blah blah void blah blah spiders blah blah science [open]

[youbarium]

Who| Carlos and anyone
What| Since Carlos's survival hinges on his ability to act like he doesn't care, he's going about his business as usual. Even though he and Cecil had a very short-lived but very public romantic relationship, he's acting like he doesn't care. Come make his life harder. Come ask him how he feels.
Where| The D10 rooms, a coffeeshop, and the Speakeasy
When| After Penny and Cruentus's classy, classy announcement.
Warnings/Notes Possible mention of torture, drinking in the last prompt. Also, the first two prompts will involve Carlos denying any real feelings for Cecil. If you want an honest discussion with him, it'll have to be in the Speakeasy.

PROMPT A: D10 common room

Carlos had known what to expect. Penny had announced that Cecil would be avoxed, after all. He had known this was coming.

That had not made keeping a straight face during the broadcast any easier.

He turned off his communicator and knew that if he was going to make this act convincing, he couldn't hide up in his room all day. Carlos hated this act. It was like he had told one lie in the Arena and hadn't been able to stop lying since. It disgusted him. However, he knew that at this point, he had no choice.

There was no need to fake the irritation on Carlos's face as he walked out into the D10 common area and sat down in one of the chairs. He pulled out a notebook and began to scribble in it. Was he writing or drawing? It would be hard to tell...

PROMPT B: TRIBUTE CENTER COMMONS: GENERIC CAPITOL COFFEESHOP

Here Carlos was, sitting in the very place Dave had brought his last words to Cecil, drinking something too hot for the midsummer weather and talking into his tape recorder. If you get close enough, you might hear snatches of what he was saying:

"--correct about my impending death--"

"--new tactic--"

"--willingly cooperate--"

This part of the Tribute center was open to the public: anyone might pass by and see him.

PROMPT C: THE SPEAKEASY

Carlos wasn't one to drink out of sadness. Not usually. He had been in and out of the Speakeasy these past few weeks, having important discussions about the rebellion.

This time, though, he was after some self-administered emotional numbing.

"I don't even know what's in this," he muttered to himself, staring at the half-empty glass in front of him, which was a mass of swirling colors.

PROMPT D: ELEVATORS

Being two floors from the top meant that Carlos stood a solid chance of sharing an elevator on the way two and from the D10 rooms. He was used to it, and usually, didn't mind it. Today, however, it was all but a guarantee that whoever he ended up in the elevator with would be awkward as hell, and Carlos was really tired of dealing with it. He shifted from foot to foot in his lab coat, trying not to sigh when the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

Comments

[youbarium]

"We've been brought here by a totalitarian government as gladiator-slaves to perform again and again in televised death games," explains Carlos, matter-of-factly. "If we had met in the Arena, we would have been expected to fight each other. And if we had met anywhere else in the Capitol, there would have been cameras and microphones recording our every word."

He says this like it doesn't particularly bother him. It's just a fact of life that he's learned to live with.

[arosewiththorns]

"Oh, those circumstances," she says, with an air of someone who doesn't care. And really, it's information that's not new to her, not interesting to her in turn. "We're all doing what we have to do it seems.." She pauses, studying him a little closer. "Playing the games we have to, in and out of the arena."

"Such is the price of being a recogniseable face," she sighs. "That at least is familiar to me."

[youbarium]

Carlos looks at her steadily, sizing her up.

"Rose, what made you choose this bar?" he asks finally. "Scientifically speaking, there are many other bars in the Capitol -- larger bars, fancier bars, themed bars, cheaper bars...out of all these bars, why did you walk into this one?"

[arosewiththorns]

She's aware of the way he studies her, and she lets him. Not that she is going to give him much, her pokerface perfect.

"What, do you mean to tell me that this isn't the most happening place here?" she snarks because it's second nature but she leans in all the same, voice dropping because even here she's aware of ears and eyes. Her hand falls on Carlos's to complete the act, trying to make it seem that for anyone looking they're just having a nice intimate chat.

"I like to see things for myself, to get to the point as straight as I can. And.... I've been hearing this place mentioned, here and there, in a tone low enough to make anyone curious."

[youbarium]

He doesn't pull his hand away -- it's a little uncomfortable, but he recognizes that she's putting on an act, and won't blow it.

