thecapitol | Heaven's Night

Entry tags:

Heaven's Night

Who| Phil, Julian, and dear ol' Johnny Walker
What| Drinking and ~~culture clash~~ D6 possible camaraderie
Where| Central Commons Bar
When| January 11
Warnings/Notes| Alcohol Consumption and discussing the previous Arena

Phillip wasn't kidding when he invited Julian to take a few drinks with him and getting to know someone from his own District, or at least claimed ownership of the whole damn floor. His body was sore from having practiced his techniques with Sandy, clearly unused to actually fighting off his attackers. He felt...powerful, in control even. Maybe he could finally do something...That feeling went away as soon as he saw his bare arms and the scars of previous near-death experiences were visible. Phil took one look at them and sighed, "Nothing's changed, Gray."

Putting up a smile just like a tie and a nice sport jacket, Phil suppressed all those bad memories as best as he could and walked over to Julian's room. "Up and at them," he called over to this night's partner in crime. "Last time I talked to someone, it was through an answering machine, okay? I'm a little rusty but I know we don't wanna be fashionably late." Julian would be greeted by this dork of a man. The former guard figured if Julian was rich, he'd know what drinks were best.

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Phil nodded, "If they did catch him, I can finally rest. I made it my job but it wasn't meant to be. But on to more pressing matters, like this lack of self esteem on Julian's part. It wasn't right to hear him speak of himself like a trophy to be won,

"Well I care about you and frankly I do it because I think you're a pretty good guy and fun to be around," Gray spoke up at that, "Not because you're rich or...bragging rights, was it? You're you. If I run into you in the Arena? You can bet your ass I will help you." It was almost disheartening to hear, and he lets the alcohol speak, "I kinda wish you could see the man I know you are and can be."

"And for the record, celery can be delicious if you season it right. The food you're thinking about is cow tongue. That stuff is tasteless and tough so double the punishment."

There’s a bit of surprise again, at being called a good guy, at being told someone actually cares about him. Only used to shallow praise, it still isn’t something he really knows how to react to, and the alcohol makes him a little slow to cover up his confused expression before he asks, “Shouldn’t you be more concerned with helping yourself in the Arena first?”

The last part strangely make him feel likes he’s being pitied, though, like there’s something wrong with him, and it makes him close off some, back to looking unhappy. “I know who I am. I’m a Bradds. I’m wealthy, handsome, smart. I’m great. People wouldn’t want things from me if I wasn’t.” There’s a sense of finality in his tone as he adds, “You only just met me. I don’t see how you can know who I am better than me.”

“Good idea. All he gets is cow tongue, then.” And the idea of Dandy eating cow tongue for the rest of his life is enough to make Julian start snickering, grumpy expression gone.

"I can get by on pretty much nothing, I can scavenge," Phil assured his drinking buddy, "Survival's great in groups and we're in the same District, might as well make sure one of us makes it. Make our District victorious and everything." That and he felt he deserved to die for his inaction. He mirrored Julian's finality, as he stated, "I failed back home. Not going to let it happen again."

At the unhappy expression, the guard looked up to the sky, "That all may be true but I like seeing the best in people. I trust easily, and I know that's gonna bite me in the ass. But you're gonna go far. I don't pity you," he knew when a parent or a child got defensive, he'd seen it in the Pizzeria, "I respect you." The cow-tongue did bring him back to a full laughter,

"Probably offered to him as some delicacy or something. It'll be hilarious to watch it," he joked around further, "I'll record it for posterity!"

Julian doesn’t really like to think or talk about the Arena, so the next words come out in a rush, seeming like he just wants to get them out and over with when he says, “You say that now, but you might change your mind in the Arena. It’s not so easy to just… get by. Not when there’s things trying to kill you, too. It’s not only the other Tributes you have to worry about, you know.” There’s also fun things like aliens. Or who knows what else in the next Arena.

“Well, you shouldn’t. Like you said, it’s only going to get you in trouble. Trust should be earned, not given away easily.” There’s a slightly scolding tone to it, but the last words are enough to get Julian to stop looking unhappy, and he sounds smug instead when he says, “Yes. I’m very respectable. It comes along with being a Bradds.”

Julian smiles, looking amused. “Good. The moment needs to live on. That’s what he gets for being annoying.”

