Black Sun [Open]

Harley
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Black Sun [Open] Apr 17, 2011 14:48:07 GMT -5

Post by Harley on Apr 17, 2011 14:48:07 GMT -5

"Give me therapy, I'm a walking travesty, but I'm smiling at everything"

_{The Black Sun. That's a name going around District Five, describing, what else? The sun... If you could even call it that. No, it's not black... There's no such thing as black sun's... Black Holes, perhaps, but not black balls of hydrogen. So why does the sun have this unique nickname? Because it's District Five of course! C'mon, think about it... District Five? Oil? Fumes? Pollution? Heck, I can't even see the sun, just a slightly less black circle in the sky... It's a rare thing to see, for me anyways, I'm only sixteen... Back when District Five was all farmland, the sun was up every day of the week, clear to see. Now? Not a chance. The entire District is chilling, unwelcoming. That's my perspective...

And who am I? Just some kid. Pretty regular, no different to any other kid who lives in D-5... Except maybe for the fact that I work as an engineer instead of a drill worker. Down to my Claustrophobia, y'see... Plus my Asthma. Not many kids tend to work as engineers, it's more of a pensioner's job, it's "Uncool". But who are they to say what's cool? They dig holes!

None of this matters, not in theory. Right now, I'm not worrying about work, nor the fact that I can't see the sun. Heck, I'm not even worrying about the Games... Which I should be, seeing as both our tributes got slaughtered this year. Shame, I would have put money on us making it to the last two this time. No, I'm worried about something different.

Girls. Yeah, weak, I know. But would I be a real Teenage Boy if I wasn't worrying about girls? No way. I've been watching the Hunger Games since I was five, seeing how my parents didn't want me watching what could possibly be my future. It wasn't until I was about twelve when I started to notice how attractive the girls in the Games were. I don't see many attractive girls around District Five, so watching the Hunger Games is the closest I'm going to get to seeing hot girls. That's my theory.

Enough pondering on events, I need to get home. I'm kinda late for dinner, seeing how I stopped in my usual alleyway where I think about life. "Daydream Alley", that's what I should call it. Maybe "Waste of Time Alley" would be more appropriate, Mom's going to kill me. She'll probably think I got stuck inside a pipe again.

I start walking, noticing just how dirty my clothes are. If this is how greasy an engineer gets, I can only image the Drill Workers. I notice the stalls are closing for the day, it is late, after all. Shame, I could have treated Mom and Dad to a nice steak with my wages, Y'know, to make up for my lateness. Doubt I'd be forgiven anyway.

I come to my house, it isn't much, but it's home, I guess. Boy, is Mom gonna be mad. I walk down the pavement, I go to touch the doorknob. Suddenly, I notice something. Something vital.
"My Scarf!!"
I'm not wearing it. I proceed to freak out in the garden, frisking myself, looking all around for my treasured black and yellow scarf. It's a family heirloom, y'know. I turn around and bolt away from the house, retracing my steps. I'm going to be later than expected.

Now Mom's going to kill me.}

Last Edit: Apr 17, 2011 17:57:26 GMT -5 by Harley

semper
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Black Sun [Open] Apr 17, 2011 17:50:06 GMT -5

Post by semper on Apr 17, 2011 17:50:06 GMT -5

Devroux Southern-Hymn Creighton

I don't know what compelled me to return to District 5 to begin with. I mean, yeah, it's where Lily and little Colton were, but the Districts switched just a while ago and so now they don't live here anymore... I think. I wasn't really clear on their location, though wherever they were, I just hope they were safe. I needed to find them again, so maybe I could go back to the Capitol and find Luk to help me locate them. Since Colton was my son, I felt that I needed to be there to support both him and Lily, but right now I just needed to see if they were here. You know, maybe the whole reason I came back to this smog-covered District was to see if the two of them were there, and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see Colton again.

I managed to find the old hole in the fence I always crawled under to get into the place, though the chain links looked a whole lot grimier than I remembered them being. Whether it was from pollution or just age, I have no idea. Prying open the hole, I slipped through the fence and stumbled out into the familiar forest, but it looked.... dead. I paused, taking time to examine each nearby tree. The bark was brittle and the leaves crispy, falling apart if I tried plucking one off a branch. No, this definitely wasn't the District I remember. This place has gone to hell -- and a polluted hell at that.

