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"YOU TWO, THERE, IN THE RED! What are you doing in the cage?" Lucky Flickerman spoke far louder than necessary. To him the bars of the cage were a wall. "Can they hear me?"
"Shit." Araucaria turned her back to the crowd.
"What?" Treech frowned, his body towards the crowd, the spectacle foreign. "Who is that guy?"
"That's Lucky Flickerman, the weatherman... and I guess he's hosting The Hunger Games. This is not good, the Academy, they'll be furious." Cari ran her hands over her school skirt, a nervous habit of hers.
Lucy Gray and Coriolanus were walking hand-in-hand toward the exuberant Flickerman. That should buy her time.
"I might've been able to get away with meeting you at the platform but this... I might get kicked out." Not to mention she was aligning herself with the tributes by being in that cage. Whatever progress she had made away from being 'The District Girl' was coming undone by Snow's actions.
"It'll be worse if I don't talk to him. Do you want to come with me or..." Treech rapidly looked between her and the camera, panicked. "Okay, so that's a no."
Araucaria took one more deep breath, before plastering on the brightest smile she could and making her way over to Lucky. "Lucky Flickerman, as I live and breathe. I watch your show every morning, you know." A lie. Her father hated television, he believed it rotted the brain.
Lucky grinned, "I love to meet my fans," he turned completely around for that, speaking into the camera, "and you are?"
His microphone tipped her way. "Araucaria Finch, and that's my tribute over there, Treech." She nodded behind her, a camera man following her direction to Treech, who glanced at the camera and then at Cari, confused, maybe a hint of betrayal "He's a little shy, isn't that adorable?" The camera was back on her as Lucky nodded.
"And are you in this cage for the same reasons as Mr. Snow here?"
Araucaria bit her lip, sending a withering look to the blonde. "I suppose so, seeing as he pulled himself into that truck and took myself with him." She wondered if their class was watching - perhaps Casca wanted them to see their tributes arriving in the Capitol. "I merely wanted to meet my tribute and welcome him to this-" Deep breath, "lovely Capitol." Hopefully the Dean would take pity on her, he did hate Coriolanus quite a bit.
"Ah well it looks like you are about to be whisked away." A few peacekeepers had entered the enclosure, beelining for Coriolanus and Araucaria. Two grabbed Coriolanus, pulling him away. One of the remaining two nodded for Cari to follow.
"Just one second, please," she didn't wait for affirmation as she jogged back to Treech. "Chicken or turkey?"
Treech tilted his head, "What?"
"For your lunch, would you prefer chicken or turkey- why are you laughing?" Treech dropped his head down to hide his smile, but his shaking shoulders gave him away. He shuffled around some dirt with the tip of his boot.
