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three Legionnaires sneaking through the town / the Capitol went and broke one's crown
WHO| Open to Lyle Norg, Rokk Krinn, and/or Brainiac 5 and YOU!
WHAT| The Legionnaires puttering around the arena
WHEN| Week 1 Catchall for all three Legionnaires (May add more weeks if not much changes for Weeks 2 and 3.)
WHERE| Pick a scenario!
WARNINGS| cw: With Brainy: mental illness/a character essentially being forced off their meds
A) The Newsstand
The Legion holed up in an old news shop, largely because there was no front window that was easily breakable, just a door and broken sign saying "Plastino's Paper Shop."
They'd blocked the back door. The front was broken on its hinges but they'd moved some of the shelves to create a hurdle there so that they could easily attack someone that came in. The staircase that led upstairs had been left open in case they needed to make an escape to the roof since there were ways they could make their way down. Around them were shelves with all manner of things. One had snacks and candy that was mostly moldy but had a few edible things that could be picked out of it. There was refrigerator, long since broken, that had glass bottles of beverages inside that had probably long since gone bad. And there were shelves and shelves of rotten newspapers, moldy science fiction novels, pulp magazines, and comic books with titles like "Startling Stories," "Captain Future: Wizard of Science!" or "Tales of the Amazing."
When one of them wasn't out scouting, Rokk and Lyle planned things in hushed voices, keeping watch on the door. As a way of essentially focusing his mind on something that wouldn't cause it to overclock, Brainy had occupied himself with reading the tattered, moldy remains of a pulp magazine called "Stories of the Downright Unusual," that had a sinister green alien on the cover with a big head and futuristic ray gun. It advertised a story titled "The Green Menace: They Came From Planet Onzar!" and insisted it would shock and astound the reader.
"Astounding? Not astounding. Terribly insensitive," he was muttering to himself, frowning at it. "Space racists. Humans have no imagination. None. Bouncing graviton particle beams off the main deflector dish - nonsense. Nonsense. Utter nonsense."
He was still having difficulty keeping it together after having his personality inhibitors removed and that was partly why the atmosphere in the little shop was a bit...defensive, as his two friends were feeling particularly protective.
Because of the broken front door, there were some that might figure the place to be unoccupied who might poke their heads in but with how run-down many of the buildings were, the three Legionnaires knew that there weren't many places to hole up that were much better. So they were simply prepared to either chat with anyone that showed up to try to turn them away nonviolently, or, if any intruders felt like trying to attack, to turn them away forcibly.
B) A House Near the Orchards
They'd opted for snares in the trees. People might go to them seeking fruit and snares were simple and non-fatal - elegant in a way. The idea was to trap a few people, bicker about how to be evil without killing them and breaking the bet, annoying them for a while, and letting them go free, unhappy at their own lack of creativity.
It was risky but they needed at least some theatrics supporting their story, so while it increased the risk of retribution in the short-term, it might lead to their chances of being revived each time being greater in the long term.
Everyone loved a good villain and short of a ridiculously slow dipping mechanism, what else could they do?
So they waited for potential victims, pressed down low on the roof of the nearby house.
[ooc: Any characters that get snagged will be released, though they might get spooked during the ordeal, unsure of if they're going to be killed or not.]
c) Scouting
Brainy was in no condition to be moving around much - he was muttering to himself enough that people would be able to hear him in the fog, so despite the fact they didn't really want to be separated, Lyle and Rokk took turns going out alone to scout for more supplies and to get the lay of the land in the arena while the other stayed to mind him.
Luckily, they had a handy pick axe they each got to take with them when it was their turn. Not so luckily, it seemed that other Tributes weren't the only threat out there in the fog...
[ooc: Indicate which scenario you'd like and which combination of characters you want to thread with. In the first scenario (A), it can be all three characters or any combination of two of them. (Rokk or Lyle can be out scouting if you want Brainy with just one of them, or if you want just Rokk and Lyle, Brainy can be asleep.) In the second scenario (B) it's automatically all three of them. In the third scenario (C) you can get Rokk or Lyle by themselves, just pick one and note where your character finds them.]
