Aang immediately and obviously perks up when he sees who it is, making no attempt to hide the simple joy in his face. "Great! Because I don't plan to start either!"

Without even a hint of distrust, Aang zips to Mollusc's side, playfully nudging him with his shoulder before running ahead. "I was just looking for you! Welcome to the Air Temple. I grew up in one of these." He waves for Mollusc to follow him. "I'll show you where I've been staying. How've you been so far in the arena?"

"Well, you know, you're just so dreamy, Mollusc," Aang says with a laugh and playful nudge with his elbow when Mollusc is close enough to touch. He likes this, wants to keep the jokes going. It makes it feel almost like they're not in the Hunger Games.

Aang turns to smile proudly at the Air Temple. As they get closer to it, herds of (sadly not flying) bison lounge in the sun, eating grass all around them. "Yep, this is from my world! You'll see a lot of animals you probably don't recognize, but they'll leave you alone if you leave them alone."

The Air Temple rises out of the rock like the wind blew it into being. It's possible that that's exactly what happened, since powerful airbenders can blow the air so hard that they can carve at stone. There's a certain amount of ascending involved to getting to the actual temple, but luckily, it's not hardcore rock climbing like in the Southern Air Temple. "I'm glad to hear it. I'm doing okay--our Mentors are mad at me, so they're probably not going to sending me gifts, but I can last on my own." He doesn't mention the way he keeps hearing kids scream in his head. It's a punishment, he knows, and there's nothing Mollusc can do to help it. It's better to just pretend it's okay, because it's not the first time that the Capitol has done something like this and Aang can put up. "I can find food just fine. My people grow a lot of food, so you can find it around the Temple."

Aang laughs at Mollusc's bravado. It reminds him of when he had more friends his age to joke and horse around with.

"That's good, because there's lots of fish around this island." Aang doesn't eat them, but he welcomes Mollusc to. Mollusc can dip into Aang's fruits and vegetables to flavor them nicely too.

Aang doesn't allow his mood to dip, even when he asks about Chuck and Derek. He jumps up to the top of the steps, now in the center of the temple. The floor has swirling air-like patterns set in the ground with stone, and statues of monks and nuns surround them. "Yeah, because of those. Someone in my Stylist's family qualified for Reaping, so they kind of kicked me out of the District." He's been hanging out in every District but his own. "It's okay. I don't think Derek or Chuck ever really liked me. I told them I'd never kill, and they don't like that."

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat. If you find any seaweed, though, that'd be great."

Aang jumps lightly into one of the buildings. It's shady inside with lots of spaces for the wind to rush through. When the wind blows hard enough, it sounds like music. "They think I should have asked them first because they were making a big deal about none of us doing something stupid, but it didn't occur to me. I thought everyone would be happy that we were trying to talk up Panem's history like they always do in the Youth Program."

The lie is easy. It gets easier and easier as he tells it. The monks said that lying enough made it harder to see the truth, but Aang doesn't think that he'll ever forget the truth.

Aang glances at Mollusc. The implication is pretty clear. He doesn't find it upsetting at all. "I know. I hope you don't have to any time soon." Aang would keep him safe until such a time that his presence becomes only a hazard.