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Bell finds the bar when she is eight-almost-nine, in the shed in the back, and she grabs up her seashells - she can reach the bag by the shed door and the one by the back door of the house, her arms are getting longer - and drags them in after her.
She drags them all the way to her room, and locks the door behind her when she lets herself back out, and then she collects a mop from behind the bar and starts earning that room. She's not really sure how it works - so much time passes between visits and yet the room always waits for her. But she supposes that paying people for things in Milliways has to work the way Milliways works. She does an amount of cleaning whenever she's there and this secures her a space to stash her things.
Mop, mop.
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she_sells_seashells
she_sells_seashells
"I can poach some clams without anybody catching me. Tesserae is when you take extra chances for the Hunger Games and they give you grain and oil but I'm not twelve yet."
blooded_poet
Lynn doesn't need very long to come to a decision. "Ah. Would you like me to buy you a meal while you explain more about your home? To compensate you for the shells lost for work. Or I could just pay you, but I don't know the return value."
Something here seems sinister. Casual poaching that's necessary for survival? That's rather concerning. Tesserae didn't sound like a charity, though maybe it's an actual game and the word 'Hunger' added to it doesn't mean anything bad. She doesn't know yet, but she intends to find out.
Something here seems sinister. Casual poaching that's necessary for survival? That's rather concerning. Tesserae didn't sound like a charity, though maybe it's an actual game and the word 'Hunger' added to it doesn't mean anything bad. She doesn't know yet, but she intends to find out.
she_sells_seashells
"The work isn't for shells, the work is for my room. I can finish mopping and eat with you and then do the tables after, though? I'm almost done," says Shell Bell anxiously.
blooded_poet
"That would be fine," replies the woman. "I'll still get you something to eat, though. Where can I see to that?"
she_sells_seashells
"Bar knows what I like best!" says Shell Bell with a winning smile. "She's a person even though she is also a bar. You can talk to her and she can talk back by writing on napkins."
blooded_poet
Lynn is surprised by the... 'Person and also a bar' comment, but she can cope. She stands, and goes to the bar, feeling somewhat silly.
"Excuse me? Bar? The girl over there says you know what she likes best? I would like to buy her a proper meal," she says.
"Excuse me? Bar? The girl over there says you know what she likes best? I would like to buy her a proper meal," she says.
she_sells_seashells
A napkin appears, while Shell Bell mops her way towards the far corner (still smiling).
Certainly, says the napkin. I will put it on your tab.
Certainly, says the napkin. I will put it on your tab.
blooded_poet
The napkin is a surprise, but she's going to cope with this, too. She's certainly seen weirder things. Probably. So, she says, "Thank you."
Deciding that she should be a Responsible Adult, Lynn does lower her voice and quietly tell Bar, "Please give her something healthy, or well-balanced. I don't mind buying her a dessert with it, but she mentioned she eats quite a lot of clams..."
Lynn trails off. She doesn't know what else to say. And she's a child and I want her to be okay? Best not to say it outloud. She'll just leave it at that.
Deciding that she should be a Responsible Adult, Lynn does lower her voice and quietly tell Bar, "Please give her something healthy, or well-balanced. I don't mind buying her a dessert with it, but she mentioned she eats quite a lot of clams..."
Lynn trails off. She doesn't know what else to say. And she's a child and I want her to be okay? Best not to say it outloud. She'll just leave it at that.
she_sells_seashells
Balance is certainly a primary concern in the properness of a meal intended for her, replies a second napkin agreeably.
blooded_poet
"Thank you," says Lynn again. She turns and goes to sit at her original booth.
She isn't sure how this is supposed to work, but she's going to try and play along. The girl she just bought food for will probably have a good idea of how to retrieve it. If not, then Lynn will ask.
She isn't sure how this is supposed to work, but she's going to try and play along. The girl she just bought food for will probably have a good idea of how to retrieve it. If not, then Lynn will ask.
she_sells_seashells
It only takes another minute for Bell to finish mopping. She puts the mop away, and then she hops up onto a barstool next to her benefactor. "Hi, Bar," she says, breathless with entirely too much anticipation for someone who's getting lunch.
