thearena | 01 ❄ (it doesn't have to be a snowman)

Entry tags:

01 ❄ (it doesn't have to be a snowman)

Who| Anna (

rediscover) and you.
What| The Arendelle princess arrives in the arena and finds out very, very quickly what a brutal thing the Games are.
Where| Various locations around the Arena.
When| Throughout Week 5
Warnings/Notes| Blood, gore, and eventual death :'|

1. The first day // the Orchards

[Immediately upon her arrival into the Arena, Anna fled.

Frightened to death at a kidnapping and subsequent abandonment the trauma of which was already rivalling any previous ordeals, the Princess of Arendelle was too jumpy and scared of certain death around every corner to even consider searching for supplies, running straight through the town green and behind the eerily abandoned town hall building, disappearing between the trees. Here at least there was food, and the trees provided some small shelter. It was lucky that she'd been allowed to run wild for the most part as a child; she had strong legs that allowed her to pull herself up into a cherry tree and nourish herself on the fruit. She could only stay here so long, she knew; she jumped at every rustle of every twig, convinced another tribute or something worse was coming to kill her.]

2. The third day // the Amusement Park

[Thirst had eventually driven Anna out of the Orchard. She explored tentatively, extremely wary, though the silence was more unnerving than any rustling sounds could ever be. She wished that she could hum, or sing, but those were the kind of things that would get her killed. Her first encounter with one of the bugs wasn't pretty; she'd screamed loudly enough to attract plenty of attention and smashed it with a heavy branch she'd adopted as a weapon--though not before it gave her a nasty bite on her thigh. It had made her unreasonably angry for a long time afterward; raging and kicking at creaky wooden stalls and bits of refuse, unable to quell the bitter tide rising inside. She was angry; her life had been perfect, everything had fallen into place with Elsa and Kristoff and Hans had been sent far away from her. And now she had none of it, and all she wanted was her sister. Really, she was too busy being upset to even hear or notice anyone approaching.]

3. The fifth day // the Lakeside [closed to Bro]

[Really, it was shocking that she hadn't been attacked sooner. Her ability to run relatively quickly had saved her twice from the Walkers, and she'd sustained a few bug bites that had only increased her agitation and drained what little energy she had left. Fruit only does so much to sustain a person, and she'd been too frightened by the lurking fish to drink more than a few sips of water. And even then, she'd noticed after gorging herself on apples and peaches that her movements became slow, her body cold and achey.

And that was her downfall.

Anna turned at the sound of one of the mongrel dogs advancing behind her, and her eyes widened in fear as she realized that she couldn't outrun it; not this time. It came at her, growling and snapping its jaws, and she could only scream and make a feeble attempt at lunging out of the way, squeezing her eyes shut. Praying for a quick death.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well shit.

It's a spur of the moment decision. So far, Bro's had no qualms killing anyone. So you would think that upon seeing her, he would just stand aside and let her die. But she's a girl and she's pretty. Those are the two thoughts he registers before spur of the moment, he's running over with every intention of killing the dog attacking her.

But the problem is he's a little too slow. Ordinarily he would've gotten there with time to spare, but his flashstepping is dead here and he's hungry. He knows better than to eat or drink anything, so he's a little off his game. By the time he gets there, it's already clawed at her.

He kicks it off of her though, and with his butcher knife he puts the dog down quickly, grimacing at the state of it, before turning to her.]

Well shit, son. Guess I was a little late.

[Anna lets out a loud, sharp cry as the dog tears into her midsection, sharp teeth slicing through tender flesh, and the pain is so blinding that she doesn't even notice at first that it's no longer attacking her. Lying in a broken heap in the dirt, it's a moment before the sound of Bro's voice rearranges itself into words, and a moment more before she can lift her head and force her eyes open. The pain is still too sharp for her to even cry; her breathing is ragged and forced and it hurts, and she's far too afraid to look down at her own midsection, to look at the blood that she can feel seeping wetly out of her. So instead she focuses on her would-be savior with wide blue eyes, any color in her face quickly draining.]

H-hurts. [A violent shudder racks her thin frame. Oh god, she's going to die. She's going to die and she's terrified. Her voice breaks.]

It hurts so badly.

Well, I wouldn't imagine it feels good.

