you'll be alright ; no one can hurt you now. ( OPEN )

[empowers]

Characters: Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and you!
Where: The Mockingjay Bakery ( and above apartment )
When: 19th of Rebirth's Decline
What: Moving! Mattress acquired, the Knight and the Princess make themselves a home. Scandalous.

For a girl from the Seam who grew up with nothing and had to fight just to live, the overwhelming welcome and riches and praise showered on her for the happenstance of her occupation has been a little overwhelming for Katniss. She isn't surprised that Peeta has many people who enjoy him, who find his company pleasant... He's had that from the beginning. A warm smile, a kind word... A hearty laugh. It's like he can't help making friends, no matter where he goes. But Katniss isn't accustomed to people regarding her highly. She was met with appreciation in District Eleven, thunderous applause in the Capitol, but it wasn't anything like this. She's respected - truly respected - here.

There were whispers all around them, of course, about the circumstances surrounding their new housing situation. Rumors flew like birds between the townspeople. The Knight who didn't lift the heavy things for her Princess. Unwed and planning to share a bed. Scandal. She couldn't bring herself to care. They were here. Peeta was safe. She was safe. Rue was safe. She would invite Rue to live with them, too. They could share a bed, the three of them. It wouldn't be the same with the young girl there as it was on the train, or in the Arena, but it would be warm and comfortable.

Peeta managed to find a mattress that would actually be soft and like a real bed. She wondered if it would be like the Capitol mattresses, or the ones they had in their District. Soft and pillowy, versus tolerable and a little harder. She hoped it was pillowy. Adjusting to a new place was difficult enough without being uncomfortable. Then again, she would have been find with flour sacks stuffed with soft pine needles if it meant Peeta could help quell the nightmares that plagued her and left her restless and tired. So, so tired.

Today, they were moving their things into the apartment above Peeta's bakery. The doors were, as always, left open, so that friends and acquaintances could come assist if they wanted. Or, if they simply wanted to visit, they could do that as well. They may find Peeta and Katniss hefting the mattress up the stairs, or if they arrive later, they might find them moving other furniture, or settled upstairs already, decorating. Later still and they may just be enjoying something to eat. While she doesn't necessarily trust it, their door remains open for the remainder of the day, regardless of what point in their moving and decorating they are experiencing.

Comments

[dailybread]

"Really, I'm fine."

Peeta tried not to let the exasperation he was feeling show in his voice, but it was starting to get ridiculous. He hadn't been able to get more than three steps without being accosted by a horrified townsperson trying to take the mattress from him. Yes, it was heavy, but it was rolled up and tied with lengths of rope that served as hand-holds. He could lift and carry it on his own, but he was being treated as though his arms would snap at any moment.

Now, a man had taken hold of one of the ends and was attempting to wrest it from Peeta's grip. "I insist. You mustn't strain your delicate constitution so!"

But the Mockingjay was within sight, and once he got inside he would be safe from well-meaning, pushy townspeople. And Katniss was inside, which gave him an excuse to shake his current "helper" off.

"My knight is waiting for me," he said firmly, closing the distance between himself and the open door of his bakery. He stuck his head inside the doorway and shouted, "Katniss, can you help me for a minute?"

The man narrowed his eyes, maintaining his grip on the other end of the mattress. Peeta doubted he would leave until he saw her physically take the mattress herself and drag it at least a few feet inside.

[empowers]

She'd been receiving scornful looks all morning. People whispered of the Princess and how his able-bodied Knight should have been handling the brunt of the work. She didn't understand these -- roles, the way people called Peeta a Princess. First of all, that implied stories that no one told anymore. Second... Weren't Princesses supposed to be girls? She watched warily, worn down from the judgments already. She didn't like it here much, but it was still a far cry better from home. She had to remind herself of that regularly, or she might've gone off on someone. Sometimes she felt like a bomb, just waiting to be tripped.

She'd holed herself up inside until they needed to move more things, to avoid the looks. The whispers. The questions she couldn't answer. Until she heard Peeta's voice, she made no effort to respond to another person. She moved down the stairs as quickly as she would have moved through a good patch of woods. "Coming!"

Katniss stepped out and saw that there was a bit of a tussle going on. "What are you doing?" Immediately, she got defensive, and assumed the man was trying to take the mattress from them. "Leave him alone!" She moved quickly and elbowed the man aside, gripping tightly at the seams and yanking the mattress toward the door.

"Go on! I've -- got it, he's fine."

[dailybread]

As soon as Katniss showed up, the man bowed deeply and nearly tripped over himself to show respect to the "Honorable Sir--of course I never meant to make designs of that sort upon your Princess--if I--"

"Thank you for your help," Peeta said firmly, and the man paused, then bowed again deeply.

"Milady. Sir."

And he left them alone. Peeta felt his muscles relax and he let out a relieved sigh, kicking the door open wider so he could drag the mattress inside.

"Thank you, Katniss."

[empowers]

The moment the man was gone, out of earshot, Katniss shoved aside all reservation of her irritations. These people were already driving her up a wall, and if one more person called her Sir, she might put an arrow through their head. She turned to Peeta, a frown still on her face.

"Why won't they just leave us alone?"