thecapitol | [closed] you hurt yourself again, along with all your friends

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[closed] you hurt yourself again, along with all your friends

Who| Karkat and Phil, then Tabris
What| So Tony is dead and Linden just got tortured. Time to freak out a little.
Where| D6, D10
When| After the broadcast of Tony's execution.
Warnings/Notes| Talk of torture and execution, obviously. Will update if need be.

A. for Phil

Karkat doesn't wait. As soon as the broadcast is over he's moving, heading from his room where he'd formerly been hunched over a load of homework down to Phil's Mentor quarters. If there's one person here he knows the video will affect, it's him, and it would be far too suspicious if neither of them talked to each other after the events of the arena.

As he knocks on the door, though, Karkat's mind is whirring. Linden's been rebellious for well long enough, and he was there to see the speech he delivered at school, how he'd been escorted away by Peacekeepers when it was over. (It had left him shaky all day. He hadn't said anything outright rebellious, but neither had he been deferential and respectful.) And an old dream pricks at his head, leaving him wondering still if it wasn't his fault somehow. They had talked about his Avox parents, given sympathy to them, and how would the Capitol take that?

When Phil answers, his face will be set nervous. There's no question what it's about.

B. for Tabris

Tabris slipped a letter under his door, and since then Karkat's held onto it, keeping it right there in mind. Feferi may have been the one to come to him immediately, but he recognizes Tabris's discretion in waiting. And really, even a delay doesn't override what her support means at a time like this. Being disbelieved by friends about something as important as a traitorous monster who would have them all as servants is bad enough, and here around the corner has come the double blow of a tortured Mentor and an execution.

He comes up to District 10 less shaken than he was right after the broadcast, but hardly looking well. She said she'd make time for him even if she was busy, but when he knocks, he doesn't know if she'll actually be in her room. He waits and hopes.

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The Mentor suite was still newly furbished and Foxy was still trying to find his new spot spot when both foxling and master hear the knocking on the door. It takes Phillip a considerable amount of strength not to collapse when he saw Linden, someone so near and dear being tortured, then the absolute delight he saw Jason Compson experience. Tony Stark was executed and no one batted an eye, but how could they? What was plastered on screen was grotesque at least, a show of power that no amount of alcohol or common sense could erase.

Hold steady, don't let them see you sweat, Gray motivated himself as he stood up from his already overflowing desk and made his way to the entrance. To see Karkat on the other side allowed him to release a breath he hadn't caught himself holding and nodded,

"Hello, Karkat. Would you like to come in? How can I help you?" He knows how to act like he's put together, but his double greeting habit is stifled down on sheer terror. He's sent an anonymous message in a previous post by Stark, the rope feels rough around his skin and neck.

Edited 2015-08-29 02:56 (UTC)

Pfft, anonymous messages. Karkat was logged in the whole time on the last post, and now what? What do they know? Sense may say that if they knew all involved, then there would be more than just one body on the screen, but the thought wasn't enough to ease his worries.

Karkat only nodded before stepping in, and it took him a moment longer to find the words. Cameras always, cameras everywhere: that was the trouble with this place, and he couldn't afford to be careless with his words.

"Our Ment-..." he started to say, then corrected, "Linden--he's..." Pause, swallow. "If they did that, it's worse than I thought. There was, he had this speech at the youth program earlier in the month. No respect for it. They, the Peacekeepers hauled him off after, but I didn't realize that... it was this bad."

He hoped that would cover. He was worried about Linden, no mistake, and in a way he hadn't realized the full extent of the suspicion on him. But he phrased it deliberately, as a Tribute unaware of his Mentor's full rebellion.

The facade Gray has is just barely put together as he closed the doors behind Karkat and let him sit wherever.

"I can't give opinion on the speech myself, I went to the talent show...I didn't know he was al- he was secure until the Crowning," and that was all backed up with the genuine surprise the man showed when he saw Linden there, sitting out a daze of painkillers. "I-I saw the video and-"

Does he dare voice how disgusting it all was? To have a man just shot down and another with signs of hell along their skin? Not verbally. His hands tremble as he offers his guest a drink, some tea, "What we saw was a very unfortunate event and I hope he's recovering."

He bit down his lip, looking to the floor. He could only hope this maintained Karkat's cover but now they both know they're under tighter surveillance. "Do you know where he will be treated?"

