thecapitol | (no subject)

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Who| Elsa & Shepard and an OPEN Prompt
What| Elsa asks Shepard for help | Elsa makes tea
Where| Shepard's room | The kitchens
When| Present
Warnings/Notes| N/A

[Elsa & Shepard]

It isn't exactly with enthusiasm that Elsa has decided to seek Shepard out for additional training. Her previous encounters with the woman were less than stellar, and she found Shepard's personality a bit at odds with her own. But she can't deny that Shepard has experience and the ability to teach it well. After her recent experience in the arena, she thinks the time has come for her to stop running away from her problems and seek a more proactive way of dealing with them.

She's tired of running away from her powers. She's tired of constantly being afraid of hurting people. Elsa's had it hammered into her head several times since getting here that running isn't going to help anyone. As nice and helpful as everyone has been, she also thinks that Shepard is that rough, pushy instructor that she needs to get her ass in gear and make a change. Shepard won't coddle her. That's what she needs, and as intimidating as it's going to be, she's confident that it's the right decision.

So there Elsa is, stopping in front of Shepard's door. She hopes that the woman is in and not busy or anything. She didn't exactly call ahead to make sure it was okay to visit. Either way, she reaches out and gives a few knocks before stepping back to wait, hands clasped in front of her, shoulders straight. It's obvious she's trying a little too hard to look calm and composed, as she mostly looks rigid and cold.]

[OPEN]

[Later on, Elsa can be found in the kitchen, quietly making a cup of the tea that helps with sleeping. Ever since the previous mini arena, she's been dealing with nightmares more frequently. They mostly consist of repeating her death over and over. The painful way she had been crushed to death saving Harley has her really shaken up. She'd went into it thinking she would have died forever, yet she'd woken up all the same. It's been hard to sleep since then.

She also hasn't been out of her room that much, either. It left her shaken up and in need of some alone time, so this might be the first time anyone's seen her out and about since then. Thankfully, the anti-socialness is fading away and she finds it isn't quite so bad to be around people again. She's even humming quietly to herself as she finishes making the cup and moves over to a bar stool, so that she can sit down and sip her tea.]

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A knock on her door was almost never a good sign. People who knew her tended to just come in, and those who didn't mostly consisted of the kind of people who dressed you up in stupid outfits and led you at gunpoint to fancy parties, or deathmatches. Some days, Shepard couldn't have said which was worse.

And anyway, she didn't spend much time in her room overall, being far too busy with her own self-imposed rounds and duties to make much time for sitting around, aside from the important chore of arena-revue. Nasty business.

Which, incidentally, was what she was doing when Elsa knocked.

It takes her a moment, head up, wary, to cross the distance between bed and door, and even so there is a hesitation before opening. Like a pause to straighten one's hair, to pull on the mask. Paranoia is only unhealthy when it's not founded in reality.

"Elsa?" Not that she doesn't know enough to expect her every now and then— Hans, the now-Victor being present in the D5 suites as often as the rest of them, after all, but... "You need something?"

Terezi herself doesn't sleep much to begin with, so it's not at all unusual for her to wander into the kitchen at this particular hour of the day. She's on a mission: to find bugs. Not the gross kind that typically infest small, unclean places. She wants edible bugs. The kind you make into a nice warm grubloaf. Crisp and juicy.

What she finds instead is Elsa, making tea. Terezi lingers in the doorway, briefly contemplating the idea of trying to sneak up on her... But ultimately, she decides against it. It's a little too soon after the arena to go about doing that.

"What are you humming?" she asks from her leaning post.

Hans' sword lesson had been amicable enough but Guy had been so busy trying to learn that he hadn't really had much of a chance to get to know Elsa and he wanted to. She'd been very polite on the network, asking him questions about his world and way of life instead of making assumptions.

Barring one or two Tributes, most of the Tributes had been that way and it was a relief when compared to ones like that green jerk or mentors like Azula - or worst of all, the Capitolites they had to deal with at parties and the like.

