Through the Woods {Sheena}

[Minerva]

The late afternoon sunlight beat down on the mossy turf, refracted through the pine branches like moonbeams on the water. Buzzing in a constant drone, the sound of gnats and mosquitoes filled the early summer air. The air was heavy; heat, bugs, and the smell of pine make a powerful sedative. Through this dull peace, like warm milk for a child, came the sudden sound of cracking twigs. In an instant of breezy freshness, a girl darted through the trees and into the clearing, as if she brought the youthful purity with her. She was running. Insanely fast, a doe in the pine forest. But she wasn’t running from a hunter, she was simply running for the joy of freedom. Freedom from confinement, freedom from worry, freedom from pain. A smile danced a lighthearted jig across her face. Today was a good day for Juniper Knoll.

She had woken up that morning with absolutely no arthritis pain. That hadn’t happened in forever. She had skipped to school that morning, been restless and excitable all day, been almost her old self. Not that her day in school had been the best; she had gotten back that one test…the one she had given the snarky answers on. I couldn’t really help that though. When teachers ask questions like, “Explain in detail the economic, social, and national benefits of the Hunger Games”, “List the three virtues of every good Panem citizen”, and “In your own words, explain why the revolution was misguided”, they were going to get some nasty answers. I will NOT be brainwashed. Thank goodness for wise parents. But even that big fat F hadn’t been enough to dampen Juniper’s spirits, intelligent overachiever though she was. She had laughed it off and waited eagerly for the end of school. As soon as her school day had ended she bolted from her seat with her bag and ran straight to the forest. And here she was, running as only a girl with a child’s heart and a joyful soul can.

As she ran, she spotted someone up ahead. A tall boy…he looked vaguely familiar…yes, he was a boy from her class. Eyal. He worked as a lumberjack too, though Juniper didn’t remember ever working with him before. How the heck did he get ahead of me? Juniper had only ever had a few brief conversations with Eyal, but it looked as though they were going the same direction, and really, a little company couldn’t hurt. Juniper sped her pace still more, glowing with the joy of this easy strength, and called out to the boy ahead of her.“Hey Eyal! Wait up!”

Juniper didn’t hesitate to call him by name. She always spoke familiarly with others. Juniper found familiarity to be easier than a bunch of awkward introductions. It had usually worked out pretty well for her. She was rather charming when she wanted to be, and everyone told her that she made excellent first impressions. Which was good, because Juniper was great at remembering names and faces, but she wouldn’t be too surprised if Eyal didn’t remember her. Still he had always struck Juniper as being pretty bright…maybe he will remember. Who knows? Who cares? Would save some explanations though. These were Juniper's thoughts as she drew even with Eyal, offering a quick smile and “Hey. Mind if I join you?”

OOC: So I spent basically my whole day being a good, bloodthirsty, Capitolite engaged, site-member by reading the bloodbath. Which meant that I was completely unhappy with the quality of this post when I got it done...anyway it is what it is

[Sheena]

The forest was filled with an abundance of different aromas: pine, redwood, cedar, bark, moss, grass, leaves, mud. The fresh and the stale scents mingled together to create something that was very sweet to Eyal and helped create his favourite place in the world. He loved the forest as many people from the district did. At seventeen, Eyal had begun spending a lot more time in it. His size and strength excused him from school more often than not so that he could work in the forest cutting trees and hauling logs for the benefit of the Capitol. He had become accustomed used to being out of school, but was still required to attend a few days per week. Still, he rarely stayed for the full day. Usually, he would leave during a break. Sometimes it was the first class change of the morning, other times it was at lunch, and sometimes he stayed until the last class change of the day. He would then go into the forest and begin his work. The Peacekeepers saw him but would never say anything, so he assumed they didn’t mind. Whatever got the work done.

However, today he did not go to work earlier than expected. He did leave school during the break that would precede the last class of the day. He could say that the forest “called” to him, even if that did sound extremely lame to Eyal. It was a wonderful day outside though, and he figured that he could lose himself in the forest if only for a little while. The past days had been extremely hot and either too humid or too dry, mostly the latter, and he could barely stand the work that had to be done. Today was neither dry nor humid, and he could actually breathe. It was the perfect temperature.

