{closed to Ben}

[treadswater]

Who: Annie Cresta, Ben Hargreeves
What: First meeting
When: Mid-July
Where: Anchor | Bottom Levels | Park
Warnings: Anxiety, possible anxiety attack. More TBA as needed

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Exploring the arena is important. It's not the first priority for Careers, or even the second, but it's high up on the list. Explore the arena, learn the terrain, see what is available, where the dangers are. Here, without many active threats, Finnick and Annie can take their time. Be thorough. Go over already explored areas to see what has changed. It all takes a while.

Today, the pair are exploring the plaza and park. At least, they were. Now it's Finnick alone, and Annie?

Annie is sitting by the pool, trying to control her breathing.

She's not sure what set her off. Something. Anything. The constant, higher-than-normal stress of suddenly being here, a strange place, yanked without her knowledge. Maybe that. Or maybe just the weight of all the buildings over her, of being underground and not having seen the open sky for weeks, not having seen a clear stretch of water for months. Or maybe just because her mind decided to be a fucking asshole. She didn't want to give up, go back to the room she and Finnick have claimed, so here she is. Sitting. trying to control her breathing.

She's not going to hyperventilate.

She's not going to laugh.

She's not going to go away somewhere only Finnick can call her back from, no, she's not. He can explore and they can remain in view of the other, and she can sit here. She can breathe. She try to detangle her hair with her fingers and she can look at the water.

And she'll be fine.

She will.

She just needs to keep breathing.

Comments

[benhargreeves]

Most of the time, when Ben runs into others in this mostly-abandoned place, his strategy has been to leave them alone. It's still taking some adjusting, this whole being alive thing. There have been moments when he forgets any of them can see him, that interaction was on the table in the first place.

But there are exceptions to every rule, and no way is he going to keep on strolling pleasantly through the park when he sees a young girl very obviously having some brand of Bad Time near the pool. He stops walking to observe for a moment or two, to make sure he isn't mistaken. But Ben's had enough breakdowns, and seen enough breakdowns, to be sure after just a minute. He doesn't know Finnick is nearby, that this girl has anyone at all to help her.

Ben has always wanted so badly, to help.

He approaches her slowly, not pretending he isn't doing it, but not coming too fast. When he's close enough that he can talk quietly and be heard, he asks, in a voice that is neutral, calm, pleasant, "Hello, do you mind if I join you?"