one heart, but mine was in two; one half filled with the dreams of a saint

[willowed]

Most of the time, Darrow's beach is not a very forgiving one. Nuriko has known many beaches before, even though her own village stood well into the land, hours away from the ocean. For the first decade of her life, it had been all she knew, and all she cared to know. She had everything that made her happy in that small village — neighbors she loved, and a family she couldn't bear to part with. But after her sister died, something in Nuriko broke and ran hollow, bleeding her dry. She ran from village to village, from region to region, searching for something to fill the void. Learning how to dress as women dressed, to walk as women walked, on the off-chance that in herself, she could find Korin as well.

In those days, oceans had offered a time for reflection.

The warmth of spring has barely begun to tease Darrow in recent days, the clouds overhead allowing more sun to peek through and touch the cheeks of those who pass by the beach. But it's cold, and the waves run high with the wind, a pale green in the distance as Nuriko walks up to the surf and breathes the salty air in deep. Her long hair, reaching down to her thighs, is woven into a thick braid that she starts to release now. Maybe later, the tangles will make this more of a pain than it's worth, but when she feels the wind start to kick up some of her hair, she can't bring herself to care.

Spotting the fact that she isn't the only one on the beach today, Nuriko turns with a soft smile. She's searched for her sister so many times in places like this that even now, years after she's come to terms with what happened to Korin, the very feel of the ocean makes Nuriko ache.

"Kind of chilly, isn't it?" she asks her companion.

Comments

[willowed]

The young man's take on the city is telling — but presented with an honesty that Nuriko can only respect and appreciate. She leans forward, feeling a slight tightness in her chest, wanting to share more with him in turn. The way that he talks about the city is too sad, really. Nuriko's always preferred being able to offer people hope, or a smile, but with this young man, she's not sure yet where to begin.

So she decides to return the favor.

"Did you know that this place can bring people back from the dead?" Nuriko asks, resting her chin on her knee. "Or, for me, it keeps me from moving on. I died back in my world, as part of a war. But I don't resent being brought here. It's nice to have the chance for a few more years than I was intended to have."

[norelief]

"...you died?" It's hard enough to wrap his mind around that fact, let alone that she seems so accepting of it. He's come so close to death so many times himself, and it was never exclusive to the rules of the arena. A no, an overt display of affection towards Annie, all of these things could so easily see him slain. Yet here he stands. Ten years of cheating death, while others around him weren't so lucky.

He's not sure what to say. Sorry, maybe, but that's a comfort usually saved for the loved ones of those that have died, not those that have actually breathed their last breath. She seems to have embraced it, anyway, and he's not sure it would do much good. "I'm glad you got a second chance. You mentioned a war?"

He can't help but think of the Dark Days. He can't help but think of what Katniss has told him comes next.

[willowed]

"I died. Pretty painfully, too," Nuriko says, smiling good-naturedly in spite of what she shares. There are worse things, she thinks, than dying painfully. Worse things than dying on the top of that snow-capped mountain, impossibly beautiful and serene before her, even as her body trembled as the temperature dropped.

Because at least she got to know good people, and at least she learned what it meant to love, and at least she finally knew what it meant to be Nuriko.

That was pretty powerful.

"I would have been fine moving on, but I can't lie and say I don't appreciate having a little longer than I was meant to, you know?" she murmurs, watching his expression carefully. She needs to be careful not to overstep her boundaries. "But yes, there was a war. There were four neighboring nations where I'm from, and one of them was set on overtaking all of the others. Starting with mine. A lot of people died young in that battle."

[norelief]

Finnick thinks of the Dark Days. And then, the rebellion that had ignited the moment Katniss challenged the Capitol, holding out a handful of berries in an act of defiance. He thinks of all of the casualties so far, and how many are surely to come after his arrive in Darrow. It's no comfort to know that war has raged elsewhere, maybe even beyond what little he's learnt about back in school. "You don't have to lie," he says. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to live the life you should have had."

[willowed]

"You know," Nuriko says thoughtfully, giving the young man a longer look, her eyes briefly narrowed as she surveys his expression. "People who haven't been through war are usually so angry on my behalf. The moment they look at someone like me, young and healthy... they wonder how I feel so calmly about it. Especially if I'm dressed as I am. Not like an expendable life from a small village."

She leans forward, hooking her chin over her knees, hands brushing down her legs.

"But you sound more like you're someone who's stood on the same side of the battlefield as I did."

[norelief]

"Something like that," Finnick says, although it feels entirely different. He's never heard of anything quite like the arenas that they were thrust into, expected to kill all for entertainment, all for the sake of the Capitol of proving that they could. After, though, after the escape and the beginning of the rebellion he knows that there's more to come, more that occurs after his arrival here, but he doesn't know his exact role in it all. He's not sure he wants to. "Yeah, I've fought."

[willowed]

It's in Nuriko's nature to want to know, but she's also been with enough people to realize that some only feel safe when they have the access to privacy. There's a fine line that she tries to toe with those she meets. Interested, but not so bold as to knock their walls down. Leaning forward, Nuriko drapes her arms over her legs, watching the young man from where her cheek nearly rests against her cheek.

"I'm glad you fought and survived," she says with a small smile, fingers weaving through her hair to push some errant strands out of the way. "I'm Nuriko, by the way."