thecapitol | [open] CATCH ALL

[open] CATCH ALL

Who| ALL Y'ALL it's a ho down
What| A catch-all reaction log for the plot developments. Saves you from making 5 logs each tbh.
Where| All around the place
When| During and post lock down, 3am~ sunday onward
WARNINGS| Panicking, talk of murder and violence. Singing the songs of panem.

When things like THIS and THIS are going down it's probably a good time to touch base with one another. Face caressing, crying and meaningful stares abound as the Tributes and Staff drag their knuckles hopelessly in an effort to figure out what the fresh hell is going on.

Make your own prompts, feel free to make them closed to specific people.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's after Dave finally slips back into D9 that Elsa approaches him. To tell the truth, she's been waiting ever since the lockdown happened. When it did, her first instinct was to find him, but it was too late- he'd already disappeared. There's no way to describe just how terrified she is when she can't find him, all she can think is that they must have taken him away, too, but she's trying to hold onto the hope that just maybe that didn't happen.

She hangs out in the lounge of District 9, her excuse being that she can't sleep- and it's true. Even if she tried, it wouldn't be possible. She's too worried, but she doesn't have the bravery to leave the district like Dave has. All she can do is hope that Anna is doing what she's supposed to and staying put- they have no reason to punish her. Anna is okay. Dave is at way worse risk, so that's where her worry right now is focused on.

So when she finally catches movement and sees him returning, she's on him in an instant. She could give Bro Strider a run for his money with the speed in which she's tugging him into a hug. "Dave!" she hisses, trying to keep her voice down. "I was so worried- where have you been?"

Knowing that Elsa hadn't been taken, Dave felt confident enough to do a quick jog around. Once the lockdown was over, of course. He could be brave, but he wasn't stupid. It's only once he realises there are too many people to take stock of that he's back, but he knows Terezi and Rose are gone.

He's on high alert, so Elsa is lucky that she's hugging him fast before he's dodging or pushing her away. He can act as composed as he wants, his heart is thudding hard against his chest. His arms are hanging by his side as per usual and he's not leaning in.

"They took Rose. And Terezi." He answers plainly, as if that answers everything. "I checked, they're gone." His voice is deceptively calm despite his heart being in his throat.

Edited 2014-08-03 03:35 (UTC)

Elsa's stomach drops when Dave speaks. He sounds so calm, she can't imagine how he's even managing it. She'd heard of the people taken, but having it outright confirmed is particularly jarring, as if it knocks the wind out of her lungs. She doesn't know Rose particularly well, but it hurts because Rose is Dave's family and in a way she feels like family, too.

"I'm so sorry," she says, reluctantly pulling away from Dave so she can look him over, to make sure he's physically alright. "I... I'm sure they'll let her go. They can't honestly think that she had anything to do with what happened?"

Being this calm in itself is a massive, blinking cry for help but it's largely because he's petrified of saying something incriminating or lashing out. He can't always keep his cool in clock but he can force some composure for the greater good. That said, the way Elsa is looking at him is killing him a little bit.

He shrugs when she apologises, looking downward and knowing she could probably see it through his shades when he does. "I don't know that they think or do a lot of things honestly, Elsa." He answers curtly. "All I know is that I don't know squat." He pulls back a little from her.

Elsa knows that. She knows that right now, more than anything, they have to be careful with what they say. She doesn't want to say the wrong thing and get Dave in trouble, or herself. After her little blow up last month on the network, she's being very careful for Anna and Dave's sake, if not her own.

"I don't think any of us do," she says, letting Dave pull away even though a part of her wants to keep clinging to him, if only for her own comfort at this point. Elsa can only imagine how he must feel right now- it would be about how she would feel if Anna were taken. The difference is he's better at concealing and not feeling than she is.

