stillplaying | 2nd Game [action + voice]

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2nd Game [action + voice]

[The rain has finally stopped. It comes as such a relief to Katniss, that she slips out of the treehouse village with her bow and arrows and hunting bag so very early in the morning - earlier than she's been awake in days.

It's been a whole day of exploring the woods. Gathering edible plants and resetting snares that were damaged by the storm. And just wandering. Wandering amongst the trees, sometimes climbing up one to get a better look of the area. Here, by the edge of the lake, she feels far enough from the town that she might actually be safe.

Safer, at least, than in those past few days. Maybe she spent too much time in the treehouse after that gathering. Too much time alone with memories and thoughts that made her heartsick. Nightmares that here, something will happen to Rue, something she won't be able to stop - just like she couldn't stop that District 1 boy from spearing her in arena. Lost days that she tried to hide so she wouldn't worry Rue.

But today? Today she almost feels like herself. Especially after a whole morning's and afternoon's worth of hunting and gathering. If you've been in the forest near the western lake today, there's a chance you might have run into her.

Maybe she hasn't been as successful as she's been in the past, but her bag still speaks of some results. A wild turkey she shot early afternoon, herbs and roots gathered not too far from the lake, and a couple of small squirrels from her snares. They weigh her down and she considers returning to the treehouses, but she doesn't want to leave the sanctuary of the forest. Not yet.

A flash of yellow catches her eye and she turns, arrow notched in it's string. And then it meows, indignant, and her arrow flies to land in the dirt right next to the beast.

She stares. And scowls.

A while later, she's back in her treehouse room and glaring at the stupid creature that followed her home. Of everyone to find here from District 12, of course it has to be Buttercup.

She reaches for the journal to ask a question.]

Has anyone else here found a pet from home?

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[Rue sleeps in a little later, or at least as late as her nightmares will allow her too. They're little things, flashes of memories. The fire, the cannons, mostly the Boy from District One, the net. She wakes up once, tangled up in her blanket, and tries not to cry.

She notices Katniss is gone and does her part to help around; she tidies up, explores the region and picks from plants and berries she recognizes, raids a bird's nest for some eggs.

But later on, if Katniss is still worried about Rue, then she doesn't have to worry much longer as she picks up a shadow. Rue sits up in a tree, almost playing a game as she waits to see how long it takes for Katniss to notice her.]

[For a while now, she's known she's being followed. And this time, she doesn't need Peeta to point out her shadow. There's only one girl she knows who can climb trees like that, flying from branch to branch even without the aid of her little yellow wings.

She's let her follow for a while now, not wanting to disappoint Rue by catching her too soon. And besides, it's almost like a game. A little game that's far more pleasant than the bigger ones they both played.

After a while though, she does whistle. Their four-note mockingjay call. So Rue knows she hasn't been ignored.]

[Rue is very good, able to go completely still and quiet, matching her breathing with the wind and other sounds around them. It's how she survived in the arena, flying high above everyone, never coming down unless she absolutely had to.

But she knows Katniss is good too and she knows Katniss probably knows she's around. She keeps it up anyway, sometimes even daring to make silly faces at her dear friend.

It's a good game. A nice game. A silly game for two old children.

And when Katniss whistles, Rue responds in kind. There are no mockingjays in the forest, not that she's seen so far. Just the one on the ground, and the little yellow in the tree.

Rue giggles as she drops down from her tree, quite close to Katniss.]

[She hears Rue fall to the ground and slings her bow over her shoulder. For now, at least, there will be no catching any game. It was a good drop, a quiet drop except for the giggles, but any animals nearby would've been scared away.

And she'd much rather talk to her friend anyway.]

Next time, maybe you shouldn't giggle. [But it's said lightly, teasingly as she pulls out some berries she gathered earlier.] Here. They're blackberries.

Sorry. [Rue looks slightly apologetic and truly, she knows better, but it's not like the arena or the orchards. They're still in a different kind of arena with different kinds of Gamekeepers, but it's so much nicer here. There's no one to tell them what to do, they can have as much as they want, life has been remarkably good.

