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

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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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Oh. [That's unexpected, and Jack hesitates a second while he musters up an explanation.] Radio is a sort of . . . system of machines, I suppose. Sounds get sent and received across long distances by getting converted into and back out of signals that can't really be heard just with your ears.

[Rue does her best to piece together the explanation.] So like announcements over loudspeakers?

Sort of! Here, let me draw a picture that explains it better.

[Ah, the joys of not being confined entirely to audio signals. There's a second's pause before a drawing spools out in Rue's journal with accompanying naration.]

All right. So first, the sound goes into a machine, which transforms it into radio waves. Radio waves are sort of a cousin to light, and sound, and . . . you know, all those things that go out in all directions once they start up. The difference is you can't really see or hear radio waves, they're just there, spreading out from your transmitter for miles. But anyone who has a machine with a receiver for radio waves can pick up on them, and then turn them back into the original sound.

[There. Decent explanation, he thinks, if simplified. There are a dozen omissions, any one of which Janine would throw a fit over, but that's him. Jack Holden, born rebel.]

Oh! I understand now, thank you. Do you play music here?

When I can. Our song library isn't huge yet or anything, but I like to think we have something for everyone. [There's an edge of a grin in his voice, as he's already rising to his feet, anticipating a walk to his growing collection of audio equipment and a quick search through the scattered array of media they've amassed.] What sort of music do you like?

I like folk songs and mountain songs! Happy songs or ones that tell a story.

Gene! [There's the sound of Jack's voice directed away from the mic, as well as footsteps and a vague blur in the next refresh of his little icon.] Folk and mountain songs, upbeat, ballad-style. What have we got?

_{Uhhh… [This is one he has to scratch his head about but there is a grin evident in his voice] What's the occasion? First one coming to mind, though is Great Big Sea. Doesn't England have some songs, too?}

Yeah, but our requester sounds North American. And she's a New Feather, so . . . taste of home, you know?

_{Wait, we have a request? [Now he was a little less teasing and more serious.] Newfeather and all?}

Yeah! Why don't you get onto your journal and say hello to Miss Rue while I send her a song?

[There's a few more moments of scuffling and clicking, then Jack settles back in with the journal, voice properly directed again.]

All right, he'll be sending you word in a minute. In the meantime, here's a song for you.

[And, propping up his journal carefully in front of Eugene's laptop, he queues up a song that might fit the bill.]

[There's a grin on Rue's face as she listens to the song. Naturally, it's new to her, but it reminds her of the songs they sang back home at night when everyone was gathered for a meal. When she song finishes, she claps her hands.]

I really like it! What other kinds of songs do you have? Oh! What's your favorite song?

Oh- wow. [Jack gives a laugh, because how is he supposed to explain the entire canon of western music to a girl who didn't even know what a radio was.] All kinds. Fast, slow, newer, older . . . yeah.

[He's quiet a moment, contemplative, trying to think of what his favourite song is, until he realizes why the question is so hard.]

I, ah. I guess I don't actually have a favourite song of my own. I like a lot of music at different times, and for different reasons. Does that make sense?

It does. Like at birthdays, you play happier music, and at a funeral, you play more somber music. Unless the person really liked happy music, then you'd play it at their funeral to celebrate their life.

. . . yeah. Absolutely.

[It takes Jack a moment, because that is an awfully profound thing to be coming out of a kid as young as this girl seems to be. But then he remembers that he's not the only one from a rough world, and smiles a little, picking back up the rhythm of the conversation.]

All right, Rue, your turn. What's your favourite song?

My favorite song? Hmm...

[Asking Rue to choose her favorite song is difficult for a girl that likes all music. Yet a song comes quickly to her mind. She only knows one verse of it, but it's all she needs.

Her voice is pretty, light and airy as she recalls the lyrics, the tune.]

Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes
And when you awake, the sun will rise.

[By the last line, Rue's voice begins to crack, and she's sobbing by the last word.]

Sorry... sorry...

[Jack's caught up enough in listening to the simple, lovely tune that his mind actually dismisses the first warped note as a childish warble, nothing more than the inexpert rough edges of a voice that he can already tell is going to mature into something beautiful. But Rue soldiers on and he feels his heart sink as word after word snarls deeper into misery, jawing numbly at his journal for a few seconds as she starts apologising to him, of all things.]

