One year older

[knifewithnoname]

Who| Pruna and Sandy and later Initiate too and anyone else who wants to eat cake!
What| A tiny assassin has a birthday.
Where| Everywhere!
When| 5th October
Warnings/Notes| Mentions of death and killing because whats a birthday without murder confessions

Pruna's days had fallen into a bit of a routine, training, training some more, trying to instill discipline into Duck, checking on Sandy and training more.

She still wasn't really sleeping though, the alcohol trick didn't work. It just made everything go weird and then she felt sick the next day. It didn't stop nightmares. She wondered what the tea was that Effie used to give Sandy, but she couldn't ask. Effie was gone, maybe dead and she couldn't let Sandy know she wasn't strong anymore.

It was her secret, though she was convinced that anyone who saw any footage on the television would know. They would know how she failed.

Sometimes everything got too much and stabbing practice dummies wasn't good enough, now was such a time and Pruna was curled up in a seat by the window, holding duck and looking out at the city. It was cold today, cold enough for her to see her breath outside. She remembered how stupid cold it had gotten last winter and made a note to get Duck some hats. Surely Ducks would die even quicker than people in the cold, because they were smaller.

She sighed as she looked out at the city, she was high up and this city looked so different than being high up in her own city. Back home, she thought it was about the time of year where Taiwin would be coming to tell her and... tell her that she was older again. Older and better behaved, smarter. All the things he hoped for.

She didn't know how old that would make her, thirteen maybe... except when she had gone home she hadn't gotten older at all. It was all very complicated and really she didn't want to think about it, because her sister wasn't here to roll her eyes at Taiwin, and Taiwin wasn't here in the first place and her sister would never ever get older.

She pressed her forhead against the glass and sighed again.

Comments

Sandy and Pruna

[knifewithnoname]

Re: Sandy and Pruna

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy knew what today was. Peeta had found out for her long ago and even taught her how to bake so that on the day he and she could make Pruna a special birthday cake all for her.

But Sandy had other gifts in store first, which is what found them walking down a particular street towards their favorite ice cream shop.

"Down this way." Sandy suddenly took Pruna's arm and dragged her into an alley. Sandy knew this tight section of the city between two different buildings was one of the blind spots in the Capitols security. She had used it to change into different clothes for her trips out to paint the walls and so far it had kept her safe.

"OK first...here." She produced a box and inside was a baseball cap that looked like a duck as well as seven pairs of wooly socks in different colors. One pair for each day of the week. It had been so long since Sandy smiled properly she couldn't help but grin at the gifts she had picked out hoping Pruna liked them.

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna for her part did not bat an eyelid as Sandy pulled her down an alley, she knew that Sandy was much better than her when it came to the secret parts of this city, though she did not know how she had learned.

She grinned when she was handed the box and even more so when she saw the cap. "It do be being cool." She showed it to Duck before putting it on her head, on top of the hat she already had on. She grinned even more at the socks and darted forward hugging Sandy quickly, almost crushing poor Duck in the middle who squawked in protest.

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy hugged back and curled her fingers in Pruna's clothes to keep her from pulling away. Her heart was racing and she could barely breath. This was the moment. The first person outside of those who had helped her to know what she'd done.

"I have a secret for you too." She whispered softly her mouth close to Pruna's ear.

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna blinked, at first confused at why Sandy wasn't letting go. Was this a new part of hugging? But then Sandy spoke and she understood. She stayed still and nodded slightly to show she was listening. Wondering what on earth Sandy had to tell her, what secret she would have.

[justoutrunyou]

Another deep breath through her nose and a fist seemed to clamp around her stomach. She felt her throat tighten up like it was trying to choke the words out of her before she could speak them.

"That awful woman Penny? The one who hurt Effie so bad she left us?" Sandy's grip tightened as just saying Effie's name made her voice crack.

"I killed her. I stabbed her in the guts a bunch of times till she stopped making noises and then threw her in her own swimming pool."

It sounded so surreal to say even in a conspiratorial whisper. But amazingly enough the fist in her guy loosened ever so slightly.

[knifewithnoname]

Penny, the torturer, the one who had been killed, the reason Sandy wore that brand on her forehead. Pruna knew who she was, but she was not expecting the words that came out of Sandy's mouth next.

"You?" She didn't mean to sound so disbelieving, but this was Sandy, Sandy who had never killed until this arena. Still she had seen how wild eyed she had gotten and she realised she could believe it. Sandy was strong, even if she didn't seem like it all the time. And braver than anyone had imagined.