WHAT| The Legionnaires puttering around the arena
WHEN| Week 1 Catchall for all three Legionnaires (May add more weeks if not much changes for Weeks 2 and 3.)
WHERE| Pick a scenario!
WARNINGS| cw: With Brainy: mental illness/a character essentially being forced off their meds
A) The Newsstand
The Legion holed up in an old news shop, largely because there was no front window that was easily breakable, just a door and broken sign saying "Plastino's Paper Shop."
They'd blocked the back door. The front was broken on its hinges but they'd moved some of the shelves to create a hurdle there so that they could easily attack someone that came in. The staircase that led upstairs had been left open in case they needed to make an escape to the roof since there were ways they could make their way down. Around them were shelves with all manner of things. One had snacks and candy that was mostly moldy but had a few edible things that could be picked out of it. There was refrigerator, long since broken, that had glass bottles of beverages inside that had probably long since gone bad. And there were shelves and shelves of rotten newspapers, moldy science fiction novels, pulp magazines, and comic books with titles like "Startling Stories," "Captain Future: Wizard of Science!" or "Tales of the Amazing."
When one of them wasn't out scouting, Rokk and Lyle planned things in hushed voices, keeping watch on the door. As a way of essentially focusing his mind on something that wouldn't cause it to overclock, Brainy had occupied himself with reading the tattered, moldy remains of a pulp magazine called "Stories of the Downright Unusual," that had a sinister green alien on the cover with a big head and futuristic ray gun. It advertised a story titled "The Green Menace: They Came From Planet Onzar!" and insisted it would shock and astound the reader.
"Astounding? Not astounding. Terribly insensitive," he was muttering to himself, frowning at it. "Space racists. Humans have no imagination. None. Bouncing graviton particle beams off the main deflector dish - nonsense. Nonsense. Utter nonsense."
He was still having difficulty keeping it together after having his personality inhibitors removed and that was partly why the atmosphere in the little shop was a bit...defensive, as his two friends were feeling particularly protective.
Because of the broken front door, there were some that might figure the place to be unoccupied who might poke their heads in but with how run-down many of the buildings were, the three Legionnaires knew that there weren't many places to hole up that were much better. So they were simply prepared to either chat with anyone that showed up to try to turn them away nonviolently, or, if any intruders felt like trying to attack, to turn them away forcibly.
B) A House Near the Orchards
They'd opted for snares in the trees. People might go to them seeking fruit and snares were simple and non-fatal - elegant in a way. The idea was to trap a few people, bicker about how to be evil without killing them and breaking the bet, annoying them for a while, and letting them go free, unhappy at their own lack of creativity.
It was risky but they needed at least some theatrics supporting their story, so while it increased the risk of retribution in the short-term, it might lead to their chances of being revived each time being greater in the long term.
Everyone loved a good villain and short of a ridiculously slow dipping mechanism, what else could they do?
So they waited for potential victims, pressed down low on the roof of the nearby house.
[ooc: Any characters that get snagged will be released, though they might get spooked during the ordeal, unsure of if they're going to be killed or not.]
c) Scouting
Brainy was in no condition to be moving around much - he was muttering to himself enough that people would be able to hear him in the fog, so despite the fact they didn't really want to be separated, Lyle and Rokk took turns going out alone to scout for more supplies and to get the lay of the land in the arena while the other stayed to mind him.
Luckily, they had a handy pick axe they each got to take with them when it was their turn. Not so luckily, it seemed that other Tributes weren't the only threat out there in the fog...
[ooc: Indicate which scenario you'd like and which combination of characters you want to thread with. In the first scenario (A), it can be all three characters or any combination of two of them. (Rokk or Lyle can be out scouting if you want Brainy with just one of them, or if you want just Rokk and Lyle, Brainy can be asleep.) In the second scenario (B) it's automatically all three of them. In the third scenario (C) you can get Rokk or Lyle by themselves, just pick one and note where your character finds them.]
no subject
--So he should probably pay attention to the words coming out of Brainy's mouth instead of trying to work it out through body-language.
"I..."
Right, the words coming out of Brainy's mouth were a jumble because the sprocking Capitol had ripped his inhibitors out. Great.
Lyle took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut, immediately cracking the right one open again so he could watch Brainy's face.
