(no subject)

[shiny_and_chrome]

Who: Nux and OPEN
What: Alive is good....maybe?  Having no money is...what is money?
Where: District 8 common area and training
Warnings: TBD?

A:  DIstrict 6 Common Area:

Nux is probably hard to see, because he's sitting on the floor.  Because, yeah, what is furniture?  They didn't have that in the Citadel. Even cars had most of their seats stripped out, except for the driver's. 

He misses driving, but after a few pokes at the tv remote, he's figured out what it does. And so he's found a racing show--sure they're not cars, but they're racing around that track for sure--while he's gotten a toaster dismantled into pieces between his legs. 



B:  Training Room

He's feeling waaaay better than he probably has a right to feel. Especially, you know, after being killed and all.  By a little girl!  He always KNEW females were weird, but, yeah, didn't see that one coming!  So he's on the far side of the punching bags, where he can view anyone coming in, noticeably trying to avoid anyone of the female persuasion, as he shifts between punching the bag and throwing knives. They're not quite lances or thundersticks, but they're close enough, he figures.

"Be better if they exploded, though," he muses, heading down range to retrieve them.  Because, well, anything's better if it explodes. 

C: Random Wandering In the City

Yeah, the City kind of weirds Nux out. It's so big. And there's like...open space. And there's shops, which are places that sell things! Things like...stuff he's never seen before! Like apple peelers and spaghetti tongs and....boxer underwear and big foil packets filled with air and something called 'potato chips' and little things that play music...the way he stops and stares into shop windows, or at people, it's probably really easy to run smack into six foot four of pasty War Boy.

Or, conversely, having him run into an innocent bystander as he runs out of a shop, hands full of plunder.  Paying for stuff? Wh-what's that? 

Comments

A

[dead_black_eyes]

The somber, pale-faced Mentor of District 6 has had some contact with Nux already via the gifts and notes sent into the Arena. Though he's experienced some personal shocks and setbacks since this particular Arena's end, he's back in the suite, and biding his cold fury at the institution that's kept him a slave ever since his own victory over a decade ago.

He's not taking it out on the Tributes, though. He's above that, and now that the idea of drowning his sorrows and poisoning this new liver is actually abhorrent to him, he has to find another, more constructive way to distract himself, and the new one, Nux, seems like a good way to start.

Poor, blithe soul. Nothing like anything in Panem. A good way to take the focus off this trainwreck for a little while, before I can approach it from a different angle and actually crack it.

He folds his body up like a fortress, settling into a couch cushion and quietly observing the young man dismantling his toaster.

"So you're Nux. Can you put it back together again?"

A

[shiny_and_chrome]

Nux looks up as the other guy enters: shirts still look weird to him. And hair. Only the Immortan had hair, really. Just another reminder how weird everything is here.

Which is why, well, the toaster. He's just figured out what toast is, but it's a machine, and taking it apart, even with impromptu tools like bent forks is something familiar. Almost familiar.

"Yeah, of course. But maybe the parts could be useful as something else, too." He holds up a heating coil, contemplatively. You could probably do soemthing with this. Sorry about the zero social skills.

[dead_black_eyes]

There are a lot of hairless things in the desert, and Linden finds that in the days after his mother's death when he's looking for things that connect and bind him to his home District, Nux's appearance is actually strangely comforting. The Mentor's features are hard and solemn, and his dark eyes flick to the coil in the young man's hand.

"I'm from District 6," he says. "I used to be a factory worker. We build hovercrafts, trains, and cars there. You're the first Tribute I've met since the Quell started who feels like he could actually be from 6, too."

He doesn't leave the couch, but he sits forward, humoring Nux because at this moment, it is the interaction that feels the least painful. He prefers to speak to this Tribute from another world who's content to watch racing and pull apart machines, and he'd be more content to listen.

"So what else would a heating coil be useful for? What would you do with it?"

C

[glowygreendeath]

Fortunately, Ermac is quite a bit stronger than he looks, especially considering that he's built like a scarecrow. Because of this, he only stumbles a bit when the strange young man barrels into him, and recovers quickly enough to give chase.

"Get back here!"

