thecapitol | ain't got a care in the world, but got plenty of beer

Who| Kenny and (individually) Mindy, Sandy, and Eponine.
What| Kenny hangs out with a cute girl at the arcade, gets decked in the face by another, and then goes out for ice cream with a third. In that order.
Where| Various places in the Tribute Tower.
When| Various points after the mini-arena ends. Mindy and Sandy are the same day as his network post, and then time's flexible for Eponine's.
Warnings/Notes| Probably just foul preteen language, but will update if necessary!

[Mindy]
After they agree to meet up, Kenny heads to the arcade to do precisely that. It's easy enough since... he was actually heading in that direction anyway, as soon as he made that soppy post on the network. After the attempt at damage control, he needs to get his mind off what happened. Going into raging berserk mode isn't like him, but neither is dumping his heart all over the place. It's not that the words themselves were lies--he actually does feel pretty damn guilty for the shit he pulled in the kiddie arena--but it was definitely a reaching performance. He can only hope that putting himself back on level ground with those he fucked up doesn't end up painting a shining target on his back, too. It's too soon to be making enemies.

As soon as he crosses the threshold to the arcade, his vision assaulted with colourful lights and bright screens all over, Kenny can't help but grin to himself. Being able to actually indulge in a place like this was rare back home, tending to involve either 1. mooching off his friends or 2. the occasional lucky breaks he'd gotten. Like being paid to eat gross shit off the ground. So, this is pretty fucking sweet. He's already spent a decent amount of time here, and he still hasn't gotten sick of it. Leaning back against a wall, he settles there and waits for Mindy to show up, eyes remaining on the entrance. If he doesn't recognize her first--which he likely will--his own ridiculously unseasonable attire would be unmistakable.

--

[Sandy]
Some time later that day--closer to the evening, really--finds Kenny back inside the training center. He's spent some time here, too, and after the mini-arena has resolved to work his shit even more... but it's tended to be every two or three days. This time, it's intentional for reasons that go beyond strengthening his skills, his coming here. How one girl who looks no older than himself can piss off the Capitol that fucking much, enough for them to set everyone on her... he's not going to deny it, he's curious as Hell. Their grudge against her definitely has to go beyond mob mentality, although he still regrets letting himself become a part of that.

Which is why Kenny has no problems letting her deck him, if she was actually serious about it. He's betting more on the side of 'yes', which is kind of funny when he stops to think about it. So far, none of the girls he's met here are even remotely like the girls at either of his schools, not even the few that tended toward bullying. They don't fuck around or pull punches here. It's actually pretty awesome, in a strange way.

When Sandy does show up, Kenny's messing around with archery stuff; time has definitely passed easier for him when he's gotten absorbed in activity instead of consistently looking toward the entrance.

--

[Eponine]
The next day, Kenny's up on the rooftop, mainly because... he hasn't gone up there much. Looking out over the edge makes him feel a little nervous, even though he knows there's barriers in place. How many have tried to escape their fate like this, he always ends up wondering-- and he doesn't like thinking about stuff like that. But there are other aspects of the roof that are awesome, especially since he's heard through the grapevine that sometimes interesting stuff happens up here.

It's actually pretty peaceful up there right now, which is kind of nice. Wandering around some, Kenny stops dead in his tracks upon seeing a figure several feet away in the garden. Though it's when he sees her face and recognizes her as the hot girl who talked to him in the preschool that he happily trots forward.

"Eponine!" he calls out, waving. "Hey, Eponine!" It's even pronounced decently. Unfortunately, his voice is also muffled somewhat by his hood. Given that she saw Kenny last time in formal wear without said hood covering half his face, who knows if she'll actually recognize him or not. But none of this deters him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

'Kenny?' Who on earth is Kenny? The name takes a minute to register, and Eponine dimly remembers the boy in the nursery. Is that him?

"Sir? You? From the arena? Why are you hiding?"

"Yeah!"

Hiding, though? He didn't quite understand what that meant, so Kenny kind of just blinked up at her. "I'm not hiding. Are you okay, though?"

"You have your hood up. I cannot see your face." She laughs again. "That is why I say hiding. But... if I tell you a secret, why I am sad a little, will you tell anyone?"

"...Oh."

