eyes and teeth | {xenia/pippa} | Hunger Games: The RPG

eyes and teeth | {xenia/pippa} Nov 14, 2023 16:14:32 GMT -5

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Post by dars on Nov 14, 2023 16:14:32 GMT -5

x e n i a s n o w s p i r e

She finished the final touches of her latest sculpture and took a step back to examine it with wet clay still on her hands. Earlier in the week, she and several of the others noticed a black heron-like bird taking a break from flying out in the courtyard. It was such a strange and bizarre thing to see- birds in general didn't typically fly this far up north, even less while winter was still in full force and certainly not during the middle of a blizzard. But if the bird even noticed the snow at all, it didn't seem to care. Once it finished its break, it spread its large wings and disappeared into the storm.

Her sculpture was that last moment, the black feathers fanned out to their limit, its pliant neck strained as an arrow- its beak pointing it into the sky. Once it finished drying, she could paint it and put it out someplace where everyone could see it and feel the way she felt in that moment: inspired, she supposed. A symbol of resilience and tenacity. Taking breaks was okay, as long as when the break was over, you faced the storm as someone who'd seen enough fair weather to fight for it.

She usually washed her hands in the cleaning station by the art room, but because of the lapses in power and the spire's current reliance on backup generators, the station was closed and Xenia had to rely on the lavatories found in the main hall. (Something both she and Bronte and countless other art kids had been told not to do several times. Oops.) Once finished, she stepped into one of the stalls for a pee break, and it was in this moment that she heard others entering the room, seemingly in the middle of a discussion.

"I dunno, her magic's pretty good these days," one of them was saying. "She did a whole routine using just a deck of cards for Alain's name day celebration." Xenia used context clues to realize they were talking about Pippa.

"Yeah, true," the other responded, their tone implying they weren't impressed, "but she's freaking out about tomorrow night. I think Dragomir said she couldn't access the theater to get some prop she needs for her big show."

Xenia wasn't the only one who had interest in maintaining a little bit of joy amid the darkness. She'd heard it from Pippa herself more than once that there was a magic show in store for the entire academy, scheduled to take place right after dinner the next day. Honestly, she found it a little adorable how many of them had utilized their talents to make others feel at peace. It said a lot about them, she thought. Maybe more about those who didn't utilize theirs.

She waited for the other girls to leave the room before she exited the stall and made her way to Pippa's room, wrapping her knuckles against it only once before aiming for the door knob, response be damned.

"Honey, I'm home!"

She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"Kidding, just me. Sup?"

_[zoe]

eyes and teeth | {xenia/pippa} Nov 14, 2023 18:10:48 GMT -5

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Post by gamemaker 🍒 maryn hale on Nov 14, 2023 18:10:48 GMT -5

p i p p a s n o w s p i r e

Pippa will never understand how some people allow things to stay bad. When she notices something out of place, or more notably feels that the energy in a room is off, it's like all the wires in her brain start to spark and fizzle. She jumps to her feet, puts on her thinking cap, and directs all of her attention to solving an issue that has nothing to do with her. Maybe this is just another one of her many tricks. The trademark of a magician.

When you can't deal with your own problems, look elsewhere. Change where the spotlight is pointed, rely on smoke and mirrors to mask the truth. There are ways of avoiding your demons that do not involve running away from them. Obviously, she has nothing to do with the power outage or the severe turn in the weather, but the lack of warmth and brightness makes her feel sad. She has to assume that her classmates are dealing with the same dilemma. So that's why she spends the first day of the blizzard designing flyers by the candlelight, writing and coloring until her hand starts to cramp.

Of course, she could have just waited to make an announcement when everyone was gathered together in the same room, but she thought putting up the posters would make the dim space look less spooky. Having to glance at all the limited corners where light still exists isn't as bad when there's a colorful doodle there to greet you, big bold words proclaiming: THIS WEEKEND ONLY, PIPPA'S PECULIAR & PLEASANT MAGIC SHOW. Honestly, whoever was in charge of inventing words really should have worked on more 'P' ones — but no matter!

Pippa manages. She always does.

But when Madam Dragomir informs her that access to the theatre is currently off-limits, a day before the debut, her mind starts reeling. What is she going to do without her sawing box? How is she supposed to cheer everyone up without all her gadgets and tricks on hand? She should be getting set up right now, rehearsing, but instead she finds herself curled up in her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. Sighing sadly.

She doesn't want to live in a world that is so cut and dry. Pippa needs wonder, she needs a distraction. But right now, she wants to feel sorry for herself. At least while she's alone, able to face the consequences of her own unrelenting enthusiasm. She demands attention, and then she freezes when all the eyes land on her. It feels like they can see everything, every piece of herself, even the ones she doesn't fully understand.

Xenia helps. There's a short knock at the door, followed by a click of the lock and a whoosh as it swings open. The sculptor stands there with a warm smile, the same friendly expression she always wears. "Honey, I'm home!" This makes Pippa smile for the first time all day. She laughs, flattening her legs but not standing up from her bed. Scooting to one side, she pats the sheet beside her and invites the other girl to make herself at home. Not that she has ever needed the invitation before.

"Kidding, just me. Sup?" Pippa glances down at her toes, twiddles her thumbs. Her body feels like a large puzzle still in the process of being pieced together. She tries to take a moment to compose her words before speaking, grateful for the excuse to pull herself out of her melancholic reflection. Xenia has always been good at that. When she walks into a space, she doesn't have to demand any of the spotlight. It just falls on her naturally, effortlessly. Her heart is that genuine, her kindness that sincere.

"Uh, well," she runs a hand through her fair hair, drawing in a breath and then crinkling her nose. "I should be getting ready for that magic show I've been telling you about — the one tomorrow — but I'm kind of floundering right now. My whole idea is kind of ruined." She glances at Xenia, trying to stop her nervous fumbling when she knows that she's in a safe space with a safe person.

"You don't happen to know how to saw someone in half without a sawing box, do you?" She leans her head back, glancing up at the plastic stars glued to her ceiling that shine in the dimmed lighting. "Didn't think so."

_[zoe]