rush--knox

[rush--knox]

He nodded even though he didn’t think Everett’s statement was true. People were nice to him, for the most part, but he didn’t have anyone that he could go to for comfort, for support, Slate he felt was that for a while, but now, he wasn’t so sure.

Rush laughed then, because he could agree, even though he was never all that sinister, sometimes he did feel as though certain things took place just to be a pain in the ass. “Maybe we should make this donut trip an everyday thing, one thing we can look forward to at least?”

"I think I might have some more friends in paradise" Rush admitted genuinely with a shrug before moving on easily, as if he'd just made a comment on the weather and not his own loneliness. "I love walking around the capitol, I kind of forget to come outside during training, it's all so busy"

[rush--knox]

Rush nodded. It made sense. But anything even remotely like a forest caused a chill to run up his spine, so close to his own, and even though his journey was not as traumatic as some victors, it was still hard to think back to.

“Tada” he held up his knot, then undid his hard work and handed it over to her so she could try. “I think you could be right”

"Of course" Rush grinned, happy to give someone help, even though he wasn't always sure what people thought of him when he helped other districts out too. "So I can show you a good one for hanging something from a branch of a tree, it's useful if there's like a forest or something"

[rush--knox]

"Of course" Rush grinned, happy to give someone help, even though he wasn't always sure what people thought of him when he helped other districts out too. "So I can show you a good one for hanging something from a branch of a tree, it's useful if there's like a forest or something"

"yes please." Linden knew basic knots, she'd tied up shoes and clotheslines often enough. but that was about all she knew, and the station looked useful, so she'd made her way over. there were diagrams, ones she could probably follow without the words, but help from someone who could show her would be more helpful. "I do know a little. but I want to learn more."

[rush--knox]

"I think I might have some more friends in paradise" Rush admitted genuinely with a shrug before moving on easily, as if he'd just made a comment on the weather and not his own loneliness. "I love walking around the capitol, I kind of forget to come outside during training, it's all so busy"

"Right, right," Everett said with a laugh, though his was a bit more reserved than Rush's, because he didn't want to be mean. However, the beliefs of so many of those tributes with Rush were just... strange. Delusional, but in a way that made him wonder if his own district's beliefs about the Games were any less so. "Well, you are in paradise now, right? You got... money, friends, all you can eat, a nice house."

[rush--knox]

“Sometimes I wish we could give them a day off” Rush hummed. They looked exhausted, well, some did, the ones who were especially trying to prove themselves, and he felt for them, because exerting all their energy now was pointless, even he could see that— “We could take them for a tour of the Capitol, I bet they’d like the museum, and some ice cream, everyone deserves an ice cream break, don’t you think?”

@ladylancaster

[rush--knox]

“Do you need any help?” Rush asked as he approached the district seven tribute. He’d been watching his own pair for a while, but decided to hold back, because he hadn’t been much help to his last tributes, he was questioning whether he was doing more harm than good. He couldn’t help it though, when Linden went towards the rope section. He’d only been practising this, and he needed something to keep him busy, didn’t he?

@lindenunderstory

[rush--knox]

“I thought I was heading straight for paradise” Rush laughed, and it was maybe the first time he’d made fun of himself for his beliefs, how silly it all sounded in hindsight. “I just can’t imagine being forced into it” he shook his head, not really connecting the dots, because if you looked at the bigger picture, he had been forced into it really.

"Maybe" Rush smiled, but his stomach felt a bit upside down at the thought of watching that. He couldn't even really think about some of the aspects of his own arena still. "Well enough, I mean they were crying some, but that's normal? I think? I mean I didn't get reaped, so I'm not sure how you might feel truly, but I doubt it's good"

[rush--knox]

"Of course" Rush smiled, glad to be offered help, it was a rarity for him, his family never did so, so it was hard to accept. "Did you do it before? Did you quit something bad?"

"Yeah I get that. Take all the time you need, I'm not trying to pressure you, but if you want my help just say the word." She couldn't stop her own vices but perhaps she could help him.

[rush--knox]

"Oh, thank you so much" Rush grinned. He could write his name later, copy it from his notebook where Slate had written it out for him before. Only four letters, so it wasn't so hard. "Oh no, I don't think so" he shook his head with a small laugh. "I just think I wasn't very nice to someone when they needed it, I told them to leave and maybe they wanted to stay, but they didn't say so"

Denver grinned, and added a sign off before passing it over to Rush. "All you have to do is put your name right here," she told him, pointing to the bottom of the card. "So, you break someone's heart or what?" she asked. She was unsure where to go from here, conversation-wise, and figured that pullout out some customer service voice teasing might help. She liked talking to the customers - the victors, especially. She liked getting to know people's stories.

