Mel Fray / in the rafters

[slayer_fray]

Mel is dangling from the underside of one of the rafters, holding a knife between her teeth. Which she occasionally takes out, to rub at the wood, during which time she jams a steel wire sponge into her pocket.

If you happen to be close, you might hear her muttering.

"When was the last time anyone tried to clean this, goddamn dried on... is that

Comments

[onabirdswing]

"What are you doing up there?"

The question comes from a small girl standing below Mel and looking up at her curiously.

[onabirdswing]

"You let it hit you?"

Rue's not sure which part of Mel's statement surprises her more. What she does know is that she's glad that the Gamemakers never figured out how to make the trees turn against the Tributes. She probably wouldn't have survived as long as she'd had

[slayer_fray]

Cockily, "I let it try."

[onabirdswing]

"Wow. You must train really hard."

[slayer_fray]

Mel flips into a handstand - not because she's relating it to the conversation but because she's bored of sitting.

"I like to keep active. Stay in the game."

[onabirdswing]

"What game's that?" Rue asks curiously.

[slayer_fray]

Upside down, Mel looks at her, as if deciding which 'game' she's going to choose to talk about today.

She decides on "theivery."

[onabirdswing]

"Won't the Peacekeepers come after you?"

Her voice is worried now. She's seen first-hand what the law enforcers in her world did to those who stole.

[slayer_fray]

"The Law?" Mel catches that worry, and files it away under 'signs this girl's world is spun'. It's why her next line isn't quite as brazenly cocksure as it might be.

"They try."

[onabirdswing]

You don't know the half of it, Mel. Although Rue thinks that if you ever made it into the Games, you'd probably kick some serious butt.

Her response makes Rue feel better, and she smiles a little.

[slayer_fray]

Mel catches that smile, little as it is, and flips over onto her toes again, before crouching down.

"I can't afford to let'em lock me up. Too much ass to kick on the outside."

[onabirdswing]

"What do you do, back in your world?"