Where I go I just don't know

[steepled]

Who| Vivi and you!
What| Vivi explores the Capitol...or tries to. Overthinking is bad, man. Help him out?
Where| Starts off at the park, but it could go anywhere you like!
When| After his arena death in week 6.



There's a lot to see in the Capitol, probably enough to distract Vivi from these thoughts that seem to lead him nowhere. He had been roaming around for a while, eventually feeling the need to adjust his hat to block his view of the curious glances from the citizens. They're not screaming and running away, but having so many eyes on him like that makes him feel smaller than he already is. He's in a big city just like Alexandria, but that's where the similarities seem to end.

The bench he finds faces out to the rest of the park with the jogging path and a playground in plain view. He looks to sides first, searching for a familiar face before giving up and taking his seat. None of this is a dream after all. He really isn't in Alexandria anymore and he hasn't seen or heard from the others either. Zidane would've found him by now, Vivi thinks, knowing him.

He tips his hat back to better see and take note of the people around him. It's not the first time he's been in a big city and seeing friends and families playing with their children. But for some reason, instead of joy, he feels sadness.

"...I'm all alone now." He thinks to himself, lowering his head to look at his own feet.

Comments

[conifer]

Emily doesn't venture out of the training centre often, finding the celebrity image she has to keep up in public both distasteful and exhausting. One place she does frequent from time to time, though, is the park. It's the closest there is to nature in the Capitol - it's not a patch on the forests of Seven, everything's neatly cultivated and she misses the overgrown wilderness - but being around the grass and trees allows her to escape, if just for a moment. Now that all of Seven's Tributes have died and returned to the Capitol, she has the time to take a break, and she takes her carving knife (something that she's surprised the Capitol's let her keep) and a small block of wood, leaning against a tall tree in a quiet corner and beginning to whittle.

When she notices Vivi she looks first surprised and then delighted - he's one that had arrived midway through the Arena, so even though she's been looking after him from the Capitol she hasn't had the chance to meet him yet.

"Hey, you okay?"

[steepled]

Vivi himself hasn't gotten the chance to meet with anyone, even in the arena. Whenever he had spotted somebody, he only remembers the words said to him that he and everyone else was placed in there in order to fight to the death. Needless to say, he more or less avoided anyone in the arena out of fear of what could've happened.

He looks up to the woman speaking to him. She seems nice. It's strange, given what he just came from.

"...yeah, I think so." His mind loops back to thinking that he doesn't feel dead but dead isn't supposed to feel like anything right? It's all so confusing for him that he doesn't know what to think anymore. "I'm um...new here, I guess."

[conifer]

She makes her way over, planting herself next to him on the bench with her legs crossed over one another on the seat, slowly continuing to carve but keeping her attention firmly on Vivi. "It's okay. The Capitol can be a little bewildering for those of us who come from Panem, let alone you guys being pulled in from other places." She offers a smile that she hopes is friendly and reassuring. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you out more in the Arena, but at least you know what sort of thing to expect for the next one."

[steepled]

Vivi's eyes fall on what she has in her hands, tilting his head some to see her work in progress. He has seen some figurines and toys made from wood in various shops back home but never in the making.

"Huh?" His full attention is on her now, not that he wasn't listening in the first place. "How can you help me...?"

Nevermind that he's already dreading at the idea of having to go through such a thing again, but he certainly wasn't expecting help from anyone given the idea of there being only one victor.

[conifer]

"Did anyone explain to you, before they shoved you in the Arena, that you get a support team to help you?" She speaks gently, watching him carefully.

[steepled]

Vivi shakes his head, frowning (which anyone can only really tell by his eyes appearing half way closed) at his first memory here. "Not really...when I woke up, these guys just told me that I have to fight other people 'to the death' and that 'there can only be one victor.'"

Next thing he knew, he was put in the middle of what looked like a forest and was left fending for himself. He would hear cannons firing and seeing portraits of people he didn't recognize, but otherwise, he would always move away from any sort of noise until the flames caught up to him.

He may have avoided being spotted or killed by someone, but he didn't receive help either - not that he ever expected it. His head sags as he appears crestfallen and even scared.

"...I don't know why all of this is happening..."

[conifer]

"I'm sorry." She can't think of what else to say, and she knows it's nowhere near enough. He was surely younger than the very youngest contestants of the old Games, and that's a particularly sore point for Emily, one that's far too personal. "They shouldn't have brought you here, it's just cruel."

[steepled]

Vivi doesn't know why he's brought here. If the crowd wants to see a fight, then it only makes sense to him that the people they grab are those that actually can. He's seen his fair share of battles, but there's only so much he can do without his magic...an that's putting it generously.

He looks down at the floor for, nodding in agreement. It is cruel, but there doesn't seem to be much he can do about it. "So...who are you?"

[conifer]

"My name's Emily Finch, and I won the Hunger Games six years ago. It's my job to mentor you, and make sure that you get as far in the Games as possible." She didn't give any allusions that she could help him win, certain that it would take more luck than physical strength and skill here.

