thecapitol | We'll have you, washed and dried.

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We'll have you, washed and dried.

Who: Azula and anyone in the Capitol
What: After a "Noble" death in the arena Azula is indulging herself.
Where: The Training Center, The Spa, A restaurant and a bar.
When: Week 6 of the Arena, a day after her death.
Notes: Pill popping, some alcohol, and it's Azula so she'll probably be terrible in one way or another.

It was...an honorable death.

That was what she was spinning it as anyway. The escort was under threat of pain and suffering that she was to ensure that the Capitol citizens understood that Azula's sacrifice had been out of the goodness of her heart.

And because of it, Diana would survive at least another day in the arena. Now alone with all their supplies and the ocean at her back.

And what of her other tributes? Some remained. Azula wasn't surprised to see Shepherd was still putting up a good fight, but it amazed her how Enjolras was still alive.

Well that was the nature of the games wasn't it? All the skill in the world and sometimes it all came down to luck.

Either way she was free of it now, and bitter at the game makers who would dare to put her there. But that bitterness was easier to swallow once she was reunited with her precious Morphling pills.

And so the "Princess" from district five returned to life in the Capitol as if it was all part of the games. She appeared for interviews. She expressed excitement that her tributes were still fighting on.

And she smiled quietly to herself when she saw other tributes still suffering and dieing.

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"You have no idea." Azula muttered in regards to how messed up she was.

As for the rest of it.

"You may not be my ward but you are still a young girl. A little respect for your elders while in the capitol would serve you well. Or are you too good to learn from skilled individuals just because you don't like them?"

"Getting there," she said, moving low and then hitting the bag hard enough that the whole bag shook.

She smiled, giving a flying kick next. "Respect for the person that had my leg torn off, or the ones that stole me from my world to watch me killed and/or be killed for their own amusement? Being young is one thing, but I'm not so dumb I don't see what 'little girl' is supposed to imply."

Azula's strikes retrained a solid steady pace. Hers was not about mixing up her routine but building up her muscle tolerance once again.

"I hope you're not under the misunderstanding that I brought you here. I had no say in it. Though the way you performed you're obviously a better choice then some of the tributes from off world."

Cracks began to appear in the punching dummy. Her repeated strikes were having the desired effect.

Mindy was more about making sure her body varied in how it delivered punishment. The actual working out of her body was going to come later.

"I wasn't talking about you in general, I mean I was just brought here. And yeah, seen that too. Met a few people who definitely don't belong here. Not that I can't guess why they're here."

"Precisely." With a solid CRACK the dummy split in half and fell to pieces. Azula gently blew on her knuckles and took a relaxing breath.

"If you really want to be treated like an adult, you'll start acting like one. Accept your misfortune and move on. Follow the rules of our country and try harder next time."

A pause as she sipped from a bottle of water.

"Or don't. It's of little consequence to me."

Azula wasn't the only one intent on breaking said exercise item. With one more kick it flew off, and Mindy made a noise of approval.

"I don't think anyone can give you a manual on how to accept being stolen and slaughtering people for fun times. Not that I was planning to sit up in my room crying about it anytime soon."

Rotating her shoulders slowly Azula took another sip and set the bottle aside before moving into some stretches to stretch out her muscles and joints. The pills made it easier.

"Obviously not. You've embraced the situation in some ways." As for the other ways, it would remain to be seen.

It was surreal, having a conversation with someone who had actually killed her a few days ago. Then again, she was transported from one world (as she saw it) to another. She watched Azula a moment, just checking her form a moment. Good. A seasoned veteran, at least.

"I just haven't gone nuts. Fucked up situations sort of are my forte though."

Adjusting her position she found her center so that she could hold still and let her muscles adjust.

"You keep offering such tempting little breadcrumbs about your backstory. It's really just so difficult for me not to ask." Her voice was dry enough to make it clear. Yes she had an interest. No it would not break her heart if she never found out.

Here, Mindy knew she had to be careful. Her eyes were the eyes of the government, there were no bones about that. A stooge was a stooge, and she had even said that this system was the perfect one for her. Saying the wrong thing would paint a target on her back, and that was one thing she didn't need.

Not yet.

"I was active in killing people back home, that's just what I did. It was rare: I mean, where I'm from, games like this aren't common, so kids going around killing is usually a bad thing. In my case, there are some exceptions to the rule. So if you do that for a living, accepting the shit around you is never going to slow down and let you take a breath is critical."

"Exceptions hmm?"

So that's what it was. Like some of the others she had been in a positions of questionable morals. But a child was still a child even if it had been denied a childhood. She knew that from experience.

