I Will Become What I Deserve // [Kate/Mace]
Jul 1, 2015 23:57:10 GMT -5
Post by admin kay on Jul 1, 2015 23:57:10 GMT -5
a note from the desk of
Mace Emberstatt
when you never thought that it could ever get this tough,of District Ten
that's when you feel my kind of love
Mace sat in the dead center of the longest table in the dining hall, a feast laid out before him. He had filled up no less than three plates with the buffet's offerings. He'd carefully arranged them in a semicircle in front of him, so that if he leaned back a few inches, he could see all of them without having to turn his head. Friend chicken wings slathered in gravy. Lemon tart with poppy seeds. Carrots roasted in honey. A tender lamb curry, still simmering in its cast iron pot. It was as close as he could get to heaven.
He set his for and knife to the array, shoveling in a bit of this, a pinch of that. For all the decadent and exotic bites he took, it all tasted the same: like ash on his tongue. He shoveled faster and faster, becoming a whir of laden forks and unhinged jaw. But no matter how fast he ate, he couldn't stay ahead of the pain of knowing that he'd failed. Again, again, and again.
When the food threatened to choke him, he finally dropped his forks. They clattered against the table, tumbling away from his fisted hands. He could feel a smear of something - curry? lemon tart? - across his chin. He probably looked like Mason after he went a round with jarred baby food. He knew that soon the cameras would find him, to ask for a statement, to provoke a reaction. He should clean himself up and look presentable. Not because he cared, but for Julian and Saffron, and the children.
When he looked down at the nearly emptied plates, they disgusted him.
Mace pressed his napkin to his jaw as he pushed back from the table. As per usual, most of the dining hall had already emptied out by the time he'd finished his meal. He scanned the other tables to check for Opal, Saffron, Ara or Julian. He didn't find any of them, but his gaze did settle on Katelyn Persimmon, only one table over.
She'd only had one tribute with the Quell Twist, but at least he was still alive. Mace waded up his napkin and tossed it aside before stepping to the edge of her table. He should try to befriend her, although he really had no idea what she thought of this whole thing. The first year he returned to the Capitol, he met Julian. He had someone, even if that someone was busy carving up the arena. Maybe she was lonely. Maybe he should try to connect. "Anyone walk ya through what happens when your tribute dies yet? Not sayin' he will or nothin', just, protocol. I've got to fill out the paperwork and I was wonderin' if you wanted to tag along."
He really sucked at making new friends.
He set his for and knife to the array, shoveling in a bit of this, a pinch of that. For all the decadent and exotic bites he took, it all tasted the same: like ash on his tongue. He shoveled faster and faster, becoming a whir of laden forks and unhinged jaw. But no matter how fast he ate, he couldn't stay ahead of the pain of knowing that he'd failed. Again, again, and again.
When the food threatened to choke him, he finally dropped his forks. They clattered against the table, tumbling away from his fisted hands. He could feel a smear of something - curry? lemon tart? - across his chin. He probably looked like Mason after he went a round with jarred baby food. He knew that soon the cameras would find him, to ask for a statement, to provoke a reaction. He should clean himself up and look presentable. Not because he cared, but for Julian and Saffron, and the children.
When he looked down at the nearly emptied plates, they disgusted him.
Mace pressed his napkin to his jaw as he pushed back from the table. As per usual, most of the dining hall had already emptied out by the time he'd finished his meal. He scanned the other tables to check for Opal, Saffron, Ara or Julian. He didn't find any of them, but his gaze did settle on Katelyn Persimmon, only one table over.
She'd only had one tribute with the Quell Twist, but at least he was still alive. Mace waded up his napkin and tossed it aside before stepping to the edge of her table. He should try to befriend her, although he really had no idea what she thought of this whole thing. The first year he returned to the Capitol, he met Julian. He had someone, even if that someone was busy carving up the arena. Maybe she was lonely. Maybe he should try to connect. "Anyone walk ya through what happens when your tribute dies yet? Not sayin' he will or nothin', just, protocol. I've got to fill out the paperwork and I was wonderin' if you wanted to tag along."
He really sucked at making new friends.