[He's starting to think that maybe it would have been kinder to her to allow the dog to kill her. This looks pretty bad. But he's already played the hero, he might as well go the distance. He can't very well watch a pretty lady suffer, after all.

So he sighs, as he moves in to pick her up bridal style.]

I got you, come on. We'll go find somewhere to siddown and see what can be done about it.

[Another wave of pain hits her, followed by a wave of nausea as she actually looks down at the giant bite wound in her stomach. It looks bad, and deep, and there's something wrong with how shiny and wet it looks, her sweatshirt and tank top torn wide open to reveal the sticky red waste underneath.]

Oh, God.

[That's all she can manage before she's being scooped up, and Anna yelps weakly as pain jolts through her once more, but actually being in his arms is a bit more comforting, and her head lolls against his chest. His hair is the wrong shape, he's not nearly broad enough, but if she forgets all that she can pretend that it's Kristoff carrying her away from the little pool of blood in the dirt.]

[Hopefully she can't see the look of disgust that paints his features as the blood ends up getting on him, too. He doesn't mind the sight of blood, but he's always been a little put out when it gets on him, to be honest.]

Y'know, it's better to save your energy. Stop talkin'.

[His voice is vaguely annoyed, but it's only because he feels a little guilty for what happened. Them's the breaks and all, but it still sucks that it's had to happen. Regardless, he's already moving to find one of those gross, rotten and decrepit houses so that he can assess her wounds and junk.

Bro manages to find one fairly, and once he's in there he makes his way to the kitchen, careful not to step on any holes in the floor. It appears already to have been looted, so he places her on the kitchen table as gently as possible.]

Alright, so tell the doc where it hurts the most, I guess.

[Anna tries to follow his advice as best she can; the only sounds she makes as he carries her off are little whimpers and cries as the throbbing in her midsection worsens. She might have been afraid of him just dumping her somewhere, or maybe even finishing her off, but right now she's so relieved not to be alone that she decides to trust him instead.

She's just nodding off into what could possibly be blacking out when she feels herself being set down on a solid, rather uncomfortable surface, and Anna startles awake, voice slurring. She's lost an awful lot of blood.]

It's---there. [Her hand gestures vaguely toward her wound, too weak and scared to look at it again. God, she's never wanted Elsa so badly.] Please, sir. Help me. Please.

[It's never a good sign when consciousness is starting to be lost, he knows that. So when she doesn't answer him right away, he's starting to wonder if it's really just that damn but. But then she does, and he sighs. He'll have to deal with her a little longer.]

I-

[Her words click into place.]

Ew, no. Don't call me sir, do I look like a fuckin' senior citi-

[But there's a small thud that has him stopping, looking towards it. It takes him a moment to realize it's not a person invading the house, but actually a sponsor gift coming in through a hole in the ceiling. He moves toward it quickly.

Then he scoffs, when he realizes it's a first aid kit addressed to him.

It would seem that someone's taken interest in the scenario being played out. He's played hero, but now it's time to become one, apparently. Fuck his life.

He moves back over to the table, rolling his eyes.]

Would you looky here, it seems somebody wants me to save your ass. I just got some medical supplies with your name on 'em. Well, my name on 'em but they're obviously for you. Woohoo.

[She's too tired to even wince at his cursing, eyes falling shut as she tries to steady her breathing. It's growing slow and more ragged by the minute, but she's making a noted effort not to give up just yet.

She's not quite sure what's going on after that, except then he's saying something about a first aid kit. Her eyes flutter in response, but don't quite open yet.]

They...will they work?

Sure they will, because I'm awesome.

[He's pretty confident in his first aid abilities, so first thing first he sets out the supplies- some disinfectant, bandages and stitching materials.]

Bite the pillow, I'm goin' in dry.

[And that's when he starts pouring some of the disinfectant on the wound, using one of the provided cloths to wipe at it, and overall getting it about as clean as he can with what he has.]

You stay awake, yo. I ain't going through this effort just to lose you here, got it?

Edited 2014-06-24 09:22 (UTC)

[She's groggy enough that his words don't quite sink in, not until he's pouring disinfectant into her wound, and it's unbearable; her eyes fly open and she lets out a weak cry, tears rolling down her cheeks over the tear tracks already carved through the the dirt on her face.]

Hard---not to.

[She can't possibly sleep now, not with the burning and the pungent smell emanating from her midsection.]