"I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."
no subject
What he felt right now ran deep. It ran all the way back to Lyle being one of the first to reach out to him, puttering around his lab invisible until Brainy noticed he was there.
"I lied to you."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
no subject
Lyle raised his hand to brush the tear of of Brainy's cheek, hesitated briefly -- what if Brainy didn't want to be touched, what if he didn't want his face touched right now where they'd ripped out his inhibitors, what if, what if -- then turned his hand to brush the tear away with the back of his hand instead. That wouldn't be too much, would it?
"You don't have to," he answered softly. He wasn't entirely certain what Brainy didn't have to do -- he didn't have to lie to him, sure; he didn't have to feel bad about it either; he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to...
"You never lied to me about anything important." Lyle's eyes went wide. "Urgent. Urgent!"
no subject
Then he moved in close - close enough to kiss - and made sure that Lyle was looking him in the eyes.
The green rings of his irises thinned as his pupils dilated. Then he drew Lyle's hand down to his own neck, pressing Lyle's fingers against his pulse point, so that he could feel it under his fingertips, a rapid staccato that only got faster the longer he looked Lyle in the eyes.
"I lied to you."
no subject
Ohhhh.
"Oh," Lyle said, barely louder than a breath as the thing Brainy wasn't saying out loud clicked into place and abruptly altered Lyle's reality.
(Not in a "this nass timeline is being erased" way, just a new perspective.)
Because this wasn't just Brainy finding him attractive; they'd already hammered that out. This was Brainy saying that he was not only interested in a romantic relationship with Lyle, but that actually wanted to pursue one. Lyle was in such trouble, and it was glorious.
...Assuming something didn't burst through the wall to take their heads off. That was an entirely reasonable possibility.
Lyle swallowed, and finally found actual words. "All things considered, I wasn't as honest as I could have been either, so I'll forgive you if you forgive me."
no subject
Brainy's voice was high and thin and as fragile as spun sugar.
"Why did you act so disinterested? 'You'll forgive me if I don't kiss you now.'" Another flail. "'I've had worse'?"
Eidetic memory aside, he parroted back Lyle's words as if they've impressed themselves so painfully into his memory that he would have remembered them even if he didn't remember everything.
cw: language
"What--" he gestured helplessly with the hand that wasn't steadying Brainy. "Oh fuck, is that how it sounded? I meant "now" as in "this moment right after you said your mouth tasted like Xanthian furniture varnish". Kissing later, when you'd brushed your teeth, or rinsed out your mouth! And "I've had worse", I meant it as a flirtatious understatement."
He was such a sprocking moron. Of course Brainy wouldn't hear it like that. How often did people even flirt in the same room as Brainy?! How the sprock is he this terrible at flirting with one of his best friends?!
Re: cw: language
"How was I supposed to know that?" he asked petulantly. "You've never shown romantic interest before."
Little did he know...
cw: language
"Oh no, don't you even start," he said. "Two weeks after that whole mess with the Boom Tubes, I went into your lab and invited you to come to that science conference in Metropolis with me. I wore something that wasn't my uniform, I flirted with you like crazy the entire fucking time and I thought you were flirting back, and then instead of the dinner I told you ahead of time I'd planned afterwards, you dragged me out with the researchers from the conference so you could pick their brains."
He pouted down at the blond head on his shoulder. "You introduced me as your 'colleague', Brainy. When we got back, Imra brought me ice cream so I wouldn't have to leave my room. Imra."
Re: cw: language
"But you asked me to dinner. You asked 'would you like to go out to dinner with me after the conference?' I assumed you just wanted my company as a friend while partaking in your evening meal, not - not -"
He stopped suddenly, realization dawning on his face.
"Was that why I found you in my room on the ship the one time divested of all your clothing other than your undershorts?"
Re: cw: language
"Were you so convinced I wasn't interested that you actually bought "I felt like watching a science documentary in my underwear and didn't want to deal with everyone else"?" he asked. "I thought you were just letting me save face."
Re: cw: language
A pause.
"Then again that was after the mission where we were depowered and locked in that storage container together and there was quite a bit of banter, although I don't know how you were so sure I was romantically int - oh."
