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

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue nodded, eyes focusing on his hands. She gasped when his hand blurred then reappeared with a handkerchief. She took it and dabbed at her eyes then blew her nose.]

Thank you. That was magic, right?

[kemanorel]

[He can't exactly explain that it's a shapeshifting trick and that the handkerchief she's currently wiping her nose with is actually a bit of dragon turned into a bit of linen, so he just nods and smiles.]

Something like that, yes. It's just about the only thing I can do.

Why were you crying?

[rutagraveolens]

That's still more than a lot of people can do. [Herself included. Magic was still a strange and fascinating power in her eyes.

She sighed and looked back at the portraits of herself, ones she never sat for, ones she didn't know were there until now.]

...I don't know. [Her voice quiet and lost.] I guess there's a lot on my mind.

[kemanorel]

And there are a lot of things people can do that I can't. I suppose it all evens out in the end.

[He follows her gaze up to the paintings.]

Those are very good likenesses of you. Are these paintings what upset you?

[rutagraveolens]

[There were two paintings of her on the wall, both of them beautifully painted. The first was a picture of her standing in a field with a bouquet of flowers in her hands, yellow wings on her back, happy, joyous, serene (alive).

The second was one of her stopped over a puddle, her yellow wings still showing, but her reflection showed a beautiful dress (blue chiffon, stage lights, "if they can't catch me, they can't kill me") with butterfly wings.

She knows the Peeta here now isn't the same one that painted the pictures, though they're the same person. But he painted them with love and care. And she's honored by the pictures as much as it hurts. Were those real memories of a previous stay in Luceti? Or were those images Peeta had and painted in a way of remembering her?

Because she's dead. She's dead in her world, and Peeta knew that, and here in a world with wings, it's her only chance to live. But living is hard with nightmares stalking the night and fear stalking the mornings.

How do you voice any of that?

You don't.

You don't.]

...I didn't expect to see them. That's all. They're very beautiful.

[kemanorel]

[He can feel the pain rolling off of her in waves. Keman peeks into her mind and sees images he doesn't understand. Tree tops. Bright lights. A girl with a bow.

And the sudden, sickening realization that Rue had died in her home world.

Keman had read in the journal and heard the stories of people who seemingly came back to life, but it's his first time he's personally encountered one of them. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, fighting down feelings of anger and helplessness. She's just a child. Just a little girl.

He takes a deep breath and puts a hand to her cheek.]

I'm sorry. I saw it. I didn't mean to. I'm so, so sorry. It must be very painful for you.

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue stepped back at his words.]

Saw what? I don't understand what you're talking about.

[kemanorel]

[He takes a deep breath. This is incredibly awkward.]

I can...see what people are thinking. I saw why those pictures are painful for you and I'm so, so very sorry.

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue took another step back, her face clouding with fear. How could he see her thoughts? They were her thoughts, her ideas, he couldn't know...

The more she tried not to think about her death, the more she focused on it. She said nothing, just stared and trembled with uncertainty and fear.]