there's a greater love in the little things

[privilegecheck]

Who| Kankri Vantas and you!
What| Catchall for Arena shenanigans
Where| All around the mall
When| The first two weeks of the Arena
Warnings/Notes| Kankri's mental state is Not Great. Probably mentions of violence and/or unfortunate happenings will come up at some point, etc etc.


In a strange way, it's a relief to be in this Arena. It's similar to the museum that was Kankri's first, and that makes it feel a little more manageable and quantifiable. He's not sure he could handle seeing another setting like their last Arena, after the way that one had so borne down on him. And it's certainly better than sleepless days and nights spent wondering what the Gamemakers had planned for them this time.

He's careful to try to stay out of view and avoid attracting notice, but he lets himself take in what the mall has to offer in an effort to keep his nerves at bay. He makes stuffed toys in the Build-A-Buddy, messing around with the provided materials and a sewing kit liberated from the department store so he can approximate some of his more sorely missed Beforan friends. It's almost a reminder to himself that they were real; Beforus and SGrub feels like another life these days, one that happened to another Kankri. He hangs around in the arcade sometimes, too, since its noise is good cover for any he might make - but not too often, because the animatronics are rather unsettling. He takes all manner of scented shampoos and soaps from Only Bath Salts and meticulously washes at one of the bathroom sinks each day; he dresses in various things from Somerhalder&Smith and Forever XXI that he thinks Porrim might have liked or made for him. He makes a trip to the food court each day and picks out something different to try eating.

No one ever said Kankri was much good at Arenas. He's not trying very hard aside from his usual watchfulness for hostile Tributes, honestly, and being able to indulge himself like this is keeping him calmer if nothing else.

Comments

[carnagecarnival]

A question for Kankri; which version of his friends were more like shadows of the old ones? The stuffed ones he sews in the midst of his loneliness? Or the ones what stood as twist-turned duplicates all alike and so very not being the motherfucking same?

How about now?

The Initiate wanders down the hall with the sort of searching aimlessness avoxes tend for when they ain't got for no thing whatsoever what to do, and it's wearing on them. It is very much wearing down on him.

He is all dead-eyed silence. But he is still listening close. The ear what ain't been cut all up and badly bandaged with t-shirt and hockey tape, perks up at the sound of another person. He turns his head, searching hesitant for anyone at all.

[privilegecheck]

Kankri doesn't recognize the other troll right away; the posture, the hair, all of it screams that this isn't anyone he knows, and he's cautious for a moment as he looks Fraysong over. Then he recognizes the indigo, and caution gives way to horror.

"Fraysong?" he says softly, his voice trembling. "Is that you? I- you look- different."

"Different" doesn't begin to cover how utterly wrong this is.

RETCON: BOTH EARS ARE MESSED UP. Just one has no fin and one is 2/3rd's gone. Sorry about that!

[carnagecarnival]

At the calling of his name he straightens more. There's an expecancy in the air of him, as he awaits the realisation and reaction what might come. Or, if he's lucky, a command (what ain't involve an impropmtu dudfin removal surgery with a skate).

He doesn't say anything but simply standing before Kankri as he is is as close as he's apt to announcing, yes, it is his own motherfucking self being before a brother. And he does look different, this also being a thing what is true.

Kankri, for noting, doesn't look bad himself. He ain't seen the mutant in some time but he's being mostly the same it seems. Maybe with a little less of Signless's harsh tint upon him now. Not that such thoughts are passing his pan.

[privilegecheck]

Sweet infant barkbeasts, they Avoxed him. Kankri recognizes that wilted, fearful manner from seeing it in Cecil. His blood pusher sinks, and an awful feeling wells in his gut. That's two of his friends, now. What if they did the same to Venus? To the others who were caught up in that awful mess of arrests and accusations?

He drifts closer, looking up at the Initiate mournfully. Then he notices the ruin that's been made of the indigo's ears. His breath catches for a moment. "Did...did the Capitol do this, too?" he asks softly, once he has control of his voice. "Or was it another Tribute?"

[carnagecarnival]

Kankri draws closer and for once he doesn't feel the same need to turn away or push Kankri away. He can't say it's without no fear this time-- there's fear a plenty still-- but there's nothing in him telling him to act on this. If anything, it's a pure protest not to. He's got a job to do.

