i said hey, girl with one eye

[seestheman]

Who| Clara Murphy and Dennett Norton, Clara Murphy & OPEN
What| Clara gets help after the fight with Venus. And after that sneaks around the Arena.
Where| All over the mall.
When| The first night of the Arena up through the beginning of week two.
WARNINGS| Mentions of gruesome eye injuries. Various other awful things'll probably happen too.


The Authority
Clara didn't say anything to Alex about it when he took the knife she had grabbed on the first day, but that was really just adding insult to injury. She hadn't just lost an eye, she had, for the time being, also lost the best way she had to protect herself. So Clara's on a mission to find a new weapon.

It may be careless of her, but she's standing in the hunting knife section of the store and is testing them out instead of just grabbing one and running. This time she's going to make sure it feels right and is the best weapon for her, just in case she gets involved in another fight.

OmniStore (aka the Roboverse themed store)
In her continuing exploration of the mall, Clara eventually finds herself on the third floor. After picking up an eyepatch in a store based on Molotov Cocktease, she finds a store with a familiar logo over the door.

The store contains a number of familiar things. Plastic visors and chestplates based off of Alex's in both black and silver. Fake silver wedding bands in twin packs, the smaller of which matches the one she's allowed to wear as a token from home (and, not that anyone here would really know this, but the larger's match is sitting in her jewelry box at home). A number of jackets, ties, and glasses that remind her of Dr. Norton.

Her eye quickly locks onto something against one of the stark, white walls of the store. A mannequin clad in a recreation of her favorite coat from home and a rack of clothes that look like they were pulled from her closet, which she quickly crosses to.

A Touch Of Class - Makeup Counter
To say Clara's time in the Arena has been rough so far would be a massive understatement. And, as such, Clara's of the opinion that she needs a little bit of self-care to make things a little better. Since there don't seem to be an bathtubs and she really doesn't want to have a bubblebath in the fountain, the next best thing is a makeover.

For anyone who may find her, Clara's perched on a tall chair, having already applied some (fairly minimal) eye makeup and trying to figure out the most flattering way to apply blush around the gauze covering her right eye.

Food Court
Clara's a bit wary about returning to the food court, considering that her first night in the Arena, she got into a fight and lost an eye there. But it seems like the only place that actually has food and after a few days without eating, she's ravenous. And this time, she's much more careful, trying to be as silent and cautious as possible.

More than anything, she wants a salad. Of course, beggars can't be choosers so, considering her luck so far, there are no salads. But there is a place that reminds her of the bakery/cafe by the station that she used to pop into when visiting Alex that looks like it has something vaguely healthier than most of the other options, so she grabs herself a sandwich and some soup and grabs a table that she hopes is fairly hidden away.

Comments

[arosewiththorns]

She can see the way the woman's surprised, she can even tell that for a second she considers drawing her knife. Rose honestly wouldn't be surprised if she did, that is the aim of these series of games after all. It would be a pity though, Rose isn't really wanting to kill anyone, not when it's easier to just avoid it and let others play the game. She just has to keep Dave safe, and while that means eventually killing, right now she's enjoying the brief reprive.

And if she had previously enjoyed her conversation with Clara, that has no weight in her decisions. She won't let it have weight,

"That's correct," she responds, a touch too formal, too distant. It's been a hard few weeks, but the shell she created in jail is helping now. She's casual as she shifts, glancing to the counters and scanning them. She knows she's quick enough if Clara changes her mind.

For a moment she considers not saying what she's really after, but really, what's the point. So she just shrugs, looking back to Clara. "Lipstick. Dark, an almost black sort of purple if possible."

[seestheman]

Rose's sudden formality compared to their previous conversation is a bit of a surprise, if Clara's being honest. Not that she's going to let that be obvious.

"I'm glad to see you're still around." It isn't even a lie. They may not be close or know each other well, but considering how things have gone so far...well, this Arena could have been over for her (or any of them, really) before it ever started. Anyways, she seems like the type who could have a fighting chance at winning. Not that Clara wants to see Rose win over Alex or Dave or even Dr. Norton, but she also wouldn't be terribly upset to see her free from this mess.

"I think I saw some over there," she says, gesturing towards another counter with some makeup displays. "I know there's at least one display with a huge color variety."