[steepled]

Golden-yellow eyes focus on her at her introduction. She had won the Hunger Games before but what that could say about her remains to be seen.

"Oh...okay. Um, my name is Vivi." So far she seems like a nice person, but he still can't help but be a little wary. Being a previous victor could mean anything. "You've...been here for over six years?"

[conifer]

Emily shakes her head, a little amused that he'd assume that, but then why shouldn't he. "No, I've been here forever. I was born in Panem, my Games were before they started bringing in offworlders."

[steepled]

"Ah, okay." So this isn't a new thing. It's been this way for a long time...how could anyone be okay with the Games? Even if they aren't tributes themselves, it's all so wrong.

The mage shifts in his seat, wondering as to what to say next. She had said that the Games were cruel so...perhaps they could have the same line of thought. "Um...if it's okay for me to ask, how did you win?"

[conifer]

She doesn't respond immediately, looking down to the ground and watching the wind blow through the grass. She's still ashamed of what she'd done, even all these years later, but she knows that it's not exactly difficult for him to find out if she didn't tell him herself. She hated that the Tributes had access to the footage of her Games.

"There was a boy, not much older than you actually. He saved my life at least twice in there, and in the end there was just me and him left. ...I had to make sure that I was the one who got out alive."

[steepled]

Vivi has yet to see any of the archived footage. Judging by the look on Emily's face, he's not sure if he even should. People don't like being reminded of their regrets and he feels bad for knowingly asking her a question that would bring up terrible memories.

His eyes follow hers to the grass, with the rim of the hat hiding his face. Emily doesn't need to elaborate much more there. If by some off-chance he ends up winning one of these things, he wouldn't want to look back on the memories either.

"...did you want to be a mentor?" It's an alternative to asking if she wants to be here.

[conifer]

"All the Victors have to mentor the Tributes of their District. I was able to go back to Seven for a while, but..." She trails off as she thinks of all the children she's sent to their deaths in the Arena. "...it's all part of the package. I wouldn't choose it. I don't see why anyone would."

[steepled]

It seems that she's a prisoner here as much as he is...and the rest of the tributes too.

"I'm sorry..." He's not sure what he can say without posing a risk to her, so he makes an attempt to change the subject. Hopefully, she doesn't mind.

"Um...what are you making there?" He asks while gesturing at the wood carving.

[conifer]

"Oh, these?" She looks a little self conscious at attention being drawn to what would be considered a rudimentary art form at best by the Capitol, blushing a little as she takes a completed carving from her bag and holds it out for Vivi to take and have a look at. "Just a little something of my District. All I have of it out here, really."

[steepled]

The Capitol certainly has grand things to offer and show off, but to the mage's eyes any sort of craft is an art to be admired. A lot of the times, big things don't always mean small things aren't always as eye-catching. And to Vivi, what Emily just made is certainly that.

"That's pretty!" He says, eyes brightening at the leaf. "I haven't seen much of District 7 yet...I should, huh?"

[conifer]

Emily is far too pleased at his reaction, not used to sharing her work at all, what with Capitolite snobbery. "Thank you. You can keep it, if you like." She looks off to the trees, watching the wind shake through the leaves. "They used to do District tours after the Games, but it's more difficult to arrange with so many Tributes, so visiting Seven itself isn't that easy. But if you want to read up on it, I know the people back in my District would lend you even more support knowing you'd made the effort to learn about them."

[steepled]

Vivi's eyes light up at the offer. "Really?" He hadn't expected that and even if she means it, he would rather wait for her to hand it to him than to just take it from her.

To the news about the Districts, he feels somewhat disappointed. It's a whole different world out here but the limited freedom (amongst other things) leaves little room to explore. "I can do that, yeah. Um...I don't know if I can win though...there are a lot of strong people out there."

And even if he had the strength to take an opponent down, he's not sure if he even wants to here.

[conifer]

"Absolutely." She looks delighted as she hands it to him, the act of giving them to those who appreciate them making her feel as good as being able to sit and carve them in the first place.

"I have faith in you. I wasn't the biggest or the strongest either, but it's not all about strength in there. But just as long as you try your best, I'll be happy."

[steepled]

"Wow. Thank you!" Vivi says as he holds it in both hands. He'll pocket it for when he makes his way back to his room but for now, it sits on his lap. He stares at it thoughtfully for a bit, wondering if he could learn to do something like this to pass the time when it's quiet. He remains silent a little longer, taking in at her encouraging words but is unsure how to accept them, given the circumstances.

Either way, he has no desire to die, so he just looks back up at Emily and nods. "I'll...I'll try, Miss Finch."

[conifer]

"It's just Emily," she says, smiling fondly at him. "And you come and find me if you need anything at all, okay?"

Thread wrap up? c:

[steepled]

Vivi nods again. "Okay, Emily." For the most part, he refers people with polite courtesy unless told to otherwise. "I will!" Her smile strikes him as genuine and the bright look in his eyes is a clear indication for her that he's smiling back. He's still unsure about everything, but at least from meeting Emily, he knows that not everyone here is bad and wanting to see the violence.