[Ten Forward:] Guinan at the bar | OTA

[she_listens]

There are more people on the Enterprise tonight.

How and when Q chooses to bring them aboard still remains something of a mystery. Sometimes there is only one new face out in the crowd, and sometimes there are dozens. Guinan takes note of them all, from behind the bar, waiting tables, offering words of comfort and explanation.

And, most importantly, she listens.

They all have their own stories, their own fears, discomforts, and needs. In a strange new place, sometimes the best form of solace is a friendly listening ear and something warm to drink.


[ooc: feel free to walk up to Guinan at the bar or handwave that she passes by your table! For new folks, Guinan is the head bartender here, and happy to answer questions if you've got 'em. ^__^]

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[primeverdeen]

She grabbed her sister with one arm, the other clinging to the protesting Buttercup, but for once she ignored his complaints. Katniss was here... wherever here was. Her sister. She was back, they were together! She didn't die in the second arena! she....

Then the words caught up to her and she looked up to her sister who looked older than she had been the last time they had seen each other... had it just been a week or less?

"Sorry?" she asked, sniffing. When had she started crying? "You didn't choose to get dragged in there," she whispered. "You're okay Katniss, wherever we are, you're okay." She tried to reassure her older sister.

[stillplaying]

Prim would always cry whenever she did. There's no mistaking the girl in front of her, not at all. It's Prim, her little duckling, finally safe in her arms again. Crying because Katniss can't seem to stop her own tears from flowing. She's a jumble of emotions right now. Happy - no, elated. But devastated and worried and frightened all at the same time.

There's still so little she trusts about this place. A part of her even doubts that she's among the stars right now. This is the first real, true thing she's encountered since appearing here.

How could she ever doubt Prim?

"We're in space." She laughs, a slightly hysterical laugh at how impossible this all is. "Finnick's here, too. You remember Finnick, don't you?"

[primeverdeen]

"Space?" she asked, confused, then her eyes widened. "Finnick? Finnick from District four?" she swallowed hard, face pale with fear. Then she reminded herself that Katniss had spent so long being strong for all of them, that it was her turn, now she had to be strong for Katniss.

"Okay," she said softly. "I'll protect you this time," she promised, kissing her cheek. She just wished she knew how.

[stillplaying]

The fear that crosses Prim's face is matched with confusion on Katniss' own. Finnick's name is supposed to bring reassurance. Even if her sister hadn't gotten to know him as well as she had while they had resided in District 13, she knew how much of an emotional support Finnick had become for Katniss. Someone who understood, especially while Peeta was still trapped in Snow's hands.

Her eyes narrow and she takes a step back. Her hands remain on Prim's shoulders, incapable of letting go of her sister all together. And even though she's touched by Prim's words, knows just how much she means them, she quickly shakes her head.

Prim doesn't know. Finnick had come here from during the Quarter Quell.

"You don't have to," she says softly. "Finnick's a friend, Prim. Don't you remember?"

[primeverdeen]

She looked so confused. "He's in the arena with you... If... if we hadn't come here, he was going to be one o the ones trying to kill you and Peeta," she said trying hard to fight the fear that another tribute-victor was here, maybe playing mind games with her big sister.

[stillplaying]

Maybe it had seemed that way at first. Finnick Odair had been a career, a Victor from District 4 who could be very lethal with his trident. Someone Katniss hadn't wanted to ally with. She had wanted his District partner and mentor, Mags, as an ally but not Finnick. That opinion eventually changed, especially after everything experienced in District 12.

She frowns and looks at Prim more closely. She wouldn't lie to her. Not about something like this. Had the Quarter Quell only just begun for her? Had she not yet died?

"That wasn't what happened." Even if, at times in the clock arena, she had thought it was. "You don't remember District 13, do you?"

[primeverdeen]

"Di....district 13?" she asked, confused. "The place that the Capitol destroyed that they keep talking about on TV?" she asked, looking at her sister. They were just talking about someone from District 4, and the games, why were they now talking about a District that had been dead longer than they had been alive?

[stillplaying]

She nods. Reminders of District 13's destruction had always been present on the television. And if not there, within the lessons learned in the schoolroom. The constant reminder of what happened if an uprising occurred, if any District put a toe out of line.

But it hadn't worked. People still rebelled. In the Capitol and in District 13, they had plotted and planned. Led the second uprising, the one that was finally successful. "We were there. For a while. And Finnick was, too. You can trust him, Prim. He won't let anything happen to you."

[primeverdeen]

"Katniss?" she asked, concerned now in a whole new way. "No, we weren't..." she said softly. Her hand lifted to touch her sister's face. "When you came into the arena you looked... wrong. Did something happen? Did you hit your head? Maybe we should check you for a concussion...." Shifting her one handed grip on the cat, she tried to take her sister by the arm, to lead her to a seat so she could check her head.

[stillplaying]

It's like the thing with Finnick. Where he has no memory past the Quarter Quell. She doubts she'll ever understand how it works but that's not the point. She thinks that she gets what's going on here. What was that word those other people had used? Realities? Timelines?

