sister i'm sad i never had [ theo / dorothy ] day 3

[thompson harvard - d2b - arc]

He felt obligated to help the girl out. Dorothy helped him out of the Bloodbath, so it was only natural that he do the same to her now. Not that it equalizes everything, and all bets are off, but it was needed to return the help.

It took a while for them to find a spot, the group of four. But if it was anything like the pain he felt on day one, he knew Dorothy wanted to rest soon. Svetlana was restless in her search for a spot to relax. It felt like hours walking in the soft pink forest. It was pretty. The vanilla scents of the blossoms were heightened in this forest. A stone path leads the way for most of it, but hard on their feet made it hard to keep walking. As they found their resting spot, it felt natural that the two from eight sat beside each other. Rested up against a tree, the boy from eight felt a sense of wonder as he watched the dance and flicker of petals drifting down. Dorothy had found a set of needles and thread and was spending time sewing her leg up.

”You ever do that before comin’ here?” He figured not, but it wasn’t terrible to try and talk to her more. ”I used to have to get stitches on my lip all the time.” Not that it was the same as a leg. ”From the field.” It was rare that he didn’t get injured in some fashion. Whenever Theo played, he liked to play rough. So, due to needin patched up in the past, he’s not unfamiliar with a needle. He started picking at the tiny blades of grass they set on, tossing them as if to keep his mind active. He hoped it wasn’t the wrong time to try and start talking to the girl, but she might need the distraction. Or some sort of memory of home that didn’t involve her Games-cursed family.

[kaitlin]

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

It looks nothing like the cross stitches that I was taught at school but the sewn-up wound looks better than the festering hole of earlier. Hopefully it is enough to fend off an infection or perhaps with my luck, I have just contained something nasty beneath my skin. For a moment now I can relax, take in the tranquillity of the surroundings as peace finally falls on it for just a second. Everyone else is sat around me, looking a little more content than earlier.

I pile a tower of cherry blossom petals on the grass in front of me, something to keep my hands busy while my mind is in running a marathon. Replaying the events of the day, doubts of my injuries and regrets of my choices. Theo’s voice is what snaps me out of it for just a moment as he questions me and my history of sewing. ”Not on skin no but I guess skin is just another kind of animal hide that the Capitol likes to sew up into dresses.” The most intriguing material that has ever hit the shop floor before is a zebra hide, black and white perfect stripes. Too perfect to be from a living animal. Now that poor perfect beast is a night gown for a Capitolite somewhere.

”From the field? What exactly did you do back home, other than lose stupid bets?” Our only commonality is the place we have left behind but Theo’s face has been the most welcoming during this whole ordeal. If I made a friend from all of this, he is definitely the one.

Pogue

[thompson harvard - d2b - arc]

She sat on a pile of cherry blossoms. Or picked at them, at least, as she kept her mind busy. What sucks about the Arena is that taking one’s mind away from it is hard. It’s like being out in the Exy field. Even if it fuckin’ sucks, and you’re down five, just giving up ain’t an option. The team is countin’ on every single teammate to be there for them. Theo’s question awoke Dorothy out of some trance.

”Not on skin no but I guess skin is just another kind of animal hide that the Capitol likes to sew up into dresses.”

Oh, right. He forgot that she was most likely one of the good girls - someone who went to class and took notes, and all that crap. Theo wasn’t one of those anymore, especially when the schools started to make him work on his design skills. He wasn’t fond of portraying the image the Capitol wanted of his district. Maybe that’s why he liked getting rough, playing dirty with his guys, and knocking out teeth. But she was correct; skin is just another layer for the Capitol to absorb. The citizens of Panem are all just some new renewable entertainment resource.

Dorothy speaks up again, interest in her voice. ”From the field? What exactly did you do back home, other than lose stupid bets?” The comment caused a weak, embarrassed laugh to come from him. Some sort of laugh that he’d usually give to his mother when she asks what he’s holding behind his back, or why there’s a hole in his bedroom wall. They’ve spent enough money on paintings, knick-knacks, and other filler pieces of decoration to hide the bubbled-in walls.

”I was uh, on that new sports team.” He found it hard to describe Exy. He had made the official team, but never officially left the district. The rose plague caused a change in plans. ”That exy thing?” He had landed in the top ten for the district. It may be due to pure talent, but the sport itself wasn’t that popular either. ”We kind of get rough when playing. That’s like… our thing. I had a lot of lip stitches from playing.” It was something that he wished took off when it could’ve. Maybe if it did, he wouldn’t have made that stupid bet.

[kaitlin]