She had done that, killed Penny and kept her mouth shut through all the torture. Had told no one, held that secret inside her. Pruna's arms came to tighten around Sandy again, making Duck squawk once more. "You do be being so brave Sandy Marko."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy nodded at her incredulous sounding question. It didn't surprise her that Pruna sounded like she didn't believe her. She could scarcely believe it herself.

Except every time she closed her eyes she could remember how it felt with the blood running over her fingers.

At Pruna's response though her eyes grew wide and her grip was so tight her knuckles turned white.

"I hope you're right, because it's going to get scarier before it gets easier."

[knifewithnoname]

"I do be being right, and you will be being brave even when it do be being scary." She pulled back, to stop Duck squawking.

She was very proud of Sandy, of what she had done. That she had done it and kept silent, even though she had never been trained in doing so. Pruna thought that if someone good trained her she could become even better than Pruna.

She leaned forward to rest her head on Sandy, avoiding touching where her brand was, it probably still hurt. "I do be having something to be telling you too."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy's face was burning from Pruna's unwavering support. To someone who had never known loyalty in her own world it was overwhelming to feel.

Of course it didn't surprise her that Pruna would have secrets of her own, but what could it be? What had Sandy earned the right to hear?

"Go on?" Her whisper was firm, with Pruna she could endure anything.

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna was still learning loyalty, it was a strange concept wanting to protect someone, being proud of them, wanting to help them. When everything she had ever learned told her to do otherwise.

But if there was one thing Pruna's life had taught her it was that no one should be in anyone else's debt, a favor for a favor, a secret for a secret. That way it was all equal, unless you wanted an advantage. But she didn't. Not for this, not against Sandy.

She didn't move her head from where it was resting, her chest felt really tight, like it often did nowadays and she wanted to withdraw from thinking, to go do something else until the weird feelings went away. But she had committed to this. A secret for a secret.

"When I did be being gone..." She shifted a little, rescuing Duck who stopped squawking once he was not being squashed. "My... My sister did be doing something... I do no be knowing what but they did be getting really angry, she did be failing..." Her hands were shaking and the emptiness seemed far away though she tried to grasp it anyways, fingers brushing against Sandy's arms like she could be a physical anchor.

"They did be telling me to be ending her so I did be."

[justoutrunyou]

There was that stiffness again. Sandy's heart felt like a stone that had just fallen into her guts.

She knew how much Pruna cared about her sister. And without the things she'd learned she would have been even more devoted to her duties.

"I...I know you wouldn't have done it unless you had to. You did your job." She struggled to find comforting words.

"That can't have been easy for you." she added "But I know she'd be proud of how strong you are now."

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the calm acceptance just made her chest hurt more. It was what Pruna knew already, she had done her job, she had obeyed. She shouldn't be having stupid feelings about it.

The last part made her shrug, "Maybe, or maybe she would just be being mad at me." Perhaps, though Pruna was pretty sure that if the tables had been turned her sister would have done the same.

Pruna, Sandy and Initiate (and anyone else) - tower common room

[knifewithnoname]

There was a lot of cake, so much cake and in the middle of it all two little girls and a duck, trying their best to eat it all. They might need help.

Re: Pruna, Sandy and Initiate (and anyone else) - tower common room

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy was so proud of the cake she (and mostly Peeta) had made for Pruna. The girl deserved it though. She was one of the most loyal and hard working people in District twelve. Today was her day and not even the Capitol would take that away from her.

Sandy sat at her side with a plate of cake for herself, not eating nearly as much as Pruna but she was making sure to stay ahead of duck at least.

Re: Pruna, Sandy and Initiate (and anyone else) - tower common room

[carnagecarnival]

He's all being on his own way, passing by. He's got his own routines what to reset, his own new weaknesses to account for.

But this? This is absolutely worth the double take it garners. His best girls and cake? But not just any cake.

He walks over and bends to peer at them both and their work. "My little indigoats got yourselves a motherfucking wishing cake at for your indulgences diligent?"

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna hadn't seen the Initiate since the arena, since the bookshop of stupid books. Since his silence and his fear. She had been worried but had had no idea how to help him.

Hearing him speak was wonderful, she turned round with a massive grin. "Initiate!" She beckoned him over, "We do be having, Sandy did be making it!"

She blinked when all his words sunk in, "Cake do be having wishes?"

[justoutrunyou]

"Sort of." Sandy laughed softly and was struck once again by how strange her laugh sounded after not hearing it in so long.

"See we light a candle for every year you've been alive. Then you make a wish and blow them all out. It's a tradition where I come from anyway."

