A girl and her duck

[knifewithnoname]

Who: Pruna, a duck and you
What: Pruna wakes up, also she has a pet duck now. Because Effie thought that would be a good idea
Where: All around the tribute tower
When: Mid week 5
Warnings: Mentions of arena stuff, swearing, probably casual mostly unintentional animal cruelty

When Pruna woke up she was greeted by one of the cheerful minders. It was enough to make Pruna scowl but the man told her she had done well and he had been impressed by her quick successions of kills. So she decided he wasn't as stupid as he first appeared. He had given her a bag, and told her it was a present from the Capitol. Getting presents was still a strange thing and Pruna looked inside excitedly and grinned at what she found.

Later she could be found in the tribute lounge, wearing a pale blue T-shirt that read: I will be taking your motherf***ing eyes!, and a pendant that looked like an ice cream cone with a dagger stuck out of it. There had been some of the weird smelling stuff in a bottle as well, the minder had told her it was a smell that was named after her. Pruna didn't quite get it, it all smelled weird to her.

There was a figure as well, one that looked like her. She had that with her now, as well as a pair of weird eye looker out of things (the minder had called it a viewer) that showed pictures of her in the arena when you pressed a button, her kills, her deaths, some of her more heroic moments. She had liked that too.

There was also a phrase book titled Speak like Pruna and she was reading that now, reading it to the duck that was sat next to her. Effie had made good on her promise and after the gift bag the minder had introduced her to her new pet.

"This do be being a stupid book, duck." She was telling it. "It do be getting everything wrong." She poked the duck, which made a sound. At least it seemed a little bit more intelligent than tribbles. "What do ducks be eating? Worms right, we should be going and finding some."

Comments

[gluteus]

Maximus walked into the common room, his hunger finally dictating that it be dealt with, when he caught sight of the strange sight of Pruna with her duck. Raising an amused eyebrow, he first grabbed a snack bar from the cupboard before wandering over to her with a small smile.

"I see you have a new friend, Pruna," He said with a low rumbling chuckle.

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna grinned when she saw Max and waved. "Effie did be getting it for me." She told him proudly, "She did be saying she would and she did be." That was why she liked Effie, because she always kept her promises.

"Duck this do be being Maximus." She poked it again and it made a squawking noise.

[gluteus]

"Effie seems like a woman of her word," He said, smiling as he came down and crouched next to her.

"Duck," He said, nodding at it, his smile turning a little bemused. "That seems an... efficient name."

[knifewithnoname]

"It do no be being a name." Why would she name a duck? She picked it up and moved it closer to Maximus so he could see it properly.

[gluteus]

He reached out, brushing gentle, if calloused, fingers over it's head.

"No? Well, I'm sure it needs a name. How else will it know that it is yours, and that you respect it?"

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna's eyes darkened and she looked annoyed for a moment as she stared down at the duck, "Do that be being what names do be meaning? That you do be being respected?"

[gluteus]

Maximus nodded.

"In Rome, a man was given a name when he earned the respect of the Emperor. That is where my name comes from. Maximus. It means 'The Great'." He smiled for her. "Your duck has had no name, because until now, he had no one who would think it was owed him. Do you think he deserves a name now?"

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna stared at him for a long time, thinking that over in her head, a name was given when people respected you and an emperor had given Maximus his name. That had to mean Maximus was a great person if he had earned the respect of an emperor. And even his name meant that he was great.

She shook her head slowly, "It has no been doing anything to be earning respect." She told him, "It has just been sitting there squawking."

[gluteus]

He couldn't help it. He tried to fight down the smile that split his lips, trying to feign seriousness, but it was impossible.

"Well, then it will have to be known merely as Duck, for the time being. Though perhaps you should not expect too much of it - its ability has been destined by its birth, after all. How shall it impress you?"

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna frowned, "I do no be knowing, but I do be thinking ducks can be being impressive as well, in a duck way."

She wrinkled her nose, "Maybe it do be being a really good swimmer."

[gluteus]

The smile was broad now, and he'd given up on fighting it.

