4th Game [action]

[stillplaying]

[Today is a day that Katniss Everdeen never should have lived to see. Today - give or take the few days difference between Luceti's calender and Panem's - is the day she turns eighteen.

Life in the Seam. Two arenas. An uprising. Becoming the Mockingjay. Acting as assassin. Her own attempts at suicide. The bombs that took the wrong life.

The odds were never in her favor. Today was a day she never should have lived to see.

It's like any other day. She wakes up in her bed, shaking and sweating from a nightmare that lingers in the back of her mind. Watching Prim die again and again. Being physically incapable of rescuing her sister each and every time. And then panicking when she wakes up in a still unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed.

Peeta had won. Maybe she hadn't fought this argument hard enough. But earlier this week, they packed up their treehouse shelter and moved into town. To house 43. Where Peeta's leg won't make it difficult for him to travel to town or climb up ladders. Where they live close to a bakery he could work at. Where Rue could more easily attend school.


Where she could wander around the village for the rest of the day, trying to forget every little event that led to today even as she reminds herself of all the deaths that led to her being able to turn eighteen. She carries her bow and arrow, but she has no intention to hunt. Today is an amnesty. Even if she never considered the game killed for food a part of her death toll, she can't bring herself to kill anything.

Instead, she explores the town in a way she's never bothered to before. She spends time inspecting the river and parts of the north eastern woods not too far from the house. Studying the other buildings. Going in and out of shops. She goes to the bakery and the library. Returns to the welcome center and the clothing store. Even steps into the Seventh Heaven restaurant to look but not eat. She has no appetite.

Her final stop of the day, before heading back to her new home, is at the item shop. It's easy to lose herself inside of there. To examine strange objects from other worlds that she's never seen before. And then to find something unexpected: her father's plant book.

As she flips through it, each page earning a careful caress as she studies her father's handwriting. And wonders what he would think if he were here in Luceti with her today. Would he be proud? Or would he be disappointed, loathe the girl she grew up to be?

She clutches the book to her chest before heading out and quietly whispers:] Happy birthday, Katniss Everdeen.

Comments

[arturius]

[He'd seen Katniss enter the restaurant just as he was entering the plaza. Which to him was an amusing sight, because he was sure that her going to be served food would be quite the sight. Besides, he was hungry himself and could use lunch. He entered just as she was leaving, leaving him blocking the door.]

Are there no tables available?

[stillplaying]

[He'd be right. She never quite knows how to treat the servers - even after the time spent in the Capitol and under Effy's tutelage. And then there's the food itself. How she wants to try a little of everything, not just out of curiosity but also as if she'll never get another decent meal again.

Generally, Katniss around served food is indeed a very amusing sight. But today, she barely misses running into the boy blocking the door.]

There are tables. [A glance back to make sure she was right.] I'm not very hungry.

[arturius]

[Yes, he doesn't usually expect her to be so clumsy. For shame, Katniss. But it does make him curious.]

Did the food change your mind? It's usually rather good.

[stillplaying]

[Is it? She hasn't noticed. She was more curious about the inside of the building than any of the food it serves. The look on her face says as much.]

I've never been in here before.

[arturius]

[He thought as much. And she looks a little down today. Or. Not as peppy, anyway.]

Then you should stay.

[hisdarkmark]

[Someone's been perched up on one of the taller buildings watching, trying to figure out just what the hell she's doing as he watches her walk back and forth around the plaza. It isn't until she disappears into the items shop that he allows himself to get down and follow in after her. Call it curiosity. He spots her looking at a book once he makes his way into the shop, and he raises an eyebrow.]

Something interesting?

[stillplaying]

[Maybe it was only a matter of time before the book wound up here. She has. Peeta, Rue. Clove. Even the red fire dress Cinna had made her for the 74th Games was spotted in the garment shop. And then hidden. It's something she'll reclaim later rather than just now. After she decides if the reminder of the game outweighs the the reminder of her dear friend.

But she's so caught up in skimming the familiar pages that she doesn't notice Draco come up behind her. Startling a victor is never a good idea. In such close proximity, her bow will do little good. So she reaches for the knife on her belt. Her hand grips the handle, ready to defend against any attack.

But it's just the boy from the roof. The one with the broom and magic who had actually been kind of nice to talk to. Her stance relaxes just a little.]

It's something from home.

[hisdarkmark]

[His eyebrows momentarily lift in surprise at her reaction, but he doesn't move.] Doesn't quite answer the question, now does it? [He's kind of nosy, so sorry, Katniss, he might be hovering to try and read.]

[stillplaying]

[That much is evident. With a slight roll of her eyes, she alters her stance to make it easier for him to read over her shoulder. The page is simple: a drawing of a blackberry bush and close ups of the berry, leaf and flower. Photographs cost too much back then, before she was a Victor, and were something to be reserved for special occasions.

Beneath the images are handwritten lines, describing various qualities of the plant: season, edibility, where to look. Important information if someone needed to harvest.

An easier answer than speaking aloud.]

[action]

[victorbychance]

[Whenever she comes home at last, the living room will be tastefully set up. On the dining room table is a decorated cake. And someone appears to be in your room with the door cracked, working on another surprise.]

