![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
justoutrunyou) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thearena2015-01-31 07:19 pm
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
What: Cassandra Marko Vs. The Geese of doom.
Where: The peat bog in the Southern end of the arena.
When: Sunday morning.
Warnings: Graphic Violence towards geese and children.
By the end of her first week, Sandy was warm, but hungry.
With Phil's extra jacket on over her own a shiny new knife from the sponsors Sandy was stalking along the edge of the pond, boots sinking into the mud with each step. This was a terrible place to hunt if she needed to run but perhaps the sticky ground would work in her favor?
The knife had come with a note with a single word on it. One that rang in her head as she tried to puzzle out it's meaning while she stalked as quietly as she could through the morning mist.
"Inquisition."
What did it mean? For all the learning Sandy had done since arriving here and for her vocabulary being advanced for her age she couldn't remember hearing a word like that in context.
Back in the moment her eyes settled upon what she hoped would be her next meal. A flock of geese were drifting lazily on the water but one had nested in the mud of the shore and she was fairly sure if she got close enough she could kill it, pluck it and make a fire to eat it provided she found enough dry wood.
Closer and closer she crept, body tight and face scrunched up in an eternal wince as she heard her boots squelching in the mud. Maybe geese were dumb? Maybe they were heavy sleepers?
Once she was no more then five feet away the bird's eye snapped open and it watched her.
She froze, even holding her breath till she could stand it no more and let the air out through her nose slowly.
The bird made no move.
She took another precarious step forward.
Still no move.
Another step.
It blinked and she froze once more teeth clenched so tight that it hurt her jaw.
Another step, the knife gripped so tight in her hand her knuckles were white. This was just a goose why was she so tense?!
Because she knew if she screwed this up she might go hungry.
One more step and she was close enough to try for a grab when the beast rose to it's webbed feet and let out an angry sounding honk!
Sandy was about to make her move when it was echoed by several other angry honks.
Eyes wide with a bead of sweat running down from her scalp she turned her head slowly and realized that while she had been so focused on her target the other geese had surrounded her and were approaching by land and sea. Some had their wings out like they were hoping to pen her in and keep her from running.
Sandy's eyes narrowed and she adjusted her grip. Was she really about to run from a bunch of birds?!
The original goose she had been menacing struck! Lightning fast it's head short forward and it's beak snapped at her hand leaving angry red bite marks as she yelped and jerked backwards stumbling over onto her rear and kicking up mud everywhere. Her shoe had gotten stuck in the mud and thrown her off balance!
As soon as she was on the ground the geese lunged for her honking up a storm. Sandy's world became feathers and angry beaks as she lashed out with her knife. Soon the color red joined the mix as bleeding geese stained each other with crimson and continued their ruthless assault on the girl.
"GET OFF!" She barked swinging the knife again and feeling her blade piercing a goose's neck. It's honking became garbled with the blood draining into it's throat but it continued it's attack even as she yanked the knife back out.
Plastered in mud, blood and feathers Sandy made a snap judgement. She was not about to get killed by geese. These weren't even mutant geese as far as she could tell!
Shielding her face with her arm she plowed forward, stomping on a goose in the process who's beak snapped shut on her pants so it was dragged behind her flapping it's wings to slow her down. The other birds were in hot pursuit as Sandy slipped and slid through the mud.
no subject
"Though if I win, people might get sick of my voice or hovering around them. Making sure everyone's safe and-" Gray stopped himself then, "I'm rambling aren't I? Yep, case in point. Though I can do something like that now, here in the Arena."
no subject
"It makes me think of safety." Which was over selling it a bit. He was a comforting person that's for sure but Sandy never really felt safe.
"Maybe you could get a job on the radio. We had a radio guy before but they erm...well bad stuff happened to him because he was a little too outspoken." To say the least. Poor Cecile Baldwin.
no subject
Phillip remembered each of their faces and only one eluded his name: Jeremy Fitzgerald, Fritz Smith, and Mike Schmidt. He could also list the eleven names that were probably lost to the collective memory back home. The suggestion of radio sounded nice enough and then the implication of Avoxing reared its' head. Stephen's and now Sandy's reactions solidified Gray's fear of losing the one thing that made him stand out in the Pizzeria.
"Generous offer, but I like my tongue and vocal cords," he replied in a speedy, nervous voice. Hey, even he had his own cowardly moments. "R-Ready?"
no subject
"See? You've already got mentor experience. And if they survived your training that's good news for the rest of us." She teased lightly. After all anyone could be trained to survive if they put their mind to it right? Even her! She'd always thought of herself as weak, scared with her only talents being painting and running. But Panem and the people she'd met here had changed that.
no subject
"You're being too kind and you know it," the guard laid against the nearest sturdy surfaces, "But it's nice to hear I'm not a complete waste of people's time." The saddest part? He thought he was being honest with himself. For that, he took a quick drink from the gin bottle. "Still got that sauce?"
no subject
"No one is a complete waste of time if they try. I though I was for a long time but I had plenty of people who wouldn't let me keep believing it. They stuck with me till I knew better." So maybe that was supposed to be her job with Phil.
no subject
He thought for a moment, "Just make sure you figure out what that paper means, okay? Someone out there is looking out for you."
no subject
She'd had fantasies about a crowning party dedicated to her. Those fantasies were usually ruined by the reminder that the Capitol may theme a party for her but they almost always put their own morbid twist on things.
She nodded at his reminder. "I'm not giving up on it yet. It's still pretty early in this arena so I've got time. And friends."
Present company included. He may have been added to the list recently but he was proving he was worth the title.
no subject
He was silent as he tended to the food, thinking again about the events back home. "Keep your head up high, Sandy. I know Mindy wasn't strong enough to last this place, but I know you can." The itch to drink himself to sleep was creeping back but he didn't take a single sip out of place. "If I die before you do, I'll cheer you on."
no subject
"Yeah...I'll cheer you on too. Count on it."
There was no sense in dwelling too long on Mindy with Phil working so hard to make her feel better. Mindy had played her part in Sandy's life and provided her with someone to fight with. Someone who had Pruna's skill but Sandy's modern day knowledge. Mindy had been a friend in her own special way.
And now so was this guy. She may not have ever done right by Mindy but she would do right by Phil if she could help it.
"Thanks." She added feeling the warmth slowly return to her face after the initial mood killer.
no subject
"Eat up, I didn't kill Gus the Goose just for his sacrifice to get cold," The guard chuckled as he offered the spoils.
He did add a little gin a twig, adding more fuel to the small fire. He figured Sandy knew how to make molotovs if the need should arise.
Seems like a good place to wrap for now :)