thecapitol | it's never ever too late [open]

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it's never ever too late [open]

WHO| Ariadne and whomever wants to visit her
WHAT| Ariadne is musing to herself on the various occurrences of the Arenas.
WHEN| the night of the closing ceremonies.
WHERE| the training centre rooftop.
WARNINGS/NOTES| none right now.

Ariadne still wasn't entirely sure about all of this. All of this...killing, and maiming, and the fact that they were all brought back. What was she supposed to think of that? About the fact that somewhere out there in the world, someone was more than likely concerned with where she had disappeared off to; about the fact that she had curb-stomped a man to death on the opening day of the second Arena.

It was like everything that the Games were was suddenly rolling up on her, crushing her with implications and accusations that she had changed; that if she hadn't already, she would. There was a lump in her throat as she stared out at the glittering abyss that was known as the Capitol, hot tears barely pricking her eyes and refusing to fall.

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"I was unconscious for most of it. Knocked out from an explosion and then spaced. Next thing I knew, I was in a lab with fresh scars I didn't remember getting, an IV in my arm, and they tell me two years have passed," she tells her. "That's how long it took to put me back together, I guess."

Talking about this isn't something she really does with anyone. Partially, because no one ever asks. Or no one even knows, or would even really believe it if they did. But she feels that it seems only fair to share it with Ariadne, especially if it helps her get out whatever it is that she wants to talk about. I'll show you mind, if you show me yours.

"Just start with what you remember. What bothers or scares you. You won't scare me off. I promise."

She blinks slowly, unsure what to make of all that. "Then you must have similar technology to what they have here. What they use to put us all back together," Ariadne states, inflection lifting at the end in a sort of half-question, like she was looking for confirmation more than anything else.

"I could see it coming both times. Like everything was in slow motion as it happened. It wasn't even just my life flashing before my eyes," she tries, taking great care to look at her hands, like the answers were written there on her palms.

"In a lot of ways, they seem to be on a similar level of technology that I'm use to. But then again, in some ways, they are hilariously behind. No FTL here, um... faster-than-light technology. And half a dozen other things I can think of. But then again, what took them two years to do to me takes them just a few days here. If I were any more medically inclined than battlefield triage, I think I would have a field day in a lab here. Even now, I have half a mind to go snooping around and see what I can't learn. Could come in handy someday." Shepard muses, easily.

"I'm sorry," she offers rather clumsily, because she can't relate. Wishes she could, but the truth is that she never saw it coming. It had just been BOOM. Lights out. No slow-motion, life-flash-before-your-eyes, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel experience. Just on. Then off. Like a switch. A switch someone managed to jury-rig to get to come back on again.

"Were you afraid?" it isn't a pitying question, she genuinely wants to know.

Ariadne looks genuinely interested at the descriptions of the technology she could only dream of. Admittedly, once upon a time, she would have said the same thing of the PASIV, of entering people's dreams the way she has time and again. "I would, if I were you. There's no telling what you might be able to find out."

She tips her head to one side, closing her eyes a little at that point, and shrugs. "A little. Less than I thought I would be," she admits, frowning at that. It was an interesting realisation to come to, like she had just accepted it. "What does that mean?"

Shepard grins at that, a small hint of deviousness in her eyes, "Might be a good way to spend my new-found free time," she agrees. "I am rather curious about many things here, and how they work."

She means that in far more ways that she feels comfortable sharing with her right now. Maybe some other time. If they can manage another time, of course. Eyes and ears are everywhere here.

"And really, I just think that means you're smart," she settles on her answer after looking out at what little of the starlight she can see. It's such a strange feeling to see so few stars in the sky. "A healthy fear of death keeps us from being reckless. Reminds us that we're human."

Her smile grows a little at that, the curve a little bit devious; if Shepard is the type of woman Ariadne thinks she is, she has a good idea of what might be hidden in those words. "If you find out anything interesting, will you let me know? I'm a little bit disappointed I only have so much time between Arenas to catch up with everything."

She thinks on what Shepard's telling her, and realises it's probably true. "But if they're killing us over and over, what if we lose that fear or death? Or our humanity?"

"Of course," she insists. "New information about this place is always good to have, for foreigners like us, after all."

Her next question has her stumped, however. Philosophical conversations are strangely rare in her life, but it makes her strangely long for Liara; she would know what to say here. Shepard just has to take her best guess.

