thecapitol | [open] when you got nowhere left to go

Who| Feferi and you
What| Feferi is hanging around the training center after her death, trying to distract herself by cheering other people up.
Where| Training Center, all around
When| end of Week 4/beginning of Week 5
Warnings/Notes| possible talk of death, violence, and mutilation in subthreads

It stings, losing. Feferi wasn't really prepared to lose. She's a troll, she should have had the upper edge, even without her powers. But she let guard down, and in the end, that was her undoing. It's not the memory of all the pain, the daily paranoia that someone might be lurking around the corner. It's that she knows she can't protect Sollux any more than she already has, and that hurts more than any broken bone ever could. She just wanted one of them to come out on top, to take away some of the worry.

She takes to the common areas of the training center, trying to find some of her fellow tributes who are lurking around, trying to find the ones who look like they're in need of a cheering up, even even some of the ones who aren't. There's no sense in moping. She's still upset, but she knows it will pass soon enough. She reassures her that in time, she'll see her nearly five weeks in the arena as a success. For her first time, she did pretty well-- or so she'll think when the initial bite passes.

Vaguely, she's aware that the power outage in the Capitol wasn't any more pleasant than it was in the arena, but she can't let that stop her. Others might need a cheering up even more in light of all the action. She'll walk up to anyone, flagging down her friends, and introducing herself to strangers with a big smile and a perk of her fins and a friendly-sounding "Hi there!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It makes Dave a little guilty to avoid watching the games as much as possible. He feels like he should keep an eye on his friends, but it makes him tetchy and uncomfortable. He'd rather be surprised by who comes back and let them tell him what happened, watching it for himself is unpleasant.

As such, he has no idea Feferi is back but can't help being a little happy to see her approach. They hadn't really been able to talk much before he went and died, so he's almost eager in meeting her halfway. Then he stops short and forces himself into a more casual pace. "Hey." He raises a hand lazily in greeting. "Welcome to the loser pit."

Feferi spots Dave when he's a few feet away, and raises a hand in return. "Hello again."

She remembers the human that came to her and Sollux in the Arena to tell them Dave was dead. She hadn't thought much of it then, hadn't even known whether or not to believe it, but here's her proof. She still can't help wondering if the human with the sword was responsible for it, but she supposes Dave will tell her what happened when he wants to.

"I did pretty good for a first timer, huh? What do you think?"

There's a little bit of an awkward pause before he replies, wondering if he's meant to hug her or something comforting like that. The first death is always pretty frustrating, but he's always been bad at initiating stuff like this.

"Well, you did better than me and I've had three chances to get better at this shit." He shrugs heavily, like he isn't pissed about his own death. He has no idea Bro went around telling people and he isn't sure he wants to ask her how she went out, but he won't object to it being brought up. "You wanna grab a drink or something? I'm a thirsty bitch."

Dave's lucky that his awkwardness just comes off as cute. She's kind of glad he doesn't ask any questions though; she might have brought it up, but she's ready to just put it behind her and not think about it, so the suggestion is welcome and she nods.

"Alright!" As she moves to fall in line with him, something occurs to her. "Oh! Your hand must be all better now, huh?"

Well, at least there's a plus to all of this.

After the third time he's been released into the wilds of the tower after a bloody arena, Dave has picked up a few tricks about handling these difficult conversations. It can easily be summed up as just not having them at all, and he thinks he's doing pretty good at it.

"Yep. All better. Never been better, really. They've healed it to perfect, it might actually be a little dangerous." He raises it up to give it a critical look, clenching it into a fist before lowering it to his side. "What's up with you? Bring me up to speed on all your wild adventures."

"Oh, well, you know... just the usual, I guess! Trying not to think about the arena, training some for the next one, those kinds of things!" Feferi, normally rather talkative, doesn't have a whole lot to share other than what happened in the arena, and they seem to be pussyfooting around that, so she's not sure what else she can share. She wants so much to tell him she went out on the town and found something fun to do (she hears there's an aquarium, even!) but she hasn't been able to get herself out of the tower for some reason.

There is one thing that she doesn't think she can go without saying for very long, though. "--but you know, there was this human who approached Sollux and me in there. Tall, hair the same color as yours sort of. He told us what happened. I just told Sollux to shoot him. He didn't like that."

"Sounds like you're fitting right in with the rest of us then, Princess." He doesn't mean to sound so bitter, but the observation leaves his mouth before he realises it sounds kind of bitter. He doesn't know her very well, but it isn't hard to see she's a little more reserved than she had been in the past. He wishes he knew how to reach out and comfort her, but for now dragging her out for a drink is as close as he can get.

He herds her into an elevator and sends it to the lobby, casting a side glance at her when she starts to speak. "You what?" He thins his eyes behind his shades, brows knitting together. "Y'mean he was telling you about my glorious exit? And he came off all intimidating?" This is just guessing. "Sounds like my Bro. Er. Brother.. Lusus thing."

Feferi wishes she could be more forward, but she's far too aware of being monitored now, even more so than before the arena, and what's she going to say? It'll all be alright, we'll overthrow the bad humans and make things right? That wouldn't go well for her in any scenario so she's left trying to gloss over her real thoughts and come up with believable lies more often than not.

Following him into the elevator, she nods to his questions. "Yes! To be honest, I thought he was the one who had-- you know, done it. He was all bloody and I had never met him before and he was carrying a sword. It was kind of scary at the time! Though now it just seems silly."

"Didn't you clock on to the fact that he looks just like me? We're both blond, wear glasses and we're both incredibly goddamn buff. Or what, do all humans look the same to you? Is that what this is? I expected better from you, Feferi." He fixes a flat look on her, which isn't hard thanks to his beloved shades.

"Whatever, the big man is intimidating. Clearly we're all no worse for these shenanigans, though." He shrugs his shoulders and steps out when the elevator finally comes to a stop. "Ever had a smoothie before?"

"You do all look the same, with your hair and your eyes and your no horns!" Feferi protests, good-naturedly. She likes to think that he's just teasing, since he's still walking along side her and he doesn't sound all that offended anyway. "It's not my fault I can't tell you apart by the ripples in your bulging muscles!"

Stepping out behind him, his question catches her off guard. "No? I don't think so! Unless we called it something else on Alternia."

There's a tiny part of Dave that protests the fact that he doesn't look like Bro. If only because for the longest time all he ever wanted was to be just like him. The urge has mostly ebbed away by now, but there's insecurity under his piddly jokes.

"Right, because all you bushy, grey and pointy jerks are so easy to differentiate. Don't even get me started on your ancestors and double-dog-dancestors. My puppies here are special." He jibes right back, rubbing the baby abs on his stomach through his shirt in a way that could be conveyed as proud. "I dunno. Does cool-fruity-moobeast liquid sound familiar? It's sort of like that, but better." He nods knowingly, clearly already leading her toward the alleged smoothie place.

"They are easy! Way easier, anyway." Silly humans, they just don't get it. At least trolls have nice horns that you can use to tell each other apart! "I have never heard of cool-fruity-moobeast liquid either, but I guess if you think it is okay, I will try!"

Feferi follows along easy, sticking close next to him. It's just how she rolls. "I guess it's a big thing on Earth? I have always wanted to visit Earth..."

She trails off. Not this kind of Earth. She wanted to visit Jade's Earth, the one she'd watched a few times as she peered on her best human friend from home.

[open] when you got nowhere left to go

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