Here it's safe, here it's warm... [OPEN]

[stillplaying]

Who: Kitty Archer (Katniss Everdeen) and YOU
Where: All around town
When: October 24 - October 28
Rating: PG-13?
Summary: Kitty's just turned 21 and family is everything. Who needs to ever leave Storybrooke when everything you want is right in front of you?
The Story:

Day 1: October 24
It's been a couple of weeks since their birthday. But if you ask Kitty, twenty-one doesn't feel all that much different from twenty. Maybe the most noticeable difference is that her twin has started to dye her hair. It's easier to tell Rachel and Kitty Archer apart now. Just look for the blonde one and look for the brunette. She still hasn't entirely adjusted to the change. It's weird to look Rachel in the eye and not see her mirror image.

When not at home with her sister, father, Robert, and younger brother, Jake, she's usually at work. Working as a trainer in Peter's fitness center isn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world, but it makes money. And any little bit helps the family. So it's worth it, even when she has to deal with strangers. She's never been so good at making friends, even though she tries.


Day 2-4, October 25-27
Though she's always been good at archery, practicing at the fitness center no longer seems like enough to her. She wants to lose herself in the outdoors and in the woods, be away from everyone and everything in town and alone. At peace. Providing for her family not by working but by hunting. She thinks she knows how to set traps now, oddly enough. And what plants might have an edible component to them.

But she tries to ignore this best she can and keep up with life as normal.


Day 5, October 28
Kitty Archer has a twin sister and a little brother. She has her father. Even if it's missing their mother, she has a family. A family that loves her and needs her and supports her through her dreams. But Katniss Everdeen? Katniss doesn't have any of that. Her sister died because of her actions. Her father had been dead far longer. She's broken and bitter and doesn't know how to trust anyone anymore.

Kitty wants nothing more than to think the girl a figment of her imagination. She's Kitty, not Katniss.

Today, it's easiest to give in to that feeling of hiding in the woods with her archery equipment. She doesn't want to be around others. She just wants her sibling to hold her and tell her things will be alright. But which, she doesn't know. Rachel? Prim? Jake?

It's a horrible game of Real or Not Real and all she wants is for it to be over.

Comments

[ceruleans]

She grins. Hers smelled sweeter, like vanilla and sugar.

"He really did a good job this year -- I think he must've gotten someone to help him pick it out." It's strange getting perfume from their brother, and she can't help thinking that if they'd had a mother, she would've helped him pick it out.

She shifts to the side a little, shoving her hands in her pockets. "You have many appointments for the afternoon, or will it be slack?"

[stillplaying]

She smiles at the thought, but really, Kitty doesn't care if he had help or not. Jake's never forgotten a birthday since he'd been old enough to understand the idea of gift giving. It doesn't matter what he gets her; she tends to love it all the same. The same goes for any gift from her sister or father. Even if there had been tragedy in their lives, the Archers were still a close knit family.

She's lucky. She knows that she's lucky.

"It's Friday," Kitty comments, gesturing for her twin to take a seat on an empty stool. "Weekend likes to come early sometimes."

[ceruleans]

"For you," she points out with a laugh, dropping down onto the stool and grabbing the edges with her fingertips so she can sit on it a little more comfortably. "I can't say I blame anyone for wanting to stuff their face with pie after a week of hard work, though."

She waves a hand over toward her sister.

"Sooo...do you have any special plans for the weekend? I hear we should be celebrating." As a matter of fact, she's pretty sure Kitty has plans and she knows exactly what they are.

[stillplaying]

"Our birthday was last week." It's said in a very matter-of-fact manner despite the amused twinkle in her eye. Come tomorrow, their birthday would have been eight days in the past. And yet? "The celebration should be over by now."

Kitty smiles at her twin, letting her know that she's teasing. Mostly. It's good to be twenty-one, to know she's survived yet another year in Storybrooke. As has her sister, her brother, and her father. Everyone important.

Still, she shakes her head. "No plans."

[ceruleans]

"Oh, I was thinking more -- one-on-one plans. Maybe the romantic kind, where your sister has to pick out a dress for you."

She raises her eyebrow at Kitty. It isn't that she doesn't trust the other girl to pick out clothing, it's just that she doesn't trust her to pick out something that's a little girly and maybe shows off some ankle.

"You know, the kind with an awkward kiss at the end?"

[stillplaying]

She can feel her cheeks flush in embarrassment. A date. Rachel wants her to go on a date. They've tried this before in the past. Both of them have, really. Kitty's attempted to set Rachel up with boys and her sister has done exactly the same. Both trying to find happiness for the other rather than themselves.

It's an old game and yet, it's not a game that she's yet grown accustomed to. She always feels flustered and awkward whenever the subject is brought up.

Her eyes goes wide and she looks more closely at her sister. "What?"

[ceruleans]

"You remember Daniel, right? The nice kid who's always hanging around in the library, being quiet and studying?" He'd seemed more like Kitty's type than hers, and it had been a while since she'd tried to set her sister up.

She wants to get at least one more blind date in for Kitty before her sister finds someone for her. She doesn't want to admit that she might be just fine with messing around with Bucky because it's nothing serious, nothing she can get hurt doing.

[stillplaying]

She remembers him. Cute, quiet, but not someone that she regularly talked to. Has she even ever talked to him at all? Kitty can't remember. Odds are she hasn't. She's never been the outgoing type, the friendly person so good at socializing with her peers. But Rach is aware of that, maybe better than anyone else they know. Someone quiet, perhaps just as socially awkward?

Maybe that could work.

Still, she eyes Rachel skeptically. "What about Daniel?"