[arosewiththorns]

"Killing me would be too easy really," she smiles and it's almost like she's baring her teeth in truth. Because it's a fact, at least to her. Killing her ends this all, keeping her alive keeps the floor open to more torture and the suffering of arenas. She's still not certain what awaits her after this, whether she'll return to jail or to the tower and she doesn't really want to consider it too long. It just reminds her how out of control she is in all this.

But there is something nice in seeing a familiarish face, something nice in making stupid small talk. It's a sense of normality she supposes, a shred that she supposes anyone would find fondness in. "But thank you. It's good to see a familiar face too,"

She glances, quick and from the corner of her eye to where Clara waves, her body still turned to the woman just in case. But she spots it all the same, her nod a little too sharp before she starts making her way over, careful to still keep distance between them. "I'll check it out then. Thank you."

[seestheman]

It's one of those things Clara doesn't like to think about, how fragile they all are. And how the Capitol likes to play with that fragility as a ridiculously fucked up display of dominance. Clara will never understand why they choose to drag people who will probably fight back, if it was something that they got off on or if it was something else.

"No problem," she says with a small shrug, "Honestly, I'm glad I'm not the only one who tried to find some makeup in here."

She turns to watch Rose walk away and finishes applying her blush and bronzer before reaching out for the soft pink lipstick she grabbed earlier. Clara's about to put it on when something hits her: right now, in the middle of a death match, probably isn't the best time or place to wear a soft pink lipstick. And as much as she'd hate to invade Rose's personal space, that display really had the best color variety.

"I hope you don't mind a little bit of company," Clara says as she slides the tube of lipstick back into its hole as she looks over the other colors to try to decide which one to go with.

[arosewiththorns]

She runs her fingertips over the bases of the tubes, comparing the sample pics of the colours attached with only a portion of her attention. She makes sure she knows where Clara is, listening carefully, watching out the corner of her eye, every inch of her ready to move at a second's notice if needed. She wants her lipstick sure, but she's not interested in dying today.

"I'm sure there are others. It can be a comfort to many, a measure of control that we don't seem to be often gifted." A beat of a pause. "In arenas that is. From what I've seen they can be quite bare of such luxuries."

She picks a tube up, swiping the colour on the back of her hand and studying it critically. And she's aware when Clara stands, shifting slightly so she can keep a better eye on the woman without making it obvious.

"Of course not." She's ready in any case, should Clara take this as a chance to strike. Ready and she stays quiet for a minute or two, changing lipsticks herself and watching Clara study them before she speaks up. "You should go for something red. It would suit your colourings and one could deny it has a certain feeling of warpaint." Just, an opinion really, and one that she doesn't care if it's taken or rejected.

[seestheman]

Clara resists the urge to tuck her hands away from view as a show of good faith. Maybe, if she makes sure her hands stay visible and it's obvious that she isn't reaching into her pockets for a weapon, Rose will trust her a little bit. Admittedly, she doesn't know much about the other woman other than the fact that she's Dave's sister, but that's enough for Clara to want to be in her good graces.

"As far as Arenas go, this looks one of the nicer ones so far." Especially considering how tight food got in the town they were shoved into before, compared to having a food court with a large variety of surprisingly non-lethal options. "I wonder what they're going to make us do to make up for that." She doesn't mean to sound cynical, or to sound anti-Capitol out of fear of what they might do to her, or to Alex, for her less-than-warm sentiments towards their captors.

Clara's eyeing a bolder pink when Rose recommends a red. It's not that Clara has any issue with wearing red lipstick, hell, it used to be a regular thing when she had date nights with Alex, but it's never really been a color that she wore casually. She's always been more of a pinks and nudes girl for day-to-day wear. "Hmm." It's an interesting thought, at the very least. If nothing else, she'd probably make one hell of an impression between red lips and the eyepatch. She grabs a few different shades to swatch on her hand.

"Which one do you think looks better?" She says, showing off the back of her hand so Rose can see the bright, true red and darker, almost wine colored red. "I like both of them, but I can't pick."

[arosewiththorns]

Trust is a lot to ask from Rose at the best of times, the times where she isn't in a death match where she needs to fight for her life, for her brother's life and Bro's in turn. She's grown used to assassination attempts and the care she has to take orchestrating a rebellion at home, there's only one person she truly trusts and he isn't here.

