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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 22:03:44 GMT -7
The past is now another land Far beyond my reach Where timeless joys of childhood Lie broken on the beach Nessa worked nonstop now. She really didn't have anything else to do. She lived in an empty home, had so much money she didn't even know what to do with it, and didn't have an interest in partying like the other victors did. So she did the only thing she liked: working on hovercrafts and racing old cars that they fixed up. She had taken an apprentice, December, who she wasn't too sure if she actually liked the job. She knew from the beginning that the girl was probably only interested getting ready for the Hunger Games, but nonetheless, she enjoyed helping her. It was nice to help someone who didn't know what they were doing, even though she wasn't a fan of children. Ever since she gave her aunt's children up for adoption, she tried to stay away from kids as much as possible. Her guilt was undeniable.
She lived a normal life for a victor. Nessa never took to drugs, was never sad or depressed, or drank her life away. Nessa was only 17, so it was possible that anything could still happen. She had heard rumors of President Snow asking victors to solicit their bodies for the sake of the Capitol, but she hoped she wouldn't get into the fiasco. So far, he hadn't asked her to do that. She knew it was risky racing illegally in the district, but she wasn't hurting anyone. Maybe he didn't care because even the Peacekeepers went to watch the races at night. She was good at staying out of the spotlight, and she was glad to do so.
Nessa got up at 7 am every morning to start her shift and got off at 5, where she would then help December a little more or hang out with her friends. She usually opened the mechanic shop every morning. One day, she wanted to own the shop and she knew she had a good chance to do it. Her morning routine was the usual: take a shower, get dressed, grab her tools, and go to the dock. She had her own garage where she kept her big tools, an extra change of clothes, and blueprints in case she needed them.
She walked to her specific garage, seeing that she didn't close it all the way last night. There was a small gap, in which only a child could fit into, so she wasn't expecting anyone to break in and steal her things. It wasn't like she had much in there anyways, but she still liked the tools she had. When she opened the door and turned on the lights, she stepped back when she saw someone on the floor. Nessa raised an eyebrow and saw December. Had she slept here overnight? The brown-haired teen walked over to her and tapped her arm. "December? Are you alright?" She asked. It was strange that she had slept here, but she knew something could be wrong. She wasn't very good with people, but she tried her best to listen when she could. Especially with people she considered her friend, like December. WORD COUNT: 539 TAG: December Rain NOTES: Hope this is okay! I didn't really know how to start it, but I figured that I would write more once the post gets going.
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Post by December Rain on Jan 31, 2017 8:20:52 GMT -7
December Rain had gotten it into her head that it was somehow her job to save her family, and when she'd inevitably failed, she'd run away. She'd run away from the Malcolms, away from February, even away from November. She didn't want to see any of them anymore, maybe ever if she could avoid it. All of it was so wrong, and maybe February and Draven were right about the Rain family. Maybe all of them - stupid February included - were awful, despicable people.
Last night, December's only thought was getting away from her family. She'd egged a victor's house and yelled at a victor's family too. Maybe little coward Draven could get her thrown in jail for that for real now - but only if he could catch her. She hadn't even realized she'd been running for the mechanic shop until she'd turned the corner onto its street. She'd been apprenticed to Nessarose, and though she wasn't sure she liked the mechanic stuff all that well yet, there was a kind of safety in that place. Her family wouldn't find her there, that was for sure. The shop was a place of tools, of getting stronger and spending time with a victor who didn't think she was worthless and weird. Not yet, anyway. She liked Nessarose too, which was rare for a girl who mostly didn't like anyone. Nessarose would probably make a better sister than all of her other sister's combined.
December was out of breath as she stood in front of the garage that she shared with Nessarose. There was the tiniest of gaps between the bottom of the metal door and the ground, and after a moment, she bent down and pulled up. The door was heavy and not the easiest to move, but December was getting stronger every day. She opened it just enough to fit through, then slid through the hole on her belly. Inside, it was almost completely dark. She knew where the light was, but she liked the dark. It was nice. She walked a few steps into the garage and sat down on the cold floor, hugging her knees to her chest. She wished Lilith were here, so she could clutch the semi-mutilated doll to her chest. Lilith was the only one who really understood everything, and of course December realized that that was just because she was plastic and cloth. Any real, living people wouldn't get it, and that's why she didn't need them. December was crying again, and it was so stupid, these tears. No one could ever see her cry again, but right now, she was alone. Blissfully alone, and she let herself cry.
