You always took care of me, you taught me to be strong.

[justoutrunyou]

Who: Sandy, Effie, Mindy, Duck and then open to all!
What: The good news is your alive again, the bad news is...
Where: The Tribute Center
When: week 5 of arena 10
Warnings: Probably children being inappropriate. 

Whenever Sandy came back from the arena she usually stayed in bed for an hour or so after waking up.

Today she sat stark upright in her bed, because something was wrong.

Sandy's room was usually decorated in all sorts of graphic images she had painted on the walls and ceiling. It was her way of coping with the horrors of the arena. Sometimes she would paint over old horrors with new ones, or sometimes she would build upon the nightmares she had painted with something beautiful or whimsical.

But the walls today were white and clean and sanitized. They had a scent about them like paint remover and deodorizer as if someone had tried to cover up one smell with the other and the two scents were dueling to the death.

Frowning in irritation Sandy swung her legs out of bed and rose to her feet to pad over to the mirror and examine herself.

Same messy hair, same scrawny limbs. All the muscle and tone she'd built from training before the arena had been melted away, and all the signs of starvation were gone as well. She was for all intent and purposes a underdeveloped twelve year old girl trapped in an eleven year olds body. While she had been here for over a year now her body looked the same as it had on her first day in her first arena.

And so it was time to begin again. She could repaint the walls, she could rebuild the muscle. All she needed right now, all she wanted right now was to find Pruna and have their traditional after arena ice cream. Pruna could tell her what she thought about Sandy's actions in the arena and they could plot more ways to improve before the next arena.

The game was starting over again, and Sandy believed she could handle it.

She just needed to find Pruna.

 

Comments

For Effie

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy appeared in the District Common room and was distracted from her hunt for Pruna by the smell of fresh baked pastries in the kitchen area. Pruna was probably training anyway.

Scurrying over to the kitchen island Sandy helped herself to a thick round piece of cake ball with frosting on the top, stuffing it into her mouth in a shameless display of childlike desire and a complete disregard for all the manners Effie had tried so hard to teach her.

For Mindy and Duck

[justoutrunyou]

After learning about Pruna, Sandy wandered lost in a daze for a few hours.

The Tower was still under lockdown so she couldn't ride her bike around town, and the main floor was swarming with activity due to people being trapped in the tower. The roof was not much better as an impromtu party seemed to have been started up there with food and drinks and people craving some fresh air.

The need for fresh air was enough to force her to tolerate the crowd and after blowing off some questioning reporters she found a shadowed corner of the roof where she could look down at the city and try to feel something again.

Gone. She was gone.

And it was all Sandy's fault.

She entertained the idea of escaping this never ending loop of arenas and death by hauling herself over the safety bars and throwing herself off the roof, but she had been informed on her first day in the tower that a force field was in place to keep anyone from doing exactly that.

And so she sighed and hung her arms over the barrier looking very much like the zombie version of herself.

For anyone else.

[justoutrunyou]

Wandering the tower in a haze, with a Duck in her arms, Sandy was like a shell of her former self.

After speaking with Effie and Mindy she was coming around slowly, but it would take some time to pick herself up from this loss.

Everywhere she went reminded her of Pruna. The table where they ate chili when it was cold out, the sofa where Sandy taught Pruna how to play go fish. There was the stairs where Pruna raced her to the twelfth floor and even waited at the halfway point for Sandy to catch up.

And of course the training hall where Pruna did everything she could to train Sandy to not die.

Maybe if Pruna had spent less time with Sandy she'd have had the skills to survive the arena longer.

Maybe the capitol would bring her back again instead of Sandy.

But when all you have left are maybes the future doesn't look like much to keep moving towards.

And so the sad lonely girl continued to move around the tower with her new duckling nestled in her arms. Sandy was looking for something but she didn't know what yet.

Re: For Mindy and Duck

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy learned that she and animals were a strange pair. The duck had known her a little since she and Pruna sometimes trained together, but without the girl it seemed anxious, sullen even. Mindy took the little guy for a walk every few hours, because she hated the idea of it by itself in the room alone.

