Who: Portia and Katniss When: Early Oct Where: Wood near Portia's filmset What: First meetings and freaking out Rating/Warning: G / none Status: Complete
Portia was taking a break from the filmshoot while they were eating lunch. They were filming in a local wooded area so she decided to grab her sandwich and find a place away from all the equipment and people to eat her lunch.
After a little bit of exploration she found a nice shaded area and sat down just enjoying the peace and quiet for a while. She’d been keeping herself so busy since she and Alex had called it a day that she felt tired right down to her bones.
Katniss had been walking through the woods while she had sometime in the afternoon off. She’d eaten lunch and was walking it off before her next class in an hour. She missed the forest. Missed nature being more a part of her life, but she was nothing if not adaptable and she was acclimating to life in the city. She’d been having weird dreams lately and hence not been sleeping well, but she couldn’t make sense of them. She was with a boy, it seemed, being primped and prepped for some big event by a team of people. It was weird and hazy, so it was even more weird when she saw a face she vaguely recognised sitting in the wood. Katniss had always been curious though so couldn’t really help herself as she stepped over to talk to the woman.
“Hi,” Katniss greeted. “I hope you don’t mind, but you look familiar to me for some reason, do I know you?”
Portia looked up at the voice and her eyes widened in surprise, “Katniss” she said before she could stop herself. “Sorry, umm my name is Portia. As strange as this may sound you might know me from your dreams” she said almost wincing at the explanation.
Katniss stood upright, startled as the woman used her name straight away. “I...I was just thinking about that, but I...it’s a bit hazy…” she shook her head, unsure how they could be having the same dreams.
Portia nodded, “They’ll get clearer” she said, “It’s kind of a thing around here. People share dreams, it’s a little hard to explain but just be assured you aren’t going crazy”
“Well...that’s a relief,” Katniss remarked dryly. “So, Portia, right? I don’t remember much but I remember you and...Si...Cinna?” she tried out the name and it slowly came to her. “And a few others, bathing and scrubbing me to within an inch of my life, what’s that about?”
“Portia” she confirmed nodding, “Ah right, you’re pretty early on in the dreams. You have lots more to come. Sorry” she added apologetically. “Ah yeah, preparation for your training for the games. Cinna is your stylist, and it’s his job to make you look as good as possible”
“As far as I know it’s the only dream I’ve had,” Katniss told her. “Games?” she asked, confused. “Like the Olympics?”
“Oh my, you really have only just started, I’m not sure how much I should tell you” Portia said, chewing her bottom lip in thought. Would it be better if Katniss knew what the games were? Would it make it easier or harder for her?
“Tell me what they are,” Katniss told her. “It’s not like they’re spoilers or anything,” she shrugged. “Besides, it’s kind of creepy when you call it the games and then don’t explain what you mean by it.”
Portia nodded, “They’re called the Hunger Games” she said and then proceeded to explain what happened in them, as gently as you can explain fights to the death. “You volunteer in place of your sister. I’m sorry”
“I...no, my...my sister’s safe...at school,” Katniss shook her head. “It was just a...weird dream was all…”
“Of course it was” Portia said with a slight frown but she continued softly, “That’s what I’m telling you. The dreams will continue and that’s what yours will be about. They feel more realistic and vivid than normal dreams but you wake up in the morning in this world”
“You’re telling me that I’m going to dream about killing people then wake up like it’s a perfectly normal day,” Katniss demanded. “Well I don’t want them! They’re barbaric!”
“I’m afraid you don’t get a choice” Portia told her, “You can’t stop the dreams. They just happen, whether you want them or not. I am sorry Katniss”
“Well I don’t believe you,” Katniss wrapped her coat around herself again. “Now if you don’t mind I’ve gotta get back to school,” she told Portia, hiking her bag up on her shoulder as she started to leave.
“Katniss” Portia called after her, “Don’t believe me if you like, I wish I were lying. I truly do. And who knows maybe you’ll be lucky and not have any more but if you do” she held out a business card, “Please call me if you need to”
Katniss turned to look at her, trying not to freak out too badly about what Portia had told her was coming her way. If it were true, she didn’t know whether she should be grateful or not for the headsup. If it weren’t it was a cruel trick to play on someone, but Portia didn’t seem like the type to do that sort of thing. She slowly reached out and took the business card from her. “Thanks. I will,” she nodded in reply.
“Take care of yourself Katniss” Portia said softly before letting the girl leave, hoping she wouldn’t be too haunted by what Portia had revealed.
“Yeah, you too,” Katniss replied quietly, still feeling cautious about what she had been told by Portia. Turning around, she headed back to school, nervously flipping the business card over and over in her hand as she walked and dreading going to sleep that night.