~A Canary and a Silent Dog~ (Finished; prisoners!)

Lily glowed with brows creased upwards as Devroux smiled oddly back at her, continuing to eat little of the meal. The terrible fullness in her stomach prompted her to start playing with the chowder, the last chunk of potato shifting and constantly turned over. Teal orbs averted away from the bowl, alerted to the boy across the table picking up the pen. She giggled a little, though unconsciously taking note of the hesitation. Suppression of a fit diminished to a dull laugh.

She silenced the anxious feeling in her gut and heart as watching Devroux writing continued. Lily painted an innocent smile on, curious, playing as if it was a game between a bashful child and herself. The spoon hovered over the bowl, waiting patiently. Taking him biting his lip as further shyness, the blond smiled wider.

Until the answer was revealed.

The silverware clanged loudly against the ceramic, bashing against the walls frantically, speedy, erratic. The hand remained in its position of looseness and less tense from having released the spoon. Though the deep frown and slight gaping was apparent, the girl blinked her eyes, reconfirming the message. She lowered her hand with the other on her lap, looking at Devroux, brows furrowed. The earlier cheer, gone, vanished.

Lily pushed out of her place and off the chair. She neglected her lunch, the sandwiches and the clam chowder, walking slowly, fingers tracing the smoothness of the table, around to the boy. Keeping the solemn expression, she appeared sincerely apologetic. The blond played with her fingers right next to Devroux, frowning. Hesitantly, arms encased the tan fellow at the neck, pressing her body against his head, tightly. She laid her chin on his head, biting back the sadness forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I didn't consider that, and I was laughing and finding it funny. I'm horrible for doing that; I'm so sorry, Devroux. I took advantage of the situation..." Lily hugged harder, severely apologetic. "Is it scary...?" Emotions conflicted in her heart, and she tried to rid of them by a question.

It would not be simple, though.

(She's embarrassing myself...)

The blond could not discern the emotion stirring within. Lily confused it as merely pity or sympathy, perhaps both at the same time. She hugged a little tighter, blinking away puzzlement with saddened eyes. When she felt warmth stroking her arm, a tiny toothy smile procured, in assurance. In a way, the sentiment made her more guilty; but, in defense, her optimism tried to shine through.

A whimper came from Devroux, which got Lily to blink more, in confusion than in solemnness. It seemed to have erased her short-lived guilt fest, yet she kept still. He had shaken his head in response to the question earlier and continued to caress the arm in sincerity, however she could not help but smile. The comment was ready to spill out right now.

Lily lifted her chin off his head; and, the other arm not having Devroux's attention begun to stroke his hair, in a petting fashion. The soft fit of laughter mopped up the mess in her heart. "Was that a dog's? That was a good imitation! I was tricked there!" She lightly chuckled. Her eyes widened, remembering something, which she furthered laughed at. "Chien! Or would it be un chien? I remember reading that in a book. It means 'dog' or 'male dog'. Chien..."

The great surge of positivity forced cheer to manifest everywhere, especially in her touch. She proceeded to close her eyes while smiling, but then she shot them open and instantly released her grasp over Devroux. "I completely forgot about your fall earlier! Ohhh!" The blond turned around and started walking off, saying, "Let me go get the kit! I'll be right back!!"

Lily left the dining area and into the great hall, twirling round, the dress opening almost like an umbrella, her cognitive processes going haywire in the fretting. In the current 'emergency', no time was spent to maintain balanced emotions. The flashes of the sparkling surroundings almost blinded her. The girl finally recollected the destination and headed to a room across the division where Devroux occupied alone. It was a common bathroom with fancy utilities in huge comparison to the poor cottages and shacks and their single toilet of suspicious dirtiness. Immediately she went for a mirror cupboard holding in a medic kit, snatched it by the handle, and departed back to the tiny banquet.

The short one set the box on the table and popped it open to reveal wrapping bandages, gauze pads, band-aids, disinfection liquids, cotton balls, and even q-tips. Lily plucked a cotton ball, like one would for a cherry by its stem, and dripped drops of rubbing alcohol, damping a tad. "Okay. Ready?" The blond took one tanned hand and inspected the entire limb. "Even if you didn't get much damage, you still should check for these things. I'm worried that you even got a scratch."

(Sorry if this sucks. Tired as heck.

