thearena | Fun for all ages.

Entry tags:

Fun for all ages.

Who: Harley Quinn, the build a buddies and you!
What: Harley has set up camp in the build-a-buddy store and is having a little ~~me party~~.Tea party. Stop by and she'll help you make a dolly of your very own! Or she might stab you...this is Harley we're talking about.
Where: The Build-a-buddy workshop on the first floor across from the movie theater.
When: Week 1
Warnings: Well it's Harley Quinn...so let's start there and see what happens.

Harley had always had a fondness for plush toys. In fact back at her room in the district suite there was more stuffed animals then anything else despite her recent addition of a small jungle's worth of plant life to honor her long lost friend Poison Ivy.

So after the scramble at the Cornucopia she'd wandered about in delight exploring the mall only to settle on this store loaded to the gills with plushie parts! Her eyes were wide as she marveled at all the different combinations one could prepare to design your very own plushie based on tributes that were either currently in the mall with her, or past favorites. In a matter of hours she'd made a small army of them and they lined every available shelf and counter.

As the first few days of the arena past she made the little shop more comfortable for herself every day, but the irritating robot janitors of the mall kept trying to put things back where they belonged which included dragging off her lovingly crafted plushies. That simply couldn't do. The latest of these mechanical offenders had been impaled on a broom handle and left outside the store like a warning to it's fellows.

Having cobbled together an outfit appropriate for a tea party complete with white makeup covering her face and black makeup around her eyes and lips, Harley seemed to be taking a break from the usual arena activities of seeking out food or victims and was sitting down at a table with a collection of little dolls that looked eerily like her closest friends and allies. Many were long since dead like a little Diana Prince doll, and at least one was recently dead as the Cinderella doll sat to one side with a lovely little black dress and her own cup of imaginary tea.

"Now now Damian, don't threaten Timmy's girlfriend. There's plenty of cookies to go around!"

And sure enough while the tea was imaginary Harley had collected a platter of cookies from the food court. Each cup had some water in it to help wash down the sweet treats.

Oddly enough, Harley didn't feel the need to barricade the door to her little lair, either she had confidence in her ability to defend herself...or she was being incredibly careless.

She considered it "Inviting".

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Having been sticking to the solo plan for a little while, Hubert had been infinitely careful about grabbing supplies. And while he had a vague idea of where the lockers he was interested in getting to was, he wasn't going to charge in right after the Cornucopia. No, instead he found himself exploring the area.

It was a little eerie to be honest. After all, the speech had him believing that maybe the lack of carnage might have the Capitol try to work something up. He was still wearing his spandex skating suit, but had lost the skates in favor of a pair of wool socks and little brown booties. Equally he had slipped on a long trenchcoat, something he picked out mostly because of the amount of pockets.

After that, and a few survival tools such as a knife and water bottle, he supposed finding a new quiet unpopulated nook was in order. A store with something no one particularly cared about in it, for example? Eventually he found himself peering in the plushie store, fingers wrapping around his knife still in his pocket-- before noticing the tea party of sorts.

He didn't quite recognize Harley for a moment- the interesting make-up scheme had him furrowing his brow even... before shaking his head.

"... Harley, is that you?"

What was she doing here?

She perked up from her quiet party and grinned a wide Cheshire cat grin.

"Well if it isn't my favorite new tribute! Come in come in! There's plenty of room the parties just getting warmed up!" She ushered him in and sprang to her boot clad feet.

"Well aren't you a little trend setter? Most people have ditched the spandex look, but I guess when it hugs your body that nicely you like to show off. Might be easier without the creeper coat though." she teased.

The friendly reaction has him relaxing just a little, still on-edge about hanging out with anyone here-- but this didn't seem so bad.

So he'd step in, moving a little closer- not really wanting to... well, get in the midst of said tea party, even if that might just happen yet.

The teasing has him clearing his throat though, embarrassed. "If you'd refrain from being so lewd about it, please. I kept it because it's something I'm used to wearing."

