we can light a match and burn it down

[burn_with_us]

Katniss still misses him every day. If asked two, three years ago when this whole journey of hers started how she felt about Peeta Mellark, she probably wouldn't have had an answer but now Katniss thinks that some way, some how, she might have loved him. She thinks that she is never going to have the chance to know that, now, since he's locked up in the Capitol and she's here - away from anything and everything dangerous.

She still goes back, though, to tempt fate and while she goes with her quiver on her back and her bow in her hand, Katniss doesn't think that's exactly going to be enough to stop a Capitol hovercraft if they really want to take her. She hasn't seen them, though. Any time she goes back to 12, she only sees meadows and ponds and trees and she never sees anything remotely resembling the Capitol's ominous presence.

Today, she sees two deer in the woods and bags them, deciding to bring them back. She's learned how to cook and her boss in the restaurant doesn't seem to mind when she brings back game to share; she guesses he just likes having someone show up to wait tables on a more or less regular basis and Katniss is fairly reliable.

She drags them through the door and pauses, wondering about her wisdom in trying to bring both of these back through without cleaning them first. Oh well. She's never been overly concerned with what other people think. When someone stares at her, she stares right back.

"You want to help me with this or do you just want to look?"

Comments

[burn_with_us]

"Yeah, I am. The great symbol of the rebellion," Katniss snaps back. "Not that I can do anything about it when I'm terrified of leaving this place to go save people from Snow. I just want a chance to get people here so they can be away from all of it. That makes me a coward, doesn't it? To just want to save my family and move on? I don't want to be a symbol. I want to be me."

[71st_victor]

"It's a shame that the people decide what they want you to be," Johanna says, her inflection somewhat devoid of emotion. She's what she wants to be, but it comes at a high price that she's still not sure she's okay with having paid. "So you're the symbol of the revolution. Figure out how to work that to your advantage."

[burn_with_us]

"Use it against them, huh?" Katniss has never been someone who thinks strategically. This is something that she's never found as a strength and has relied upon Peeta for but she doesn't have that option anymore.

"I guess we'd better start making a plan. A real, solid plan."

[71st_victor]

She hates it, but she's in this to bring the Capitol down. It's shitty not having the army she'd expected, but maybe they can still make it out. "We should probably start looking for ways to get to 13," she admits. "That's where we were headed after we got out of the Games. Except, you went off book," she says, a throwaway comment and nothing more.

[burn_with_us]

"Well, I've been to 13 since I've been here," Katniss admits. "I don't really want to go back there but if we need 13 in order to take the Capitol down, I'll be happy to go. And stay on book this time."

She isn't sure what the throwaway comment means but she can tell a barb when she hears one.

[71st_victor]

"Well, then, we might still have a chance." If any of them are willing to go back, that is. She's not sure she's ready, but she's mostly just biding up her anger and getting it ready. They're going to take the Capitol down. As far as Johanna is concerned, there is no other option. It's what she's willing to give her life for.