There's a pause and a shuddering breath, as he tries to pull and gather himself up to giving some sort of response. Somehow, he can figure out what he's talking about. Maybe because it's all still fresh in his mind, all this time later. He shakes his head once, then nods. There's no emotion to it. He's neither looking for pity, or vengeance. He is merely answering a tribute who has called answer from him.

[celebrityskinned]

Venus, too, has been partaking in indulgences. For the most part, it's just been perfumes and dry shampoos. She tried makeup for a little while, but the sight of her mutilated face in the mirror makes her cry. She never thought herself a vain person - as far as she felt it, she just acknowledged the fact that she was pretty, that she was 'sexy' - but stripped of her beauty, she realizes how little she thought of herself otherwise.

The bruises all over her neck, arms and legs have gone from purple to a sickly greenish tinge. Her burned face hasn't gotten infected, but she's certain that the burn on her forearm and left hand has, despite diligently washing it with bath soap.

But she smells good, and she's wearing cute clothes and comfortable sneakers, and her hair feels clean and has a nice blue extension in it, and that's something, at least. She's even managed to get a steady supply of fruit yogurt and Chinese food from the food court with minimal scuffles.

Aside from pampering herself, she's been looking for Kankri. She's almost given up hope at finding him, even though the A Touch of Class mannequins show that he's still around. Somewhere. She hopes in better shape than the last time she saw him.

She's glad to see he is when she all but runs into him in the clothing shop, separated only by hanging dresses. She almost calls out to him, but pauses just for a moment, remembering what Joel said about Ellie not needing to see Venus in such a pitiful, beaten state.

So she asks quietly, instead.

"Kankri? I'm on the other side of the rack."

[privilegecheck]

A quick intake of breath is the response Venus gets from him at first, startled fear and then pleased surprise when he recognizes her voice. There's only a moment's pause, and then he reaches out and shoves apart the dresses in the middle of the rack, looking through with the kind of desperate air that indicates he thinks she might have disappeared in those few seconds since he heard her voice.

"Venus?" His relief is all too visible. "Oh, Venus- when I didn't see you on the ice, I thought maybe you were gone, I thought - are you all right? I missed you so much. It was awful, not knowing what would happen to you."

[celebrityskinned]

Venus, for her part, dodges a bit behind a heavy winter coat so Kankri doesn't see her in full - particularly the weeping, mutilated flesh of her cheek and jaw. Her own relief is evident in only a few words before concern and apology taints her voice.

"I'm alright, I'm just- Kankri, I just want you to know it looks worse than it is, okay?"

[privilegecheck]

"Okay," he says dutifully. "Venus, please - let me see you. Come on, the first time I saw you in an Arena you'd been shoved through a windshield, remember? I- let me take care of you. I haven't been able to in so long."

[shenunigans]

There's a lot about the Capitol in general that Dave finds nostalgic in a way. It's been a long time since he's been on something close to Earth, but the people tended to ruin his chance to immerse himself in the experience. The mall-arena, despite making him wary, also filled him with nostalgia.

There are a lot of stores he can't resist the allure of as he coasts through the mall on his skateboards, the arcade just so happens to be one of them. He kicks the board up so he can tuck it under his arm and starts to peer around the games just to make sure nobody is waiting to spring out at him.

He catches sight of the nubby horns from a small distance and it takes him a good moment to remember it definitely isn't Karkat. Still, it'll be worth figuring out which one it is and what the hell they're doing.

"Hey you, what're you doing?" He says it as nonthreatening as possible. He hopes.

[privilegecheck]

Kankri's lingering at some sort of sidescroller and watching the demo play, wistfully remembering days spent getting ribbed by Latula and Mituna while the two of them vied to beat each other's high scores, all of them eating disgusting synthetic food that tasted like perfection and just generally having a good day. It's been a long time since there were any good days, for Kankri, and those were some of the best.

So he isn't at his most alert, and the sudden question startles him badly. He flinches, ducking around the machine so it's between him and the stranger as he regards the boy with wide eyes.

"I- I'm not doing anything," he manages to stutter out. "I don't have any coins." Wow, that doesn't sound inane at all. "Who are you?"

[shenunigans]

Dave can't help cringing ever so slightly when he figures out who it is, but it barely shows in his face. It's just a brow twitch, really. He can set aside differences, and if not, he's reverse trolled his way out of loathsome troll conversations before. He is prepared, he is a master at this.

"Sucks to be you, peasant." He snaps back dryly, not surprised that Kankri doesn't recognize him, since they'd barely had any face to face interaction. "Dave Strider. We're from the same "universe" in the vaguest terms." He even does air quotes to illustrate his point. "I know Terezi and Karkat personally, and I've met some of your lot too. Meenoo? Araneenah? I met them."

[privilegecheck]

Kankri bristles at the snappy tone. Why are all the new people from their general corner of existence so rude lately? "Kankri Vantas."

He hesitates a moment. This human is already making himself difficult to like, but...while Karkat is often unbearable, his social circles and Kankri's have often overlapped. He may as well give this boy a chance. The Arena is rough on anyone, and politeness becomes less of a priority under stress.

"I apologize for not knowing you, but Karkat never mentioned...then again, we've all had enough going on of late." He drops his gaze to the floor. "And I haven't been up to socializing very often. I'm sorry, Karkat is...he...he was caught in the explosions." His voice cracks a little. "But I'm- I'm sure he'll be back. He has enough of a following."

[rediscover]

Even though she's a woman grown--in number, anyway--Anna can't help but be drawn to the Build-A-Buddy shop. It's cute, true, but the concept is also interesting, and part of her motivation is to make something nice for Elsa. Maybe a teddy bear dressed like her. And, well, once she discovers that there's a reindeer plush available to make, she's sold. So she ventures in quietly, looking around in undisguised wonder. It's a little creepy, all those beady black eyes staring down at her from limp shells of teddy bears and rabbits and all manner of animal, but she shakes it off long enough to notice that she's not alone in here.

"Oh! Excuse me--I didn't notice you were here." She holds up her hands, to show she means no harm; her knife is tucked safely away, but she's trying to operate on the assumption that not everyone here is ready to attack unprovoked at a moment's notice.

[privilegecheck]

Being in the Arena makes Kankri pretty jumpy, but years of friendship with Porrim have taught him not only how to sew, but to mind his stitching regardless of whatever else is going on (or risk a smack and an admonition), so Anna's arrival doesn't get him to startle all that badly. He just glances up at her, watching to make sure she's not going to come too close, as he sews a skateboard of felt wrapped around stiff card stock under one of doll Latula's arms.

"It's all right," he says, keeping his voice soft so no one else is attracted by the noise. "I was trying to make a point of not being noticed. I don't much care for fighting. As long as you're not here to take out the competition, it's fine."

[rediscover]

Anna blinks several more times, studying the shop's other inhabitant with interest. She's met two other trolls by now, so his appearance isn't such a shock anymore, but she's also still very wary; the other two were nice, and this one doesn't seem belligerent, but better to be safe than sorry. When she replies, her voice is as hushed as his.

"Oh. Me, either, actually." She offers the troll a smile. "Don't worry. I'm just exploring." And then she catches sight of the little doll he's working on, and her smile widens.

"Gosh. That's really good."

[privilegecheck]

"Oh, this? Thank you." He smiles back, a small smile but warm nevertheless. "It's nothing much, my friend who taught me is far better. But I'm at least passable with a needle and thread." He continues working the thread through the fabric as he talks, occasionally glancing up at her from his stitching.

"Are you looking for something in particular? I've combed through this shop rather extensively for sewing supplies, so I know where you can find most things..."

[voodoocarnival]

It feels surreal, how it has already been a week in the arena and already there's a routine. Kurloz made his base, and only really ventured from it to explore a little at a time, maybe gather supplies of any nature, before heading back to be as unobtrusive - as unlikely to be attacked as he could possibly be.

It is understandable, then, how he's gone without encountering many other tributes at all, masquerading as avox and keeping to himself. It is even more understandable how he hadn't gotten his knowledge on of any other motherfuckers from home being present.

So it is with great shock and surprise that he sees a one Kankri Vantas wandering the food court.

It is with greater shock and surprise that he sees an oddly familiar floof of hair (and doubled horns) poking out of the bag he's carrying, all considering what like how they had (or, hadn't) gotten on of late.

Still, he can't quite help but approach him from behind and simply... reach out to take that plush all up and for his own. And maybe, just maybe, he hangs around for a few moments longer than intended, contemplating now he sees an old friend what allbusiness he'd want to be up and doing at him.

He'd saved the Signless on a mistaken identity, with the express intention of killing off an unmirthful brother by his ownself, but now that he'd just stumbled into him he couldn't... be so certain.

So he hugged the pilfered plush to his chest and gave Kankri a chance to notice him.

[privilegecheck]

Kankri doesn't immediately notice that he has company, being absorbed in gathering up a few of the cardboard to-go boxes the Avoxes will package meals in if asked. By the time he does realize that the silent person nearby is another Tribute and not one of the Avoxes, the plush has already been whisked from his bag. He turns sharply, breath catching in his throat-

And then realizes who it is. Someone he recognizes. Someone from home.

Kankri drops the boxes he's been piling up back onto the counter in favor of reaching out and gently clasping Kurloz's shoulders, pink liquid welling up in his eyes. "Kurloz?" he says in a quiet and very wobbly voice. "Oh my goodness, it's really you - I've been the only one so long, I had no idea you were even - I'm so sorry you're here, but you don't know how good it is to see you!"

He pulls the indigo in for a quick, warm hug before letting him go, sniffling and rubbing at his eyes with his palms. "Oh, look at me, I'm a mess...how long have you been here? Are you doing all right? Is there anything you need? This is my third Arena, so I'm a-at least not half bad at this survival business now, I can get you some things if you don't have enough."

[voodoocarnival]

That's certainly not the sort of reaction one tends to expect from Kankri Vantas. He'd expected a long lecture on stealing others' possessions once he noticed the plush had been pilfered. Maybe some diatribe about sneaking up on someone. Not this... weepy clingy little mess of a troll.

Who was very happy to see him, for one reason or another. Last he knew they weren't even on anything resembling speaking terms. Last he knew, Kankri was making it a point to avoid him altogether. Other trolls would joke about him not wanting to flaunt his speaking privilege or something to that effect, but whatever it had been didn't especially matter now.

The hug is actually kind of nice, even, and he's halfway to pulling an arm free to return it when Kankri pulls away and starts a barrage of questions that really only earns him a look, because he can't well answer said barrage of questions with his communicative implements left back at his bendy straw pile and Kankri, as far as he knew, unable to understand if he were to sign at him.

[privilegecheck]

Kankri looks quite abashed as he realizes the problem. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't even thinking. It's just, I thought I would never see you or any of the others again, so finding you here was such a surprise...is there somewhere you'd like to go that isn't so open, where we could catch up? I know a few places myself, but wherever you're comfortable will be all right. I wouldn't want someone less than friendly to notice us."

He offers Kurloz a smile no less warm and bright for how exhausted he obviously is, and quickly resumes fiddling with the boxes and then packing them away in his bag. Within a few moments he straightens up again. "There, all ready. Lead on?"

[deafscythe]

Justin doesn't know what to do. That's the worst part of all this, not having any direction. He cleans and helps the other Avoxes when they appear, he hides in corners and in deserted shops, he waits and waits and waits for orders. Nothing comes. So now he's taken to wandering.

Kankri is vaguely familiar. So the Avox walks up behind the troll, absolutely silent, and waits for Kankri to notice him. (If he's amused by the potential of startling the troll, he doesn't show it.)

sorry for lateness on this!

[privilegecheck]

Kankri startles hard when he realizes who's behind him. He scrambles away on reflex, before he realizes-

Another Avox. There are an awful lot of them among the Tributes, these days.

"Do you need something?" he asks carefully, eyeing Justin with no small amount of mistrust. Being the last in a case of serial beheadings tends to stick with you a while.

totally okay!

[deafscythe]

Of course he doesn't need anything. He's an Avox. Avoxes need absolutely nothing. He just bows his head and waits for actual instructions.

[privilegecheck]

As he watches the young man, aching for orders as much as any of his Avoxed friends, something in him softens a bit. Whatever in Justin had driven him to those grisly murders, there's nothing of that visible now.

He thinks about how much in must have took him, to seek out and attract someone's attention instead of waiting helplessly, and sighs. Well, surely he can forgive what happened under these circumstances. For the moment. As long as Justin isn't going to try anything intimidating.

"Are you injured anywhere? If you are, show me. I know a little bit about how human medicine works now, I can probably help."