Oh, he got it now. Thinking back, remembering exactly what was said, he understood. Just like he and Lyle could both look back on the morning after they'd made out with entirely different recollections of the tone of the events that occurred, the same had to have happened then.
"That thing I said about assisting me in my experiment with thermal synthesis of tarnium alloy - that perhaps could have been misinterpreted as a double entendre rather than me actually soliciting your assistance with an actual experiment in the lab."
cw: language
Re: cw: language
"The fact they you tend to never explain anything that you're feeling so that I can actually understand it and that I can't read tone and body language in many social situations," he said wryly, "and also tend to repress every emotion I possibly can may perhaps have something to do with it."
They were a mess. They really were and he wondered if that was a bad thing or if it meant that maybe now that they had this out of the way, it meant they could be a mess together. Wasn't that what most of the couples (and triad) on the team were like? Wasn't that what the entire team was, in a way? One gloriously coherent mess?
The smile faded slightly.
"It just didn't occur to me that anyone would ever feel that way."
Anyone. Ever.
The truth slipped out of his mouth only because he was having trouble holding back. He felt like a container that had been filled so much that some unnameable something was spilling over the edges, and the sides of that container were rapidly losing structural integrity.
Re: cw: language
Lyle pulled him in for another hug, wishing briefly that he knew where the sprocking recording devices so that he could at least kill the audio for five minutes. Brainy didn't deserve to have this pain splashed across media screens for the entertainment of twisted and ignorant squajs. There was too much sincerity behind it for this to be some part of Brainy's sad villain cover story, more sincerity than Brainy would know how to fake.
It never occurred to Brainy that someone might be in love with him. Lyle had known that there was some kind of nass involved in the way Brainy had been raised; but this told him exactly how deep it had gone, and he didn't like it one bit.
This should have been private. He should have found this out when Brainy felt safe. One more violation the sentients in charge of this horror show would have to be tried for.
"I'll see what I can do about being more explicit in the future."
no subject
At this point, Lyle was hugging him so much it could be categorized as 'holding' him and his expression as Lyle did it was equal parts conflicted and blissful.
What a glorious mess he was getting himself into.
He had to be crazy to - oh wait, he was. Now the question of the hour would be whether or not he could deal with it all when he wasn't leaking all around the edges, when he wasn't spilling himself out onto the floor and had the wherewithal to make proper choices about what to do and what to say.
The feelings were there, but how to deal with them...that was the eternal question.
no subject
"Yeah," he agreed softly. "If we survive, we should talk. When you're ready to talk about it."
He found a little smirk for Brainy. "Though I'd appreciate it if you did make it clear that we're going to talk about it and that we're not pretending this never happened..."
no subject
For a moment, he stared at the floor, just sitting there in Lyle's arms, as if trying to think up some proof of his sincerity.
It sounded like it came from nowhere as he said it, but the connection was something he thought was obvious, as he said, "Back when I pretended to hate everyone, I used to rig the game console in the rec room to allow me to play the enemy npcs from my room. Clocking at a faster speed than the player characters so that even Jo couldn't beat me with ultra-speed."
The confession was so sincere it was almost laughable. The way he said it was the way someone might confess to a crime.
"I can't live with the lies, Lyle."
no subject
"You know that he still complains about 'that fucking game', right?" he asked, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile. "Tinya told me. Still complaining."
He leaned in and briefly pressed his forehead against Brainy's.
"That's two lies now that you don't have to live with now."
wrap it after this one?
And it was. As much as he was terrified of this and didn't know how to make sense of it right now, it was. If they survived the arena they could process it, and either return to a status quo they could live with or try something new.
They could put it to rest or open up a whole new avenue of exploration.
He didn't know which he wanted yet but he needed closure or the usual pursuit - this time of experience rather than knowledge.
Brainiac pulled away from Lyle but it was only to pull the sleeping bag around himself, scoot slightly and lay with his torso in his lap.
It was a clear sign the discussion was very suddenly over for now but the lack of distance was promising. The door hadn't been shut - Brainy just needed to decide if he wanted to step through.
It's a wrap!
"I'll keep watch."
And pray that the Capitol let both of them live through this Arena-death.