Then Just Turn It Off // {Verrelline}

The fading twilight shone through the high window at the edge of the barn, half-illuminating, half shadowing a young, almost adult's, figure. Brown hair concealed her face, but her high held head, and energetic movements gave the teen away as none other than Verronica Pacifica, left to her own devices for the first time in who knows how long. Well, to tell the truth, Verronica knew exactly how long it had been. Two days. Ever since Mace had left for the games, she had been in the company of one or two of his siblings, absently watching pixels dance enticingly across their television set. She had not processed the amount of blood, of loss of lives that accompanied the cannon blasts, or the images that appeared in the sky every night, as long as it wasn't Mace. It couldn't be Mace- not now, not ever. Night was coming, as it always did, with the loss of the sun and the temporary replacement with the moon. Or was the sun a replacement for the moon? Perhaps humans had it backwards, sleeping through the dark and living in the light. Maybe they were meant to avoid the intense heat of day, favoring the cool dampness of luna. Wouldn't that be amazing, to live your life without the need to raise early in the morning, and not sweat yourself through the heavy humidity, and oppressive warmth that hovered over them at noon? If only, if only.

Who would care if Verronica switched to a night schedule? Not anyone in the home- she knew that they talked about her behind her back sometimes, and had been told to make sure she didn't have a nervous breakdown about Mace leaving- but why should she? It was almost guaranteed that he would be back in a week or two, no matter how long that might seem to your average person. With enough distractions, Verronica could just wait out those few, taunting days until he returned victorious. Meager sunlight was growing weaker still, and she knew that soon, for light, she would have to light one of the precious candles that had been gifted by the home, her new 'family'. And the flame would waver in the wind, bright flame casting more shadows than light, creating dark figures that flit across the walls, images from the heart of the flame. Of the fire itself. It would seem the barn itself would catch on fire, until she lost her nerve and snuffed it out again with a quick breath. Thus was the way of life- a tradition that was starting to catch.

Verronica turned towards the firm wooden walls, painted rust red in the traditional design of a barn. The typical average-ness was the only thing wrong with the barn loft in her opinion. The hay, that shone with a dull golden sheen, and the roughly painted walls. Her corner filled with glimmering objects from her past was the only thing that kept her from going insane. Dull surroundings make for a dull person, energy less and without creativity. Even with all of that, Verronica couldn't muster up the enormous amount of energy that was required to purchase paints, hang threads from the high rafters, everything she wanted to do. It was her room- and her heart still thrilled at the thought of that- but it wasn't really part of her, like any persons' real living quarters should be. Home is where the heart is, isn't it? Then this wasn't home. There was no warm coziness, no sense of familiarity that she had felt in her other houses, when she had settled in. Lying on her back, she held a piece of clean green glass up to the dying sunlight trickling in.

A sudden commotion below stirred her from her daze, a phase half between wake and sleep, where she could think and imagine, and remember it in the morning. Something was shifting around in the hay beneath the loft, near the ladder than led up. Probably just a mouse, Verronica concluded, and went back to studying the interestingly speckled piece the she had collected only a day ago. A damp echo pounded into her ears, the noise of the heavy barn door swinging shut on old hinges. She really needed to get those fixed. Along with a lot of other things. But the noise meant guests, and they were undoubtedly for her, unless he meant to see one of the many "smaller" inhabitants of the barn. The ones that enjoyed eating cheese. Eyes wandering without her permission, they scanned the two figures below, taking in a smaller, more delicate one and a strongly built male. Squinting for a better view against the dancing firelight, she leaned forwards, and off the wall she was leaning on.

Ah. It was Cygnus- one of Maces' many siblings. He was the one she had seen watching the television set, almost obsessively recently. And there was one she didn't recognize from around the house. Normally, the teen would be interested in meeting any new person, a possible companion to spend time with. For one thing though, she didn't really want to talk to anyone but herself for the moment, and for another, the girl didn't look like much fun. Her back was hunched over, a sure sign of reluctance to be here. Or, perhaps her thoughts were just occupied with something else? Verronica had never been good at reading body language, but she decided that was what it had to be. After all, why would she come if she didn't want to be here. That'd be sort of silly.

They were obviously waiting for something, though it was not clear what. Hm. Verronica made a start, as if to move closer, and then thought better of it. If they wanted to talk to her, why didn't they? Hmph. She flipped her hair out of her eyes, for all the world looking like a stubborn six year old. The two were gravitating towards each other, and she could she his arm wrapped around her waist. Ugh, they were together. Just wonderful. She had purposefully avoided any romantic scenes since Mace had left, and now here they were; coming into her barn uninvited, and hanging around like stupid lovebir- there she went again. Verronica scolded herself mentally, even though it had never done any good. These days she kept finding herself being nasty for no real reason, other than that she felt like it. Luckily, she hadn't actually talked to enough people recently that it did anything, but it was always shocking to find herself thinking like that.

Half way through mumbling something about going away, Cygnus's clear voice rang up to the top of her barn, and cut Verronica off.