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Post by Seryna on Oct 19, 2014 14:40:46 GMT -5
See earlier years: shadowclaw.proboards.com/thread/10051/beatrienne-game-makersBeatrienne walks among streets that once were familiar as the back of her hand. Her visits have become more seldom, now. She sees children whose names she does not know. It causes her a pang of pain. The woman returns to the home of her husband's mother. From within, the sounds of happy shouts and conversation is heard. It has been too long since Pyrene had seen her grandchildren. Beatrienne turns and walks towards the fields. Would people take a break so close to Reaping Day? Would they stare at her? Had they heard the Peaemaker respectfully bow to her with a respectful 'Gamemaker'? She'd worked so hard for it; but here it could destroy her. Or affect old Pyrene and her life here. Beatrienne wanders to her old house. Once they had officially accepted hr to the Capital, her house had been given to a newly married couple. Her husband's fields were given to his brother. She knew he missed the land. It was another sacrifice to lay down at the feet of the Capital. "Beatrienne." "Lyme." Beatrienne knows the woman's voice before she turns. "How are you?" "Well." Lyme states. The two women stand apart from one another, surveying. "You've come for the Reaping?" "Yes." Lyme presses her lips together. Much goes unsaid in the beat of silence that stretches between them. A young boy, sweaty and covered with the aftermath of the field, pauses as he sees them. The regal and beuatiful Beatrienne, wearing a simple green tunic and brown pants. The pants are embroidered with wheat chaff that she had not seen in three years. Lyme wears clothes of the District, threadworn and much mended by old Pyrene. A patch of blue denim peeks at both elbows of her golden rod shirt. "You ought not to," Lyme says quietly. " - I can't imagine what it must pain you." "You can. How old would she be now, Lyme?" "She was three years my younger, so -" "If you'd married your young love... do you ever think of that?" "No. You've heard my happy news?" "Yes. A wedding. Much happiness to you and yours, Lyme. You've earned it." The boy slinks into the shade of the tree, curious. The words were sincere, but the faces did not match the words. He had a feeling that he shouldn't be here. It was all the more exciting! "And Jan and Ember? I follow them as best I can, of course, but videos and interviews don't tell the whole truth." Lyme smiles at that, her face twisting. It looks like pain. "They're doing well. They're young victors, of course. The Reaping is so close. I can't imagine how they're coping." "I hope the family helps. I would imagine you would seek yours for solace." "Would that I could." Lyme says this wryly but it sounds sad. "You ought to be at the Capital. You should see to your baby. How much were you allowed to contribute?" "It's a test," Beatrienne admits. "- I was allowed one habitat into the arena. If it goes well, there's a promise that I can control the next structures of the #37th Hunger Games." "You've worked very hard. You should be so proud." "I can't do enough," Beatrienne states quietly. " -its why I'm here." "Oh?" "Theres been such progress," Beatrienne seems to whisper and the boy strains to hear. "- but it could be so much more. The academics can't create a perfect arena, the engineers can not foresee the needs of tributes. I have come to see Jan and Ember - and yourself - about a focus group. Sadly, only sixteen victors are being invited. You will choose." It sounds like a gavel. The boy, chilled, rushes away. Unknown to him, a black hearted, bitter man spies his return and places out an old bucket on his porch. The scheme is put in motion; but the woman stand unhearing and unheeding of it. They stand outside, apparently alone. The woman talk between the field and the house of Pyrene, where perhaps someone could walk by. [Jan & Ember welcome to join]
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QuinnTalon
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Gamemaker (HG MOD)
For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the sheltered will never know.
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Post by QuinnTalon on Oct 20, 2014 10:56:20 GMT -5
"Pa." There's a tug on his pant leg. An insistent tug that has Jan looking away from the baby's face for half a second and to the face of his oldest son. Jacob Josiah.
Or as they called him: J.J.
He and his identical twin brother--Felix Wistar or 'Lucky'--were nearly nine now. Nearly nine and for all they had the same faces, they couldn't be two different people. J.J. was a complete ham, demanding all of the attention in whatever room he was in. Lucky, on the other hand, was content to find someplace quiet and brood at the world. He had a frightening propensity for grumpiness that reminded Jan sometimes of his late namesake.
At the moment, he had Lucky out in the back of the house keeping an eye on his sisters--Isolde and Cinder. At seven, the two girls were a bit more alike in personality than the boys were. Cinder was a little hellion though, and whatever they were up to Jan could hear Isolde giving her sister a stern talking to. Her sister and one of the boys from a nearby farm who was their age and just as much of a hellion as Cinder.
"Pa! Look! Pa. Look at me. Pa!" JJ tugged on his shirt, and Jan looked down at him.
"What, JJ?"
"Um..."
Jan raised his eyebrows.
