This is my first time writing a Joniss fic. I absolutely adore the ship and can't get enough, no seriously, there aren't enough….So I decided to write one myself. This will be the slowest slow burning molasses burn I could think of. Takes place around the time Katniss and Peeta start to prepare for their second games.
Anyways
'These are thoughts'
"This is speech"
Disclaimer: You know, I don't own the sexy…luscious….beautiful and intimidating characters from Hunger Games Trilogy.
Chapter One: Eleutheromania: From ancient Greek meaning the intense and irresistible desire for freedom.
Of course I would have to participate in the hunger games again, of course. That's how my world works, right? Tragedy, bad luck, risk, disaster. All the recurring themes of my life, it would seem. I can honestly say I'm not surprised, Snow has had it out for me since day one.
The day I volunteered for my sister at the reaping, I would almost call the first day of my life. Every day before then was merely monotonous repetitive survival. Of course afterwards it was all about survival too, but it's different. I've met so many people and had so many new experiences that I wouldn't have had were it not for the games. Which sounds so twisted in a way, but really, my life was just so fucking…boring…before.
Sneak off to hunt with Gale, hopefully find something, go home, ignore my unresponsive mother, try to keep Prim smiling, and sleep. Those were the basic activities of my daily life. But after becoming a part of the Capitols messed up murder monopoly, my life has at least become a little interesting, if not horrifically terrifying. At least I can say that there has rarely been a dull moment.
We just finished our tour of the districts, which was rough enough. Trying to appease Snow isn't easy.
Currently I am in my room waiting to go to the training center with Peeta, mulling over all of these thoughts. I wonder what more could possibly be thrown at me, even perhaps literally.
I hear a knock on my door and I immediately answer, "Come in".
It's Peeta, of course. Looking at him now gives me a slight feeling of unease; I would even associate it with nausea. It's not that I don't like him, but I feel slightly sick when I think of forcing myself to keep pretending with him forever. In the past, before we had to create this facade of being "the star-crossed lovers from district 12", when I looked at him I would feel a slight bit of admiration mixed with…well…jealousy. Peeta had it much better than I did in District 12. He never had to worry about starving, though I know he didn't have it easy by any other means. In the preparations for the first games he sucked it up and went into action. Formulating plans and acting accordingly to survive. Though for him it wasn't acting. It still isn't.
For me this is all some twisted stage play where I'm supposed to have the part of the doe-eyed heroin, but I don't have an acting bone in my body, so the play sucks.
"Ready to go?" he says, and there's always something in his eyes when he looks at me. Like he's hoping I'll come running into his arms and kiss him, telling him how I really do love him and could never live without him. I might puke.
"Yeah, let's go." I'm dressed and ready, I have been for a while now.
We walk in relative silence with him stealing small glances at me from the side. I can see it in my peripheral vision but I just ignore it.
Haymitch and Effie are waiting for us when we approach. Effie is not like she was in our first games. I think she's grown to like us. Hell, we've all grown to like each other almost as another family.
"Peeta! Dashing as always, careful not to let that handsome smile of yours make all the other tributes swoon! Though maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing, no?" Effie then looks at me and gives me a once over. "And Katniss dear…I see some things never change, maybe if you smile every once in a while then you both could gain some allies this time around."
"I don't really see the point in gaining allies. One of us will end up killing the other anyways, right?" I hide my disdain for the sarcastiic comment I know Haymitch is going to say in reply.
"Well Katniss even if you did smile, whatever would come out of that mouth next would scare away anyone who tried anyway." He says with his signature grin. I frown, and I can tell he thinks he's hot shit. I go to give a burning reply but he cuts me off, "But seriously...I think you need to attempt to make allies this time around sweetheart. It shouldn't be hard for Peeta, but we all know you. Just…try to suppress some of that amazing charm of yours and be at least slightly courteous and outgoing to the others. You never know who you could find wanting to be by your side." He says this with a serious tone and look in his eyes. I have to suppress mine from rolling.
"Sure. I'll try my best." My eyes fall to the floor because I know that my best isn't very much, and I think they all know it too. Why do we even need allies? I still don't really get it. I thought the games were every woman and man for themselves…well…obviously except for our first games. I doubt there will be a repeat of them letting more than one person win, and there probably won't be a single person who's going to make me want to be their "ally".
We finally leave and head to the training room. As soon as we walk through the door my eyes immediately fix upon the weaponry area. There's a nice metal framed bow and I itch to go to it, but I know I need to scope the area first before making a showcase of my abilities. I next noticed that everyone had paused what they were doing for a moment when we walked in. People are scattered at nearly every post, working on one thing or another. I see a section with a bunch of ropes and strings, some tied into neat knots and others lay in bundles. There are some hooks and jigs and things that I would assume to be fishing gear. There's an elderly woman working at that table alone, and a tall blonde boy passing her by referred to her as "Mags".
'Well I guess I'll start with the least lethal looking one' I mutter in my head as I make my way over to the table.
When I reach the table I pick up one of the ropes and glance sideways at the woman. She is making a fishing hook with a pretty good looking bait attached. It's actually quite amazing for someone as old and frail as she appears to be.
"That's really good. You think maybe you could teach me?"
Well there it is, that's the best I've got. A compliment and an inquiry for non-hostile association.
She looks up at me and smiles, handing me some string with a hook and a jig. I smile back at her and start following her lead as she picks up new pieces and gets to work. We work in silence as it seems she either can't or won't speak, but I'm doing a pretty good job at mimicking her actions and my fishing line is coming out well. I chance a glance up at the other victors around the room. Peeta has gone to the art station and is painting some small designs, which may seem useless but if anyone watched the last games they would know it isn't. There are two people hunched over at the fire starting station that looks like a small portion of a forest. Though most other people are practicing with weapons.
One in particular catches my eye for a moment. She's a well-built female with dark brown shoulder length hair, and I can see that she has a few dark red streaks in it. She's swinging an ax around with well-practiced ease. The way she moves is actually quite beautiful (if you could call such a violent exercise beautiful). I find myself unable to stop looking, and my hands fall prey to my mind as they cease movement on the fishing line.
Then she makes a series of twists and turns with the ax in a formation that my brain can only comprehend as graceful art. She spins around and takes one final strike down, the ax slamming into the ground. Then her head snaps up and she's looking right into my eyes. I'm frozen for a moment, eyes wide, as if I were caught in the act of something naughty. Which to be honest I've unknowingly been staring at her for an arguably lengthy amount of time. Her eyes are piercing into mine and it feels like I've been set aflame.
Then she smirks at me. Smirks! As if she knew I was watching her the whole time and is trying to say 'Like what you see?'.
I'm the first to break eye contact and turn back to look at Mags and the fishing lines. I can feel my face start to heat up in embarrassment. 'Shit! What was that!?'
I can feel she's still looking at me with a knowing grin and some mirth-y light in her eyes. I can't help but blush harder and give a little cough into my hand.
"Sorry I got distracted…where were we?" I pick up the line I was working on and start fiddling with it. Mags shows me mercy and spares me any further embarrassment by picking up her line and starting to work on it again too.
As my hands diligently weave the line and bait around I can't help but think 'Maybe there are a few people I'd like to have as allies…maybe.'
Yayy! First chapter done. Let me know whatcha think. Next chapter will be actual interactions with our Joniss lovely's.
