thecapitol | [Open] Not Exactly Home

Entry tags:

ellis,
✘ jane

[Open] Not Exactly Home

Who| Ellis and OPEN!
What| El's first death and watching the Arena...horrified.
Where| All over the Tower
When| Week 5
Warnings/Notes| Language and mentions of the Arena

A. District 4 Suite

Ellis' death was quick and yet he couldn't quite shake off the horrible feeling that came from it. That empty horror that came as he bled out. Of course he checked out his body for any scars and only found the ones he came into the Arena. Garrett slammed the the knife twice, cutting It felt like that time he was nearly killed by a Tank, only less terrifying as it turned out. If this was how death would be from now on, he was going to get used to it...or lose his mind. Go big, or go home, he thought as he stretched out. He wasn't that shaken about it and that's what disturbed him the most: how accepting he was of it all. Was he so used to being near death back home that when he actually bought the farm, it wasn't that big a deal?

"Jesus help me, what's wrong in my head?" he muttered to himself, playing with his hat, his token...

Well at least now, he was now in the Capitol and more so, his District Suite! Nick said this was a safe place, no zombies in here! Any fellow D4 Tributes can see the strange hick explore the floor and all the amenities that come with being a guest of the Capitol for their entertainment.

B. Tower Bar

Watching the Games themselves on the big screen was possibly the worst mistake Ellis ever did as he watched Nick pick off four tributes. The callous way he just pulled the trigger and told them off with such a cold manner that. Ellis wanted to personally apologize to those people. He'd also take a good drink or three...holy crap, he knows this a death game but this is just-

"Where the hell is the nearest bar?" the mechanic needed that one fast as he watched the bloodbath even further. He wanted to cheer on...he really did. But holy damn, he could almost hear Coach scolding them both.

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[He shrugs.]

It wouldn't be the first time someone's broken my ribs.

[Wait...was that an apology? A real, genuine apology? Well. That's not something he's used to. The best he usually got was the other person not breaking his nose the next time he saw them. That probably warranted an apology in return. He lets a moment go by before muttering.]

...Sorry about, uh...stabbing you. I'm a criminal, but I'm not that kind of criminal.

I wasn't gonna let ya jus' stab me an' not give the people at home a show. [El gave Garrett a quick wink and allowed himself to soften a bit] At least you got to, uh, this far.

They really played us like fiddles in a band, huh?

They put targets over all of us. Guess there wasn't enough blood for their tastes.

[He nods.]

Not that they gave us much choice. I still don't understand why they didn't just bring in a bunch of mercenaries and assassins. They wouldn't have to work so hard to get their show.

What fun would it be then, if everyone's capable o' killin' each other? There's no real drama?

[Over the two weeks, Ellis had realized a few things about the Games, and the people reaped along with it. There was a hint of dark humor in that statement] They want to see average people kill, people like me. The more you fight, the more your District cheers ya on.

[Ellis wasn't that ordinary, if his smile and the returning friendliness were any indication]

All we can do is play our part, right?

[He smirks just a little bit.]

I've never been a fan of playing by the rules.

[Not anyone else's rules, anyway. Even his own could be bent if the situation called for it.]

Call it a shot in the dark, but I'm guessing you were a normal, law-abiding citizen before the shit hit the fan.

Technically speakin'...yeah...but the Zombie Apocalypse happened an' I unleashed my inner badass. [smirking now when he realized]

Your eye's all weird, why's that? [He got a little closer]

That? I got a piece of Primal Stone in my eye about a year ago. I think the arena just...shut it off.

[Which was odd, to say the least. He'd seen what the Primal could do, and they seemed to have something that could turn it off. Something stronger. He needed to find out what it was, but that would have to wait. There was no way the kid knew anything about it.]

So, what exactly happened with this "zombie apocalypse?" I always thought they just shuffled around old tombs.

[Ellis was now just as fascinated as he was when they met. He could bounce back readily from trauma, or at least he appeared to be.]

Wha's that primal stone thing? And it's not so much zombies but people with a really aggressive sorta rabies.

It's...magic.

[Which shows just how little he really knows about it. He'd read the Baron's notes about it, but that hadn't cleared up too much.

He quirks an eyebrow at Ellis' explanation.]

So it all started with rabid dogs?

Tha's so cool! [And there it is, the puppy is back and he's smiling at full power again. He stares at it a little longer] Does it make ya a better thief? Like stealthy?

An' I dunno, but all I knew issat it was a rabies variant tha' infected humans. Or Mad Cow disease if I remember th' skinned cows.

It spread fast though, stupid fast.

[Garrett wouldn't admit it, but the kid's enthusiasm was infectious. He'd normally answer that question with a short reply, but he smirks mischievously.]

You tell me.

[His eye flashes blue as he focuses on calling up that power. When he gets up and heads into the crowd, it really is like he just melts into the background. He even avoids being bumped into, thanks to his heightened reflexes. No one notices him creeping in the darker corners, and no one feels a thing as he picks a few pockets with unnatural dexterity and speed. After a minute, he doubles back and sneaks up behind Ellis, his footsteps and movements quite literally silent. He slips back into reality, letting the world's colours return and allowing time to slide back into its usual pace.

