thecapitol | Since jumping's out of the question...

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Since jumping's out of the question...

Who| Parker and ANYONE AND EVERYONE (Who lives in the training centre)
What| Up on the rooftop, Parker's paused
Where| Rooftop
When| Night before the lockdown
Warnings/Notes| Will add if needed.

Parker's standing on the ledge: well, as close to the ledge as she can due to that stupid force field. Likely, as others did before her, she's considering a way down. No, Parker isn't suicidal, but more scaling off / jumping off / flying off buildings is something of a specialty for her.

She's in deep concentration. It doesn't mean she won't know when someone's coming up on her, but still, doing the mental calculations as to what would be needed if she could get around the force field, is important business.

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"I don't know, I like the challenges of both." He grins.

If it's possible for a face to go ADFSJK, that's what Parker does now.

"For fun or profit?" For Parker, there is only one answer: both.

To which Howard's answer won't disappoint: "both".

"Gotta love what you do!" It rare to get to talk to another thief, professional to professional.

"Well, I mean, it's not really a job..." But then again, he's just a teen.

"No," Excuse Parker for looking eminently serious now.

"It is a job, a profession. With practice, you too can be wanted in 9 countries. Maybe it's 10 now, or 11."

Howard blinks at her. "Why would I want that?"

"Matter of pride!"

It means that there are many places in the world less a diamond, or a dagger, or some sort of other object only important to rich people. It also means people were unable to stop her.

It means a great deal to Parker to not be stopped.

"They can't catch me."

"That's stupid. If you're that good, people don't even know who you are."

"They don't." She smirks. "Didn't say they know my name."

The few countries that do, are only aware of the one name. She likes it that way.

"Had a fence try to give me up once. He was found with a whole whack of drugs."

And she has to smirk at that again.

"Uh huh." Howard raises his eyebrow at her, looking unenthused. "So you're 'big time'."

He makes quotation marks with his fingers.

"Hey I know those," Parker's referring to the air quotes. "You use them when --"

Wait for it.

"You don't believe me!"

She sounds shocked. She's used to people knowing her in any circle of thieves.

She laughs. "You're small fish, like goldfish, like minnows, like tadpo -- they aren't fish."

"I don't need to be a big fish. Being a big fish is just asking for it." He shakes his head at her. "I'm not stupid."

Whoa.

"You're saying I'm stupid?" Here she thought she'd find a like soul. So few understand the art of thievery.

"Being the biggest fish means you eat everyone else." Now this smile, not so kind."

"I'm saying flaunting it is stupid, yeah." He's mostly just not impressed by the idea of being wanted. Or notoriety. Of taking pride in it. For him it's just for fun or for survival.

Parker turns a little, to face him straight on. For the first time in the conversation, she's looking extremely serious. It's also the first time, someone here has seen the face that can easily throw someone off the roof without a second thought. It's not angry. It's a little more on the insane side.

"Thought you were a thief. What's my name?"

"I am. And your name is Parker." He backs away from the edge of the roof. "I do my research on the other Tributes."

Parker nods. Anyone who does research isn't a total lost cause.

"You could be. You're not yet. You just steal stuff."

Thievery is an art.

"That's all I need to do with it. It keeps me alive."

He's not an artist. Far from.

"Could make you feel alive too."

If it's done right.

"Hah, right. Like feeling alive is any good in this place."

"Place doesn't matter so much." It never has to Parker. She would like Hardison here, but at least she has Eliot.

"Sure it does. Places are where you're trapped."

Parker smirks. She hasn't been here long enough to do the proper research but that doesn't mean it hasn't started.

"Don't look at it like that." A little bit of optimism here. "Places are puzzles to get out of."

Trapped means never. Puzzle means possibility.

"Yeah? And have you puzzled your way out of here?"

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whosalicewhite - 2013-03-24 01:13 (UTC) - Expand

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