Rush Knox

"Oh, come on, you've got plenty of friends around here!" Everett said. He didn't know any of the Victors who were as universally well-liked as Rush, though he also understood that there was a distance between him and everyone else that was to do with his upbringing. He probably felt that gap more than anyone. "I sometimes think the idea of training is so we all just suffer along with the tributes." This he offered quietly, in confidence.

He nodded even though he didn’t think Everett’s statement was true. People were nice to him, for the most part, but he didn’t have anyone that he could go to for comfort, for support, Slate he felt was that for a while, but now, he wasn’t so sure.

"Of course" Rush grinned, happy to give someone help, even though he wasn't always sure what people thought of him when he helped other districts out too. "So I can show you a good one for hanging something from a branch of a tree, it's useful if there's like a forest or something"

"okay." Linden nodded, watching his fingers work the rope. "I'm kind of hoping it's a forest. I'm from seven." He would know that, her shoulders had the number very prevalently. "and last time, it was all water. so maybe trees will be next." a girl could hope. "what do you think?"

Rush nodded. It made sense. But anything even remotely like a forest caused a chill to run up his spine, so close to his own, and even though his journey was not as traumatic as some victors, it was still hard to think back to.

"yes please." Linden knew basic knots, she'd tied up shoes and clotheslines often enough. but that was about all she knew, and the station looked useful, so she'd made her way over. there were diagrams, ones she could probably follow without the words, but help from someone who could show her would be more helpful. "I do know a little. but I want to learn more."

"Of course" Rush grinned, happy to give someone help, even though he wasn't always sure what people thought of him when he helped other districts out too. "So I can show you a good one for hanging something from a branch of a tree, it's useful if there's like a forest or something"

"Yeah I get that. Take all the time you need, I'm not trying to pressure you, but if you want my help just say the word." She couldn't stop her own vices but perhaps she could help him.

"Of course" Rush smiled, glad to be offered help, it was a rarity for him, his family never did so, so it was hard to accept. "Did you do it before? Did you quit something bad?"

Denver grinned, and added a sign off before passing it over to Rush. "All you have to do is put your name right here," she told him, pointing to the bottom of the card. "So, you break someone's heart or what?" she asked. She was unsure where to go from here, conversation-wise, and figured that pullout out some customer service voice teasing might help. She liked talking to the customers - the victors, especially. She liked getting to know people's stories.

"Oh, thank you so much" Rush grinned. He could write his name later, copy it from his notebook where Slate had written it out for him before. Only four letters, so it wasn't so hard. "Oh no, I don't think so" he shook his head with a small laugh. "I just think I wasn't very nice to someone when they needed it, I told them to leave and maybe they wanted to stay, but they didn't say so"

Denver grinned. "Perfect," she told him as she took it from him and opened the card. In a more careful, practiced script than she usually used, she wrote I'm Sorry in big letters in the blank space. Then she turned back to Rush. "Would you say you're a love or a from kind of guy?" she asked.

Rush watched closely as she swooped the ink along the plain paper, and he wished he could do it himself. Everyone around here did it so easily, connected all the lines and the dots and then there were words, words he couldn't manage to make sense of, and he wondered why his parents didn't send him to school like everyone else.

Mack glanced around the hallway, trying to suss out of this man was trustworthy or not. If she could take him in a fight if he tried anything. She decided maybe on the first front, and definitely on the second. It was good enough. "Yeah, alright," Mack nodded, gesturing around. "Where do we start?"

"People like to start at the beginning" Rush hummed. "But that's a bit boring, so let's start in the middle" he grinned. "All the floors between the lobby and the roof are just districts, really, but I found a secret room between four and five, it's in the stairwell, it's where they keep all the backup snacks" he told her with wide eyes.

"Sorry" Rush said immediately, looking down at his bare-feet which he realised now had made him a silent follower, so no wonder she was startled. "I wasn't sneaking up on you, I just usually walk the full length of the tower each day" he explained. "It's not exactly the same as the land in eleven, of course, but my legs need to be walked or they get all jittery" he shook them to show her, as if she might understand.

Mack nodded, always warier of men than she was of anyone else. But he was childlike, soft. And it helped that he announced himself as coming from Eleven. "Yeah," she replied, "no worries. It's okay. I'm just-- I'm jittery myself, I guess." Mack folded her arms tightly in front of her chest. "You know the Tower well, then? I, uh, was trying to get a lay of the land."

Rush was distracted by the jaguar that looked all too familiar to answer right away, it wasn't until the person behind him in the queue cleared their throat that he remembered what he'd come here for.

Rush Knox himself. Denver was surprised. It was strange timing. Kismet, even. At his request, she looked over at their meager selection of cards. Postcards, one for each of the previous three Games, one for the Tower, and two for the museum, and less than a handful of blanks. "We have a better selection of cards in the actual gift shop," she admitted. "None of these are really that specific...." she trailed off, considering, and then grabbed a blank card and looked at Rush. "I don't suppose you have a pen?" she asked. The folks behind him could wait. He was a Victor, after all.