[Twenty-Five - Right Through The Eye]

[the_effect_she_has]

Christmas time again.

[Katniss's voice is soft, and sad, as she plays with the laces on her boots. She's looking out the windows at the soft, white snow that is gathering on the ground.] This time of year always reminds me of Gale, and Peeta, and back home. When things were at their worst, they were still with me. I miss them, every single day.

[She sighed, quietly, before she got up and went to the window.] I know you're still here, my friends and my family. I've been thinking ... maybe I should come back to the Castle for the winter. I don't really want to but - I don't know.

[She touched the glass.] It seems like a bad time, to be alone.

Comments

Dictated

[putuporshutup]

[Meg doesn't know Katniss all that well, but she likes her, and she knows Emma trusted her. Knowing that, and given her annoyingly heightened compassion since her last bout as an actual person thanks to castle wonderfuck, she feels compelled to reach out. Loneliness sucks, and she can sympathize.]

You know you can always come hang at the bar if you want some company.

Re: Dictated

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss glanced over at the wording, grey eyes considering, before she silently nodded to herself.]

Thanks ... but ... I'll warn you now. I'm not much of a drinker.

[putuporshutup]

[She laughs a little.]

You don't have to drink. I've been cooking a bunch lately since I found Emma's old recipe book. Kinda fun to pass the time, and no one seems to be complaining.

[the_effect_she_has]

[She snorted, softly.]

You really just said the magic words, right there. [And as if on cue, her stomach growls.] What did you make?

[putuporshutup]

Today? Just some spaghetti and meat sauce, nothing fancy. Garlic bread should be ready soon, too.

Pretty sure there's still leftover pie, too.

[the_effect_she_has]

I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Save me large plates of both.

[putuporshutup]

[She chuckles.]

Sure thing. There's plenty to go around.

[the_effect_she_has]

We'll see if it's still that way, after I'm done.

[She smirked faintly, before she got her things pushed together before running out the door.]

[putuporshutup]

[She laughs, and just then, the timer on the garlic bread goes off. It's cooling on the counter by the time Katniss shows up, and Meg gives her a little smile and a nod when she walks in.]

Hey, stranger.

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss gave her a faint smile in turn, before she pulled up a stool and took off her hunting bag. Her quiver and her bow went on the counter beside her.]

Hey.

[She looks around.] It looks fine.

[putuporshutup]

How's it going?

[Meg serves up a couple of plates of lunch and joins her on the other side of the bar, since it's slow.]

The bar? I hope so. Just trying to hold down the fort and keep things the same. [She wrinkles her nose.] There's been enough changes lately, don'tcha think?

[the_effect_she_has]

...Quiet. Just the way I like it.

[Katniss pulled up the plate and began to eat. Steadily - but not stuffing her face. She's still got Effie approved manners.]

You're right about that. Far too many changes.

[putuporshutup]

That's good. Gotta take quiet where you can get it around here, huh?

[Meg starts in on hers, too, and damn she's gotten good at this. Seriously, best batch yet. A+ for her, if she does say so herself.]

How long have you been here, anyway?

[the_effect_she_has]

Since there's so little of it? Yes.

[She dug her fork into the food, eating another mouthful. Then she swallowed, enjoying the food for what it was.]

Over a year.

[putuporshutup]

No kidding.

[She smiled wryly and twirled her fork in the pasta absentmindedly.

M had given Meg some advice on who to stick close to, and Katniss was one of those people. She couldn't see any reason not to, especially since Cas trusted her, too.

Not that he was exactly the best judge of character, but he wasn't always horribly wrong.]

You were pretty close with Emma, yeah?

[the_effect_she_has]

[She ate another mouthful of food, grey eyes lifting to Meg, then narrowed. She nodded her head quietly, before swallowing.]

I considered her a mentor ... a teacher. Her and James both. They taught me a lot about control. Knowing how to follow orders instead of letting my temper rule me.

[putuporshutup]

[Meg listened carefully, and her lips twitched up fondly just thinking about the two of them and their considerable skill. Katniss had found good mentors.]

That's a valuable skill to have. Can't tell you how many times I've learned it the hard way myself.

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss's jaw moved, briefly, before she nodded her head. She took another bite of food, making herself eat so she wouldn't start to get too emotional. She had to keep her strength up, after all.]

You aren't the only one.

[putuporshutup]

[Demons have a knack for picking up on emotional anguish, and that's the last thing she wanted to cause here since she was trying to help Katniss feel more at home in the castle. She offered a warm smile in return.]

Then again, sometimes following orders is crap and you have to follow your own intuition.

[the_effect_she_has]

Either way, people can get hurt. But ... better to stand in front of the fire then watch it burn everyone around you.

[She pushed the food around her plate, and took another bite, giving Meg a wan, tired smile.] Besides, the ... victors get to write the history.

[putuporshutup]

I wouldn't always have agreed with that, but I certainly do at this point. [She winks] Just don't tell anyone else from my world, they'll know I've gone soft. [Right, like Cas already didn't.] You gotta fight for who you love. Otherwise, there's really not much point to it all.

[She returns the smile and takes a bite of her own, chewing thoughtfully.] They certainly do.

[the_effect_she_has]

[She smiled a little at that, her lips curving up just at the corners.] Your secret is safe with me. [She paused, her jaw tight for a moment.] I ... yes. I agree with that.

[She smiled again, mostly into her plate, before she took a few more bites.]

[putuporshutup]

[Meg laughs a little] Good to know.

So, you're gonna move back to the castle, huh?

[the_effect_she_has]

[She nodded her head, as she reached for her glass.]

Just for the winter. It's safer, I figure. More or less.

[putuporshutup]

Well, don't be a stranger. You'll have to let me know if I'm doing Emma's recipe book justice.