Karkat barely noticed the specifics of the interior as he came in. Foxy got a glance, but beyond him his attention fell to finding a chair then sitting in it. Phillip got the audio focus; he listened more than he looked, processing feelings as much as finding a way to incorporate it into further cover.

At the end he shook his head. "No, I don't." It was sincere. "I don't know if he would be allowed visitors after this. If--if this is enough for his lesson, or..." He trailed off.

It took him a moment before he added, "It's not the first time they've executed someone. There was this other guy, not long after I showed up. Same sort of crime."

Plus or minus a few particulars. The details were less important than the message attached, the one that came in a bullet through the head. He could still replay it in his mind, and he shuddered now at the memory.

"I don't doubt there's been other executions, but it seems to me that threatening the national security with those posts carries a lot more weight than we all thought," Phil tried to be diplomatic but now the Capitol couldn't hide certain things from the Offworlders: District 13. From what that broadcast showed, and the brief connection with Wyatt Earp added, District 13 was the biggest threat to power.

War was on the horizon, there was no denying that. As Phil put the kettle on, more for himself and to keep some normalcy in the dire event. Karkat had been here longer, he has a better feel of the situation. "In any case, we have to uphold ourselves in the incoming days, and show our solidarity to the Capitol, for Linden's sake, for the District's..." the last part he said in a whisper while he handed a mug to his troll friend, "And ours."

More weight? Karkat looked at him, judging what he might say, until deciding on nothing. He said it was the same sort of thing, but what point was there to drag it out? It wouldn't do Phil much better to look it up when it was the same thing: another ally, brains shot out for them all to see, a message made.

Solidarity, though, was a smart approach. "Yeah--yes, we should. If this is what District 6's original mentor has got himself into, we have to set a better example, for them and to the Capitol. Maybe Linden will come around after this, if he sees us doing right."

Maybe he'll keep his head down is what he thought--hoped.

"Panem can't hold together if people keep making cracks, so we have to stand ready to patch them up. To show that Linden and Stark are the exception, and that we'll more than make up for their mistakes."

Phillip loathed the idea of showing any approval towards the blatant disregard to life and dignity that the Capitol showed to its' guests but some steps had to be taken to ensure Linden's legacy wasn't tainted any further. One of which had been to chime in with Compson's tirade on a semi-official capacity, to show the Capitolites that while District 6 didn't disown their Mentor, they didn't condone what he did.

"That sounds like an excellent course of action, Karkat," the exhausted smile Gray wore wasn't all show. "Have any news outlets approached you with questions?"

Foxy was visibly withdrawn and burrowed himself under Phil's chair, having picked up the fear from his master. Lucky you, Foxtrot, Phone Guy sighed, You hide from the public, it's normal and expected. If Karkat and I did that, we'd be called cowards.

Which gave him an idea about their presence, "Any questions about Linden's condition or treachery, you swing away and keep the subject on your accomplishments in the Capitol. Remind them of how you helped and fought for D6 in the mini arena and how willing you are to do it again to maintain unity and strength for Panem."

Karkat had long since come to terms with lying to save his hide. He'd had to in the wake of what happened with the Initiate; he couldn't afford to have any doubt laid against him. Still, it was hard to ever be happy about it.

Phil followed along admirably, and he shook his head to the question. "No, not yet. I haven't been downstairs yet."

He ticked off another point in his favor for the suggestions.

"I did fight last time," he said, meeting his eye. "Went down to other tributes for the first time since I've been here. And I've already been telling them for a while that I'm this to win, so it won't be any kind of stretch to keep it up. And I've said similar stuff in these letters for the youth program, so it follows straight out. Consider my image fully on target for this."

He let out a huff. "I can't remotely say I imagined my life someday relying on handling nosy press, but I am nothing if not adaptable."

"If we do our part, this will soon pass and the scrutiny will go with it. Linden will mend his ways," though from the look on Phil's face, he wasn't entirely sure that a speech deserved a whipping of this magnitude. It was the Capitol, after all. "And we'll all serve Panem, show them that our District is strong but loyal to the nation itself."

He then sipped from his mug while offering Karkat some assurance, "Make yourself the model Tribute, and I'll do my best in keeping things off Linden. Surely, there must be some other events on the horizon, the Capitol shouldn't dwell too much into this."

