half-savage, hardy, and free: Indigo/Amrin {clue}

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charade
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half-savage, hardy, and free: Indigo/Amrin {clue} Mar 30, 2019 19:41:54 GMT -5

Post by charade on Mar 30, 2019 19:41:54 GMT -5

If he hadn’t had a reason to frequent the library before, he certainly had one now. Amrin something. He hadn’t caught her last name, but he’d seen her around the district before. She was a tutor, that much he knew, though they didn’t travel in the same circles, they did seem to frequent a few of the same buildings.

She was sitting by the fireplace, curled up with a book that she was intently focused on. The curvature of her cheekbones seemed to reflect the firelight, and while Indigo tried not to gawk, it was hard not to appreciate the work of art sitting a few feet away from him.

Wuthering Heights was in her hands; a wonderfully awful book about terrible people. He’d read it of course. He’d read most books worth reading and a great many that hadn’t been worth his time. She was really pretty though, and those eyes; sharp and cool like ice, yet also endless pools that anyone would be lucky to get lost in.

It wasn’t until his third rotation around the fireplace that he finally managed to work up the courage to say something to her, straightening his bow tie, smoothing back his hair and coming to a stop by her side.

“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a honeysuckle embracing a thorn— No hang on, that’s not right.”

Indigo clasped his hands together and smiled awkwardly. Was he sweating? He felt like he was sweating. Brow, hands, armpits, God he was nervous. It was time to change tact and subject before he and his nerves went down in flames completely.

“It’s…Amrin. R-right?” he stuttered. “I’m Indigo Gerber, also known as The Professor; makes me sound ancient, even though I’m only twenty; that’s a tangent though, ah, I th-think it’s cool that you, that is to say…”

Goddammit, he was losing control of his mouth. This was why he didn’t talk to people, least of all attractive, intelligent girls. He should have just stayed in his room, gotten high and loafed around until dinner. Couldn’t embarrass himself if he never got out of bed. Say something smooth, don’t be any more of a moron than you already are.

“So, come here often?” Idiot, you’ve all just moved in he thought in a panic, just barely resisting slapping himself in the face. “Uh, uh, I mean, that is to say. Do you plan on coming here often?” Oh, I could just die right now. Why did I think this was a good idea? He could always fall back on quoting the book.

Yes, that was exactly what he was going to do. “I have to remind myself to breathe – almost to remind my heart to beat.” he said quietly. “Have to remind myself to think before putting my foot in mouth as well, come to think of it.” Indigo rubbed the back of his neck with a forlorn smile, hoping he hadn’t ruined his chance at getting to know her by, well, being himself.

Last Edit: Mar 30, 2019 20:16:20 GMT -5 by charade

16 Jul 12, 23:43
GB: I bet you just sit at your computer with a tea cup and a monocle

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half-savage, hardy, and free: Indigo/Amrin {clue} Mar 30, 2019 22:47:18 GMT -5

Post by ryan on Mar 30, 2019 22:47:18 GMT -5

The amount of care and precision it took to keep her together was staggering.

Amrin Delphine was never a girl who cared about things that seemed indulgent. If it didn’t involve her finding a way to profit, then she wasn’t interested. Usually.

If she had to pick something that she was indulgent about, it was a good book.

She hadn’t been here long, but long enough to already discover where the library was. Amrin could admit that was the one place where she felt comfortable in the district. Maybe it was because she would be surrounded by a wealth of knowledge, or maybe it was because most people in five were completely sold on the literature that was housed in its wall.

Amrin was, and that’s all she cared about.

She spent a lot of time in the library in five, so much so that she had some connections with the people who ran in order to get books that usually would be hidden from the public because they were so rare. Amrin of course, had to guarantee that nothing would happen to them while in her care, and she treasured them like they were her own children. She carefully flipped each page with a delicate pull at the ends and immersed herself into the words that were printed on the page.

To find books like these were rare, but not out of reach if they knew where to look. From what Amrin did know about the history of Panem, there wasn’t much that survived the war, but there was enough left over to call them artifacts. They were hidden by each district, just in case the peacekeepers tried to raid the districts for contraband. It was imperative that Amrin kept these treasures safe as she held them in her hands.

