13th Game [video]

[stillplaying]

[There's a bashful look on her face when she opens the journal. It's been a whole day now, a whole day since she returned from her kidnapping. Since she had discovered Prim had arrived in her absence, since she had gotten to once again spend the whole day and night in the company of her sister. It had been amazing. A dream that she had never thought possible. Prim was dead and yet... yet, for whatever reason, she had been brought here.

Perhaps she should have alerted those outside of her household that she had returned. But all she had wanted for that one day was to spend it alongside Prim. To tell her everything that had happened in the months - year - following her death. To tell her about Commander Paylor and the new government of Panem. To tell her of all those she had met here, of Peeta and Richard, Teddy and Sokka and Zevran and Rapunzel. It had been the wee hours of the night by the time she had gone to bed.

But sometime in the mid-morning, she remembers promises she had made. To the man who had helped her in learning how to get her voice back. To the boy who was now suffering from a death penalty of his own. She had promised them both a song. And it seems now like such a small price to pay to gaining not one, but two, important parts of her life back.

She ducks her head for a second, fingers playing with the buttons and beads on the handmade necklace Sokka made her. And then she clears her throat and begins to sing with a voice that, as Peeta once claimed, would silence the birds:]


As I look at the valleys down below
They are green just as far as I can see
As my memories return, oh how my heart did yearn
For you and the days that used to be
High on a mountain top, standing all alone
Wondering where the years of my life have flown
High on a mountaintop, wind blowing free
Thinking about the days that used to be

Well, I wonder if you ever think of me
Or has time erased your memory
As I listen to the breeze whisper gently through the trees
I wonder if you ever think of me

High on a mountain top, standing all alone
Wondering where the years of my life have flown
High on a mountaintop, wind blowing free
Thinking about the days that used to be
High on a mountain top, standing all alone
Wondering where the years of my life have flown
High on a mountaintop, wind blowing free
Thinking about the days that used to be

High on a mountain top
Thinking about the days that used to be
And I wonder if you ever think of me

[When she's done singing, she smiles sheepishly and shrugs.] I promised a song to a few people. I hope you enjoyed it.

[She opens her mouth a second later to say something more. And then she pauses and, for once, actually takes the time to construct a filter. To make certain that Prim cannot see what follows. Because even though Katniss' own birthday is only a few days away, she's not thinking of that day very much. It pales in comparison to a much more important day approaching at the end of the month.]

Does anyone have much experience throwing birthday parties? My sister - Prim - she's here now. And her birthday's in a few weeks. We could never afford a proper celebration growing up. I'd like to give her that. Give her everything that she couldn't have back home. [She frowns for a moment, brow wrinkling in thought.] I also need to build an addition to my house. Where'd I go about getting the material for that?


[ooc: for those interested in what the song might sound like. though this isn't exactly how i picture katniss' voice. nor does she have musical accompaniment in this post.]

Comments

[stillplaying]

[She thought for a moment, trying to place the name Buffy with a face. The girl who worked at the bar, she realized a second or two later. The one she had talked to once or twice in the past year she had been here.

But it was mostly the bar part that she focused on. Her eyes narrowed.] Nothing alcoholic.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He gives her a look in return. ]}

Okay, look, I know I have a rep and stuff, but I'm not stupid. Of course nothing alcoholic.

[stillplaying]

[Her brow furrowed and she looked at him almost thoughtfully. She wasn't exactly aware of any reputation he might have. It had been more a matter of her own principles than anything else. Most of the people attending this party would be of drinking age. But she despised alcohol. Didn't want it anywhere near this party.]

What rep?

[universal_charm]

If you don't know it, I think I'll do myself a favor and keep my mouth shut up on that one.

[stillplaying]

[He was going to keep his mouth shut now? She shook her head. That didn't seem to be fair. He had already brought up matters that Katniss had been doing her best not to think of, inadvertently insulted her home.

No. He owed her just this much.

Her eyebrows raised and her mouth quirked into an amused grin.] Why start now?

[universal_charm]

_{[ In his defense, he did not mean it that way, Katniss. Really, he didn't. He's sorry your world sucks. ]}

Call it self-preservation. I'm starting to develop a sense of that, it seems.

[stillplaying]

[She was story, too. And yet, for all her world was horrible, she wouldn't want to live any other place. Except here. For whatever duration her sister was here beside her.

Still, his response got a bit of smile.]

It's a good thing to have.

[universal_charm]

Yeah, well, can kind of thank you for that. I mean, not often I got an arrow pointed at my head, but it's a nice kick-starter when it happens.

_{[ Remember their first meeting, Katniss? He still does. ]}

[stillplaying]

[She responded with a burst of genuine laughter and smiled at him. She remembered that. How could she forget? He had come out of no where jogging while she had been returning from her hunt. Better safe than sorry. Better she have the advantage in a fight than anyone else.]