It's rare that anyone even comments on his style of dress. He hadn't actually thought of it as hiding before. Still doesn't; but Kenny reaches for the ties of his hood, undoing them and pushing it away from his face with a shrug.

After that's taken care of, he reaches out and lightly touches Eponine's forearm.

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

"You look better now." Eponine smiles, genuinely touched at Kenny's gesture.

"Look." She takes his hand, urging him towards the stone. "My boyfriend is buried beneath this stone. It is a grave for him. Do you understand? He died to try to save my life, the silly boy. And this is the best I can do for him now."

Oh. Wow. This is some heavy shit indeed. Kenny fidgets with his coat a little, peering down at the stone. Some guy's body is under there, in some state of rottenness. He, personally, doesn't like cemeteries at all, and avoids them as much as possible. They always remind him of how many of his own bones might be lingering beneath the ground close to his own home, regardless of where he is.

There are a few unlucky ones (or lucky?) here who apparently bite the dust and don't come back... this must be one of them. God damn. What does he even say to something like this? It seems far too personal, and any questions he can think to ask are silenced before they even reach his tongue.

"Wow," is all he can finally settle on saying. "Yeah, I understand."

"You don't need to be scared. He's ash, in a box." Eponine takes Kenny's awkwardness as fear, and tries her best to assuage it, by offering an arm for him to almost cuddle into.

"He were a brave man, but that's why I am a bit sad. He were the first boy to really love me." She begins to laugh at herself though. "Fancy. Me talking to a child of it all... and after the arena as well. You were okay, yes?"

"I'm not scared," is Kenny's reply, but he's not going to turn down that halfway-hug, either. He leans into Eponine's arm somewhat, feeling a little pleased with himself in spite of the circumstances.

Although the child remark makes him frown a little. "Yeah. I'm fine," he answers a touch dismissively, trying to seem cool about the whole thing. And he really is-- for the most part. It's not going to be over by a long shot, so he can't really spend his time dwelling on what happened. He looks up into Eponine's face.

"Were you?"

"Course. I am like a cockroach, me. They stamp and stamp and kill and kill, and here I am, same as always." Perhaps all that has changed is that Eponine is decidedly skinnier all over and bonier about the face than Kenny perhaps remembers, and more sallow, slightly grey-looking about the edges. She coughs hard, a wracking cough left over from Paris.

"They dressed me up as a monkey, though." She adds angrily. "I had never seen a monkey before here, but I know they're laughing at me. I hate people laughing at me in silly clothes."

The coughing startles him, and that's when he takes notice of the state she seems to be in, physically. He almost asks if Eponine's all right, but then she seems to recover, enough to remark on the costume she had to wear.

"I wouldn't have laughed," Kenny says in a tone that's supposed to be reassuring, although he knows he probably would have. He grabs her hand and tugs it a little, betraying his desire of seeming less like a child just a moment ago. In a flash, he changes the subject entirely, voice immediately brighter.

"Let's go get that ice cream!"

Because, well, this is depressing as shit and too complicated for him to know how to help, but he can try and cheer her up, and... well. It's pretty fucking difficult to be mopey when you're eating ice cream. He did promise they'd get some after the arena, after all.

"You would. I looked stupid. I should laugh if I was not such a grumpy cockroach." Eponine chuckles, and squeezes Kenny in tight beside her. He is so much like Gavroche in his optimism, but goodness, how much more innocent. Eponine likes that: it makes her think, perhaps, that she might be some use to Kenny, looking after him a little bit.

"Yes, ice cream. What is your favourite flavour? I like chocolate ice cream with that toffee sauce and chocolate sauce also, but I eat any. What shall we have?"

"Vanilla, usually. I actually wanted to try that lemonade stuff you mentioned! I couldn't stop thinking about it."

Okay, so that might be something of a small lie... he was preoccupied with other things in the mini-arena. Like staying alive. And kicking the shit out of anyone who got too close. But it was definitely on his mind in the preschool, and since he ran into Eponine here, so that's good enough for him. Gleefully, he tugs her toward the elevator.

She laughs and lets him pull her along. Perhaps this is what she needs to get out of her fug. And she dares to admit that she needs to start to eat, especially now, especially since they have yet again reset her body.

"Then that is what we shall have. Lemonade and ice cream, with strawberry sauce over the top. It is the most delicious of everything I have tried."

ain't got a care in the world, but got plenty of beer

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