don't tread on me

Once the drink is offered, Harper’s attention focuses on him.  She smiled in thanks before taking it.  “I appreciate that,” she told him.  She could use something to calm her nerves.  It was always a surreal experience when her tribute survived the bloodbath.

‘No problem,’ he signs slowly, wishing for a moment that he could drink one as well. Amos glances at the screen, before looking back at the women. ‘Did your tributes do well?’ She was certainly a mentor, since she was in the viewing room, though he didn’t know what district she was from.

“You agree then?” she asked, turning her head to smile at the boy. He wasn’t someone she recognised, and she squinted at him slightly for a moment. “Shouldn’t you be, you know…” she pointed towards the screen. “You seem awfully young.”

Amos just shrugs in response to the question, though he wasn’t that great at hiding his displeasure. His face always made him an open book. He frowns a bit, glancing towards the screen before shaking his head. He gestures to the uniform he was wearing before signing, ‘Avox.’

‘You’re a long way off,’ she signed at him, smirking to show that she was only teasing the boy. ‘What were you asked to do?’

Amos grins a bit at her teasing. It felt comforting, the friendliness appreciated after lots of hard months. He gestures towards the cart, ‘Food duty.’

“You’re sure?” she asked.  Vega had very limited experience with avoxes before, so this was all new.  “Is it hard?” she asked.  “Worrying about what they’ll do to you?”

Amos nods, gesturing towards the food. There was a good chance that someone else had already been sent to fix his mistake, might as well let someone eat it. At the question, he glances away, looking up at the ceiling. It was scary, sure. He never knew where the line was, it wasn’t very well explained. But, it felt like they had already given him their worse. He was a prisoner in the Capitol, with no contact with anyone he used to know, and no tongue in his head. He was truly under the president’s thumb, at all times. It couldn’t get much worse, could it? But, with no way to explain that, the boy just shrugs, rocking his hand side to side. 

‘It looks like you are doing a good job,’ she signed back at him with an encouraging smile. She looked down at the cart and could easily guess what his assignment was. He was just a kid, cleaning should have been a chore he did for his parents not his entire life. ‘What floor are you assigned to?’

Thanks, he replies, with a bit of a grin. The other avoxes, the ones who actually taught him how to sign, told him he was hopeless. One, floor One.

“Anos? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Marley.” She said with a smile, holding her hand out to him for them to shake. Maybe it was weird for young people to shake hands but her parents always taught her to be polite. Marley then looked around the room before nodding her head. “I guess so. It’s a little small..” She stated, looking back at the male. “I would much rather be at home but I’m sure everyone would be.. What district are..” She paused, was that the right wording? “were you from before this?” She asked curiously.

Great, now she was going to know him as Anos, all because of his clumsy fingers. It was almost funny, if it was damn frustrating. Still, he smiled at her, shaking her hand firmly and quickly. This was the best conversation he had in months, so if she had to know him by Anos, so be it. He raises an eyebrow at her, glancing into the floor. Small is not at all what he would describe it as, since this floor alone was almost as big as home back in One. Though, he had seen the rest of the Capitol, at least through the windows. It wasn’t as extravagant. She heard the way she hesitated in mid sentence, and it felt like a small stab in his heart. Even good times were highlighted by the fact that he was a prisoner here. ‘District One,’ he signs, offering a small smile, though he didn’t hide his hurt too well.

“Thanks,” Vega said as she snatched a bit of food from the trays.  “I’m not going to get you in trouble or anything right?  For the food disappearing, I mean.”  His lack of response was enough clue that he was an avox.  She didn’t want him to get hurt because of her.

Amos had no idea whether or not he would get in trouble, but he didn’t care too much. The last thing he was worried about was getting trouble, what else could they do to him? He shrugs, waving a dismissive hand. He smiles a bit, making sure let her know that it was okay, at least to him. He didn’t bother trying to sign, since he figured the girl didn’t know how.

Marley smiled softly at him and nodded her head as he signed. “You’re welcome.” Living in the Capitol, she grew up learning sign language. You never knew what event would have avoxes so it was good to learn it just in case. The girl just smiled at the boy. She had such a soft spot for avoxes, she would never make them feel like a slave as long as they were around her. “I’m Marley, by the way. I’m the Capitol tribute. In case you couldnt tell by the room we are in..” She said looking around as they are on the Capitol floor.

Oh thank goodness, wouldn’t that make it so much easier. Though his signing wasn’t all that great, it was at least something. It would be nice to have a conversation, after all this time. ‘Amos’, he signs, though he first signs it as Anos. The boy looks around the floor, noticing how it was nicer than even just the District One floor. ‘Real fancy here. Though, I bet all of the Capitol is like this.’ 

