food for thought

[wronglychosen]

Who| Zelos + Kili, also OTA!
What| Zelos is looking for food, with the help of his trusty museum map.
Where| Cafeteria, or any of the cafes
When| End of Week 1, around mid-afternoon
Warnings/Notes| I'm totally up for some physical clashing, over food or otherwise!

By the end of the week, Zelos was starting to wish he'd gone for the Cornucopia. Having to scrounge around for food every day or two, because keeping a whole ton of fresh food on himself was near impossible, was starting to get annoying.

He consulted his map, and ended up on the third floor, where the cafeteria was. So far, he'd avoided the cafeteria because of how big it was, but there was only so long a guy could last on coffee, biscuits and bagels, before wanting to hurl at the sight of it. So, he quietly and slowly made his way across the floor to where the cafeteria was, and hoped that since it wasn't any particular meal time, no one would be there.

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[emptytrousers]

Throughout the week, Kili had been popping back to the cafeteria since his attempt to cook alongside Ellie. No matter how many of the stuffed animals he tried skinning in an attempt to find just one with meat, he had yet to be successful. So, that meant leaving his hovel in the dioramas to venture out once more. If he came across someone, he could always retreat to the gem hall he and R had found earlier or return to the dioramas to eat some of the leather from the dusty tunics. If push came to shove, he could surivive, but he would rather have meat before that.

So, he's heading up the magical steel carriage to the third floor where it dings and the double doors slide open. He has an arrow nocked to his bowstring as he moves carefully from the carriage and sneaks across the floor to where he knows the cafeteria is, but someone's already there it seems.

Despite the fact that this is probably a bad idea, he calls out to the person there, "Hello?"

He even lowers his bow down toward his side.

[wronglychosen]

He would have killed for his angelic hearing back right about now, Zelos bemoaned as he snatched up his dagger at the sound of someone's voice ringing out and crouched down behind a counter. He paused for a moment, turning the situation over in his head quickly. The guy had called out, so chances were, he was armed.

Zelos pushed himself up against the counter to peek over it. From where he was, he could see what looked like a kid standing a few yards away, near the entrance of the cafeteria. That voice had definitely been a man's voice, so the question was...

"Where's your friend, kid?"

[emptytrousers]

"Kid?!" Kili blurts back without thinking, his bow lowering further. "I'm seventy-seven!"

Well, technically he was just on the border of being full-grown, barely old enough to be considered for Thorin's quest, but he was still not a dwarfling anymore. He could fight for himself, certainly, better than many dwarves in the company, even. Durin's line, if nothing else, were very well trained and Kili himself could take a warg down in two shots.

[wronglychosen]

Seventy-seven?

Zelos stands up fully out of sheer surprise and an extreme case of curiosity, because hearing a fully grown, male voice coming from a figure that short was messing with his impressions. "No way!"

Taking a closer look, he can see the figure is armed pretty heavily, and okay, fine, that probably wasn't a kid. "What are you, a dwarf?"

[emptytrousers]

"What else did you think I was?" Kili shouts back incredulously before realizing that hey wait this guy knows what a dwarf is. That in itself is different than about half of the people he'd seen here.

"You know about dwarves?" The tip of his arrowhead touches the ground as he tries to figure out just how he wants to feel about this particular revelation. And coming from a guy who has the strangest shade of red hair.

[wronglychosen]

"A kid!" he blurts out, before pulling a pained face at how loudly this encounter was going. Which probably wasn't the smartest thing to be doing, so Zelos slides his dagger back through his belt and (with empty hands held out) makes his way closer to the guy. Both so they could talk more privately, and so he would be in closer range. Considering the guy had arrows, he'd be better off in close range.

He ends up leaning back against a table closer to where Kili is. "Yeah, I know dwarves, but aren't you supposed to have a giant beard or something?"

[emptytrousers]

Frowning for a long moment, Kili slides his arrow back into his quiver and his bow over his shoulder again. This strange man didn't seem to be offering any threat except to his dignity. Still, he doesn't move any closer, not thinking about much of anything except the insult.

"Not all dwarves have giant beards." He shakes his head, his frown doubling over. Some of them were cut out of remembrance or grief, but that was not Kili's case. His simply hadn't come in. At the age of 77.

[wronglychosen]

"You sure you're not just short?" Zelos says jokingly, relaxing slightly now that the guy had put away his bow. Then again, if he kept cracking jokes, there's no guarantee he's not going to end up with an arrow through something important, so he hastily adds, "Kidding!"

Mostly. He's only met two dwarves in his entire life, so what does he know?

[emptytrousers]

"I'm tall for a dwarf!" The only threat Kili poses right now is being too loud. " 's not very funny."

He crosses his arms over his chest, still frowning but otherwise looking quite sourly at Zelos. Of course the only person he had met yet that knew about dwarves was also one who knew them well enough to make jokes about his beard. Such a hard life.

[wronglychosen]

"Aw, come on, I'm just joking around!" Zelos grins, feeling somewhat successful in relieving an otherwise tense atmosphere. Joking around was good, it was somewhat normal, and (hopefully) didn't preclude bloody murder.

"So, you here for the same thing I was?"

He tilted his head back towards the kitchen.