"Maybe it's just one more reason to win," she wishes she had a better answer for her. She got lucky. Incredibly lucky her first round in the arena. Just the right combination of keeping her distance, being in the right place, being with the right people, and knowing when to take the kill-shot. Though if she puts it that way, isn't that the story of her whole life? Even so, she didn't have to return to some other cooked up version of hell-on-Earth like all the rest of them. She doesn't know what that's like, and she's glad for it. Ariadne has a point there, even if she isn't trying to make it.

How can anyone keep themselves intact if killing and death is their only life? It would take a special kind of person - and likely not a good one - to want a life like that. She may not know her all that well yet, but she'd quite certain Ariadne isn't that kind of person.

She nods her agreement, folding her hands over the railing as she listens in relative silence. It's still surprising to Ariadne how well she can just sit and listen to people talk at this point; she would have thought that skill to fall by the wayside with everything else she has to deal with now.

In a way, she worries about herself as she sits there, contemplating the reply. Like she's already lost a part of herself. But if she had, she wouldn't be there, wouldn't be thinking so hard on it. She would be Tate instead, more than willing to go back into the Arenas time and again to kill more helpless people who have no idea what they're doing.

"You're right," Ariadne finally replies, "Even if the life of a Victor isn't much better than that of Tribute."

Shepard gives a small humph, a slightly sour-sounding laugh at Ariadne's remark. "No. It isn't. They even still encourage you to kill people; they're just more subtle and tactful about it. Do you know that after my victory, I was instructed to encourage tributes into confrontation?. Not to tell them to hide, or protect themselves... not to find allies or band together. They want me to tell them to do whatever they can to win."

She pauses and stares out over the city as she places a very dark thought on the tip of her tongue. "I'm supposed to tell them to kill you. And then, I have to sit back and watch you die."

Ariadne frowns at that, her mood sinking further. She thinks, in a way, she's glad she's died accidentally both times. She hasn't truly been killed either time, but she doesn't know how much better it makes it if Shepard's Tributes are supposed to be killing everyone in sight.

"Who are your Tributes?" She asks, intending fully to either take them out before they can her, or to just avoid them flat-out if necessary.

She amends after a moment, thoughtfully: "It doesn't sound that surprising. It sounds like the Capitol. Too many alliances makes for a boring Games."

"The turtle," Shepard tells her. She knows his name is Donatello and that he's actually a surprisingly sweet guy. She'd been expecting something more akin to a krogan disposition from him but there was a lot more brain to match the brawn and it was hard to not want to root for him a little. The others though? Well the girls were lost causes, much as she hated to admit it. Bao Yu was reckless. Jill was terrified. She told Ariadne about them anyway. "I probably should be saying this about my own tributes, but of any of them, the two girls I believe you could handle all on your own. The other one...?"

Loki was a piece of work.

"He's a newer one," she explains. "Just arrived. Tall, even kind of handsome if you like them slender and don't mind the crazy talk."

She knows that there is probably some strict violation she just broke here. Cheating by giving one district intel on another. But maybe.... maybe she would rather Ariadne win, anyway. Donatello could handle another round. Shepard would rather if Ariadne didn't.

It still shocked her to some extent that there was a turtle. An actual turtle, sentient and apparently capable of fighting in an Arena as they were expected to do. She simply nods in response, unable to keep from cracking a half-smile eventually. "I'll remember that, if ever I run into them. It's nice to know that I'm not bad, in comparison to some," she offers up, one eyebrow lifting thoughtfully.

"I can't say I've met very many people with 'crazy talk', as you put it. I'll try to avoid him, if I can help it," Ariadne muses, frowning at that point. Really, she wants to avoid anyone she knows she can't actually take out; there's no reason they can't kill each other, and let her wander her way to the top.

She would really rather not deal with another Arena, if she could help it.

"I think that might be best," she agrees with a small nod in the affirmative.

For a moment, Shepard pauses and takes a small and hopefully non suspicious survey of the area. "Can I ask... what you have been doing to prepare? I know that I can't do anything to help you, officially...." she gives an innocent shrug and a smile and hopes Ariadne will not take the question as a hope to use the information against her.

A tiny laugh escaped her, a rare sort of sound, and Ariadne glanced Shepard over thoughtfully; she trusted the other woman enough to be able to give her something. She doubted it would be used against her.

She hoped her trust wasn't misplaced.

"Training. I won't be able to beat them hand to hand alone, but it won't hurt. I can't strategise until I know what the Arena is like," she started, frowning a little in thought. "I'm not really sure what else to do, besides finding stronger allies to cover me."

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it's never ever too late [open]

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