Trekking through the dead forest, I came upon the oh-so familiar path that I had tripped and fell flat on my face on, completely in the path of Lily all those months ago. Or however long it's been since then; I lost track after being locked up in the Detention Center. Ever since then, things have been really rushed in my life. Next thing I knew, after being released from the DC, I had been shipped off to the Capitol -- and pretty much died of starvation along the way -- met my new "master" Luk, convinced him to bring me back here to D5, found Lily and my newborn son, and it's all a blur from there. But this... this smoggy, repulsive, polluted District was not anything I remembered. These trees had been alive and well not so long ago, but now it's like a plague has them. Good gosh....

I turned out onto one of the main roads that seemed to be teeming with people heading home. They all looked awfully exhausted and absolutely covered in grime... what has this District become? Unable to ask anyone since I don't have a tongue, I just kept my eyes down and stayed silent, trying to not draw any attention to m--

A sudden force hit me nearly full on along the walkway, sending me stumbling back a few good steps. I shook my head, trying to clear my discombobulated head, though instinctively my jaw tightened and I growled -- a nearly perfect (I like to think it's nearly perfect) mimicry of a dog's growl -- as my eyes searched for whoever I had run in to. Whether the person ran into me or I into them, I had no idea; my eyes had been downcast the whole time, remember? And Avoxes aren't exactly smiled upon in most Districts, so I was always on the defense when it came to coming in contact with people, but as I frantically searched the area, I only saw another boy nearly the same age as me. What the hell...? I narrowed my eyes onto the guy and softened my growling, but still kept up the "if-you-come-for-me-I'll-attack-you" front.

[/size][/blockquote]

i hear the mountains calling me home

Harley
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Black Sun [Open] Apr 18, 2011 10:08:35 GMT -5

Post by Harley on Apr 18, 2011 10:08:35 GMT -5

"Give me therapy, I'm a walking travesty, but I'm smiling at everything"

_{The scarf is an important part of my life. It belonged to my Father, before he passed it down to me, that is. Before that, it belonged to my Grandfather. And so on, you get the picture. I have no idea how long it's been around, but according to my ever-exaggerating Father, it's pre-war. As in, before everything changed.

Losing the scarf? That's like losing a part of my soul. I'll be slaughtered unless I find it. It's usually in my locker at work, but I definitely took it out today. That means that I must have lost it on the way home. Perhaps I should check by Daydream Alley? It could easily have fallen off whilst I was drooling over girls. Seems the likely outcome, I guess I'll go check the-

SMACK!

A jolt of pain shoots across my chest from my shoulder. I spin clockwise, falling backwards. Another sickening noise. I hit my head awkwardly on the rock pavement. My vision becomes blurry. Nothing's broken, after all, it was only a collision. However, it still hurt.

Images begin to reform from blurred shapes. Yeah, it's all coming back to me now. I groan and find myself on all fours. I push myself up slowly, regaining balance, but not before stumbling with effort. I blink a few times until my vision is back and glance around. There's this boy. He's about my age. He's taller than me and has long dark hair. Clearly he's the one I collided with, seeing as everyone else is moving on, oblivious.

Now he's growling at me. It's kinda creepy, he sounds exactly like a dog. Is this guy gone in the head? He could be a street performer, or he could be insane and extremely aggressive. Whatever the case, I seem to have pissed him off. So I raise my hands apologetically.

"Woah there, I don't want any trouble!" I say, taking a step back from the snarling boy, who reminds me very much of a vicious dog. What is this guy on? He looks aggressive still, maybe I should apologize?
"Sorry 'bout that..."}

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Black Sun [Open] Apr 20, 2011 6:04:55 GMT -5

Post by semper on Apr 20, 2011 6:04:55 GMT -5

Of course this guy was a stranger to me, I've only been in this District twice, and each time was to see the same people. This boy, though, didn't look very threatening once his hands were raised up. In a vague he kind of reminded me of myself, not wanting any trouble. But that was before I was an Avox. Now I'm always ready to fight back and spring into action unless I clearly have a disadvantage, which is usually the case. That's also why I've come to know most of the medicinal plants out in the woods since I'm not the best fighter and always end up outnumbered in brawls. Yeah, pick on the Avoxes, why don't you? It's not like they can't yell for help or anything.