He was, however, somewhat embarrassed to be seen in public, scarred as he was with burn scars. This was partly because it made him look like one of the group that had tried that scheme against the Capitol - whatever it was - and gotten burned when he hadn't been involved and lots of staff at the Training Center were side-eyeing him for it. The other reason was because he was embarrassed at being caught off guard and hurt like that. Azula no doubt had chosen that way to attack specifically because he'd have to go around scarred until he died in the next arena (or died for good.) Or, if he won an arena, he'd have to go around scarred forever.

It was meant to be a lasting display of dominance, of how she would always, always somehow get the upper hand.

That was why he was very shy as he approached Elsa, shyer than he'd been so far, his body language leaving him a little curled in on himself, constantly adjusting his body wrap to try to hide the burn scars on his arm and cheek. It helped to have something to direct his twitchiness at, though. After the mini-arena he felt anxious and out of sorts and was having nightmares as well.

"You having trouble sleeping, too? Usually I sleep like a rock - well, usually I can sleep on rocks, but not so much right now."

Edited 2014-04-28 00:06 (UTC)

Madame?

[Joly, having trouble finding his own sleep with no magnets to attach to his bed, and a certainty that it was turned wrong once he'd gotten into it, with no desire to get up and change things NOW, had made his own way to the kitchens, in search of the right herbs to put himself to sleep for a few hours when he'd spotted the lady (a queen, he reminded himself though it seemed quite different from the type of royalty he knew at home) and made his way over to her.]

You find it hard to sleep as well?

[Cosette finds it hard to sleep most of the time these days as well. Her inability to be at her husband's side, like a man and wife ought to be, irritates her more than anything.

For some reason, however, she was not expecting someone else to be in the kitchen at this time of night. A silly assumption, she was sure. She paused briefly, clearing her throat lightly to make sure she was aware she wasn't alone, before heading over to make a bit of tea for herself.]

You don't mind a bit of company, do you, mademoiselle?

When the door is finally opened, Elsa is struck with the realization that she doesn't know what to say. She came here with a goal, but suddenly getting to the goal seems harder than she thought it would be. She has no reason to think Shepard would want to help her, after how icy she's been in the past, she realizes as well. So maybe an apology?

A hand comes up to stroke her braid, a nervous habit she's picked up. "No, not exactly- well, yes," she says quickly, fidgeting with her braid a little more. "I just thought... I should apologize."

She clears her throat, knowing she's better than this. That she could be much calmer. "I haven't been the most open to your help in the past, and I've... probably treated you badly as a result. I'm sorry for that."

If Terezi were to sneak up on Elsa, it probably would have lead to burns for both of them. Elsa can be a little jumpy on occasion, and after her arena experiences she's much more prone to startling than normal. Thankfully, it doesn't startle her too much when she hears Terezi's question.

"Hmm?" She twists a little to get a better look, before she recognizes the person speaking. Elsa puts her cup down so she can swivel in the stool and face her properly. "Oh, nothing specific, actually. Was it bothering you?" Always quick to assume, Elsa.

When Elsa turned towards him, immediately his body language become familiar to her. It was the kind she was used to, the kind she usually displayed herself, when she felt weak and exposed and just wanted to get away from everyone. It was easy to feel sympathy towards him. She had the feeling she knew why, with the way he kept fidgeting with his bandages- the scars weren't the prettiest thing, but she didn't recoil or anything like that.

She knew better than to do something like that. It would only make him feel worse, which wasn't something she wanted to do. How or why he'd gotten them, Elsa didn't know. She didn't want to ask, because it meant it would draw attention to them. Would he want that? Elsa wasn't sure, so she decided it was best not to.

Elsa gave him a warm smile, amused at his words. The rock comparison was pretty fitting, she thought, given where he'd come from. "Sleeping on rocks sounds rather uncomfortable, I'm not sure how you ever managed that," she said. "But yes... ever since the last arena, I've had a hard time sleeping. I guess it was bound to happen eventually, but it's still inconvenient."

