toxicity {Rade}

Knuckles
Librarian

4,985 POSTS
Pronouns: he/him
last seen Nov 24, 2024 21:52:07 GMT -5

probably flailing over something

toxicity {Rade} Feb 12, 2015 11:28:43 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Knuckles on Feb 12, 2015 11:28:43 GMT -5

.: CHASKE PARKS :.
{district nine : 69th tribute}

One place I never imagined standing is the plant station. Many plants exist throughout the nation, and it's hard to know which ones the gamemakers will throw into the games. Which ones can be eaten, and which ones can be poisonous. But none of them matter in the end. Wouldn't it look funny if I ate a poisonous plant and died from it? Pfft. Mother and Father wouldn't even acknowledge me as a son if that happened. Not that they care anyway - they didn't even say goodbye.

I flip through a book with many plants wonder what each of them could be before looking down at the table where many rest. Many plants I've never seen before, never dreamed of seeing float before my eyes. At first, it seems easy. I'll look at one of them trying to figure out what it's for; they wouldn't have any lethal plants setting out on display would they? Shaking my head, I turn back towards them trying to figure out what's what.

Little did I know that some plants could be used for healing. Some could make pain go away. Some would make a you spew your guts out if ingested. As fun as that sounds, personally, I want to keep my intestines inside me. But it would be nice watching someone throw up from eating a toxic leaf. Yet I can't do this. Many plants dance before my eyes. Anger courses through my veins taking control of my body.

My heart pounds rapidly inside my chest as my hands ball into fists. "How the fuck am I supposed to learn all this shit?" I slam my hands into the table over and over again like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Perhaps there's an easier way. Something I can do, but right now it seems hopeless because knowing my luck, I'll be that one tribute who dies from ingesting a toxic plant.

{table by zoë}

lest we forget [the characters]

credit to Zoe

charade
Retired Staff

3,811 POSTS

last seen May 1, 2024 12:08:12 GMT -5

Thinking

toxicity {Rade} Feb 13, 2015 6:02:50 GMT -5

Quote

Post by charade on Feb 13, 2015 6:02:50 GMT -5

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

As was becoming her daily routine, Katelyn was sticking by the plant station like honey on toast. Occasionally other tributes drifted by, but none made an attempt to engage her in conversation, and the one currently in front of her was not speaking to her directly either, although he was being really loud about his annoyance with the plants he was trying to learn about.

Coarse language was something that Katelyn's parents did not tolerate and so his harsh words were a bit off-putting. But, Kate could tell that he needed help. District nine did not sound like a very pretty place. All factories and pollution. It was no wonder he didn't have a clue about plantlife. After identifying a few more plants on the screen, she clicked the matching program off, and headed over to the where the boy stood fuming to offer some insight.

"You just have to know what to look for."She pointed at a one of the entries on the page he had left the book open to. "Pokeberries are super poisonous but look just like blueberries. The difference is that pokeberries grow on purple stalks instead of bushes." Katelyn offered a small smile to the boy from nine.

While he was being loud and obnoxious, Kate could understand why someone would be frustrated if a station was troubling for them, especially with all the stress of twenty-three impending deaths hanging overhead. The alternative was that number nine was just a straight up asshole, but after being surprised by Mason's politeness, she was willing to give number nine a chance.

[presto]

With splinters in our teeth,
we're driven from our parallels,
Our path a prison, bound to walk
where countless feet already fell

[/presto]

16 Jul 12, 23:43
GB: I bet you just sit at your computer with a tea cup and a monocle

Knuckles
Librarian

4,985 POSTS
Pronouns: he/him
last seen Nov 24, 2024 21:52:07 GMT -5

probably flailing over something

toxicity {Rade} Feb 13, 2015 15:29:07 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Knuckles on Feb 13, 2015 15:29:07 GMT -5

.: CHASKE PARKS :.
{district nine : 69th tribute}

This is stupid. How can I try to learn plants in a mess like this? Remembering everyone of these is next to impossible, but I can't give up. Quitting isn't an option, but for now it's what I've done. My eyes scan the page opened in front of me, yet nothing makes sense. Nothing changes what the book shows me. "You just have to know what to look for." A girls voice breaks through the air, and a finger rests on the page pointing to the berries.

My eyes turn towards her, and deep inside I want to yell at her. Want to scream at her because she has no business helping me. Nobody does because I can figure it out on my own, yet it's not true. Mommy help. She be like mommy. And maybe he's right. Maybe she can help me. "Pokeberries are super poisonous but look just like blueberries. The difference is that pokeberries grow on purple stalks instead of bushes."

A soft sigh escapes from my lips as I look around at the plants. So many of them. I'm not as lucky as she is because she's from one of those districts where plants grow easily. No problems. My lips curl and my teeth show for only a moment as I stand there contemplating what to say. What to do. Nobody has ever flat out offered to help me. Mother sat back and watched. Chance never interfered. Sister sat there on the bed crying, but she never dared say a word.