[action]

[stillplaying]

[It's hard to miss the cake when she walks in. The gathering space in the house looks nicer than it has in the past two days. Like someone has actually gone to the effort of making the house look like a home. It reminds her a little of his own home in the Victor's Village. Nice, simple, calming.

A lot like him.

The cake gets one more long glance before she decides that she doesn't want it. Doesn't want anything to do with it. Today is not a day that ought to be celebrated. Not anymore. Not after all the deaths she's caused.

But when she pushes the door to her room open, it's to find she's not alone. She frowns in confusion as she watches Peeta paint.] What are you doing?

[victorbychance]

[He's temporarily startled, and scans her face to see if she's angry with him.]

Don't be mad. I just wanted to do something for you.

[The room is painted forest green, with flowering vines winding around the window, door, and corners, and around the head of her bed. One wall is taken up with an embryonic mural. He had to have been working all day at this.]

[stillplaying]

[She's not so much angry as... confused. She can understand why he might want to take the time to decorate the living spaces, both on this floor and the one he shares with Rue above. They are the communal areas, the ones he has as much right to as she does. Or as Rue might.

But this is her room. Why should he care what it looks like? That she's kept it as spartan as the quarters in District Thirteen. Except, it's no longer like that now.

It's... her woods. The ones from home, from District Twelve. Plants she recognizes. Just the start, but there's no mistaking his intention.

Like the primroses he'll eventually plant in honor of Prim.

A million thoughts run through her head. But she doesn't know what to say aloud.]

[generalflirt]

[I am going to overhead assume in and out of shops includes the grocery at some point(s) - the second time she comes in Masaomi Kida, who witnessed her doing it the first time too, quirks into a smirk on his lips and saunters on over, eating a bag of spicy cheetos. And as he does, here it comes, one of his amazing pick up lines! It's, it's...!]

Hey, hey, looking to spice up your life? I gotta say, you don't need it because you already seem quite hot.

[stillplaying]

[Assume away! She's in the frozen goods aisle when the boy walks over. The confusion has little to do with the freezers themselves but as to why anyone would chose to have cold, old meat over freshly caught game.

Though, quickly enough, the confusion is directed in the boy's direction after he talks. If pick up lines like that were common in Panem, she'd be blushing. A lot. Instead:] I think it's kind of cold in this section.

[generalflirt]

[...PFFFTHAHAHA. No seriously he holds his stomach as he bursts out laughing. This girl looks about his age and she- oh man these place]

[stillplaying]

[The action makes her feel both confused and uncomfortable. She's never been fond of being laughed at. Especially when she doesn't know why.

Her first instinct is to react with hostility, which is easy enough to do. She scowls and glares at the boy.] What?

[thebellthatbinds]

[Today Sabriel is relaxing on the windowsill of the house. Being small made it too difficult to use the front door and she had wanted to get some fresh air. She has a crumb of bread and cheese with her to snack on but they're carefully wrapped in a piece of napkin at the moment. When Katniss steps out from the house next door it certainly catches her attention. Guess the treehouse was given up for the sake of convenience...but still, this area of town was pretty quiet so it was pretty nice. Either that or she's on her way home from visiting someone but Sabriel doesn't remember that house being occupied...

Sitting up a little she cups her hands around her mouth and calls out. Hopefully the other girl will hear her.]

Katniss, good morning!

[stillplaying]

[She almost misses the shout. But years of hunting in the woods have made her attuned to the slightest of sounds, even here in the village. It does take a moment though. Not so much to find the source of the greeting, but to actually comprehend that the girl she last met in the woods is now extremely tiny.]

...Sabriel?

[thebellthatbinds]

[Sabriel can't help but smile at Katniss's surprised expression, it must be awkward coming out of the blue like this. Setting her napkin aside she stands up and nods, cupping a hand around her mouth before she speaks again.]

It's good to see you. Are you in visiting someone in town?

[stillplaying]

[She shakes her head and points in the direction of her new house.] We live there now.

[But how is that at all important when Sabriel is small enough to sit on the windowsill of the neighboring house? And she returns to gawking. How can she not?]

[rutagraveolens]

[A house! Their very own house! Rue admittedly misses the treehouse since it was their treehouse and perfect for hunting, but the house in the village is nice too. It's not like the house they stayed in with Uncle Rick, this one is really theirs. Just Katniss, Peeta, and her.

She comes across Katniss by the river, her mockingjay flitting from tree to tree.]

Hi, Katniss!

[stillplaying]

[It's good to see Rue smiling so much. It's grudgingly, but maybe she'll admit that Peeta was right. Being in town was better for them. And they were enough on the outskirts to flee back to the treehouse should anything dangerous happen.

Although still relatively pensive, she finds it hard not to return Rue's smile. Or whistle a couple of stray notes for the mockingjay to pick up. The rain's lightened up for now but a quick glance up at the sky shows more is on the way.]

Be careful not to stay out too long, Rue.

[rutagraveolens]

[The mockingjay quickly picks up the notes, repeating them in turn in its own key. Rue looks up at the clouds and gives a small nod.]

I won't, I promise. I was going to look around some more, maybe visit the library.

[stillplaying]

[She closes her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sound of the mockingjay. Remembering how her father would sing to them when he was alive. It's not such a bad memory, all things given.]

It's a good place to visit. There are a lot of books there. More than I've ever seen before.

[Even Mayor Undersee didn't have that many in his house.]