[Elsa turned to face him, not recognizing his voice. She didn't recall meeting him, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be polite. Elsa gave him a small smile, nodding at his question.]

Unfortunately. I've tried not to rely too much on the tea, but it's become necessary ever since last arena.

Not at all!

[Elsa gives her a small smile, gesturing to the seat next to herself for when Cosette is finished making her tea. To be honest, the silence had become too much, it was nice to have someone around. Without anyone around, it mean she could think about things, and that usually lead to negative feelings.]

It's a bit late, are you having difficulty sleeping as well?

"Nope! Not at all." Terezi flashes a grin from the doorway, then moves into the kitchen proper. She doesn't waste any time pulling open one of the fridges and rooting through the contents. At one point, she just starts pulling things out and setting them on the counter to deepen her search.

"I didn't know you were a night owl," she says, her head still stuck in the fridge. "A weird night owl. Most humans are either out partying or dead asleep."

"Oh, that's good." She's a little relieved, since it's not often anyone catches her doing anything musically. To be perfectly honest, a little bit of "Do you wanna build a snowman" might've slipped into her tune. She thinks of Anna so much, it just happened without even realizing it.

"I've never been one for parties," she says with a small shrug, turning once more to her tea when Terezi steps into the kitchen. "And sleep is hard to come by, lately."

A moment later she adds, "Were you looking for anything in particular, by the way?"

Terezi definitely knows the feeling of not being able to sleep. She pauses to give Elsa a bit of a look over her shoulder, more just a slight turning of her head than anything else. Then she abandons her scavenging through the fridge in favor of climbing up onto the counter to root through the upper cabinets instead.

"Not in particular," she responds to the question in the same distracted but polite manner. She's not just going to ignore a question posed to her. "Just bugs. Grubs. Any kind, really. I'm not especially picky."

In her time here, Elsa has learned not to question some extremely questionable things. Robots? Technology? People with other sorts of powers? Those were all par for the course, she's learned. But somehow, the idea of anyone trying to find bugs in a kitchen is absolutely mind-boggling to her.

It shows on her face- not that Terezi can see it.

"Bugs?" she asks, clearly startled and more than a little confused. "Why in the world would you be looking for bugs... in the kitchen, of all places? I mean, shouldn't you be looking outside?"

"Because they're food?" Terezi stops her very deep investigation of one particular cabinet to turn halfway around and raise a brow at Elsa. Funny face making can be a two person game, Elsa.

"Do you go around the city picking your food off the ground outside?"

It takes a moment, but Elsa realizes that it's probably some sort of species thing. An... admittedly gross species thing, but she doesn't want to get on any of the trolls' bad sides, so she's been as respectful as possible. When she realizes it, she covers her mouth immediately, looking apologetic.

"I'm sorry," she says, removing her hand. "I didn't realize... It's a troll thing, isn't it?"

Is that offensive to ask? She never signed up for this. Humans are hard enough.

Elsa is very good at holding a calm face— or a little while. But if you introduce a little uncertainty, she cracks like the gunshot-loud fractures of overstressed lake-ice trying to move. It can't, or rather won't, but it tries anyways. Springtime is just as inevitable as winter.

"Apology accepted," Shepard doesn't hold grudges, doesn't pursue vengeance. She's practical before anything else, "Wait, are you offering to actually show up to work?"

Just because she's being relatively gracious, it doesn't follow that it's shared more than a passing nod with the real thing.

"Eating grubs? Yeah. It's a troll thing." Terezi pulls a small container out of the cabinet and sets it on the counter, before turning around completely and sitting on the edge herself. She can't help but grin a little at the face that Elsa is making. Flustering people is her special hobby. She never tires of it.

"But humans eat bugs, too. Maybe not your kind of humans, but I am pretty sure they are still considered a viable source of protein!"