He explains to me that he doesn't want any trouble and that he's sorry for about something. Well, at least he apologized. My growl gradually went away as I began to think that he wasn't much of a threat, but instead was an honest kid. Hopefully. I could be very much wrong, though. Some rotten kids are excellent at putting up honest fronts just so they can gain your trust and quickly stab you many times in the back. Avoxes know this all too well. We may get befriended out of sympathy, but since we can't talk, they think it's fun to torment us. Well, whatever the case, I wasn't going to let this kid get the best of me even though I physically appeared to have relaxed about the situation. It's always the innocent looking ones that kick the feet right out from underneath you. And besides, with the District having changed completely, there's no telling if their viewpoint on Avoxes had changed as well.

Having no way to verbally tell the other boy that it was alright, I stuck my hand out to him to shake. Hopefully it'd click in his head soon that I couldn't talk, but it usually can take a while before people figure it out. I don't like showing that I have no tongue until I at least get the gist of who this person is, and so far the vibes I've been getting from this kid are mixed between good and bad.

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Last Edit: Apr 21, 2011 5:03:13 GMT -5 by semper

i hear the mountains calling me home

Harley
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last seen Aug 17, 2011 4:53:04 GMT -5

Black Sun [Open] Apr 21, 2011 14:23:53 GMT -5

Post by Harley on Apr 21, 2011 14:23:53 GMT -5

"Give me therapy, I'm a walking travesty, but I'm smiling at everything"

_{It's a given that I'll be dead as soon as I get home, I'm later than late. I doubt I can get in any more trouble than I already am, so I decide to take my time. Why rush off? It's a nice evening. The sun is out, be it hidden behind a deadly smog. I wouldn't go as far to say that it's beautiful, but it's the closest thing to a nice evening that District Five could ever get.

The guy stops doing his bizarre growl and instead offers his hand to shake. A rather strange way of accepting an apology. Most people would just say "Hey, it's okay" or "No worries". I'm guessing this guy isn't 'most people'. He stares at me as if he's examining me, perhaps comparing me to something. I raise an eyebrow.

Reluctantly, I shake the guys hand. I keep a firm grip to show him I'm still cautious of what he might do, but otherwise I give a half-smile. What is up with this guy, he's really strange. I'm yet to hear him speak. Then it hits me. He can't.

I'm not really supposed to talk to Avoxes, they're sort of frowned upon. I don't see why, I've got nothing against them. I guess it's because they've committed a serious crime that most people avoid them or treat them badly. We all make mistakes in life, the last thing anyone needs is a constant reminder of what they've done. Especially if they're trying to leave it in the past.

"Have you seen a scarf nearby?" I ask, miming a scarf around my neck. Harley you dumbass, he's not deaf, don't patronize him. I give a nervous smile.
"It's black and yellow, I think I dropped it somewhere around here...?" I regain confidence in what I'm saying, no longer sounding like a complete ass.}

semper
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Black Sun [Open] Apr 22, 2011 18:16:38 GMT -5

Post by semper on Apr 22, 2011 18:16:38 GMT -5

The grip he had on my hand made me wary of the guy. I figured I could at least try to fight him if it ever came down to defending myself, but he looked a lot stronger than me. And his smile... I don't know why it unnerved me a little bit.

A scarf? Not to be mean or rude to this guy, but how did he expect me to have seen a scarf in this mucky District? Hell, I didn't even know where I was, really. All I know around here was that path I fell on and Lily's house. I was lost, pretty much, and hadn't seen a scarf at all during that time. I shook my head to tell he guy I hadn't seen any scarf. Hmm... but now that I think about it, I'm not even sure I know what a scarf is. The other guy was making gestures around his neck, and I assumed that he was trying to show what a scarf is, but really? Did this guy think I was stupid? My ears were working fine, I could hear him just like anyone else could, but my jaw tightened when I felt as though he was mocking me in a way. I shook my head slowly, gaze drilling into the guy.

After a moment, I looked down at the ground, searching for a stick of any kind. I needed to let this guy know a few things before he ran off telling people that there was a stupid Avox running around. Spotting a stick about as round as my thumb, I went over and picked it up, testing its sturdiness before returning to the guy and kneeling down, using the stick to carve a sentence into the dirt of the road:

I know what a scarf is. No need to mock me, if that's what you're doing with your hands.