However, being here seemed to add in a different element of longing that Amrin didn’t expect to feel the moment she walked in. This library was huge compared to the one in district five. The books on the walls seemed to keep going for miles, even though the room was definitely not a mile long. She browsed the shelves as tugged at the turtleneck sweater. She felt slightly uncomfortable, but that wasn’t because she was hot or anything. It was because she had never been in a room that had so much knowledge to offer her.

She was like a kid in a candy store.

She looked at the titles of the books, each one obviously holding some sort of secret that Amrin wanted to already discover. However, she wasn’t here to shop the library of Malcom Nox. She was here to earn his favor and an internship that would help take care of her family.

Her letter was almost burned into her memory at this point, which was staggering because she didn’t think that she would have been noticed in such a large district. Amrin wondered if it was because she had ran into one of his children before? Or it was because the teachers liked to talk amongst themselves of promising students? Amrin didn’t know, but she was here.

So with that in mind, and still a good amount of time to kill before the festivities started later in the day.

Her fingers stopped at Wuthering Heights, and without even thinking about it, she plucked it from the shelves. As much as she hated the pretense of the book, she knew that she could probably finish it in the amount of time she had left for freedom.

The Bronte’s were nothing to write home about, and Amrin honestly hoped they burned wherever they were because the amount of misogyny and abuse that their main protagonists face in their stories was enough to unsettle the strongest of stomachs.

Heathcliff was probably one of the most problematic character that Amrin had ever read before, and so much so that she wanted to leap into the story and ring his neck for Catharine. However, that wasn’t possible, so she sat back near a fireplace she had lit in order to set the mood. She got comfy near a cold window, pressing her back against it so she could feel the cold on her back, but the warmth of the fire on her face as she focused on the words.

She scanned the words rather quickly, memorizing the events as she went along. She had already read this story before, and she would be quite frank with anyone in her distaste for it. However, she knew that she could get through it, and time was of the essence.

She looked up for a moment, realizing that she was no longer alone. Her eyes didn’t leave the paper as she heard a boy speak a quote from out of nowhere. Amrin wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t the first time she had been solicited through literature.

While she did think it was nice that he seemed like he was well read, Amrin didn’t miss a beat as she turned another page, sitting in silence as she placed another piece of wood on the fire to keep it going.

Her hand held the book up as she pushed hair out of her face, looking back up at the boy, who seemed like he was stammering more than usual.

Amrin could admit that she wasn’t used to boys being around her in this type of proximity, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t know how to handle them. There were many times when she would have to shoot down offers from random men who wanted to take her on a date. Amrin wasn’t interested in anything that had to do with love, her heart was made of ice after all.

It only belonged to her family.

”Amrin Delphine.” She finally spoke after him talking about his name and what his nickname was. To be frank, she didn’t really care. Amrin though did have to be somewhat cordial, mostly because her parents had taught her how to be so. When she was in the presence of someone new, it was at least right to introduce herself properly. At least, that is what her mother told her before she went on her own path to destruction.

She finally got to the part of the book that she wished she could skip every time. She was starting to get the hint that this one wasn’t going to go away, which only could work in her favor because she was honestly getting irritated at the book all together. She placed a piece of paper she had been carrying with her in the book and closed it, sliding it on the couch next to her to make it known that she did not want him to join her. She looked him up and down and wondered if this was the best that Malcom Nox could find in the district of five? Maybe the better candidates had been reaped already and sent to die in the games? She wasn’t sure.

She took a deep breath and tried to flip her judgmental side off for a moment. This was the first time they were meeting after all, and Amrin knew that she could start off on a better foot.

”Well, seeing as I just got here, yes, I do come here often.” She smirked, knowing that was probably not what he meant, but she still would answer the question how it was asked. Amrin always had a literal approach to things, and this conversation would prove no different. ”Do you see this place? It’s a cornucopia of knowledge just waiting to be explored. Ill probably be in here as much as I can.” Amrin smiled at the bookcases full of books. She was beaming, something that she didn’t do often because not many things made her happy in life. A chance to learn though? That was always enough to bring a smile to her face.

