"This should work," Liville said, bagging the freshly made bread, which had barely been placed on the bakery rack. She wound the paper bag tight, to keep the warmth in there for as long as possible. "Do you think we'd be able to meet them again before class?"
Sejanus told her, "It'll have to be after. I don't think they've released the location of where they're staying yet."
"I hope it'll stay fresh until then," she commented.
Sejanus and Liville continued through the store. Coriolanus moved slowly behind them.
Liville and Coriolanus left the train station not that long ago. The driver picked Sejanus up from his house, and the three stopped at the store before school.
The only reason Coriolanus put up with Sejanus being here is because he was the one with the limitless credit card.
Liville seemed to take the task of picking out food too seriously, in Coriolanus's opinion. She'd waited five minutes for a fresh loaf of bread, rather than taking one already on the shelf. And she inspected each and every apple as though an imperfect one would kill her tribute. Didn't she realize these tributes lived off moldy bread, they'd be lucky to have the worst food this store had to offer.
"Sejanus, reach that apple up there for me, please," Liville requested.
There were plenty of apples on display right beside her, Coriolanus had no idea why she was insisting to have the one at the very top.
"Of course," Sejanus said without question, reaching his arm up and grabbing it easily.
Coriolanus felt like rolling his eyes. Sejanus must've loved doing that, showing Liville how tall he was. Like everyone wasn't tall compared to Liville.
She bagged the apple carefully, then double bagged it, to make sure it wouldn't bruise.
"Coriolanus," Liville then said, turning to him. "Is there anything else you want to get for Lucy Gray?"
"She didn't ask for anything."
Liville paused by a few hair brushes. "Perhaps one of these? For her hair?"
"They'd make a weapon of it," Coriolanus told her. "They'll probably start killing each other before the games even start. Or use it to try to escape. You remember the seventh Hunger Games."
"There weren't any escapes in the seventh Hunger Games," she said.
"No," Coriolanus sighed. He glanced around the store while explaining with an uncaring tone, "But there were attempts. One of the tributes got put in the arena with three gunshot wounds."
She grimaced at the idea. "You know," Liville began. "I don't see why the Capitol doesn't provide nice meals for the tributes. They throw a couple things in every now and again so the tributes don't starve, but it'd be in their best interest to give them higher quality meals. Perhaps a feast even."
She caught Coriolanus's full attention. He frowned, never hearing such a thing referred to as 'in the Capitol's best interest'. "A feast?"
Sejanus's mood shifted drastically, but she hadn't noticed yet.
"Yes," she said, nodding. She seemed inspired now that Coriolanus seemed interested. "Since escape attempts are such an issue. And since most of these tributes will be starving already. Looking forward to being fed such delicacies would incentivize them to-"
"Incentivize them to more politely await their slaughter?" Sejanus suddenly snapped. "Yes, how rude it is for them to try to run for their lives."
Liville shut her mouth.
"I'm going to find medicine for Marcus," Sejanus said, blankly. "No doubt those trains were freezing. The last thing he should have to worry about is a fever."