[rush--knox]

"Maybe" Rush smiled, but his stomach felt a bit upside down at the thought of watching that. He couldn't even really think about some of the aspects of his own arena still. "Well enough, I mean they were crying some, but that's normal? I think? I mean I didn't get reaped, so I'm not sure how you might feel truly, but I doubt it's good"

"Maybe it'll be the same as your arena," Everett said hopefully, though of course they both knew it wouldn't be a repeat. "How are they taking it, you know, getting reaped?"

[rush--knox]

"My tributes?" Rush hummed. "I think they're lovely" of course he did, that's always how he'd felt. Rush hasn't quite got to the stage where he has learned not to get attached, but he is slowly beginning to lose a small bit of hope as the cycles go on and eleven remains defeated. "The younger one is a really good climber, so I'm hoping the arena will suit her"

"Right, they're for us and our tributes only," he said, starting toward the door. "Speaking of which, how are yours doing?" He knew that losing the Berries was probably especially tough for Rush, just because they'd gotten so far.

[rush--knox]

Rush watched closely as she swooped the ink along the plain paper, and he wished he could do it himself. Everyone around here did it so easily, connected all the lines and the dots and then there were words, words he couldn't manage to make sense of, and he wondered why his parents didn't send him to school like everyone else.

"Oh love, for sure" he smiled. "Thank you for this, you're an angel"

Denver grinned. "Perfect," she told him as she took it from him and opened the card. In a more careful, practiced script than she usually used, she wrote I'm Sorry in big letters in the blank space. Then she turned back to Rush. "Would you say you're a love or a from kind of guy?" she asked.

[rush--knox]

"Oh, really?" Rush grinned, always delighted when people humoured him without much hesitation. "I won't tell anyone else, we don't want the best donuts to sell out, that'd be a disaster"

Lemon and water didn't sound like it would really get much clean, but he held his tongue, knowing that Rush's family was a little eccentric (or a lot). "Copy away, no reason anyone's tributes should go deprived of donuts," he said. "I'll even show you the best spot for it in the city, c'mon."

[rush--knox]

"People like to start at the beginning" Rush hummed. "But that's a bit boring, so let's start in the middle" he grinned. "All the floors between the lobby and the roof are just districts, really, but I found a secret room between four and five, it's in the stairwell, it's where they keep all the backup snacks" he told her with wide eyes.

Mack glanced around the hallway, trying to suss out of this man was trustworthy or not. If she could take him in a fight if he tried anything. She decided maybe on the first front, and definitely on the second. It was good enough. "Yeah, alright," Mack nodded, gesturing around. "Where do we start?"

[rush--knox]

“We use lemon and water to clean most things back home” Rush explained. It most definitely smelled better, anyway. “We could go grab a fresh box of donuts? It’d be a nice treat for my tributes too, if you don’t mind me copying you.”

Rush followed suit and placed the few donuts he’d picking up into the box as well, bringing his fingers to his mouth to lick the sugar off. “Usually, back in eleven, I’d eat anything off the ground, but here— they use this horrible smelling stuff to clean it, I don’t think it would be good for anyone’s tummy”

[rush--knox]

“That’s normal” he smiled. He at least knew what it was like to be tribute on the first days after arriving at the oh so big and scary tower in the big and bold capitol. Jittery was an understatement. “I suppose I do, I can show you a bit?”

"Sorry" Rush said immediately, looking down at his bare-feet which he realised now had made him a silent follower, so no wonder she was startled. "I wasn't sneaking up on you, I just usually walk the full length of the tower each day" he explained. "It's not exactly the same as the land in eleven, of course, but my legs need to be walked or they get all jittery" he shook them to show her, as if she might understand.

[rush--knox]

“Oh” Rush scanned the wall of cards again but couldn’t make sense of any of them and decided to trust her anyway. He tapped his pockets and then pushed his hand into his right one, pulling out a handful of including a hair clip, some coins, but most importantly, a pen with no lid, half chewed up. “I use it for my doodles” he explained before he offered it over.

Rush was distracted by the jaguar that looked all too familiar to answer right away, it wasn't until the person behind him in the queue cleared their throat that he remembered what he'd come here for.

"Oh" he smiled, nodding to himself. "Can I please have a card that says I'm sorry on the front of it-- I uh" he looked around and leaned in. "I'm not a very good reader, so I'm not sure which one is correct" he admitted, nodding over to the wall of greetings cards to their left.