"Love you, Pa." He said with a bright, blinding grin that meant he'd done something wrong that Jan would only find out about when Ember discovered it. Assuming she hadn't already.
Lily was climbing again. It reminded him of Max, right down to the plait of long dark hair and mischievous smile. She was a rambunctious six year old who had that same terrifying fire of her aunt.
Thankfully, the younger three were simpler to keep track of. Jaspar was sitting happily on the porch with a book of 'fairy tales' that Rory had given him. The size of it dwarfed him, even as he kicked his feet and read about princes and princesses and stories in places better than this one.
Dylan, his too-wise four year old--was sitting on a blanket playing with his little brother. Dylan, their little duckling who rarely went far from Jan or Ember, but didn't cling the way Jaspar sometimes did when he wanted to be read to.
Udell? He was a talkative thing. At two, he babbled and told stories in broken speech that only those closest to him understood, and Dylan was listening, attentive and rapt up in what his brother was saying while he pulled a wooden duck on a string across the blanket and Udell chased it with his hands.
And the baby?
Well...
...She was barely two months old. It was far too early to tell.
So Jan? He was a mite busy, sitting outside of his house in the Victor's Village with far too many children. He'd done exactly what he'd said he'd do and filled that big house with laughter and love the way he'd always wanted, and in spite of everything the Capitol had put him through.
"Pa?"
This time, it was little Dylan, and Jan looked away from his newest daughter in his arms and followed his son's outstretched finger to where he could see Lyme coming up the road.
Beatrienne at her side.
"Who's that lady with Auntie Lyme?"
Jan blinked, standing up. "Go get your Ma, Dye."
"Pa?"
"Go on."
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CuteLikeMurder
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As if killing the bard impresses us.
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on Oct 20, 2014 15:25:19 GMT -5
There were days that she didn't think she could do any of this. All of it. Mother. Wife. Victor. She didn't think she could do any of it. On the worst days she resented everyone. Her mother for never warning her about motherhood. Her father for quitting on her. Her sister for dying. Jan for making her love him and have his small army of kids. It was days like that where Jan treaded lightly with her. Which made her wonder why he put up with her.
It can't be my winning personality.
It wasn’t a bad day. Not today. But she was grateful for the break. Honestly, Jan was sweet for being so understanding about this. Because unlike him, Ember didn’t grew up in a loving family. She almost didn’t know how to function in one. After nine kids, she was learning. But again there were days she wondered how she let him talk her into this.
Ember was in the kitchen, washing dishes. Jan told her to take a break, but she couldn’t sit idle. It been like that since their victory. It’s almost like Ember feared the silence.
Not that that was hardly ever an issue. Becoming a mom had heightened her perception in ways she couldn’t have predicted. She thought she saw everything; heard everything before… Ember could pick out her children’s voices a mile out. Well maybe not a mile. But she heard, little Izzy giving Cin a stern lecture.
“If Ma catches you…” she heard her say. “And you, Evan… You should know better too.”
Ember smiled, shaking her head. Sometimes it seemed that little girl was 7 going on 47. It scared her. The girl possessed a maturity that was well beyond her years, not quite like Lucky (because no one was as serious as that little boy). If only Cinder could take from her example. But Cindy was too much Ember and Jan.
The One help her.
“Janus told you to take a break,” Rory’s voice came through clear as day, though her image was always a little distorted in the vid.
“Jan also told me we’d stop at eight kids…” Ember replied, finishing up with the dishes. “I’m sure Junebug told you the same, Tiny. Yet that is little L.L. I see.”
Aurora grinned down at her newborn son the way that first time mothers do, almost marveling at to her what probably seemed like a feat of human engineering. Ember had nine of them. The miracle of birth had sort of lost it’s luster.
“He did. But June’s napping,” Rory said.
Ember nodded. “Yeah, so is L.L. Seems to me you should be taking a page from your boys’ books and get some sleep.”
Aurora sighed then and looked down at baby Lucas. “Perhaps, but…”
Ember laughed. “Oh no, you got that ‘I want another one of these’ glint in your eyes.”
Her friend blushed. “No… It’s just… He’s mine, Ember… I made him.”
Ember nodded, smiling. “That you did. Cost me and Jan a pretty penny too, ‘cause we never thought you’d get around to it, Tiny.”
She grinned. “I didn’t think I would either.”
“MA!” a tiny voice called out.
“J.J?” Rory asked.
Ember shook her head. “No, Dylan… Duty calls, Tiny.”
“You’re stopping by before the Reaping, right?”
Ember nodded. “I’ll be there Tiny. See ya soon.”
“Good day to you, Ember.”
The vid went dead just as Dylan barrelled into the kitchen like something was fire.
“Ma! Mama!...”
“What is it, Pickle?” she asked, kneeling to his level.
“Pa… Pa… he…”
“Slow down, baby…” she said. “Breathe… Okay, tell me what’s what, Pickle.”
