stillplaying | 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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Yes. No. Maybe? She doesn't really know. Because it's Buttercup and he's Prim's and that means something of hers to hold on to. And maybe it might not be so bad to have him here.

Maybe.]

I don't want another mouth to feed.

You do know about the part where food's free here, right?

Yes.

[But it's more the part where she won't trust it. Anything given freely can just as easily been taken away.]

What? Do you just not like whatever poor critter got sent to you?

[Once upon a time, that would've been easy to answer. It would've been no, without a doubt. But that was then. Not now.]

It's... complicated.

[ 'it's complicated' is something you say about your love life. or your work life.

but your pet? ]

It's not a rhino, is it?

[Rhino. She might know the word, like she knew about monkeys. Something that she might've heard of in school, or seen on an old Games.

But right now, she's just drawing a blank.]

It's a cat.

...What's wrong with a cat?

We never really got along.

[At least, not until recently. Not until their mutual grief gave them something to bond over. But that was back home, back in District 12, back in a place they both understood. Here, seeing him is something like a slap in the face. Why him? Why not Prim herself?

The dead can come back here. And it's a thought she clings to so very, very much.]

...Not a cat person?

[It's not that she has anything against cats, per say, but.]

Not a Buttercup person.

Which, I'm guessing, it its name.

Yeah.

You'd never guess, looking at him.

Right. Mister Buttercup doesn't have a sunny disposition. Poor thing. Maybe someone'd be willing to take him off your hands?

[She wishes it were that simple. But giving Buttercup away, it'd be like giving a part of Prim away. Either he goes back to District 12 or stays here, with her.]

I'd rather just send him back.

[ her voice goes quiet. ]

S-sorry. We're still working on that.

[Then she has no choice, does she?]

Guess I'll be keeping him then.

Hey. You never know -- sometimes these things happen for a reason. Sometimes even with cats. Like, oh! I have a cat. Maybe they should meet. Have cat play-dates.

Only not too playful. I'm not looking forward to Cupcake having any more kittens.

[And whether she meant to or not, the girl actually gets a smile out of that comment. It's not so much the play-dates, but the thought of Buttercup with kittens that amuses her.

Prim would've liked that.]

They'd be the world's ugliest kittens.

...Hey. My Cupcake is a very classy lady. Strong genes.

[ cupcake and buttercup. they almost SOUND like they belong to each other. ]

But Buttercup's the ugliest thing you've ever seen.

[And she means it, too. However well their names go together, she'd never let him reproduce.]

Unless your definition of 'cat' is very different from mine? I'm pretty sure I've seen worse.

He looks like rotting squash covered in mud.

...You sure he's not literally covered in mud? 'Cause they do that. Sometimes. Cats.

Sure of it.

[voice]

herotypical - 2012-03-31 11:08 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-01 21:31 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-02 11:01 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-02 17:33 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-03 00:29 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-03 23:52 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-04 11:01 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-08 04:14 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-08 10:59 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-08 21:35 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-08 22:29 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-09 01:04 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-09 09:27 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-12 23:35 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-13 00:09 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-13 02:32 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-13 11:30 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-16 23:11 (UTC) - Expand

herotypical - 2012-04-17 13:04 (UTC) - Expand

stillplaying - 2012-04-17 16:53 (UTC) - Expand