[Closed] A scientist and a soldier walk into a bar

[baaarbie]

Who| Dale Barbara and Carlos
What| A little easy speaking
Where| The Speakeasy
When| After the arena ends
Warnings/Notes| None right now

When the blackout had hit, Barbie hadn't wasted any time in taking advantage. He knew he wasn't the only one, but on the off chance of being caught, he'd gone alone...and it had payed off. He'd come away with, well, not a whole lot but enough.

He'd written down everything he could find out, memorized it and burned the paper. The information was important, but being found with it would make it pointless and cost him more than invites to parties. He had to pass the information off to someone else, the question was just who.

It hadn't taken long to decide, a little poking into his options reminded him of a partial conversation that the cameras had caught during the arena. Jess' favorite, Albert and that man that Cecil had a thing for, Carlos had briefly discussed the capitol and while the gamemakers had tactfully switched away to cover the conversation (and switched back in time for the riveting romance conversation) it had been enough for Barbie.

He sent a message to Carlos with a time and the location of the speakeasy but didn't attach his name, hopefully he'd still come. With Carlos' description left with a bartender he trusted, Barbie sat at the back of the dark room with drinks on the table and waited.

Comments

[youbarium]

"No, this is...this is great," Carlos says. His voice and his manner have finally warmed up, at least a little. He gives Barbie a smile: a small one. "I'm really glad you told me this. If -- if you want me to keep where it came from to myself," Carlos offers, a little uncertainly, "I will."

He wants to know how secret Barbie wants his involvement to be. It would be dangerous to tell other rebel elements about Barbie in case it got out to the wrong person, but if the rebellion got far enough, it would also be dangerous for Barbie if the seditious Tributes and District 13 didn't know he was an ally.

[baaarbie]

He gave the underlying question some thought. His first reaction was to tell Carlos to never let slip who'd given him the information, but he could see how that might backfire too. But he couldn't risk being exposed.

"When the tributes were arrested on suspicion of Penny's death, I tried to break one of them out. We were caught and ever since, I've been blacklisted and marked as a traitor." He lifted the sleeve of his jacket to show the silver bracelet he'd been given.

"It's a slap on the wrist compared to what others had to go through, but it could mean danger for not only the people I love but also my tributes. I can't get them sponsors if sponsors won't even look at me, much less talk or listen.

So, yes, for now I need you to keep it a secret. For how long you keep it a secret, I will leave to your discretion, but for now I need to pretend to be someone I'm not, even at the risk of losing friends."

[youbarium]

He nodded.

"If I make it to Thirteen," Carlos promised, "I can let them know you're an ally there. I can't see that getting back to the Capitol any time soon, so it probably won't hurt you." And when the fighting started, it might save Barbie's life.

[baaarbie]

Barbie nodded back, that seemed fair enough. He could think of a few ways it could come back to hurt him, but that was the Capitol-bred paranoia speaking and not something he felt the need to share.

"Thanks. I have to go, I'll leave these with the bar keep." He picked up the papers with the blueprints and offered his hand again before standing.

"I'd wait a little after I leave to leave yourself, just in case. Keep yourself safe, Carlos."

[youbarium]

"I'll try," he says, "but I can't make any promises. We live in a dangerous world and any sense of safety isn't really much more than a comforting illusion. But," Carlos goes on, "I will be careful, and keep all my risks as non-fatal as possible."

All of this is said very matter-of-factly.

"Good luck to you, too."