She took a moment think about what this internship could entail. She wasn’t quite sure at the moment, seeing as it seemed that there were many other people that were arriving throughout the day. This was the second person she had met, and so far, she was fifty fifty on her impressions of them. One seemed like they meant well, and the other seemed like he was a nervous wreck. Amrin wasn’t sure how to navigate this, but she would apply her logic to any situation in front of her, that surely would get her the results that she wanted.

However, Indigo seemed to be quoting the awful piece of literature that she had just put down, and Amrin could feel a blood vessel tense up a bit. ”You don’t need to quote this awful book to me. I know it by heart at this point.” Amrin spoke eloquently. ”Though I wish I didn’t, if I am being honest.” Amrin pushed the book away from her a bit further, but kept it close enough to still signal that she did not want Indigo sitting next to her. ”Or you could just take a deep breathe before even thinking about what to say.” Amrin said quickly, her back pressing against the glass again in order to increase the sensation of cold against her skin. She found it comforting, a match for her icy heart that made it flutter. ”Why so nervous?” Amrin asked outright, curious. There was no reason to be nervous around her, unless he had something else in mind that Amrin wasn’t thinking about.

She looked away from him for a moment and looked at the fire that seemed like it was already dwindling since she had put another log on it.

She envied it almost, as she felt the same way about this conversation.

Her interest was dwindling.

Hopefully Indigo would reignite it quickly.

charade
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half-savage, hardy, and free: Indigo/Amrin {clue} Apr 1, 2019 1:42:48 GMT -5

Post by charade on Apr 1, 2019 1:42:48 GMT -5

No need to quote Wuthering Heights at her, she said, she knew its awful contents by heart. Indigo nodded in confusion. Why the hell was she reading the book if she hated it? It would be like if he forced himself to eat canned asparagus, knowing that it tasted like bitter, wilted celery stalks. Self-flagellation was most unbecoming unless one was a masochist.

Er, especially if one was a masochist.

Indigo forced himself to stay in one place, quietly fidgeting with his hands a foot or two in front of her. Just because he was bad at talking to people didn’t mean he wasn’t pretty good at reading them, and her body language said stay away. Amrin’s eyes held the briefest spark of curiosity, which was normal.

People often found him confusing.

Or you could take a deep breath before even thinking about what to say.

Yes, a girl like her could see straight through him; he supposed he should be thankful that she didn’t seem to be the manipulative type, just stand-offish and well, bored. Was she bored? Indigo was often bored, and he thought he could sense it on her. Kind of like how she could sense his nervousness.

“Nervous? Me? Noooo. No. Well actually yes.” Get a grip, man. Indigo was really regretting not toking up before heading out to meet people. Maybe a few puffs would have gotten him into a calmer state of mind.

Then again, it would be unprofessional as hell to show up high as a kite to the banquet dinner that Malcolm was holding later that day. Decisions, decisions. Indigo swallowed and took her advice, gathering his thoughts and taking great pains not to talk at his usual frenetic pace.

“I’m nervous, because you’re pretty, and I’m terrible at making friends,” he said honestly, feeling a little color flush his cheeks. “And I figure I ought to, because I have to live with eleven strangers for a year and staying in my room is not going to work.”

There. The simple truth. If she wanted to rake him over the coals for opening up so be it. He was used to people making fun of him. He was used to being the gawky awkward mess in the room. There was just one thing he didn’t understand. Indigo stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“If you think Bronte is garbage – garbage you memorized, why are you reading it again?”

16 Jul 12, 23:43
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half-savage, hardy, and free: Indigo/Amrin {clue} Apr 1, 2019 2:15:38 GMT -5

Post by ryan on Apr 1, 2019 2:15:38 GMT -5

Amrin looked back at the fire place and then back to Indigo. She wasn’t impressed, and judging from the way that he was looking at her, he could tell that. Good. That meant that she didn’t need to shatter his hopes and dreams later on. She was quick on the trigger when it came to shutting people out of her life, she had done so well at doing it all these years.