Something. Something like that.

The point is, Prim is from her past. How does she explain that? How does she even begin to hide anything from her sister, anything of the tragedies that are yet to come? Finnick's hard enough. But Prim?

She lets her sister lead her over for to a chair and takes a seat, gesturing for Prim to sit next to her. "I'm okay," she reassures, reaching out to capture Prim's hand in her own. "I promise, Prim."

Replying from iPad, appologies for brevity/errors

[primeverdeen]

She sat in the chair beside her sister, settling Buttercup in her lap one handed, then whistling for Lady, who had been staying close anyway. "I've been so worried about you," she whispered. "We all were. When you came out, and the cameras focused on your face...." She swallowed hard and squeezed her sister's hand. "I'm so glad you're not there. You're alive. We didn't get to say goodbye before the games and..." Tears started rolling down her face.

Buttercup glared at Katniss, as of guessing that she hd hurt his Prim. How dare she. Then he started licking the bottom of Prim's chin gingerly, trying to fox the mess the foolish human made of HIS human.

Absently Prim pet him with her free hand, drawing out his rusty engine purr.

[stillplaying]

Like always, Katniss ignores Buttercup. She doesn't have time for the cat. Not that she ever really does. Prim's more important. Prim's always been the most important person in Katniss' life. And she's far, far more concern with ensuring her sister's safety and well-being than anyone else in this bar. Or on this entire ship.

"I remember," she says softly, gently stroking away Prim's tears with her thumb. "We didn't get to say goodbye before the games, but that wasn't goodbye. I got to see you again. In District 13. I know it hasn't happened yet, but it will. I wouldn't lie to you, little duck."

[primeverdeen]

She nodded, then hesitated and asked her softly. "Will it?"

Her brow puckered as she thought. "You remember things I don't, things that never happened yet for me. But... in your memory, I didn't vanish to come here, right?" she asked. "If we never go back... then those things wont happen..."

She stroked the cat as she thought. "If... if we could find a way to bring mom and Gale and everyone else here... can't we just... stay?" she asked plaintively.

[stillplaying]

There had been the explanation the red-headed woman had given, equating realities to songs. She still didn't entirely grasp the concept but she thinks for a moment that it might be something like this. Prim had been there in District 13 with Katniss and their mother. Even the damned cat had managed to make it.

But Prim's here now and if they never go back... She hadn't really thought about it that much. She never considered it a possibility. Games don't last forever. Or, at least, you don't remain in the arena forever. She doesn't know what might happen if Prim doesn't return to Panem. She doesn't know if it's even possible.

Maybe it's worth her cooperation, though. Going along with the game to protect her sister. It's something to look into.

She smooths Prim's hair and nods. "Maybe."

[primeverdeen]

She leaned against her sister. She would do whatever Katniss wanted, of course. Still, if there were a chance that they could all stay somewhere far far away from the capitol. And could you get further than...


"Are we really in Space?" she asked softly.

[stillplaying]

"That's what they claim," she answers. She can't help but look towards the window as she speaks, the one showing the darkness outside. She should have worked harder on getting more information about this place. Knowing how this hover ship kept them alive in a place she never thought possible. Or learning more about how people arrived here. That different reality thing.

There's a lot to learn. A lot she will work on learning. For Prim's sake.

"I think it's something like a hover ship. A really big one."

Posting from iPad, please excuse brevity/errors

[primeverdeen]

Prim thought about that for a moment. Hoverships have to land sometime... Don't they?" She asked softly. "Where will we be when it does?" The capitol? One of the districts? Somewhere worse?

[stillplaying]

"I don't know," she admits with a frown. It's one thing to admit it to herself but it feels like something else entirely to have to admit it to Prim. Even though she's only been here for a handful of days longer than Prim, she wants to be able to say more. To explain more. "But I don't think it's Panem."

That much, she feels confident in. No one seems to recognize the name of their nation. No one seems to recognize her. However vain it might be to say, it's true. She's the the girl on fire and the Mockingjay. Her face had been everywhere. Been the Games and the Victory Tour and the propos...

It's almost strange, suddenly having her anonymity again.

[primeverdeen]

"Well... anywhere has to be better, right?" she asked softly.

[stillplaying]

Prim has a point. She has a very, very good point. Here, suddenly, she has her sister again. Katniss has a chance to make up for everything she's ever done wrong by her sister. First, make certain that somehow, Prim gets to live that long life she deserves. It might be impossible (especially given how she really is still trying to figure things out here) but she's going to try.

Katniss hugs her sister close and closes her eyes, making a silent vow not to let anyone harm her sister again. "We're together. You're right. It has to be better."

[primeverdeen]

She hugged her sister back. "You'll see, Katniss. We'll find a way to bring everyone else here, to learn about this place, and to make friends... We can have a better life pretty much anywhere."

She pulled back enough to look her sister in the face. "So long as we are together."