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Post by Peeta Mellark on Sept 4, 2010 23:53:17 GMT -5
His fingers dug into the dough, first pushing, then pulling, kneading the dough between his hands and the wooden counter-top. It softened in his the grasp of his large, warm hands. He folded it in half, pushing it in on itself, again. He pressed with the base of his wrist, pushing it flat onto the surface. He rolled it in the flour that littered the work surface, and then continued to knead with his fingertips, searching for just the right consistency. Again, he pushed it flat, squeezing out the air bubbles in the process; it just wasn't right yet.
With a toss of his head, he dislodged a lock of blonde hair that had fallen in front of his eyes and with his forearm, he pushed up his left sleeve, the cuff of which had slipped to nearly around his wrist. It stuck around his elbow before slipping down around his wrist again. He sighed and looked up from the work he had been so absorbed in.
The shop had been closed for half an hour, and outside twilight had begun to set in over District twelve. Through the glass-windowed front, Peeta could see that those who were left in the streets were scurrying quickly home, heads down, avoiding the glances of passerby. The streetlamps were not being lit tonight, to conserve energy, and he had to peer through the dusk to see much further then the immediate area outside of the bakery. He thought he could see Rylan's wheat coloured hair striding through the darkness, but it had been just a reflection in pane.
Peeta turned back to his bread-to-be, and shaped it into a loaf with a resigned sigh. On the tray and into the wood-burning oven it went for next morning's four am breakfast.
He swept his arm across the counter, haphazardly dumping the flour onto the already flour-covered floor. He slapped his hands together adding more powder to the vast amount already settling around his feet. He pushed his sleeves up for the umpteenth time and then tore his apron off, hanging it on a nearby peg. With another resigned sigh, he took to the broom that had been leaning in a back corner and began to sweep the contents of the floor towards the back of the bakery.
Peeta threw open the door, taking in the blast of cool, damp air with a smile and then with one final sweep, pushed the dust into the small back garden.
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Post by Katniss Everdeen on Sept 5, 2010 17:19:13 GMT -5
Katniss smiled. Both her and Gale had just finished hunting. She had many things in common with Gale more than others. From the time where both their dads had died to their secret times that they spent in the woods. Katniss felt so much more safe around Gale than she did anyone.
Gale was headed towards The Hob, while she was making her trips around to certain businesses and selling certain animals to certain people. The baker loved buying squirrels and trading for breads, and on special occasions cakes, although the only time that she could really go was later at night when his wife was asleep or even gone for a little. Obviously she didn't like the fact of him buying illegal goods.
As she made her way, she saw that there was a light still on. Great, There was a possibility that the misses was still there. As she went to the back door she was the bakers son sweeping out the door. She stayed back a little, hesitant on whether or not to move forward and ask the boy if his father was home, but in the end she decided to anyways.
As she moved forward he had ended up going back into the shop. She went to the door and knocked on it silently since it was almost curfew in the District and even if the peacekeepers here were fairly nice, they couldn't be around curfew. She saw some shuffling and heard some movement before the door actually opened.
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Post by Peeta Mellark on Sept 5, 2010 18:36:18 GMT -5
Peeta took in the darkness of the small enclosed yard, slowly, searching for what, he did not know. And as usual, nothing emerged. He peered for a long moment more than his usual, and then turned back into the bakery, lifting his broom over the threshold as he did. He scuffed his boots on the floorboards, brushing off any excess dust and then closed the door with a resounding click that seemed to fill the silent bake shop.
It was truly dark outside the front window now, and Peeta with his slight case of near-sightedness couldn't see a soul walking by in the square. He replaced the broom in its corner and then glanced around, everything seemed to be in its rightful place. Besides the rolling pin laying besides the money box. Peeta moved to put it away but was interrupted.
A knock. Someone was knocking at this hour. Peeta glanced furtively around the shop, knowing that no one would be there. He looked to the window again, still no one moving in the darkness.
With a gulp, he turned to the door. It was bad enough that curfew was in less than ten minutes. But there wasn't any plausible good reason for a person to be at the back door at this hour. Father and Mama were upstairs, preparing an evening meal. Rylan and Wheatley were at home with their own wives. It was possible Rylan had had a spat with his wife, and come home to cool down. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened.
He forced himself to stop considering all the bad things that could be behind the door and wrenched it open.
Katniss. Katniss with her beautiful olive skin and silky ebony hair.
The reality couldn't be further from what he had expected, but he tried to play it cool. Instinctively, he reached up and smoothed his wild hair, not realising that he had had flour remnants on his fingers. He smiled at her.