[/i]

Sure it was a bit blunt and harsh, but like I said, I didn't want this guy declaring that there was an uneducated Avox around. And maybe I didn't know what a scarf was, but he doesn't know that. And now that I had the stick, I could write down any answer to a question he gave me from now on. Whether he could read upside down or not was his problem, though; I couldn't care less whether he was able to read the answer. If he wanted to know the answer, he could move himself. I looked back up at the guy, waiting to see his reaction.

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Last Edit: Apr 22, 2011 18:20:31 GMT -5 by semper

i hear the mountains calling me home

Harley
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last seen Aug 17, 2011 4:53:04 GMT -5

Black Sun [Open] Apr 24, 2011 9:16:31 GMT -5

Post by Harley on Apr 24, 2011 9:16:31 GMT -5

"Give me therapy, I'm a walking travesty, but I'm smiling at everything"

_{Crap. Now I've offended him. This isn't going well. He stares at me as if I'm the one with the problem. It's not like it was intentional, I wasn't thinking. I blink several times, staring at the message that he has written in the sand. Yeah, he definitely thinks I'm stupid.

Moreover, he hasn't seen my scarf anywhere, which puts me even deeper into a problem. I bite my lip, trying to think on my toes. I'm suddenly struck by a spark of memory - I left my scarf on a trashcan in the alleyway, I was feeling quite hot. I smile and sigh, realizing that I've solved on of my problems. The alley is just east of here. I dart off.

I find it exactly where I left it. Brilliant. I pick it up and wrap it round myself twice. It's rather chilly when there's no sun in District Five. I dart back to the Avox boy, my scarf trailing behind me as I run. I skid to a halt, ruining his message on the ground. I wince. That was accidental. At least I had already read it.

I force a smile. I don't really want to be seen talking to an Avox, but I don't want to be rude. I'm not a rude person, I'm just very energetic, so I start talking.
"How come I haven't seen you around here before?" I ask, noticing that I know pretty much everyone in this area of District Five. I somehow doubt the answer will be that he's visiting. No one visits a section of the District this polluted.

"I'm Harley, by the way" I add with a smile.}

semper
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Black Sun [Open] Apr 29, 2011 15:22:07 GMT -5

Post by semper on Apr 29, 2011 15:22:07 GMT -5

The guy darts off. Just like that. I'm left crouching in the dirt without a clue as to what the hell just happened. Looking around myself, there aren't really many people out this late, so I figure that I'm alright if I just stay there. I had no idea if the kid was going to come back, though, so should I stay? I sigh and fall back onto my rear, circling my arms loosely around my knees and holding onto my wrist as I wait to see if the guy would come back.

Well, I honestly couldn't wait forever. I needed to find Lily. Hell, I needed to stop leaving in the first place, but the Uprising needed their medic. I wanted to rebel against the Capitol for what they do to Avoxes, though my job was to help heal those who were injured. I didn't mind it at all; I knew my herbs and medicinal things due to having to live out in the woods by myself for so long (aside from that time I broke my femur, but that's besides the point), but I couldn't keep away forever. I had a son. I needed to help take care of him, but what jobs could an Avox get? No one will give me any work to do. I guess I could get involved in a black market of sorts, but that was extremely risky -- along with the fact that I'm not even supposed to be out of the Capitol. If this kid ever comes back, I'd just have to a--

Oh, I found him. He came skidding to a stop beside me, running over the message I had written earlier. I didn't mind it; it had already been read and he was already asking me questions again. Looking up at him for a moment, I noticed the scarf, figure that that had been where he went. I let go of my knees, crossed my legs, picked up the stick and began to answer. Might as well tell the truth; maybe this Harley could help me.

I'm only here because I'm looking for my

I paused, trying to figure out how I could describe Lily. She wasn't my wife, technically not my lover.... ah, I figured something out. As I mentioned Colton, though, I couldn't help but smile.

friend and my son. Do you know a Lily Cochon? My name's Devroux.[/color]

I looked back up at him, waiting to see his reaction.

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Last Edit: May 1, 2011 19:40:33 GMT -5 by semper

i hear the mountains calling me home