"Then at least appreciate that here you will be appreciated for your skills rather then shunned."

"Yep," she said, starting her stretches. By no means was she going to do any of the deep aerobic stuff without some of these, or she was pretty much asking for trouble.

"The difference is why. I don't mind doing what I do for my reasons. Here, its to appease an audience of people I've never even met. Being someone's amusement for the day doesn't exactly mesh the way I want it too."

She knew, more than anyone, if that became the case, where she could go, where she WOULD go if she never kept perspective. It was just so easy too.

"Then perhaps you should consider the more noble reasons for the Hunger Games. Think of the families in your district who go hungry every time you lose. And consider the peace that reigns because of your sacrifice."

It wasn't exactly her reasoning for participation but whatever would get this irritating girl on the ball instead of focusing on wasting her time.

She was already starting on push ups. Right. She forgot she wasn't the only one trapped in this bullshit: there were people in these districts too. Not that she thought Azula gave a fuck about any of them anyway. There was a lot that was said and not said in this conversation, but Azula's inclinations were quite clear.

"I don't suppose you even get to see those people, do you?" She said in between push ups.

"Well, I can go there whenever I like. There are rules about transporting active tributes however. You may be needed."

At least that's what she had been told.

Mindy looked incredulous. "Need me for what? I died. Shouldn't that wait until the next games start?"

Azula shook her head in dismay "Just what do they teach you tributes when they bring you here? Clearly your mentor hasn't had time enough with you."

Toweling off Azula decided she wouldn't be getting anymore serious training done with Mindy around unless they were going to spar. And that would be giving Mindy what she wanted.

"From the moment you die you are preparing for the next arena. That means training your body, mind and charming those in positions of power so that you will have the tools and supplies you need in the arena."

"I had zero time to meet my mentor," Mindy reminded Azula. "I was just thrust into this. Hell, I think she's actually still IN the games as we speak."

Which made her wonder exactly what Eva would actually do to stay IN the games. She ignored Azula's toweling off though: this was not the kind of girl who was going to show all her cards, even if she could fight. She knew well enough that Mindy wanted revenge. Hell, she even vaguely respected being smart enough to know that even as it pissed her off.

"Oh right. Sponsors. So you have to do that to get you ready for the next one. And charming...gah."

She could pull that off. Probably.

"That's right." Tossing her towel to an attendant Azula folded her arms to continue her mini lecture.

"And anyone can be a sponsor if they have enough money. Which means that it wouldn't hurt to show a little respect. You may not have died the way you wanted but would you rather have died of starvation? Or infection? There are many less noble ways to die then being caught in a trap."

"I didn't die of that," she said. No, that was how she expected it to go, and was fully prepared for it too. She could still feel it in her nightmares: the feeling of smashed bone, of sinew barely hanging on as she dragged herself on, feeling the minutes bleed like eternity after pain filled eternity until Guy came,kept her company, and killed her by mutual respect.

"Someone killed me honorably. I would have died alone and painfully, but I was fortunate. Even I know that might never happen again. But if I do die again, I want it bloody and violent. Only way to go out, as far as I'm concerned. Not sure what sponsors will think of that."

She waved a hand dismissively. Mindy was splitting hairs and they both knew it. Either way she died in a more honorable and interesting way then starvation or suicide.

"They love it. The more of a show you put on the more likely you are to gain sponsors. Support in the arena for yourself and your allies."

"However, upset those sponsors out of the arena? And more tributes like me will be granted all the toys and food."

What she thought about her death, particularly involving Guy, she was going to keep to herself. She was certainly not going to reveal what she thought about it to the person that caused the dying to begin with.

"Well, I can put on a show, you know that yourself. That's not gonna be a thing."

Upset them outside the arena? Why would she have done that?

And that it seemed...was that.

"I look forward to what entertainment you can provide." Azula remarked passively and turned to depart. She'd done her part and even offered some advice. If the little monster chose to hold a grudge and waste time and energy hating a target she couldn't touch that was her issue.

Azula had much bigger things to keep herself busy with.

Mindy nodded. No, they weren't done yet, and it was fine that Azula's arrogance in being a mentor meant she was "safe." She found that funny, since Azula spent most of her talking telling her to shrug off her old perception of things.

But what did she expect? That was typical of what privileged people did: they strove for importance, got it, then thought that they didn't need to do it again, that no one could touch them. True, she was at least keeping herself sharp, but thinking she was safe?

If there was one thing Mindy learned from the criminal fucks she shut down, it was how many ways they could get to you even when they thought you couldn't. And Azula had already made a few noticeable mistakes that could be exploited.

"Won't let you down," she said, turning to find something else to keep her occupied.

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