He had left the school following the second-last class of the day, after he had received his test from the previous week back from the teacher. It had been one of those Capitol-promoting tests designed to brainwash its takers into believing exactly what the Capitol wanted. By far, the easiest test to ever exist as all you had to do was tell them what they wanted to hear. Eyal could hardly describe himself as a straight-A student, but on these tests he was able to get full marks. Child’s play. He had often been tempted to be a smart-ass when it came to those tests, and answer the questions with as much sarcasm as he could muster, but he saved that for the tests in his other classes that actually had questions that he could not, for the life of him, answer.

Eyal had walked far into the forest, away from school and away from where the workers were today. It was silent but for the sporadic songs of mockingjays as they came and went and the rustling of leaves every time a breeze blew through the trees. He stopped by a tree that he frequented often. It was large and sturdy enough to hold his heavy weight, and had natural foot-holds so that he could climb like he used to when he was younger. That is where he spent his time before he would be required to officially start work. His internal clock had a way of letting him know when the time for work was near- that, and the forest started to fill with sounds other than leaves and mockingjays. Voices. They were soft, but it meant that school was out and work would begin very soon. He climbed down from his tree and started making his way toward the workers.

He still had time, so he walked slowly, still enjoying his forest. Eyal all but jumped when he heard a voice behind him. I thought I was alone, he thought. The voice was female and its owner knew his name, “wait up!” she said. He couldn’t quite place the voice, so he turned in its direction did jump when he realized that the girl was already right next to him. “Hey. Mind if I join you?” she asked. Eyal definitely knew this girl, although he couldn’t remember ever talking to her. Her name was… He couldn’t remember. It started with a “G” though, or was it a “J”? In any case, he never expected her to be running. Most times that he saw her in school, she seemed to be in pain and rather slow of movement. Eyal knew nothing about her, but he was a fairly friendly guy and rarely hated company, so he said, “hey. Not at all.” He smiled his effortless smile.

Eyal continued his pace, now with a companion. He only ever suffered awkward silence in the presence of his father, which grew worse as the years went by. They rarely spoke anymore; when they did, it was usually in reference to dinner. Even then, Eyal pretty much fended for himself. The two shared the same blood and lived under the same roof, but that was all. So Eyal always made an effort to start some sort of conversation. ”So, I don’t want to be rude, but… I can’t remember your name.” He felt bad that she knew his name though he didn’t know hers. He made a note to pay better attention to those around him. ”Sorry, but what is it again?” He smiled despite his guilt and mild discomfort.

[ooc: your post was amazing. I wrote the longest post of my THG:RPG life because of it haha. See? You're an inspiration.]

[Minerva]

As Eyal greeted her, Juniper took a moment to match his significantly longer stride. Glad to have company, she returned to her common practice of observation. Juniper liked the easy way a smile came to his face when he accepted her presence. It didn’t seem to take much. Just the slightest turn of his lips seemed to light up his whole face. It was sweet, boyish, it reminded Juniper vaguely of her younger brother, Ash. This put Juniper still more at ease, though she didn’t fail to note the omission of her name from the greeting. So he probably doesn’t remember it. Before Juniper could jump in and offer her name, her hunch was confirmed as Eyal asked with yet another good-natured smile, “So, I don’t want to be rude, but… I can’t remember your name. Sorry, but what is it again?”

Juniper smiled back, just a hint of amusement and respect glittering in her eyes. “It’s Juniper Knoll. And don’t apologize, it’s stranger that I know your name than that you’ve forgotten mine.” Which was completely true, because really, most people in 7 didn’t bother with first names too much unless they were going to be spending a lot of time with a person. Juniper was odd that way; Juniper was odd a lot of ways. For instance, Juniper had a peculiar way of piecing together a person’s character, just like she was doing right now with Eyal. Her philosophy was that if you can figure out how people respond to the little things, you’ll understand them better than if you see their reaction to monumental events. So right now, she was already finding herself liking Eyal.

Well, at least he doesn't spurn company. Some of the lumberjacks get so caught up in their surly inferiority complexes that they begin to act like they're better than everyone else. Ridiculous contradiction, really. Juniper knew this of course, because she had been working with hundreds of stand-offish lumberjacks her whole life. Her thoughts continued, And anyone who smiles when they're uncomfortable and just asks for a name when they don't know it has a good nature that most people lack. Such were her soliloquies. She really did hate it when people went bumbling about, acting as if they knew a person’s name, just to blunder their way into a corner and be forced to admit that they didn’t know the name. Better to be direct. In everything it is always better to be direct.

So direct she would be. She really was curious about this. “So how’d you get out here so fast? I bolted from school the second it ended and ran all the way here.” Even this Juniper asked with a smile. She couldn't help it; there was just an irrepressible, bubbling, something inside of her today. It was a joy which she hadn't known for quite some time, and she couldn't have stopped herself from showing it even if she had wanted to. The day was perfect, the air was sweet, and she felt so wonderfully, blissfully, free. Like the the birds, with songs in their throats and hope on their wings.

[Sheena]

Juniper was a nice girl, Eyal decided almost immediately. A lot of people would become offended if he were to forget their name, as had actually happened on a few occasions. Eyal personally thought himself practiced in the art of name remembrance. He attributed it to the fact that his mind was free of facts about friends, because he didn’t truly have any, and was therefore able to be filled with names. He was unsure if his logic on this was sound, but it seemed to work for him anyway. He realized that it took him too long to reply with a ‘nice to meet you, Juniper’ or a ‘happy to know you’. If he said it now, he would no doubt look or, at least, sound ridiculous. So he held his tongue and walked with his new companion in silence. Eyal was no stranger to silence and so it did not bother him. It was no longer awkward.

The speechless walk was once more filled with the sound of rustling leaves, but the mockingjays had silenced themselves. They always did this when the forest started to fill with humans and their voices. Eyal figured it was because they preferred music – humming, whistling, singing, and whatever else. In addition to the distant voices that now filled the forest, there was also the sound of leaves crunching beneath his and Juniper’s feet, and twigs breaking ever so often. The not-so-silent silence was broken by Juniper, who asked, “so how’d you get out here so fast? I bolted from school the second it ended and ran all the way here.”

Eyal hesitated. He rarely told people anything about himself. His mother’s death had closed him off from the world. He often spoke about trivial things with his co-workers and peers: the weather, work, the Capitol, the Hunger Games, homework, school, and so on. After a time, people that he knew stopped asking him how he was, expecting a real answer; they stopped asking him about his father, and stopped asking him to ‘hang out’. He would simply give one-word answers like ‘good’ or ‘no’, and sometimes, ‘no, thank you’. He had no desire to allow people in. He didn’t want to know them, and he didn’t want them to know Eyal Davids. However, he decided that he would let Juniper in, if only a little bit. She was nice enough. And she didn’t need to know the whole story.

“I-“ he cleared his throat. “I left school early.” He realized he wasn’t smiling any longer, so chose his tiny, though friendly smile and continued, ”I left after second-last period. It has been so hot and dry lately. It’s a perfect day to enjoy the weather, don’t you think?” He looked at her, and smiled wider. “I love it here. In the forest, I mean.” He decided that Juniper didn’t need to know that he left school early very frequently. She didn’t need to know that he was usually productive and went to work either. The ‘relaxing’ thing never really suited him and he didn’t particularly want to seem lazy.

[Minerva]

As Juniper waited for Eyal’s answer, she let her eyes wander over the familiar surroundings. The trees towered over their heads like a beautiful old building. They were so simple in their beauty, so real. Juniper would never get over their majesty. Some of the trees were just saplings, mandatory re-plants to keep the Capitol’s lumber supply plentiful. But others, and these were the trees that gave Juniper goose bumps, stretched so high above their heads that they looked as though they were leaning forward. These trees reminded Juniper of some of her aged lumberjack acquaintances. These trees were scraggly and weatherbeaten, they simply shot away from the daily tedium and established their grisly green heads in the heights. They were old as time, and they had seen things, Juniper supposed that if they could speak they would tell you so. Whenever nature established a display like this, it demanded awe and respect. Juniper was more than willing to give it, and so she allowed her thoughts and and heart to leap into the branches with the now silent mockingjays.

She was called back to earth by Eyal’s voice, which had suddenly taken on a harsh quality. Not angry, just…labored? Was that the right word? Like this sort of conversation is difficult for him.

“I-” Eyal paused to clear his throat. “I left school early.” Juniper suppressed the quizzical look that flashed across her face. It wasn't the fact that Eyal had left school early, that was unusual, but not unheard of, it was the way he said it. Odd. So formal so quickly. She didn’t know exactly how to proceed. Eyal’s smile was gone, and she suddenly felt like he was on the defensive. But then that tiny smile reappeared, and Juniper couldn’t help but think that maybe she was imagining things. ”I left after second-last period. It has been so hot and dry lately. It’s a perfect day to enjoy the weather, don’t you think?” Okay. Well that explains how he got out here. And just like that he’s already back to normal. That was bizarre.

“Yeah, it’s beautiful.” Juniper responded. Eyal was right: perfect was exactly the word for it. Though for Juniper, it was about more than the weather, it was also about painlessness. Eyal’s smile grew bigger than it had been yet as he looked down at her and continued. “I love it here. In the forest, I mean.”

Juniper smiled back. He really did remind her of Ash. “Mhm. Me too.” This she said earnestly, though it wasn’t particularly eloquent. Really what more was there to say? Juniper smiled again. Actually, there was something else she could say. She added with a genuine laugh, “Good thing, since we live here.” And they would never leave. That was part of living in Panem. It was a sad and ironic fact, and for any other citizen of Panem, she didn't need to explain it. Juniper paused. Juniper’s parents had always told her that the key to conversation was asking people open ended questions about themselves, and then finding a genuine interest in what they had to say. But Eyal didn’t seem to want to talk too much about himself, so Juniper would bridge the gap by talking about herself.

“It’s especially beautiful in the morning. The forest, I mean. I used to come out here and camp some nights. When I woke up with the sunrise…the whole place turns kind of pink, and everything smells fresh and sweet, like the dew somehow cleanses everything, and the birds songs echo through the branches…” Juniper face was suddenly burning with embarrassment. She had forgotten that she was talking to Eyal and not trying to explain the forest to herself. She smiled again, trying to get back on track. “Well, I’m sure you know…you're probably out here more than I am...”

[Sheena]

Most, if not all of the people in District Seven lived there their entire lives and would live there until they died (except for those who had the unfortunate luck to be reaped for the Hunger Games). As such, Eyal had never met an individual who didn’t like the forest. Frankly, if they didn’t, then that was too bad for them. There were no opportunities to leave for a new life, so one would have to deal. In spite of this, it always made Eyal happy to talk to someone about the forest. He often went so far as to call it his forest, often only half-joking. Juniper seemed to read his mind, when she said, “good thing, since we live here,” which made Eyal laugh aloud. He supposed there were worse districts to live in. He wondered if it was possible for other district citizens to love their trade materials as much as the people of District Seven did. I suppose trees are different. It seemed unlikely that those in District Three had a special place in their hearts for technology, or District Twelve for coal, but stranger things were sure to have happened, and Eyal had been wrong about many things in his life.

Eyal listened with interest as Juniper continued to talk about their forest and how it looked in the morning, specifically. Eyal had never been an early-morning riser; he only woke a half an hour before he had to be at school. This gave him ample time to eat, wash, and dress before he left and arrived to school. He often liked to stay up late and watch the stars from that same tree that he left behind him. It was especially calming when he couldn’t sleep. Sometimes his mind raced and his thoughts centred around his mother in particular. He often found himself comparing his mother’s love when he was a child to his father’s coldness and distance following her death. Eyal figured that he was probably more like his father, but did not dwell on that. It was not an idea that he was particularly fond of. Most of those nights, his memories would turn his insomnia into unspoken pain rather than sleep. When he would finally find his way back to bed and sleep, the waking hour would come too quick. No, he could not share Juniper’s love for the sunrise in the trees. He had never seen it.

He smiled, listening to his companion talk about the morning dew and the birds and was surprised when she stopped describing it. Her account of the forest in the morning allowed Eyal to imagine the scene vividly. The girl had a way with words. He looked at her, and she was clearly embarrassed. He pretended not to notice. “Well I’m sure you know,” she said after a moment. “You’re probably out here more than I am.”

