thecapitol | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who| Joan and Dan
What| Joan told Dan to come find her so they could talk. Hence.
Where| District 11 suite
When| After the Capitol tells the Tributes what's actually going on.
Warnings/Notes| Talk about alien-thingies, possibly about violence/injury/death as well?

Joan usually doesn't watch the screens, considering their penchant for programming chock full of violence and death. Since returning to the District 11 suites after checking out the barriers, though, she's been sitting in the common room and watching the coverage of the "crisis." When the messages come to the Tributes, letting them in on what was actually going on, Joan rolls her eyes, shakes her head. Of course. The Capitol officials are liars. Who lie.

In addition to the frustration, however, there's also worry. Dan is out there, on the "wrong" side of the barriers, barriers that are pretty much meaningless, since the evacuation area is expanding. And he's a Peacekeeper, so it's his job to fight these things and possibly die in the process.

Aside from the necessary lack of trust, she doesn't want to see him hurt. She had wanted him to come see her so she could get him to tell her what the Capitol was actually up to, of course. But she was also telling the truth when she said she wanted to know he was okay.

So she waits. And watches. And worries.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Daniel is still in his uniform when he arrives, though he has taken off his helmet. It's still gleaming white, as if all dirt is somehow magically repealed from it, despite where he had just been.

It might be a sign that he never actually went into the tunnels.

He knows that he makes the other Tributes nervous, so he doesn't linger. He just asks an escort to see Joan, calling her 'Ms Watson' again.

When he walks into the common area, Joan stands, the relief probably clear on her face.

"Thank you for coming."

Daniel nods and glances around. "Care for a walk?" he suggests. It's too weird to be here with people watching them.

That makes perfect sense. The presence of a Peacekeeper would make Tributes uneasy, and she can understand him feeling uneasy that he's making them uneasy.

"Is it safe to be outside?"

"We can stay in the building," he says. "Let's go to my office." Another risk, he knows, but most of his files are locked up in disks. She can't very well see them without access to his computer and he'll be with her the entire time.

She raises her eyebrows slightly, appreciating the significance of that, of inviting her behind the scenes, as it were.

"Sure. Lead the way."

It turns out not to be much to look at. It's a quiet room, cramped because so much space in the Tower has been used for the influx of Tributes. He has a desk with holo screens that are on mute. They shift through screens of the Tower, monitoring activity in common areas. He orders some coffees for them both and has an Avox bring them. He treats the man politely, but still with the dismissive air of someone raised around the idea of that sort of slavery.

"You heard the announcement?" he asks her as they settle in to talk. The only bit of personality in this room is a small, metal owl on his desk. It's a statue that looks as if it could be a paperweight, if paper was still used as commonly as it once was.

Joan makes a point of meeting the Avox's eyes and thanking him for the coffee before turning back to Dan.

"I did. How much did you know when I saw you at the barriers?"

"Everything she said so far, and that the thing had been killing and eating every team we sent in there," Dan answered grimly, but matter of factly. He set his jaw a bit. "It's the first time anything like this has happened, so I don't think people in the city know how to handle it."

"I take it these things aren't native. If I had to guess, I'd say this is a case of your people kidnapping more than they could handle."

Daniel smirks a bit but makes a soft motion with his hands. He doesn't confirm or deny that, but the smirk might be a hint that he's impressed by her connecting the dots.

The smirk is enough for her to infer that she's probably right, even if he's unable to come out and say so.

"Too bad we can't just kill it in the arena. That way anyone it kills could come back. Not to mention it would be great TV."

"It's made a nice little home for itself," he explained. "I'm not sure there is any option to take it out and relocate it at this moment." Then, after a moment "There's no guarantee this won't be broadcast. In that case, it might still be good TV."

Of course.

"That's sick," she says, her voice deceptively mild. But that, of course, is the way things are here.

"Will you be fighting it too?"

Daniel nods. "I'm planning on going in with the combat groups," he tells her. "What about you?"

She gives a short, humorless laugh. "I couldn't even kill a person in the arena if I wanted to. Trying to kill that thing would be suicide. I'll be on the intelligence team, unless they really need another doctor."

She tilts her head. "Do you have to go?" she asks softly.

"No. I don't have to go," he said after a moment. "I volunteered to go."

"Why? They'll punish us if we don't help. Why would you choose to do it?"

Daniel was quiet for a moment. "Maybe I want to go out in a blaze of glory," he said after a moment, though his tone was purposely detached.

She blinks, her forehead creasing in concern.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" she asks, her voice gentle.

"No. I plan on getting back out, and bringing as many of you back as I can too."

She nods, relieved, even if her expression is placid.

"You're more concerned about us than the Capitol is."

"Don't let it fool you," he replies after a moment, smiling just a bit. "I'm still their tool, Ms Watson."

"Of course you are. But the fact that you would say that suggests you're less of a tool than you might be otherwise."

She can't trust him, not completely, but she does like him.

Dan shrugs and then chuckles a bit, though the sound of it is tired. "I think I need something stronger than coffee to have this conversation."