"December? Are you alright?"
December jerked awake, sliding away from the voice as quickly as she could on instinct. Her heart thundered in her chest. Stupid, stupid, stupid! You let someone sneak up on you! she thought. Her next thought was that this wasn't her bedroom, but there were tools and tables and... the shop. She'd fallen asleep at the shop. She hadn't meant to, really, because she hadn't wanted the one person she actually liked to find her like this. Then her eyes slid to that very person, crouched and looking at her with concern. It almost made December want to cry again, seeing the victor like that after a night like she'd had, but she'd promised herself no more crying. No more.
"I'm fine," December said, her voice dry. She swallowed and stood on shaky legs, then looked down at herself. She was filthy, though a lot of the dirt and grease was from the shop floor. There was red spray paint on her fingertips, and a few dried pieces of rotten egg in her hair. Her cheeks felt sticky from last night's tears, and though she couldn't see it, had left tracks down her dirty cheeks. She looked awful - and probably smelled worse - and Nessarose was seeing her like this. You look like a stupid Rain, she thought and shivered. Resisting the urge to wipe away the dirt, she looked back to her mentor and tried to stand up a little straighter. "I decided I... that I'm going to sleep here. Then I can work before school too." Her voice grew stronger as she spoke, and she hoped that it would be enough to stop Nessarose from being as disgusted with her as everyone else was.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2017 11:14:41 GMT -7
Nessa couldn't sleep last night. It was annoying because she heard yelling over at the Malcolm home. It drove her crazy, but the family over there was dramatic and she hated it. The victor life definitely wasn't for her, especially when it involved drama. Nessa wasn't very good with people in general, so dealing with drama the way that they did next door made her grateful that she wasn't in that situation. She liked her quiet life just as it was before. Maybe she was asking for too much, but at the same time, she won the Hunger Games. She just wanted people not to bother her unless they were people she actually liked. She was never a big fan of the Malcolm's at all, but if they left her alone, that was good with her too.
She looked at December with an eyebrow raised. She was going to keep sleeping here? The situation at her home must have been bad if she was willing to sleep on concrete. Nessa knew that she wouldn't let that happen. She had an empty home that just occupied herself. December wasn't really a child either. From the past few weeks working with her, she could tell that December could take care of herself more than most children could. She was strong and independent, and she could see that the girl might have a lot of potential in her. If she decided not to go into the games, she could make a really good mechanic.
"You're not sleeping here, December. I have an empty home that you can stay in for as long as you need." Nessa wasn't necessarily a super nice person, but she wasn't about to let a little girl sleep outside in a garage that had gasoline on the ground. The only thing Nessa knew about December was that she had a family, but she didn't know anything about them. Nessa wondered if she had problems with her family. She didn't want to ask, but if she did, Nessa would understand completely. The victor didn't even talk to her family anymore. Even when she was young like December, she found every reason to get away from them. They only sucked up to her aunt and treated her like she was some sort of goddess after she won the games. "If you want to talk, I'm willing to listen." WORD COUNT: 401 TAG: December Rain NOTES: Sorry this is so short
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Post by December Rain on Feb 13, 2017 20:20:01 GMT -7
December had come up with the idea of continuing to sleep here on the spot as an excuse, but it really wasn't a bad idea. It was basically impossible for her to get from home to the shop before it was time for school, so it would be good to be able to put in some time early in the morning. If it was up to her, she wouldn't go to school at all, but Nessarose had already said she couldn't just skip it. So she went, but she lived for time in the mechanic shop. It seemed only logical to go from that to actually living in the shop.
Nessarose didn't seem to think it was such a good idea though, and December couldn't help but push back at the rejection. "You don't have to pity me," she responded, really before she could even give what Nessarose said any thought. "I can take care of myself." The last thing December wanted was anyone's pity, thinking she was just some poor Rain kid that couldn't do anything because her parents hadn't known when to stop popping them out. What she did she wanted to earn. It's how she'd gotten anything really, and the thing that victors were supposed to do. She hated herself for falling asleep in the shop, for still being here when Nessarose came in the morning because she must look so pathetic right now.
