Remember Remember

[abjurer]

Who: Anyone and everyone
What: Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night celebration
When: The evening of November 5th, of course
Where: Out in a conveniently clear patch of land outside the village where nothing will set on fire.
Summary: November 5th is Bonfire Night for all of those of British origin and for anyone else, well, fireworks and a bonfire and good food can't exactly hurt right?
Rating: PG



It had taken a fair amount of work to get this set up, but by the time people arrive, there's a large bonfire roaring in a cleared out area and a table of food and drink set out for anyone feeling a bit peckish. He has gone all out; pork pies and mushy peas,
parkin, bonfire toffee, all of these are set out along with whatever else he thought people might enjoy. There are also drinks of all kinds, from juice to mulled wine and beer.

Of course, the main event is the fireworks, which are let off once everyone has arrived and settled down to watch them.

Comments

[stillplaying]

"Nice?"

She didn't follow. They didn't have things like this - bonfire nights and holidays that weren't strictly enforced by the Capitol. A fire this big could cause too much destruction within the wooden structures of the Seam. Hadn't the bombs that had rained down on the District afterwards shown how easily things could burn?

"What's it supposed to be like?"

[greenjacketed]

"This is a cruel night, back home," he said with a gesture of his hand. "Not that I've witnessed it for some years. The date doesn't get so well marked when we're on the march. But back in London?" A pregnant pause. Trying to explain matters of religion were always odd -- not simply because of Katniss's unfamiliarity but because of his own stilted learning. "It's about celebrating a man's defeat, not a country's victory. We burn him -- wooden dolls what look like him -- over and over. It's wild and it's rough and it's what the people need to do, but it's nothing so friendly and safe as this is tonight."

[stillplaying]

The explanation makes her wonder, briefly, if there would have been a Mockingjay Day had President Snow succeeded in crushing the uprising. Would he have declared a day for all to burn the Girl on Fire and what she had once stood for? Hope, rebellion, a chance for a world without the Hunger Games? It seemed a fitting enough fate. Something the government of Panem once would have done. Much like they had enacted the Hunger Games so that the Districts would never forget how they had lost the first uprising.

She shivers at the thought and moves closer to Richard, closing her eyes and hiding her face against his arm. She wanted to die once. She doesn't want that fate any longer.

"I don't like it."

[greenjacketed]

"Nah. I reckon you wouldn't, would you?" He smiled wryly down at her hidden face. He took her criticism in stride: comfortable with it, despite his own nostalgia for the ritual. "But us lads needed it, where I'm from. A way to make a bit of coin or a chance to celebrate something -- anything -- when we don't often have much to celebrate at all."

[stillplaying]

Something for them to celebrate. Like the Mockingjay had been someone for the people of the Districts to rally around. People needed hope. Happiness. Celebration. But the idea of burning the image of someone? Of celebrating their death?

She can't get the image of the Capitol celebrating her own death no matter how hard she tries.

"That's why there was always one Victor," she says quietly. "Of the Hunger Games. So there'd be something the Districts would actually want to celebrate."

[greenjacketed]

"The difference, I suppose, is that no one gave us our celebration. We took it on account of wanting it."

[stillplaying]

It's a huge difference. The sort of difference that might have prevented a second uprising if the Capitol had just treated the Districts fairly after the first. Learned from the mistakes of the old Panem government. Let the districts be free. But it hadn't worked like that. Forced celebrations weren't the same. Especially when you were forced to celebrate the death of your children.

"It does sound better that way."

[greenjacketed]

"All the children at Brewhouse Lane would collect coppers for the bonfire. And a few more for themselves."

[stillplaying]

She listens to him recollect, a small smile finally tugging at her lips. She likes listening to him talk like this when the images don't bring to mind her own horrible childhood. But she can't see anyone in District 12 giving out coins to the children for any holiday. Even in the merchant class, money was a rare commodity.

And even though it's hard to picture Richard any younger than he is now, she still can't resist asking in a teasing voice, "Were you one of them?"

[greenjacketed]

"Aye," he gave her a smile and spoke honestly. "I was. Quickest coin-collector in Brewhouse, in my time."

A careful way of saying best thief.

[stillplaying]

Beggars or thieves. They have both in the Seam. And from what he's told her of his London, she doesn't expect it to be much different. It's okay. You do what you have to in order to survive. She understands that better than others.

"I can see that."

[greenjacketed]

"I'm not saying I want to go back to that, of course. But the festivities lose something or another when the coin ain't involved." He waved a hand at the fire. "It'll do. Get yerself some of that drinking chocolate and stay a while."

[stillplaying]

Katniss glances over in the direction of the refreshments table. Maybe she should have stopped there along the way because now that she's sitting, warm and cozy next to Richard, she doesn't really want to get up again. It reminds her too much of nights spent camping in the woods with her father when she was a little girl.

"At least you're not alone?"

Because that, more than coin or any other part of the festivities, seems the most important to her. Not having to celebrate alone.

[greenjacketed]

"Bloody hard to be alone in this town, ain't it?" But he smiled. And he nudged her lightly with his shoulder. And clarified: "Not that I care to be, when you're the company. You and Prim. Christ, even Effie has her good moments."

[stillplaying]

She smiled warmly at him, bumping his shoulder back before leaning in to rest her head against him. Sometimes she wondered if he regretted moving in with the Everdeen girls. If he would have preferred to still live by himself. Katniss knew she'd never have the courage to ask him that. But hearing these words helped put her at ease.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that about Effie."

[greenjacketed]

"...She's changing. You see it, don't you?"

And he half-thought the woman liked him. At least, that was the impression he'd received when she'd all but thrown herself into his arms. Or had that simply been misplaced gratitude? Hmm.

"I won't lie. I worry about her."

[stillplaying]

"Me too," she says quietly. It's an uncomfortable feeling, worrying about Effie Trinket. One she doesn't quite know what to do with. She never really had much of a chance to worry about the chaperon before. During the Quarter Quell, during the uprising, she had been too busy staying alive to worry. Too busy keeping people she deemed more important alive. "Do you think she'll move back again?"

[greenjacketed]

"...Would you like her to?"

[stillplaying]

She thinks on that question for a moment. Admittedly, it had been rather peaceful in the house since Effie had moved out. Extremely peaceful. Odd, even. Or maybe it was more odd how much they had gotten used to the woman’s presence. How much they all sort of missed her in their own ways.

“I wouldn’t mind.”

But she wouldn’t ask. She had no idea how to form those words.