'At least there's food.' A kid this young has no business saying anything like that. Cute little girls aren't supposed to starve.
Maybe I was just biased now that I had one of my own.
"Yeah, sometimes having people there with you is the only thing that stops your life from being a total hell."
I suddenly felt like Michael should be here. He'd know how to comfort the kid. I don't work well with kids. Never have. For a number of reasons.
One of which was pretty quickly becoming obvious. I'm on the far end of six and a half feet tall. The kid was all but craning her neck to look at me. She was clearly suffering, so I went ahead and sat down, and hoped she wouldn't send me the medical bill for whiplash.
Of course I didn't. The day anybody or anything in the universe gave Harry Dresden a straight answer, I'd have to shoot myself like the drunk dog in the old cartoon who's seen everything.
"Don't worry, kid. I'm sure you'll do fine. Usually even total bastards are nice to kids."
The lie made me feel like a total bastard. And I was lying to a kid, no less, thus disproving my own point. But the poor girl was probably terrified, and she seemed like she'd had enough of that.
[Rue doesn't think so. She's seen the Peacekeepers, saw what they did to Martin, and he didn't mean any harm to anyone. He just wanted to play with some glasses and they killed him for it.
But she's also learned when to keep quiet. Don't say anything that'll get you in trouble.]
Okay. She didn't get it. Still better than thinking I'm an asshole, so I'll take it.
"Alright, sorry. Yeah, some people will still be bastards regardless of your age, but some people will still be good. It'll surprise you sometimes, the people who can be good."
Just don't tell anybody I said that, kid. I have a reputation as a die-hard cynic to uphold.
[And she wants to go, she wants to go so badly. Because if Rue can be there, maybe Prim can. What she wouldn't give to see her little duck one more time.]
Yeah. We could. [Try at least. Depending on who is there.] Is anyone else there?
Not much. Mun says they're called the... [Her brow scrunches together in thought, trying to remember the name.] Mal-nosso. No one really knows anything about them, but I've heard they're like the Gamemakers.
I know. I've seen what some of the others have had to gone through. She's worse than a Gamemaker.
She says they send droids [Said in the kind of tone where she doesn't know the word, but is simply repeating it.] after you and then you have to do experiments. Or they drag you off to fight in their wars! I don't want to fight anymore, Katniss.
[Droids. It's an unfamiliar word to her too and almost immediately, she conjures up the idea of some horrible muttation. It would make sense. What else would Gamemakers send after them?]
You're not going to, Rue. I promise. You're never, ever going to have to fight again.
[Because she'll volunteer if she has to. She failed to save Rue in the arena. It's not a mistake she's going to make twice.]
You shouldn't have to either, Katniss. If those droids come for us, we'll run fast and stay away from them. They can't take us in if they can't catch us!
[She takes Rue's hand and holds tightly, as if that one gesture can protect Rue from whatever else the world will throw at them.]
There's no guarantee we'll be faster. Remember what we did with the Career's food stash? One of us'll create a distraction while the other goes to get help.
[She remembers. It worked, but then there was the trap set by the Bow from District 1. She remembers, and for a moment it's all she can remember. Her hand holds Katniss' tighter.]
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Screw it, I'm doing this.
\o/
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SURPROSE
Maybe I was just biased now that I had one of my own.
"Yeah, sometimes having people there with you is the only thing that stops your life from being a total hell."
I suddenly felt like Michael should be here. He'd know how to comfort the kid. I don't work well with kids. Never have. For a number of reasons.
One of which was pretty quickly becoming obvious. I'm on the far end of six and a half feet tall. The kid was all but craning her neck to look at me. She was clearly suffering, so I went ahead and sat down, and hoped she wouldn't send me the medical bill for whiplash.
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[She smiles slightly when he sits. Much easier to see now that he's not towering over her.]
Are you going there too?
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Of course I didn't. The day anybody or anything in the universe gave Harry Dresden a straight answer, I'd have to shoot myself like the drunk dog in the old cartoon who's seen everything.
"Don't worry, kid. I'm sure you'll do fine. Usually even total bastards are nice to kids."
The lie made me feel like a total bastard. And I was lying to a kid, no less, thus disproving my own point. But the poor girl was probably terrified, and she seemed like she'd had enough of that.
At least there'll be food. Sure.
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But she's also learned when to keep quiet. Don't say anything that'll get you in trouble.]
Yes, sir.
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"Don't call me sir, I work for a living."
I try to smile. Look at me, I'm charming and friendly.
And then I remember that on my best day I look like a drug addict to most people, and that my smile is probably more like a leer.
Gee, Harry, any other brilliant ideas to make this kid feel worse?
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"Alright, sorry. Yeah, some people will still be bastards regardless of your age, but some people will still be good. It'll surprise you sometimes, the people who can be good."
Just don't tell anybody I said that, kid. I have a reputation as a die-hard cynic to uphold.
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She hates the words but she can't lie.]
It's still a game, Rue. All of this. It's just a game to them. You need to be on your guard. You need to survive.
["This one" is left unsaid.]
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I know! It's a forest so there's lots of places I can hide, a lake too!
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Good. That's really good. Weapons?
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But you still have to be careful. Promise me.
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We could be allies again.
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We could be! And if others come, we wouldn't have to fight! We could all work together.
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Yeah. We could. [Try at least. Depending on who is there.] Is anyone else there?
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He'd need me.
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The false confidence comes across much easier than she expects.]
Of course we would, Rue. You and me and Peeta? No one would be able to stop us.
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Could we fly?
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If we can trust them.
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We'll have to avoid them then. The Mal-nosso. We don't need to be pawns to any more Gamemakers.
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She says they send droids [Said in the kind of tone where she doesn't know the word, but is simply repeating it.] after you and then you have to do experiments. Or they drag you off to fight in their wars! I don't want to fight anymore, Katniss.
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You're not going to, Rue. I promise. You're never, ever going to have to fight again.
[Because she'll volunteer if she has to. She failed to save Rue in the arena. It's not a mistake she's going to make twice.]
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You shouldn't have to either, Katniss. If those droids come for us, we'll run fast and stay away from them. They can't take us in if they can't catch us!
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There's no guarantee we'll be faster. Remember what we did with the Career's food stash? One of us'll create a distraction while the other goes to get help.
But it's my turn to be the distraction, okay?
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Watch out for traps.
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Don't worry. Gale - [And it doesn't quite hurt to say his name right now.] - taught me all I know about traps.
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And you'll teach me too?
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