On the other hand though, living with Nessarose might be nice. She actually liked Nessarose, and she'd get a glimpse into what her own future lifestyle would be like. February had gone off to live with a victor, so why not December? If there was one thing she'd learned for certain last night, it was that family loyalty meant nothing. February had said that they weren't sisters, not anymore. Well, fine. She didn't have to be a sister to any of her other ten siblings either. November would probably be happier without her creepy twin, and the rest of them probably would barely notice. But she wouldn't do it because of pity, and she wouldn't beg for it. She didn't think she could even ask for it, but if Nessarose offered again, maybe she'd take it. With conditions. And hard work. And she'd have to be extra, extra careful not to do anything Rain-y and dumb while she stayed there.
Nessarose spoke again and December folded her arms over her chest, more an involuntary attempt to hug herself than something angry or stubborn. "There's nothing to talk about," December said, too forcefully. "I just have a stupid family that doesn't know how to be a family." She felt like crying, again, and she wondered if she'd ever stop feeling like that. In order to stop herself, she decided to keep talking. "You don't always have to be so nice to me all the time, you know. I know what I am and you don't have to pretend to like me just because I'm only eight years old. I'm your 'prentice and I can take whatever you give me." It'll always be better than anything else I've ever got, she added to herself.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2017 16:50:43 GMT -7
When December spoke about Nessa pitying her, she laughed a little. Nessa never pitied anyone, no matter their age or status. The only person she really felt sorry for was Apollo, the boy who fought along side her in the games. He didn't deserve a death by the meanest tribute in the games, and she wished that he could've at least made it to the final two. She felt honored by him and that, if it wasn't for him, she probably would've died and the boy from District One would have won. Nessa didn't lead a bad life per se, but she led a life where misfortunes happened to her. Even though she went through some bad things, she never pitied herself. She didn't pity December either.
Nessa shrugged. "I know you can take care of yourself, trust me. You take better care of yourself more than a lot of people here." It was true. Some of the guys who worked at the shop spent all of their money on alcohol while others had to be put on packaging duty because they couldn't put an engine in right. December, in Nessa's eyes, was more than capable of taking care of herself and doing what was necessary to survive. She had a Games mindset, even wanting to go into the games eventually, and knew that December wanted to prove some kind of worth. Nessa knew that feeling all too well when she moved out of her parents home.
She then listened to December talk about her family, even if it was just one sentence. An 8-year-old girl shouldn't have too much family drama, Nessa figured, but December's must have been different. It also was probably drastic, considering she slept on a concrete floor for the night. She wondered what Ben would think. Would he think that she was a hypocrite for taking in an eight-year-old girl and not being able to raise two-year-old twins? Her parents assumed that Nessa was going to take care of them, but she didn't. She couldn't, not for what Amelia did to her. She didn't even acknowledge her in the games, much less try to team up with her own niece. She was only out for herself. Taking in her kids would've been wrong, though Nessa regrets it sometimes. She was relieved when the twins ended up living with her parents, and she hadn't gotten in contact with them since.
Nessa squatted to get down to December's eye level. She hated looking down at her and felt like it was disrespectful in a way. "I know I don't have to be nice to you or have to like you, but I want to and do. You deserve all of the respect everyone else has here, no matter how different or young you are in comparison to everyone else. Why would I be mean when neither of us have anything to gain from it? I want you to talk to me so I can help you, just like I would help you when we're working." Nessa really meant the words she said. She really did enjoy having her around and wouldn't mind if she ended up staying with her. WORD COUNT: 536 TAG: December Rain
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Post by December Rain on Feb 16, 2017 8:36:23 GMT -7
December flinched a little as Nessarose initially laughed at her words. Maybe not everyone thought she could take care of herself, but it wasn't funny. She felt her anger start to come and she welcomed it, because she liked anger. She knew what to do with anger. Then the older girl spoke and her anger evaporated almost immediately. Not only had Nessarose just agreed with December, but said she was even better than the older people here. "That's right," she agreed firmly, as if it were still a thing that was being contested. A smile tried to tug its way onto December's lips, but she didn't let the smile really form.