“Pa said to get you… There’s a lady. She’s with Auntie Lyme… She ain’t dressed right, Mama.”
Ember nodded. Dylan saw things the way she did. Noticed things that seemed out of place. Even as young as he was, Dylan knew what a peacekeeper looked like. And he would have told her if it was one of them. But ain’t dressed right meant she was from out of town.
“Alright,” she said, rising to her feet and offering her hand to Dylan. “Let’s go see what’s what then. You remember what I told you, right?”
He nodded. “You learn more by watchin’ than by talkin’. I remember, Ma.”
She grinned, proudly. “Somethin’ J.J. could stand to learn.”
Mother and son walked outside hand in hand. She took in the sight of the rest of her pack, Lily in the large tree in their yard, Jasper with a book in hand, Lucky tracking everyone with his eyes, J.J. trying to butter up his daddy because he did something wrong. Ember didn’t know what it was yet. But she’d figure it out. She always did. Dell took to his feet and waddled over to her.
She scooped him up with one hand.
“Ma… Mama… Wook it me.” He grabbed her face and turned her head toward him.
“Yeah, Dell.”
“I wove you, Mama…”
“I love you, too, Little D.”
She walked over to Jan as Udell climbed onto her shoulders. “So what do we have here, Charmin’?”
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Post by Seryna on Oct 20, 2014 19:36:21 GMT -5
The two women strolled up the street, speaking quietly among themselves. Thankfully the Victor Village was not populated by those who needed to be manipulated, but that beautiful gate was speckled by the faces of the curious. Children of district nine - young teens en route to various apprenticeships, those lucky enough to get them. Most were apart of the 'special unmentionable project' and because of this, were more interested and alarmed by an out of town woman. Beatrice had once been a local here - she'd lived here for thirteen years and had raised all of her children here. Yet that Beatrice had been ran ragged by children, not politics. This woman wearing her birth name and Capital clothes like a shield had gained lines on her face - worry lines - and weight at her hips. The years had transformed her from young mother into a middle aged woman. The death of her eldest daughter had transformed her in ways unseen.
"Run along home," Lyme directs the children that they pass. The younger ones giggle before complying, the older ones obey more readily.
"- beautiful and bold children of district nine," Lyme smiles after them. "- if only we could keep them small." " Small and safe." Beatrienne says quietly, watching a pair of girls leave hand in hand.
"Oh my," Her eyes turn to the Janber household. " - quite the brood!" " You put him on the ground, Ember, he won't never learn to walk alone." Lyme teased, walking up to the couple. She makes a feint to tickle Udell's belly even as he's safely up high.
A hand to Ember's shoulder and a genuine smile. "Ember, hello." She stretches an arm out towards J.J.
"Whats the news, J.J,?" She asks in a happy, upbeat tone. Whatever the woman were bringing, it didn't weigh on Lyme's shoulders. Beatrienne was more reserved, lacking Lyme's ease at the Clay ~ Colton household. She steps closer and smiles a kind smile. Her eyes hold flecks of worry.
"Ember, Jan." They had met a few times, arranged attempts at illicit meetings in the Capital. The President's daughter was very well placed to hear things.
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QuinnTalon
Staff Member
Gamemaker (HG MOD)
For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the sheltered will never know.
Posts: 1,351
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Post by QuinnTalon on Oct 21, 2014 8:36:19 GMT -5
"Beatrienne, My Lady. She hasn't been back in years." Jan answered, adjusting the baby in his arms and tugging playfully on Udell's foot.
When the women approached, and Beatrienne made her statement he grinned proudly.
"Five boys and four girls." Jan answers at the declaration of 'quite the brood'. He'd outdone his parents, and honestly nine was more than enough now. Still, he'd keep prodding Ember if only because it was fun. She'd said 'no more', and this time she was dead serious.
J.J. grinned, bouncing on his toes and taking Lyme's arm. The boy thrived on attention--kind of like his father. For all he was named for Jan's late twin and Jan's late father--two men who were quiet, calm, and simply made--J.J Colton was his father's mirror image.
So of course J.J. started to regale Lyme with this week's story of his young life, and Jan just had to shake his head. Give the kid half a second of attention and he'd talk your ear off--complete with dramatic arm-gestures and a blinding smile. J.J. was certainlyhis father's son.
Lucky stood like an identical serious storm cloud next to him, his little hand reaching out and snagging Dylan's as his mother walked by. For all he knew, Mama might need her hand free, and she already had Udell.
"Jacob Josiah. Felix Wistar--we call him Lucky--Dylan, Lily's up there in the tree. Jaspar is over there reading. The guy on My Lady's shoulders is Udell. Isolde and Cinder are out back causing some mischief with Tobias' oldest boy--Evan." Jan's commentary is punctuated with a gesture to each of the kids. Nine in total, he'd outdone his parents by three.