"The reason they won't talk about it openly is that this building is the only place in the Capitol that's completely free of cameras," Carlos informs her seriously. "As I'm sure you can imagine, that makes it very useful to a lot of people. Personally, I'm using it to get drunk without having to worry about what the Capitol thinks of anything I have to say. This month has been a tough one."

He takes another drink of the chemically-dubious mixture in the glass. Carlos isn't going to go into more detail about the rebellion -- not with someone he's just met. He has no idea if Rose can be trusted yet.

[arosewiththorns]

Even when he confirms they're not under supervision she doesn't move her hand. Not straight away at least, and when she does she uses it to support her chin, still leaning towards him, smiling as if he's just told a great joke. There may be no cameras but there are still people abound and without her Sight she has no clue how many can be trusted.

"Oh I can imagine." She says, holding his gaze for a second too long. "There seems to be a lot of people here that are still quite distressed about what is all going on. Understandably, really, and I can understand the need for escape."

She goes quiet as the waitress approaches, still smiling at him, and she thanks to girl sweetly before taking a sip. It's a good excuse to stay quiet while the girl leaves and she contemplates it all, glancing around the room before she returns to Carlos. "Did you have connections to the district?"

[youbarium]

"Not exactly," admits Carlos. "It's more that I had one connection in particular, to the man who reported the event." The destruction of District 3 was terrible in itself, of course, and an unforgivable crime, but Carlos had seen whole neighborhoods wiped out by otherworldly spores or spiderwolves. Mass death didn't affect him viscerally anymore -- at least, not the way seeing Cecil as an Avox did.

"What about you?" he asks, turning the conversation to her. "What do you think of everything that's been happening?" Carlos changes the subject both because he wants to get a better feel for Rose's political position regarding the rebellion and because he doesn't want questions about Cecil.

[arosewiththorns]

"Ah." That is interesting, and yet Rose knows not to press it, can feel the way he doesn't want to speak on it. Just like she can feel the way he's too interested in her opinion, and Rose studies him carefully even as she speaks. "A brave man then. Or a foolish one, depending on your thoughts on it."

"It's hard to have an opinion," she says, tone neutral. "After all, I just arrived, and I was still in the arena when this happened, and without a connection to these people it makes it difficult to mourn them." A pause, and she takes a sip of her drink, as if she isn't under an informal interrogation.

"The loss of human lives is always something to grieve though, in my opinion. Especially when it is caused by such corruption." Another pause, and she tacks a few words on, staring straight at Carlos and wondering if he'll interpret her words correctly. "But I'm sure the President is doing all he can for his people."

[youbarium]

"It is difficult to take a side in these situations," Carlos admits, soberly. "Especially as an outsider. You can't just walk into a town, or world, or dimension, and tell the people who live there that their way of life is wrong. And if I were the only one who thought so, I probably wouldn't be doing anything about it."

Implying that he is not alone. Implying that he is acting.

[arosewiththorns]

"No you can't," she agrees pleasantly. "And when you do attempt to bring such change I find you encounter many disagreements with those native to the world." At least that's how she is in her personal experience. Though in her case she's trying to throw off a dictator who would likely find this world entertaining.

"I admire those who persevere in attempting to bring another opinion to light." She gets it, and her interest is caught, lips curling into the faintest smile. "It's a worthy choice of path."

[youbarium]

"But it can be very dangerous," Carlos warns her. "The Capitol has a wide array of municipally-approved punishments for Tributes and citizens who don't cooperate. Torture, execution, mutilation -- you could even end up an Avox. That's a very popular punishment," he says, darkly -- there is personal feeling in the way he says it. But Carlos goes on: "If they even suspect that you know something and you don't cooperate, you might never be heard from again."

Are you sure? he's asking.

[arosewiththorns]

"Of course," She says, head tilted carefully and Rose takes her time to continue, sipping her drink. She's trying to judge if this is just someone trying to weed out those with such ideas, or if this is something more genuine. A task made infinitely more harder without her Sight. "But simply standing by while such life is so callously tossed aside... There are few who could not feel some empathy here."

She's sure. She hasn't come from leading one rebellion to bow down to another dictatorship, even if this one is lead by humans. She knows all the dangers, she's played the games before and she relishes doing it again, doing it here.

But still she laughs, softly, to confuse those who might find their conversation suspicious. "Perhaps that's just my womanly heart talking."

[youbarium]

Her caution speaks well of her; a Capitol spy, Carlos feels, would be unlikely to exhibit such reluctance.