Nobody in my entire life has helped me.

Until now.

"How do you know these?" I ask keeping my voice calm trying to hide the mask of frustration, yet it's showed. She knows my weakness. She's knows my fear. And I can feel the anger rising inside me.

For now, I will allow her to help. I can learn what she knows. I can learn how to use her strength against her.

Then I will feast.

{table by zoë}

Last Edit: Feb 13, 2015 15:31:35 GMT -5 by Knuckles

lest we forget [the characters]

credit to Zoe

charade
Retired Staff

3,811 POSTS

last seen May 1, 2024 12:08:12 GMT -5

Thinking

toxicity {Rade} Feb 14, 2015 19:16:45 GMT -5

Quote

Post by charade on Feb 14, 2015 19:16:45 GMT -5

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

The boy stared at her like she had just appeared out of thin air. How do you know these? he asked in a heavily restrained tone. There was anger there, Katelyn could tell. She hesitated for a moment, gauging his mood, and hoping that he wouldn't spaz out and attack her. Kate received the distinct impression her presence was not exactly wanted. She was confident that she could get away in time if he tried something, but even so. She focused on the book and shrugged, trying to hide that she was tensing to briskly walk away if she had to. "Well, honestly I've never seen pokeberries before coming to the capitol. But I have harvested blueberries in the past."She tapped the picture of the poisonous ones again.

"I know what blueberry bushes look like, and this weird stalk thing is definitely not what I've seen in the fields back home."Flicking her eyes between the book and the boy that she was a few inches taller than, she wondered if she had made a mistake in coming over to help him. Her parents always said that the people who pushed others away were the ones that needed the most help, but considering the life or situations that she'd be facing in just under a week, Katelyn wasn't sure if she could still apply that without putting herself in danger. Then again, he wasn't a career, and she had managed to hold a conversation with the boy from two. She smiled at nine tentatively."I'm Katelyn."

[presto]

So give me reason
To prove me wrong

[/presto]

[googlefont="Montez:400"]

16 Jul 12, 23:43
GB: I bet you just sit at your computer with a tea cup and a monocle

Knuckles
Librarian

4,985 POSTS
Pronouns: he/him
last seen Nov 24, 2024 21:52:07 GMT -5

probably flailing over something

toxicity {Rade} Feb 14, 2015 22:48:53 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Knuckles on Feb 14, 2015 22:48:53 GMT -5

.: CHASKE PARKS :.
{district nine : 69th tribute}

Some of these tributes obviously have an unfair advantage going into the games. Those tributes from one two and four know how to handle the weapons, and truthfully, they scare the fucking shit out of me. Especially Mason. The brutal man from district two. I don't want to ever get on his bad side. Even if I met him just walking down the street, I would probably turn around and walk away. Then there are the ones, like this girl, who know everything there is to know about plants. It's quite amazing if you ask me, but at the same time it puts her as being better than me. Nobody is better than me. Especially a mere peasant from a low life district although I know nothing about it.

"Well, honestly I've never seen pokeberries before coming to the capitol. But I have harvested blueberries in the past." My eyes turn towards her wondering how she knows about them then. She's never seen them before, but she can tell me they're poisonous. She better not be lying to me. My jaw clenches, and my hands slowly ball into fists before relaxing, and I repeat the process. Like it's some sort of exercise. But in all reality, I'm trying to stay calm. "I know what blueberry bushes look like, and this weird stalk thing is definitely not what I've seen in the fields back home."

That explains it. I sigh looking down at the book. A bush holding berries. Blackberries grow on the bushes. Pokeberries grow on a stalk. It's something I'll need to remember. I'll just pick the plants I know. The plants I've seen before, which isn't many. "Must be nice knowing this stuff." My eyes move around curiously. Plants. I'll never master them because there's just too many. I can't think of anything else to say. Maybe if I was at home, I would talk to her. I would become a friend with her, but I doubt it. "Seems like a lot of hard work. Learning all these. Perhaps I'll just kill some sort of animal and cook it over a fire. It's better than learning all these. gBut who knows what sort of reality we'll run into." I let a slow breath.

"I'm Katelyn."

My eyes turn towards her once more and she's smiling. First time anyone has smiled at me in a long time. And it's not one of those fake smiles. It feels real, but not that it matters. She's helping me, and I should be nice to her; however, that takes away all the fun. And all I can do is stare at her. Trying to figure out the best way to torment her like all these other lost souls. "Well, Katelyn, I'm Chaske. I would say it's nice to meet you, however, under these circumstances I don't think it would apply." I turn my eyes back down towards the book taking in the pokeberries along with the blueberries.

Just look for a bush.

That's all.

No stalk.

A bush.