She smiles as she takes some blackberries, squealing with delight.] They're so good! Where did you find them?

[However nice it's been here, Katniss won't let her guard down. Can't. Because you never really leave the arena until you're dead.

Someone has to stay guard so Rue can have the childhood she deserves.]

There's a thicket not too far from here. I saw them while tracking a turkey.

Oh, that's good to know! [They'll have to be careful not to overpick, but it'll be nice having fresh berries whenever they want.]

These forests are really good for hunting and gathering. Maybe it's because no one hunts here.

Edited 2012-03-27 01:01 (UTC)

Their mistake.

[Because she knows without a doubt, both she'll and Rue be prepared the moment the Gamemakers take the town food away. That should only suppliment, not provide.]

I agree. I don't know why someone wouldn't want fresh fish or rabbit. [She's seen the packaged meat in the store, but nothing beats catching your own game.]

Can you teach me how to set more traps?

[In so many ways, she reminds her of her sister. But this is one way they differ. Prim never showed interest in the woods, never showed interest in hunting.

And it's nice. The idea of passing down her knowledge. Her dad's knowledge. Even Gale's.]

Yeah! I can teach you how to shoot, too. If you wanted.

I'd like that! I saw some smaller bows in the weapon shop, I think they would be the right size for me!

[Oh, Rue, you've just made her day.]

Next time we go to the village, we'll go look. Find the right one for you.

Is it hard? Learning how to shoot an arrow.

Edited 2012-04-01 04:25 (UTC)

[She shakes her head. She remembers asking her father that once, the first time he agreed to take her hunting with him. Remembers the little bow he crafted her.

Strange objects can be found in the shops here. Objects from home. Maybe, if they're lucky, one of her father's training bows will come, too.]

Not if you have a good teacher.

Who taught you how to hunt? [Rue assumes it was someone very good and careful. She knows the fences around District Eleven and can't imagine it's any different in Twelve. Katniss also knows what it's like to be hungry, and if she's such a good hunter and still going hungry, it means there must not be a lot around to hunt, or it's dangerous.]

My dad.

[There's a small, sad grin when she looks at Rue. She still misses him. As much as she misses Prim, although little can compare to the hole Prim left in her heart. But the smile grows a little more confident, a little more happy as she thinks. And remembers. And knows without her father's decision to hunt, without his decision to teach his eldest daughter, she might not be alive either.]

It's illegal in District Twelve, too. But our Peacekeepers stopped being so strict. They liked having the fresh game instead. And with the constant power outages, it was easy to slip past the fence and away into the woods.

Edited 2012-04-02 17:48 (UTC)

It must be so nice having Peacekeepers aren't strict. And being able to get past the fence, even if it's dangerous. [She's thought about it before, trying to find a weak spot in the fence to sneak past. There were so many fields and woods beyond she knew she could find more. But Eleven wasn't like Twelve, where the Peacekeepers might look the other way.]

It was.

[Until Romulus Thread came. Until everything started to go bad. But she's not going to bother Rue with those memories. No. Let her know only the positives. Let her stay as innocent as she possibly can.]

They'd even buy our food, you know.

Oh, they must have been so nice if they'd do that. Though we had a few nice Peacekeepers. Once, one of them brought candy for us!

[Not so nice, necessarily. Just wanting the food she and Gale could provide. But right now she'd rather hear Rue's story.]

What kind of candy?

I think he called them peppermints! They were little round discs and red and white and tasted like mint!

[That makes her pause as the familiar heartache fills her chest. It's still not getting easier. Every day, she misses her sister more than anything.]

Those were Prim's favorites. I'd get bags sometimes, when we had the money after the Games, on my way home from hunting.

Maybe they have peppermints in the store. [She gives a shy smile. It'd also be nice if Prim could arrive. They'd have to keep her safe, but... Rue wants to meet her, Katniss' sister.]

Do you like any candy?

[She nods. It's hard not to like candy when it's so rare, was always such a treat those few times her dad sneaked them in the house for birthdays or other special occasions.]

But my favorite food isn't a candy. It's this cheese bun Peeta makes.

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2nd Game [action + voice]

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