It was pretty unusual for December to say everything that she had to anyone. If it wasn't for everything that had happened last night, and because she woke up here, she certainly wouldn't have. People mostly didn't like the Rains, and so it was logical that any of their family stuff stayed in the family. Plus, December never talked about what she felt. Sure, she could talk about anything related to the Games or what she'd be one day, but she didn't ever tell people that she was lonely or angry or sad. She hadn't really told Nessarose that either, but it felt like she was on the edge of that, and that was scary.
Nessarose squatted down to her level, and December had to fight the urge to take a step back. Nessarose hadn't actually come any closer, but at that level, it felt like she was. Bigger people tended to lord their height over her all the time, whether they meant to or not. It often felt like they meant it. December still had a long ways to grow - she hoped, at least - and she looked forward to actually being a decent height one day. But people that had their height didn't usually try to come back down to hers. Then Nessarose spoke, and December squinted a little, trying to find the trick in those words. There had to be a trick, only she didn't know what it was. Maybe she wasn't smart enough to see it yet. She knew she wasn't smart when it came to reading people, but she hadn't minded that much. Reading people wasn't important when you planned to win the Hunger Games all by yourself. She wasn't planning for allies or anything.
There were several quiet moments after Nessarose spoke as December tried to figure it out, but it didn't make sense. Nessarose was right, as far as December could tell, in that she couldn't see what her mentor would gain from being mean to her. It was just what people did. Even her nicest siblings seemed to do little more than tolerate her. December just didn't understand why things were different with Nessarose, and so she did the only thing she could think of to do, short of just getting out of here. "Why?" she asked. "It's not the same. We fix machines. You can't fix my family, or me. I don't want to be a complainer, because nobody likes a complainer. April complains all the time and it's so annoying. Real victors don't need to talk about things because they can handle everything all on their own." She wanted to ask why to some of the other things she said, but she kept her mouth shut after that. She felt like she had to be very careful with her questions; even when they were working, December like to try and figure it out before she asked, and that was always hard. Maybe if they kept talking, December could figure out why exactly Nessarose Grove, a victor who probably had a million friends and everything she could want, was being nice to her.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2017 13:08:11 GMT -7
Nessa's only useful attribute was being able to read people. It was something she always knew how to do. She usually only did it if she really wanted to know something about a person and preferred not to read her friends. In the games, that skill really didn't come in handy considering she had a half of an ally, in which they only teamed up at the very end because of the circumstances they were put in. She really didn't know how she won the games. Hiding and being in the right places paid off, she figured, because Nessa really had no real skills except fixing cars and racing--neither of which were practical in the games. She didn't know why December wanted to learn from her considering she wasn't a ruthless tribute, but nonetheless, she would do everything she could to help her.
She remembered having terrible nights when she lived with her father and stepmother. She would yell at her father and tell him that the woman he married was selfish and awful, but he would never listen. Those nights were the worse Nessa had experienced. All her stepmother wanted was money from her aunt and the fame that came with being the family of a victor. This resentment steamed onto her whole family, including Amelia and the twins. She knew it was unfair for Nessa to judge her whole family that way, but she was better off without them. She had learned to take care of herself without anyone else helping her. She could relate to what December was going through, as Nessa had the same thoughts and feelings when she was eleven and twelve. Those feelings never really went away, either. It made her more mature and grow up faster than a lot of children in District 6.
December then started talking about April,who must have been her sister. It was interesting to hear that she had a family member who was also named after a month. She wondered how many other siblings she had. Nessa had grown up an only child, so she couldn't imagine having trouble with a brother or sister. Unlike friends, they would be stuck with their siblings forever. She wondered if December felt that way with her family.
