She Pulls a Razor from Her Boot [Open]

[fearisinthemind]

WHO| Penny and open
WHAT| Poisoning pigeons in the park
WHERE| A Capitol park
WHEN| Week 2 of the Arena
WARNINGS| Animal death. Also, she's a sadist torturer.

Penny doesn't see sunlight often. It isn't an avoidance thing; she just works six days a week and tends to have her servants make grocery runs for her when she isn't feeling like subjecting herself to the faces of others. She loathes smalltalk, and truly only enjoys Katurian's company these days. That he hasn't answered her phone today has put her in a foul mood, and she wafts through the park like a wisp of a thunderhead signaling a storm in contrast to the bright lighting.

An Avox, one of her personal servants, carries a bag of birdseed for her. Penny sits on the park bench (the Avox must stand) and picks out one piece at a time, holding a cup of hot coffee with one hand and occasionally meting out dead-eyed stares at passers by. Her gown is too elegant for a simple park visit, even by Capitol standards, and her slippers are perfectly clean, having been brought by the Avox in a purse and substituted for more comfortable footwear.

The first pigeon seizes up six minutes in. It flutters and tries to flap away, only to fall from a height of only a few feet and collapse to the ground. Its feathers puff, it makes little chirping sounds, and it expires. The other pigeons examine it, and then another suffers the same fate. Then another. It's not long before she and the Avox are surrounded by tiny corpses.

Penny smirks and drinks her coffee.

Comments

[fearisinthemind]

"That's your problem. You think." It's a mindless, rude thing to say, not something that reflects anything Penny actually knows about Shion, but her barbs needn't be pointed for her to lash out with them.

[savedbyasong]

Shion blinked, blushing deeply. "I'm sorry." He wasn't sure what to say, she was frightening but it was her city, and her park even if he couldn't even process what she had done. "I didn't mean to offend you."

[fearisinthemind]

"No, I'm sure you didn't, but that doesn't really matter, does it?" Penny's smile curves at the corner of her lips like fishhooks. "You should kneel and kiss my feet to apologize."

[savedbyasong]

Shion blinked at her and looked at the avox, whose face gave nothing away as usual. Was it literal? He didn't know.

He looked around, as if he could get his answer from the trees or the flowers around him, none came though and Shion found that he had no answer at all. Nothing he knew could help him with this. He tried to think of what Rat would do, but it would have probably involved knives and violence.

Shion was not a violent person, and he had no knives. But even Rat knew when not being violent was best, Shion remembered the woman who smelled of perfume who had grabbed him, and Rat kissing her to convince her to let Shion go. So perhaps this would be the best course of action.

"Um..." Another helpless glance at the avox before he moved forward. He might not like it, and part of him told him to walk away. But he was pretty sure he couldn't afford Penny as an enemy, not for him and definitely not for Rat.

So frowning slightly, still torn he knelt and pressed his lips lightly to her foot before immediately standing up again.

[fearisinthemind]

Penny's lantern is akin to that of a jack o'lantern - glowing, but grim, terrifying in its way. She kicks off her sandal and wiggles her toe as if in glee.

"Good. Very good." She leans forward and runs her fingers under Shion's jaw - her nails are painted a deep, violent purple color. "You know your place in this world."

[savedbyasong]

Shion still looked like a rabbit caught in headlights and he concentrated on breathing as her fingernails ran under his jaw, breathing, just breathing.

The moment he was able to he stepped backwards. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape. "Can I go now?" He pretended his voice wasn't shaking.

[fearisinthemind]

"Yes. Yes, you may." Penny lounges back on the bench, looking like she's making luxury out of the old rotten would.

"Get out of my sight."

[savedbyasong]

Shion stumbled back a few paces before turning and walking away, it took all of his concentration not to run, he felt sick and terrified. Like he wanted to curl up somewhere far from anyone. He blinked angrily, banishing the tears that threatened and tried to remember what breathing was and how to do it.