001 | video

[district7]

[One of the disadvantages of not coming from a rich district means no fancy technology, and it takes some serious key smashing before the video function comes up, something this lady with uneven, brown hair is not immediately aware of as she pounds on the keys. Eventually she catches a glimpse of herself on the screen and stops. The words 'piece of Capitol crap' are muttered, and audible if you're paying attention.]

Seeing the escorts here are about as useless as they are back home isn't a big surprise, but knowing that their fashion sense is about as awful is a nice constant. [Johanna gives a big smile at that, one with a threatening, subtle anger behind it.] And hey, they give you actual weapons before starting the blood bath.

So, anyone out there in Exsilium-[She taps a fingernail against the screen twice, her amusement fading into a haughty stare.]-have an explanation for what's going on, or is this a delusion I'm going to have to remember to pass on to a shrink later? The faster you start talking, the less likely it is that I'll start collecting scalps.

Comments

[uncalled_for]

[If going by the date the thread started...] Longer than I ever wished to, unfortunately. But as of now, it's been two weeks.

[district7]

Is your world as messed up as this place? [Because hey, it helps to know who she's supposed to be fighting with!]

[uncalled_for]

[She'll shrug and shake her head on the video.] It's my home, it has enough flaws but I wouldn't compare it to this place. ... Is yours?

[district7]

Not anymore.

[uncalled_for]

[That catches her off and her face shows it.] ...Meaning it was? For a past war or something I'd assume?

[district7]

We had our own rebellion, though not over a war.

Turns out people don't like it when you use their kids as entertainment.

[uncalled_for]

[Well, that's a disturbing thought. She's a little too aware of what men are capable of.]

Entertainment? ... I don't want to know, do I?

[district7]

[Johanna shakes her head, arms crossed in front of her chest.]

Not in the way you're thinking. Not usually, anyway.

Every year, the government called for two kids from each District. One boy and a girl. Then they'd feed them, clean them up nice for the audience and rate their skills before throwing them into an arena with weapons and mutts.

You get where I'm going with this?

[uncalled_for]

And this was only for the sake of entertainment? That's disgusting! Why was it even allowed?

[And then it dawns on her.]

... Is that how you learned how to fight?

[It certainly would explain her less than agreeable approach to others.]

[district7]

The people in our country rebelled a long time ago and lost. The games they set up were a nice little reminder of what happens when you don't behave.

[Johanna smiles, clearly unfazed by the revelation.

Unfortunately, it's what happened afterwards that made her into the person she is now.]

Catching on, aren't you?

[uncalled_for]

[Sounds something like Elven history, except replace games with slavery and you've got the same idea. Just like magic, you've gained her respect, but it's still rather shocking to absorb, her hands are covering her mouth. You have her sympathies.]

I'm... Sorry. I had no idea. Men can be such cruel and heartless creatures, they only care about themselves and could care less for others.

[She'll shake her head as if trying to get a bad taste out of her mouth. But her eyes only appear to darken and drift elsewhere.]

Elves, my people, used to have great cities, we had our own language and culture and we were immortal. But then the humans came and brought war with them. They enslaved us and by the time a rebellion occurred we had lost everything unique to ourselves. We were given our own cities again, but that took them back as well. Most elves now live in human cities as second class citizens. Here, however... you've never seen an elf before, have you?

[district7]

[It might've bothered her once, the things she had to do to survive, but it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. Johanna isn't naive enough to deny the blood on her hands, rather she dealt with it by focusing on those who were responsible and seeing them pay. And pay they did.

Still, sympathy had become something of a foreign concept to her. If she had felt sympathy for the other kids, she wouldn't be alive right now. Victors from past games rarely felt it for one another, most of them too fucked up to deal with their own problems, much less someone else's, and then there were the people who went strange from their times in the Games, who enjoyed killing.

She shrugs, eying the elven woman through the screen. Her words come out harsher than she intends.]

For what? It wasn't like you were responsible.

[Johanna tilts her head as she mentions her home world, her people. It's... reassuring, in some deranged way to know Panem wasn't the only place that was a huge mess.]

I'm guessing there's not enough of you to fight them off.

[She shakes her head no, at her question.]

Anything I saw like that, it wasn't done naturally. Turns out if you're rich and have a lot of time on your hands, you like to mess with your body.

[uncalled_for]

You're right, I didn't. But I was still [She'll pause, she's terrible with apologies.] harsh with you before. I think I can understand some of what you said now. So... I apologize.

[Right no more awkward feels moments for that, moving on!]

Not enough, not well armed enoguh or fed, and certainly not enough in good health. There will be a change one day, but that's not likey to be a change that comes anytime soon.

[A cold smirk at that.]

Many nobles prefer elves as servants because they find us attractive or exoctic to look at it. So I hardly doubt that, were there a way.

[district7]

[That gets a small snicker out of Johanna.] No offense, but I've had worse.

[And she's just cool with letting it go at that! Since actually saying 'I accept' is totally out of the question.]

They need something to rally behind. Something big, I mean.

[Based on her experiences with dealing with the poor, starved and under supplied people of Panem.]

Bet they got more than a little handsy. If any of them show up, I'll be sure to point them out to you.

[uncalled_for]

There have been big things. Riots are common in the Alienages, but the results are usually against us. We're also very spread out being in scattered cities' Alienages in Thedas. Besides marriages the Alienages are unable to keep close contact. To join as one force would be... difficult. They'd probably just wipe us out, but then they'd have to deal with scrubbing their kitchen floors all on their own.

The people who alter themselves you mean? [Eughk] I'm not sure I really want to know.

[district7]

They don't have a place they could go? Somewhere that's out of their reach?

You'd know if you saw them. Dyed hair, ugly make up. Sometimes they have their teeth filed down to look like mutts. In any case, they all have no taste.