"I don't want to fix you," Nessa said, shrugging. "Like you said, fixing is for machines and engines, not people. You can't change who you are no matter how you try, and why would I want to fix you? You're a very smart girl." December had been smarter than Nessa thought she would be, and she tended to pick things up very quickly. "Every victor needs some kind of help or someone to talk to. I'm going to tell you some things because I think you can handle it. Some victors don't think they need help, so they turn to alcohol. Others turn to morphling. All of the sane victors have friends or family that they can lean on if they need help. Even though I seem independent, I have friends that I can talk to. Everybody needs someone, no matter if they're a victor or an apprentice." It was true. Ben was someone she could ask for help without feeling annoying. Though her family wasn't in her life, she had friends that she could turn to no matter what kind of circumstance it was. WORD COUNT: 566 TAG: December Rain
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Post by December Rain on Feb 20, 2017 16:43:18 GMT -7
If it had been any other person in Panem, December wouldn't have stayed to listen to all of this. She would have been gone almost as soon as this conversation started, because there was no one else she respected like Nessarose. It was true that the older girl hadn't been the best tribute in the arena, or the one December might have chosen if she had her pick from all of them. Nessarose had won through hiding, through being in the right places, through evading other tributes. It wasn't at all how December intended to win one day, but the fact remained that she had won. Whatever Nessarose did had worked, and so that was of course what drew December initially to her. It had gained a sort of instant respect from her, and was the only reason December had come on as her apprentice.
What December felt toward Nessarose now was more than just respect for her Hunger Games. Nessarose was likable, but she wasn't a pushover. She was a hard worker, but she wasn't mean. And right now, when it would be so easy for her to think the worst of December, she was actually being nice. All of this was of course confusing for a girl who was used to being disliked, and disliking everyone else. So when Nessarose spoke now, December really tried to listen. What she said was a complete shock to her. Not every victor was perfect; December knew that. Amelia had been an airhead. Annie Cresta was completely crazy. Lex Malcolm was really a spoiled jerk. Primrose Everdeen and Matthias Jensen were little weaklings that shouldn't have won. Pyra Elswood had cried over every little thing at the end of her Games. Despite all of that, December saw each victor as their own little island. They had done something to win against 23 other kids, and somehow, that gave them a sort of perfect quality. Pyra was deadly with a trident, so a few tears were okay. Primrose and Matthias had been able to fight when they needed to, so they got a pass too. Lex had been ferocious, Annie was physically so strong, and Amelia was still a killer. Their lives could only be perfect after that, as December saw her life one day being.
It felt wrong that a victor's life wasn't perfect. But why would Nessarose lie about that? She was a victor herself, and she knew about December's dream. Why would she try to crush that? December had seen drunks and drug addicts. They were some of the worst kinds of people, tucked into the worst corners of the district. "I don't want to be like those first ones when I win," December said, her voice shaky. She remembered one time February had come home drunk. It was kind of funny at first, since her sister was all loopy and weirdly nice. She'd even said that maybe December wasn't so bad. But then she just kept asking crazy, and it stopped being funny. She wasn't really February anymore, she was something else. Something like the drunks in the street, and it made December feel icky that her sister might become that.
February. February wasn't her sister anymore. December's eyes filled with tears this time before she even realized it, and a few slid down her cheeks. It was February and it was all the victors, and it was last night and it was every night. December hugged herself even tighter, her fingernails digging into her own back. When she registered the pain, she only pressed harder, welcoming the pain as if it was something that could help her. Maybe it was. "They all hate me," December said, her voice soft but each word a struggle. "Course I knew that, but maybe if I could save February, it would be good. But I couldn't and everything's worse now." She'd started rocking a little, her eyes locked at someplace on the floor. She could feel the warmth of blood rising under her fingertips, but it only fueled her. "February's not my sister anymore, and the Malcolms will probably arrest me today. November's better without me, and the rest of them don't care. I can't go back. I just need to be better now. I still need to win." She knew she wasn't telling to story right, but it was hard to say even that much. She couldn't look at Nessarose at all as she spoke, but that she spoke at all meant something. She didn't know what good it would do, but somehow saying the words out loud and really feeling pain was helping a bit.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2017 18:17:29 GMT -7
December had been someone that she least expected to work in the shop and be pretty good at it. Normally, kids her age were still trying to figure out multiplication tables and why exactly the Dark Days happened. School had never been Nessa's favorite thing, but she still had to go--at least until after the Hunger Games. She wondered if December was good at school. The girl was very smart, and she knew what she wanted in her life. Nessa figured that there would be no changing December's mind about going into the games, though she really wouldn't want to convince her. If that was her dream, the victor wouldn't be the one to say that it was awful to want to do that. In reality, it was an honorable dream, and the Capitol would enjoy the girl's dedication.
