Melody 2 : Action

[rutagraveolens]

[Morning]

[Ever since the fireworks the previous day, Rue was on edge. The fireworks were too much like cannon fire, each boom a notification of another tribute gone. That the fireworks were to announce the departure of people didn't help any.

Nor she get any sleep the previous night. Rue dreamed of whippings and executions, a reaping she couldn't escape from, a game she couldn't win. She saw the boy from District 1 - Marvel - raise the spear, throw-- and woke up tangled in blankets on the floor.

Silence surrounded her as she had breakfast in House 34. She left Melody sleeping in her room and made sure her knife was on her before she slipped out for the day.

She did her usual rounds - library to return some books, bakery to pick up a snack, convenience store for a drink - before wandering the south path parallel to the river. She'd never traveled down the road before and was curious where it went. Eventually Rue found herself by the Art Gallery. After some hesitation, she entered the building. It was nice and quiet, peaceful inside. She roamed the gallery, taking her time looking over the different pieces of artwork there.

When she came across Peeta's paintings and found herself staring at her own face, her face crumbled. She reached up to touch the paintings, drawing back she realized she shouldn't do that. The wings were the right color; the yellow of her own feathered wings, the blue of the dress she wore on stage in the Capitol. Her breath quickened and caught as Rue burst into ugly sobs.]

[Afternoon - behind Slash 'n Crash]

[After calming down, Rue went to Slash 'n Crash for target practice. Bow in hand and a quiver of arrows on her back, Rue methodically shot arrow after arrow into the targets. Her aim wasn't the best, but she was still hitting the target each time. She remembered Katniss' lessons as she drew, notched, and shot each arrow.

When she shot the last arrow in her quiver, Rue went to the targets, pulled out every arrow, put them back into her quiver, walked to her starting place, and began shooting again.]

((ooc; Now with links! The first painting is the one of her looking over a puddle and her reflection, the second is her holding a bouquet of flowers.))

Comments

[windandrain]

Why don't you sing then, show me how good you are.

[It's just because she wants to see Rue smile, of course, it's not really a test or anything.]

[rutagraveolens]

O-okay! [Because when a god asks for something, you obey. Rue clears her throat and gives a few coughs before she begins to sing a simple melody. Her voice is untrained and raw, but it's still lovely and there's hints of promise.]

How was that?

[250mhzwabl]

Let's see . . .

[He flips through the titles again, canting an eyebrow.]

Science, science, romance novel, art book- ooh, art book. [He plucks up the glossy coffee table affair in question, flipping to a picture of a brightly-colored woodblock print and showing her.] Gorgeous, right?

[windandrain]

[Saori's eyes light up when Rue's finished, because she definitely recognizes talent when she sees it. She lives with Chopin, after all.]

That was wonderful! Benzaiten could help you get even better too. Once you train your voice, you'll be peerless!

[wise_maiden]

[Raine's usually a strict disciplinarian, but in Luceti where it's mostly a voluntary business, there's only so much she can do in that regard.]

There's a break for lunch that comes after the morning classes. That's usually a good time for people to stretch their legs and so forth, or use the playground.

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue leans in to look at the art book, giving a small gasp at the picture. It's a beautiful picture as is the bird in it. It's so ornate and beautiful she can't imagine it existing.]

Uh-huh! I've never seen anything like it.

[rutagraveolens]

Do you really mean that?

[There's hope in her words. It's a truth that may never be realized; who knows how long she'll stay in Luceti, who knows how long all of them will be in Luceti. Maybe Saori will leave. But hope is something to hold onto.]

[painfully]

[This one takes him a little longer to answer. He knows the answer, more or less, but he wasn't there for it firsthand--or rather he was, but it hasn't happened yet for him. He's been told what happens. He has to believe that it's true.]

We were in the middle of fighting when I arrived here, but I think so, yes. President Snow isn't in charge anymore.

[And now to continue to answer her original question, since she has a little bit more knowledge to place this all in context.]

You know how sometimes after the Games, or after something really terrible, some people aren't the same anymore? Like their mind doesn't work the same way it used to?