Still, she tries to make her distrust too obvious, keeps her shoulders loose her body seeming relaxed. To anyone who doesn't know how quickly she can react she'd almost seem relaxed, okay with the close proximity between her and Clara and she feeds into it with a slight polite smile and nod. "Modern comforts and regular meals. It's almost like a party." There's no trace of anger of bitterness in her voice, but her smile widens slightly till it almost seems like she's baring teeth again. "But I'm sure we'll find out the price of such kindness sooner rather than later. They don't want to rush it, sure, but too long and it'll lose the fun."

She raises a brow at Clara's hmm, reserving her judgement from the public eye. But she can read into that hum, that uncertainty and it fits in with what she already knows about Clara. She's not a red everday girl, not like Rose's preference for dark colours and before she can stop herself she speaks, voice soft. "It's not really a normal situation is it? Seems like a time to justify the defiance of what you traditionally do."

Switching the colours herself, she tests another dark purple, comparing the two streaks on her hand. Better, and looking over the colours Rose thinks she may not get anything better as Clara speaks and interrupts her thoughts. Glancing over Rose studies the colours before she nods, eyes on the wine colour. "The darker. But then again, my preference has always been as such." Another nod to the tube in her own hand as she untwists the tube and applies the colour in a practiced move, the shape perfect.

[seestheman]

For how relaxed that Rose may seem, Clara can't quite put herself at ease. Especially not with the smile that's currently on the other woman's face. It's not that Clara feels like she's prey at the moment, but it's enough that she knows that, if push came to shove, she'd probably be death within moments and there wouldn't be a thing she could do about it. All the more reason to stay on Rose's good side. "Our benevolent Gamemakers being not-so benevolent? Who would ever guess."

"That's very true," she replies. Clara's honestly never seen herself as the type of woman who could pull off red everyday. She doesn't have the ferocity for it. Hell, she can't remember the last time she wore red before coming to Panem. Maybe once while Alex was gone when she went for drinks with friends? Or was it before that, even?

Clara can't help but laugh slightly. "Why am I not surprised?" She places the brighter red on the counter and, after a brief moment of hesitation, begins to apply the wine colored lipstick. Once it's done, she can't help but look a littler nervous. Sure, lipstick can be removed, but she still can't help but worry that it's wrong. That it's too bold, too dark, too something to work on her. "Though, I'm not sure I can pull off darker shades as well as you can."

[arosewiththorns]

She's been pushed far in the weeks before the arena, each day another sort of nightmare. Even when Bro and Dave had managed to get her out she hadn't felt at ease, too aware they could be found, could be caught at any second. And they had been, and while her family may not have suffered they way she did at first it was still all because of her. And even here, she doesn't know if her death will earn her a reprieve or another cell on return to the Capitol.

"Now, now... I'm sure they're always thinking about us." She knows she shouldn't have let so much of her bitterness slip out and just to clue Clara in she tilts her head so her brand becomes slightly more obvious. They're under watch here after all, and she has a game she needs to play.

She smirks a little at Clara's laugh, shrugging slightly as she caps the lipstick and shoves the tube into the pocket of her jeans. "There are some parts of me that I don't keep so much a mystery." She gives Clara a critical lip as she paints her lips before nodding, only once and sharp. "After all I've been wearing it since youth, and despite some opinions I don't find myself that interested in changing it. Besides, it's all about confidence."

[seestheman]

Clara can't even begin to imagine what Rose has been through. She knows that she had been arrested with a number of other Tributes and that they were literally branded as traitors. She knows that Dave was arrested for trying to help her escape (and Clara had spent a few sleepless nights because that meant that both Dave and Alex were missing and she didn't know what to do). She also knows that asking would be prying into some probably deeply personal stuff and she doesn't want to overstep the comfortably boundaries they've already set between them for the time being.

"Yes, I'm sure they are," Clara says giving Rose a look that she hopes communicates that she understands how much Rose wants to rail against their captors, but can't out of fear something would happen to her loved ones. That she caught that bitterness and appreciates it on some level.

"I don't think anyone wants to be a complete mystery. It'd be too exhausting," she says giving Rose a smile before cleaning up the edges of her lips. "It works for you. I can't imagine you in a red or a pink or anything like that." Just like Clara can't imagine herself going for the dark shades she's seen Rose wear whenever she's seen her.