Oh God, he hoped the goverment had as short an attention span as the Capitolites. There were bigger targets to pursue, a broken mentor should be a flight of fancy. Though underneath the impassive mask Gray was wearing, his smile towards his friend was sincere, "You've adapted pretty well to what's been happening, I know you'll do great in the news cycle and in the programs. But please don't overwhelm yourself, okay?"

Edited (The hell is English ) 2015-09-06 07:44 (UTC)

"I hope so," answered Karkat, though the truth of it lay elsewhere than Phil's surface words.

He hadn't wanted Linden to fall to this. He'd been worried, sure, no way he couldn't be, but an outcome making sense didn't mean it was desired. It wasn't even the first time District 6's reputation had been sullied, but things like Linden's old confrontation with Jason or Stephen's drunken glitter bender were the kind of social embarrassment that could pass or be mended much more easily than something that implied treasonous thought. He'd worked hard to clear any doubt that might have lingered around himself after he'd been caught in the Initiate's plot.

Make yourself a model Tribute, Phil advised, and Karkat nodded.

"I'll do my best." He looked up again, promising with his eyes, not energetic enough to put it more floridly. "No matter what Linden does, we're dedicated, and we'll show that."

That was about all that could be said, though. The rest was left to watch and wait for how the public would take their act.

"You need anything else from me? I could sit here and mope for hours, but it won't get more interesting to look at. I'm guessing you might want to talk to the others, too."

Leaving didn't appeal, but lingering wouldn't get much done, and there were others he could - and probably should - go see after this. Tabris for one had offered him company recently, and this if anything gave excuse to take her up on it.

Edited (changed my mind about the icon) 2015-09-22 03:37 (UTC)

Phil conceded and shook his head, offering a familiar soft smile to Karkat, the one he reserves for friends only, "Nah, you go on what you need to do, okay? I'm gonna keep you, all right?"

If there was something Gray wanted to keep, it was their spirits high and their hopes just as well. It's kept him sane after all this time, that things will get better if they fight and work for it. And he had faith in Vantas's skills in the field and in the Capitol.

"I'll talk to the others and see how I can help them," with that, he stands up and gives his friend a salute. "I'll catch ya later, okay?"

Karkat nodded softly to the promise. "Thanks."

He rose after, lingering only to chair was straight (it was the polite thing to do) before heading for the door.

"Yeah, later," he agreed. "You're doing good at this, so--keep up the good work."

And with that awkward compliment, he slipped back out of the room.

Luckily for Karkat, Tabris was indeed in her room. Her first instinct had been to race out and grab a hold of everyone she'd known that had been making identified posts, people they could track down and punish. But she had to restrain herself. If the first thing she did after a broadcast like that was rush out to other people, they wouldn't need two brain cells to figure out that she--and they--were guilty of something.

So she made herself sit in her room, forced herself to try reading one of the books that she'd been given to help her figure this whole reading thing out. But even with the easiness of the book she found herself reading the same pages over and over again, never picking up any information from the words. Moreso than usual, anyway. Paying attention to the words were hard enough when she wasn't waiting to get dragged out of her room and shot.

The knocking at her door sent a chill to her blood, not dissimilar to the one she felt as she watched Tony get executed. This was it. They were coming for her. No--She fought down the panic rising in her throat, because what kind of Peacekeeper knocked. She was behaving like a child. So she threw the book aside and walked over to pull the door open.

Despite her mental chastisements, it was a relief to see Karkat, and not Quintus or whoever else would be in charge of dragging her off. That meant that he'd gotten her note. Good. She gave him a smile, though it was easy to see that it was a little more stressed than usual.

"Karkat, hey. Good to see you." And with that, she swung the door open, stepping aside so he can come in. The room has since recovered from her lengthy seclusion in it, cleaned spic and span by avoxes. But it's still definitely Tabris' room--There are an assortment of stickers haphazardly stuck along the walls--gifts from Bayard. A few pictures decorate it, dogs and forests, one of Alistair. It's a room that feels lived in, like if Tabris had to stay here, she'd make sure she was at least comfortable during the duration.

Karkat had never been to her room before, but there was little to be mistaken between him and a Peacekeeper, let alone any other Capitolite. Even Terezi in her junior role had her seared red eyes, and she was gone to District 13 now. Beyond that he looked tired, eyes red-rimmed for all the grey tinted it different, but dry now. He'd cried at some point, surely, but the most had drained itself from him.