He pushed the tray closer and she smiled.  “I can have some?” she asked before reaching for a piece of food.  She took a bite.  “Thanks a lot.  This looked amazing.”

He hums a small mhm-hm in agreement, though he wasn’t going to try himself. Eating without a tongue was as difficult as it was disappointing. Not being able to taste anything really took the joy out of eating, especially on top of the fact that they just blended together all of their food. Amos leans against the wall, no longer concerned with the elevator, giving the girl a small smile.

When Amara looked up, she assumed immediately that the young boy in front of her was one of the tributes. Had she only seen his face, she would have continued to think that, but only a moment later she recognized the uniform that gave away what he really was. He’s so young, though, she thought. Did this country not understand how poignant just a slap on the wrist could be for a child? In her eyes, he also looked far too skinny and in need of some food, so she rushed out from behind the table she was cleaning and stuck an arm out to stop the elevator from closing. ‘Wait,’ she signed at him. ‘Do you understand sign language?’

Hearing the fast footsteps, Amos prepared himself for a very painful, one-sided conversation. He wouldn’t mind talking with the people in this tower, if they could at least give him something to write on. Though, it wasn’t like most of these Capitolites wanted to talk with a ‘rebel’. They preferred to ignore him, which he had thought was going to drive him insane, but he had grown to like it that way. Looking at the owner of the arm that stopped the elevator, he felt a small sense of relief when he saw her sign. He caught most of the words, and nods, his fingers fumbling a bit as he signed back Still not great at it, but I’ve gotten better.

Artemis was tidying up on the eighth floor, which was all but deserted at this time of day, everyone else on the lower floors catching up after their three month breaks from one another. That’s why she was surprised to hear the elevator ding and open up into the common area of the eighth floor. She peered her head from around the kitchen counter, spotting what looked to be another avox, one she didn’t recognise. She made her way over to the elevator, putting her foot in the door before it could close completely, and raising an eyebrow at the intruder.

He almost got away without a trace, already leaning back against the wall to back his trip to the first floor. But, that was interrupted by a foot in the door, forcing the elevator back at open. Amos was annoyed initially, but seeing that was another avox eased him a bit. Still, he wished she would just let him go without stopping him, no need for anyone to know his mistake. After a moment of thought, he signed slowly, Can I help you?

Vega chuckled to herself when she watched him panic and push the elevator button.  Walking towards him she looked over at the food.  “Oooh that looks good,” she told him.  “Sure you’re not on the right floor?”

For such a high tech city, their elevators seemed to take forever. Amos glances at her, looking at the food. What did he care if someone else ate it? He just shrugs a little bit, pushing the tray towards her.

Diamond was going over tribute files, none seemed very impressive. Not that one would expect kids chosen based on their ability to dance or sing or whatever other talent they may have. She heard the elevator ding and looked up, noticing the boy dart back into the elevator. “Can I help you?” She asked, dropping the files and getting up.

Originally posted by charlizesource

The boy lets out a small sigh, since he had hoped that no one would notice his mistake. Stepping back out of the elevator, his escape route closing behind him, he looks over the woman for a second. It didn’t take long for him to recognize her, as she was one of the district’s victors. One of the people he would’ve, at a time, admired. Now, she would be one of the people he was forced to work for. Maybe he hadn’t gotten off on the wrong floor after all (they were all so identical, it was hard to tell). He points down at the tray of food, and then raises an eyebrow at her, as if asking: Did you order this?

Marley sat criss-cross against the wall, reading a book that she had found laying on her district’s floor. Suddenly she heard the ding of the elevator which caused her to jump as her eyes darted to where the noise came, waiting to see who was coming onto her floor. When she saw it was an avox, Marley gave him a friendly smile but noticed that he seemed to be panicking a bit. “Hey!” Marley said to him, walking over to him. “You dont have to rush.. I mean, in less you have somewhere else important to go..” She told him, still smiling. “The way you are acting makes it seem you didnt go to the right place.. Right? We all make mistakes.”

Amos looked at the younger girl, who was so bright and bubbly, and felt a bit bad for her. She must be a tribute, with how small she was. So happy too. Still, he smiled back at her, shaking his head a bit. There wasn’t really anywhere important for him to go. What, the victors and their tributes needed their food. At this point, he was sure someone else had been sent, and they have already gotten it. He nods, glancing back at the elevator. Thanks, he signs, not knowing whether or not the girl would know what he was saying. But, it wasn’t like he had any other options.