Dude, we're getting the band back together!

[hit_girl_mindy]

WHO| Mindy, Chibi Usa, and OTA, especially if you're a kid.
WHAT| Mindy finds a base of operations
WHEN| First night.
WHERE| The Comic Store!
WARNINGS| Kid cursing of course, reflections of torture, mentions of wounds and blood and such.



But Mindy had made sure to stockpile BEFORE she smuggled the younger girl up here. They hit the Sports Authority first, where Mindy had grabbed the water bottles and a few choice knives, not to mention a new change of clothes. Now in a tank top, cammo pants and boots, Mindy stored what items were needed in her locker and then the two went searching. Mindy was all ready to set up shop in the theater when LO ANS BEHOLD there was a comic shop! Mindy dragged Chibi Usa here, barricading the door but leaving just enough room for someone smaller to squeeze right through.

"Here," she said, giving Usagi some of the spoils from the food court, "I got this so far. Eat only a little, though I think you'll be getting some food from sponsors pretty soon."

Mindy leaned against the door, panting. The work of moving around and rustling up supplies had been draining, and she was still feeling the pain of the brand, not to mention her bones.

"You nab anything, Usagi?"

Comments

[smarterthanthem]

Clementine comes to the comic book store with numerous spoils of exploration. She's changed her clothes for more practical jeans and a t-shirt, has a couple of knives and more importantly a child-sized bow and some arrows from the sports store. Added to that some walkie-talkies, a flashlight and some water bottles stuffed into a backpack and she's feels pretty well equipped.

The barricade at the door raises her suspicions, specifically at the size of the gap that's left at the bottom. It's the perfect size for someone like Clem to fit through... so maybe... still, it always pays to play it safe and she kneels by the gap to call through softly.

"Hello?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy had the knife in hand when she heard the voice: she didn't know who'd be coming, after all, or why they'd want to be here in the first place. One she got closer though, she recognized who it was and walked over, widening the door a little,

"Hey Clem," she said, managing a smile. "Looks like you got some decent swag too. Did you manage to get one of the keys?"

[smarterthanthem]

"Mindy!" she smiles in relief, "Yeah, there's some really good stuff in here." Which naturally has made her a little suspicious to be honest, the Capitol handing out things like this at the start might be a bad sign. "No key."

She takes off the bow and arrows from her back and holds them in her hands, making it easier to get through without catching on anything. "It almost seems too much, you know?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Might want to ration them," Mindy said. "I figure you can put some of the stuff here, that way we can keep an eye on it. If you want, I can store some of the stuff in the locker, in case you really think someone's gonna steal the more important shit. Want to hide out here for the moment, just so if people are gonna go kill each other they have their head start. Anyone tries that shit in here, its an enclosed area and we can take them out quick."

Because FUCK having some nut job like Kevin picking them off.

"If its too much, you can bet we won't get shit later, since they're not giving out sponsorship for us violators. How good are you, with the bow and arrow?"

[revvinguptheharley]

"Love love love la la love, la la loooove makes the world go round!"

This haunting melody drifted in through the doors to the store as a familiar bouncy figure Came squeezing through the door. She had to stop singing to suck in her chest and pop through with an "Ooof!"

Harley had dressed herself in a loose tank top that she had painted a grinning face on the front of it in red and green. Meanwhile Red and black stockings clung to her legs going up past her knees where they teased some skin before showing off her ample hips and booty in a pair of tight shorts.

Put most distracting of all was she had painted her face in white makeup covering her wounds earned in jail. Even the branding was harder to see under the layer of shiny cream. Black makeup ringed her eyes like a mask and her lips shone in the same glossy shade.

"Ah it's been so long since I've been in a place like this." She chirped to presumably the cameras. "Unless Mindy's right and I am a comic book character, then I guess I've always been in places like this." she chuckled.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Did you think Mindy had been lax about protecting her place? Evidently not, because the girl came out quickly, pausing only when she heard it was Harley. All the better too: she'd had a clear shot and would have knifed the woman, hiding on the right corner entrance of the door.

"Way to announce yourself, Harley," Mindy said, shaking her head, then inspecting the girl's face. "Convenient. Hides the brand and everything. Where'd you get the hoochie outfit?"

Mindy, meanwhile, was dressed like Tamika Flynn, minus the hand around her neck.