"In any case, you earned my-" Phil coughed for a moment before he straightened up, "My respect, though whatever that means from a working Joe pizza guard, as you named me, to you, I dunno. And believe me, I'd rather feed Dandy cow tongue and jerky, and face his man child wrath, than suck up to him. I've handled spoiled kids on cake and sugar rushes that behave better than he does. You can't get any more immature than that."

He looked up to the sky, lost in the sea of stars and lights from below. Breathing deeply, he tried to remember the last time he was this relaxed, this unafraid. His mind didn't waste any time in conjuring that night when hell wrecked everything. He'd managed to last until 4 am before things went sour. Julian would see Phil reach over to the whiskey, already 4/5ths gone at this point, and polish it off like water. He wanted to drown the Toreador March ringing in his head, the bruising and almost bone-breaking grip on his arms and legs-

"Th-think we should head back in?" the stutter of Gray's voice was noticeable now, he didn't want Julian, or anyone to see him have a panic attack. As ridiculous as it was to be afraid of animatronics that danced in the uncanny valley, Phil wanted to hide.

Deep down Julian thinks it’s nice to be respected, no matter who it comes from, but he’s definitely not going to say that so instead he shrugs and says, vaguely, “Even though you’re only a pizza guard, you’re still okay.”

Between the rushed drinking and the stuttering, Julian can tell something is off, even if he doesn’t know what. He doesn’t know what to do about it, though, so he just says, “Sure.” But part of him feels like he should do more, at least try, so even if he fidgets a bunch and looks extremely awkward while doing it he asks, “Are you… all right?” Julian tries to combine it with nudging Phil with his arm, a somewhat attempt of a comforting gesture, but he just ends up mainly elbowing Phil instead.

The elbowing made Phillip scream before he slapped his hands over his mouth. His heart was racing and eyes were fully dilated. In his mind, Gray wasn't in the Capitol with Julian and all the cameras watching. Instead, he was alone, stuck in the pizzeria, holding the line and trying not to scream and lure them out. He could hear the demonic laughter and the screeches-

The attack lasted for a few seconds, but for Phil, it felt like hours. He felt as if he was staring at himself, watching everything his body went through. When he came back, Phil blinked and ran his hands over his head. His breathing took a while to stabilize, but the embarrassment and the truth was there. "I-I'm sorry I screamed at you," Adding to the drunken stupor and Phil was a mess.

The moment Phil screams, Julian jerks back, drawing his arms close into his side and body posture going rigid as he stares at Phil with wide eyes. A part of Julian scolds himself that this is why he shouldn’t try, look what happens. It’s safer not to try. Even after Phil speaks, for a while Julian doesn’t do anything. As much as he wouldn’t want to admit it, he’s fearful that whatever he does will only make things worse.

But eventually, sounding incredibly uncertain, he says, “No... it’s fine. Are you, uh, going to be okay? I... have candy I got from one of the floors. Do you... want some?” That’s really the best thing Julian can come up with. He really has no idea how to handle this.

"I'll be fine," Phil lied mostly to himself, rubbing his face. "I have these sorta things in my room sometimes. I don't have the fondest memories of my last workday if you know what I mean." No, no more falling back into that nightmare again. New world, new life, keep going, he told himself in his mind.

The candy offering further solidified Gray's belief that Bradds may have been spoiled and could be a complete brat but he was a good guy. He slowly nodded, "I would, thank you. It'll remind the rest of me what's real and what isn't. Y-you better eat too, you might wanna bring back the buzz I just killed."

“Oh. Yes, uh well, I can see why. Considering…” Considering he got attacked by killer robots, but Julian doesn’t think Phil really wants to hear about those right now so he just frowns instead of finishing the sentence, still looking awkward and unsure.

Julian doesn’t have the bag of candy with him, but he does have some stuffed in his pant pocket, and he takes out a few and holds them out to Phil. “Don’t worry about the buzz. Eat the candy. They’re butterscotch.”

Edited 2015-02-20 01:58 (UTC)

Gray took the offered candy and let the sugar wake him up further than what he started off as. Though he did find the awkwardness worrying, "Considering what happened. It's all right."

It takes him a few moments of eating the candy but Phillip sat up and cracked his neck. "You're good...though I might need a hand getting up. Sorry about that. I know I promised you I wouldn't need it."

The actual Arena was going to be trying but Gray knew who to keep safe.

As Phil eats the candy, Julian unwraps one for himself, crunching on it loudly before he says, “I suppose I can give you a hand. Even though I did say I would just leave you.” He hadn’t really meant it then though, and he certainly doesn’t mean it now.