Edited 2014-04-28 16:27 (UTC)

Elsa deflates a little at the grin, not liking the fact that Terezi is so amused by this little predicament. But still, she's the one who committed a social faux pas here, so she doesn't have a leg to stand on.

"Do they?" she asks, her eyebrows furrowing. "I've... never seen any humans eating bugs. I can't imagine why they would when there's much tastier food to eat- ah, no offense." She clears her throat. "Do you... not have actual food where you come from?"

Elsa's eyes close as the little jab, despite the relief she feels at the acceptance of her apology. It's out of shame, if anything. Embarrassment at being called out on it. She tries to hold her dignity together and remain calm, taking in a long and steadying breath.

"Actually, that's the other reason I came to you," she says slowly. "I wanted to ask if the offer still stood on teaching me. I've come to realize that... running away from the idea isn't going to do me any favors. I need to work harder, otherwise I'll just hurt more people."

It probably doesn't seem possible for Terezi's eyebrows to lift higher than they are...but she manages. Somehow. As nice as Elsa is, this is too much of a golden opportunity to pass up.

"Actual food, meaning your food?" Terezi clasps her hands together pleasantly in her lap and swings her feet back and forth. The image of a patient child. "Because clearly a different species wouldn't adapt their eating habits to their homeworld, nor would they consider that actual food! Actual food is only classified by the foods that humans find plentiful and tasteful on their own world."

Terezi leans forward now, resting her elbows on her knees. Still smiling. "Are you going to accuse my culture of being uncivilized now? Because I'm getting the impression that you think we just overturn rocks and scrap through the mud for our meals. Which is about as silly as the idea of you walking up to a sparrow on a branch and deciding to eat its insides because it kind of looks like a chicken."

[Harley is in the best of moods following the recent visit from her best friend int he world. Bouncing out of her jungle like bedroom she spots Elsa and lets out a happy squeal skipping over to the girl cooing.]

There you are! My hero!

If this goes on any longer, it's going to become possible to cut the awkward with a knife- probably into so many pieces that it could feed the Capitol, if awkward were actually edible. Which it isn't, but the sentiment is still the same.

Either way, she really would just like to leave now. This isn't the way she wanted the conversation to go, so she decides to just sip her tea for a moment, trying to think of a way to change the subject. Except that's derailed at Terezi's final comment, because she really hadn't meant to give that impression, because it's simply not true.

"No!" she says quickly, setting down her cup a little too quickly, sloshing out some tea as a result. She wrings her hand, a little burnt from the. "I just don't know much about your species at all, I'm not trying to offend you." She moves off her her stool so that she can grab some napkins, first wiping off her hand before moving to clean up the spilled tea. Elsa is frustrated by how flustered she is by this conversation, but it's hard not to be. In a way, she finds the trolls intimidating and she would rather not get on their bad side. They look so... deadly.

If they were to target Anna because of her, it could make life difficult. That, and she really just doesn't want to offend anyone at all, especially through ignorance.

"Please, I think it might be best if we talked about something else. I don't want to offend you further."

Terezi wasn't really expecting such a quick reaction, or such an apologetic one at that. At the very least, she's starting to understand a little better how this woman ticks. To be honest, she seems a little too concerned with not rocking the boat. A little too tightly wound.

"Don't worry, I'm not actually offended. You'll know when I am." Terezi hops off the counter, taking her little container with her. She heads over to Elsa and plants herself on a bar stool next to her, plucking a napkin out of her hand without asking and joining in on the cleaning.

"Did you hurt yourself?" she asks curiously, sniffing a little at her hand.

Not too far away on another bar stool was Donatello. He was also indulging in a late-night drink, contentedly sipping it as heat emanated from it. Albeit, if Elsa got close enough and sniffed, she'd probably come to realize it wasn't tea he was having. It was coffee.

Odd.

"...Oh." It was finishing a sip that Don noticed his district mate sitting nearby. "Hey there."

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