She wasn’t going to stop now.

However, she could tell that he had more questions, and honestly, anything right now was better than having to sit there and trudge through the misogynistic bullshit that was Charlotte Bronte’s most prized work. Amrin didn’t want to waste anymore time on the book, but she knew that they had a while until the dinner tonight. Amrin got here pretty early after all.

She was now just killing time.

She could tell that he was curious about her intentions, and Amrin wanted to skirt that interest right into the trash. She didn’t have time for formalities, but she knew that there was more to this meeting them just an interest. They were going to spend a whole year together, and that meant that Amrin was going to have to either get used to hearing the ideas of others, no matter how irrelevant they might be to her own, or she might as well packed her bags now.

She had to learn how to become a chameleon, unless she didn’t want a better life for herself, then she would ask herself what she was doing here if that was the case.

Amrin knew that she deserved the world, and obviously Malcom Nox did as well. Otherwise she would have not been here right now, chatting with another boy that Mr. Nox also had hope for. While it might not be the company that she wanted, it was probably some of the best company she was going to get. After all, her sharp tongue could handle the most crass of individuals.

She had knives in her mouth ready to fling at anyone.

”There is no need to be nervous…” she started until she realized the words that came out of his mouth next. ”Im more than just a pretty girl. And I am guessing you are more then a stumbling mess.” Amrin crossed her arms, placing each on gingerly on each forearm and pressing her back against the cold window yet again. The cold felt comforting, probably because she could feel it pierce through her skin and straight to her heart. This wasn’t the first time someone called her an ice queen, even though most of the time she would describe herself as such. She didn’t find the shame in it. She just had priorities over such trivial things such as love and emotions.

She thought with her brain more than her heart, and that was probably what got her here.

”You do have a point, but if you don’t act with confidence, people will see right through you Indigo.” She was quick to read the boy from where she sat. She didn’t claim to be good at reading people, but she was certain that some of the people here she would be able too. After all, she met a lot of interesting characters while she worked as a tutor. Most of them didn’t offer anything more than a bad taste being left in Amrin’s mouth, and that lead like taste was what she used to cultivate her knives.

Amrin Delphine was a hard girl to impress, and even harder to pin down. That was something that she prided herself on.

”Obviously we were all summoned here because we all have our strengths, so there is no need to be anymore awkward, it’s the first day…” Amrin said, crossing a leg over the other and brushing a piece of hair out of her face. ”… I have a feeling we are all going to have to work together at some point after all. So get all the insecurities out now.” Amrin commanded quickly, knowing well enough that she didn’t want to be held back by anyone, and judging from this first meeting of Indigo, she was going to have to pull a little extra weight if he was going to act like this.

And that just wouldn’t do.

He made a comment at the book she was reading and Amrin could feel a blood vessel pop. ”One, never ask why someone does something unless they are causing you harm.” Amrin quickly retorted before picking up the book. ”As to why I am reading this… book…” Amrin didn’t owe him an explanation, she really didn’t, but curiosity obviously was going to get to him, and it was better to skin that cat before it came resurrecting itself.

”We have a couple hours till dinner, and I’ve already read this book. I saw it and figured I could kill some time by reading it again, no matter how much I dislike it.” Amrin was a glutton for punishment, in every sense of the word. Especially when it came to the amount of literature that she had read that was accessible in the district, to what she now saw she had at her disposal. Reading Wuthering Heights for the umpteenth time was the least of her worries. ”There is value in the words on the page, the content is what I find abhorrent.” Amrin shrugged, looking at the book. ”Obviously you have at least read it once yourself if you were able to quote a piece of it too me, no matter how unsuccessful your attempt at it was.” Amrin smirked lightly, thinking a smile was the least she could give him at this point. Sure, this wasn’t a conversation that she wanted to have, but it was passing the time, and anything that got them closer to the dinner that Malcom was hosting tonight, then it was appreciated.

Like Indigo said, they had to spend a whole year together, so Amrin knew it was better to be cordial, even though she would rather rip the teeth from her very gums.

