run rabbit run | D'Arcy x Umber

[D'Arcy Mason d6b [Tyler]]

D'Arcy was lost in her new favourite spot, nestled into an overstuffed armchair, eyes glued to the words on the pages in front of her. She had found herself drawn to a book filled with fables and fantasies beyond anything she had been able to read in District Six. A whole new and exciting world sprawled itself out for her in her mind; filled with her favourite ideals of princesses and castles, but intermixed with concepts she had never heard of before.

The concept of magic was something she'd never seen before; the idea that someone could possess some hidden skill beyond human ability to defend, protect, change the world around her, was thrilling and exciting in a way nothing else seemed to be. She felt the thrill at each spell cast, changing the princess' world into something new and beautiful. She was gripped to the story now, not quite aware of the longing pulling her deeper into the world. If only she carried some magic inside of her too, that could help save her from the fate awaiting her. If she could cast spells to protect herself, find some magical creature to carry her all the way home.

She knew it was just a book, but she couldn't help the little bit of her heart that wouldn't let go of the possibility that it could be real. That she was just moments away from learning of her own magic.

A sudden clashing jolted her attention abruptly and grumpily from the words towards the direction of the noise. D'Arcy's eyes only have to search for a moment before they land on the boy pulling himself upright, recovering from a foot knocking against the corner of a bookshelf or the foot of a table nearby. She watches as he regains his balance and takes off once again down an aisle framed by the rows of books. Curious, D'Arcy thinks. Curious enough to put the magical world on pause, watch what's unfolding in the physical world around her.

She catches the boy pantomiming as if he's enthralled in the task of finding the best book possible from the shelves, his charade only clearly broken by his sharp glances back towards the entryway of the library. D'Arcy could see the rapid up and down of his chest - he had been in a rush to get here, and now seemed to clearly be trying to hide from something that may have been following him.

D'Arcy loved a good mystery.

She marked her spot on the page and put the book carefully back on top of the mountain she'd built on the little side table. She knew she could return to the beautiful world inside and its magic in a matter of minutes; she may not get a chance to find out about the hiding boy if she left it any longer. She fluttered over to his spot. "This section is no good," she tells him, alerting him to her presence beside him, "unless you're looking for books on the History of Panem." (She herself had already browsed this shelf and personally thought these were the kind of books for boring grown-ups to read, not tributes.)

She could see now that he was another one of the younger tributes (although still quite a bit older than twelve, there was no mistaking the teenager in front of her for a mere child). Even as he looked at her, she caught his eyes darting off every now and then towards the door. "Are you running from something?"

dars

[WC:590]

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

↳ UMBERVIVUUS. 

Umber sat in the dining hall, practicing one of the few skills he might actually be able to accomplish in an arena successfully: first aid. He'd dutifully sliced an orange in half using the butterknife that came with his dinner roll, and he'd then gone about sewing it back together using a needle and thread he stole from the medical station. He'd seen his parents do some pretty gnarly medical-related things to some of the bodies that came to them for burial, but that was different than knowing how to do any of it himself. Plus, you know, the idea here was to prevent death, and by the time a body got to his parents it was... a little late for that!

The tips he'd gotten from his trainers made all of the difference. Really, it was the only reason Umber felt confident enough to even try. He was almost completely finished when a flash of blonde hair entered his peripheral vision. Crap. Crap. Crap. Not even bothering to try and put away his tray, Umber simply stood and ran in the opposite direction. He thought if he made his exit hasty enough, the girl wouldn't have the thought to give chase until he was already gone. He was wrong.

He barely managed to pull the door closed and slide a mop into the door's handle before he heard the girl crash against the other side of it.

Note to self: Don't make fun of careers. In the moment, he'd thought it would be funny and lighthearted, and maybe it even allowed him to feel like he had some semblance of power in some way. But ever since it'd happened earlier, Umber had been plagued by multiple attempted confrontations. The girl from District One apparently had a lot she wanted to say- or do- when/if she caught him, and so far he'd done a good job of evading her by making a b-line to the elevators and locking himself on the 12th floor. This time was different, though, as she'd managed to successfully corner him in the opposite direction of the elevators. Not good.

He ran as fast as he could, long limbs awkwardly flailing to keep balance as he took 90 degree turns full-speed, his shoes squealing against the freshly buffed floors like they were tires. Behind him somewhere, he heard the door rattling, heard the mop clatter to the ground at last, heard the other footsteps racing in his direction. Faster, Umber. Go, go, go!

He made a sharp right, then practically fell down a set of stairs before hooking a second right into the library. He imagined his arrival was a bit disruptive for those reading within, but Umber didn't relent. With this area being carpeted, his shoes were able to find even better purchase and he burst forward faster than he'd ever run. He clipped the edge of a shelf and crashed forward, tumbling end over end twice before recovering and continuing to push forward. His chest heaved with effort and exhaustion, his throat burning for more air he could never supply enough of. He desperately grabbed for a book to hide behind in a last-ditch effort. Even as he cracked it open to duck behind, he knew he was doomed, but he hoped for the best.

"This section is no good," a cherubic voice called from behind him. Umber glanced over his shoulder, wide-eyed and out of breath, to see Georgie's district partner standing before him. She continued speaking, a sweet and thoughtful tone: "unless you're looking for books on the History of Panem."

"I'm trying to hide," he explained. If the girl from District One caught up to him, he was going to be history. If they bothered to make note of him at all!

"Are you running from something?"

The girl was a half a foot shorter than him, but decidedly more substantial than a book.

"Y-yeah! I'm- Oh crap! Hold still," he ordered (though it sounded more like a desperate plea,) before he ducked behind her. Just in time, too; he watched the career poke her head in, scan the room, and then hastily move forward.

"Thanks," he said in a hushed whisper in the moments that followed, "Don't suppose she's wanting to form an alliance with me or something, do you?" He tried to make it clear between the gasps of breath that he was joking.

"You're from Six, right? Same as Georgie?"

[ooc: permission was given from tris to include eulalie's actions in this post!]