OPEN

[doc_holi]

Who| Holiday and YOU
What| Surviving and what not
Where| All over the museum
When| Weeks 2 & 3 (before the volcano blows)
Warnings/Notes| N/A


The crowbar and water she had snatched from the elevators had been an extreme help in the last week or so, but it wasn't enough by a long shot. She had grabbed some food from the cafeteria, a little bit from the edible plant exhibit, but nothing was helping. Try as she might, the water didn't last long and she found a bathroom or two for refueling but-

She could hardly grasp things, her hands shook so much. Her breathing was labored, she was sweating a lot. It was the first time she wasn't careful with her drinking in between arenas and now she was paying for it. She officially had a problem.

Holiday just took deep breaths and tried to keep the rations at a normal level, though water was becoming liquid gold for her... With any luck, it was probably going to be over soon anyway.

Comments

[doc_holi]

Worry about their interference. Really. She chuckled darkly to him.

"No, you needn't worry. All they do is talk. Trying to put out propaganda and such. I get advertising, but everyone knew they've always been there. They're just waiting for us to do something stupid for them, if there's even a movement to begin with. The only time there was any action put forth, the entire operation was sloppy and loud. Just more advertising. They aren't ever going to do anything. Just looking for attention."

To her, that was the sad truth. Everything here was sleek and ordered. They couldn't win with chaos. Revolts and fire in the streets may be a step forward, but it wouldn't get anything done. The only way to win is to silently and quickly destroy the head.

Is anyone going to do that? No. They think it's a pyramid scheme or a big corporate job. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Idiots.

[googledox]

"Ah," he said with understanding. "They're trying to entangle the Tributes in their cause, hoping we'll do something on their behalf or produce individuals that make foolish mistakes that allow them to be marketed as martyrs for the purposes of their propaganda, am I correct?"

Nothing concrete yet, then.

(What were they waiting for?)

[doc_holi]

"Exactly right. Either propaganda or a distraction that'll cost lives."

The rebellion infuriated Holiday. Useless, people, so far. She couldn't stand this entire place.

[googledox]

"Why do you care so much?" he asked, as if he didn't understand, as if the idea was mystifying him.

It wasn't in the least but she cared, she cared so much the bitterness went to the bone. She cared so much that it was possible the alcohol was maybe to drown out the caring.

Amid such cruelty, it was something that needed to be preserved, encouraged, even if he couldn't do so directly.

[doc_holi]

Holiday immediately frowned and gave him a hard look from the question. It was an opportunity for her to say exactly what was on her mind and that was the whole problem.

Still, she wasn't sure if she cared or not about repercussions in her current state. What were they going to do? Torture her? Kill her? Kill and torture those around her? She remembered getting Punchy's fingers as a gift. Instead of biting her tongue, it spurred her on to speak.

"The so-called Revolution sounds worse than animal rights activists. If they have the resources and the insiders and the support, then they need to stop talking and do something about it. As they are now, they're just getting people killed. Good people." She could do so much better with her intelligence, drive, and... biological problems. Holiday had just as much hatred for the moronic rebels as she did the Capitol.

[googledox]

"Why do you care about those people? They're strangers, from other worlds," asked Brainy, digging deeper for the gains of altruism he was looking for.

He needed to know who to trust in this place, he needed to know what people truly cared about others, and one benefit to his pretend persona was it provided him a good opportunity to hit people's buttons and nudge them into talking about it.

He wouldn't push much farther than this, given the arenas were far more public, but just being willing to say a little bit on camera meant it was something she believed in.

[doc_holi]

"Strangers?" She remarked as if the term was offensive. It kind of was. "Yes, some of them enjoy the killing and are sociopaths murderers, but not all of us. We're here together to fight against each other. What other way are we supposed to overcome this other than by working together?

"And don't forget that you're still new. I've known these people. I've fought and died alongside them. They are not strangers."

It sort of felt like college. She hated freshman who just didn't get it.

[googledox]

"There is no overcoming this situation. Such sentimentality will only lead to heartbreak or betrayal."

He looked confused but then he seemed to come to some sort of understanding.

"Do you mean that the situation has forced those around you expose admirable qualities? That's how my team formed. We were all forced by our governments to essentially be a paramilitary force. The UP's lapdogs. The situation caused us to bond with one another and eventually we rebelled and struck out on our own."