However, she took a deep breath as she felt the mix of hot and cold on her skin. Indigo Gerber was an interesting character so far to say the least.

Amrin Delphine was the Ice Queen willing to at least give him a chance.

charade
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half-savage, hardy, and free: Indigo/Amrin {clue} Apr 1, 2019 22:09:48 GMT -5

Post by charade on Apr 1, 2019 22:09:48 GMT -5

Was he more than just a stumbling, mumbling mess? He supposed he liked to think so. He’d already talked to a quarter of the interns, which was already more strangers than he normally went out of his way to interact with. But as for her being more than just a pretty girl? He was well aware of that, thank you, it was why he was nervous.

Obviously, a person couldn’t pick up on everything; as far as he knew telepathy was still only possible in theory. She sat with her back against the window, arms crossed elegantly and he supposed that were he a better man, he’d have matched her eloquence instead of fumbling like a moron.

Amrin needled him about his lack of confidence, warning him that the other interns would see right through him; probably eat him alive, if not walk all over him.

~~Granted, if she wanted to, he’d let Amrin or that redhead with the smoky eyes do all of the above to him, but that was neither here nor there.~~

It wasn’t often that he found himself on the receiving end of a lesson; but he’d always been book smart. Never street smart. His father often said he was lacking in common sense, but that wasn’t it. Indigo knew that his thought process was just different. He didn’t tend to think about things in the same way as other people, although he’d usually reach the correct conclusion.

It didn’t help that he was bad at socializing, often feeling like every eye in the room was on him, or worrying that if someone in his vicinity was laughing it was because his socks didn’t match or he had something in his teeth.

Amrin, who he had decided was like a beautiful ice sculpture brought to life, went on to talk about their strengths; that clearly everyone was chosen for a reason. And that like it or not, they would likely half to work together. There was no point in being insecure. Truer words were never spoken, and if Indigo were most people, he’d have agreed whole-heartedly.

However, seeing as how he was the human equivalent of the bruised banana in the bunch that nobody wanted to eat but then waited too long to use for banana bread so they just wound up throwing it away, he wasn’t sure he could get over his insecurities at the drop of a hat.

Still, he wasn’t the only one with problems. Amrin’s answer about Bronte was questionable at best. There were literally hundreds of other books in the library that she could have read instead of one she hated. Even if she found value in the words, which was confusing if she found the content abhorrent; were not the words what made the content themselves?

Whatever, he didn’t care to quibble about semantics. He knew her type, or at least he thought he did. He had her measure now. Did he find her a captivating, intimidating woman? Yeah. But she certainly liked her vocabulary didn’t she? Some people hoarded their words like a miser hoarded money. Others spent them with wild abandon.

Amrin was in another class entirely. Words carefully chosen and used for impact, with elegance.

“Indeed, though I see I needn’t have bothered.” He quipped with a small smile, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “Well Amrin, you are different, aren’t you,” he said slowly, letting an impassive mask slide over his face. It was generally the end result of him feeling embarrassed. Conceal, don’t feel.

Had he read that in a book once? Of course, his timing needed work; It was still hard to conceal his feeling before he’d already spilled them everywhere.

“You’re right though, there’s plenty of time for us all to get to know each other. Perhaps I’ve wasted enough of your time for now.” He glanced at the cover of the book again and chuckled softly. How nice it was to see that at least a few of his fellow interns weren’t boring.

“See you at the banquet?”

Last Edit: Apr 1, 2019 22:19:36 GMT -5 by charade

16 Jul 12, 23:43
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half-savage, hardy, and free: Indigo/Amrin {clue} Apr 2, 2019 0:05:59 GMT -5

Post by ryan on Apr 2, 2019 0:05:59 GMT -5

There wasn’t much more to this conversation that Amrin was willing to think about, or even try to have. Her personality at its very core was always going to be standoffish, and that was very apparent with the words she chose so far. She knew that it wasn’t her forte to be kind or cordial in her language choice, but since she grew up in a society that made it very clear that Amrin wouldn’t amount to anything unless she stood up for herself, every word that left her mouth needed to have purpose.

