Dictated/Action

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss has been silent for a good six days from the time of nightmares. Curled up in a corner of her room, her journal closed and her eyes shut tight, she had been trying to drag herself back from the edge of insanity, from the edge of bad dreams. She slept, poorly, and ate what little she had in her room, but nothing more. All she could see was a series of deaths - hers and others - going forward in a bloody string...

And every time it started again, she would start the mantra.

I am Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I have only fought in two Hunger Games. Peeta is not dead. Gale is not dead. Rue is not dead. Cinna is not dead... through all her friends and those she met only once, again and again, before she would whisper, I am not dead. I am not dead.

Her voice was hoarse, by the sixth day, because sometimes she had screamed it.]

[On the sixth day though, she turned on her radio and leaned her head against the cool stone of the wall, listening to music. She stretched out her legs, her arms, and sighed softly as she sang.]

[And as she did, the journal flipped open.]

Some nights I stay in cashing in my bad luck,
Some nights I call it a draw,
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know anymore...
oh woah, oh woah, oh woah oh oh...

[She trailed off, and rubbed a hand over her face, before she breathed in deeply and pushed herself to her feet unsteadily.]

Time to be real again, Everdeen.

Comments

Dictated

[hullo_sweetie]

Katniss, right?

Dictated

[the_effect_she_has]

[She jerks with surprise at the sound of writing, and glowers at the open journal. Did this thing never stay shut on its own?]

[She walked over to the basin to wash herself up a little before she went to bath. Just splashing water.] Yes. That's me. Who's this?

Dictated

[hullo_sweetie]

It's me. River Song? From my nightmare.... I just wanted to thank you for helping me.

Re: Dictated

[the_effect_she_has]

Oh.

[Those Silence things were going to rest in her nightmares for years to come ... but ...]

S'nothing. You're welcome.

[There's a pause in the writing, before the words curve awkwardly.] You okay now?

Dictated

[hullo_sweetie]

I'm doing...better. The Silence stole me away when I was just an infant. I guess we never really get rid of our childhood fears sometimes.

[waterproofed]

Hey, Katniss. [totally casual]

[the_effect_she_has]

[Katniss twitched as another person popped up on her journal - at least now she was clean and on her way to becoming clothed.]

Hey, yourself.

[A pause, then a careful look.] ... Percy?

[waterproofed]

Yep, that's me. Sorry that we had to meet like that.

[the_effect_she_has]

[She snorted softly.] Yeah, well, it's how I meet all my good friends - in the middle of war zones.

[She pulled her knees up to her chin, quiet.] You okay?

dictated;

[likebreathing]

No offense, but that stuff's crap.

[Don't mind him, he's still angry at the castle and venting it on others.]

Re: dictated;

[the_effect_she_has]

Uh.

[She raised both eyebrows at the journal, now bathed and clean, as she braided her hair. It was getting long again -- not the point. Guy was giving her grief.]

Okay. Sorry you think so?

[likebreathing]

[Said guy does like to do that.]

That what you usually write? Or listen to?

[He hasn't gotten the hang of this weird journal stuff yet so he's squinting at his own journal trying to figure out what the text is supposed to be..]

[the_effect_she_has]

I usually don't listen to anything, because we don't have a lot of music players on the Seam. Or in District 13. [Only when she was in the Capital, had there been such luxuries.]

But it's on, I'm listening to it. I like Mark's music. [Defensive for her friend? Just a little.]

[fantasies]

[He didn't have any nightmares, and he's quietly grateful for it, even if his sleep was still fitful. Watching the journals the past few days....

His voice is soft.]

You okay?

[the_effect_she_has]

[She presses her lips together - grateful she had never seen Henry in the Games.]

Better, now. You?

[fantasies]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. A little better, I guess.

[A pause. He feels like he should clarify.]

I was just asleep. Before.

[the_effect_she_has]

Okay ... that's good. A little better is better than nothing at all, right?

[She pursed her lips, silently relieved. She would have hated to think of Henry being trapped in nightmares.]

I'm glad.

[squirrelhunter]

You okay?

[That voice'll sound familiar, sleepy, and slightly pissed off. You woke him from a nap. Again.]

[the_effect_she_has]

Been better. You?

[Quiet, a little soft. But hey, slightly pissed off Daryl is better than dead Daryl.]

[squirrelhunter]

Still fuckin' hurts t'move.

[Duh. You've got a broken collarbone, genius.]

[the_effect_she_has]

Should have thought of that before you went off into the woods, huh?

[Faint smirk, but then.] ... You need food?

Voice

[jimfromit]

[Oh hai, here's a voice you probably didn't want to hear from again.]

And heres me thinking you were still asleep.

Re: Voice

[the_effect_she_has]

[Her lips curve up into a sharp smile, as she feels that chug of adreneline.]

Here's me wishing something happened to you while I did. Awww.

[jimfromit]

You know normally people start with a "how are you?"

[the_effect_she_has]

Yes, but I think we'd both agree, we're not normal people.