With a quiet thanks, he stepped in through her open door.

Part of him wanted to simply cross over to her bed, flop face down, and scream into the covers. Instead he hovered standing, looking away from the stylings to Tabris.

"Fuck this entire week and the diseased orifice it tore itself out of." It might have sounded more impressive if his voice had any of its usual spark. "Can I sit?"

"No sitting allowed." Tabris informed Karkat, as she took a seat in a chair. There was a brief pause, then she decided that it'd be best to not pull his leg too much, not right now. "Go ahead, sit wherever you want."

She hesitated before saying anything else. It sucked, really and truly sucked that she couldn't actually talk to Karkat, talk to him about what's actually wrong and what's actually happening. Saving her thoughts for herself had never been something that Tabris was big on, even when she was younger, and the wrong words could get her killed there. But she was older, and there was more at stake here than one elf.

"I know what you mean. Finding out that Linden and Tony were both traitors. It's shocking." She pressed her lips into a thin line, shooting him a sympathetic look, one that was sympathetic for reasons entirely different than what she said. "I'm sorry that you have to find out about it like this."

He gave her a look, too tired to really be irritable. Again came the urge to just flop on her bed, but with her permission he took to a chair instead, sinking heavily into the seat.

He didn't mind the wait. Issues sat heavily enough on their shoulders without forcing them to shift them faster. There was also the trouble of finding the right words, too, and that was critical in times like these.

"I only ever met Tony once, but Linden..." He propped his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands. "He's my Mentor. I've known him since I got here, basically, and I've seen him go through these stupid life decisions over these past months, and pull out of them, and at least it seemed like he cared about us, but..."

He did care, and that was the important part. He wouldn't have wound up in this position otherwise. It was his indiscretion, being too bold maybe; they might have done worse if they knew more.

"He gave this really flippant speech at the youth program a while back." He'd told Phil about it, too. "The Peacekeepers, they took him after, but nothing happened then, and... I just didn't expect it to turn out this way. For him to be that bad, you know? It's hard to take in."

"I never met Tony, just saw him at his Crowning. His was my first one." She drummed her fingers on her chair thoughtfully. She'd thought about it, once or twice. But he was some super technologically advanced genius, and she was a medieval elf who hit things with an axe. There wasn't a lot to talk about. Too late now, anyway. Probably for the best.

Linden...her meetings with him hadn't left a good impression. She felt kind of bad about it now, but then, her best idea for how to handle him was to completely ignore him and his antics and hope he went away. Not that she had much room to talk in the alcohol department, but she had a line. But he was obviously important to Karkat, and she nodded sympathetically. "It sounds like he's been in a bit of a downward spiral. Saying things to the kids, particularly...that definitely would attract attention."

And then the hacked post happened, probably just dooming him. Him and Tony. Were they behind it? It didn't really matter now. If they weren't, the person who had done it would be an idiot to try again, not when they'd managed to have that scapegoat. "Well--I mean, he's alive. Maybe this will be his chance to see just how far he's fallen. Maybe he'll be able to turn this thing around, realize that all this traitor nonsense is a fool's errand. I'm sure he'll be forgiven if he takes advantage of this chance." She turned to look at Karkat, raising her eyebrows at him. Her next sentence, she said with the air of someone who was trying very hard not to choke on a particularly nasty smell.

"The Capitol is merciful, after all."

She let that baldfaced lie sink in, before rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Phil seems like he's got his head on straight, at least."

"My second," he replied softly. It didn't matter much. What he remembered wasn't the party so much as running into him in the lobby, the dumb questions he'd asked, how frustrated he'd become. He didn't know what way to regret: that he didn't talk to the asshole again, or that he met him in the first place. Did it matter? He was dead regardless, and not knowing Brainiac 5 hadn't stopped the shock he felt to see his head shot open on the Tower stairs.

The Capitol always made its message clear.

"Yeah," he said at length as he pulled his thoughts back to Linden. "Yeah, I hope so. I didn't come here to... to have a shit Mentor."

It sounded lame to his ears. He hadn't come here for anything, not like any statement of intent could tell. Hopefully the awkwardness served enough cover when he shuddered at the mercy comment.