When he yells, it sounds like a couple of other people are yelling, albeit much more quietly, in perfect unison with him.

C

[shiny_and_chrome]

Nux isn't likely to stop, driving or running, so the impact just caroms him off at a slight angle. And drop one of the bags of potato chips, which really doesn't lighten his load that much.

"I'm sorryyyyyyy!" he manages, over his shoulder. That's social skills, right?

[glowygreendeath]

Yeah, no, a 'sorry' just isn't good enough. Ermac charges after him, taking advantage of the fact that there aren't any bystanders in the young man's wake to close the gap between them. He leaps as soon as his target is within reach and tackles him to the ground.

A

[molotov]

During her time in District 6, Molotov has seen some pretty stupid things happen in the common area. This is a whole new level, the shirtlessness and the scars and the toaster and the volume of the television.

At least Punchy usually wore a shirt.

She's only come back to gather the last of her things from her room, a door that Nux might have noticed stays perpetually closed and locked because she's never there. Now that she's not a Tribute anymore, it's not even technically her room anymore, which is why she has to take the final bits and pieces that she wants to keep upstairs, to Tom's new suite, where she's taken up residence for the time being.

But despite her desire to wash her hands of this failure of a District, she just stands there, watching the back of this... boy? man? person's head for several moments before she puts her hands on her hips and opens her mouth, her voice still practically dripping with her heavy Russian accent, still there despite the Capitol removing the language.

"What the holy hell are you doing?"

A

[shiny_and_chrome]

Hey, these scars are awesome. A full V8 engine! It's magnificent!

Don't blame him for staring, though. He's still not so comfortable around, you know, girls. And also the accent is a little...disconcerting. Almost like a Buzzard, but, well...Buzzards don't show that much skin. Or any skin, really. The words will actually eventually filter through his brain, and he'll nod a little too fast.

"Taking the slice heating thing apart." Obviously. He's a master of obvious. Except for knowing what 'toast' is. That's not so obvious.

[molotov]

Molotov is someone who's fairly used to being stared at, even by people who are comfortable with women. It's more a thing about her, specifically, but she can't complain. She supposes it's what's made her so famous here.

"The toaster, yes. I can see that. I mean why are you doing that? You know that you're going to have to pay for it, right?" She's unconcerned with the new credit cut-off, but most people don't have a year's worth of Sponsorship money and kill rewards behind them, either.

Besides, she's a Citizen now. She doesn't have to abide by the rules for Tributes.

"And now no one can have toast."

A

[crabmunicator]

Some days you just want some toast, you know? Karkat has grown fond enough of the condiments they smear on their crunchy bread, and it's with this in mind that he's found himself in the kitchen. He has not, however, found the toaster. Not that he hasn't looked! No, he's searched well, picking among cupboards and cabinets, even checking the fridge and freezer in case some hairbrained asshat put the damn thing in there, but he finds it nowhere. (Not in the oven, not in the sink, not in drawers too small to hold it that he checks out of building desperation.) So where the fuck is it?

The answer comes when, after his shuffling and slamming of bits of kitchen installations cease, he hears the metallic clinking from the common area. It's faint, having to combat with the additional sound of the TV, but it's something. Even if his answer isn't there, there's sure to be someone he can grill about the missing appliance.

He storms on into the other room, 5'2" of scowling, toothy, alien teen, and finds himself set before...

"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing with the toaster?"

Karkat's eyebrows hike up high, near hidden behind his bangs, but his big yellow eyes should be expressive enough without them.

A

[shiny_and_chrome]

No, Nux does not know because he has no idea what toast is. Well, he knows a girl named Toast, but she bore precisely zero resemblance to this machine.

Uh oh, though, apparently he's angered a War Pup. They're...kind of cute when they're angry, really.

"Nux, and I'm taking it apart." Obviously. "I can put it back together, since, well, it's apparently kind of popular?" He hadn't figured so many people would notice! There was so much stuff in the kitchen!

[crabmunicator]

Karkat wouldn't know the first thing of what a War Pup is, but that's not really the point.

He comes in closer and squats down next to the spread, glaring over strewn parts and then up at Nux himself.

