thearena | [OPEN] i'm on the hunt, i'm after you

Who| Anna and you!
What| Week 2 catch-all!
Where| All over the Arena--the castle banquet, the village, the forest, etc.
When| week 2 of the arena.
Warnings/Notes| violence, most likely! Anna will be actively seeking out weakened/unsuspecting Tributes and making more of an attempt to do the whole murder game thing. Hit me up if you'd like a prompt!

It had all started with the parachute. Take the hint, Princess, with initials she didn't recognize, accompanied by a knife and a pair of earplugs. Anna isn't sure who these people are, but she can assume that they're Mentors, which means someone is watching. And wanting her to do things a little differently. And considering her past track record...maybe it's time for her to follow along.

It isn't that Anna wants to kill people, or anything like that. That isn't who she is. But she also knows that after a year, after seven Arenas both big and small, after seven painful and often bloody deaths, she's ready for something to change. And maybe that something needs to be her. So she takes the knife from the parachute and tucks it into her boot, along with the earplugs which go in her right pocket. She isn't exactly sure what they're for, but no doubt they'll come in handy sooner or later.

Okay. They want her to take the hint, she can take the hint. She can play their murder game.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There are two things to consider here. She is holding a knife and probably not afraid to use it, but she's also scared. She's not inherently the stabbing sort, is she? Both hands up, palms flat, he takes a purposeful step back away (and towards the table). "Neither do I. None of that here. Promise. Alright?" And he offers a smile, pained and anxious but genuine. "I'm not that kind of guy."

Let's hope she buys that. He'd like to get back to eating sooner rather than later. Also, he'd rather remain un-stabbed. The last arena had involved way too much of that.

Anna takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slowly and steadily. Her nerves are rattled, she has to admit that to herself. She needs to chill out.

"Okay," she replies, lowering the knife. "Okay." Deliberately, she goes to the end of the table and places herself on the other side. It's safer that way. "Sorry. It's...been a rough one."

"Alright." He nods slowly, and equally slowly for that crab cake that he'd previously been eyeing. He's not quite letting his eyes off of her, though, not until there's that table between them and the likelihood of an up close and personal acquaintance with those stabby things of hers is much lower. And then he takes a bite and wolfs it down.

"...it's fine. I understand." And then he's half-grinning, pausing before devouring the rest of the crab cake. "Almost worse than the last one. That one started off a little slower." And no more bad attempts at jokes for the moment, for his mouth is full and he's busy chewing.

She can feel her adrenaline pumping, and Anna forces herself to take a couple of deep breaths, picking up a fat, greasy chicken leg and nibbling at it to distract herself.

"I get what you mean," she admits, chewing and swallowing. "This one has been pretty intense right from the start."

Haruto is about to snatch for a dinner roll, but stops himself. Now's not the time to fill up on bread, is it? "Yeah. Really intense. Last one didn't have lightning." He says it with a grimace as he plucks a few strawberries from a fruit platter. Getting struck by a bolt from above was an experience that he'd rather not have had. "...I'm Haruto, by the way." Since they're talking and all, might as well get that out there.

Anna gives him a grimace to match. "Yikes...I've been lucky with that so far. But then again, I'm as ordinary as can be, no powers to speak of!"

It's probably the one time in her life she's been glad for that fact.

"I'm Anna," she replies, cleaning off the chicken bone with her teeth, with alarming speed.

Haruto stuffs a strawberry in his mouth and turns his eyes upwards, regarding the faintly flickering little flame that's hovering over his head. He shrugs, smiles crookedly as he chews, and is quick to speak again after swallowing. "Powers haven't done me any good here at all. I can't even use mine." Down goes the next strawberry, though he makes a curious sound partway through devouring it. "...something funny happens when people use powers, doesn't it?"

Anna has to giggle a little at the sight of him stuffing strawberries in his mouth like that. It's a little bit comical, the way everyone's eating like they might never see another meal again. Which, let's face it, they might not.

"Is that what the lightning I keep seeing is? People trying to use their powers?" Suddenly, Anna is very glad she hasn't seen Elsa around.

That giggle is encouraging. Hey, maybe she's not so bad? He gives his eyebrows a quick waggle and stuffs another strawberry into his mouth. This means that it takes him a few more moments of chewing before he can speak again, but it's worth it if he can make her laugh. "....yeah. I think that's what it is. That's what got a bunch of us at the Cornucopia, I bet." Boy, that was a mess. He, Gary, and Nitou were lucky to have walked away from it.

She covers her mouth with her hand, only giggling harder at his brow waggling. But she shakes her head, laughter dying down.

"That's so rough. I'm sorry. Guess I've been really lucky this round." She didn't go for the Cornucopia, because that's never really gone well for her.

If she's giggling, she can't be all bad, can she? It seems like pretty sincere giggling, anyway. The next strawberry is tossed in the air, and he tilts his head back and catches it in his mouth. Let's make a little more of a show of it! Let's get Anna giggling again.

"Hey, maybe that'll take you to the end. You look like you're ready for it." And he gives a look to all the sharpened wood she's got on her, grinning, before making a grab for a chicken leg of his own.

Despite herself, she finds herself clapping and making a small, delighted sound as he watches him catch another strawberry in his mouth. "Wow! That's awesome," she laughs. "I'm not nearly coordinated enough to do that!"

She waves a hand, modestly. "I hope you're right. But I hope you make it, too."

Applause is the greatest thing. It's been a while since he's had a chance to show off, and the ego boost is really nice. Haruto grins and gives a quick, theatrical bow, before getting back to the business of eating.

There's a little sound of protest made through that first bite of chicken. One, this is pretty good and two, he's got something to add. "...if we both make it to the end, we'll see how coordinated we both are by then, huh?" His smile is more playful than threatening, because he knows if it did come down to the both of them, last two standing? He'd let her have the win in an instant.

For just a moment, her expression is surprised--before it melts into a smile. "Hah. Yeah, I guess we'll just have to see!"

She shoves a handful of berries into her mouth, suddenly remembering that she's supposed to be fueling up. "I know we're not really here to make friends," she begins. "But if we ever meet back in the Capitol...do you want to be friends?"

"We're not? Have I been doing it wrong?" He says it innocently, but can only keep a straight face for a moment before laughing. "They can tell me not to make friends, but in here? I'm not obligated to listen. So... yeah. Friends?"

He promptly extends his hand for a handshake, realizes that it's too greasy for that, withdraws it with a grimace to wipe it on his pantleg, then re-extends it. Smooth.

Anna just laughs, clearly charmed despite how tired and worn out she is. "Sounds good to me," she agrees, watching him wipe his hand and then taking it in a handshake that's surprisingly firm for someone so...well, tiny.

That is a very solid handshake. Haruto betrays a little surprise via a lift of his eyebrows, but it all makes sense. Any girl with that many pointy objects at the ready ought to be tough enough to shake a hand like that. She'll do well, won't she? He'll hope so, anyway.

"Good." And grinning, he tucks back into his chicken leg. Food is really great, okay? These arenas really give you an appreciation for it when you can get it.

[OPEN] i'm on the hunt, i'm after you

It's okay! I got swamped with stuff, too.

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