Linden offers a pale smile of his own in return; though the pain in his broken knuckle isn't getting better, he's getting used to the pain as it blends and blurs into his new status quo. The things he's naming are basically methods of distraction and putting oneself to better use, given no chance to wallow or stray back into destructive paths. It's the fatal flaw in Victorhood; after one's lived their finest moments already, it's more of an effort to stay busy than it is to simply drift away during the off-season. Linden has periods of tremendous output and productivity, but he's guilty of drifting away as well, boredom and general malaise driving him to abuse his vices even when things are about as good as they ever get in Panem.

"That... actually does help. Thank you. I agree, I think that... needing to stay alive is a really good incentive for not tipping back a bottle. You were thinking of the children, too?"