thecapitol | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who| Don and OPEN
What| He's back in the Capitol. Again.
Where| District 9 suite at first, then throughout the Training Center
When| Anytime after Don woke up!
Warnings/Notes| None at the moment.

It was weird to wake up alive again, feeling his arm back, and yet not feeling anything but annoyance. Especially as he had not accomplished what he had set out to do. And he had been taken out by Sigma. But Sigma also died, so it was a comfort. A small one.

Quickly he turned on the television, breathing a long sigh of relief as he saw that Lottie was alive. For now. Maybe she could find others. He could send her supplies. Somehow.

With that, he stood up and walked out of his room. Perhaps he could find Lottie's mentors, convince them to get sponsors for her. That would at least he helpful. Then, he had to figure out what else he could do. There was the girl with the long hair, that he could try and help as well...

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"I meant the Arena itself," Ariadne corrected, a small smile twitching to her mouth before she tipped her head to one side. Still, it was more interesting to hear about Don's time in the Arena, the people he met and the way they changed from setting to setting.

"Did you want to sit down somewhere? Catch up a little?" She offered, dropping her own voice after a moment, "He wasn't taking 'justice' into his own hands, was he? Everyone has to kill in the Arena."

"Oh! Right. That..." Don frowned. "I've always wanted to go to Disneyland, see the animatronics and Imagineers at work, but...I think I might delay a second visit for awhile until I'm back home. That wasn't my definition of fun at all. And...it felt like he was trying to, somehow."

At this, Don motioned to a few chairs in the hallway.

"Is this all right here?"

"Probably a good thing." She trailed along with him, nodding her agreement that the chosen spot would be just fine, and went on with a light shrug of one shoulder, "As much as having to kill people you've gotten to know is unfortunate, I don't think he's allowed to judge the rest of us on something we can't control. He's in there just the same as the rest of us."

"I know." He sat down in a chair. "But that's the thing to. He threatened me in the Training Center before the Arena even began. I don't know why he specifically targeted me first - I barely even knew who he was before."

He rubbed his head thoughtfully.

"Chances are I'm going to have to warn other Tributes to look alive if he's going to continue acting that way. Especially towards others outside of the Arenas."

"What did he say?" Ariadne asked, brow tugging into a mild frown as she sat down as well, tucking one leg up until her as she got comfortable. She worried now for her own Tributes, though she doubted they would be targeted at all. Still, it didn't bode well to have one Tribute aiming for the rest like that; it didn't sound like the same sort of 'kill to win' attitude most people had.

"He said he'd played gamed like this before. That he'd settle the score for the fact that I killed, and that I'd endangered the advantage I might have given for my allies in the Arena."

"How could you play games like this before now?" Her frown grew deeper, and she paused before tipping her head slightly. "Does he have any allies that you know of?"

"...No. I mean, I know he was with someone last Arena if memory serves," Don replied, "but...they didn't really show much of it. The networks edited Sigma out for the most part."

"I noticed that. I haven't seen much of him." Which was disconcerting, to say the least. "In the Arenas or in the Capitol. I haven't met him either."

"Hopefully if you do, it will go better than my own first meeting." Don sighed, rubbing his head. "I worry about my friends in the Arena now, even if he's not in there now. What about the next Arena?"

"There are ways around it. There are plenty of Tributes now; it's not like when we were first in there." Another pause. "Maybe next time you can take him out at the Cornucopia. He doesn't pose much of a threat out here."

"...Might have to, if he continues to do this." Don frowned again. "I don't necessarily want to, but if he doesn't leave me with any choice, then I guess that's what has to happen."

"Why don't you want to?"

"...Because." It was a difficult answer. "I know it sounds weird coming from me, all things considered, but...the truth is, my general code is that killing should be a last resort. Be it to protect someone, or out of self-defense. It wouldn't feel right on my conscience if I just sought him out and provoked a fight out of some sense of pettiness or superiority. I'd...just be on his level, going down a road best not traveled."

Despite his own desire to break out and just kill everything and everyone in the Capitol who had hurt the Tributes. Despite his own worry and fear about his memories and the blood already on his hands.

Edited 2013-04-25 02:29 (UTC)

She merely blinked, nodding faint acknowledgement of his explanation. At least he was retaining his humanity, so to speak, in a way that she perhaps hadn't. Ariadne could only imagine that had she been in the Arena as many times as he had now, she might have been more inclined to kill off the other Tributes without fear, rather than with the hesitation that she'd presented during her last Arena.

"All right. I'll let you gauge it for yourself. I think that taking him out early might save you the trouble, but in the end, it's still up to you."

"Fair enough." Don nodded. Well, he tried at least. "So...what else have you been up to? Any new Sponsors that have been piquing your interest?"

"None really. They all seem the same, once you talk to them long enough." She frowned a little. "Some are worse than others, but as long as they're willing to help out my Tributes, I suppose it could be worse."

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