So as she was giving it another walk, she finally spotted someone she knew would be coming: Sandy, quiet, pale looking. She'd been waiting for her, and once the duck saw her, it quacked happily and waddle toward her.

"Hey."

Re: For Mindy and Duck

[justoutrunyou]

The quacking of a familiar fowl snapped Sandy back to reality and she looked down to the beady eyes of Pruna's adopted pet gazing up at her.

"Duck?" She mumbled in shock and brought her eyes up looking, hoping that maybe Pruna wasn't gone after all!

But no...it was Mindy, and Sandy despite herself couldn't stop from looking disappointed. Looking back down to the duck at her feet she cursed herself for getting her hopes up.

Pruna was gone. What was done was done.

"Hey." She greeted Mindy.

Re: For Mindy and Duck

[hit_girl_mindy]

Ok, the disappointed look she understood. She'd wanted it to be Pruna, and it was just her, Mindy, the traitor or whatever. That couldn't have felt good.

"Sorry," she said, picking up the excited fowl and placing it on Sandy's shoulder. "You've had a pretty intense week. Can't imagine it felt good. I was watching. Sorta hoped you guys would get farther. You've gotten better though."

She sighed. "This is such bullshit."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy's hand immediately came up to steady the awkward young bird who's webbed feet weren't very good at keeping him perched on her shoulder. The duck seemed grateful for her attention and nipped affectionately at her ear.

"Yeah well, fat lot of good any of that training did in the end." She grumbled. "I couldn't do anything for her."

Pruna had fought hard, killing a number of spiders before she died screaming a scream that would haunt Sandy's dreams.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"You did what you could, and that's what she expected from you. I'd be worried about you, but she told me herself I didn't give you enough credit. You're tough. You lasted awhile, and shit, you went out better than people older than you here."

She patted the girl's shoulder. "Even if she isn't here, I can say that you fought like a fucking champ, and considering the shit we deal with, that's saying something."

[justoutrunyou]

Maybe Sandy would have felt pride in the words Mindy had for her before, but she was still stuck on the fact that Pruna was gone. At least Mindy already knew so she didn't have to break the news.

Turning back out to the city Sandy sighed again and let Duck continued to nuzzle against her. The soft smooth feathers felt good under her fingers.

"We were supposed to go home together. Back to her world."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy offered the words and meant them, of course, but it wouldn't change the reality of losing Pruna. Even she knew that, and didn't expect the girl to just get over it. She was glad the duck was here, because she could at least manage to give the affectionate response Mindy knew she lacked.

"It'd be a long way before that would happen, whether Pruna was here or not. To these people, its another day. But I doubt you'll be forgetting her anytime soon. And hell, I might not be much, but I can still try to make the day a little less shitty, despite the new crop of fuck all going on."

[justoutrunyou]

Knowing that Mindy understood helped. Sandy relaxed a little more and wiped her face with a free hand. She wouldn't cry anymore today if she could help it.

"How's that then?" It was hard to believe things could get any better right now. She'd lost the first person she'd really connected with in this hell hole. Others had come and gone but Pruna was someone she saw every day for hours at a time. Pruna was someone she could talk with about nothing all afternoon or sit in comfortable silence. What were you supposed to do without someone like that in your life?

[hit_girl_mindy]

"For starters, we can get the fuck out of this depressing shit and go to my place for some ice cream. Been stockpiling for Ellie and Clementine, but this is a good time as any to cool off and talk or something. Bring the duk too-been taking care of the squirt the last few days. In time, he may actually come to tolerate me."

[justoutrunyou]

Ice cream.

The thought was enough to make her stomach churn.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but no thank you. That was kind of mine and Pruna's thing."

And to do it without Pruna so quickly felt wrong. Pruna may not have ever understood being a girlfriend but she was the best friend Sandy had ever had.