"Phil's better. I didn't think he would win, but that shows what I know. He's handling this pretty good. He means well, and that means a lot in this, you know?" Karkat met her eyes. "Maybe he can set an example or something. He--we both tried to help Linden last time, in the mini-arena, so if we can lay out a straight path for him to follow..."

He rubbed at his face. "Ugh, I sound like a shredded dictionary for how coherent I am."

"I don't think I've expected any of the wins that I've seen, and plenty of the ones that I didn't see." Tabris replied with a shrug, leaning back in her chair. "Even Black Tom. Sure, he's got the will to kill thing going on, but everyone I know hates his guts. As soon as we were done rowing, my district pitched him in the water. And he's old." Peggy wasn't a surprise, really, but Phil looked like he'd get knocked out if she punched him solidly, and Anna...was Anna.

"Well, you know, Karkat. People can change in ways that'd surprise you. If you just keep trying, something could happen." She tapped her cheek thoughtfully, trying to think of what she could say that wouldn't get them in trouble, but might offer some actual comfort. Unfortunately, what the Capitol thinks is acceptable is rarely what's good for tributes. Most everyone in here is a powder keg, and the Capitol just keeps shaking them up more and more.

Eventually, the rebellion was going to bring a match, and Tabris was going to enjoy watching what happened.

"It's okay to be shook up about all of this. You don't have to sound like you're dropping an essay on me. I understand what you're saying. Besides, you lost your friend Terezi on top of all of this, didn't you?" Her lips twist just slightly, trying to control the smile on her face. The conversation with Terezi over that post had been pretty hilarious--As had her conversation with Shepard been, because Tabris is an asshole who reads other people's conversations. "At least she's in a better place now, right?" A subtle reminder that Terezi, at least, was safe from all this.

"I wonder how long it'll be until we end up joining her, though." She shifts slightly, eyes intent as she focused on Karkat. "The next arena will be cropping up soon. Can't decide if it'd be better or worse, honestly."

"He was trying," Karkat returns. "You want surprise, that was my ancestor. A total pacifist saved from the arena imploding by being in the right place at the right time." It was more than coincidence with the Psiioniic's visions helping him, but that didn't change the overall impression. The Signless would have been the last person he expected to ever win.

But Tabris goes on, and what distraction that may have offered slides out of mind like sand through splayed fingers. Not for her airy suggestions of change, but for Terezi. His jaw tightens; a lump forms in his throat.

"No. Not really." Better than the Capitol, maybe, but what good does that mean when the Initiate is with her? Talk of Paradox Space would serve no better cover when all that awaited her there was abuse, conflict, and probably death. "She's not safe. There's a Makara there and they only ever fuck things up."

It's true in both places, same problem, second verse. For his conversation, not one part had been funny.

Even joining her didn't lift his heart. District 13 would mean fights and arguments over how safe her matesprit isn't, and as for returning to their own world... "I don't want to join her. I have nothing but Panem left, Tabris. If they send me back I'm just dead, permanently, no second chances."

Edited 2015-09-22 03:55 (UTC)

"Yeah, the Signless must've taken everybody by shock. But I mean, there's plenty of people who do try. I don't...not try. I don't know. I'm not sure if I really want to be a Victor." It's a conversation she's had in her head plenty of times, but in the end it all boils down to the same thing: It doesn't fucking matter. She's not going to give up while she's in the Arena, and if that scores her a win, great. If not, whatever. What's another death.

She hesitates at Karkat's expression, and then stands, crossing the room to sit next to Karkat. When she speaks, she puts a hand on Karkat's shoulder. "I don't know what what afterlife you have, but where I'm from, there's a guy called the Maker, and he makes sure that troublemakers don't mess with anyone." Not that she's going to say too much about the Initiate, not when she's been making plans to put her neck on the line, possibly get executed, based on a lead that he gave her. That'd be a real fun thing to divulge.

"Besides, Terezi's a tough kid. She'll be alright. As for that..." The elf gave a shrug, her free hand running through short-cropped hair. "I get you. I'll do my best to make sure you don't join her quite yet, alright? I'll try to keep an eye on you in the arena. I know that it's really...Not much. I can't save anyone, really." Her lips twitch, because as light as she says it, it's a contentious subject for her. "But it'll be alright. This will all get figured out, Karkat."

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[closed] you hurt yourself again, along with all your friends

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