[emptytrousers]

"For food, yes," Kili replies, not allowing his soured mood to prevent him from getting some of said food. If nothing else, a good meal should help relieve his very temporary grumpiness.

"You haven't eaten all of it, have you?" he spits out after a brief look of panic. Zelos wasn't Bombur, but he couldn't ever overestimate anyone's ability to inhale food.

[wronglychosen]

"What do I look like, a pig?" Zelos looks offended at the question.

It's been a couple days since the Arena started, and there hadn't been much food left to start with. Now, there were maybe scraps, at best. But he's not going to fess that up to an armed guy who came all the way for food. He's not stupid.

[hit_girl_mindy]

She was still moving quickly though floors, and while she had at least gotten some food, she knew damn well that Ellie was around somewhere and just about the only person she trusted to actually try to get food for. She had the knife at hand, though she was at least smart enough to keep it concealed in the pouch of this stupid onesie, softly making her way to the fridge.

When she came across Zelos, she paused, waiting. She would go for the foo and dispatch him, unless he had something to say. She was through fucking around, not when her life was at stake at anytime.

[wronglychosen]

Unlike Mindy, Zelos had tucked his dagger into a belt he'd taken off one of the wax figures, in plain sight. He took the last hunk of cheese in the fridge, before letting the door shut, turning to her with a wary eye but a carefully apologetic smile.

"Sorry, cutie, looks like you're a bit late."

Unless there was something they could do for each other, at least. But he was also prepared for a fight. She didn't look exactly dangerous in that outfit, but he knew better than to be deceived by appearances.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy sized him up. He had to have some skill, otherwise why have the dagger out? But she was prepared to fight for it, because when did she know when she would eat?

"I need the cheese." Her voice was low but authoritative, and the knife was in her hand. "If its half, fine, but I'm not starving like the last time."

[wronglychosen]

His eyes flicked down to take note of the knife in her hand. If he handed over half the cheese, he might as well have not even come, because the remaining half wouldn't be enough.

"Normally, I'd be happy to help out a cute girl like you, but I'm running a little short on food myself."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy thought quick. She needed to stockpile a little, and they were already at a standstill. Just as relevant, standing down now was going to make her look weak. She'd gotten help from Sponsors already, and it wouldn't look good on her for avoiding trouble.

Then again, starving. She'd been there before, starving slowly in the last game.

"How good are you?"

[wronglychosen]

"You're gonna have to be more specific," Zelos answered easily, still keeping friendly and light.

If she was wondering how good he was with his weapon, well, he would've preferred a sword any day but a dagger was better than nothing. He was still holding out that some rich Sponsor might send him a shield or something, but his hopes weren't high on that one.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Don't have time to be specific. You and I both know what I mean. I'm damn good with a knife, and if you're gonna fixate on the short thing it's your own mistake. That was your warning."

He seemed old school, but his speech was (irritatingly)about what she would expect from a Nancy boy who didn't get his hands dirty. Clearly he was not that though. He held the knife well enough.

[wronglychosen]

"Oh, yeah, I know some squirts that could probably kick my ass," Zelos returned, neglecting to mention that he would die before admitting that to said squirt's face.

She seemed determined, willing and wanting to fight for the food, and he could get that. She may have looked young, but fighters were all fighters in battle. He didn't have to enjoy it, but he wasn't going to just give in either.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"I'm gonna have to take your food. No offense, but I was starving the last time, that shit's not going down again. You don;t have to die for it, but if you want to make it like that, well, I warned you."

Knife was already in hand, she was getting into stance.

[wronglychosen]

"Sorry, I think I'll keep it," he answered, placing a hand around the handle of his dagger, waiting for her to make a move. Zelos quickly looked around the kitchen and his eyes landed on a pan that might be useful as a shield. The closest exist was a couple meters away, so he'd have to at least incapacitate her long enough to get there.

No matter the excitement for the audience, the thought of seriously injuring or killing such a young girl left a bad taste in his mouth.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Wrong answer," she said, and bore down on him with the dagger, slashing in quick movements. She closed the distance between them immediately, and how much she'd been training the last few days showed here, making sure that Zelos did not have any room to swerve. She was keeping him in this corner. It was annoying to have to go and try to kill a guy over a piece of cheese, but honestly, she knew the cameras were watching and, more importantly, that she had to establish identity here. This "little kid" stuff was going to have to fall by the wayside.

[grandmas_gurl]

Ruby was cooking up a meal. She'd salvaged up some of the frozen materials, and working the cafeteria equipment. She has pans moving, and pots boiling, all filled with far more food than one werewolf can eat by themselves.

...It hadn't exactly been intended. But she'd worked in a diner for the last twenty eight years, on a repeating loop, and it had perhaps left her with a few habits in the kitchen. She thought maybe she could bribe any other comers with a meal, and get herself some time to escape. Just in case, she also had an unused frying pan on the counter beside her.

The meal will be pretty basic, but it's good food if anyone wants to join her. Or they can get a smack upside the head, and everyone can just go hide hungry.

[wronglychosen]

Seeing someone cooking merrily away in the cafeteria kitchen was far from what Zelos had been anticipating when he'd ventured into the cafeteria. He stopped short at the doorway and stared for a few moments. Well, this was an unexpected but welcome surprise.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said cheerfully, strolling in like he owned the place. "Need some help with that?"