[HELLO, EVERYONE. Nice and trauma-filled from that horrible vacation?

Haymitch isn't here to make it better.]

Judging by all the unhappy faces, I take it didn't go well down there. Maybe next time you'll take a lesson from those of us who were smart enough to stay behind. Might not be the best place, but at least we know the ship wants to kill us all. [Snicker.

Annnd there's a pause, because while he knows Peeta's gone, because he hasn't checked in, and that stings after losing Katniss, (and with Finnick and Annie in bad shape) shock of shocks, he has other people he cares about.]

Anyone happen to notice a little girl tagging along down there? Goes by Mattie Ross. She'd be the one with braids, preaching justice to the locals and making a damned fool of herself. Hard to miss her. 

[Filtered away from Annie and Finnick; 50% Encrypted]

[AND NOW HAYMITCH GETS TO BE AWKWARD.]

Don't know which one of you yanked Annie Cresta out of all that, but it's appreciated. Finnick's in no state to thank you, himself, so I'll save him the trouble. 

[Filtered to Jack Sparrow and Russia; 50% Encrypted]

All right, talk. I know at least one of you went down there and both of you can't be in as bad a shape as the rest of them. How bad was it?

[ Click. On pops the video feed, and Tommy is looking... Well, relaxed isn't quite the word for it. But there's something looser about him anyway, not as much of a weight on his shoulders, even if his posture isn't any better than usual. He's frowning, as per usual, but the frown doesn't seem quite as deep.

Sometimes having a drink's the best plan a guy can have, right? ]

When I was in-- [ Iraq, he almost says but stops himself and for the moment right after, his brows do furrow before clearing again. ]

Doesn't matter. Most of you won't have heard of it. When I was a soldier, we used to get new kids shipping in pretty regular. Some of them were excited to be there, and some of them were scared shitless. Me and a couple of the other guys who'd been there a while used to take 'em aside and tell 'em, "This is a fucked up situation you've landed in, and it's not your job to un-fuck it up." Because we all knew that's the fast way to fuck things up more.

[ It seems to occur to Tommy that this is more talking than he does basically ever, and the corner of his mouth twitches in the suggestion of a self-conscious smile. ] Now, I sound like I'm at some fucking VFW support group. Whatever, you get what I'm trying to say.

If only they were warmer..I feel very cold. I wonder what this is.

[the feed opens with the kitchens with frodo's voice. ]
I'm told to put my bread here--But there is no fire to be had, how could you crisp my bread and make it warm? You are only a box of some sort.

[ the feed zooms back to  little thing with a mop of curly black hair holding bread now quickly being taken into what appears to be a toaster! the hobbit furrows his brows as as he presses on a strange metal knob and the bread vanishes into strange indentions. ]

I don't understand.  But I suppose I push here..

[ so for a while, at least five to ten minutes you see frodo baggins, sitting alone on a stool, staring at the toaster and muttering to himself: ]

Well, Baggins, you are in quite a place if they have things that can--oh!

[and there is a loud cling as the toaster shoots up the pieces of bread, the hobbit letting out a loud shout of alarm as he leans back, arms up over him protectively until he falls right off the stool with a loud clang, on his rear. the toast ended up joining him! it is now on his stomach and around where he fell and he lies there in mute silence, doe eyes staring up at the cieling dazedly. ]

Well. I don't think we ever had that in the Shire and I do believe I shall never be going too near the kitchens again. There are dangers yet, even in places where there is enough food for a first and second breakfast.

[ the small thing reaches for the toast, staring at it with an uncertain look, and murmurs quietly to himself, audible still ]
Such a strange place I am in, Sam.

I hear you lot rather enjoyed yourselves down there. You're practically celebrities among the rest of us: outpost travelers, survivors, whatever you'd like to call it, I'll not limit your labeled imagination on however you'd like to spin it. I'd be rather interested in hearing about what it is those who stayed in their cozy cabins missed, however - make use of that teahouse or other freshly stocked supplies we've the habit of squandering for sake of entertainment or distraction from personal misery on this boat. Supposing the rest of it isn't all freezedried, in any case.

Considering we've no windows, if anyone managed to take pictures or put together some creative art for your journey, I'm sure the rest of us are aching for some sort of blatant confirmation of where we might happen to be. Or do none of you know how to exactly place the progress of this fine vessel? I'll be frank, the whole sending untrained passengers into space bit is a little out of my league.

Actually, I've yet to be told upfront how those pods operate. Or where people go when they happen to disappear - unless someone keeps feeding them to the manticores. Or, honestly, any sort of satisfactory answer to most of the questions I still have even after a few months of this place.

I can't be the only one unwilling to settle with an empty hand, can I?