Which, when she thinks about it? Is a little scary, because she can't get a sense of what he might do, and the realization that he could be thinking of doing something that would land him in trouble is terrifying. If it were Anna, she would stop at nothing to get her sister back. Suddenly it's as if her powers are back, because she feels very cold. She can't say anything, but the look she's giving him is a pleading one.

Please don't do something drastic.

The moment he pulls away, he finds himself wanting to lean back in. Rose is his sister, but she's not his only sister anymore. There isn't a lot Dave wouldn't do for Elsa, but when it comes between her and Rose, there's a small degree of separation. He can't risk Rose so that he can be there for Elsa, and he thinks they both know it.

When she looks at him like that, he doesn't know what to do, but he feels almost indignant. He's a big boy, god damn, it isn't like he's just going to charge the damn prison.

Instead, he moves to reconnect the hug, winding his arms around her and pressing in close like he's desperately sad, when really he wants an excuse to whisper in her ear. "Keep Anna safe." And he hopes she gets what he means, because he wants to point out that Elsa would do the same for her but he also wants to tell her that he's doing what he needs to.

Elsa knows he's a big boy, but she can't help help worrying anyway. It's gotten to the point where she's as fiercely protective over Dave as she is of Anna. If anything happens to him, she'll never get over it. If they've taken Rose, then there's nothing stopping from from taking Dave if he tries to do anything about it.

She's startled when he's suddenly hugging her again, but she needs it so she isn't complaining. When he whispers that in her ear, she goes rigid though. It clarifies things, and also puts them into perspective at the same time. Rose is his sister. He's as protective of her as Elsa is of Anna.

So Elsa can't ask him not to do anything, without being a massive hypocrite. It's a hard pill to swallow, and she doesn't get it down entirely, because a stubborn part of her wants to be hypocritical. But she won't. Elsa isn't usually someone who cries easily, but she's scared right now and a few tears spill over. The idea of losing Dave is too much, and her arms tighten around him, as if she intends to keep him there forever.

"I will." Her voice is just as quiet as his, and it shakes a little. There's also a slight hint of resignation in it, like she's forcing herself to accept that Dave will do what he needs to do. She'll pull away after a long moment, and even though there are tears in her eyes, she can't help but smile at him. "I'm... proud of you. I just want you to know that." She never had it in her to tell him that day they played vidy games, just because she didn't want to make it sad. But this is a sad day, so it's easier to say. She doesn't know if she'll get a chance to tell him in the future, so she'll do it now while she can. "And... I love you. You need to know that, too."

Dave has mused on their relationship quite a bit, lately. When he'd first met her, he'd been struck by how damn fine she was and made an ass of himself. Somehow, despite that, they'd still managed to forge a friendship and now she's more precious to him than all of the video games and apple juice he'll ever have. Sometimes he looks at her and the way she carries herself and wonders how she deals with him at all, but he's glad she does. And did. He probably wouldn't have made it through the first round of bullshit without having her around to keep him grounded and to give him purpose.

The purpose to protect her, of course. She's a good person and a hero and she's the kind of queen you read about in history books and fairy tales, the ones that use their powers for good and touch people's hearts wherever they go. It's so corny to think about, but it's true. He might not be a knight in the same terms she understands, but he knows someone worth looking after when he meets them. She deserves so much better than this, a better knight and a better situation where her and her sister can be safe. Somewhere she can stop crying because it honestly breaks his heart to see it every time. At the very least, with the way she depends on him and trusts him, it makes him feel a little bit like he could almost pass for a dashing knight in the same story. Maybe not so lame, though. Maybe more like Han Solo.

He thinks all of this, but it's impossible to verbalise it. When she speaks, it knocks the wind out of him and not even a sly comment is coming to mind. "I know." Is that a bad time to play the Han Solo card? He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding and his hands twitch at his sides, urging him to do something or say something. Without really being aware of it, his hand reaches out for her braid, taking it gently in his hand before he even realises what his doing. "Womp womp." He replies, giving her braid a gentle tug before a smile he can't hold back crosses his lips and he lets out a laugh in a soft huff. "You're talking like the story is already over, your highness." She doesn't know what he means, but he does.