Eyal was in the forest often, that was true. But he didn’t know. ”I’ve never seen the forest at sunrise,” he admitted. He must have seen it at sunset though. He was always working well into the dark. ”I’ve never really noticed it at sunset either.” He then chuckled, ”You’d think I would’ve seen more of Seven’s world. I’ve only lived here for seventeen years.” He shook his head, still smiling. What a poor excuse for a lover of trees.

[Minerva]

Juniper breathed an inward sigh of relief, grateful to Eyal for passing over her obvious, and pointless, embarrassment. But she was surprised when he shook his head and responded, “I’ve never seen the forest at sunrise.” Juniper couldn’t help but be taken aback; she took the forest mornings for granted. Her mind rushed back to the many sunrises she’d seen from beneath the leafy canopy. It was all so vivid in her memory. The smell of smoke and the chilling warmth of her tiny fire, the odor of wet leaves and sappy pines, the way the calls of the birds seemed to summon the sun from her slumber, the cool air, and the sense of aloneness. Yes, the mornings were solitary. Reflecting, Juniper realized that she never really had seen many others roaming about in the mornings, that this was part of the reason that dawn under the trees was so beautiful.

There was a pause as Eyal seemed lost in thought. “I’ve never really noticed it at sunset either,” he admitted, seeming almost incredulous with himself. Then with another laugh, “You’d think I would’ve seen more of Seven’s world. I’ve only lived here for seventeen years.” Juniper gave a half smile. “That’s a shame. The opening and the closing of the day…There’s nothing like it.” It was true, though, what he said. You could probably live your whole life in a District and still not see much of it. That was because you wouldn’t spend your life exploring the nature around you, you’d spend your life exploiting it. Because really, it wasn’t as if the forest was all there was to “Seven’s world”. In fact, the District was upheld by cutting down the forest. The whole place was consumed by long work hours, dangerous work conditions, and insurmountable poverty. The forest might be a refuge, a safe haven, but that didn’t make it reality, that didn’t make it all of “Seven’s world”. “Seven’s world” was a place where life meant work, where a boy was reaped and killed heartlessly in the bloodbath, where a girl with arthritis was as good as dead. Except not me.

Juniper shook her head to clear it. What was with this sudden depression? What exactly had thrown her off? Maybe it was the fact that she wanted something more than this, in spite of herself. Or maybe it was that having a disease had opened her eyes to the realities of her district. Juniper couldn’t figure it out, so instead she strolled in silence. Her mind floated back to the test from today, something which she couldn’t help but be amused by. Juniper’s face broke into yet another grin. In mock formality she began, “So, now that we’ve dispensed with the necessary opening subjects of weather and our surroundings, do you mind if I ask how you did on that Capitol test?” Then she added, without changing expression, but adding just a hint of sarcasm, “Really hard to figure out what they wanted you to say, wasn’t it?”

[Sheena]

”That’s a shame,” Juniper replied. “The opening and closing of the day… there’s nothing like it.” I need to see that, Eyal thought , if only because he should know every inch of his district. He thought that he should know the forest too, since he loved it so and there was little to no chance of him ever leaving District Seven. He noticed that Juniper had become silent and seemed to be lost in thought. Was it something he said?

They walked in silence and Eyal watched Juniper from the corner of his eye. He saw her shake her head and he thought she must have disliked whatever thoughts had silenced her. He thought she might speak, but they still walked in silence. The voices of workers grew louder as the two companions neared the yards. Eyal couldn’t remember ever seeing Juniper in the lumberyards and wondered if she worked there too. He would either work in the lumberyard or in the forest, depending on where men were needed; it was a big place so he could have very well missed Juniper among the mass of workers. He realized that he did not want to go work today. I should’ve left school earlier, he thought, realizing that the day wanted more of his enjoyment. This was rather unusual for Eyal who did his duty of work rather well and did not particularly dislike it. He was one of the lucky, sated ones who wanted little. Work was part of his routine. But every so often, he would want to bail and sit by or in his tree, or explore the forest more thoroughly. It was so large. Where would Juniper stand on all this, though? Eyal would be the first to admit that he had trust issues and wondered whether Juniper would tell a Peacekeeper if stated that skipping work was on his mind. No. He had best suffer through his work.

