View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
The following morning, Bell hears what sounds like a fire alarm. It's not in their building - it's at least a block away. From her window, she can clearly see the house that's caught, near the train station, and just as clearly see that there isn't any bucket brigade handling it yet.
She seizes her wand from the nightstand and assumes control over the fire; if there's anyone in the unburnt part of the house they'll be able to get out. "SHERLOCK! TONY!" she calls.
Bell wants a second opinion before she snakes this fire down the corner of the house and over the grass to destroy the train station.
+ Show First Post
she_sells_seashells
she_sells_seashells
Bell pulls out her recorder. "I have the explanation of Panem I gave Elizabeth recorded, if you don't have specific questions lined up and she didn't tell you much," she offers.
she_sells_seashells
Bell maneuvers through her record.
""Let me put it this way: the government we're planning to overthrow hasn't encountered a hiccup of significant-scale resistance from the parts of the country where we live in the last seventy-two years despite routinely kidnapping kids our age and younger and killing most of them for the entertainment of the viewers back home."
"Harsh."
"Yes. Rather. And of course there are the other effects of malicious totalitarianism - the only reason I'm reasonably confident about the lack of rebellion is that Bar will loan me archives of Capitol newspapers, not just the District Four Gazette, and there aren't any prolonged, suspicious 'resource shortages' that I'd expect the media to cover for unrest with even there. You can see why we'd like the Capitol in question to go away."
Bell then decides that this isn't actually her best summary and skips backwards to the one she gave Darcy.
"I... live in a pretty shitty world."
"...What kind of shitty are we talking, here?"
"The part that gets most people's attention is the fact that, annually, two dozen disadvantaged teenagers are forced into an arena with some combination of environmental hazards, genetically engineered animals, and other variously lethal props to fight to the death on national television," says Bell. "But more people - including more kids - tend to die of various other problems related to economic inequality and the side effects of totalitarianism. The only reason I look reasonably well-nourished is because I have been coming to Milliways since I was six and trading byproducts from the job I've been working since age eight for nonperishables to bring home with me. The only reason I didn't have to try my luck on the TV show is because my District has a system to train selected kids for the games and arranges for them to volunteer and spare whoever gets picked in the lottery."
""Let me put it this way: the government we're planning to overthrow hasn't encountered a hiccup of significant-scale resistance from the parts of the country where we live in the last seventy-two years despite routinely kidnapping kids our age and younger and killing most of them for the entertainment of the viewers back home."
"Harsh."
"Yes. Rather. And of course there are the other effects of malicious totalitarianism - the only reason I'm reasonably confident about the lack of rebellion is that Bar will loan me archives of Capitol newspapers, not just the District Four Gazette, and there aren't any prolonged, suspicious 'resource shortages' that I'd expect the media to cover for unrest with even there. You can see why we'd like the Capitol in question to go away."
Bell then decides that this isn't actually her best summary and skips backwards to the one she gave Darcy.
"I... live in a pretty shitty world."
"...What kind of shitty are we talking, here?"
"The part that gets most people's attention is the fact that, annually, two dozen disadvantaged teenagers are forced into an arena with some combination of environmental hazards, genetically engineered animals, and other variously lethal props to fight to the death on national television," says Bell. "But more people - including more kids - tend to die of various other problems related to economic inequality and the side effects of totalitarianism. The only reason I look reasonably well-nourished is because I have been coming to Milliways since I was six and trading byproducts from the job I've been working since age eight for nonperishables to bring home with me. The only reason I didn't have to try my luck on the TV show is because my District has a system to train selected kids for the games and arranges for them to volunteer and spare whoever gets picked in the lottery."
she_sells_seashells
"Do let's," agrees Bell, pausing the recording. "We don't have a plan yet. We're working at enough of a resource disadvantage that we have to plan around what resources we can get. So far we have what you see, and Tony's got a fancy generator I snagged for him at home, and some progressively less useful things."
("What you see" includes the stick in Bell's hair, and the amulets - since she never leaves the house, she's traded for the flashier one, and Tony's got the less obtrusively girly-looking lump of glass.)
("What you see" includes the stick in Bell's hair, and the amulets - since she never leaves the house, she's traded for the flashier one, and Tony's got the less obtrusively girly-looking lump of glass.)
she_sells_seashells
"It is my stick," says Bell. "It does fire. It takes practice, don't try it, I'm alive because my practice location happened to be a beach."
she_sells_seashells
"Have you figured out what the necklaces do?" she asks curiously. (It doesn't seem like a significant possibility to her that he doesn't know that the necklaces do something.)
she_sells_seashells
"Nicely done," smirks Bell. "They're not heavy-duty. Mine is mostly to minimize the damage when I inevitably trip over something imaginary and fall down the stairs. But yeah, magic protection amulets. Fire wand. Fancy generator and whatever Tony can put together out of parts we can get. Versus the Capitol. What're you guys bringing to the party?"
toblameforit
"Me," says Tony. "And whatever Stark Industries stuff I can fit through a door." He looks at Tony. "You and me should go have a serious technical conversation," he says. And then, because he is Tony, adds: "And probably also make out a little."
she_sells_seashells
Bell blinks. She was not really expecting that. She tilts her head as they depart.
she_sells_seashells
"Well, I guess he's not the first person I've heard of who - oh." Bell puts her hand over her eyes. "Oh. Is it time for a quick are-we-monogamous conversation, Sherlock?" She's addressing hers.