Yeah, I know. But all you can do is suck it up, cuz it ain't gonna get any fuckin' better.

[He's trying to be firm, but man he feels bad. It's hard to see people cry, especially ladies. Call him sexist all you want or whatever, but he'd rather see a guy cry. It's way easier to deal with.

But he's good at ignoring his own feelings, as he grabs the stitching supplies and sets to work. He can't numb it in any way, so all he can do is act as quickly as possible so that she feels the least amount of pain.]

Deep breathes, c'mon. Don't go to sleep, stay awake. You'll be alright.

[Anna finds herself choking back a sob, trying to be as brave as she can, even if this pain is worse than her heart being frozen ever was, because it doesn't stop, it just throbs and throbs and takes over her focus to the point where it's all she can think about.

She needs a distraction, which becomes abundantly clear as he starts to stitch together her wound and creates an entirely new kind of hurt.]

What's--oh, God. [She tries her best to stifle the whimper that interrupts her question.] Name. Your name.

Bro, just call me Bro. What's yours? Tell me about yourself.

[He tries to sound as casual as he can, just to keep her from getting too worked up. If he treats this like an ordinary, no big deal kind of thing, then maybe she'll stay calm. The questions are to keep her talking, to give her something to focus on.

He's quick and efficient with his stitches, a testament to the years of practice stitching himself and Dave up after their strifes. When he's finished, he takes a small step back to look her over.]

Not too shabby, I guess.

Edited 2014-06-26 06:57 (UTC)

Bro. Bro.

[She repeats it twice so she won't forget, clings to his name like it'll be her saving grace. A strange name, surely, but she's not going to question it right now. She starts to babble as he goes on stitching her up.]

I'm--gah. Anna. Anna of Arendelle. [A whimper.] I'm a princess. My sister Elsa is the Queen. I, um--I love chocolate. I wish I had some right now, actually--

[Her voice actually manages to take on some small semblance of conversational chipperness before a low stabbing pain hits her gut, and that cuts her babbling short for the time being.]

[Oh, just his fucking luck he would run into a princess- assuming she's telling the truth, anyway. She could just be delusional from the pain or something. Who even knows. But it's nice to know that if she's telling the truth, he'll have a fucking queen on his ass if he botches this.]

Chocolate, huh? Well listen, Princess. You survive this and I'll buy you a fuckin' chocolate fountain, kay?

[He takes a cloth and wipes his hands off, tossing it aside. Whether or not he will is another story, but hey. Incentive to live.]

A chocolate fountain...

[Not that she's never had one before, but after this past week, Anna's more than ready to lose herself in some useless fantasy. She smiles faintly, letting her head loll to the side, and for a while it seems like she might be doing alright. But the blood loss has gotten to her more than even she knows, and as time passes in the abandoned house it becomes quite clear that Bro's stitches aren't enough. Her breathing becomes labor, skin even paler than usual and growing clammier by the minute, and soon the only movements she's making are the shallow rise and fall of her chest and a faint shivering.

It's clear she's not long for the world.]

[The last thing he expected to have to do is babysit a princess in a murder arena. Honestly, what is his life? But his conscience, buried as it may be, couldn't just let her suffer.

But the more time that passes and he watches her, the more he realizes it's futile. The first aid kit doesn't have near enough shit to take care of her, and he's not a miracle worker with his stitches. Eventually it becomes clear that she isn't going to make it, and that she is in fact suffering.]

Well... shit.

[He realizes the best option here is to kill her himself. Why would he just let her suffer, when he can put a stop to it? He lets out a sigh. Whoever sent the first aid is gonna be disappointed.

Sucks to be them.]

Y'all wanted me to play hero, but I ain't hero material. Sorry 'bout it.

[Bro knows that Anna can't really hear him, nor would she even understand what he's talking about. He takes his butcher knife in hand and moves closer to her, trying to figure out the best way to do it. Either way you slice her, she'll feel some sort of pain.

Maybe if he breaks her neck?

Yeah, he thinks that would be good. So he sets the knife down, and moves behind her.

She doesn't seem too alert, so he thinks if he can just lift her up gently, enough so that he can get a good grip on her, then she won't notice. It might just seem like he's shifting her into a comfortable position.