Re: Morning/ Art Gallery

[bonesandmore]

[Smiles. He prefers those to tears on kids. And his own lips even twitched up at her words. And without thinking about it, he brought a hand out and patted her shoulder briefly.]

Well, if that's what you wanna do, I certainly don't mind showin' ya. There's always a use for helpful people.

[windandrain]

Of course. I don't lie to good people, only the bad ones. And never about one of the seven perfections. You've a gift, Rue. You should train it.

[She will lie to enemies, people she considers evil, or people she thinks are bad. Which, admittedly, is a wide net. But children are exempt.]

[250mhzwabl]

Huh. Not many art museums where you're from, I take it?

[He's already sinking to a crouch to show her more, back against the cart and book balanced on his knees, flipping from the prints to the watercolor paintings.]

[rutagraveolens]

I don't think there are any art museums in District 11. [There wasn't much in District 11 to speak of besides the fields and orchards, storage houses and processing plants, and shacks. There were the houses and buildings in the square and the row of homes for the Victor's Village, but no one really went to them unless they had to.

Rue lightly touches the page of the book. The light strokes of paint, the vivid colors, they were beautiful.]

Is this book from your world?

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue's smile grew a little more.]

I'm going to attend music class at school so I can get better at singing.

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue nods. There weren't many victors from District 11 and the ones they had were all much older. But she heard the stories, the whispers at how they used to be. Lively, with fire in their eyes, not driven to drink or other things to get through the day.

She knows herself. The nightmares, the tense reactions and memories when she hears or see something.]

Do you have nightmares too?

Morning/ Art Gallery

[rutagraveolens]

I want to be helpful.

[Her words are flat and resolute. It's become a mantra of survival. Be helpful, stay helpful, stay here, stay alive.]

[250mhzwabl]

[Jack doesn't recognize the District-Number designation from anywhere, though it sounds like some sort of Soviet dystopian thing, which at least kind of fits with Rue's excitement over art and music. He doesn't comment on it right away, even if he does hesitate, looking at her curiously for a moment before pulling his attention back to the book.]

I think so. Or a world that's pretty similar, at any rate. We definitely have this style of art where I'm from.

[He turns the book toward her, an invitation to flip through the pages and find something else she likes.]

[windandrain]

Is that so? Well that's good. Very good. My friend Chopin works there. And a young man named Jack as well. They're both wonderfully talented, so be sure to study hard.

[stillplaying]

[She watches Rue quietly, noticing the tone in which Rue speaks. Though there's nothing accusatory in the girl's voice, she still feels a stab of guilt at the words. That she should have been the one to have that conversation with the girl. She had taken it on herself to look after Rue since her arrival here, hadn't she?

Katniss winces and watches the arrow fly.]

What did he say?

[What else did he say?]

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue releases the arrow.]

That all the tributes were former victors. [And since there was only one female victor from District 12...] That there were rebellions in the districts, that they made you the face of the rebellion.

They made you the Mockingjay.

[She reaches for another arrow.]

[rutagraveolens]

Oh, I've met Jack! He's the DJ, right? I didn't know he worked at the school.

[rutagraveolens]

I wonder if they teach this at art class?

[Rue muses out loud as she flips through the book. Most of the drawings are of birds, but there are other animals too. Big orange cats with striking black stripes prowling through misty mountains, black and white bear-like animals surrounded by long tubular plants, large fish colored vivid orange, white, black, and gold swimming in clear ponds surrounded by flowing flowers. They're all very beautiful.]

I wish I could see them. The animals.

[windandrain]

[That Jack...no, she shakes her head]

No, there are two Jacks. That's Jack Holden. Jack Vessallius is the one that works at the school. He's a bit shorter and younger, and very blonde.

[rutagraveolens]

[Shorter, younger, very blond.] Oh, okay. I'll do my very best.

[rutagraveolens]

That sounds really nice. Is food provided or do people bring their own lunches?

[wise_maiden]

We have snacks and drinks, but students usually bring their own with them.