'Can I help you?'
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Post by Katniss Everdeen on Sept 5, 2010 19:22:38 GMT -5
Katniss looked around. She had to make sure that no peacekeepers were around because they would try to shuffle her back to the seam. Things weren't going good already. What was taking so long, he had just been out here. She looked back at the glass door as he opened it. She watched as he brushed back his hair. She smiled when she saw remnants of what she guessed to be flour coat his hair.
"Wheres your father?" she asked hurriedly and while looking around. As a peacekeeper neared the bakery she flattened her body against the dark part of the bakery hidden by shadows. At that point it only looked like Peeta was looking outside. As she appeared again when the peacekeeper had left the small area that she had designated she looked at Peeta again. Hopefully he would know that this was important and she needed to see him. Without his little woman with him.
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Post by Peeta Mellark on Sept 5, 2010 20:31:41 GMT -5
A Peacekeeper strolled by, making his usual evening rounds. Peeta smiled wanely at the man, hoping he wouldn't notice his unusual behaviour. But the stocky man continued walking, not taking his eyes off the ground as he went. As he turned the corner at the end of the alley, Katniss reappeared from the shadows.
She was like a cat, she was that stealthy as she clung to the shadows.
He searched her face, looking for a motive. Peeta knew she hunted, illegally, probably, and that she frequently sold it around town. Is that why she was here? Did his father purchase foodstuffs from her? That was really the only logical explanation. Why had he never put two and two together... the missing loaves every morning, the squirrel meat for dinner.
"Come in,' he said, softly, scanning the night behind her as held the door open and stepped to the side.
He desperately wanted her to come inside, but it was doubtful he'd be able to get his father away from his mother. Demeter Mellark was ever-suspicious, and Peeta knew she would never allow illegal goings-on in her house. It must have been a secret from her too.
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Post by Katniss Everdeen on Sept 5, 2010 21:43:14 GMT -5
Katniss smiled. So Peeta had put two and two together. She had just realized how he had been getting his dinner on certain nights. As Peeta told her to come in she hesitated. What if his mother came down and saw her in there. Obviously it wouldn't be good for her. She'd most likely get the peacekeeper and get her in trouble.
"I'd rather your father be down here before I enter" she said as he stepped to the side. As she heard footsteps from behind she jutted through the doorway and into the bakery. As she clung to the wall that the door was connected to, she saw a shadow pass where the door was. Someone had just walked passed, but she didn't know who.
"Can you just go get your father so I can get home without getting in trouble?" she said softly as she softly pushed off of the wall.
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Post by Peeta Mellark on Sept 6, 2010 3:03:38 GMT -5
'I'd rather your father be down here before I enter' Peeta only had time to raise his eyebrows at her before she dashed around him to take shelter in the warmth of the bakery. He looked out into the yard to see what had frightened her so. His next door neighbor, the locksmith, was on the way to his own home. Peeta gave a cheery, nonchalant wave and called 'Good night!' to the elderly man, before shutting the door in one swift motion.
He turned back into the bakery.
'Can you just go get your father so I can get home without getting in trouble?' He studied her with sad eyes for a moment, there was barely any recognition in her face, no shared feeling... he chewed his lip.
'He's upstairs with mother, I think if I go interrupt, she may suspect something.' He glanced helplessly around the room, looking for a solution that would wipe the worried look off her face, he fought the urge to hug her and instead said, 'I'll get you home safe, don't worry,' in what he hoped was a reassuring voice.
'In the meantime, is there anything I can help you with?' Peeta didn't want to be the one to bring up her illegal poaching, it might make her uncomfortable. Or suspicious as to why he would know so much about her.
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Post by Katniss Everdeen on Sept 6, 2010 12:32:37 GMT -5
Katniss watched as he waved to the person obviously walking towards their home. As he shut the door and she shook her head. How he could be so calm at a time where major trouble could occur was beyond her. It was most likely because it would be her in trouble and not him.
”Theres no way that you know of to get him down here?” she questioned. If he couldn’t get him down here than she might as well go home before a peacekeeper saw her. That would be bad. She had already been caught out past curfew once and they let her off with a warning, but told her another time and she’d be in big trouble. She didn’t want to figure out what the trouble would be.
”Really the only thing you could do is get your father, without your mother coming down,” she said as she looked out the windows into the pitch black night. No one would be out but herself and the peacekeepers. Gale most likely already sold the goods at The Hob and made his way home. She sighed. She didn’t know what to do anymore. At this point she wanted to be home, in her bed sleeping.
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