You're welcome.

[universal_charm]

Just don't do it again, okay? I'll take an actual kick in my butt to an arrow, thanks.

[stillplaying]

[She didn't blame him. It would certainly hurt a whole lot less. Not to mention involve less blood. But the comment got another smile from her regardless.]

I'll remember that.

[universal_charm]

Right. We should get back on track about this party. Uh... You could talk to Twilight, maybe? She might have ideas for parties. She's a purple pony, so that's festive all by itself.

[stillplaying]

[She remembered that purple pony. She had responded to Katniss' last post in the journal. The one that accidentally recorded the end of her nightmare before she had begged - begged more than she ever had in her life - to make it all go away.

She didn't like remembering that entry.]

I don't know.

[Because even if the colored, talking ponies here were harmless, they still made her think too much of muttations. And she didn't want anything that would frighten Prim there.]

[universal_charm]

Twilight wouldn't hurt a fly. She'd be great at this, and she's good at making friends. I think there's another one here too, a blue one.

[stillplaying]

[She shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the position of the journal in her lap. It was difficult to explain, really, what made her so uncomfortable around the ponies. How they made her think of other animals that ought to be impossible. Lizard creatures that whispered her name in the sewers beneath the Capitol and reeked of blood and roses. Giant dogs with the eyes of dead children. Screeching monkey like things that turned vicious at the slightest drop of a pin.

How could she explain any of that? He wasn't from Panem. He didn't know the horrors the Capitol could afflict.]

It's not that.

[universal_charm]

What, you've met her and don't like her already? Admittedly, she talks a lot and I am not sold on the 'Elements of Harmony' and what have you, but I guess it works for them. I mean, they're ponies that can fold their legs and talk, so...

_{[ He waved his hand dismissively, still not really believing it, but hey, stranger planets, right? ]}

[stillplaying]

[She shook her head, not quite following. Elements of Harmony? Not something she had ever heard of. But she didn't really care. From the sound of it, he didn't seem to have a much better idea. Which meant she wasn't exactly alone in the confusion.

Sighing, she waved a hand dismissively.]

It's not that. It's... [She trailed off and frowned.] They remind me of muttations. Animals made by Capitol scientists meant really just to kill.

[universal_charm]

_{[ There is a pause at that. ]}

Really? That... why?

_{[ He could never imagine a government doing that, not a just one or a good one, or even a bad one. It was just a step to far in a really bad direction. ]}

[stillplaying]

[It took a few seconds for her to gather her thoughts. More so, for her to thoroughly decide whether or not she was going to continue this discussion. It would be easy, very easy, to close the journal right now. To forget this conversation ever happened. Or to change it to something as equally distracting. They hadn't spoken about her flirtatious behavior during the last shift. That would definitely be a distracting change in topic.

But it would be a change in topic to something absolutely mortifying.]

It started with the uprisings of the Districts against the Capitol 76 years ago. And then they discovered the entertainment value of pitting Tributes against mutts in the Hunger Games. So they kept experimenting.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He shuddered on his end. He couldn't imagine... ]}

I'm sorry, Katniss. That's not right.

_{[ What else was he supposed to say to that? Platitudes? Words of hope? He hated to admit it, but chances were he would never see or find Katniss' home world. But he made the silent promise if he ever did, rules be damned, he would make that better. He would do something, because letting that stand and letting people like Katniss and Primrose live through that was just wrong, regardless of what Star Fleet regulation might say. ]}

[stillplaying]

[She knew. They all knew. Or, at least, all those in the Districts knew. She still doubted that those in the Capitol knew any better. To them, the muttations were just another form of entertainment. They didn't live the every day reality of wild tracker jackers and mockingjays leftover from the first uprising.

Maybe Paylor's government wouldn't continue the research on muttations. Maybe future generations would never know the word.]

There's a lot about Panem that wasn't right. [She shrugged, keeping her grey eyes cool.] But it's still home.

[universal_charm]

Well, you guys are here now, so let's make the best of it and give your sister the biggest, baddest party there is. Again, might want to go talk to Rapunzel about it though. But I'm there in spirit.

[stillplaying]

I plan on it.

[If anything, she's almost certain that the other girl will agree to help. Bake a cake that'll be as good as any in the window of Mellark's bakery. Anything to make her sister happy. It's worth it.

she hesitates a second before adding in,] You'll come, right?

[universal_charm]

Oh, so I'm invited, am I?

_{[ He chuckled on his end, but was honestly kind of touched. ]}

[stillplaying]

[The chuckle made her look a little sheepish and embarrassed. He didn't have to make any sort of deal out of it. She had every intention of inviting anyone she knew. The more people who came, the more festive it would be. Right?

But that damned shift was still fresh in her mind. And their kiss.]

Yeah. [She shrugged.] I'm inviting everyone.