5. FEAST

[hismasterpiece]

[Voice]

Hallo, pretty New Feathers! I am hosting a feast. A feast by the lake to the West.

[Not the southern lake -- she needs to keep certain peoples' attention away from the lonely house she inhabits there.]

You are all invited! I have prepared something for you. It tastes of mint and chicory and iron! Yarrow and tansy! It will make you stronger.


Come.

[/Voice]

[Action]

Drusilla will be stalking about the woods as usual, eager to assist anyone who HASN'T heeded her invitation.

There is a cage waiting there, hidden under the trees. It is large enough to house a full-grown adult human.

It tastes of mint and iron.

[/Action]

Comments

voice:

[shenevermisses]

[The western lake... Where her and Cato's camp is.

A feast...

No. No. No, no, no. Not here. Not again.]

There's nothing interesting at the western lake. [Keep away.]

Nothing.

[But she knows. She knows what a feast is in this game. A bloodbath. And she has to go to her camp. If she doesn't, they'll find a way to make her.

So Clove, even as she speaks, is adjusting her vests of knives, preparing to go.]

voice:

[stillplaying]

[She had seen the invitation. Seen the invitation and practically blanched at the idea of a feast. Like Clove, Katniss cannot think of a single good memory associated with the idea of a feast. In the Games, feasts were bloodbaths. A chance to gather all tributes together to watch them die. And the consequences for not going... they were just as bad.

Fifteen years of Game watching makes her wary. The weeks spent on the tour and the forced attendance to those feasts make her even more uncomfortable. She won't go, won't talk to the strange woman again. No more feasts. Not for her.

But she still remembers Rick's warnings. Warnings she doubts Clove has.

It would be easy to ignore Clove's query. The treaty doesn't indicate that she should warn her. But...]

The treehouse is safe.

[action]

[namesthestars]

[Dru doesn't answer either girl, but it's fun to hear their panic. It sates something deep inside her, really. It's lovely.


She will be lurking through the trees along the lake. Beware, beware.]

voice:

[shenevermisses]

[The treaty doesn't indicate that she should warn her.

But Clove understands a warning when she hears one.

Her voice isn't dismissive. There is something that sounds like she's about to laugh, but it's that dangerous kind of laugh; the laugh of someone with nothing to lose, of someone staring death in the face.

Because they all know how strange the word is to hear.]

Safe?

voice:

[stillplaying]

Safe.

[It's a strange word to say, especially to a Career. But Rick wouldn't lie to her. Not about something as important as life and death.

There's little to no doubt in her mind that this feast would be a bloodbath. That this woman can't be trusted. That if Clove went, if Cato went with her, she might not see them again. And wouldn't that benefit both her and Peeta and Haymitch?

But she doesn't want it to end like this.]

The woman is... [Mentally disoriented doesn't seem to fit. Crazy? What was it that Rick used to describe her?] ...dangerous. But she can't enter homes. Or go near crossed sticks.

action - feel free to ignore this sazz!

[deadalready]

[It's strange seeing Clove put on what equates to armor for her so suddenly. Cato didn't hear the announcement over the journals and is thus - at a loss.]

What's going on?

[He thinks for a moment that they're under attack again, and that he should get his sword again. He kind of doesn't want to be right.]

action

[shenevermisses]

Probably nothing.

[District Twelve's warning is rushing through her mind.

A feast. A bloodbath.

Death.

She doesn't look at him now, doesn't want him to see that she's scared. If he goes with her, he's in danger. If he stays here, something else might come after him.]

Someone's at the western lake. That's all.