And, well. Adjusting his glasses, Hubert found himself eying the plushies with mild curiosity. "And this-- creeper coat has many pockets to store important things in. To be honest, I'm more concerned as to why you're here. You're a Mentor, are you not?"

"Ah...yeah about that..." She grinned sheepishly. "Haven't been watching the news much have ya sport?"

She spun on her heel and led him deeper into the shop where the shiny blank glass eyes of a hundred or more plush toys stared at them.

"A bunch of people were arrested for the murder of one of the Capitol's tip top torture specialists. A couple of em were my friends. Two of them were your mentors Mindy and Eva." She explained. "I couldn't very well let that stand! So I teamed up with this fella named Roland to try and bust em out...and we got busted ourselves."

In the dim light of the shop it was hard to make out but the branding on her cheek was still visible despite the makeup she'd liberally applied. It matched several others around the arena.

"So we were tortured for a few days, kept locked up and Mindy and I were thrown back in the arena as punishment. I think we're still technically mentors, but we're being taught a lesson." she winked cheerfully.

"Jokes on them, I love this place."

"Not so much," Hubert admitted. Following her in, the beady eyes of at least dozens more of those toys were a little disquieting given the situation. Although technology was far from a foreign concept for him, he had been flabbergasted by its seemingly limitless uses. And given this Capitol's advancement, he wouldn't put it past them to have some strange contraptions within these innocent looking plushies.

Although the story surprises him. Such a direct revolt? That was... a little surprising. And he couldn't help but frown despite how nonchalantly she spoke. (He'd really have to start figuring out this technology after this Arena.)

"I see." And after a little more squinting, he can spot the slight hintings of a mark under white make-up- although he won't stare all too much. She doesn't seem to be the type who wants a pity-fest, and that's good given Hubert doesn't think he'd dole that out. But still, before he can stop himself: "I... have a key. It presumably opens one of those storage units close by the rink."

He'll draw it out of his pocket. He can't trust her, or anyone in here a hundred percent, but he doesn't feel any malice from her. "I was thinking of investigating it later... if you were willing to come along."

"Oh really now?" She peered at it but didn't draw too close in case that might scare him that she was going to snag it from him. "Well as it so happens I found one too. Pretty clearly a car key though." She slid her fingers down the front of her dress and produced a key from her cleavage showing it to him. The style was clearly different with a thicker base and a longer stem then Hubert's key.

"I'd love to go on that little adventure with you!" she declared. "We can watch each other's backs so to speak. And if there's a treasure then four arms can carry more then two." She added slipping the key back down her blouse.

She took her seat delicately on a chair that was meant for someone much younger and sat at her table with a number of dolls staring blankly at their tea. Some of them had frowny faces, others were smiling. There was even a little Hubert doll with glasses.

"A... car key?" he'd question, examining it as he withdrew his own, slipping it back into his pocket. Strangely, it seemed that he had no idea what a car was.

Although her declaration of alliance has the corners of his lips twitching upward just barely, and he'll nod, pushing up his glasses again. It was true- things would be safer with a companion. Although, he would still have to keep his guard up.

Hubert watched her sit delicately on that smaller chair, scouring over the dolls- before spotting a familiar blue head of hair and crouching by it. "... Did you make this?"

Otherwise, that would be kind of disturbing in itself.

"Huh? Oh yeah!" She grinned delightedly and gestured behind him.

Rows upon rows of bodies were hanging from hooks, cloth bodies with different heads and faces, each one a tribute past of present. To the side of the hooks were boxes of stuffing and what looked to be little stuffed hearts. Even further down were shiny plastic boxes with a musical note on the side, and next to that were clothing racks with outfits to choose from.

"Go ahead, make one! It's fun and you'll have a little buddy to stick with you in the arena! They're so cuddly cute!" She cooed excitedly.