"Did you not stop to think that people might want to use that?" he growls out.

For all his overbite and constant bags under his eyes, it's Nux who looks ugly to him. What's wrong with his lips? What about those lumps at his shoulder? Karkat looks at him like his appearance is a personal offense.

"I wanted to make myself something light to eat, but no, I have to deal with the whims of some ghost of a human who can't keep his prongs to himself. Are you even from this district? I haven't seen your husk around before."

C

[letthemburn]

Much like Nux, Iskierka tends to stand out, mostly on account of the fact that giant, spiky lizards aren't exactly common in most places. Which still strikes her as odd sometimes, although much less often now than it had been when she'd been newly arrived. On the other hand, she's long since figured out that being reasonably friendly is a good way to at least get most of the citizen of the Capitol to not outright distrust her (the fact that she is, and perhaps always will be, curious about things in general helps.)

So it comes as perhaps no surprise that when she spots Nux looking in her direction, she turns to make her way over in that direction, not because she's bothered by being stared at, but because she's never seen anyone who looks quite like Nux does before.

On the other hand, this means that Nux has a literal dragon heading his direction and while Iskierka never precisely forgets what she is, she does sometimes forget that this is not always the most comforting of experiences.

: C

[shiny_and_chrome]

The only kind of lizards Nux is used to are the small, probably mutated type. Big and with wings and all, yeah, that's worth at least a minute of straight up staring. Open-mouthed.

That. Is not a statue. Because it's moving.

Moving...right toward him.

A normal person might be afraid, or concerned, but Nux is a War Boy.

So he's just tilting his head, trying to figure out how this obvious machine works. He can't even see any wheels!!!

[letthemburn]

She's most definitely not a statue, no. How she works... well, that's harder tell, although it's perhaps fortunate that she's not actually aware that Nux's assumption is that she's a machine. She might have gotten used to the idea of them over the course of her stay in Panem, but the idea of being one herself is one that she'd find a little odd at the best.

She's not moving much like a vehicle either, if Nux is paying attention to her feet - if there are wheels involved anywhere it's certainly not there at the very least.

On the other hand, the point is swiftly made largely moot, as she draws near enough that conversation is something that's reasonably feasible. Nux is like not very much like anyone she's seen before and she's never been one to hide her curiosity.

"I do not think I have seen you before," she comments, without so much as missing a beat and with a surprising amount of politeness, given that she's a giant lizard. "Have you only just arrived?"

B

[ruffntumblenut]

"They would be SO much better if they exploded!"

Ruffnut had spotted that stupid bald guy from across the training room and decided to come over and thank him for helping her out when she was dying of...whatever that had been. Also for not killing her. She looks much healthier without the disfiguring burns or scarring. Her long blond hair has been cleaned and braided in a few different ways.

Wednesday had killed them both, she wondered if he'd seen that on the recordings or not.

"They don't trust us with exploding things though." She added "Probably because we'd use them. I mean...why would you have exploding things and not use them?"

B is the BEST

[shiny_and_chrome]

His first thought is 'ACK a girl!' and he flails, holding one of the knives in front of him. Keep your distance, you, you, you GIRL you!

But wait, he knows her. She's the one with the dragons. The cool one with the dragons. He hadn't watched the tapes--not after his own death. That was...super creepy, watching yourself die. And then he'd woken up and this place was totally NOT Valhalla.

And despite being a girl, that was good sense, right there. Explody things were made to be exploded. "It's like they don't know how to do a proper war." Disappointment!

"Ack a girl!" I absolutely love this guy XD <3

[ruffntumblenut]

"I think it's because they've gotten too big and strong." She muses feeling the weight of one of the spears and then balancing it on her palm by the butt of the spear.

"I hear they're so strong they just need to send a few of those floating ships over to a city and then can burn it to the ground in less then an hour. Nothing left but smoke and a big hole where it used to be. That's what they did to that place District 3." She explained shuffling back and forth trying to keep the spear from falling.

