The Fissures That Keep Us Divided Can't Hold Me Away [Closed]

[celebrityskinned]

WHO| Venus and Kankri
WHAT| Venus and Kankri make stuffed animals.
WHEN| Week four.
WHERE| Build-a-Bear!
WARNINGS| None right now. A bit of fluff with Venus and Kankri.

She doesn't tell Kankri why she needs to find him, why at this moment it's so important for her to wrap his arms around his shoulders and watch him while he sleeps. She suspects he knows, that he doesn't need his importance to her spelled out. He gives her a reason to hold herself together, and that's enough.

She spends the night by his side and rests a full six hours for the first time in two weeks when he offers to take watch. He doesn't wake her, probably knowing how important it is that she get as much sleep as she can. When she does finally wake, she doesn't look happy but she does look more alive than she has in a while.

She doesn't say she's sorry his friends are dead. She doesn't say what troubles her. Somehow, that seems almost profane, bringing their sorrows into this one small haven they have, the oasis of each others' company.

What she says is "what's your opinion on teddy bears?"

Comments

[privilegecheck]

It's not so big a deal for Kankri to stay up all night, really. He's nocturnal by nature, so staying awake in the day honestly wears on him far more. And since he keeps a human schedule mostly now, it basically means that his sleep is going to be pretty screwed whatever he does. The way Venus looks after a good night's sleep makes it completely worth it, anyway.

Thankfully he now knows what a teddy bear is when she asks, courtesy of Anna. "They're not bad," he replies. "I've been occupying myself with making dolls, but I helped a girl to make one of those teddy bears for her sister. Why, would you like one? I'm sure I could arrange that." And he gives her a little smile.

[celebrityskinned]

"I want to give you one. I mean, it doesn't have to be a bear. I can probably paint one grey and make it a troll." She tilts her head to the side, smiling softly, the lines under her eyes both from sleeplessness and the contortions of a happy expression. "And tell the truth, I could use one too."

Not so much having one, but the act of making one. The act of doing something for someone you love that isn't drenched in blood and remorse. And she does love Kankri as much as she ever loved her little brothers, although it's a different flavor of the same affection.

She would have been proud to call him her brother. Right now he's her best friend, and that's good enough for her.

[privilegecheck]

Kankri shrugs and smiles. "They already have troll dolls. I modified some to look like...the friends I don't have here. It's not as if I would wish to see them here in the flesh, but I thought there was no harm in symbolic representations of them." It's not as if it's advertising or something - the Capitol seems to know full well about each of its Tributes' lives, and if they wished to bring someone he knew he hardly thinks his actions would have a say in it.

He smiles tiredly, groaning a little as he gets up and offers a hand to her to help her up as well. "And I'd certainly like to return the favor, if you wanted to make me something. Shall we?"

[celebrityskinned]

Venus imagines making her own family out of the dolls here and it wrenches her heart a bit. She couldn't do it, but if it brings Kankri peace she can hardly judge it. If it brings him peace she'll bring him all the stuffing in the world, all the buttons and fabric and paint.

"I think it'll be good for me to make you something. It's been a while since I done anything creative. I don't even know if I have an artistic side." She laughs and takes his hand. She doesn't hide the slight limp from him. She's decided on more honesty in this Arena. "What's your favorite Earth animal?"

[privilegecheck]

He drifts close to her as they walk, silently offering himself as a support if she needs it. He'd rather she make as much effort as possible to keep any of her injuries from worsening.

"I don't really know. I haven't had an opportunity to see many, and I don't think the ones in that last Arena counted." He contemplates for a little bit. "But we have some similar animals on Beforus. I...like crustaceans? Maybe one of those."

[celebrityskinned]

She takes his support. It's not an easy thing for her, to show weakness in front of someone she so wants to be a guardian angel to, to accept help she doesn't feel is earned, but she needs it. And he needs it, too. They need their relationship to be mutually caring, not codependent, and that line is a difficult one to tread.

"Crabs are cute. And lobsters." She makes little pinchers with her hands and, smiling, clip-clips at Kankri's hair. They make their way slowly but steadily, and when they get to the shop she sits and stretches out her cut, battered feet. "Alright, let's do this. I hope you're up for the most stylish crab ever."