From the corner of his eye, Eyal saw the corners of Juniper’s mouth turn up. He turned his head to see her smiling as if told some joke only she could hear. He had to smile as well. He was known to smile in response to a thought of his own more often than not. “So now that we’ve dispensed with the necessary opening subjects of weather and our surroundings, do you mind if I ask you how you did on that Capitol test?” she asked. “Really hard to figure out what they wanted you to say, wasn’t it?” she added. Eyal noted the sarcasm. He laughed, ”those are the only tests that I actually do well on.” What a sad truth, he thought. Eyal shrugged, ”I answered all of the questions right, just like they wanted. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out…”. He sincerely hoped that Juniper did not get any questions wrong. The last thing he wanted to do was insult her, even if unintentionally.

From her sarcasm, he again wondered about her thoughts on deserting work. Most people in the district did not love the Capitol, but the majority of people held their tongue. Eyal would never trust any of them to not turn him over as a rebel… or something. He was always friendly, but never a friend. Would people really care as much as Eyal seemed to think they would? He skipped work, so what? He was sure that others did it all of the time. He doubted that anyone else thought about it has much as he did though. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

[Minerva]

“Those are the only tests that I actually do well on.” Juniper laughed with Eyal, she knew he wasn’t alone. Plenty of her friends only passed their classes because these tests were so easy to figure out. “I answered all of the questions right, just like they wanted. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out…”

Just as Juniper opened her mouth to reply something along the lines of: “Of course not. They wouldn’t be the Capitol if they were unpredictable,” she shut it again. She had an idea.

“Oh. Yeah…I mean, I guess not…” She paused for a moment and composed her face into an expression which she thought was a mixture of embarrassment and offense. She sighed theatrically and gave a half-hearted smile. “I failed it.” She watched the change that came over Eyal’s face with glee. Oh this was mean. Would he be upset? But oh RIPRED I can’t think about that now. It’s so funny! And he set himself up for this one. Besides, I tease all my friends this way. Juniper tried to wait until it was clear that Eyal was convinced, but she wasn’t able to hold out any longer. She burst into laughter. “On purpose of course. Relax Eyal. I failed the test on purpose. I hate those tests so much. And my answers were better than theirs anyway.”

And now she’d have to wait and see how he’d react. Some people really didn’t respond well to this kind of teasing. Some people thought it was hilarious. But most of Juniper’s friends had gotten used to it. Most of them…

As the pair continued to walk, Juniper began to hear the sounds of chopping. They were nearing the lumberyard. Soon they’d arrive to take their place among the hundreds of men who had been at work all day. I wonder where Eyal works? I wonder where I’m working today? Maybe there will be some good company. Company might come in the form of a kind old man, an amusing boy, or a sensible girl. Although other girls were unusual at the lumberyard. They did exist, in fact there were quite a few girls, but they were so outnumbered by the male lumberjacks that getting to work with one was a rarity. This was because girls with money didn’t have to work, girls with skill opted out for architecture or carving, and girls with families often stayed home with their children. This meant that the majority of Juniper’s daytime companions were unruly men, rowdy and harsh, but happy to see a girl’s face. Fortunately, Juniper had been able to win most of their respect, (she was one of the few girls who didn't act like she was above her company) though they would never admit it. The older lumberjacks clung to their reputations as surly, crotchety, “manly-men” like lichen on a log. When they caught sight of Juniper, there would be coarse jokes about the young pup finally showing up to do her share and how they guessed a late arrival is better than none, huh sweetheart? And then Juniper would cut back with remarks about how “young pups” are better than stringy old flea-bags for hard labor and how when she did arrive, at least she spent her time working and not joking and drinking. And then they’d all welcome her with smiles and tell her where the boss said she was needed for the day. Juniper had been through the routine a billion times, though she seriously doubted Eyal had. He was a guy. Lucky.

