Fanfiction: Music and the Beast 10

For all of you who don't know, I am also a fanfiction writer on Fanfiction.net for The Hunger Games Trilogy. I have two active projects and you can check those out under the Fanfiction tab above.

For all my loyal readers however, Hi!

Hey guys! In light of recent fanfiction changes, I've decided to post on here about my notes and extended chapter previews as well. I hope my current blog readers don't mind, and for people who are here purely for my fanfiction, you might want to follow me on Google Friend Connect (on the sidebar) as well because I have weekly soundtrack posts (you might get an idea of the music I listen to while writing) and fanfiction note posts periodically.

Music and the Beast Previous Chapter notes:

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter of Music and the Beast.

The entire chapter served a filler for the story - every fanfiction sort of needs one, and a little fluff here and there would never really hurt anyone. For anybody that doesn't seem to know the song used, it's Fresh Feeling  by the band Eels. 

I chose the song, which has long been in my playlist, because the song just screams Peeta IMHO. The lyrics are simple and the tune easy enough to sing out without making a complete fool of himself - he admitted once that he wasn't much of a lyricist or a singer, but the arrangement of the song affords him so much room to show what he really is good at - composing and arranging. The strings, violin, and drums of the song have this really nostalgic and refreshing feel to them, and the numerous guitar covers I've heard on youtube solidified my decision to make Peeta sing this song.

I also found the lyrics quite fitting -

You don't have a clue,

what it is like

to be next to you.

Katniss doesn't have an idea what effect she has on people.

Birds singing a song,

old pain is peeling,

this is that fresh

that fresh feeling.

This is a direct allusion to 'The Mockingjay' as well as the paint metaphor I used earlier for the studio.

Try, try to forget,

what's in the past,

tomorrow is here.

Peeta is acknowledging all the effort Katniss has made to get where she is now, finally being able to move on from her past and concentrate on tomorrow.

Love, orange sky above,

lighting your way

there's nothing to fear.

I found this line especially fitting. I found it so convenient that 'orange sky above' could be used as a metaphor for Peeta and his inspiring aura, finally lighting the way to Katniss' figurative recovery. Not to mention, Peeta's favorite color is orange! God, I love the circumstancial metaphors this song has for my story haha. I hope you appreciated it too. It took me a long time to pick the song, and this just came to me while I was listening to my songs on iTunes. :P

And without further ado, here's the next chapter EXTENDED PREVIEW. Enjoy!

----------------------------------

Chapter 10: The Real Us

After Peeta and Katniss’ abrupt display of affection, the entire audience had erupted into a flurry of emotion and cheers which spurred a very well received call for drinks and merry-making. It was a festival of drunkards to say the least and by two in the morning everyone was either out cold or too drunk to care.

Everyone but Katniss and Peeta that is, who instead, for some reason, spent the rest of the night outside on the porch talking.

“You really do have a knack for composing and arranging. The violin was a nice touch.” Katniss nudged the man in the ribs cuddling into the sweater he had so generously lent her. While she appreciated the dress which she found out was in fact not actually Rue’s but a dress specifically chosen for her by Finnick Odair with the scheming help of her friend Cinna, it didn’t really do much for the unusual cold the night had stuck them with. “But your lyrics suck.”

Peeta laughed. “Okay already. As if Haymitch didn’t give me enough grief about it already. I’m not as gifted as you Everdeens are, okay?”

“I liked them though.” She told him, her voice quiet “Did you really mean what you said?”

“What?” He asked. He seemed distracted. “The song or the video?”

“Both.” She answered, suddenly gathering the courage to take his hand in hers as she squeezed his lightly.

Peeta smiled at her warmly. “Before I answer, I need to tell you something.” He gulped, wondering if he had the guts to push through with what he was about to do. Could he really reveal himself to this girl? Telling her about that night would be telling her that he saved her. But it would also mean telling her that at the same time, he had failed to save her father. Would she hate him?

He really didn’t have a choice. He had withheld the information from her for far too long and it was eating him up inside. He searched her eyes for any signs of judgment, but at that point, there was none, only curiosity and sincerity. He wondered if what they had would change after he broke the news to her, that is if they had anything in the first place. What were they anyway? He knew they were something more than just co-workers. Friends? Maybe, but the way her hand held his and the feelings that mere action stirred within him told him that he couldn’t be content with being just that. Either way, he had to tell her, and now seemed as good a time as ever. “Katniss, I-”

Just then, Katniss stood up, her hand recoiling from Peeta’s. Her eyes were wide as they trained themselves to a figure approaching them from a distance.

“Gale?”

“Hey Catnip.” He greeted her.  “I know it’s late, but happy birthday.”