When the girl spoke to her, her voice had seemed off. Nessa knew that there was some underlying issues with December, and she really wanted her to talk to her. Since the games, she had become better with people. Before, she usually brushed them off, not wanting to care or get wrapped up in anything emotional. But after the games, she felt like she needed to become her own person and not let the hatred of her family steam off of her. Yes, she had been mad at Amelia and still was, but she had let most of that anger go in place of compassion. She felt like the mother in her friend group even though she was the youngest. Yes, she was the only girl, but she was there to talk to them if they needed anything. She would especially be there for December, because she respected the girl and knew what it was like being in her shoes. "I know you won't be like them. Do you know why? Because you're the strongest person I've ever met. You can do anything no matter how hard it is. Don't let anyone forget that."
Nessa then saw December get teary eyed and start to cry. The girl also hugged herself. The victor knew the girl had a hard shell, and she was glad that she could be there for her to let some of it out. She talked about them all hating her. Nessa assumed that "they" were her siblings and her family. She felt empathy for the girl. The victor then hugged the girl. Though she normally wouldn't hug December, she felt like she needed to. "Nobody's going to arrest you. If they try to, I'll make them go away. But maybe going away isn't a solution. Maybe you should confront your family and talk to them. The way you talk, it really seems like you care about them no matter how mad they make you." She knew that sometimes running away was the only answer, but with December, Nessa believed that it would only make matters worse. It was ultimately her decision though. WORD COUNT: 488 TAG: December Rain
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Post by December Rain on Feb 28, 2017 12:20:42 GMT -7
If December wouldn't have already been on the verge of crying because of the family she'd lost and her own failure, she definitely would be there because of what her mentor was telling her now. "...you're the strongest person I've ever met." No one had said anything half as good as that to December before, not even December herself. She knew she was going to be strong, that she was going to be the best tribute and victor the Hunger Games had ever seen, but she wasn't anything yet. All she did tell herself was that she wasn't a total nothing, and if someone was going to call her that - or weird, or a freak, or a barbaric little street urchin - she was going to fight back. No one had said she already was strong, and Nessarose had said not only that, but that she was the strongest ever. It could have been a trick, but December was starting to think that Nessarose would never trick her.
The tears fell with a will of their own. She would have thought her tears were all dried up after yesterday, but apparently sleep had restored them. Then Nessarose hugged her, a move that startled December and initially made her stiffen a bit. People didn't hug her, and she was under the pretty distinct impression that she didn't like being hugged. Soft people hugged each other. April and May hugged literally everything, and when November was upset, she'd hug this big stuffed bear so tight that December thought it might explode. As Nessarose hugged her now, she couldn't let go of herself, partly from shock and partly so she wouldn't get blood all over her teacher if she tried to hug her back. She did relax after a moment though, deciding that if it was okay for anyone to hug her, it would be Nessarose.
Despite how close she was feeling to her teacher right now, December wasn't sure she could take the next piece of advice. She shook her head. "No," she said, actually looking Nessarose in the face now. "I don't want to be a Rain anymore." She released one of her hands without thinking to wipe away some of the tears on her cheeks. She saw the red at the edge of her vision and smelled a bit of that metallic tang. She wanted to tuck the hand away again, but instead just looked at it. She wasn't going to hide this either - at least, not right in front of Nessarose. She wasn't going to taste it at least, though. There wasn't much of it, but the blood on her fingertips was bright red, more familiar than anything she had seen last night or this morning. Most people would shy away from blood, but December was drawn to it. She had been for as long as she could remember, because it was the obvious outcome to certain situations. When she hurt, she bled, and so did other people.
December stepped back and released her other hand, which looked similar to the first. She looked at it too, then lowered both hands, clutching them into fists. Then she looked at Nessarose again. "I want to be something else, Nessarose," she said. "My family doesn't want me, but you do. You still do, right?" She swallowed. "I want to be a Grove."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2017 23:01:51 GMT -7
Nessa never had many family members to begin with. Her family was small, but with two victors in only a three-year span, they were a well-known family. It was Nessa, who was an only child. Amelia, who was her deceased aunt. Frankie, who was her father. And her step-mother, who she didn't even associate herself with her. The twins had been a new edition, if Nessa could even call them that. Nessa wanted to have children someday, when she was older and more patient with kids. Though with December around, she had a different viewpoint on children. Maybe it was just December and how she could take care of herself, or maybe it was just her getting a little older and a little wiser.