A, brings pizza for being late

[voiceinthephone]

Phil is one of the jumpier Tributes in District 6 so when he starts hearing noises and car sounds, he can't help peeking out. What a strange young man settled in front of the television set and...a pile of scrap and parts that used to be the toaster. Well, there went any chance of waffles for breakfast, he sighed and walked closer, at least the coffee machine was still alive.

Though to say that Phone Guy was impressed the Tribute took apart the toaster in what seems like mere hours was pretty accurate. He smiled a little at the racing show and decided to greet the new D6

"Hello-hello, uh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, you know...but you're a new face aren't you?"

A eats pizza for breakfast because even later

[shiny_and_chrome]

Who knew this toast thing was so popular around here?! He only picked it because it popped up after he pressed the little lever down and he had to see how that worked. It's only natural, right?

"Not interrupting." 'Scuse him for a second as he's mucking with the wiring. INTERESTING. Oh wait. Actual person. And ouch, he sort of zapped himself, so he's going to suck at his fingers for a second. "Kind of new, yeah. All this stuff is new." Toasters. The box with the racing show. Couches. It's all new!

A is a fine example for us all

[voiceinthephone]

The toaster is the easiest way one can make food and still define it as cooking, the last Phil checked, mostly because his breakfasts depended on that or reheating pizza or take-out. And one would be surprised how much those costs pile up. Though it is natural to want to take it apart, kudos on that Strange New Tribute.

"Need some first aid on that?" D6 Tributes stick together and more so when they share a common death. "What's your name?" Gray offered, as he heads into the nearest stove top...any chance Phil gets to cook something, he takes it.

B

[shieldofrohan]

Éowyn has been spending a lot of time in the training gym since her return, taking out her frustration with the situation on the dummies and the punching bags. Her knuckles are scabbed and her hands blistered from practice with sword and spear. She's using the spear at the moment, her face set as she jabs and twists and tries to remember all the old lessons she watched in the courtyards at home. Spears are one of her people's traditional weapons, but she's always been a swordsman at heart; even so, while her spear-fighting is less well-honed, there's real skill and training evident in her movements.

She's no longer fighting the dummies quite so single-mindedly. As she drills - sweat prickling her skin and soaking the crumpled shirt and leggings she wears - her eyes roam over the room. Nux catches her attention. Alone of the people in the gym at the moment, his height and reach more or less matches her own - he's a few inches taller than her, but she's better-used to that than to people with shorter range - and he seems to know how to fight.

Tossing her tangle of blonde hair over one shoulder, she strides over to him. Closer up, she smells strongly of sweat and - doubtless a less familiar smell to Nux - horse, and the bags under her eyes speak of sleepless nights.

"Do you know how to fight with spear or sword?" she asks him, her voice a little rasping and very authoritative. "I tire of drilling against wooden men who cannot match my blows."

I am the latest

[shiny_and_chrome]

You didn't last as a War Boy without knowing something about fighting. And driving. But also fighting. Especially when your Lancer occasionally got snarky.

She didn't seem snarky, though. She did seem a) like a she, which is freaky, especially because she's almost his height, and b) like she talks funny. All...fancy like or something.

And she's also...uh...wow. Kind of pretty. Right. He'll stop staring and start talking any minute now.

Any. Minute. Now.....

"L-lance. I can use a lance." Coherent!

C

[earthborn]

One very fine thing about running into Commander Shepard is that it is in many significant ways, similar to running into a brick wall. The woman just plain does not move for anyone, as if she had heard about the idea of the proverbial rock and the hard place, and decided that she wanted grow up to be both.

Nux, with his arms full of what spoils the fancy scarf shop may provide, is just one more person in a long, long line of people who are not getting past her.

"Nux." It's that particularly chilling tone that does it, as if distilled from the primordial construct of a disapproving parent, "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

C

[shiny_and_chrome]

Nux hasn't actually run into a brick wall before, never having really, you know, seen bricks. So it's a new experience!

A new, and painful, experience. The kind of experience that sends his loot flying in one direction, and his butt in the other.

Oh! It's the cool lady. The kind-of-Imperator from the not-his-Citadel. "Acquiring stuff!" Obviously. Well, not right now. Now he's crawling around trying to pick his stash.