Orb Post | RD 14

[rutagraveolens]

[The voice coming over the orb is young and in a state of awe.] There's so much food here! Where does it all come from? There are so many things I've never seen before. I've never seen so much either, not since-- [She stops and there's a bit of silence before she speaks up again, changing the subject.]

What kind of food does everyone like? We had lots of soup back home. Momma would mix things up in a big boiling pot of water, and once it was done, we'd gather round with our bowls. She always made sure everyone got enough vegetables. We got bread and sometimes if we were really lucky, we'd get some rabbit to share. Oh! I had cho-co-late [she works through the word, recalling it from memory] cake once! It was so sweet and it had frosting and pretty flowers made out of icing! I licked every last bit off my fingers, it was so good. Is there any cake here? I hope there is. [Her voice grows quiet, a little in awe of the idea.] Is it true? That if you’re a hero people will give you things? That you can have all the food you want and never go hungry?

[There's another small pause before Rue whistles four notes. No explanation is offered. If Katniss is around, she'll know. She'll know her little ally is safe.]

Comments

[bondsoflove]

[Well, he feels a little less weird about not knowing any of the mythos of this culture.]

Breathing fire. Making illusions.

[rutagraveolens]

[She's a little lost at the word illusion too, but breathing fire. They'll leave it at that.]

Can everyone breath fire?

[bondsoflove]

[A shade of a smile.]

No. That's unique to my family.

[rutagraveolens]

Your family must be very special. I've never seen anyone breathe fire before.

...Does it hurt?

[bondsoflove]

Hn. We're the best there is.

[He thinks back to childhood and his mother spreading cool ointment over his lips.] Yeah, it can burn your mouth on the way out if you're not careful.

[rutagraveolens]

I bet you must be so good you don't burn yourself anymore.

[bondsoflove]

[A smile.]

Took me a few weeks of practice, but yeah.

[rutagraveolens]

Can you do anything else? [A beat.] I'm really good at climbing.

[bondsoflove]

I'm also good at climbing. My family's known for being adept at battle.

[rutagraveolens]

Your family fights? [Her voice grows a little quiet.]

[bondsoflove]

We have for hundreds of years.

[rutagraveolens]

That's really sad. Why for so long?

[bondsoflove]

[Sad? Maybe.]

It's the way we've always done it.

[rutagraveolens]

Why have you been fighting for so long?

[bondsoflove]

Because it's the way our clan was made and where its strengths have always lain.

[rutagraveolens]

But why? There has to be a reason for fighting.

[bondsoflove]

I don't know why. We fought because people paid us to and before long it was all we were good for. Why do you care?

[He's a touch guilty once he realizes how harshly he worded that, but all he does is bite the inside of his cheek.

[rutagraveolens]

How old are you?

[bondsoflove]

Seventeen. How old are you?

[rutagraveolens]

I'm twelve.

[bondsoflove]

You're an adult.

[Ninja reach the age of majority at the age of twelve, but they also have very short life spans.] So why are you asking stupid questions like a kid?

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue frowns.]

You're the stupid one if you're fighting without a reason.

[bondsoflove]

I never said I didn't have a reason.

[rutagraveolens]

Then why are you fighting?

[bondsoflove]

[So he has a reason to keep living.]

The elders in the village where I was born exiled my family to the outskirts. When that didn't crush us, they ordered our slaughter by the hand of my older brother, who took the role of the villain so that I wouldn't have to. I killed him before I learned the truth. Now, I'm getting vengeance for my brother, my mother, my father, and everyone else.