"Well, there, Master Duck. You have your task," He said, addressing the beast and reaching out to rub its head fondly. "Prove you are a capable swimmer, and perhaps your Mistress will grant you a fitting title."

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna grinned and made a note to take the duck and find some water to test it's swimming capabilities.

She looked up at Maximus again, "How do you be doing?" Said out of the blue almost but she had started to get the hang of this manners thing and knew she should ask it because she hadn't seen him in a very long time and he had had to stay here in the Capitol with the stupid people and not go into the arena.

[gluteus]

He smiled, sadly, the way one smiles at children when they ask meaningful questions that cannot be answered honestly. Or, well, at least not fully.

"I live, and I breathe," He murmured to her. "And I wait, for the return of my friends. And you, little guardian? How are you faring?"

[hanssome]

[Hans has been taking it easy for his first few days back. Aside from the occasional training session and schmoozing with capitolites, anyway. He's spending a little more time trying to adjust to technology and the general lifestyle of a tribute, so he's easing himself into the habit of wearing tee shirts and lazing around watch replays.

It's hard not to notice two things, one being that Pruna seems far too little to be a tribute and the other more important thing being that she has a duck. He eases himself off his couch, unable to resist striking up a conversation out of curiosity. The more friends he makes the better, really. Even if she doubts she'll be of any use to him.]

I think ducks like bread. [He points out in a chipper tone, smiling as he approaches ever so casually.] At least that's the impression I got, people are always throwing crumbs at them.

[knifewithnoname]

[Pruna looked up at a new voice and wrinkled her nose.] Bread? Do you be liking bread, duck? [She poked the duck again, it squawked, she took that for a yes.

She pointed a finger at the new man, who she had seen on the reruns of the arena but hadn't bothered to learn the name of] Do you be knowing where to be finding bread?

[hanssome]

[Hans can’t help laughing both at the way she speaks to her duck and the fact that it replies.] He’s very clever. [He observes, scrunching his nose a little as he considers it.] Wherever we get food from, I’m sure. Bread is a staple, I’d be very surprised if they didn’t readily provide it for us.

[knifewithnoname]

It do no really be clever [Pruna shrugged, though she wasn't sure if the duck was intelligent in a duck way, she hadn't known many ducks.] The kitchens, I bet there do be being bread there. [She stood up, picking the duck up as well] I do be knowing where it do be being.

[hanssome]

[Hans is struggling just a little to interpret what she's saying, but he doesn't seem particularly perturbed by it.] I'm sure it will grow up to be bright, at the very least.

[He nods as she stands, stepping back just a little.] Would you mind if I tagged along? [He really needs to get a hobby.]

[knifewithnoname]

[What better hobby than adventuring with murder children and their pet ducks?] Of course you can be coming. [He might be useful yet] It do be being this way.

[hanssome]

Oh- yay! [He's so enthusiastic you have no idea.] I'm Hans, by the way. [He'll give a little time for Pruna to introduce herself before speaking up again.] I don't believe we've met before!

[knifewithnoname]

[She nodded] You can be calling me Pruna if you do be wanting to be being. We have no never been meeting before, but I did be seeing you, on the technology screens.

[hanssome]

Pruna. [He repeats.] That's a lovely name. [He furrows his brow, a little embarrassed that everyone can see him fumbling and dying like a fool. Alas, that seems to be the name of the game here.] Ah yes, those things. They don't seem eager to let us forget our mistakes, do they?

[knifewithnoname]

[She nodded, it was a nice name. She guessed. She wasn't sure who had came up with it. Maybe it had been Effie, she should ask her.]

No they do be liking to be showing you forever until you do be getting better. [And even then...]

So you should be making sure you do be doing lots of cool stuff for them to be showing instead.

[hanssome]

Well, they've managed to prove that point quite vividly. [As illustrated by how much he's training now.]

That's good advice. [He nods thoughtfully.] Just how long have you been here, Pruna?

[knifewithnoname]

That did be being my fourth arena. [There had been the weird one with the fake dead horses and stupid trees, the arena full of sweets and doki dokis that could tear you to pieces, the one with the stupid sharp tooth monster things and then this one. They had all been pretty stupid.] So... it do maybe be being a year but maybe not quite that long.