Explosion of Fluffies [Kay]

[Cato]

[googlefont="Felipa:400"]

Harbinger Rhodes Tires screech against the tracks causing my heart to drop into my stomach. It's such a loud sound, but I push the thoughts away. It's not uncommon for trains to leave the district with the harvest we've done throughout the season, yet for a train to arrive way before the hunger games is kind of different. So it makes me wonder to the extent where it makes me curious. Each time a train crosses paths with district eleven, it can only mean one thing - trouble. It always forces me to race towards the edge of the district to figure out what's going on as the train passes by. I've watched my brother ride to his death on that train. I watched the train leave without him, and I've watched the train return home with his coffin inside. Yet it isn't time for the games. It's not time to figure out who's going to die and who's not. Which is why this train is worrisome. But when I get closer to it, I notice something is off. It's not moving, and many people are gathered around trying to move animals back to the train. It's weird, but at the same time it's rather interesting. I can only imagine what the animals are for, yet for the time being I push it all away. I've always wanted to help people. To figure out ways to make life better for them because my life was ruined. If it wasn't for my friends and family, I wouldn't have found a happiness in life. Taking a deep breath, I move away towards the train. I want to help people. A half grin appears on my face as the dry grass crunches beneath my feet. I've never laid my eyes on so many people trying to gather animals. Cows. Goats. Pigs. Those are the ones that I see right away. In a way, it's kind of funny that they're running amuck, but at the same time I want to know where they're going, and why they're going there. Perhaps it's completely confidential, but it doesn't hurt to find out because right now all I want to do is help herd the animals back into the train car before they all run away.

[Baby Wessex d9 [earthling]]

NAVYA SACHDEVA

The sunlight had begun to slant, which meant it was almost time to retire from the branches of trees and return to the earth. The heard the screech of wheels on iron. It was as though the entire District ground to a halt along with the train. The trains hemmed in the far side of the Sachdeva orchards, not far from where Navya was picking. She gathered her skirts, trapping a harvest of apricots, and expertly shimmied to the ground. Though she was fast and eager, she found herself trailing behind her siblings who ran to see what had caused the horrible sound to rent the evening air.

A pack of them angled for the front of the train, waving and slapping each other on the back as they went. Navya took up the rear, watching for a time from between low hanging branches. Her skirt was still full and she couldn't just leave the fruit on the ground if they were going to fetch a good price for it. As the sun sunk, she picked out the bleeting of goats and the grunts of pigs from between the murmurs of the crowd.

At last she waddled towards the commotion, taking care not to drop a single apricot. She knotted the bottoms of her skirts together, held them against her stomach. The loop of the patched skirts caught around her knees, showing her scuffed and broken boots. Normally her sense of propriety would have prevented such a ridiculous outfit, but she could neither afford to abandon her harvest, nor ignore the spilling train. She was still outside of the circle of onlookers when a tiny squeak caught her attention.

She looked down to discover that one of her scuffed boots had landed on the tail of a calico kitten. "You poor thing!" She exclaimed, putting her bare knees to the dirt. She stroked the kitten's back, working a burr free. After a few moments, it seemed to have forgiven her for the boot transgression. She scooped it up and deposited it among the apricots in her skirt, trying not think that it might ruin all of them with its tiny, knife sharp claws. She managed to walk another few feet before spotting a white furry face in the brush. She didn't stop to pet this kitten, just grabbed it by the neck and deposited it with the other. On and on this went, a few steps, a kitten, a few more steps, another kitten, until she had eight of them pawing their way through her apricot-ladden skirts.

She reached for the ninth, and found someone else in her path. She looked up and up, craning her neck until at last her dark eyes connected with his. She sucked in a sudden breath.

Harbinger Rhodes.

For a moment, she could do nothing but stare, the way people stared at her now, when she walked with Kirito into town. She hadn't realized the weight of those stares, which she had so casually turned on the Miristiomas, Persimmons and Rhodes. But now she understood, that just a gaze could have weight and depth, could press equally on your head and your heart. Even knowing that her gaze may not be welcome, she could not stop herself.

Until she realized where she was, and what she was holding. Her skirts ballooned in front of her, filled with fruit and mewling kittens, and she was absolutely smitten with the sight of a complete stranger.

She laughed. She laughed deep and full, shaking the skirts. "I've found some -" she took a breath between laughs, "some kittens. They're from the -" she pointed at the train and then wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just so completely ridiculous. Kittens! Oh poor dears though, I don't think they like how I've had to carry to them." She rustled the skirts, letting the laughter finally subside. Only when she was sure she wouldn't lose control again did Navya lift her gaze to his. "Are you here to help?"

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