When December said she didn't want to be a Rain anymore, she understood completely. It was sad to see December like that at such a young age. Nessa didn't want to be a Grove who was only associated with her aunt, so she redefined herself and her name. Maybe that was exactly what December needed. She was going into the games and was very passionate about winning, but if December wanted to be someone else, she needed to do something that would stand out from the crowd. It was difficult since she was only nine, but maybe Nessa could come up with something.
Before she could speak again, December said something that even she didn't expect. I want to be a Grove, December said. Nessa couldn't say anything and just knelt there in silence for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to say. "Of course I still want you, December. You're the best apprentice anyone could ask for." It was true. She might have been a little impatient, but she was hardworking and could handle herself. "But you don't want to be a Grove, trust me. People didn't even know my name before the games and would call me 'Amelia Grove's Niece.' I don't want that for you. I want you to become your own person, and though your family might make you mad, you can make your own name--December--mean something." Nessa really wanted to help December in the best way possible, and she felt like she was doing it this way.
"I don't want you to be someone else and you shouldn't want that either. You're hardworking, determined, and you really want the best for yourself. You're not just another Rain child. You're December. You should be proud of who you are, especially if you're going to win the games. You'll need that confidence when you're trying to win sponsors," Nessa said with a half smile.Nessa wished she had half the confidence as December did now. She wanted the best for December, and if December wanted to be a Grove, Nessa would take her in. But she wanted to help her be her own person now. WORD COUNT: 490 TAG: December Rain
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District 6
Unsure
8 Years Old
Relationship:
Kids are icky
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
Aug 12, 2021 19:46:12 GMT -7
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Post by December Rain on Apr 23, 2017 18:46:13 GMT -7
In the few moments of silence between Decembers declaration and Nessarose's answer, the little girl felt taut as a string. Right now was one of the most terrifying moments in her young life, and that wasn't because someone was chasing her or throwing things at her or yelling at her. No, it was terrifying because she was so vulnerable. At any moment, her mentor could snap at December and tell her to stop being such a big baby. At any moment, Nessarose could be revolted at something she did - at making herself bleed, at crying, at smelling and looking terribly. It felt like any moment could be the last one in which she felt accepted by someone, and breaking that thread could shatter her like nothing else ever had. Admitting what she had already thought - that she would rather be a Grove than a Rain - felt like the height of it all.
December let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding when Nessarose finally spoke. She hadn't changed her mind yet. She did still think December was worth something. But she didn't think December should be a Grove too. She shook, just a little, and made herself listen to why. She had to listen, really listen, to Nessarose at least. Her mentor deserved that, and so much more. And it was good that she did. Nessarose talked to her not like she was a 8-year-old apprentice, but like she was a person. She was still saying things about December that the girl had never heard before, things about herself. She had always wanted so badly to be something, and she still didn't know how to react when someone thought that she already was.
So, December just took her advice. She stood up a little straighter, releasing her fingers from the fists are her sides. She didn't smile - that would have been too much - but she did relax her face from its sadness and anger. "You're right, Nessa. Nessarose," she amended quickly. Nessarose still deserved respect. "I'm December. I'm going to win the Hunger Games, and any sponsor who doesn't choose me is going to regret it." She didn't need to be a Grove or a Rain. They'd used her full name in the Games, sure - they always did. But if anyone asked, she was just December. Not December Evelyn Rain. No Deci. Not street urchin or freak or rat. December.
December nodded, as if deciding something. She turned away from Nessarose and went to the sink at the back of the room. She turned on the water, letting it run over her hands. The water turned pink as it rinsed away the blood, and she couldn't help but watch it. Maybe Nessarose hadn't even noticed it, or maybe victors were immune to blood. Or maybe victors had the same fascination with it that December did. Whatever it was, she needed to do something with her hands now, and that meant cleaning up and washing away last night. When shes was done, she turned back to the older girl. "Let's work on that bike the fat guy brought in yesterday." He'd had a name, and December had heard it, but she'd forgotten it. And "fat guy" was probably one of the nicer things she could have chosen to call him. "I bet I can reattach the brake cable by myself this time."
WC: 563 Tag: @nessa Notes: Potential end of thread? Man, Nessa is too good to this girl.
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