Dave Strider (
shenunigans) wrote in
thecapitol2014-04-03 11:48 pm
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open spectator log because why not
Who| Anyone who wants to spectate but doesn't want to make a million logs
What| Spectations, spectactling, spectalary. Gathering together to cross fingers and watch the mini arena.
Where| The Commons
When| All through the mini-arena. However many hours people feel the need to watch.
Warnings/Notes| Watching your friends die, kind of a huge bummer.
In one of the many tasteful bursts of helpfulness the Capitolites are prone to having, the commons are full of bowls of snacks and drinks. Popcorn or many varieties, candy and drinks are spread across the table, as if it's a delightful addition to the decorum right now. In another bout of helpfulness, there's also over a dozen tissue boxes spread across the room, nested between couches and chairs. Basically, it's all super tasteful.
It's probably a little sickening watching the Arena on the screens in the common room, but it's hard not to keep a close eye on your friends. Surely some people will opt to keep their viewing in private, but perhaps others are inclined to gravitate toward other people while this shit goes all the way down.
As far as parties go, this one is a real stinker.
What| Spectations, spectactling, spectalary. Gathering together to cross fingers and watch the mini arena.
Where| The Commons
When| All through the mini-arena. However many hours people feel the need to watch.
Warnings/Notes| Watching your friends die, kind of a huge bummer.
In one of the many tasteful bursts of helpfulness the Capitolites are prone to having, the commons are full of bowls of snacks and drinks. Popcorn or many varieties, candy and drinks are spread across the table, as if it's a delightful addition to the decorum right now. In another bout of helpfulness, there's also over a dozen tissue boxes spread across the room, nested between couches and chairs. Basically, it's all super tasteful.
It's probably a little sickening watching the Arena on the screens in the common room, but it's hard not to keep a close eye on your friends. Surely some people will opt to keep their viewing in private, but perhaps others are inclined to gravitate toward other people while this shit goes all the way down.
As far as parties go, this one is a real stinker.
Re: Orc
"Eponine wanted to die, so she convinced R to bite her...or nagged at him to do it. Whatever. Then she got scared about dieing alone so when I found her she begged to bite me too. So I let her do it." Not high on his list of best ideas.
"But I still hadn't settled things with you, so I got one of those mask things and get my rocks back. It slowed the zombie thing down but not enough. I saw on TV later how my zombie tried to eat you. Then Shephard blew me up."
That was really the only way to describe the unholy beatdown Shephard had delivered unto his animated corpse.
"I'm glad I didn't eat you." He concluded with a stoic nod.
Re: Orc
"Pretty glad you didn't eat me too." The way he died wasn't painless, but it's been preferable to the ones that came before.
Here's the thing - Howard can hold a grudge like no one's business. But he and Orc have been friends through everything. Howard's literally buried a body for Orc. Orc gave a kid pushing Howard around such a bad black eye he had to go to the hospital. Howard's had Orc spend the night at his house when Orc showed up with a busted nose, no questions asked. Howard's washed Orc off when he was covered in booze-stinking vomit and Orc's picked Howard up and put him on a bed when Howard's fainted from dehydration. There's a bond there that the Capitol is trying to saw away that seems just a bit too tough for the usual theatrics to fray.
So Howard says "I didn't mean it, you know, what I said back in the Arena. I was just mad and saying whatever I could to be an asshole."
Re: Orc
"I dunno what I know man." And he was glad that sounded just as intelligent coming out of his mouth as it had sounded in his head.
"It felt like you meant it, even if I dunno why you meant it. So you didn't mean it when you said you were done with Eponine?"
Re: Orc
Re: Orc
And as for making up with her? Orc's craggy brow rose in suspicion. He always used to just accept anything Howard said. But even Orc had to learn sooner or later.
"Have you made up with R too?"
Re: Orc
And he curls more into himself, suddenly (temporarily) bereft of appetite.
Re: Orc
"You screwed up. You should apologize and do whatever it takes to make things right."
The part Orc did not say out loud was If that's possible. Because if Howard had done something to take away Orc's humanity the way that death had taken R's from him, Orc wasn't sure even their friendship would survive it let alone would there be any forgiveness.
Re: Orc
"This is between him and me, Orc." It sounds weak, whiny coming from him now, but Orc had to know it wasn't the easy decision, didn't he? "Would you have just left him in the bottom of a stairwell waiting to die in pain? I thought that was what he was asking me for!"
Re: Orc
And Orc had long since learned that when you were as big as he was, you could make anyone's business your business.
"You didn't kill me when I was begging for it. What makes this any different?" And he had begged, many times back in the FAYZ.
Re: Orc
Something about Howard looks frantic now, desperate, the clinginess shading him with a certain awful pallor. It's not just the memory of the harsh times, of practically being Orc's life support, of Howard's own flirtation with just...not, anymore. Just not being. Poofing on his fifteenth and being done with it.
It's the idea of a life without Orc or other people to hide behind and lean on.
Re: Orc
Hypocritical perhaps but Orc had been called worse.
"Just admit you screwed up."
Re: Orc
Re: Orc
"Just admit you screwed up so we can move on." Orc pressed. "It's not the worst thing we've done."
He could have said the worse thing "You've" done but Orc didn't want to start running down a list of things that Howard had done that was morally questionable. So including himself made it easier to swallow. Together they had done plenty of awful things.
Re: Orc
Re: Orc
"That wasn't your best. I've seen your best. You're better then...whatever the games is turning you into." He tried to explain in his simple sort of way.
"You're better then me. You use, you don't get used."
There was no malice or accusation in the statement that Howard was, and should be a user. If anything this was supposed to be encouragement.
Re: Orc
He forgot Orc's penchant for blunt, brutal honesty. It sends a shiver up his spine.
"I already told you I'm sorry for yelling at you. I already talked to R. I don't know what you want from me."
Re: Orc
"I want you to stop running. From me and everything else you don't wanna deal with. It doesn't work, you're the one who taught me that." All the drinking in the world couldn't help Orc outrun his problems.
Re: Orc
He looks at Orc's beady eyes with his own, rimmed with exhaustion and frustration, older than any fifteen year-old's should be. "What, you saying I should do talk therapy or something?"
Re: Orc
"Well why not? You gotta try something. And it's not like no one can relate to what you're going through." Orc actually sounded more confident with that proposal. He was starting to think maybe he actually knew what he was doing for a change.
Re: Orc
Re: Orc
"Is it a dumb idea because I think you should do it? Or is it a dumb idea because you don't wanna do it?"
"It's about making you feel better, not saving other peoples lives. It's about saving you."
Re: Orc
Honestly, Orc sounds like he's been hitting that Bible again. Or reading inspirational posters. The thought almost makes Howard laugh, but he knows it would be a cruel sound, so he doesn't.
"Are you gonna talk therapy your way out of your problems?"
Re: Orc
"People help me here. They talk to me and make me think about the stuff I did. What I'm doing."
People like Shephard, Ian, Eponine and Wyatt. Even Diana.
"You have people here that care about you. You need to learn how to do that again. They can show you how."
Re: Orc
"I know how to care about me. I'm petitioning out after all."
Re: Orc
Because that was a very real possibility.
"Will you be able to stay standing if they force you into another arena? And another? How many more will you be able to take doing things this way?"