rutagraveolens | Melody 1 : Action/Voice [Backdated to the afternoon of Wednesday, 12/4]

[Action around the village]

[With the laws of the land already explained by Katniss and the stores in the village pointed out, Rue sets out to do a bit of exploring and gathering up items. Feeling a bad over borrowing some of Prim's clothes, Rue first heads to the clothing store.

The amount of clothes and the different styles are staggering to a girl used to wearing worn, drab hand-me-downs. She takes her time going through the store, feeling all the different textures, admiring the colors. That everything is free is astounding as well; as Rue puts her selected outfits into a bag, she'll look around warily before carefully leaving the store.

Her next stop is the grocery store and the experience is also as remarkable. The rows and rows of food, it's almost too much to take. A single shelf could last a family in District 11 the whole year. Rue takes her time, reverently going through each aisle. Most of the packaged foods in bright colorful boxes and containers are things she's never seen, though the pictures and some of the names are descriptive enough.

After stocking up on food, Rue takes a final trip to the weapon shop. There she'll take her times looking over small knives and any slings that might be around.]

[Action for House 34]

[Once Rue returns to the house, she dutifully puts all the food away in the kitchen. A few things - some candy, a box of cookies, fresh apples - will be placed on the counter with a note near by ("Thank you. -Rue). From there, Rue begins to explore the wonders of the house.

She's never been in a house so nice. The soft carpet, the drapes on the windows (the windows open and close too!), running water, electricity, Rue takes her time marveling over everything. She'll open every door to peek in side. If it looks like a bedroom, she'll quickly close the door. Everything else is fair game for the curious girl.]

[Voice - early evening]

[The journal is a strange, strange thing. A book that can be written into to communicate with others, it's remarkable. Rue spends some time flipping through the pages and trying to familiarize herself with everything before making her first recording.]

Um, hello? I hope this is recording. To anyone that can hear me, my name is Rue! I just arrived. I'm from Panem, District 11. Katniss says I was here before, though I don't remember any of it, so I'm sorry if we've met before and I don't remember you!

[A brief pause as she tries to figure out what to say.]

Um... what's your favorite thing? It doesn't have to be something here, it can be anything you really like. I like music a lot, singing especially. Does anyone else like music?

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...Foraging, eh? [ he cracks a slight smile and the scar on his cheek -- a scar that turns his resting expression into an unintentional sneer -- all but disappears. ] Good. I trust we'll eat well tonight.

Do people still do a lot of hunting and foraging even with the food store in the village?

In this house, we do. As more than simply a matter of pride.

[Pride she understands. The Malnosso may be kinder than the Capitol, but they're not too different. As long as they can hunt, they can survive.]

I'll begin foraging in the forest. I'm curious what plants are around here.

If you find ones you like, you ought to bring'em back roots and all. Myself and Prim -- have you met little Prim? We keep a garden. We try to. The weather ain't so good for it, now.

I haven't met her yet, but Katniss told me she's here. [Rue hopes they can meet soon. She's curious about Katniss' sister.]

Is there a greenhouse? It never got this cold in District 11, but we still had greenhouses.

...What's a greenhouse?

[ he's new to all this growing stuff, really. ]

It's a glass enclosure you grow plants inside. It's really warm inside so plants like it a lot. It's also well-guarded so animals and pests can't get in there and ruin everything.

Sounds a little like us in our barrier.

Oh... I guess that's true. [Rue's expression falls slightly.]

But it's not too bad here! There's plenty of food and water and shelter for everyone. [And Katniss is here.]

Has she found a bed for you, lass?

[ something in his voice certainly hinged upon the because i will give up mine. ]

Oh, I don't know. [The idea of having her own bed was a foreign concept.] I can sleep downstairs, there's plenty of room.

Unacceptable.

Oh, it'll be okay! There's carpet on the floor so it's not very hard. Or I can sleep on the couch. It's very big and I can stretch out on it.

Like as not, Katniss will not have it. A bed for Rue, she'll say. Rue will need a bed.

[Rue knows Richard is right.]

Is there a bed that's not being used? I don't want to kick someone out of their bed.

[ he suspects someone might be moved for the child, but he didn't want to make her feel bad for it. and so: ] Nah, lass. There will be one for you. One way or another.

Okay. [She smiles gently.] I've never been in a house so big before. [There was city hall prior to being taken to the games, but that didn't count. It wasn't a house.]

...It ain't so large. [ he grows cocky, but only by virtue of understanding his own humble beginnings. ] I've seen a palace or two a smidgen bigger'n this.

Were there lots of people in there? And lots of big rooms?

Hundreds, lass. Bloody hundreds. And rooms big enough to hold them all, the ladies with their gowns and all.

The people owning the house must have been very wealthy. Everyone there too if they could wear gowns. [Because those were the signs of wealth in Panem; large homes, and lots of clothing and dresses that weren't stained and torn.]

Did you live in a big house?

I didn't live no where, Rue. [ but he supposes that might be a little vague of a reply, so: ] I'd get a billet in each new town. But most nights, we was under the stars. Always on the move, like.

[A nomadic life was unheard of to Rue. People talked in hushed whispered about escaping District 11 and living out in the wilderness where no one could find them, but those were only whispers and wishes. Anyone who spoke a little too loudly about freedom was quickly punished to discourage further talk.]

What was that like, never being in one place, always moving? Could you go wherever you wanted?

...I was army, lass. Still am. I went where I was told to go.

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rutagraveolens - 2014-01-06 01:55 (UTC) - Expand