[Sheena]

”Oh,” Juniper said, which alone made Eyal wonder. “Yeah… I mean, I guess not.” She seemed to hesitate so Eyal looked at her; she made a strange face that must have meant she was offended. Eyal couldn’t be sure, so he remained silent. Just because she looks offended, doesn’t mean she is, Eyal thought, hopeful and quite worried that he did offend this new acquaintance of his. That was never his intention with anyone he spoke with. “I failed it,” she continued after a great sigh. Eyal opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say, before settling on, ”oh.” He didn’t know what else he could say other than sorry, which he began to say before Juniper spoke again: “On purpose of course. Relax Eyal. I failed the test on purpose. I hate those tests so much. And my answers were better than theirs anyway.” She was laughing and Eyal couldn’t help but smile his wide smile.

”I was going to apologize,” Eyal said, the smile leaving his face in order to match the tone of mock offense, “but I think I’m the one who deserves the ‘sorry’.” He laughed, “that was cruel.” Eyal was actually quite relieved, which just made him smile more. He had fallen for her little joke.

There was the loud sound of a tree falling that made Eyal remember where he was going. A light breeze rustled the leaves of the tree and danced around his face. Why would he want to work with people who were simply nice to him, when he could skip and relax with a person who was friendly to him? Of course, she didn’t know him that well so there was reason for her friendly disposition towards him. In any case, the thought of a beautiful day and easy company caused Eyal to stop dead in his tracks. He had nearly convinced himself to miss work this day, though he had never missed work before purposely, but would Juniper agree to miss out on a day’s pay when the Peacekeepers were as hard as they were or would she convince him to go to the lumberyard and work. He wasn’t sure, but he could ask.

[ooc: sorry for the delay. I've had major inpiration/writer's/thoughts block]

[Minerva]

Juniper Knoll

Narration
“Speech”
Thoughts

“I was going to apologize,” Eyal said, as the smile slipped from his face, “but I think I’m the one who deserves the ‘sorry’; that was cruel.” Juniper chuckled. "I’m a cruel person, or so they tell me. Apparently I like to joke too much.” People actually did say that, joking usually, but still…well, she did like to tease. Yes, Juniper had put on a good show, perfectly imitating the stereotypical peevish tones of your typical teenage girl. She smiled again. But I’ve never been above apologizing.

“No, seriously, my apologies. But the look on your face…priceless.” Juniper was beaming again, and for the first time, she registered how much she was smiling. Maybe it was just the fact that she was having a good day, she had been happy to begin with, but, it did seem to have something to do with Eyal’s easy personality. Turning to her companion to ask about his usual work stations, Juniper was surprised to find that he had stopped dead a few strides back. Juniper pulled up and faced her friend (Unlike most, she didn’t take long to use the word). “Eyal? What’s up?” Maybe he dropped something? But he wasn’t looking around, he was just…thinking maybe? She cocked her head slightly to one side. ”What are you thinking?”

[/justify][/blockquote][/size]

(OOC: My turn to apologize! I suffered from all the writer's block ailments....it was ugly Also, sorry about the short post.)

[Sheena]

Juniper hadn’t noticed when Eyal stopped walking, and continued forward for a few paces until she realized that her companion was lagging. Although he was more looking at nothing than at Juniper, he saw her turn and come back. She would want to know why he stopped, and he would have to tell her – which he planned to do anyway. For some reason that he had never been able to figure out, telling people what was on his mind always made him abnormally nervous. He wasn’t a nervous person, he was easy-going, smiling Eyal. As Juniper walked back to him, he took a deep breath, now looking at her instead of nothingness. He could almost laugh at himself in this moment. It wasn’t as though he was telling her some deep dark secret about a murderous past or something. He was telling her that he didn’t want to go to work. Peacekeepers aside, that was a pretty normal thing to do, right? In the Capitol, at least.

“Eyal? What’s up?” she asked.

Although his smile had disappeared amongst the ‘deep’ thoughts, a smirk had returned in its place.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

There was a question. Eyal had been asked it multiple times on various occasions but it wasn’t information he would usually divulge. When asked, he would lie. He couldn’t or, rather, wouldn’t lie to Juniper though. It wasn’t anything deeply personal to Eyal anyway. ”I was just-“ He was going to lead with the weather again, as if they hadn’t killed that subject. Instead, he decided to be straight with his companion and said, ”I don’t want to go to work today.” He paused and looked up through the trees to the beautiful, clear, blue sky, and smiled his broad smile. ”No. Not today.

[ooc: sorry, sorry, sorry!]