrapping up their conversation, and now was just as good a time as any.

"I'll be right back."

I can always try playing Gale so you're not rping with yourself or anything

[bakersson]

"I'll be here." He reassured, not planning on leaving her alone with any of these people right now. Even Peeta wasn't sure who to trust anymore... and although Gale was Katniss' closest friend, this place was still foreign to them. This way of living, what they had just gone through and heard in this meeting, none of it was okay.

Re: I can always try playing Gale so you're not rping with yourself or anything

[inciting]

((real quick for plotting. I am fine just summarizing it all in a post, but if you wanna do Gale, I am fine with that too))

[bakersson]

[[ooc: paraphrasing would probably be easiest]]

[inciting]

She gave him a smile as she walked away, and went to meet Gale.

It soothed her how quickly Gale was to talk about, well...everything. She still wasn't sold on this place, but he talked quickly, rapidly, and filled her in one what he knew.

Most of it had been covered in the meeting. 12 was gone, but some of their people had made it here. They were to be the face of the rebellion. And maybe, Gale added, actually in it. An idea that clearly was being held in front of his nose.

He lead her back to Peeta, still informing her of the ins and outs of their new home.

[bakersson]

He stood up as they both approached him, listening carefully. Gale seemed to have a lot more information than either of them and he wondered how many meetings they hadn't been invited to while running around half naked in hospital gowns.

Thirteen seemed impenetrable at least. Perhaps that was the safest they could get at this point. It made him think of the surface and of Twelve, of the fate of all their family and friends... and his stomach lurched uncomfortably again.

"So we're... going to be leaving eventually. I mean, we have to. We can't just stay down here and hide forever."

[inciting]

"Well, yeah. The goal is to take control of Panem, to send everyone home to rebuild." Gale said as he lead them forward.

There was a bite to his voice as he said the next part. "You two are to always be together."

"Yeah, that sounds familiar." Katniss said with snort. But her hand found Peeta's again as they trailed after Gale. It might be unfair, but in this us versus them, Gale had aligned himself with a them she wasn't too sure about herself yet.

[bakersson]

"For the cameras," Peeta spoke the obvious for the sake of making things less awkward. He definitely heard the bitterness in his voice and immediately felt guilty, even though Peeta knew he shouldn't. It felt a bit ridiculous to worry about what Gale thought now of all days, or how it affected the boy's relationship with Katniss. But it was still there, still haunting him like he was supposed to feel bad... and he was suddenly all too aware of the locket around Katniss' neck with his picture tucked inside.

The one he'd given her... on that beach that felt so far away now.

Focusing back on the present, he squeezed Katniss' hand, looking from the back of Gale's head to her again.

"Right," Gale continued, still not looking at either of them. "You're supposed to be a symbol, some representation of hope and perseverance. We can't have you splitting up now."

[inciting]

Katniss flinched at that. His words, his emphasis.

This wasn't a situation she had been expecting to come back into, and if anything? It was far more awkward now. She tried to think of something to add, to soothe, but had a feeling she wouldn't manage anything that wouldn't make things worse.

"Gale-"

"And here's your room. Your mom and Prim are right across the hall." He pointed to the plain white door across from the one he'd just opened.

[bakersson]

"Thank you, Gale." It was the only thing Peeta could think to say right now. Even though he was usually so good with words, it was probably best not to interfere in... well... whatever went on between those two. The reassurances from last night with Katniss had felt good and hopeful despite the state of the world, but there was always still... this.

He watched as the other boy simply nodded and would barely look at Katniss, and he felt angry for her.

Still, he did not let go of her hand, even through the awkward silence.

[inciting]

"Well, I think we've got it."

She gave Gale a tight, overly large smile, and he pressed his lips together, started to speak, and reconsidered. Even with this gap between them, Katniss knew that she didn't need to do more to communicate to him what she was feeling.

"Call me if you need me then." He hesitate, and then walked down the hall, ducking down the first corridor he reached.

[bakersson]

Peeta let out a breath he had not realized he was holding when Gale left, warily looking toward Katniss.

"You ok?"

[inciting]

She scowled at where Gale had vanished, before her shoulder slumped down.

"I just...don't get him anymore."

He used to be one of the few people she did. Or thought she did. And it was hard, feeling like she was on eggshells around him. Especially at a time when figuring out delicate interpersonal relationships wasn't high on her list of worries.

"Let's just go get settled in."