Now that the situation has started to leave the realm of things Julian doesn’t know how to handle or deal with, he starts to relax again, looks a little less awkward and unsure. “Did you want to go back now?”

"You're mean, like Heathers sorta mean," Phil goaded, unaware that Julian probably wasn't born when that movie debuted. He knew the younger Tribute was joking around with this predicament, making the most of it.

"After that, I'm good with headed into my room and just sleep it off, you know?" he confessed with a slight garble. "I don't think you want to stick around for anything else..."

Yeah, that movie is definitely before Julian's time, and its mention only gets a confused look out of him. “Heathers? Is that some sort of weird slang?” Since Phil has said ‘cut a rug’ before, Julian wouldn’t put it past him to have other weird phrases up his sleeve.

“Okay.” Julian says with a nod, and then stands and holds out a hand for Phil to take so he can help pull him up. “Let’s go then."

"You've never seen Heathers? Christian Slater, Winona Ryder, murdering popular girls?" Phil realized what he was saying, "You were born after the eighties huh?" That was a fun decade for the older one of the two. "Next you're gonna tell me you haven't experienced, I dunno, Star Wars? The Kirk era of Star Trek?"

He takes the offered hand and shook off what he could, "After this Arena, I am educating you in that decade. I can't believe this..." This is bonding for Gray, okay?

“Yes, I was born in the nineties. Thankfully.” Julian’s seen some of the clothes that people wore in the eighties. He wants no part in that. “I’ve heard of those two, but I’ve only seen some of the newer ones.” Which Julian is guessing is not really what Phil is asking about.

Julian heads to elevator, shaking his head, though he looks amused. “Why do I have to be educated in your old person decade?”

"First, I'm not old, I'm thirty-one," also known as old if he'd survived, "Two, really? And th-thirdly, the eighties will never die."

Phillip may have worn some of those outfits. Just putting that there. "Because I know you might enjoy the sheer trip that are some of those movies." He was finally relaxed enough to let go and lean against the elevator walls. "Thanks."

“If you were old enough to remember the eighties well, then you are old,” Julian says, partly serious but mostly just teasing.

“Well, I guess I'll watch them. They might be entertaining enough.” And it’s not like Julian thinks there’s really much else better to do around here, anyway. The thanks catches him off guard, though, and he turns to give Phil a puzzled look. “For what?”

Edited 2015-03-01 04:04 (UTC)

"I'd pay you to call Dandy old then, he'd flip his lid and then some...he acts like he's from the damn fifties or something," Phil laughed from his corner before he answered, "For coming. It's not your thing, but it's nice to see someone out there who'd be willing to put up with me."

“Should I?” Julian snickers, and, yeah, that’s definitely something he probably will call Dandy if he gets the chance.

“I didn’t mind. You’re all right.” Which, considering how Julian minds a lot of things, is as close to a compliment as Julian is going to get. When the doors open onto their floor, Julian steps out and starts heading towards where the rooms are.

"Yes, you should, because compared to him and me, you've got the fountain of youth," Phil slipped and followed Julian out into their floor. Everything was in double vision and it sucked but the man was a perfect guest as one could be after that much booze.

"Likewise, my door's always open if you need a friend and we're doing this marathon!"

“Yes, I suppose I should. The fountain of youth is definitely something to boast about.” Julian snorts, amused, and then glances back to make sure Phil is walking okay. “Are you going to be able to make it to your room all right?” But Julian thinks that makes it sound like he cares too much, so he adds, “We don’t need someone collapsed in our hallway.”

He’s quiet for a moment, surprised at the friend part, but eventually he just shrugs and says, “Sure, we’ll do the marathon. I have to make fun of all your old movies.”

"I'll get there just fine, I only have one key," Phil assured Julian with his old but genuine smile, "Isn't the first time I do the walk of shame, believe me." He struggled a bit to get the key in but he laughed, "Just wait until you see Showgirls."

Out of all the nights Gray has had in Panem, he hoped this was one of many where he could sleep well. "Have a good night Jules...and please be careful." What that meant was up in the air but the former guard hoped the young man had the best shot he could.

“Night.” Julian almost voices his protests about the nickname again, makes a disgruntled face like he’s going to, but he decides to let it pass. Just for this time. “You… be careful too. I… guess.” He doesn’t even look at Phil as he says it, too unused to expressing that sort of sentiment. And with that, Julian gives a short nod in goodbye and then heads off to his own room.

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Heaven's Night

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