Small talk didn’t exist in the world of Amrin Delphine, and that was something she could live with.

However, Indigo Gerber mustve been shaken to his core. Amrin was good at reading people, to an extent. She could at least tell when they were getting the point that Amrin was only here for business. That look she memorized well enough, seeing as he wasn’t the first boy who thought she would be approachable and easy to chat up. She mastered her tongue well enough to sling knives through the air with it, and sometimes she didn’t realize how deep they cut.

The silence between them was a clear sign that Amrin had done more than enough damage, probably cutting close to the jugular or slashing at his proverbial voice box. She wasn’t sure if she welcomed it, because it might have not been the best for her to possibly alienate someone so early on, but it just kind of happen, and Amrin didn’t care to work to keep it from happening.

Either people were going to work with her, or they were going to avoid her. Plain and simple.

She was more than what she did, and she needed to prove that. She was smart, she was regal enough, even though she did not come from wealth. She taught herself to be confident in her way of life, and that was probably what was the most interesting about her. No one asked her to be cruel, she just knew that the world of Panem was exactly that, so who was Amrin to challenge that.

It was a dog eat dog world, that wouldn’t relent for anyone unless they fought for their life. At the end of the day, Amrin was already at odds with trying to survive on a purely basic level, and then add another layer that involved her family and she was now fighting a war that was obviously one sided.

She needed to even the odds.

She was no Catherine Earnshaw after all, living in the shadow of Heathcliff because that is where she felt comfortable. Amrin was more than confident in her presence as a person, and obviously people were attracted to it more than she even thought. It was very clear that Amrin would thrive here, at least at the base of it all.

This was the perfect place to challenge the cores of her personality and put them up to the scrutiny that they needed to be put up too. She just had to figure out which of the other house guests could keep up with her very brazen personality.

She took no one’s shit, and so someone needed to be able to roll with that, and come correct in her presence. From what she could tell, Indigo might not be that person, as he seemed to think in the most superficial ways towards her.

Amrin would always be more than her looks after all.

She looked down for a moment, her hair falling around her face before looking back up and grabbing the book from where it laid and holding it on her lap.

”Im half tempted to throw this piece of work in the fireplace, but I don’t think our host would find that to be kind.” Amrin looked at him, furthering her hatred for the piece of work that she truly did have a distaste for. She smirked though for a moment, a smile forming on her lips as she pushed hair out of her face and started to soften up just a bit. If he was this persistent about talking to her, then Amrin could indulge at the very least.

Many men had tried to conquer her before, and each one fell at her feet. She wasn’t something to be owned, or something to fight for. She could fight her own battles, which proved to be very true as she could feel Indigo’s tone go from curious to defeated.

She couldn’t help it, she just had that kind of effect on men.

”There isn’t anything wrong with being different though. Its what got us here in the first place Indigo.” Amrin’s hand holding steady, confidence resonating from her voice. ”Our uniqueness is our strength here, as well as our weakness. Its how we use it that matters the most.” She expressed, looking back to the fire and then back up to Indigo. She was sure that this conversation was on the decline, which she didn’t mind too much, as enough time had passed for her to probably put down. She knew that the dinner was coming up, and if she wanted to make an impression, she was going to have to take her time and get ready.

”I never said you were wasting my time Indigo. Everything happens for a reason. Lets just hope that this was a good one.” She was quite frank with him, the book now finding a permanent spot on her lap. She was open enough to him staying around if he wanted too, but she wasn’t going to force him. Besides, she was pretty sure that he wasn’t going too.

No harm. No foul.

Amrin Delphine did not take offense when people were put off by her strong convictions. If anything, it brought her a certain amount of joy, because it told her that she knew how to handle herself no matter what she was thrown into.

She did belong here, and that was very clear.

”Ill be there.” Amrin gave a light smile, not sure what he was going to do now. Whatever he decided wasn’t going to affect Amrin too much. The company was good to pass the time, but she was used to the quiet.

She was a queen on her translucent throne so cold that she was numb to it after all.