No- no, God, it's fine, really. [There's real distress in his voice, because hell, this is basically the exact opposite of what he was trying to bring about with this conversation. Besides, there's nothing like making a little girl cry even accidentally to make you feel like an absolute monster.] I am so sorry, I didn't . . . I didn't know

[Rue's sobs turn into hiccups and gasping as she tries to control her crying. One hand clutches her stomach as her other covers her mouth. Crying was bad, it would upset her siblings and the Peacekeepers did not like crying.

Only when she's calmer does Rue try speaking again.]

You should ask Katniss for the rest of the song. I only know the first verse.

Yeah, I'll do that.

[Katniss. That name sounds familiar, but Jack's not keen to linger on it, already bringing his journal along with him as he heads for the door, toeing into shoes and grabbing his coat. This is one of the blessings of being in Luceti, after all - when he hears someone being miserable, he can actually do something about it.]

Random question, Rue, but where are you at right now?

With Katniss, Prim, and Richard.

Yeah, but . . . house-wise. That many people you're in a house, right?

[Man, what is he even doing? Why is he drawing a blank? It cannot be hard to impress a girl who does not even know what a radio is.]

Edited 2013-12-09 21:21 (UTC)

Oh, um... we're just north of the square. The first house in a row of four. [House 43.]

[North of the square, first in a row of . . . oh. Sounds like she's neighbours with Saori and Helios. Jack knows where that is. Right past the shops.

Aha. That's what he's going to do.]

All right, Rue. I'm going to close my journal now, but I'll be there in a few minutes, all right?

Okay. Bye Jack.

[Rue offers a tiny wave before she closes the journal too. She doesn't think much of it, certainly not expecting Jack to come over. As he makes the trek over, she spends her time answering more people in the journal, exploring the living room, and quite often, glancing through the window at the castle next door.]

[It takes closer to ten minutes, but eventually there is a man in a scarf and puffy coat jogging up through the snow to the house's front door, slowing to a stop and giving a few muffled, mittened knocks. There's something surreal about visiting the cute little house right in the shadow of the castle. The thing feels like it should have decidedly more moat, or something.]

[Rue sits up when there's a knock at the door. The door always had to be answered in District 11, so Rue quickly sets the journal aside and goes to answer the door.]

Jack? [She peers up him in surprise before stepping aside to let him in.]

[Oh. Wow. She . . . absolutely is going to just let some random guy off the journals into the house, isn't she. Jack blinks at her in surprise for a moment at that, then half-laughs, waving off the offer and stooping closer to her level against the doorframe.]

Nah, I probably shouldn't. I just . . . well, here.

[Looking back over his shoulder, he fishes around in his bag, coming up with a small, round carton of ice cream and holding it out to her.]

Here. Where I'm from, this is the traditional food to eat when you're sad. And at parties and celebrations too, I guess. [He grins, cold-pinkened and just a bit awkward.] So, er. Welcome to Luceti. Sorry I made you cry.

[Rue takes the small carton of ice cream. It's cold, as ice cream usually is on a cold day and as the name indicates, but it still surprises her a little. It's chocolate, which makes her a smile.]

I've never had ice cream before, but I've had chocolate before and that's good! And it must be good if people eat it when they're sad or for celebrations. [She smiles shyly.] Thank you.

Though you don't need to apologize! It wasn't your fault at all! It was... [Her words trail off. She can't find a way to explain it.] It's okay.

[Ah, success. Rue looks pleased enough with the gift that Jack relaxes in turn, reassured that he is not, in fact, a terrible beast. Or in so much danger of being punched in the face. Or both, really.]

My fault or not, I would be a complete- a really awful person if I saw you like that and decided it wasn't my problem. [He gives a little scoff, slipping between sentiment and almost-teasing before either of them can get too mushy.] And I'd lose the company of a fellow lover of music! Which, let's face it, would be completely stupid on my part.

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

[voice] oh my gosh someone who knows of this canon ;w;

[voice] Totally loved both seasons. Can't wait for Season 3. And The Walk.

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