"peter. and i appreciate the gesture, though i will admit, this is probably the only thing of mine you'll be sticking in your mouth. i've got a proclivity for uppity, high strung guys, i'm afraid." there was a wry smile as pete lifted his arms above his head in a long, cat like stretch, feeling a few things pop and crack as he went before settling back in to standing at his full height. "it's almost a shame that it's so nice, here, huh? like i almost wanted it to suck more so i could feel better about not wanting to be here." there was a chuckle, and he shook his head. "then again, i guess when you're on the chopping block, not wanting to be here should be par for the course."

❛ nice t’meet you, ❜ sparrow wheezed, wiping their mouth with the back of their hand. their eyes felt uncomfortably watery, but then again, a little embarrassment didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. ❛ you’re a funny guy, aren’t ya ? guess you’re in luck, though. you’ve come to a place that churns out guys like that. ❜ as far as they could tell, anyway⎯the only capitolites they’d had a chance to talk to so far had been from district eleven’s team, but if they were an accurate sample of their peers, sparrow was pretty sure they were right. 

❛ it is a nice view, though. nicer than all the concrete down below. ❜ from this height, the city seemed made of glass, glittering in the dawning sun. shame it wouldn’t shatter so easily. ❛ and you’ve got your fancy cigar an’ everything. it’s basically heaven. ❜ they threw him another glance before tilting their face up to the sky. ❛ think your mentor’ll hook me up too if i ask nicely ? i don’t smoke, but i could use a treat before…you know, everything. ❜ 

it was too much to hope that they'd be alone here, too, but iza swallowed the momentary disappointment. they didn't have the energy right now to truly care.

"everything in this city comes at a price," iza pointed out, though they likely should have kept their mouth shut. not everyone was sulking about being here... and to the wrong ears, such words could have been considered treasonous, iza was sure.

whatever. the worst anyone could do at this point was expedite their death.

"hardly," iza answered, a grim smile curving their lips. "haven't slept yet. my bed at home is nicer." it wasn't, in the technical sense-- but all the silk and feather down in the world couldn't beat the comfort at home, the warmth of their puppy curled around their head like a halo, the sound of their family filtering in the crack underneath their bedroom door.

all iza'd been able to think about was that they'd never have any of that ever again.

in some ways-- it felt as if they'd already died.

"well, what do you think?" they asked after a moment, creeping close to the edge with their arms crossed. "city of dreams? personally, i thought it'd be prettier."

❛ right, right. our lives and everything. ❜ they studied the newcomer from the corner of their eye, making a note of their pale hair, the poise beneath their rumpled look. a beat passed before they returned their smile, but when they did, the gesture was genuine enough. ❛ yeah ? aren’t ya lucky. mine beats the stacks o’ straw back home for sure.  ❜ career, then. sparrow couldn’t think of anyone else who could boast a bed even half as comfortable as the one they’d spent the night in, fluffy as a cloud and soft as sin. if so, though, it begged the question of why they’d ever leave such comfort behind. maybe the games really were different in those people’s heads. 

they shifted a little to the side, making room for the stranger near the railing. it was a silly gesture, really - the roof was spacious enough to accommodate the two of them about twenty times over -, but unexpected companionship was still companionship, after all. ❛ now you’ve got to tell me where you got those standards, ❜ they chirped. ❛ i think it’s neat. gives me a bit of a headache with all the lights, but it sure is nicer than it looked on tv. ❜ nevermind that the screen they used to watch the games on was grainy on the best of days, and flickered in and out with the district’s frequent electricity shortages. ❛ what’s your ‘better’ like, then ? ❜

back home, aphrodite would rise with the sun and help her father prepare everything he needed for a successful day of fishing. nets, bait, hooks, and spears. it was always a lot of work, but often worth it. but instead she answered, "i don't think anyone sleeps well here." she sat on a barrier beside the garden, linen dress splayed out around her, and long, tanned legs crossed in front of her. "does it remind you of home at all? not the view but...the plants?"

❛ is this how you make introductions back home ? ‘cause you really need to work on that. ❜ there was no real resentment in their voice, though, not when their brain was busy filing away this new bit of information. they crossed their arms, studying the girl, noting the eye-catching spread of her dress over the granite bench, the effortlessness of her pose. they remembered now : district four, aphrodite. fancy name, for a district girl. ❛ not the plants, no. we don’t plant a lot of this pretty stuff in eleven. ❜ if greenery couldn’t be consumed, then it had no business growing on arable land ; that had been the thought, anyway. ❛ i like high places, though, so it feels a little nostalgic. you ? i'm having a hard time imagining a place that looks less like the seaside than this one. ❜ not that they'd ever seen it themselves, but that was besides the point.

maybe the capitol did have it's perks.

he could practically hear abuela in his head. 'peter michael lopez, you're going to put yourself into an early grave' and it was almost laughable to think of it. he did let out a little chuckle as the lift dinged and those smooth silver doors slid open, letting him out into a milky early morning sky. the view, if nothing else, was incredible.

the figure standing there did startle him, but they didn't appear to be a threat... not right at this exact moment, anyway. this wasn't the arena, after all.

he struck the match against one of the stones next to him, and quickly lit up, allowing the smoke to roll around in his mouth before he quickly blew it out in a huff. "up with the cows. i don't think i've ever slept later than the sun a day in my life." and there was no reason to mention that he hadn't actually slept much at all the night before, anyway. that the bed had been too comfortable, so he'd pulled the blanket and a pillow from it and made himself a little cot on the floor, instead. he would have been embarrassed if anyone had come into his room and seen that. "would you like a hit? capitol tobacco, wildly top tier. not that i expected any less."

they watched in mild interest as he pulled a match out of his pocket, striking it against one of the decorative stones that lined the garden path and using it to light a fat cigar, its burning end a little pinprick of light in the early dawn. sparrow’s experience of smoking was limited to the rolled-up cigarettes culler used to huff in the morning, and those were more than halfway made of grass, but even they could tell the stuff was quality. its shape was smooth and even, nothing like the stained paper they’d seen field workers wrap their smokes in. 

❛ same here, ❜ they said, mostly to seem friendly. ❛ a day in the orchard starts bright an’ early too, i guess. how’d you get your hands on that ? ❜ curiosity did indeed kill the cat, as for all their previous wariness, sparrow found themselves creeping closer, eyeing the other’s find. ❛ sure, i’ll give it a try. ❜ a moment’s hesitation, then : ❛ name's sparrow, by the way. feel like you should know that before i stick anything of yours in my mouth. ❜

SPARROW GARDNER (madison bailey fc) the odds are in your favor! Please report to your nearest Capitol Agent to be prepped for the 74th Annual Hunger Games!