rose wilson ; troylus/kire ; white elephant
Jan 9, 2016 3:47:46 GMT -5
Post by Avalon on Jan 9, 2016 3:47:46 GMT -5
Flynn gathered the older children under his charge, the ones he trusted enough to allow them out of the complex and away from his watchful gaze. Rose sat back from the others, watching closely and listening to him but also keen to see how the other children were behaving.
They sat at his feet looking up at him, several of them nursing wounds that were bleeding and swollen from the vigorous sparring they’d been doing all afternoon.
“This week, each one of you has a homework assignment,” he informed them with no small measure of glee. “You’re going to go out, and you’re going to start a fight with a total stranger.”
There was a quiet whispering among the children other than Rose as they discussed this odd new task they were being assigned. Flynn often gave them tests, and various tasks to achieve, but usually they involved avoiding trouble while stealing things for him, rather than making trouble so blatantly.
Flynn gave them a short moment to chatter until silencing them with a narrowing of his eyes. “You’re going to start a fight and you’re going to lose.”
Rose stared at her guardian in abject horror. She knew a lot about starting fights; it was an important skill if she got into the Games. Sometimes you had to goad an opponent into a fight before they would have otherwise wanted one, when the conditions were ripe for yourself, rather than for them. The concept that had her heart thumping in her chest was the idea of having to LOSE. Rose hated to lose at anything, even as part of a test. She couldn’t think why in the world Flynn would want them to get into such a habit, but for now she bit her tongue, knowing how much Flynn hated to be interrupted.
“Now this is not as easy as it sounds,” Flynn explained. “Most people, normal people, out there will do just about anything to avoid a fight.” He pointed at them all warningly, “Don’t get caught by any peacekeepers, and find a way to get back here without being followed. A prize for those who manage the task best.”
Rose gritted her teeth. That prize was hers. She wouldn’t allow anyone to get in her way.
Once Flynn had dismissed them she elbowed her way past the other kids who were too stupid to get out of her way themselves. "Flynn, can I ask something?" She kept her voice low so that she wouldn't be overheard by anyone other than her guardian.
He looked at her with irritation so intense she nearly dropped it right away. But the thought of having to lose was too much to bear. "Ain't it a real bad idea to teach these losers," she indicated the other children with a dismissive wave of her hand, "to lose, no disrespect meant, sir."
Flynn twitched with anger; he particularly hated having his orders questioned, but to be questioned by one of his charges was almost intolerable. "They have to learn to take a beating and escape afterwards, to fight another day. If they only ever win, or avoid conflicts they aren't sure they'll win they will be vulnerable."
She opened her mouth to object but his words made sense. She could see the benefit in that. "But if I lose, you'll know that I COULD'VE won, if it weren't for the test, right?"
He scowled at her, his patience all but gone now. "That's the test. Do I have to repeat myself for you?"
She shook her head, her white hair bouncing around her face. "No sir. I'm on it. Back in no time, you'll see."
"You do that." He turned his back on her, something she hated anyone but him doing. He was superior to her, so she allowed it. In others it would be too much of a slight or even a challenge to present their vulnerable back, like declaring she was no threat to them.
She hurried to catch up to the ones who had left the abandoned run down building they called home, determined to get to the best locations before they did.
Now she stood on the filthy streets of District Two, outside the Career’s Training facility. The bitter winter wind grew colder as the sun began to set and cut through her ragged clothes, but she barely noticed it. Her strategies weren’t working as well as she had hoped. She’d tried being as obnoxious to various passers-by as she could think of; throwing rubbish at them and saying that they looked weak. Rose hated to be called weak herself, but these fools just seemed to pass her by and refused to get involved, no matter how insulting she was.
He looked at her with irritation so intense she nearly dropped it right away. But the thought of having to lose was too much to bear. "Ain't it a real bad idea to teach these losers," she indicated the other children with a dismissive wave of her hand, "to lose, no disrespect meant, sir."
Flynn twitched with anger; he particularly hated having his orders questioned, but to be questioned by one of his charges was almost intolerable. "They have to learn to take a beating and escape afterwards, to fight another day. If they only ever win, or avoid conflicts they aren't sure they'll win they will be vulnerable."
She opened her mouth to object but his words made sense. She could see the benefit in that. "But if I lose, you'll know that I COULD'VE won, if it weren't for the test, right?"
He scowled at her, his patience all but gone now. "That's the test. Do I have to repeat myself for you?"
She shook her head, her white hair bouncing around her face. "No sir. I'm on it. Back in no time, you'll see."
"You do that." He turned his back on her, something she hated anyone but him doing. He was superior to her, so she allowed it. In others it would be too much of a slight or even a challenge to present their vulnerable back, like declaring she was no threat to them.
She hurried to catch up to the ones who had left the abandoned run down building they called home, determined to get to the best locations before they did.
Now she stood on the filthy streets of District Two, outside the Career’s Training facility. The bitter winter wind grew colder as the sun began to set and cut through her ragged clothes, but she barely noticed it. Her strategies weren’t working as well as she had hoped. She’d tried being as obnoxious to various passers-by as she could think of; throwing rubbish at them and saying that they looked weak. Rose hated to be called weak herself, but these fools just seemed to pass her by and refused to get involved, no matter how insulting she was.
She dragged her white hair up into a harsh ponytail, so tight that it tugged at the sides of her face, and adjusted her eyepatch. Maybe they won’t fight me because I’m a girl, or because I only have one eye and they think I’m a cripple, she pondered. She adjusted her posture, coming across as cocky and self-assured so they would see she was a worthy opponent. Inside her heart was beating so hard with fear and anxiety that she thought it might crack one of her ribs. The thought of allowing someone so much power over her by beating her down and losing to them was still making her feel ill with fear. She forced the fear down deep into her stomach, channelling the emotion into a quiet rage and directing it at the people around her.
She saw a likely target heading towards her and she smiled cruelly. This is it, she thought. Time to finish my homework and earn Flynn’s approval. “Hey you!” she called to get the stranger’s attention.
(ooc: credit to ‘Fight Club’ 1999)
