A Leisurely Day at the Marketplace (Arctic, Rook)

[echolight]

Corina glanced around the marketplace with her dark orbs slightly narrowed. The day outside was uncharacteristically cool for this time of year- October- and as such, everyone was bundled up in their warmest fabrics. Corina considered the irony of the situation; the Capitol splurged on the thickest, softest wools to warm them on cold autumn days, all endowed with the brightest dyes, just to impress their friends while the citizens of the district that created such fabric was forced to settle with the afterthoughts of cloth. Corina was luckier than most, though, she supposed. She was lucky enough to have a thick winter coat that served as warmth enough through these months and the snowy months of winter.

The market buzzed with activity akin to a busy beehive. Fabric makers swarmed about, buying their meager supplies of bread and other necessities with their less-than-ample pay. Meanwhile, Corina leaned on a wall at the entrance to the marketplace, simply loitering there because she had nothing better to do. School was out for the day and it was a relief to stretch her limbs rather than sit in a stuffy classroom and listen to a Capitol-appointed teacher praise the Capitol for its generosity and kindness. Since it was almost the time of the Reaping the teacher took to describing the Dark Days before the Hunger Games were established. Corina didn't buy it too much and was glad to be away from it, at least for the time being.

She continued to study the various patrons around the market as she lingered on the wall, wondering what each of their stories was, who their families were, did they have any family members lost to the Games? It was a macabre thought and so she pushed it into the back of her mind to think over later. Why think of the Reaping now? It would only result in poor sleep and night terrors. No good.

[arctic]

preston hope

Today felt different somehow. Was it the air? I'm not quite sure, but something was wrong.

Maybe it's just me. I could very well become paranoid that someone's going to come up to me, being the brother of Lily and Paige Hope. Someone could be looking at me with disgust, knowing that I was the one notorious for burning down a home, and laughing while it burned. That's how I'm known, and I'm anxious for that. I mean, I know it sounds silly to be scared for that. I know I have to take responsibility for what I've done. Everyone has to do it at some time in their life but right now I just want some time to breath. It's been ages since I've been able to happily look at myself and know that everything will be okay and that I'll be happy.

Happiness doesn't seem to exist in my world anymore. I don't know about yours, though,

{i hope it does..}

Today felt different, but I still kept walking with Eva to the market. We normally go together now, finding it as our only real time to bond anymore. We just walk and talk, and I like that. I like the feeling of being unified with my only other sibling in this world. Eva is my last blood relative standing and I hate every damn second of it. Not because Eva is some bitch, she isn't. She's amazing and I love her. I just hate that I caused this hell of a life

It isn't much longer until we end up at the market, and we go our separate ways. Eva knows what I'll be doing and she knows what I'll be doing. A simple rotation. We go back and forth from who gets the groceries and who waits on the sidelines for them. Today I sat on the sidelines. Today I wait.

So, I walk to our normal spot where we wait for the other, seeing a female nearby. "I hope you don't mind."

I don't.

So, I wait.

[rook]

h i t c h c o c k
w o o d a r d s

who wants to know?
all that is gold, is rusted
no one will know
seasons cease, to change, and

Can you erase that much dirt on your name?

Meditate on the sins of your brother, they said. I retorted with: Which one?

I fathered a baby that technically wasn't mine, but I call him my son, and he calls me his dad. Is that a sin, truly? If so, then this world is far more lost than I can begin to contemplate. People preach to me about morals and obligations, and yet I've sacrificed and suffered more than anyone else in this backwater town, and not for them, but for me and those precious few that remain close to me.

I have made peace with demons that weren't my own, because even after my brother was shot, I've been haunted by his mistakes. People at the front door, shadows over my shoulder, letters in the post. Not meant for me, I think, but no one else is there to pay these debts. I've paid my share of blood, so much so that I am altogether a lot more pale these days.

I've raised a child right, in my eyes at least. He is my nephew, even if I will never tell him the truth. I can't tell him that his father was a jumped up little shit who stuck his cock in every girl who opened her legs for him. I didn't raise Sonny to be his father's son, I let him develop into his own person instead, free from the influences of Pandora Woodards.

In truth I don't think either of the twins were bad people, but people who had a lot of bad things happen to them. I think that is a very important thing to reckognise. Nonetheless, they are both dead, and my sister Hope too. I lost everything, absolutely everything I had, and yet here I am, living and breathing. That in itself is a miracle.

The thin air has a sharp edge to it today. Winter is creeping over these hills. The markets are exceptionally busy at this time of year, with Eight's residents desperately trying to stockple long-life foods for the coming winter. Last year hit people hard, and I don't think many will risk being ill-prepared again.

I don't carry the weight of my siblings everywhere I go, but today I feel anxious enough to spark up a cigarette and move away from the masses of people. I don't need to erase the dirt, my homeless bastard name was dirty long before I met Pandora and Rubik Woodards.

I need space to think. Today is not a good day to be lost in the past.

how far we've gone
how far we're going
so here and the now
and the love for the sound
are the moments that keep us moving

lyrics: soldier on by the temper trap

[echolight]

The first few minutes of her respite outside were relatively unevently. Even though the sun tried to poke through the gloomy clouds, it didn't succeed and the area was doused in light shadow from the cover of clouds. Corina simply watched everyone come and go and was  generally peaceful. Soon enough, though, a man joined her on the wall and asked her if she minded. Corina allowed a small smile of greeting and shook her head. "No, I don't mind." The girl looked around for a while, and, feeling that the silence had become awkward, she looked at him again. "Hi, I'm Corina. Nice to meet you." She watched him for a response, when she noticed that another person had come by, another man. She dipped her head to him and returned her attention to the first. 

[arctic]

preston hope

She gave a small smile of greeting, saying that she didn't mind at all and he was happy about that. It was rare that days like this he wouldn't be questioned for his intentions. People often recognized him and his looks. What he wanted to do with his life and why he did that to the family. And if he was honest to himself, he did it for entertainment.

Revenge. Pure vengeance because god knows that they can't do shit to him because he's lost all source of emotion. That was what ran through his veins and coursed through his brain on that day, but now he was different. Emotionless, yes, but he was cautious. Like every breath could be his last if he took the wrong step and set off a trap of sorts. Anyways, it felt rare because they weren't scared of him or cautious. Maybe it's because that's a good thing. Not many people really knew him anymore because he's changed himself as much as possible with his appearance. Maybe it wasn't a whole lot, maybe it was a lot, he would never really figure out.

He heard her speak up again, offering her name and saying it was nice to meet him. Preston offered a smile back. "I'm Py-" It's Preston. "Preston. Nice to meet you too." There was another male there nearby them that had come over during their interactions and he looked familiar for a moment, however he wouldn't take any idea of who it was. Preston was one for gaining a new identity after all. "What brings you here?" He asked her, seeming almost directed at her, but perhaps the new male could bring himself in it if he were to be interested.