thearena | [Open] Little People Know When Little People Fight

WHO| Gavroche and OPEN.
WHAT| Gavroche's
WHEN| Late Week 1/Early Week 2.
WHERE| Tomorrowland
WARNINGS/NOTES| Nothing as yet but general warnings for possible arena violence, etc.

Gavroche had been thinking about it. He'd decided. He didn't much like this game. It was too violent an' the way he lived, well, he'd already seen a lot of violence over food, aen't no reason to be turning it into a game for people to play. He'd just ran at the start, kicking himself now for not checking out that big horn thing in the middle but he saw the fightin' that was goin' on over it an' he weren't gonna get involved in that, no way. So he'd ran, fast as his legs could take him.

He ended up in this place that weren't like nothing he'd ever seen before, not wi' his eyes. Big long metal things curved through the space, and Gavroche traced them with his eyes. He weren't sure this were the safest place to stay. Then he saw 'em. Big juicy round fruit, growin' right there on the trees. He'd grabbed some and bitten into it. It was sweet, tangy, the skin harder than any he'd tried. He clinmbed up the metal, broken down into bridge pieces, an' found himself a nice little cart thing to hold up it.

It weren't much, but it'd do.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Harley had retreated to Tomorrowland, limping a little from an unfortunate encounter while exploring. She found that for whatever reason she always felt better lingering around the futuristic structures and formerly shiny areas.

Flopping onto a bench she sighed with relief already feeling the pain in her ankle fading away. And it was here she spotted some brat munching on fresh food.

"Hey! Whatcha got? Snozzberries?"

Gavroche looked up, seeing the blonde woman limping. Couldn't hurt to help out, he supposed. He held up the fruit - a round orange fing he didn't know the name of - before clutching it back down, to chomp on it again. He like the soft inside better than the rough of the outside.

Harley's eyes went wide at the sight of the food and she sprang to her feet. The pain she had felt before was dull enough she wasn't limping any longer and she crossed the space between them.

She was a curious sight that much was sure. Dirt smeared around her eyes like a mask, her cheerful yellow clothes were now filthy and there was a rip in the side exposing her side and a wound that was still healing. Her skirt had been shredded entirely apparently to make bandages for said wound.

"Way to go kid! I didn't think there was any fresh food around here. I got a can from the sky a few days ago but that was it." She tried to sidestep him to get at the fruit.

"Then there's that feast thing they mentioned...wonder when that starts?"

"Aen't going," Gavroche said, nibbling at the fruit with as small bites as he could manage. "Aen't going back there, wi' all the fightin' an' the violence," he slurped. "M'good here. Got my own place, aen't I?"

Harley's smile faded a few degrees and she plucked another orange fruit, peeling it carefully. "Well not so much kiddo. There's alot of tributes wandering around this area. And they aren't all as cute and cuddly as me. Plus there's scary monster things in that building there." She pointed to the building where she and Barbara had a nearly fatal encounter with an unseen force.

"I mean you can stay here if you want, but I wouldn't say it's the perfect territory to claim as your own."

[[OOC: Apologies! Trying to write my university dissertation! Finally starting my redrafts so shouldn't take long!]]

Gavroche frowned, nibbling at the fruit and listening to what the blonde lady had to say. "Aen't no such fings as monsters... aen't there?" Though, humans as monsters he'd seen plently of on the streets but that wasn't necessarily what the lady meant now, was it? "Just need somewhere ta be. Aen't got a lotta fight in me." Again; not strictly true, he had a lot of fight for the right things, but this didn't feel like the right thing.

(( No hurry no worry))

There was no hint of humor or teasing in Harley's voice for a change, "There absolutely are monsters in this place. Why just yesterday I almost got gobbled up by a swarm of rats with glowing eyes and needle teeth! And before that I was attacked by these horrible bugs that made me see nightmares!" She flailed her arms in an attempt to impose on him how important it was he be careful about the buildings.

[[OOC: Thank you!]]

The serious tone was what done it. Gavroche sat up straight, his face showing all signs of him listening intently. He bit his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth as he listened. "Aen't afraid o' rats but ... didn't know bugs could make you see nightmares." He wondered what nightmares he'd see, if he found these bugs. "... Aen't such a nice game this."

"Not for kids it's not."

With a grunt of effort Harley flipped up and onto her hands, doing a hand stand which hurt her side more then she'd like to admit, but it was a nice distraction.

"Best thing to do I'd say is keep yourself safe till the rest of us die. Unless you're one of those stabby kids."

"Aen't just a kid."

Gavroche tilted his head, so that her face was almost the same direction as his, half lying on his side to do so.

"Aen't right you gotta die."

"Ya got that right."

She began to twirl slowly, bouncing from one hand to the next. "Alot of this world just isn't right. It's not a world for good people. It's a world for monsters. But if you're careful, and really lucky? You might find a chance to escape."

"How many escape?" His voice is serious as he asks the question, his face still and solemn.

"So far as I know?" Harley responded as she rolled to her feet gracefully. She held up a single finger indicating the morbid answer.

Gavroche's face fell. "Oh." That ... didn't bode well for anyone he knew. He sat right way up again with a thump, a frown clear on his face. "Aen't right this."

She nodded in agreement, allowing herself a moment of somber reality.

She moved closer and planted a hand on his head mussing his hair. "That the thing kiddo. It's all a big cruel joke sometimes. Life is. And it's not fair. Which is why we play dirty. We lie, cheat, steal and betray people just for a few more seconds in the sun. A few more bites of food. And we try to pretend that if we do these things, we'll be in on the joke."

She grinned ruefully. "But it doesn't do us any good to be sad about it. So you might as well laugh! Show the world that you're not scared! That you're not gonna go down without a fight. Make everyone see that the joke's on them too!"

"Funny fing about equality, everyone's equal when we're dead," Gavroche said, tucking his knees under his chin, and wrapping his arms around his legs. "Gonna have to make a move soon."

Harley's grin turned more genuine.

"You're a smart kid. Smarter then most brats." Scanning the area for any potential trouble she turned her attention back to him.

"A moving target is harder to hit. And you're a pretty small target too. So long as you keep your head you might not get it ripped off."

"Aen't a brat," was Gavroche's automatic response. He looked around. "Got it," he responded.

[Open] Little People Know When Little People Fight

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