And there appears a meal. Bar has apparently chosen to serve chicken-and-dumplings, some broccoli hiding rather effectively under butter and a snow of shredded cheese, two eggs on toast with avocado and visible frecklings of spices, a large glass of milk, and a brownie, a la mode. Bell is responsible about leaving dessert for last, but digs in with the relish that ought properly to be reserved for the unexpected combination of all holidays ever invented.
And there appears a meal. Bar has apparently chosen to serve chicken-and-dumplings, some broccoli hiding rather effectively under butter and a snow of shredded cheese, two eggs on toast with avocado and visible frecklings of spices, a large glass of milk, and a brownie, a la mode. Bell is responsible about leaving dessert for last, but digs in with the relish that ought properly to be reserved for the unexpected combination of all holidays ever invented.
blooded_poet
Someone is paying attention to this. Aha. Yes, the girl's malnourished. She will have to keep this in mind. Lynn thinks that she might need to tip Bar. She is a smart bar.
"So, what are the 'Hunger Games'?" asks Lynn.
"So, what are the 'Hunger Games'?" asks Lynn.
she_sells_seashells
"They're," (nom nom) "when a bunch of teenagers go on TV" (nom) "twenty-four of them usually and whoever survives longest wins."
blooded_poet
There is a long, long silence. Bell may eat in peace during this silence.
Then, very carefully, Lynn asks, "Who are the people that organized that?"
Then, very carefully, Lynn asks, "Who are the people that organized that?"
she_sells_seashells
"Th'" (nom nom) "Capitol. This year's the sixty-second." (Broccoli is gone now and the chicken-and-dumplings won't take long to follow.)
blooded_poet
"So for... sixty-one years, twenty-three teenagers died, every year," says Lynn, mostly to herself.
She turns, and looks at Bell. "And you're in danger of participating when you turn twelve? Or before then?"
She turns, and looks at Bell. "And you're in danger of participating when you turn twelve? Or before then?"
she_sells_seashells
"One of those years it was forty-seven, for a Quarter Quell," Bell clarifies. "But I live in a Career district so I should be okay. I might get picked but I won't have to go, somebody trained will volunteer for me and she'll have a good shot at winning."
blooded_poet
Lynn closes her eyes. Quietly, she hopes a horrific end comes to those that organized this atrocity.
"I see. And people just... Go along with this?"
"I see. And people just... Go along with this?"
she_sells_seashells
"Well, if they don't, the Peacekeepers will kill them."
(She has finished the chicken and is halfway through her toast concoction.)
(She has finished the chicken and is halfway through her toast concoction.)
blooded_poet
Lynn feels an overwhelming need to smash something. She does not indulge. What kind of twisted world did this poor girl live in?
"Ah. Of course they will," mutters Lynn. "Is there something I can do to help?"
"Ah. Of course they will," mutters Lynn. "Is there something I can do to help?"
she_sells_seashells
Bell eyes her weapons.
"I don't know," she says slowly, "what can you do?"
"I don't know," she says slowly, "what can you do?"
blooded_poet
Her weapons are very sharp, but they don't seem suited to fighting the weaponry a Peacekeeper has. They're knives, swords, a bow, daggers - that kind of thing.
But they are magic.
"I am very good at killing demons," says Lynn. "I have a little bit of natural magic, but not very much. There is little I could do to help that isn't violence, or offering you meals."
But they are magic.
"I am very good at killing demons," says Lynn. "I have a little bit of natural magic, but not very much. There is little I could do to help that isn't violence, or offering you meals."
she_sells_seashells
"Well, meals will help me," says Shell Bell. "And maybe my parents a little if there's enough of them to let me go short at home. But Peacekeepers aren't demons. How does your magic work?"
blooded_poet
"It is very adept at finding things, and gathering intelligence. This is fortunate because in order to use it for anything else, one must know every aspect of what they're going to do," says Lynn. "What I have access to isn't enough to do anything more than the discovery bit."
Lynn tilts her head. "What weaponry do Peacekeepers have?"
Lynn tilts her head. "What weaponry do Peacekeepers have?"