A/N
I'm very happy that Sheathing the Light has been shown interest. I'm sorry I haven't been updating like a normal person does but I've been busy preparing to go to Beijing for the fall and been distracted by Haikyuu! . Now I'm in Beijing. This is the first time I'll be here for months instead of a single week, and I've met a few new friends whose rooms are close to mine. It's so far been fun but also a little…tiring? I can't move quite too well after the first day of orientation, and the second one would probably be just a bad. I'm so getting old….and we got lost attempting to return from the office buildings to our dorm…but that's life right?
It's already passed the second week that i've been here. it's been good so far c:
My concern for updating while in China: it was uncertain to whether fanfiction is available in China. I hope to update as soon as I can c:
-edit: Omg I can update!
~ceruleanglass
Chapter 3: How Greediness Injures
民之輕死, 以其上求生之厚, 是以輕死。夫唯無以生為者,是賢于贵生。
The people make light of death because of their labours in clinging to life; therefore they make light of death. The one who is not absorbed in life is worthier than he who esteems life.
DaodeJing - 75
The doors opened once more, signaling the return of the announcer, who smoothed down the front of her skirt before sitting at the table. As soon as Annie was seated, she was handed copious amounts of eggs, rich with butter and milk, cakes, several assortments of meats and fruits, and fried potato slices. A set of rolls were placed in front of Annie. 'This is the first time I've seen this much food,' she thought.
It was the truth. Meals during training were only for sustenance, not indulgences. She looked over the crystal, the stainless steel, and sleek mahogany of the table and thought, this Capitol certainly has the money to afford such luxuries. 'Luxuries that I cannot afford to take part of, or I'd get attached to the weighted pleasures that were not mine to enjoy,' she believed.
The Capitol that lives sitting back, growing fat and squealing with glee at any little thing while their people suffer, they could be doing something much more engaging. But they pay their attentions to the tributes, whom serve as their entertainment. If by sitting behind a television's surface, then there is no need to feel a particularly strong connection to any of the tributes from the twelve districts. There is not any value to people, is there? Death is said to release one from their burdens, but nothing will change. Living is essentially death. Sitting here we are one of many chess pieces.
But now was not that the appropriate time to ponder. It wouldn't be good to dwell too long. With that, she decided upon taking a roll and some water. Across from her, she saw Haymitch tip his head back and gulp down a red liquid, paying no heed to the food presented to him. Next to her, Peeta's gaze hardened upon seeing Haymitch so comfortable, while he sat there in silence, not knowing what to do, nor having any sort of foundations on which to have that comfort.
Sensing the awkwardness, or just not fit to sit in silence forever, the announcer decided now was the time to introduce herself. So there was a name, Annie mused. The announcer, or EffieTrinket, as she'd introduced herself was beginning to spout off praises about the glory of the Capitol. She saw no point in such blatant sugarcoating, and if she'd truly cared, perhaps she would have said something. But there was a saying about ignorance being bliss so she decided against it.
"So tell me, what skills have you got?" And then there was Haymitch who seemed to have become slightly more sober; his thought processes clear enough to remind him to do his job. Peeta perked up a bit, shared a look with Annie, and told him. "I've worked at a bakery before doing some heavy lifting. But uh, I don't know too much about Annie yet so I can't say for sure." Haymitch leaned back, "Strength. That's good. We can work with that," but he nodded towards Annie. "What can you do?"
She straightened up in her chair and replied, "I have experience in hand to hand combat. That's all." She felt that was enough to say without revealing too much. She didn't think Haymitch needed to know that she could handle herself in a forest. Haymitch rose an eyebrow at the dismissive answer, but took nothing of it. He leaned forward, takin a glass with him and swirling the contents around.
"Now that we've got that part settled, we can get to choosing a role for you two to play, more or less."
"To play out? For who? What are you talking about?"
"Who else but the capitol? After you get all primped up to look pretty for the cameras, you should have some sort of angle to work around. Their host, Caesar Flickerman, is pretty good at improvisation and is pretty much capable of maximizing the strengths of each tribute's skills and more impressive qualities," Haymitch snorted at that, almost choking on a sip.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" Peeta wondered.
"Not exactly. It's true that being under constant scrutiny by the Capitol ain't something for the faint of heart. But neither are these games. That's why having a sociable sort of guy for the tv interviews with the tributes is more a benefit than an restriction. Gets the capitolites all excited about their favorites to win, as if they think that they're like the tributes. Though it's plain to see which districts are in the favor of the majority of the crowd."
Peeta nodded at that, "Isn't it usually the Careers that get a higher chance of the sponsors support?" Haymitch clapped his hands and pointed out. "Exactly! Now you're getting it. The Careers are called careers because they've been training for their lives up until this point. Now normally the Capitol wouldn't allow preparation prior to the Games. But these bloodthirsty little demons are their beloved children. So of course, to make the people happy and kept interested, they've made an exception to their rules." Haymitch turned over to the television, turning it on to the replays.
The black screen flickered to life, and the profiles of each boy and girl tribute from the 12 districts were displayed, with commentary by the two men. Their speaking mannerisms like a news anchor to the public.
"Here we have the Careers! Now folks take a good look! Let's begin with District 1" A mildly attractive boy 's image was shown side by side with a beautiful wavy haired blonde smiling at the camera. Next was district 2, and at that, Peeta began to lean in. The image of a boy and girl appeared. The boy who towered over her with his blonde hair and his bulky form rippling with tensed muscles, shared a confident smirk. Not much different than the petite girl with dark brown braided hair, wicked eyes, and a curved smile. "Now would you look at that! It seems we have a great crop of tributes, and we've only just begun."
Annie's mind blurred as the rest of the candidates were announced. She didn't remember the faces that were displayed after those. Those eyes, she could tell. Those eyes were determined not only to survive, but showed no hesitation to cut down whomever stood in their path. She knew eyes like those, and they were no different than the pinning stares of the Capitolites, so enticed with their games. It seemed these people had cast away their humanistic side long ago. You couldn't remain with your current human moralities intact, because the struggle would only deepen. She held her jacket sleeve tighter. They were wrong though. It hadn't even truly begun.
After the displays, night fell and they were released back to their rooms. Annie immediately turned right back out, heading down the corridors to her room. Peeta, close behind, caught up to her when she decided to sit herself beside the windows, overlooking the night life below. She could see the lights seeping out of the windows, and the flashing colors all around. Balloons floated to the stars above and the updates for the events to come had just began streaming live. But it was the sound of the citizens' cheers and whoops that interrupted what could have been a moderately peaceful evening, and that was with consideration of the events that transpired during the day.
She had her head turned to the side, with her bangs shadowing her face. She didn't know of Peeta's presence in front of her until the rustling of his clothes announced it to her as he sat himself down across from her.
"Tomorrow, we'll be arriving. We'll have stylists are going to be working on our image so we can show off our best at the Tribute Parade, so hopefully we can get them to like us enough to give us a sponsor." He sighed when he received no voiced response. Her reflection revealed her sign of acceptance when she slightly bowed her head into a nod.
"I know that we really don't know each other, and I know you might be hesitant about having to do all this. But we should try to brainstorm some sort of plan for what we'll do. I just wanted to introduce myself a bit better," Peeta said, rubbing the back of his head, not really knowing what else to do. Annie's icy eyes pierced through him, and he stifled the urge to turn away. He bent his knees to stand up.
Before he turned himself away, she told him," tomorrow is only the beginning."
To those who mock the preciousness of life, and to those who proceed towards it with caution, Annie didn't know what would result of this. And it behooved her to wait in the darkness alone with this single thought, before she decided to give to slumber.