AND F MY F***ING LIFE. OTZ )

Fingers ran along Devroux's arm, feeling for hindrances to smooth skin, except for any hair follicles. When the girl did detect a fresh injury, soft dabbing of a soaked cotton ball followed, gentle, motherly. She had the fluff ball seemingly peck at the spots, smiling grim, in diligence. The blond checked both arms, sneaked peeks under his shirt - front and backsides, inspected the legs, investigating every spot on the tan boy except for the nether regions, the most sacred of places. She would have gotten red even if she wanted to and, most likely, fainted from sheer, overpowering embarrassment.

"Well! This is good! Not much damage on you!" Lily exclaimed with a big smile. She set the cotton ball on the table, erasing away her seriousness from earlier. "I'm glad that there were only little scratches. I would have been so worried if there was more!" Whilst closing the lid to the medical kit, she had blinked and widened her eyes, then smiled. "Oh, right... You were such a good patient." Lily turned to Devroux, unconscious sneaky pretension in the smile. "Normally I would do this on the wound; but, there was just too many and were too small; it would get silly."

Lily brought her face near Devroux's, shrugging, a bundle of happiness and innocence, then pressed her lips against his cheek, letting her eyes close - which were close to his skin enough for the eyelashes to brush and tickle the cheek. She could taste any possible dirtiness and filth layered on him; but, she paid no heed to the gritty flavors. Loyalty and patience was compensated with compassion.

She broke off the contact swift and stood there, laughing. "If Momma was right, they should heal faster! I'll pray for that." The blond girl had taken one look at the unfinished meals before saying, "Are you finished eating? I can put the dishes away while you get cleaned up in the bathroom across the hall. There's a little shower tub if you want to wash up." She widened her smile. "It would probably be best; getting dirt in cuts and scratches could invite infections."

Upon parting her lips from his cheek, Lily could have sworn she saw Devroux tinting crimson in the face. She was almost about to inquire about his current condition, except he had given her convincing nods to her question and left immediately. A slender hand scratched through blond strands, and Lily only softly giggled.

Teal orbs followed the boy out for the hallway before the clanging of ceramics began. The unfinished soup bowls - both of theirs - made hardly any cacophony in the process of stacking them then only to put those on top of the plate. Setting them next to one of many sinks, the blond started the hot water with a spray of soup already in. She diligently stored away the large pot of hardly-touched chowder and even more abandoned sandwiches to the refrigerator. Following, the girl stopped the water flow and cleaned the contents while wearing kitchen gloves. A brush and sponge helped various times, dutiful knights of the counter table, protectors of Lake Sink. Soon an odor of faint seafood and diluted chowder wafted to her nose, and she continued her duties as stubbornly as before.

In the course of the actions, Lily had gotten to pondering and making notes about her current guest, smiling at times. One thought she made sure to remember, even ingraining it within the deepest realms of her consciousness. The finished dishes - after a good warm shower rinsing - were abandoned to dry in a dish rack. In total, the population was two bowls and a plate; the spoons were in their own little plain: a white towel right in front of the rack. Releasing the plug for the sink, letting filthy water run, Lily removed the gloves and set them on the towel with the silverware, sighing relief, smiling. She always felt better after a chore was finished.

The very notion from before popped back in place just as it was supposed to do. Lily went out into the hallway across from the kitchen area hearing the sounds of a shower running. Her feet ceased at the door, thinking about the right words to say and in which correct order. Though the sentimentality was sure to be intact, the request in of itself was rather peculiar, so she thought. Her expression was neither sorrowful or mirthful. Just plain.

The roar of the water halted. Lily regained her senses from drowning herself in a swamp of 'what-ifs' and 'possibly's; and, her grasping her valor, her determination renewed. The blond had a short-lived battle face plastered on prior to waiting a couple seconds, assuring herself that Devroux was out of the shower tub, not to cause an accidental slip. A tiny fist pounded lightly on the door, smiling a little smile. "Devroux? Please excuse me for a second. I was wondering if you would like to go out after you're done in there? We can go shopping for clothes to replace yours; I noticed that yours were starting to get holey and torn, and it would be bad to just let you go without some fresh ones." Pause. "If you don't like that idea, I can try to stitch and patch them up then throw in the wash."

Lily had stood patiently for an answer, a whimper, anything. The still air unnerved her, setting off an alarm in the emotional state, just a tad. Once Devroux's head poked out, though, the composure of before was regained and renewed. Replied with shrugs of uncertainty, she had to gather her own decision. Deep down, the blond knew that one was more unacceptable to just let go with. Her eyes blinked a couple times before a radiant grin showed, the fingers interlacing with each other and a short distance away from the breast. The narrow lines of brows, however, contradicted cheer, curving upwards.