"And then there's this little one."
Barely two months, and Jan smiles, somewhat presenting her to Beatrienne. "We named her Abigail. Abigail Micha Colton."
After the other two tributes from District Nine in the Quarter Quell. The same Game that his twin brother lost his life in. Indeed, every single one of Jan and Ember's children was named after a fallen Tribute, and not only of Districts Nine or Twelve. Dylan was named after a boy from District Four. Victor Morgan Delmara's lost love, who died a brave and noble death in The 28th Annual Hunger Games protecting a twelve year old from Tiberius of District Two.
Morgan's Victory--one of the most noteworthy in the History of the Hunger Games--came the year after.
Felix, of course, was named after the boy who very nearly killed Jan at the very, very end of the Twenty-Sixth Games, and his twin brother Jacob was named after Jan's twin--Jace.
"What brings you home, Beatrice?" With that one sentence, Jan acknowledged the woman she'd once been, and accepted her as a compatriot. They all had their ways of trying to make things better. Of trying to make things easier. Beatrice's--Beatrienne's--was just a mite less obvious than most.
"Here for the Reaping?"
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CuteLikeMurder
Staff Member
Gamemaker (HG Mod)
As if killing the bard impresses us.
Posts: 2,268
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on Oct 21, 2014 9:30:34 GMT -5
“Good day to you, Beatrienne…”
Ember’s expression is a neutral one. She had to remind herself that this was District Nine and outsiders, even Capitol people weren’t met with abject suspicion. This wasn’t one of the outer districts. This wasn’t District Twelve. If she’d have shown up in D12, well Ember would have heard about it long before she showed up in her front yard.
Still, despite her neutral expression there’s a protective aire about Ember now. She wasn’t the leader of the wolf pack anymore. She was proud mama wolf to Jan’s papa wolf. Two alphas just trying to keep their cubs safe.
“This one,” Ember nodded toward Jan. “...thinks ten would round things out nicely.”
There’s a glance to boy on her shoulders before she shakes her head. “Naw… He likes it up here. Don’t ya, buddy?”
Dell nodded, happy clasping his hands together. “I wike bein’ bigg’r.”
He giggled jollily when Lyme’s hand reached for his little potbelly. Even if she didn’t tickle him, he had reacted as if she did. It was a sound that made even Ember smile.
“Good to see you, Big Sis,” Ember told Lyme. Lyme had been Jan’s mentor, but like Hiriam had gotten a nickname from Ember. Hiriam was always called “The Old Man.” But Lyme, who was in many ways like family got a more familiar nickname.
Dylan was watching everyone. Ember didn’t have to look down to know that the little boy had positioned himself between his parents, studying the new face with an intensity that was rarely seen among children before they reach Reaping Age.
“Lilypad…” Ember called. “Go get your sisters. Tell ‘em Auntie Lyme is here.” When the girl hesitated Ember gave her a look. “I know you can climb faster than that, little girl.”
Lily scoffed. “That’s only when I’m climbin’ up, Ma. Gettin’ down always takes longer.”
Ember shook her head. “She gets that from your side of the family.”
It was said in jest but there was some truth to that. Thank the One some of her children only favored her family by their look. Dark brown hair, cloud grey eyes. Though with Jan’s influence the cloud grey had a hint of icy blue sometimes, that was certainly true with their eldest girls that looked like their mother save for the eyes, which were a gunmetal grey.
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Post by Seryna on Oct 22, 2014 16:51:33 GMT -5
Lyme crouches down to J.J.'s level, listening attentively to the boy's story. She was smiling at the animation, at the display of eagerness. "Really? And then what happened?"
"Abigail?" This disclosure brought the aloof Beatrienne in close to Jan. She presses in close to his shoulder to look down at the child in his arms. For a moment she is quiet, staring at the baby. She smiles quietly, a hand held just above the baby's eyes to a small wave.
"Hello, Abigail Micha Colton." Beatreinne said quietly. When she looks up at Jan and Ember, her eyes are sparkling with unshed tears. "She's lovely." Beatrienne breathes.
Lyme straightened and favored Udell with a sweet smile at his admission. "Would that we all could be so big!' She grins.
"Sadly, the Capital is once again conspiring to take you to them."
"For a better reason, though... than the normal chaos and useless death. I asked for you specifically, actually. You and Hiriam, included. I've convinced a few of the Gamekeepers that its a better idea to prepare our children for the Games. I've been designing habitats for children for the Games, so that some could at least have shelter and safety for a short time. They have recently shared something with me that I was unaware of. They embraced my idea..."
Beatrienne looks uneasy.
"Then they perverted it. I wanted children provided with enough food, shelter and sleep before the Arena did its' work on them. Sadly, they have created two test Arenas. They have already performed two 'tests'." Beatrienne swallows. Clearly, this is upsetting for her.
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