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[nostalgiabomb]

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[airborn]

[She tilts her head.]

What's a tetanus shot?

[Nice try, though.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ a beat, then, ] A shot that keeps you from getting tetanus. I'm pretty sure, anyway.

[ Not that he's totally sure what tetanus is, except that it's bad. ]

[airborn]

[Probably just as well that she doesn't know what it is either.]

Is it really, really bad? Like some kind of sickness?

[nostalgiabomb]

Er-- [ WHY ARE YOU ASKING SUCH DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ]

Well, I mean, yeah. Why else have a shot for it, right?

[airborn]

[To keep you on your toes, Quill, why else? Get with the program!]

I guess so. [She finally seems to accept that, but then--] So you don't want to learn how to use the needle for sewing?

[nostalgiabomb]

I just don't see me bein' very good at it, is all.

[airborn]

I guesssss [Thinking this over!] if you need somebody to fix up your clothes, I can do it for you.

And you won't be slapped anymore, either.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... man. Peter is supposed to be, like, super macho. Tough as nails. Seriously cool.

But that makes him sort of smirk like a doofus. Good thing he's audio-only right now. ]

I may just take you up on that offer, if you really don't mind. I'll trade you somethin' in return, though, of course.

[airborn]

[Rue nods, liking the idea already. Trading something rather than just giving freely is something that she’s very familiar with, and means she doesn’t feel as bad about asking.]

Maybe if you can take me to North sometimes. That way I can fix up your clothes and get supplies, too.

[And she won’t feel like a burden on people like Steve, who offer to take her there whenever.]

[nostalgiabomb]

If you want, I can take you up in the next couple days. I don't need any mending done, but this way I can bank it, right?

[ Honestly he'd take her up there if she asked, no favors needed, but he knows she's practical,and knows that she probably understands the concept of exchange better than charity. It's how Peter was brought up, too. ]

[airborn]

[Give her a second to think this over...]

Okay! If we find some extra big clothes, you can keep them for yourself. What other supplies do you look for in North?

[nostalgiabomb]

Food, mostly. Ammo for a friend of mine, and anything that looks interesting.

What about you? Just want clothes, right?

[airborn]

Ammo? You mean bullets?

[She'd had no idea that you could even find those around.]

I want clothes, but...do you think they have other weapons around, too?

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah, different calibers of bullets. No guns, though. I've seen knives lyin' around, like hunting knives.

You lookin' to defend yourself?

[airborn]

I found a knife around here last time. It's kind of dull, though.

[She nods, fiddling with a wayward curl beside her ear.]

I don't think I can use the big weapons really well, but maybe I can keep anything attacking me away with knives.

[nostalgiabomb]

Hm. I'll see if I can pick you up a knife next time I head up. I'll see if there's sharpening tools, too. That way you can defend yourself whenever you and I head up together.

You any good with a knife, though? There's a skill to it, from what I hear.

[airborn]

I know how to use it when I help with cooking.

[So chopping and skinning animals for the kitchen, essentially. Aside from that...]

I tried to learn in the Training Center, too, but I just stuck with the slingshot in the end.

[There was no guarantee then that she would find a knife, not with the Careers most likely taking over the Cornucopia, but she could always make a sling shot from scratch. It had seemed the reasonable choice in the end.]

[nostalgiabomb]

Training Center? [ Peter assumes that's another name for basic schooling; and, okay, showing kids how to use knives or slingshots is totally weird. And dangerous. ]

They were teachin' you how to use weapons?

[airborn]

[She nods, though there's some hesitation now.]

They always teach the Tributes how to use weapons first.

[Can't get quality entertainment if the contestants don't know how to kill each other and all.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Usually he doesn't pry, but-- this is a really weird topic. ]

And Tributes are what, exactly?

[airborn]

The Tributes are picked from the Districts for the Games.

[She fidgets.]

People here don't like it when I talk about them.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Oh, okay, that sure makes him feel a whole lot better about whatever she's talking about. ]

... Why's that? Something wrong with them?

[airborn]

[There is unfortunately no good way to ease people into this.]

They don't like hearing about kids fighting.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ......


....... wh... at?

There's a long pause on Peter's end before he speaks -- and when he does, his voice is quiet, tense. ]

They made you guys fight? Why?

[airborn]

It's punishment. The Districts rebelled against the Capitol a long time ago, and now each District has to give up two Tributes every year to make up for it.

[There's no real change in her expression, except a slight frown as she explains. This is obviously someone who, while she might not like the Games, is used to them and all they entail. Someone who grew up with them.]