"Well... I said I could patch them up, but I would feel better if we went shopping. We could get you two or more sets. She had grown red in the face, blinking, frowning while biting the lip in silly embarrassment. "If you keep wearing those, they might fall apart completely... And that would be just terrible to see you in a winter with nothing on! I don't know where you come from; but, a winter is a winter! Chilly mornings, freezing nights! That would be horrible!"

Lily opened the door and grasped Devroux's hand like before. "Come on! Let's go! She dragged him away from the comfort of any leftover steam in the bathroom, the vapors tickling her skin, and proceeded to forcefully lead him outside, extremely determined coupled with high amounts of stubbornness. Walking down the street for Victors towards the normal and slum parts, she merely looked ahead, the map of District 5 clear, fresh. Many stares followed her and the tanned boy.

With the extreme heatwave posting a possible natural thread to the duo, Lily tried to speed up the pace, showing a slight bout of worry on her glow. The sun desired to stay later in the summertime, even if he was more irritable. The moon could never understand his quirks. It was the same every year: he would stay longer in the summer, cranky, grumpy beyond repair, and she would get the rest of the perpetual 'night' - which was more the hours when he went to impose his work on the other spectrum of the world. They were always said to be sleeping when they were not out; that could not be farther from the truth.

Walking down to a small section of the District in which stores were abundant, Lily had taken a sharp left turn, straight ahead another building just like the grocery shop. It had seen better days, she recalled. None of the denizens - including herself - would put much thought on upgrading the markets, especially those that were better off with the Capitol or helped the farmers best. Where money was scarce in comparison to ravishing District 1, District 5 had other areas to get nervous about.

The urban expanse was large. Women with children in hand, men with their shovels and hats, boys in their patched shorts with girls of the same messiness in their dresses or rags, they made up the crossing roads between stores. The area was a popular spot for acquiring one's needs and tools for farming. Sometimes a cow would pass by, its rope tugged by a purchaser to lead. Certainly bustling with energy, the whole place was.

Lily detoured away and made haste to the store ahead. "Here we are, Devroux!" She put all enthusiasm and positivity in her tone. While entering the double doors and making sure to step out of the way of any following customers, the girl released her grip. The multitude of racks seemed to have the same selection: t-shirts of rough texture and plaid design, a single pocket on the left side of the chest area; ragged denim shorts; jeans that were perfect for outdoor winter work; boots hiked up to the ankle, thick to keep mud out; an assortment of hats to keep the beastly sun from their eyes.

Lily and Devroux's section they were in, however, was for those rare times for parties and lazy-days. It had everything from dress shirts to gowns, from blazers to blouses, skirts to fancy pants, and accessories like bracelets and watches. She had no conscious or subconscious feeling to sneak away to this section; it was the closest to the door, easy to access. "Pick out clothes you want, Devroux. I'll wait near the dressing room. the girl said before leaving to sit at a chair near said rooms, waiting and smiling.

From far away, Lily watched as Devroux picked out his selections, and smiled. Though a lingering feeling of uncertainty remained in her heart, she polished it off with notions. The girl set her hands on her lap, one over the other. In the realms of her mind, she could remember the times experiences and ventures to stores were lonely, thus a sinking pit formed within. Here, though, with a person, she smiled truthfully.

Teal orbs followed the tan boy to the dressing rooms. After, the blond proceeded to think to her little flower children in front of the house, their tiny cheers alleviate her anxiety. She loved how they danced to the wind, graceful as the ballroom people. The adoration for them was extreme but purely innocent. Lily almost lost herself in the daydreams that blessed the flora voice and song to sooth her, had it not have been for Devroux to be coming out.

Lily turned her face to Devroux, blinking. He proceeded to stand there only to then strike a pose, smiling, bursting of life. It took a fraction of a second for the girl to try to suppress a fit of laughter. The giggles persisted and broke through. "So silly! Haha!" She could not help herself; but, in a moment, she stopped to cough and regain her self. "Let's go to the counter. I'll get you another set of clothes."