He tosses a handful of stolen jewelry on the counter beside El, making sure it makes a clatter.]

[As impressed as Ellis was, and he was..., he immediately backed away.] Put 'em back, put 'em back!

[Like hell he was getting arrested for this sort of crap so soon after the Arena]

Spoilsport.

[His eye flashes again, and he vanishes into the crowd. Taking things out of a pocket was easy enough, as long as you were patient and didn't rush it. Putting things in, now, that was difficult. Most thieves wouldn't try it. But Garrett isn't "most thieves."

He returns a minute later, pockets empty and none of his targets even aware that anything had gone missing.]

So, what was that about rabid zombies?

Thank you for tha', there's a time an' a place to learn about bustin' outta jail an' this close to the Arena? No fuckin' way.

[So yeah, Garrett, you just gained a student.]

That's th' thing! They're not really zombies, just people who got sick an' lost their minds. Sad really when y'gotta put down friends an' family.

I can't think of a better time. Everyone seems to be focused on the show.

[He shrugs at Ellis' mention of friends and family.]

Can't say I know the feeling.

[You didn't lose many loved ones when you didn't have many to begin with. He'd known plenty of people who'd died for various reasons, but he couldn't really call any of them "friends." As for family, he couldn't even remember anything about his parents. They must have existed, since he was reasonably sure he hadn't just crawled out of some gutter.]

It sounds like the gloom, though. Except that usually makes people kill themselves, not everyone around them.

An' security will be up so no...I don't wanna be the adult in this conversation, Garrett. It sucks bein' the adult, just ask Nick!

[Okay, that was a cheap shot against the man but it had to be said.]

You didn't siblings or allies at least? Sounds like a very lonely life.

[He may speak in simpler terms than some of the other Tributes but he got the point across.] Well at least y'all got a friend in this mess.

I might have siblings, but I doubt it. And yeah, I had allies. Not many, and I'd only call two of them "friend."

[He takes another swig of his drink.]

I tried having an apprentice once. We disagreed on a few key things and went our separate ways.

[Until Basso hired them both for that fateful job. What the hell had he been thinking? That they'd kiss and make up?]

Hey, Ellis? They don't call me "Master Thief" just because I look good in the outfit. And who's this "Nick?"

Not gonna lie, y'all look good in it. [Ellis couldn't help the shot okay?] An' ain't teachers supposed t' disagree with their students? [No, that was you being a hellion El.]

Nick's my best friend! [Beat] For better or for worst at th' moment. Goddamn tha' man...[yeah, the Tribute who shot pretty much half the Arena. That's him]

I-I stand by him but he needs a humblin'.

Not when it comes to murdering guards for no good reason.

[He leans in toward Ellis and lowers his voice so he's barely audible above the ambient noise of the bar.]

I could teach him a lesson, if you want. Just tell me what he looks like and where to find him.

[It'd give him something to do, if nothing else. As much as his instincts are telling him to go find the underbelly of this city, he knows he doesn't have a way in just yet. It would take time to find someone who knows someone, who knows someone else, who knows someone who knew how to tap into the black market.]

Whaddya mean a "Lesson"? I jus' wanna fuck with his room or his mind, I don't wanna hurt 'im! He'll get enough of tha' when he kicks it an' has to face pretty much everyone an' their brother.

What did ya have in mind?

That's what I was thinking. A little break in during the night should help him remember that the arena's rules don't seem to apply out here. Anyone with powers could use them for payback.

[All the more reason not to go on the sort of murder sprees they seemed to want, in his opinion. Death might be cheap here, but he'd rather not face mobs of angry past victims out here.]

Well, that'll-that'll definitely work! Tha' anal-retentive bastard will hafta learn! Can I come with an' learn with y'all? But y'gotta be careful, Garrett, death [wow it feels weird to say that] is permanent outta th' Arena...

[The first of many bad decisions, a life story by Ellis.]

I was cheating death before you could crawl.

[His expression turns serious.]

Do people ever tell you that they didn't hear you come in when you were just walking into a room?

[If the kid didn't have any natural knack for stealth, well...there were things you could teach, and things you couldn't.

Not that he was itching for a new student. Sure, Ellis seemed pretty innocent, and probably would follow his moral compass come hell or high water, but people could become corrupted once they got a taste of power. Any kind of power. Just knowing that you could take anything from anyone, get into anywhere you wanted whenever you wanted...and people thought knowing how to use a sword was power. But it only worked if you had the natural talent for it.]

Tha's metal as hell.

And...[NOPE. Ellis is as stealthy as a screeching cat.] I could work on it. [At least he had that going for him: resolution.

It's not to say the man would come out of having it unscathed, just changed. Survival and adapting molded El more than he could say about the moral guardians at home.]

"...Metal?"

[That had to be some strange expression from the future.]

Do it. And get some quieter shoes, too. Right now I can only use you as a distraction.

[Softer clothing would at least be a start. Ellis would have to figure out how to walk more silently on his own. Garrett would test him, of course, but everyone's feet were different. He'd met some fellow sneaks who had to move with exaggerated care to be silent, and some who could slip in and out of a crowded room without much change in their pace. Even he had to generally slow down to be truly silent, even with his soft leather boots.]

[Open] Not Exactly Home

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