He'd turn, startling a bit at the sheer amount of them. It was... mildly unsettling, especially the stuffed hearts- which he'll frown at.

"I don't know about that." But he'd pause, moving closer to them. Some of them were familiar-- some of them not. "... are they all Tributes?"

He'll brush his fingers along one of the plush's bodies, as if examining if it really was just harmless. After all, he could place a few of their hairstyles and smiles or frowns.

"Sure looks that way...except I've taken a few apart to make some of my friends who haven't been tributes yet, like Red here!" She gestured to a green skinned doll with red hair that was sitting on a chair covered in fake flowers.

"This is not the creepiest thing they can do by the way. Last arena they made emotionless shuffling bodies that looked just like someone you care about. Then the shuffling bodies would go crazy and try to kill ya!"

He looks back at 'Red', blinking. A friend who wasn't a Tribute, huh? He hoped none of his own companions ever were here, and never would be. But perhaps it was too much to hope for...

"That's... how would they gather such a thing? Do they know about our homelands?" That's kind of worrying, in fact. And it'll have him worrying about his friends back home even more, rather than worrying about himself. It's easier to do that, after all.

"Oh sure." Harley remarked off handedly. "Of course the information is a little...eh." She wiggled her hand to indicate it wasn't entirely spot on.

"I mean for all we know they have every last detail...but sometimes they slip up and maybe give the impression they only know the big important stuff. Like a month or two ago they brought in people from our worlds to visit. Mothers, fathers, siblings and lovers." She explained. "They hung around for a few weeks and then poof! Gone in the night."

He'll eventually find a spot to sit, a little ways away from the makeshift tea party- looking up to Harley as she spoke.

"Were they the real thing?" he'll inquire, curiously. "Or were their personalities skewed?"

He's not sure he likes the idea of anyone he's close to appearing here...

"Sure seemed real enough to me." She chirped cheerfully and then grinned inIv a lewd fashion wiggling her eyebrows.

"I checked Ivy very VERY close to make sure I'll have you know." she purred teasingly.

"I did not need to know that," is the instant reply, the lewd implications in themselves causing the tips of his ears and his cheeks to burn pink.

Harley just threw her head back in a laugh at the response.

"You're the one who asked! Just for the sake of comedy don't say out loud who you'd most want them to leave alone or you can bet they'll use that against you too." She was only half joking about that part.

Her words implied that they knew of their home worlds, but not of their feelings. Interesting...

"They probably would, wouldn't they," he muttered. "I wasn't planning on talking much about home, either way. This place isn't exactly what I'd call 'safe' for those discussions."

"Hardly...then again maybe they already know. It's mind boggling to try and process." She clutched at her head and wobbled comically on her seat as if the discussion alone was overwhelming.

"But as much as they could use it against you? Don't let that keep you from making friends and allies here. Friends and love are what makes this place tolerable. If you're trying to go it alone all the way to the end you'll be much more miserable about it." She explained in a moment of clarity.

"Perhaps, but if you're going to make friends only to watch them die over and over... wouldn't it be even more miserable?"

But one can only really be alone for so long. Ever since getting a taste of friendship and repairing bonds, Hubert never really imagined he could spend as long as he might here alone.

"It's really more of a personal preference of pain." She explained waving her hand in a "So-so" gesture.

"At the end of the day, you'll do what you have to do to survive. Either that or you'll just be another sad memory." She tapped her head indicating that she wouldn't forget him even if this was his only arena.

He nods. "I suppose the rule of survival is what overrides the rest."

Hubert can't say he much enjoys the thought, but it is what it is. "Although I must say I refuse becoming but a simple memory."

Even if he doesn't survive this arena, he will come back. And maybe then-- he can learn much more about the Capitol, although he'll have to also figure out how that strange communicator he had been bestowed with before worked. It couldn't be that difficult, right? It was just a different shape from the one he was used to.

All in all, he was very determined.

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Fun for all ages.

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Seems like a good line to fade to black on ;)