Katniss shuddered at the sound of his voice. It seemed like ages since she had last heard it, considering that for the past few years, she hadn’t gone a day without hearing it. And the significance of the pet name that escaped her best friend’s lips did not escape her. Why did he choose to come back now? And all after everything that happened between them. “What are you doing here, Gale?” Katniss’ voice was weak and she couldn’t trust herself to be able to voice out her anger, disappointment, betrayal – all the emotions streaming into her psyche at once – without physically breaking down at the moment. Gale wore a sad smile as he walked over to her a small with a small box in his hand.

“I came to give you your present.” He answered lamely, trying to force out a smile as he extended his arm to hand her the small parcel. Peeta bore a figurative hole into the man’s head at his dead-on stare, angry that this man had the nerve to barge into their conversation and more so that he had dared to even show his face despite his blatant acts of betrayal. But whatever animosity Peeta bore, Gale hadn’t seemed to notice, his eyes solely focused on the girl who stood before him. “I know I’m not exactly the person you want to see right now, but you’ll understand soon.”

“You have no right.” Peeta started, his fists clenching painfully tight.

“What, and you do?” Gale interjected, his eyes finally finding Peeta’s. The angry look he wore sent chills down the shorter man’s spine, but Peeta held his stance. “What are you doing with him, Catnip?”

“He’s helping us.” Katniss didn’t know what else to say. Surely Gale knew of what had transpired. It was all over the news. She wondered what he thought of all of this, suddenly wanting to get back and redeem her father after years of running away from who she really was. His words echoed in her head. What was she doing with Peeta? The warmth of his hand that was in hers just a few moments ago left a lingering feeling and sudden guilt flooded over her. She gulped. Had Gale seen?

The sharp intake of breath that Gale took told Katniss he didn’t believe her. “Take it.” He insisted, thrusting the package into her hand and then turning his heel to walk away. “Your father left it with me. I think it’s about time it made its way back to you.”

“Gale wait-” Katniss ran after him and held him back by his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Inside, Peeta felt his heart sink. “What happened to you?” Her voice was desperate and questioning, but all Gale could give her was a pained look. She knew then that there was more to the story than what was perceived. Gale didn’t seem to look like he was enjoying this any more than she was.

“I have my reasons, Kat. You’re just going to have to trust me.” He took both her hands in his and held them firmly as he placed a light kiss on her knuckles. “You still do, right?”

Katniss looked unsure and apprehensive, and Peeta found it hard not to just run over and pry the girl away from the man who was now his biggest competitor. Instead, he just stood there, subjecting himself to his greatest act of masochism yet as he watched the intimate exchange between the two who had known each other for ages longer than he ever wished he had known Katniss. Katniss Everdeen would be the death of him.

Katniss stared into the depth of the eyes of the man she had come to confide in for the most of her life. But so much had changed in just a few days. His eyes looked tired, dead and desperate. A haunting feeling swept over her. She remembered looking into the same grey eyes as she was now, except then, those grey eyes were the ones she saw in the mirror, staring back at her with judgment and remorse. It was hard to imagine that just days ago, she had imagined her entire life living a lie and escaping her past with this man. But now, all that seemed so wrong. Did he feel it too? The sudden shift in the universe that made it so that her life wasn’t just a meaningless ploy to get by? She figured he did when in the few seconds she didn’t answer, he let out a heavy sigh and a sad smile. “I’ll see you around, Catnip.”

And he just walked away. If she had been her normal self, Katniss would have run after him, trying desperately to cling to the only semblance of normalcy she had left – the only piece of her past life that she was willing to carry on into her ruse, her one guilty pleasure. But now, that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t just Katniss and Gale anymore. Katniss was the lost Everdeen that found her way back bit by bit, picking up the breadcrumbs people had cared to leave her when she thought all was lost. She was rebuilding her life, the way it was meant to be lived. Somehow, she wished Gale could be part of that equation, yet for some reason, she knew that would just make things difficult for both of them. Did she have to choose between her father and her best friend? She wished that she didn’t have to. But as the reassuring grip of the man behind her found her hand once more, she knew that somehow, things would find a way of working themselves out.

“What is it?” He asked, his voice soft, unsure if he was intruding on something too private to share.

Katniss turned her attention to the small little box Gale had left her, unwrapping the clumsily tied ribbon and opening the lid. A single tear streamed down her face.

“It’s my father’s pin.”

-----------------------------

Gale's back! Le gasp! Most of you might kill me, and some of you might love me, but this is the way it needs to go for the story to proceed. Sorry guys!

Hope you enjoyed the read!

-ADA xoxo