mockingjays {OPEN}

[allegro]

Aria softly bounced Fortissimo in her arms while she tried to get ready for a night in the fields. Melody was responsible enough to take care of the others until it was time for bed. Hopefully Ari could get a break then so she could come back and put them all to bed before heading out again.

Pianissimo started to babble on about being able to write out her name and how they'd started learning addition in school. Aria nodded and listened, but didn't pay attention while she set down Fortissimo to tie a bandanna around her head to keep her hair from falling in her face in the fields.

"Melody!" she called, picking up the toddler again and looking around their small home for the eldest of her little sister. Spotting her bent over a textbook, Ari sighed, hitched Fortissimo higher up on her hip and got her attention before speaking again. "I'm about to go out. If Fortie starts wailing you know where her blankie is. Piani don't pull on Dixie's hair. Dixie, please get your homework done…" she turned to each of her sisters before placing Forti in Melody's lap and planting a gentle kiss on the elder's head.

"I'll be back in a few hours to tuck everyone in, alright? I promise," she whispered. Straightening up, the eldest and only remaining Morgan daughter left the house and started toward the fields, singing a little to herself in case any mockingjays were nearby and listening. She couldn't imagine what would happen if she had to go participate in the Hunger Games this year. Melody's head was always in a cloud or a book; Dixie couldn't keep track of anything; Pianissimo kept making people mad when she was in one of her moods; and Fortissimo was just a toddler. If she had to be in the Games, she'd have to win. Or it was off to the orphan's home for her sisters.

[affinitty]

Affinity walked around the fields, soaking in its beauty. Some of the people in district twelve weren't fans of this vast fields. To them, it represented Labor. Affinity, on the other hand, found them relaxing. But she had to admit, the sun could be damaging on her porcelain skin. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and her bright eyes shown with curiosity.

She reached down into the soil and gently dug into it. She sprinkled some seeds into the whole and placed some water over it. Her mind was slightly cluttered now, and thoughts bounced around in her head. The Hunger Games were the current topic of the moment, but they were always talked about. It had never been an issue for Affinity, on the touchy subject of the Hunger Games. She had her name entered more than once, but was never chosen. The odds that she would be were so slim, so she never considered it.

Affinity glanced around the field to see another girl standing by. She heard the familiar sound of a Mockingjay and couldn't help but smile- they were truly delightful animals. "Hello", she said brightly, waving her hand."How are you?" Affinity looked and the girl and gave her a closed-mouth smile. She had recognized her from around town, but had never gotten the chance to talk to her. Affinity tugged on her airy blue shirt and looked around the field.

[allegro]

Aria's face brightened considerably when she heard the mockingjay repeating her melody in the ever decreasing visibility of the evening. She had always loved the sounds of mokingjays when they replayed whatever songs they heard in the fields and orchards. When her little sisters entered the fields perhaps she would send them little melodies using the curious little birds to try and lift their spirits through the hard days of work.

"Hello"

Ari blinked and looked to where to where the voice had come from, a smaller girl waving at her. The seventeen-year-old nodded and waved back, having never spoken to the girl before, though she'd seen her around the district. "Hey." she replied, bending down and began to dig into the soil of the fields, glad she'd worn a bandana to keep her hair out of her eyes.

"How are you?"

"I'm alright. Tending for my little sisters, not much new here." Ari said kindly, already hating the feeling of dirt under her hands. She could be helping Dixie with her homework right now, and here she was dirtying herself up for little to nothing. Oh well, the tesserae from last year still had a couple more weeks on it, and then she'd have to endure the stressful day of reaping once more. "I'm Aria, by the way."