[revvinguptheharley]

Harley would appreciate the reference if she had any idea what Nightvale was. Ironic considering she'd become such good friends with the Capitol's Cecil before his Avoxing.

"Well you know me, I like to keep people's attention." She leaned forward playing into the "Hoochie" Comment and giving a show to the cameras and Mindy by proxy.

"There's plenty of clothes around here, I just dressed to impress, and be comfy." She straightened up and gave a twirl before opening her arms up indicating she wanted a hug.

"Come here you! It's been forever!!" Or a week and a half to two weeks give or take. But to Harley that was a lifetime.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy was lowering her knife back into the holster and shook her head, giving the woman a hug. True, these circumstances were fucked up, but she knew that she could at least trust another mentor. They were only on the first week, after all.

"Hey, keep those shits to yourself!" She laughed, pushing Harley's offending boobs out of shot. "yeah, been awhile. I hear you were cooling your heels in the cell a little later. Trying to get Suz out, I bet."

[polyturtle]

Comics, huh.

Don had gone around, making sure to get clothing and weaponry (and nacho cheese) before quietly making his way through the mall to find a place to sleep. A place for him and possibly Shepard (and maybe even Feferi?) to hide. However, as he snuck his way through the floor, he suddenly spotted a figure. A familiar one, walking through and behind a barricade-

"Mindy?" His whisper became slightly louder as he realized that, yes, it was who he thought it was behind there. "Mindy!!"

He wanted to get in, to check on her, but...that hole didn't look very turtle-sized.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Aw crap. The barricade did work to keep most people out while she was gathering stuff for Chibi Usa and assorted company, but when it came to people she knew would't hurt her, it made coming in almost impossible. Donatello was clearly on the top of that list.

She shifted some of the stuff from the door, letting him in just enough, and then stacking the items back, taking a good look in both directions before turning to Donatello properly. She looked a little less composed earlier, her hair pulled back in a pony tail, practically pushing her branded face into view, and she looked a little bruised but was otherwise just as alert as usual.

"Hey. How are ya?"

[polyturtle]

"Oh, man, I'm fine." After getting himself through the barricade, well, Mindy might be getting a hug. Sorry. "You look like shell but I'm glad you're all right!"

For the most part. He saw that brand, knew what it meant. And at the moment, he didn't care at all. He could start worrying about her again later.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Man, what was this, like, the third hug she got today, why was she even letting this happen?!

Because it was Donatello of course. If anyone had the right to do it, it was him.

"Yeah, I do look pretty shitty. They didn't give me too much of a layover before throwing me back into this shit. Just as well though: I have things I need to do here anyway."

As evidenced by the pink haired girl sleeping in the corner.

[hit_girl_mindy]

In time, her body would betray her. That was what pissed Mindy off most.

She'd done everything she could to stay awake. She'd read some stupid comic propaganda about the Capitol, a few choice books with comic characters she could get behind, even seeing that there were a few action figures of the tributes. She was just about to have 5" Clem and Harley take on Kevin when she felt herself starting to go. She took a swig from her canteen, but that was not enough. Her body had been on go since she was roused from the cell to fight in the Arena, and between explosions, skating and barricading, her body started to give away to fatigue. She resisted, but after a few minutes, Mindy sat in the corner adjacent to the doorway, and nodded off.

Here was where, aggravatingly, Mindy found herself right where she didn't want to be.

The light was bright, too much so. Mindy squinted, and promptly had water thrown in her face to prevent any small comfort. She was asked about her involvement, what she was doing on that night. Mindy was defiant, alleging her innocence. This was met with slow but agonizing pain, going first for her bare neck, where the tinges of annoyance soon gave away to her whole body tensing. The questions came again, only she was tied to a chair now and when her defiance came, it was met with tasing.

Mindy had always been careful not to be tased. She never liked the idea of her body not being her own, of involuntary reaction of her body she couldn't control. Now here it was, voltage making her flail and buck, and she strained and teared up at this indignity. Her chin was seized, and the ugly face pressed closed to hers, whispering what could happen because of her smart mouth. Promises of being avoxed, which a fleeting part of Mindy knew was hollow: that indignity was always reserved for someone who forced it to come.

So the girl, not liking the idea of losing her speech, told them the very, very select truth of what she was doing. She named no names.

