#kingopenpara

Reese hadn’t been here in- well.. Since before. Even the smell though, got under her skin. Stroked her soul as a man might stroke her thighs to get her to open up- to give in. Everything within her was at war with something else. She wanted to turn around, run, and not look back. Yet, she wanted to be able to say it was fine, that she didn’t need help because it wasn’t a problem. If she wasn’t an alcoholic she’d be able to walk into a bar and not feel a thing, right? Besides, she needed a job, and this was the only place she could even get an interview. Besides the offer Rhett had made her, but she had her doubts on how serious that was. Whatever. Point was. This should be fine. She didn’t have a problem, and she needed this job. 

Stepping over the threshold, she addressed the first staff member she saw- wanting to avoid the actual bar if she could. Ha. The universe was a bitch- the staff member told her to take a seat at the bar and the manager would be out soon. Breathing out, Reese took a seat, tentative. This was fine. No big deal. The smell of stale bear wasn’t having a visceral effect on her scenes, and she couldn’t feel her body screaming at her from all angles. Reese! Long time no see! A bartender she knew she’d slept with a few times was greeting her, and all she could do was nod vaguely in greeting, her expression tight. The usual? And before she could answer, there it was. Jack on ice. Right in front of her. The condensation on the glass collecting seductively, dripping down the glass and drawing her attention to the rich, welcoming, color of the liquid. 

Poppy had never been a fan of small, enclosed spaces, nor had she ever been a fan of any space that was crowded. She had been that way since she was a small child, and wasn’t sure what had triggered it, or if she’d always had the predisposition to feel that way. Whatever it was though, small enclosed places made her anxious, and often bought on panic attacks. So when a friend of hers had text her, and asked her a favor that involved going into the small editing suite used by film students, Poppy had regretted saying yes. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. They’d already left campus and merely wanted to know if they’d left a memory stick in the editing suite, and that if they did could Poppy collect it for them. It was a simple request she shouldn’t have an issue with. 

How she had been talked into this, she’d never know. She usually spent most of the holiday season drunk off her ass trying to ignore the feeling that next year would be just as worthless as it’s predecessor. Yet somehow, here she was, actually sober, surrounded by overly excited children hyped up on sugar. A situation she would normally hate. In fact, she wasn’t exactly thrilled to be there, and had been scanning the place for an out since she’d gotten there. A promise was a promise though, and there was a nagging feeling in her stomach telling her that skipping out on a bunch of sick kids was low, even for her. So there she stayed. 

Spotting a lone child, sitting in a corner, Reese frowned. Unsure what compelled her, she moved over to the child, bending down, Reese smiled at the child. “Hi there buddy- not enjoying the party?” The child shook their head with a sigh. “Aw, why not?” The child explained that they wished they could go on the bouncy castle, but couldn’t. Reese looked confused for a brief moment, before realizing they were in a wheelchair. After a moment of thought, she smiled, then scooped up the child in her arms. “You and I, we are going to bounce.” 

Poppy had gone overboard. She knew as much, but still, it hadn’t stopped her from going overboard. It was Christmas, and one of her favorite times of the year, and a time of the year Poppy really felt the need to show compassion and kindness to others. Which was why the backseat of her car was loaded with boxes of groceries for the food hamper drive. Truthfully, she’d never gone this overboard in past years, but now that she wasn’t on the committee, she felt like she had to make up for it somehow. She couldn’t donate as much of her time as she used to, but she still could do something. 

Parking her car in the closest spot to the library she could find, Poppy got out of the car, and moved to the back door. However, as she opened the door, she paused. “O-oh..” It had taken her a few loads to get all the boxes to the car, and she hadn’t actually thought about how she was going to get them all to the library at this end. Which, to be fair, she did that often- didn’t think things through like this. 

        She’d never wanted to kill anyone, but it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. As soon as that cannon went off, it was kill or be killed. Her trip to the Cornucopia for supplies had brought her face to face with two readied killers. Naturally, she’d done what she had to do, and then she’d fled. The trees were her safe haven. They reminded her of home, offered a sense of stability in an otherwise chaotic environment. She was an experienced climber and had no problems settling herself in the uppermost branches as a perch. Not only would it keep her out of sight from the other tributes, but it gave her a perfect view from which to make any fatal shots -- if she had to. 

Ash had claimed a bow and arrows and a hatchet from the start of the Games. She would have gotten a supply pack too, if she hadn’t nearly taken a javelin through the chest. When it came to combat, everything was a blur. It was like she detached herself from feeling to cope with the reality of her actions. How the careers could do it for pride and enjoyment, she’d never understand. Hunting, though... she could live with that. 

It was late. and honestly, Poppy was more than ready to be at home. She’d spent too much time this week away from her baby girl, and she was glad that mid-terms were almost over, and she could just spend a week without any school work to do. She planned on spending most of the week hanging out with her daughter, as well as helping her mother cooking. With her stuff backed up, and her study done for the night, Poppy moved to the lifts, pressing the down button. 

It was getting kind of hairy outside, and Poppy was not looking foward to the drive home. When the lift doors opened, she mild politely at the person already inside. “It’s really getting bad outside, isn’t it?” She was making idle conversation as she pressed the down button.