"It's not a matter of being womanly," says Carlos, pushing his glasses up his nose like a dork. "It's a question of basic decency and human rights. And nonhuman ones; I'm sorry," he adds as an afterthought. "But listen, Rose, if you're sure you understand and accept the risks...would you be interested in working against the government that is holding us captive?"

Time to, finally, be direct.

[arosewiththorns]

They're getting somewhere, she can feel the change in the conversation in the very air and Rose finds herself leaning in. Minutely of course, and her gaze is fixed on Carlos.

"I started orchestrating a rebellion in my own homeworld before I was 30. I have little family there, and little family here," and now she half curses herself for making her connections to the Striders too obvious, but they're big boys. "This is a new government, yes, but I am already familiar enough with these things to know that the possible benefits outweigh the potential consequences."

"Not," she says, smirk half forming. "That I find myself to be so foolish as to get caught and find out precisely what those consequences are."

[youbarium]

"Those are some impressive credentials," he says, impressed. "Okay. I'll tell you what I know. But first -- how much do you know about District 13?"

[arosewiththorns]

She shrugs slightly. "They are what they are." She doesn't tell him everything else she knows, the way her future will most likely go, after all, it's not relevant to the conversation. "But thank you."

Carefully Rose inhales and exhales, leaning with her elbows on the table. "Only a little," she confesses. "Took part in the rebellion many years ago with the other districts, was a leader, so to speak and was destroyed in the process. The other districts fell back into line after that, and as far as anyone knows it remains uninhabitable."

And she pauses, looking over Carlos critically. "But, considering you're bringing it up, there must be something important regarding it. After all, why mention a toxic wasteland in any other case."

[youbarium]

His eyes light up; Carlos is always gratified when the people he explains this to pick it up quickly.

"Very good," he says. "Yes, it's important. Possibly one of the most important locations in Panem. You see, according to my information, District 13 was not destroyed by the Capitol in the uprising seventy-five years ago. The Capitol only pretended it was destroyed so District 13 wouldn't follow through with its threat of nuclear war. 13 is an independent community, most likely operating in underground shelters, and is currently the seat of the resistance. They've mostly contacted us through pirate network posts that allow anonymous communication, but I have it on good authority that at least one Tribute has made it there alive."

[arosewiththorns]

She raises a brow, her only tell as she absorbs what he's telling her. It's important information, information worth something.

But Rose is a naturally doubtful person, trusting few people and trusting her Sight most. But now she's without it, and she has to consider it all carefully. If it was her she wouldn't trust the certainty of District 13's existence on another's testimony, but Carlos apparently does, so she'll have to go with it.

"Do you know what their plans are?" The greater ones, besides hacking communications.

[youbarium]

"I don't know if it's a hostile takeover or a revolution," Carlos admits honestly. "But I am reasonably certain that they are preparing for war with the Capitol."

[arosewiththorns]

"And if it's a hostile takeover, what's to say we're not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak?" She studies him critically, toying with the straw of her drink to give her something to do.

[youbarium]

"We don't." It was true; they had no way of knowing for sure that District 13 gaining power would help them in the long run. "But we can't negotiate at all with the Capitol. We might stand a chance of bargaining with District 13. Also, District 13 hasn't cut any of my friends' tongues out." That last statement is said bitterly.

[arosewiththorns]

"It can be difficult to trust the motives of thsoe you don't know," she puts forward, tone neutral. She's just raising points, and his final comment makes her raise a brow. "Are there many of us who believe the same line of thought? That 13 is going to be easier to bargin with?"

[youbarium]

"I don't know the exact number," Carlos admits. "But I've personally spoken with about..." He runs through them in his head. "About half a dozen. I'm aware of five or six more."

[arosewiththorns]

Rose hums, softly and to herself and takes a sip of her drink. She's considering it all, weighing the pros and con and wishing she had her Sight back. It really did make things easier, and she's realising now she may have relied on it more than she knew.

"Ok," she says finally. "So what's your plan?"

[youbarium]

"Me? I'm getting the word out that there's a chance of escape. I'm finding people who I think I can trust, and I'm letting them know that there's another possibility besides fighting for the Capitol's entertainment until they die for good. Then, as soon as I can, I'm getting Cecil and myself to 13. I'll see what I can do against the Capitol from there."