trustfell | everybody, put your hands up; yes, flying

[ You know what this murderschool needs? Party games. She talked about it with Tarrlok during the afterparty and today's the day she's going to host a game of truth or dare. After that unpleasant little motive, she's sure a lot of people are going to appreciate a distraction. She's a little too old for this, but watching each other perform stupid dares should be entertaining.

So during the day, she writes a bunch of notes and slides them under everyone's doors. One also goes up on the fridge. ]

Are you looking for a distraction after yesterday's incentive? Are you just bored?
Come to the dining hall at 6 pm today!
There will be food and we'll be playing truth or dare!
- Chie Hori

[ As promised, there's food! The main attraction here is the build-your-own-parfait bar, but there's a nice assortment of other things too - yakitori made by Kyrie, Fern's mac and cheese, Sayaka's curry, plus a tea/coffee bar courtesy of Weiss. There's also a few bottles of booze Chie grabbed from the bar. Drink responsibly, please.

Have fun playing truth or dare, everyone! Remember, you can refuse a truth or a dare if you want to, but then you'll have to drink one of the shots of hot sauce Chie has prepared. Unless you're being asked to reveal what's in your envelope, then you can refuse without punishment. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's life or death.

[ She nods. ]

Yeah. It's the only time I can really be myself. I don't have to pretend, and no one I don't like to deal with bothers me.

...I'm glad you have some time to do so, at least. Though - you cannot act the way you wish when you are in the district itself?

[After a moment, she pauses.]

If it's a painful subject, we needn't speak of it.

It's not really... painful.

[ She hasn't really talked about this with anyone, but Adelina's reliable. She likes Adelina. ]

The Capitol plays dirty. If they find out you're talking bad about them, I'm pretty sure that's seen as "inciting rebellion." And they can crush a rebellion pretty easily, by targeting families.

Kids, especially. They've done that for more than seventy years, after all.

[She's about to respond to all of that, but the last part throws her entirely, if the look on her face when she hears it is any indication.]

...What have they been doing for over seventy years?

[ Katniss almost doesn't want to say, but... ]

They've been killing them. Drawing their names, two from each district, to send them into an arena where they all kill each other.

They don't have a choice. They get reaped, they go into the Hunger Games.

[It's difficult to break Adelina's composure. She's someone who has been surrounded by danger and violence from a young age. But here, hearing this, it's impossible to disguise the horror in her expression. It would be enough that a government did that to anyone, but doing it to children...]

Why would they...?!

To keep the districts in line. As long as your kids are in danger, you don't want to do anything to make it worse, right?

...No, I suppose not.

[Her expression remains pained, and she takes in a breath.]

Katniss, that is - truly horrible. I am sorry to hear it.

[ She lifts one shoulder in a shrug.

Then... ]

... I think I did something about it.

[A pause, and a small tilt of her head.]

Was it something in one of those dreams...?

Yeah.

[ She shakes her head slowly, putting a hand to her eyes. ]

I shot an arrow into the arena itself. Shattered it... Nearly killed myself doing it.

[That's good, but that means—]

...You were one of the people selected to take part in that barbaric display?

[She understands now, a little more, why Katniss mentioned an exhaustion that never really faded.]

... Yeah.

Twice. I think.

But that means you survived it at least once?

[It's a mixed bag if it means everyone else there perished, but... There's a look of relief on her face regardless.]

... Yeah. Me and someone else. I don't know how.

I am glad to hear that, but...

[She can't imagine the toll it must have taken.]

But I am sorry that it happened to you at all, and that it has happened to anyone where you come from.

What happened happened.

All I can do is hope it doesn't happen ever again.

[ And she feels a little awkward now. ]

... Sorry for unloading that on you.

No - no, please do not apologize.

[That comes out in a rush, and then she pauses, centering herself.]

That is... I can't imagine how painful it would be to keep that to yourself. I'm honored you trust me enough to tell me.

everybody, put your hands up; yes, flying – imagine it like that!

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gently slaps a cw for child death up in here

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