rutagraveolens | Melody 2 : Action

[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.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sure! You'll get the bluest we have! [He cheerily plops one on the counter for her.] Enjoy.

Thank you.

[Rue took the muffin and cradled it in her hand. It was warm and soft, the top golden brown with juicy spots of deep blue-purple showing through. The muffin, if it were back in District 11, would be torn and shared with all of her siblings. They would lick crumbs and juice off their fingers as the small amount of food warmed their bellies.]

Daisy would love the muffin. [Rue said quietly and unaware she'd spoken out loud, eyes fixed on the muffin.]

[He watches on expectantly, hoping to see her opinion on her taste. But instead he witnesses how she seems to stare it down. And he's puzzled by it.]

Daisy? [He inquires sensitively. He has a feeling this may be a sore subject.]

[Rue startled slightly as she realized she spoke out loud.]

...My youngest sister. She's five.

Oh. [He blinks in surprise. And he has a bit of a sad smile; it must hurt to be separated from someone like that.] I bet she's really nice!

She is. She's really shy and doesn't talk much, but always smiles. She's really good at making bracelets and necklaces out of grass.

[Rue swallows as she thinks about Daisy. Her innocent smile, still too young to quite understand all the horrors of the world. Happy to sort out fruit into baskets. Too skinny for her age, always hungry.]

That does sound really nice. I like to make bracelets and necklaces out of things sometime, too. She must love having a big sister like you.

[Rue nods, though it feels almost arrogant. She's the oldest sibling and she does her best to take care of the younger, and Daisy's never acted as if there was any dislike.]

Do you have any siblings, Aang?

I don't know. [He says as an honest answer. Air nomads don't get to know their biological families.] There are the other monks I was raised with. And... Sokka's always been like a brother to me. The way I feel about most of my friends... I think that might be like what it feels to have sibligs.

I think it is too. People that become your friends, you can be close to them because you choose to. Family... you kinda have to be close to them because they're family.

I guess in some ways, your friends are your family too. Just a different family.

They are. That's what I like to think. After all... We're all connected in some way. Most of the divisions that keep us all apart are just illusions. In a way, it's like we're all part of the same big family. And I like to think that's true even here.

I think it is. Here... you can meet people you'd never be able to meet otherwise. [For Rue, it wasn't just people from other worlds, but people within her own world. Katniss, Peeta, even Clove. All of them were potential friends, allies, maybe even family.] And it's important to have friends and allies here.

That's right, Rue. We all have to stick together if we're going to make it here and make it back home where we belong.

Right. Back home where we belong.

[Rue repeats his words numbly and looks back down at the muffin halves in her hand. There's nowhere she can go, nowhere she belongs anymore.]

[Something about the way she looks and says that gets to Aang. He looks on in concern.]

Is something wrong, Rue?

No.

[The response is quick, but she glances up shyly.]

But what if... what if not everyone wants to leave?

[That does give Aang pause. There is one reason he would definitely want to stay in this world, and that's Ikki.

He knows his life will end before she's born. He knows this is the only time he'll ever have in his granddaughter. So he treasures every moment. And while he knows Ikki will be safer at home, that she belongs there, selfishly... he doesn't want it to end.

He looks down towards Rue, looking somewhat glum.]

Not everyone has to leave right away. [He may not know Rue's fate, but he knows that Prime and Clove have both died. He thinks maybe she might be thinking of one of them.] Even if home's where we belong... I think we should have a right to stay here if we want, too. For however long we want. Because... the good thing about this place? Is that it has lots of second chances. Second chances that people need. Lots of people deserve that chance... to really live their lives and be happy. And... I wouldn't want to take that away from people.

[Prim and Clove, yes, even Cato, but mostly herself. What will happen to her if this place goes away? What will happen to everyone else who can't leave?]

Second chances... I agree. It's nice here, even with the experiments and Gamemakers.

Game...makers? [He blinks for a moment.] Oh, you mean the Malnosso. You're right, this place still has lots of bad things. But I'm glad it still has a lot of the nice things that make life worth living.

[Rue pauses, realizing what she'd said.] Oh, right, Malnosso. And yeah... it does. Nice things like allies and plenty of food, and nice people.

Yep. Those are all good things, and there's also the good times that come from those things. So... being here is a big mix of things.

I guess so.

[She takes another bite out of the muffin, some of the warmth a little gone.]

...Can I have another muffin?

You can have as many as you want. [He says warmly as he hands over another.]

Thank you.

[Rue takes the muffin and does her best to smile.]

I should probably get going.

Right. [He nods.] Take that for the road. And have a good day, okay?

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rutagraveolens - 2014-02-02 03:18 (UTC) - Expand