But then he does the opposite, and takes her by the head once she's sat up, and give her head a heavy twist. He can feel the crack of her neck, and that's worse than the sound. Bro grimaces, and lets her body down gently, taking a step back.]

Nothing personal, kid. I tried. Sorry.

[Bro doesn't linger after that, leaving the house quickly. There's a strange heaviness there that he wants to get away from.]

They'd run out of food, him and Susannah. It was bound to happen at some point, so Don had to go to the most reliable place for food. It just happened to be the orchard, which he was naturally wary about. Anything that didn't come from the Cornucopia or Sponsors in general was a shellshoot - either it was good, or there were ninety different ways that the food could go wrong. Even with otherwise normally edible food, like the admittedly tempting fruits in the trees.

And, well...hello, Anna. There's a giant turtle sneaking around on the ground and the base of the trees, checking out the trees, looking for food.

Eventually, Anna finds herself dozing in the crook of the cherry tree, arms wrapped around one of its strong branches to keep herself from falling out. However, it's a light, fitful sleep, one constantly being interrupted by falling nightmares, by the slightest noise that she's convinced is someone coming to kill her.

But this time, when she jolts awake, she stays that way, because there's definitely someone scuffling around nearby, low enough to the ground that all she can make out is a shell. Like a turtle. A really big, really scary turtle. She lets out a frightened squeak, before clapping her hand over her mouth.

That sure was a squeak, wasn't it?

Instantly, Don's head was up, looking in the direction of that noise. His eyes narrowed to try and focus, and then...widened. That silhouette looked very familiar. It couldn't be, though. He saw what happened...

Right? Or was it just his mind playing tricks on him? Slowly, he began to make his way towards that tree, towards the figure, letting out as loud a whisper as he'd allow himself.

"...Anna?"

Of all the things she's expecting this giant turtle person to say, her name is certainly not amongst them. But maybe, if he knows her name, it means he's not out to kill her? It's a rash decision, but she brings her hand down from her mouth and very, very cautiously replies, voice perplexed.

"Um. Yes? Can I--can I help you?" She has to resist the urge to add "mister turtle" onto the end of her question, because as much as the silhouette down on the ground resembles a turtle, she'd feel awfully stupid if she were wrong.

This was so confusing. Worrisome. But Don wasn't surprised. Or, at least, he was but not as he had been with Thor or Tony's return.

"You're all right? I...I'm guessing this probably makes no sense that I'd know who you--" Another worrisome thought came to mind. "Have you seen Elsa?"

Edited 2014-06-27 15:54 (UTC)

"I...I guess so." She's been sort of cowering somewhat behind a branch, but now she pushes her face down to get a closer look.

Yep, that's definitely a turtle. Alright. Time to deal with this gracefully and diplomatically.

"Sorry, but I don't, um. Have we met?"

"...We have."

A sigh. As he suspected.

"Look, this is going to sound crazy, and you don't have to believe me, but...this isn't your first time in this place. You and your sister were brought here to participate in the Hunger Games."

He didn't sound crazy, at least. Well, no, he sounded crazy, but he didn't seem crazy, At least, he hoped he didn't.

Anna's started shaking her head, slowly. This isn't real, obviously, this is a dream. "No. No, no, that's--that can't possibly be right. I mean, Elsa's the Queen, she can't leave Arendelle, and--"

The absurdity of the moment seems to hit her, and she almost topples from the tree branch, she laughs so suddenly.

"And you're a turtle! I mean, I've met talking rocks and talking snowmen, but I've never ever in my life met a talking turtle!"

Yeah. It was clear to Don that she didn't remember. He did take a step forward, just in case she had started to fall, though thankfully, she didn't.

"Well, you've met one now?"

"I...guess." Anna's wary, but she wants a closer inspection, fog or no.

"If I, um. If I come down there, you're not gonna hurt me, are you?"

"No. I'm not going to hurt you."

He meant it, at least. ~~His districtmate would never let him forget it if he did, for one.~~

"...Alright, then." A bit unsteadily, Anna climbs down from her perch, dusting herself in and she can't help but stare wide-eyed at the person (?) before her.

"So, uh, do you have a name?"

Yup. Still a turtle man.

"I do. My name's Donatello."

"Donatello," Anna repeats uncertainly, before sticking out a dainty hand for a handshake, smudged with dirt though it may be.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, even under awful circumstances."