She turned her gaze onto the Initiate "What about you? How do cake wishes work back home?"

[carnagecarnival]

He grins real wide at the Nameless's reaction. No time wasting now, he better get his ass over. His smile goes to Sandy, who's for the moment apparently feeling better too.

He listens careful as Sandy relays the magic of wishing cakes to him once more. He hadn't know that you put candles on for how many years one got being alive. Damn, this human tradition is way more complicated than he first thought. What would they do when they got old? Did they get even more cakes?

He blinks in surprise at the question, realising he's gone misleading his sisters into think he knows anything on this. He laughs, shrugs, and shakes his head. "WOULDN'T BE AT TO KNOWING. I've heard as we got wriggling days but... I ain't never had one. AT LEAST, NONE WHAT ALL WAS OF CELEBRATIONARIES. Pretty motherfucking sure at I'm eight. BUT I AIN'T REALLY MOTHERFUCKING KNOW WHAT AS THEY GET CONSISTING UP ON, TRUTH TOLD. Probably would have to ask a troll what does know. AIN'T NEVER GOT MY KNOWING UP OF ON WISHING CAKES UNTIL I WAS GETTING MY ASS HERE, BUT THEY IS BEING LIKE MIRACLES."

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna blinked in surprise, "You must be being older than eight, I do be being twelve or maybe thirteen and you do be being much bigger than me."

She concentrated on cutting cake for the Initiate and passing it over, "It do be being okay, I did no never be celebrating my birthday either but Sandy do be doing in her world so she did be making me cake and did be giving me a cool hat." She pointed at the cap she was wearing, made to look like a duck.

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy had to admit the idea that their tall imposing friend was only eight was hilarious. Her grin was spreading wider.

"The more holidays and celebrations the better. Too bad the Capitol celebrates all the wrong things." She couldn't help but keep a bite of bitterness in her sense of humor.

"If anyone has earned a wish it's you Pruna. Just remember they don't always come true right away."

[carnagecarnival]

"Hahah, naw sister, big-ness ain't being a factor. AIN'T A THING WHAT'S FACTORING PROPER. Taller than all everybody but there's still plenty motherfuckers here what is older than me. GONE ALL IN THEIR LATE SWEEPS, THEM," He corrects, but he gives it all the thought due. "Think in your human ages I'd be... seventeen... eighteen... probably motherfucking eighteen now. SINCE AS I'VE GOT ALL LIKE TO BE NEARING NINE SWEEPS SOON, EVEN IF I AIN'T KNOW WHEN EXACT."

He shakes himself and settles on down by them. He wonders, for a moment, if he might be imposing on them and their quadrant affairs, but he decides he was as good as invited. He doesn't feel anything but welcome here.

"Seems as like I'm in good company of new ages then," He says with a grin. "YOU WENT ALL THE FUCK OUT, SAND SISTER. Making wishing cakes your ownself. BUILDING UP COOL HATS. I didn't know you was into baking. PULLING OUT ALL THE CELEBRATIONARIES GOOD YOU IS. Making wrongs righted, yo."

His eyes go back to Pruna, watching as all the Miracle gets about. He'll be sure to pray later so as her wish makes itself all whole and true.

[knifewithnoname]

Oh eighteen, that made a lot more sense. He was definitely old and not eight. Sweeps must be different than years, Pruna nodded understanding. She grinned at Sandy, Sandy really was the best girlfriend. Not that Pruna knew much about girlfriends, or friends in general. But in her experience Sandy was the best.

She looked at the cake and thought hard, pretend wishes were for babies. They didn't make anything better. But real wishes... they were made with magic and could come true.

If it was a tradition it was probably the real kind, not the crying baby kind. "How do I be doing it?"

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy pointed to the remaining pieces of cake. Little colorful candles stood like twigs around the edges. Politely an Avox began lighting them (Because tributes could not be trusted with fire)

"Alright, so now you take a deep breath, think about what you want and blow out all the candles." She grinned brightly. "Then we eat the cake and eventually it comes true. My last wish came true but it took a few months."

[carnagecarnival]

The Initiate stiffens at the presence of the avox, going quiet for that little bit. But then with the candles lit, he nods to the avox, as though to offer respectful dismissal. He knows it doesn't matter, but even still.

Unlike many, he's always been a firm believer in such things as wishes. Miracles, dreams, magic. It's all real as real could be to him. So he makes sure not to interrupt.

He only comments once; "BEST MOTHERFUCKING TRADTION TO BE HAVING." Alternia needed to be getting on the ball.