17th Throw - [ video ]

[shenevermisses]

Hello everyone.

[The Journal camera is on, and Clove is smiling. She's dressed nicely but casually. She nervously tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear as she takes a few seconds to get out the next part of what she has to say. She glances away, unsure, then looks back at the camera.]

I want to apologize.

I've... made a pretty bad impression. I don't expect to undo the harm I've done, but I'm still sorry.

I wanto explain, just a little. I've been doing research lately, and I read about men called gladiators, who fought to the death for sport. I... I guess you could say I was raised to be a gladiator.

It's hard, not thinking like that. If I've... acted cold or ruthless, it's because I'm having a hard time learning not everyone's out to kill me in the end. I know I've been rude about it, and I'm sorry.

Forthose who've offered me friendship, I would be grateful for another chance at accepting it.

Again: I am so sorry. I hope I can earn what forgiveness there is to be had.

[The feed goes off.


And the act ends.

Clove glares at the Journal, a sour taste in her mouth. Three people in Luceti will recognize the girl they just saw. Cato, Twelve, and Twelve's representative will see the young woman from District Two sitting with Caesar Flickerman, her smile meant to endear her to all of Panem. Not the sexual create One presented, but something sweet. With just a little bit of a competitive edge.

Everyone else... Well. They can see what they'd like. Knowing most of them and their overbearing sense of morality? They'll think she's come around, they'll want to laud their superiority in having known all along she'd be better off thinking like them and how nice it is she's come around.

Let them think that. When the time comes, she'll still be just as capable. Just as detached from all of them. And they'll be compromised.

She can play that game.]

Comments

video;

[breezing]

[ Ikki looks more puzzled than anything else. ]

Well, I think you made a good impression on me? So don't worry about it! I mean, for me?

[ Although, the rest of that post...she can't even picture that. Not really. It's the complete opposite of how air nomads are raised - to a life of peace. Of existing in harmony with the world and those inhabiting it. Do no harm. ]

I don't really know a lot about your world still, but...you like it here, right, Clover? So I think it's okay to want to stay here, if that's the thing you were worried about. I know some people don't like that. I dunno if that's what this is about?

[ She's really completely baffled, mostly because she hasn't read Clove as cold or ruthless - likely because their conversations have centered around starfish and family, thus far. It's hard to equate that sort of conversation to the sort of personality Clove's talking about. ]

video;

[shenevermisses]

[Clove smiles -- bright and warm, or her best imitation of those things.]

Thank you, Ikki. I've tried harder with you, I think. Other people... I haven't been as good with. But I'm going to start trying harder.

video;

[breezing]

You can just be yourself! I like you.

[ At least she likes the girl she's spoken to before, and she doesn't see any reason to change that even if she's baffled. ]

I'm sure there are lots of people who already like you, too!

video;

[shenevermisses]

Thanks, Ikki.

[Of course, being herself won't do. She's learned that. Not being what she really is. But she can play the game.]

[Video]

[de_bel_survivor]

[Kouki blinks and then raise a brow when he see this post. Clove didn't give him a bad impression. Just a fighter who's focused on survival and what's practical on the battlefield.]

As long you're willing to learn, I'm sure some people wouldn't mind it.

[For now, he'll give her the benefit of a doubt.]

[Video]

[shenevermisses]

I'm definitely going to try. It won't be easy. [But it will be easy to lie, to make this part of the act. She can do that.] But I'm going to do what I can.

[Video]

[de_bel_survivor]

I wish you good luck. Patience, persistence and hard work will pay off in the end. [A part of him wants to watch and see how this turns out. But that's if he can spare the time for it.]

[Video]

[shenevermisses]

Thank you very much.

voice; filtered

[ahappylie]

It seems I've missed something, haven't I?

Is everything alright, Clove-san?

voice; filtered

[shenevermisses]

[She sees the level of privacy, and her smile fades a little. Her expression falters. This is one of the few people she has cause to respect. To almost like.

But he's a potential enemy. Just like all the rest.]

Everything's fine.

[Video]

[savedtheworld]

Clove? [He thinks, blinking a moment. It's so sudden and unexpected a shift - but then again, it was also like that when Zuko offered to be their ally. So Aang settled into a warm smile.] Don't worry about it. If you wanna be friends, I'll be glad to be your friend.

[Video]

[shenevermisses]

It won't be an easy adjustment. I'm not used to having friends. But I'd like that.

[She smiles, sweet and apparently sincere.]

[Video]

[savedtheworld]

That's great! And I'm used to making friends who aren't used to having friends, so there won't be any problems! I'll make sure this friendship goes along super greatly.

video;

[etudes]

... [ She blinks a little. ]

Raised like a gladiator, but.. you weren't actually one? So it's sort of like gladiators from another world, maybe..?

video;

[shenevermisses]

It was something like the gladiators. I never even heard about them until I came here.

[etudes]

That's so strange. I didn't even know there were worlds out there that never have had gladiators like our kind.. [ .. wait. ] You aren't a Roman, are you?

[Video]

[misterbrief]

If you've lived your life having to fight battles that determined whether you lived or not then why are you even bothering to apologize for yourself. All you're doing is letting yourself become soft. So tell me, where will that get you in the end? I can tell you where.

[He's sort of being a hypocrite. But only sort of.]

[Video]

[shenevermisses]

[She doesn't trust him. Sounding like he understands, like he gets it.

But Clove keeps her small smile on her features.]

Maybe it's possible to be too hard. To need a little softening.

[Video]

[misterbrief]

Oh really? Well I'd say that doesn't apply in my experience. That will only get you killed. [Still being kind of a hypocrite. This happens often with him now though, actions not reflecting his words sometimes.] But as it stands I don't believe you've answered my question yet, now have you?

[video]

[stillplaying]

[She's starting to get it now. Why Cato's been worried about her. Since the draft, there's been something off. Something different. It had been there when they hunkered down in that abandoned building that rainy night on the draft. And it had been there again when she had seen Clove's last entry on the journals. Wanting to fight, wanting to kill for the Malnosso.

And now this. No matter what others might see in the girl's presentation, Katniss knows what she's doing. Doing everything she failed to do not once, but multiple times. Otherwise, all of Panem would have believed her relationship with Peeta. Snow would have believed. For whatever reason, Clove's playing them. Playing a game. Looking for sponsors.

She doesn't know what changed. What's spurred her to suddenly act like this. And it's more worrying than Katniss really cares to admit.]

Why are you doing this?

[video]

[shenevermisses]

To make up for how I've acted, Katniss.

[It's simple, almost sweet. Because anyone can hear this. And she says the name not as she'd started to, with that vague understanding and alliance. The simple... truce that had become more. Instead, she says it like she would have in an interview at the Capitol. Polite, respectful, but distant.]

I've been... a bit more harsh than seems appropriate with several people. I thought a public apology would probably be a good start to mending fences with them.

[video]

[stillplaying]

[It's not real. It might seem real to others. Real and sincere and completely honest, but Katniss knows better. Can hear the voice of a Tribute playing nice to appease the audience. Clove never calls her Katniss. Never.

Something's wrong. Very wrong. She called her Katniss.

Damn. Why didn't she ever bother to learn how to do filters on these things?]

When?

[Voice / private]

[markofthewise]

Well. That's not what I expected after our chat.

[Voice / private]

[shenevermisses]

[She checks it and -- yeah. Private. Good. Because someone who pretty much rolled their eyes about her opening up? That, she trusts. She trusts someone who admits they're only out for themselves.]

I was also taught how to do interviews.

[Voice / private]

[markofthewise]

[Interviews is not a subject he knows about much but he thinks he gets the gist of it.]

So that was a play.