Duck for the record was perfectly tolerable of Mindy given the time that had passed. But he was a very easy going bird.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Right. Guess I was missing my tact there. Me, well, I don't get to really enjoy being a kid much these days. Its one of those few times I can do that. Plus, our options are limited since that plague shit happened. it;s really fucking annoying. I mean, the only thing we can do at this point is invent a kid thing to do."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy had to consider that for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just don't feel much like a kid right now." And less and less as time went by. Being around Pruna brought it out in her.

The duck let out a quack and Sandy ran her fingers along it's feathers. The Duck was still young, not a baby anymore but far from adulthood.

"I'm surprised they let you stick around." she added to the duck.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Hey, its not the duck's fault. Besides, at least now you have someone that needs you, like, all the time. Mostly. I'm saying the duck is cute."

Pets were still a a weird thing for her: when would she ever have time to take care of a pet?

"That's fine. Almost wished the bars were open, but considering my LAST bar encounter..." She gestured to her face, which had a few newly acquired bruises. "...Maybe time away would do me good."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy stiffened at the comment about who was to blame. She should have made a comment about it, maybe joke it off. But the guilt was weighing on her like a lead jacket.

The bruises were a distraction at least.

"What have you been doing?" She sighed casting her tired eyes over Mindy's face.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Good question," she said, giving Sandy a wink. "I had a one on one with that bitch Azula. I lost that one, but she got sick after that so I feel better about it. Recently though, pissed off a viking girl and we had a fight in the bar. I was winning., the the fucking Peacekeepers had to come and taser her. Just when this week was getting less shitty."

She petted the duck absentmindedly.

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy listened with a furrowed brow and rolled her eyes when the explanation ended.

"You know most people get out of the arena so they can stop fighting." She pointed out as the duck let out an appreciative quack. "You keep this up and they'll throw you back in."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy chuckled. "Oh come on, you don't get put there for that! If you go out of your way to be an ass, then yeah, but its nt my fault if trouble has to keep fucking looking for me."

Seriously, the viking one was by accident! She hadn't even thrown the first punch!

[justoutrunyou]

"Uh huh, sure. Because you never go looking for trouble." She couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. It made her feel a little better to know some things never changed.

Duck twisted his head around and started dipping his beak into Sandy's pockets. Knowing what he was looking for she drew out a package of cookies and opened the bag letting him help himself to the sweet crunchy snacks inside.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"I don't, most of the time. You know I always go to the fucking training room, its not my fault the evil bitch of the East goes there too! And the viking threw the punch when I was just trying to give her ass some advice! Its not my fault she got eaten by that one asshole!"

Re: For anyone else.

[oredinary_hero]

Sandy wasn't the only one struggling with a loss. Rokk had just returned after spending several hours in training centre when he spotted her. He'd barely let himself stop except when he needed to sleep since he'd returned from the arena himself. Since he realised Jan hadn't come back after his death. After Rokk had murdered him.

He stopped when he noticed Sandy, realising with a sudden lurch why she was back and not still in the arena. Despite knowing that she understandably wouldn't be pleased to see him and that he could offer nothing by way of comfort he still found himself intercepting her, looking quizzically at the duck in her arms.

"I didn't think they'd allow us pets."

[justoutrunyou]

"You always have the opportunity to walk away." Sandy pointed out. "But you're just like-" she caught herself from saying Pruna's name out loud, it would be too painful.

"You're just like her, and Max. You all just have to go and test yourselves by never backing down from a fight when you think you can win."

There was something to be said for discretion, though some would call it cowardice.

Re: For anyone else.

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy looked up at the familiar voice taking a moment to register where she knew him from. Her frowning lips drew tight as she felt on the defensive given how their last encounter went.

"They do." she answered stiffly. "The Avox usually take care of them when the owners are in the arena." She'd only seen a few pets around the tower. Some strangely colored cats, a rainbow colored sheep, and of course there were always a couple tribbles knocking around.

"This is Duck." she added introducing the bird who gazed up at Rokk with beady little eyes before letting out a plain and simple "Quack."

Unlike the other animals around the tower there didn't appear to be anything unusual or extra ordinary about Duck save for being well behaved. He was still a young bird, only a few months old from the looks of it presuming you knew anything about the maturation of ducks.