This time, Lily did not go for Devroux's hand. Instead, she jumped off her seat and walked through the aisles, curious eyes glued to the racks. Hands felt the fabric, the coolness licking her skin, and picked out a shirt of dull green - which she called "Cal Poly Pomona green" - and bermuda shorts of beige. They seemed a bit bigger than what Devroux seemed, but she had her own reasons. The girl picked some inexpensive shoes, a package of socks, and even a brown belt. "Just in case, she said.

The two walked over to the counter. Lily immediately asked to charge the clothes on Devroux, and the lady shrugged. The total came out hefty, but the blond took out the money and gave it the exact amount to the counter girl. After the garments were placed a big bag, the blond girl snatched them and - with the other hand - held Devroux's hand for more dragging.

They started out the store and through the crowds of people and livestock, the collective heat nauseating for the girl. "Good thing we're together like this. I would hate to get lost!" The duo fought their way out and back to the normal road, from poorer and normal to richer classes. Again the houses and shacks grew to mansion-like abodes.

Entering inside the cool estate, Lily sighed. "It sure is hot out there! All those people don't help. Hehe." Lily set the bag on the ground and turned to Devroux. "I'm going to get the tags and stickers off those clothes, okay? Be still for a bit." The girl pulled off the long sticker off the front of the plaid shirt and went around to Devroux's back. She could see the tag dangling out; their difference in height, however, made it a daunting task. She had tried to go on her tiptoes, pressing a hand lightly on his back, in attempt to reach the thing with the other, but it was fruitless. Leaving it with a sigh, the girl went back to the front again and peeled off the sticker off the shorts. "I couldn't get the tags for your shirt... and... She continued while resisting to redden, "I didn't want to get the tag probably in your shorts. Sorry."

Devroux had tried to reach for the tag Lily previously failed to get; but, in the process, he had dropped the old clothes. Bending to pick the set up, he gave a gesture to the blond and left. She guessed it meant "I'll be right back". Deciding to wait, the girl stood there, thinking, pondering. The day had gone from ordinary to one filled with fun, she thought.

Hearing close-by footsteps against marble-like flooring, Lily faced in the direction of the cacophony's origin. He was quick, as implied. She had even turned her body towards the current guest bound to be around the corner. Thoughts on what to say next began; with a guest, one's plans had to be made soon. Lily formed possible questions in her head, things to do, even secrets to share.

All of that was discarded, though, by the next set of actions.

She had completely forgotten all notions and key points which were made sure to stick by uninvited warmth applied on her lips. Lily had nearly fallen backwards by the impact, having regained footing in time, yet the confusion stayed where it was. Her eyes could see Devroux's, and she could tell her nose was brushing against his. The sudden exchange of heat on her lips was from his own, as well. Orbs blinked, lips pressed, emotions seemingly in a frenzy. It took her not long to figure out that she was being kissed.

With previous thoughts forgotten, her mind drifted back to school, the young lovestruck fools holding each others' hands and making out in the hallway. Sometimes she would see their tongues lashing, seeking each other at times. Seeing those moments, Lily would ignore or pretend to have not noticed. The couple doing it was rude, but watching them was even more disrespectful. The blond would have escaped the scene and pressed on to class, lunch, or home, wherever her destination was.

Her heart increased in beating, and her hands were raised near Devroux's chest. Everything was thrust into a pool of bewilderment; she could not sort out any positive emotions from the negatives; everything was just startling. No shaking was apparent other than the result of a collision. She could, however, feel her cheeks flushing scarlet. Sinking, flying, churning, gushing, they all happened within her.

Parting their little bond between bodies, Lily blushed to the point that all her face had turned a nice shade of a rose. Devroux had started to scratch his neck, seemingly abashed by the situation. At this point, the legs were wanting to cave in, lacking energy, merely a system shutting down from madness. Instead, though, she had mustered strength to keep standing but hide her face in hands, which only made a frown to form and the redness intensify. All the thoughts bumped into one another in her mind, disorientated, their paths without streetlights or police men to guide to safety. It was much like a crowded thunderstorm in the skull.

Mustering courage to speak, she tried, though the words came out stuttering and stammering, talking ahead of her brain to crunch out. She began, "Uh... ah... T-T-That... T-That was an... accident, y-yes? I-I... Oh, I'm sorry! I c-can't... speak right! And... And... I'm being all weird! Haha! I s-s-shouldn't be... all w-weird if-if-if that... k-k-kiss wasn't... intentional! T-This is so emba-embarrassing!!" Lily breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. "Do-Don't worry! I'm not r-red at all!"