two, two, two logs in one! ETA: make that three! [closed]

[youbarium]

WHO| Carlos and Steve Rogers | Carlos and Charles Xavier | New prompt for Sabriel in the comments!
WHAT| Passing on rebellion info to ALL of the Marvel movie characters! ...and Sabriel.
WHEN| During the days after Penny's announcement.
WHERE| The Speakeasy
WARNINGS/NOTES| The Capitol is going to spin these meetings as dates. According to the Capitol, Carlos was just using Cecil the whole time for Arena sponsorship, and now that Cecil isn't useful, Carlos is dating again. Who will he ensnare with his terrible charisma and heartbreakingly perfect hair next??

Except Sabriel. Who even knows what that's about. Maybe he's trying to learn her witchcraft or something.

FOR STEVE AND CHARLES:

Dimly lit and comfortably loud, the Speakeasy was a perfect place to have a sensitive conversation. Carlos didn't know the codes to get into the back, but the bar itself was private enough, with its secluded tables and constant background noise. Carlos had arranged this meeting over the network on a filtered channel, pitching it like a chance to get drinks and talk. He didn't mention anything about District 3, and didn't bring up anything about the Arena.

Carlos was getting better at this sneaking-around-and-lying thing, and he hated it.

But personal ethical scruples aside, Carlos was easily spotted thanks to the glowing drink in front of him. He wasn't actually drinking it. He was just staring at it morosely. At one point, he takes a small device out of his pocket and scans the glowing green glass, but his heart clearly isn't in it. Carlos pockets the device again, and sighs.

FOR SABRIEL:

Second verse, same as the first. Carlos had been in and out of this place several times over the past few days, and when he'd heard Sabriel had died in the Arena, he figured that here was as good a place as any to discuss magic.

Also, Carlos didn't know Sabriel very well, and had wanted to ask about that debt he owed, somewhere without cameras. He had taken more care with his communications with Sabriel, since inviting a minor to a bar was strange enough to cause suspicion -- he'd slipped her a note under her door, asking her to meet him here at a certain time, to talk about her magic, and that debt.

Carlos had already been here for half an hour. Arriving at different times would minimize their chances of attracting attention. He was flipping through network posts on his communicator, but it didn't look like he was paying much attention. He looked a little listless, actually.

Comments

[bindsthedead]

"I saw what happened to Starkiller," That was part of the reason she had made the choice to seek out more information. And she was about to offer Carolos some of her own.

"I think when he shot all that electricity into the forcefield, he shut it down or- did something to it, temporarily. That's why they punished him so severely. Or perhaps they're simply a bunch of paranoid bullies." Sabriel could think of several other, more vulgar descriptions.

[youbarium]

That caught Carlos's interest.

"I didn't see that," he breathed, his eyes alight. "They wouldn't explain what it was that had interrupted the broadcast. Electricity, you say? That's very interesting." Carlos didn't know yet how he could put that to use, especially since the punishment for it was avoxing, but it was promising information nonetheless. "Thank you for telling me. I'll make sure the others know. They might be able to use that better than I can. I'm already on I don't know how many Capitol watch lists, but there are other Tributes who aren't being watched as closely."

[bindsthedead]

"There are so many of us they can't watch all of us- particularly those of us who keep quiet," Sabriel said, tapping her fingers on the table.

"We also need to tell anyone else with the power to conjure lightning to try to avoid using it in the Arena- if the Capitol doesn't know who has the ability, they'll have a harder time countering it, when the time comes to use it."

[youbarium]

He nodded. "I'll see if I can get the word out. Thank you, Sabriel." Getting this information from her definitely reassured Carlos that his decision to tell her about the subversive Tributes was correct.

"If you get the chance," he went on, "talk to the Initiate. He's one of the trolls -- you know, the Tributes with the gray skin, orange horns, and, uh, sharp teeth. Anyway, he's the one with the face paint," Carlos explained. "He's trying to organize us. Tell him you're willing to help."

[bindsthedead]

"I've met him," Sabriel said, "In the arena. He told me about District 13. But I'll definitely speak to him again." Hopefully, in the Speakeasy, or some other place she could speak without fear.

[youbarium]

Oh, good. That was one thing Carlos didn't have to go over. But there was something Carlos was curious about. "How exactly did he tell you?" Carlos asked. "Did he say it out loud, or was it...more cerebral?" He tapped the side of his head. "And do you remember the whole conversation?"

His first meeting with the Initate had been...well, strange. Carlos still didn't remember all of it, and he had seen the Arena tapes. He wanted to know if Sabriel's experience had been similar.

[bindsthedead]

"It was inside of my head," Sabriel ackowledged, "And I do remember all of it."

It hadn't been pleasant, but the knowledge gained was worth it.

"What do you think of the rebels? How trustworthy are they?"

[youbarium]

Carlos breathed out a sigh. "We're relative newcomers to a conflict that's a lot older," he began. "Getting us to safety isn't District 13's top priority. Taking down the Capitol's current government is. As long as our goals are the same, I think we can trust them as allies. However, we must exercise caution. It's possible they want to use us just as much as the Capitol does. The only difference is that our interests line up much more closely with District 13's." He leaned back in his chair. "Trustworthy or not, they're our best chance at getting out from under the Capitol's control."

[bindsthedead]

"They're unlikely to betray us to the Capitol, because they have even more of a reason to hate them than we do, but they might also view us as a sacrifice," Sabriel sighed.

"We'll have to show them that we can help them in exchange for however they assist us, if we don't want to be treated as something they can just abandon to the Capitol."

And Sabriel knew she had a few things she was both able and willing to offer them. Like baptism and training in Charter Magic.

[youbarium]

Carlos nodded. "As long as we prove we're useful, I think they'll be willing to help us -- unlike the Capitol, which we can't bargain with at all." A grimace. "District 13 doesn't need to be perfect, just better than the Capitol."

Being out of the Hunger Games, being away from potential bidders, being out of the public eye...Carlos would take it.

[bindsthedead]

"Which isn't saying much," Sabriel pointed out. Some necromancers were probably better than the Capitol- at least they were open about their nastiness, instead of covering everything with sparkles and sugar.

"But if they're willing to tear the Capitol down, I'm willing to cooperate."

[youbarium]

"I agree," he said. "But until then, it's important to learn how to live in the Capitol. The first thing you need to do, apart from keeping your head down and saying nothing incriminating on camera, is to find out if you're up for bidding."

The way Carlos said that made it sound sinister indeed.