She implicated herself, and so, after some pretty vicious beating, she started to lose concept of time, and her throat was burning. She made the mistake of asking for water. That was when they made her drink some concoction of theirs. Her mouth was dry, her body felt like everything was losing liquid.

"Water," sleeping Mindy muttered, looking distressed. "Can' breathe."

[bunnybrat]

Not knowing any better, Chibi-Usa had dozed of the moment she felt tired, but then again other than being brought here against her will to a place where she had to kill others, she had no reason to force herself to stay awake.

She did however wake up sometime during the night to have a drink, she sat up in her little corner groping around for her sports bottle. As she picked it up she heard Mindy. Still half asleep she shuffled over to Mindy.

"Mindy?"

She asked with a yawn, blinking herself more awake made her realise the look on Mindy's face causing her to tap on the older girls shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She says in a louder voice.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Everything was blurred. At times Mindy wondered if they had put drugs in her food because she was seeing things now. Once, she thought she saw Frank D'Amico watching her, then Penny, and then it was the peacekeepers again, and the beatings were starting to reach bone breaking territory. Now she couldn't register when a beefy arm was going to come her way: every moment of theirs earned a flinch, which they found funny. Her hair was pulled, her toes mashed, tasing happened in short spurts, which was worse.

And in that state of hot and dry, Mindy saw her father in her dream. He was wandering, lost as she was, calling out her name. Mindy tried to call to him, and then the air got staler and staler, and she smelled it and sleeping Mindy whimpered.

She knew this smell: human flesh burning, and there was her dad, helpless and gagged, the flames rising around him.

"No...NO!"

[bunnybrat]

Mindy hadn't been the only one to get a change of clothes, as they were raiding the sports store Chibi Usa managed to find herself a tennis dress-styled uniform that was mostly black and pink, a pair of tennis shoes, and a small duffle bag. While it was still close to the figure skating outfits from before, it was a lot more handy to go to the bathroom in which at least in her mind a step up.

Chibi-Usa, being smaller had an idea to keep her eyes low while they looked around before they came across the comic book store. As she was offered the spoils by Mindy she put them in her mouth before pulling her duffle over and unzipping it.

"I don't think I got very much"

Strangely sensible for a girl her age, Chibi had grabbed them both a spare set of clothes -Though possibly not to Mindy's tastes-, a kids cricket bat, and a pack of gum. She picked up the gum and gave an embarrassed look.

"It was at the counter when we left." She's quiet for a moment as she eats a little more. "How will we know if I get something from a sponsor?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy looked over at Chibi Usa's spoils, sighing internally. If she wanted new clothes, fine, the skating outfits were impractical. But gum?

"I'd lose the gum," she said. "That usually makes you thirsty, and water's something that has to last for awhile as time starts to drag on. It's pretty rare they have an actual sporting good shop: I got us a few canteens."

She eyed the cricket bat and grinned. "Good weapon: its light, dangerous, and at the right angle will cause serious damage."

Then she eyes the set of clothes. "Wait. Did you actually get something for me?"

[bunnybrat]

Looking at the gum Chibi just put it in the back again, they might not need it, but she wasn't about to go and leave it on the floor, she makes a note to put it in a bin when she finds one.

"Do they have water in them?" She tilts her head as she asks, after all back home when you bought something to contain liquids from places like sports stores, they don't actually have anything in them. But there was always the chance she was wrong here.

As Mindy grinned and praised the bat, Chibi-Usa had frowned a little, she really didn't want to hurt anyone with it, but she did know that it would be good for breaking anything they might need to break for some reason, or hopefully just to keep someone back the few feet it offered.

When it came to the set of clothes for Mindy, she nodded.

"Well, I didn't know how long we would be in here, and. Well. Clothes get dirty, so I thought..." She fidgets a little, wondering if she'd made a mistake.

set at the start of week two!?

[shenunigans]

One verbal attack, two physical fights and a kiss had been the start of Dave's arena. Needless to say, Dave's week had been long. He'd started off tired, but his energy is renewing now that he feels like he has a better foothold on the situation. That, of course, doesn't mean he doesn't look like a walking bruise. He might have won the fight with Eridan, but the troll wore rings to a fist fight and Dave has the bruises to show for it along with a bandaged hand from where someone else had bitten him.

At the very least, he's changed out of his frilly costume and is sporting something more casual when he ducks into the store with his skateboard tucked under his arm. The allure of comics had been great enough to leave Loki waiting somewhere else while he poked around, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that someone has taken up residence in here. But who.

