driftfleet | mopingjay

Who: Nova & Friends/CR/passersby
Broadcast: None
Action: the First Breath and the Iskaulit gardens
When: Today

[ It's been days since anyone has last seen or heard from Nova, though her name is still on the ship register. Notably, Stiles' name is not. Any attempts to contact her via the comms have been hung up on or ignored. She hasn't even been out to the kitchen, let alone any of the other shared spaces on the First Breath. If a worried party were to come into her room uninvited, she wouldn't protest. Or move from staring at the wall, probably. There's evidence she's eaten, likely from packs of food squirreled away around her room, but the girl is not exactly thriving. She looks exhausted and frankly could use a shower.

At some point, she somehow makes her way over to the gardens on the Iskaulit. She craves the solace of the woods, but lacking that, this will have to do. She finds an out-of-the-way spot and sits, barefoot and in her pajamas, running the dirt through her fingers. Girl looks rough, is all. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Is it?

[He finds a seat, cleans it off, and then turns it around to face her. He pulls himself into it, and gives her a quiet, 'I am listening' look.]

How is it more complicated?

[ she stares intently at the wall off to the side, fingers picking at her sheet ]

We had... a plan.

Now I have to go back.

[He looks at her, intently, before he asks quietly.]

Was the plan to stay together, no matter what?

[ she liked him, a lot, but there's so much more. she does slide her eyes to look at him, steely and stormy; her voice firmer than it has been to this point ]

To get me and Primrose away from Panem and never go back.

Primrose is ... your daughter? Your sister?

[He folded his hands atop his knee, his gaze thoughtful.]

Did you have a way to accomplish this? If so ... I know it seems desperate now, but there are those of us who would help you accomplish this, in Stiles's stead.

My sister. Four years younger.

And... we were someplace before we were here. It would've been easier going from there. There were people who could go between the worlds... Now I wouldn't even know what world to go to. If I did find Stiles' world... He has his own life. He doesn't need me just showing up.

[He looks more thoughtful, then looks over at her.]

If he remembers you, Nova ... then he is going to want to be with you. I saw the two of you together. That was real, as real as anything is here. In any case -- if I can? I will help you save your sister as well.

[Someone ought to have a happy family.]

[ she looks at her hands ]

Thanks.

[ she doesn't seem heartened by it, though. no shade to tyrion. she's just determined to be sad ]

Hey there, Nova.

[His voice is soft.]

I know nothing I say, or do, will make this any better ... or easier, or suddenly bring a smile to her face. But believe me, you can survive this. You know you have to.

I survive. Apparently, it's one of the only things I'm good at.

Maybe I should just go by Katniss.

What a strange coincidence ... so do I.

[He frowns for a moment.]

Who is Katniss?

I am. It's my name.

[ she tips her head back, looking at the ceiling ]

My name from home. Before I was here, I was at another place, called Aather. They took our memories away and we had to win them back in games. Before I remembered my actual name, I went by Nova.

Aather is where Stiles and I met. He kept calling me Nova, so I kept going by it. Maybe because I got caught up in pretending to be someone else.

[He rubs his beard at that, before stating quietly.]

But who are you now? Are you Nova, or are you Katniss? Are you the same woman you were in Panem that you are here?

How am I supposed to answer that?

[One corner of his mouth lifted up.]

If you cannot answer it -- then you should probably think on it.

[A pause.]

Something that you could probably do more effectively with some food. And a shower.

That bad, huh?

[ a... faint glimmer of humor there ]

My dear Nova ... I smelled only slightly worse after being in a dungeon for a month. Consider that.

Gee, thanks.

[ she picks at some of the food he brought in. getting food in her before standing in warm water is probably a good plan ]

What are friends for?

[He bows again, smiling a little himself as she begins to eat.]

[ she nibbles. it's a process ]

In the dungeon for the murders you were framed for? Or something?

Well ... yes. Although I did have some rather selfish friends involved in that.

[He rubs his chin thoughtfully.]

How do you mean?

Oh, I had asked for trial by combat to prove my innocence. Nearly worked, too ... if the Hound hadn't crushed my Snakish friend. Alas, he was only there to get revenge on the Hound for killing his sister, so perhaps it would have turned out better for him if he had, say, concentrated more.

...

You know I only got like half of that, right?

...

Yes the story does lose quite a bit in context. Let me sum up - when I was accused of my nephew's murder, I had no one on my side except one person who agreed to fight for me. Except he wasn't fighting for me, he was fighting to avenge the death of his sister, who just happened to be the man who was chosen to fight against me.

(no subject)

takeabow - 2016-06-04 17:56 (UTC) - Expand

tallasaking - 2016-06-05 02:04 (UTC) - Expand