It's really only coming together for Elsa in this moment. She's never truly stopped and thought about how far they've come since their first meeting. In a way, it feels like they've always been like this, but it's right now that it's becoming apparent just how much she treasures Dave and needs him in her life. You can say a lot about the Capitol and how awful it is, but meeting Dave has been something she wouldn't change for the world.

She doesn't really expect him to say anything too heartfelt or mushy at her words, because he isn't that type and she knows that. He deflects and he jokes, but she knows there's true feeling underneath the way he presents himself. So his reply just makes her smile, even if it's a small one- but then he ends up doing something that makes her laugh, and she truly isn't expecting it when he gives her braid a tug and does that little sound effect. "Dave-" she says, laughing all the while, pulling her tug out his his grasp. It's a rare thing, to be able to make someone like Elsa laugh when they're so emotionally unstable.

But then he speaks again, and she isn't able to finish the sentence like she was going to, to tell him that he's silly or what have you. She doesn't know exactly what she would have said- but it doesn't matter, because his words have brought her up short. It's true, painfully true. Elsa is such a defeatist, she's making it sound like the situation is already a lost cause before it's even happened. It's perhaps silly, but guilt washes over her. In a way it feels like she's doubting Dave's ability, when in reality she very much feels like if anyone is capable of succeeding, it's him.

"You're right," she says, pushing the guilt as far back as she can, just so the mood doesn't deteriorate even more. "And..." She gives him an almost wry smile, deciding to play along. "I was always very, very selective of my Knights," she says, forcing herself to put on a royal air to her tone. "I only picked the best of the best, you know. So... I don't think think the story will be over for a long time. Because you, Sir Dave of Arendelle, are my best Knight." She gives him a bow, and somehow this is making her feel better, like playing along is cathartic. If anything, it's reaffirming the faith she has in him and she can't help but giggle, just a little.

It's silly, but sometimes silly is all you need to really change things.

Dave is almost surprised by how well she takes having her braid tugged, considering how impulsive the action had been. It makes the moment all the better for it and even he's starting to smile a little more. There's a lot of shit weighing on him, but part of that weight is from people he wants to take care of. He's not a hero, he's not innovative or a real rebel, but he'll do what he can when he can for people like Elsa and everyone he's caught up in his storm of stupidity. He's aware that being younger makes people worry all the more for him and oddly, it lights a fire under his ass to make him try a little harder.

He feels his delicate, little ego inflate just a bit at her words even if he also feels incredibly lame for it. A smile tugs at his lips despite all of that and he fidgets in an attempt to keep cool. "Hate to say it Elsa, but you're boned." He bows back as dramatically as he can, making sure to flourish his arms as best he can. Maybe a little too much. Oh well.

Finally he straightens up, looking a little sheepish. "I should.." He glances over his shoulder in thought. "Catch you on the flipside. Alright? We can unwind with some vidy games when I get back." He Fonz hands at her as he steps backward to leave.

As he bows, she smiles fondly at him despite what he says. She doesn't believe it for a second, but she'll only let the way her head shakes lightly tell him that she very much disagrees with what he says. When he stands upright, she can tell he's about ready to go and she feels her stomach twist. She has no idea where he might go, or what he might do. Of course he won't just jump into it, but she knows he's going to be planning it.

She tries not to think that it's possibly the last time she'll really see him, if it goes badly. She tries to hold on to the fact that it isn't over, that it's still an unwritten story and that he could come back from it all. She can't bring herself to say much of anything, because the words are suddenly catching in her throat and a lump is forming.

"See you," she manages to get out. "I'll... I'll hold you to that." Elsa has to turn around, unable to watch him leave. She wants to hold onto the image of Dave in front of her, not his retreating form. It makes it easier to pretend that everything will be okay.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[open] CATCH ALL

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject