Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alwaysshielded) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thecapitol2015-01-04 11:03 pm
alwaysshielded) wrote in thecapitol2015-01-04 11:03 pm
You have neither reason nor rhyme
Who| Cassandra Pentaghast and anyone!
What| Cassandra arrives between Arenas. She is unimpressed.
Where| Training Area, District 3 suits, and anywhere in the Capitol
When| Post arena 12
Warnings/Notes| TBD
Training Hall
[The sword had not been still from the moment she took it in hand. Hunger Games. Another stab, another burst of light as...some form of magical practice dummy burst before her, shattering in squares onto the ground around her before vanishing into thin air. It did little to assuage her theory this was yet another trick of spirits, of the Fade. Impossible for a Seeker to be so impacted by demons. Yet possible and im- had so very little to do with reality as of late. It was impossible for the ancient villains of religious text to appear and terrorize the world. This? This was child's play in comparison.
So she had taken to the training hall to think. Block, parry, thrust, kill. A simple dance of death against these magical conjectures, one that hardly took an ounce of her attention. It brought a calm no other activity could, save perhaps prolonged meditation. Kept her rage occupied as her mind contemplated her current state.
But the sound of another entering echoed through the hall, breaking the dance. She pivoted from the illusions, attention locked on to the potential threat. Without thought her sword pointed in the direction of the noise, her gaze locking onto the newcomer.]
District 3 Floor
[The tragedy was that the chambers were, by all measures, an improvement from her quarters in the Inquisition. There were no holes in the walls, none of Leliana's birds sneaking in to nest in her rafters. The exact function of much of her quarters was beyond her, but she hardly had the patience to sit about and figure them out. If it were important, she would come to terms with it in time. For now she would see the other captives of her cell block, and hold no illusions they were otherwise. The kitchens, however...
Cassandra had to scowl at the sheer unfamiliarity of the room. There were no fires, no mouser cat, no...no turnips burning for no apparent reason. Even the simplest of needs, nutrition, was a confusing endeavor in this nightmare. She stood in the doorway for a long moment before turning to return to the (slightly more logical) common area. Chairs, at least, were an unchanged concept.]
Wildcard
[She will be exploring and disapproving of the Capital and common area, feel free to bump into her scowling at things anywhere!]
What| Cassandra arrives between Arenas. She is unimpressed.
Where| Training Area, District 3 suits, and anywhere in the Capitol
When| Post arena 12
Warnings/Notes| TBD
Training Hall
[The sword had not been still from the moment she took it in hand. Hunger Games. Another stab, another burst of light as...some form of magical practice dummy burst before her, shattering in squares onto the ground around her before vanishing into thin air. It did little to assuage her theory this was yet another trick of spirits, of the Fade. Impossible for a Seeker to be so impacted by demons. Yet possible and im- had so very little to do with reality as of late. It was impossible for the ancient villains of religious text to appear and terrorize the world. This? This was child's play in comparison.
So she had taken to the training hall to think. Block, parry, thrust, kill. A simple dance of death against these magical conjectures, one that hardly took an ounce of her attention. It brought a calm no other activity could, save perhaps prolonged meditation. Kept her rage occupied as her mind contemplated her current state.
But the sound of another entering echoed through the hall, breaking the dance. She pivoted from the illusions, attention locked on to the potential threat. Without thought her sword pointed in the direction of the noise, her gaze locking onto the newcomer.]
District 3 Floor
[The tragedy was that the chambers were, by all measures, an improvement from her quarters in the Inquisition. There were no holes in the walls, none of Leliana's birds sneaking in to nest in her rafters. The exact function of much of her quarters was beyond her, but she hardly had the patience to sit about and figure them out. If it were important, she would come to terms with it in time. For now she would see the other captives of her cell block, and hold no illusions they were otherwise. The kitchens, however...
Cassandra had to scowl at the sheer unfamiliarity of the room. There were no fires, no mouser cat, no...no turnips burning for no apparent reason. Even the simplest of needs, nutrition, was a confusing endeavor in this nightmare. She stood in the doorway for a long moment before turning to return to the (slightly more logical) common area. Chairs, at least, were an unchanged concept.]
Wildcard
[She will be exploring and disapproving of the Capital and common area, feel free to bump into her scowling at things anywhere!]
no subject
Cassandra observed the compartments he went to, what was stored where, even as she rather noticeably moved to rest her hand the hilt of a sword that was no longer there. Failing to finding the familiar weapon there, she settled for her hip instead, scowl deepening at the reminder.]
Very. There must be more explanation as to why I am here.
no subject
The short of it is that they thought you'd be fun to put in an arena full of people ordered to kill each other and see who lived. There's a lot of stuff in there about politics and striking fear into the hearts of the districts we represent, but we're still being thrown in a fancy gladiator match so the rich and powerful can watch what happens.
[His hands are quick on the cutting board. Slicing all the vegetables--perhaps with a little more force than necessary.] On the bright side, if you die in the arena, they'll usually bring you back to life so your fans can obsess over you until the next arena. [He spares a glance upwards, arching an eyebrow. He didn't think that side was bright at all.] Do you want a drink?
[Lord knows he did when he found all this out.]
no subject
[ The threat of death as a warning to the people was not something she approved of, but a tactic she could at least reasonably understand. This...punishment of prolonged life, however was another matter entirely. Especially when she- they- were outsides to the world. There was a more convoluted lesson to be learned there.
She hesitated at the last offer. As satisfying as it would be, there was also the need to remain sharp, to determine what was happening in this world...
But, Maker. It was a tempting offer. And one that may result in the other man's tongue loosening as well.]
Watered wine, perhaps.
no subject
[He paused briefly in his chopping to take out two glasses and poured out some watered down wine. He poured himself some as well to put her at ease, but he didn't intend to drink much of anything. He wanted to avoid alcohol. He still hadn't forgiven himself for what he had done in the arena, and he wanted to avoid escaping in drink.
But that's neither here nor there. He puts her glass in front of her, still not quite maintaining eye contact before going back to the preparation. He puts a pan on the stove, turning on the burner and pouring a little oil into the pan.]
My name's Bruce. I guess I'm your new neighbor. When did you get here?
no subject
[She scowled, picking up the glass. She didn't drink from it, not yes, settling for simply having something to clasp in hand now that weapon and armor were gone. Still not back to a natural feeling, but a closer mockery of it.
Still. There were no Seekers here.]
Cassandra Pentaghast. Arrived this morning. You have been of our 'district' for how long?
no subject
I've been here somewhere between five and six months. That would be two arenas fought in and one mini arena I wasn't reaped for. I'm beginning to lose track of time, to be honest. Some people have been here for years.
[He tacked that on offhand, but there wasn't anything offhand about the sentiment. It was meant to convey that their capture was serious and long-term without making a fuss of warning her, because you never knew who was watching.] There are people from all kinds of worlds here. If nothing else, you meet some interesting characters.
no subject
[Years. years. Cassandra did not have years to waste. Not on this petty game, not on anything outside the mission she had left behind. The watered wine is no longer a decoration as she takes a deep drink, scowling at the room in general when she finishes.
It was as unsatisfying a gesture as she had precipitated. But throwing the glass across the room while she was not alone would be a bit much. Perhaps after he had left.]
no subject
[He put the cut vegetables in the sizzling pan to cook before pulling a bowl of dough and some meat from the fridge, pouring spices and sauces into a pan before adding the meat to it. He moves with a lazy grace of someone who is very comfortable with the kitchen.]
And the Capitol knows how to control people. Microphones and cameras everywhere, any hint of rebellion is crushed, and lots of psychological warfare to break your will to fight. [He speaks like he's discussing work, or something similarly mundane. His voice is soft and calm, but with a very quiet steely edge that not everyone picks up on immediately. He hasn't been broken yet.]
no subject
[ She sticks with the first unrecognized word, planning to come back to the latter if he doesn't include it in the explanation. There is a time for pride, and that was when one actually had the experience and information to not need further help. In this case, Cassandra was well our of her depths and, even as it made her grip on the glass tighten to an increasingly dangerous degree, could not afford to pretend otherwise. Particularly not with an 'ally' within her district that she would, she expected, be seeing rather frequently until her escape. ]
no subject
They're pieces of technology that record sound and store it elsewhere for someone to listen to. Cameras are the same, but with visual information. In short, everything you do and say is saved and watched by Capitol security in a remote location to keep track of what you do.
[He's just going to put the bottle of wine on the table for her. He has a feeling that she's going to want more.]
no subject
She had heard of such lingering impressions, magical imprints on the world. To harvest such abilities to...to what? Observe their day to day lives? ]
What madness. Surely there must be a single soul in this world with more pressing matters to attend to.
no subject
You'd think, but it's the secret of their governing system. It's not just us that they watch. Microphones and cameras are all over the city. On the streets, in stores, in people's homes, everywhere. It's not exactly a secret. I understand that they've covered the outer districts with surveillance equipment too. How much manpower they need to comb through all that information? I have no idea, but they manage it.
[He knew of blind spots, but he wasn't going to tell her that yet, especially not where cameras were watching them. He wanted to gauge how trustworthy she was first, and he had very stringent standards of trustworthy.]
no subject
[Disgusting. Cassandra had never been the politician or spymaster, capable of coolly absorbing displeasing news, and it is very much showing in this moment. She does not take another drink, but rather sets about pacing in the small area of the kitchen. She's observant of her environment, at least, so there is no chance she'll be bumping into the man. But exertion is needed before something really does get broken.]
How are you certain of this?
no subject
Like I said, it's not a secret, and you can sometimes find some of the cameras and microphones if you know what to look for. The technology is very common where I come from, and surveillance systems are everywhere, but the Capitol has managed to take it to a level that my world hasn't. To my knowledge, at least. [He makes a vague gesture at the TV while he starts folding meat and vegetables into his dough.] They show footage from the systems on television, when they're not using it track enemies and intimidate people into silence. They give footage of us to gossip magazines, too, so I suggest avoiding anything you mind an entire city scrutinizing.
no subject
Any other fascinating tidbits?
no subject
Most people you meet will be from worlds you've never heard of before, and each is crazier than the last. Even people you recognize might be from different times or from an entirely different world that just closely mirrors yours. I suggest keeping that in mind, especially if they put us in another arena with restored powers. [Different rules from different universes mean different power levels and different cultures. The most seemingly harmless people could be the most dangerous. Bruce learned that a long time ago.
He scoops the fried pieces of dough and places them all on a plate.] Have you ever had an empanada?
no subject
[The last bit took her slightly off guard. She'd been prepared to chase down an additional question, but was this something more pressing than the idea of time magic and 'powers'?]
I am not familiar with the term.
no subject
[He sits across from her, offering one of the pieces of stuffed fried dough. He's learned over the years that sharing food is an excellent way of building trust, and it never hurts to have positive relationships with one's neighbors.]
Fried dough with meat and vegetables inside. They're popular where I come from.
no subject
Six months here, you said. What were you before this, in your homeland? If you do not mind the question.
no subject
He shrugs at the look and begins to eat, himself.]
I'm a theoretical physicist. That means I articulate and use mathematical models to explain and predict phenomena. [He's learned to just tack on an explanation of his field to most people he speaks to. Even most people from his world don't understand what he does.] More recently, I seem to be a doctor, though. Among some other things. [Like a part time superhero. Remind him how that happened?]
You?
no subject
I was a Seeker of Truth, in service of the Divine.
[Hm. That actually wasn't half bad. But, as a point of pride, she does have to raise an eyebrow at him.]
Does that mean any more to you than your profession does to me?
no subject
He takes a breath to speak... then lets it out with a shake of the head.] I'm afraid I have no idea what that means.
But I'm assuming something called a 'Divine' is a religious figure.
no subject
[ It's softer than the rest of her words had been- not quiet, but still softer. What other tone was there to speak of the Divine in? She is sill working her way slowly through her first taste of the offered snack, but will be going for a second one. Cassandra hadn't really had time for hunger since arrival, and it was happy to make itself known now. ]
For all that means in a place such as this.
no subject
It means something. If you believe, it means a lot. Take whatever you can get that can get you through this.
[It doesn't matter if no one else worships the Divine or whoever it is. What matters is that strong enough faith will be a potent method for her to stay strong through all the bullshit the Capitol will make her deal with.
It's probably better than Bruce's method, at least, which is a strong mixture of guilt and stubbornness.]