Past, present and future tense. [closed]

[shenunigans]

Who | Dave and Rose.
What | Dave finds out his sister is here, chaos ensues.
When | First day of the Arena, later in the day.
Where | Probably around the village.
Warnings/Notes | Horrors of the Arena? Sibling angst??

Through everything that happened between now and god knows how long ago, Dave has barely had time to deal with Rose leaving. He'd barely had time to deal with her being there at all, there were levels they just didn't click on and things they could never agree on. He'd been glad to have her and protect her while she could, but the sense that she wasn't his Rose was as apparent as the fact that he wasn't the right Dave for her.

The weird vacancy he feels without Rose hadn't quite been filled by her, but it felt emptier when she was gone. It's like the glass half-empty that got knocked over. You were disappointed that you didn't have enough AJ and now you have none at all, good going chump.

Now, as he fully expected would happen, he's heard word that she's back. Back and different. He hates the way excitement flutters in him, he hates to be happy to see someone he misses more than he cares to admit. He hates that he can't hold back from trying to find her even if he knows it's something like a literal needles in a haystack case here. The dread of what the Capitol can do will set in later, for now he just needs to find her and catch her up on everything before someone else tries to embarrass her.

This Arena is proving beneficial, because the village seems to be something of a brief gathering points. It's as if most people have learned a sense of professionalism where the Arena is concerned. The first murders happen at Cornucopias, then people convene and go their separate ways so that the killing can progress through the coming weeks. He still has time before they all dissipate and finding her is impossible. He searches through the broken down houses of the village and around the outskirts of the castle, all 5'9 of him hidden under the heavy robes of a nun costume, shades and tufts of blond hair still apparent around his freckled face.

It's along this path that he comes across someone head to toe in wizard garb, and they definitely aren't Merlyn. He isn't close enough to see their face and his eyes thin behind his shades, his approach wary as he postures himself to be at least a little intimidating.

The eyes are what get him. He'd know those anywhere, even from a distance. He doesn't know if the familiarity is dawning on her, but he's hitching up his stupid, nun skirt and jogging toward her anyway. He hasn't said anything yet, he doesn't know what to say. He stops a few feet away from her and finally drops his skirt, raising a brow at her. Was she always this short? God, don't tell him she's from another timeline. He can't take it. It takes everything to swallow that train of thought and push forward with his best blank face.

"Sup?" Don't be a zombie.

Comments

[wickedgoogly]

Rose, fortunately, is not a zombie. She is younger though, apparent in the shape of her face in addition to her shorter height as she turns to better face the fucking nun that just jogged up to her. The costume tells her nothing, but the tufts of blond, the shape of his features, and those shades--

"Dave? Why are you--" Older, taller, wearing that ridiculous getup, here at all. It's too many questions, and she drops them together with the hitched-up hem of her robe. It's muddy anyway from traipsing out to the castle and back, but it's easier to walk without the stupid thing tripping her feet.

She ignores it as she steps closer. Anna had said he was a teenager, and she can suppose that's true, but it didn't really prepare her for this. He's a nun, she's a crap wizard, and they're in a stinking, rotting village in the middle of a death game.

"I don't know where to start," she admits helplessly. "How long have you been here?"