"Smells like nerd in here." He calls out, peering around curiously in search of a familiar face.

Re: set at the start of week two!?

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy had been thankful for Chibi-Usa getting those clothes: they made for a some decent bedding, and at the small times she slept, they worked in a pinch. This had been one of those times that she let Clem sleep, although she had found herself nodding off next to the girl until she heard footsteps. Her nerves jolted her up then, hands enclosed around the hunting knife.

This one, however, she could see coming now. She had barricaded the door enough, so getting the skateboard through the door was enough a chore.

"Hey, watch your mouth," she said, "or we sacrifice you to the gods of Marvel and DC."

[shenunigans]

The barricades hadn't entirely deterred Dave, if only because he'd assumed some stores were just arbitrarily barricaded. Also because he's curious and he can't help himself, but that's irrelevant. He won't go anywhere without the board, because he has a mighty need to smack someone in the face with it, though he has a knife he GUESSES he could use if he had to.

A smirk tugs at his lips when he figures out who it is, though there's a pang of sympathy that he won't express for the state of her face thanks to the brand.

"The gods of Marvel are weighing pretty heavily in my favour, just saying." He gives his shoulders a shrug. "But I left one of them outside, he's too tall to fit his sorry ass in here."

End of week 1?

[glaives]

It's been a long first day for Hotaru, and it shows. Her barefeet are dirty, her fingers gripped tightly around the laces of one skate, the other having been lost a few hours back. And she flinches at the slightest sound, nerves all on edge.

She wants her papa. She wants her mamas. Now, more than ever she feels her youth. Feels how weak this body is without Saturn's power, and it's terrifying.

Hotaru comes across the comic book shop without any real intent on finding it. And even then she hesitates, noticing how the door seems baricaded for only someone small to get through. She could get through, she's small enough, but she isn't sure she should. It could easily be a trap.

But considering it and the wisdom of entering has to be cut short, Hotaru hearing voices coming closer and she can't stay out, can't risk running into someone who would harm her so she darts forward, scooting forward quickly on her knees, the skirt of her costume catching and tearing and she clings tightly to her skate as she blinks in the gloom of the shop and it seems silly to call out, but what if someone is here, she doesn't want to scare them or make them think she's dangerous.

"Hello?" It's soft, but loud enough that anyone close will here. "Is anyone else in here? I... I hope you don't mind me coming in I just... this seemed safe." Safer than the outside at least.

Re: End of week 1?

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy's here, in the dark. The knife is in her hand, just in case someone was trying to sneak up on them. By the look of the girl, she'd already been having a bad week. Hell, even Mindy, with that shitty brand on her face and her slightly bloodhshot eyes, looked better than this. She was missing shoes, and had only the skate as a weapon. Mindy was confident if the girl was up to no good, she could take her, but she doubted trouble was her goal.

After all, there was no blood on her.

"Come in," she finally said, stepping out the shadow. "You're new. Looks like you seen better days too. I think we got some clothes for you, uh...what was your name?"

She showed mercy. Fuck it. The girl looked her age and pretty jarred right now.

[glaives]

She doesn't even know why she's clinging to the skate so strongly. When it comes down to it she doesn't think she'll be capable of using it, not in the way she'd need to. But she hopes maybe, that it makes her seem a little more threatening.

Mindy makes her jump with that sudden appearence and Hotaru swallows quickly as she studies the girl, eyes falling on the brand first of all. Carefully she nods, keeping her eyes on Mindy. "I am..."

She inhales deeply before exhaling and answering. "Hotaru. I'm Hotaru. And that would be nice. Thank you."

Within the first week - For Clem.

[bunnybrat]

Chibi had managed a pretty helpful system after the first day or two in the comic shop. And that system was to make sure nothing they had been collecting was just laying around, growing up a little with Usagi, taught her that messy rooms meant hurting yourself. So she tried to make sure what food they had managed to come up with was kept behind the comic counter, clothes she kept nearer the door incase someone came back messy and wanted to change, and anything else was kept on a display table that she had taken the displays off of and put elsewhere.

That being said, she had organised everything they presently had and was trying to look out the window as best she could from what hadn't been covered up.

They might be safe after all people were trying to protect her, but it was getting a little boring.