It was ok, Anna. Don had worse, and his had dirt as well.

"Likewise." He sighed. "Look, I don't know just how much they told you when you arrived, but..."

[She hears the screams, easily enough and that's what draws her in. It's not to help, really, as sad as that is, but if someone's injured... it's mercy at least, to end that pain and suffering. Rose takes no joy in this killing, but it's needed. The sacrifices of the few will be outweighed by the needs of the many, in the end.

Even if it really isn't Rose's right to call those sacrifices.

She's careful as she walks through the park, all her senses heightened, mindful of every step. The sudden sounds of smashing and crashing help too, give her a direction to head to and she follows them, only stopping when the girl comes into view and for now, Rose just watches her, does her best to assess her.]

[Usually it feels good to take out her frustrations like this; screaming into a pillow is normally effective, but this is a different kind of rage; Anna can't stop, can't quell the terrifying anger that's consuming every inch of her. Over and over she kicks at an abandoned carnival booth, till she can feel her toes bleeding in her boots, and she wants to stop because she knows how much noise she's making, but she can't.

Until her mind and body seem to grant her a reprieve, and she stops kicking slowly, breathing hard and heavy and ragged, and seems to come back to her senses somewhat.

And that's when she looks around and startles at the sight of another person, face blanching from bright red to pale white. For the moment, all she can do is stare back.

[She's young, almost painfully so. Not even an adult, if Rose is guessing correctly though with the way rage twists her features it's hard to be certain. It's a total loss of control and it keeps Rose on her toes, ready in case the girl spots her and decides to take that rage out on something other then an abandoned booth.

But she stops, and Rose can tell she hadn't realised she was being watched from the way everything seems to bleed out of her. And against her better instincts she finds herself speaking, making a connection she shouldn't make in a place like this.]

Better now? [A pause and she glances away, scanning the surroundings.] You're lucky that only seemed to attract me. You have seen the creatures in this place, haven't you?

Edited 2014-06-29 07:19 (UTC)

[The woman is speaking to her now, and Anna's suddenly trembling, from fear and pent up rage she can't seem to let loose anymore, and she backs away--just one or two steps.]

Y-yes. I--

[She lets out a sad sound between a whine and a terrified sob, muffled by her hand.]

Please, don't hurt me.

[It's the smallest set of gestures but Rose knows almost straight away that this girl isn't going to last. This arena of sorts is going to eat her up and spit her out and.

Honestly it makes Rose feel a little sad.

And maybe that's why she carefully moves so both her needles are in one hand, trying to make them seem less threatening even if there are streaks of blood, red and purple still staining the metal. Rose doesn't need to kill this girl, because this girl is going to get herself killed soon enough.

And any stirrings of memories of another young girl who was two sweet for her own good most of the time are to be ignored and have no influence over her at all.]

Don't say things like that. [Her voice is soft, but there's no anger there, just. Resignation] Any concern people may have had for you potentially harming them will go, just like that, if you say things in that vein. At least make them think you're threatening.

[Anna forces herself to be composed, or at least as much she she's able to given the state of things.]

But I'm--I'm not threatening.

[She really isn't; a slip of a girl, with wide blue eyes and not a clue how to use a weapon. She has no idea how to make herself look anything but scared and silly.]

No, you're not. But you don't need to confirm their suspicions so quickly.

[It's blunt but it's the truth, and she needs to know that.]

It will get you killed.

...Oh.

[Anna shivers, wrapping her arms around her; the cold outside her, seeping into her clothes, and the white hot rage inside are at war.]

I should--I should go. I need to go.

Okay.

[Rose isn't going to keep her in any case, and in some way she knows it'll be easier. Even if it's not by her hand the girl is going to end up dead. No sense forming attachments in this game]

But you should think on what I said.

[Anna edges away, trying to get behind the cover of the carnival booth she'd been kicking the crap out of moments ago.]

I...I will. Thanks.

[And then she takes off at a run, trying to shake the way the older woman had looked at her like she knew everything about her. It was unnerving.]

[And Rose lets her run, watching her go with an unreadable expression before she shakes her head and turns to leave herself. After the racket that drew her here she knows the area isn't safe, that others could have heard and were simply slower than her.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

01 ❄ (it doesn't have to be a snowman)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject