District Tours: Train Ride

[etcircenses]

Prior to their departure, the Tributes have to suffer a photoshoot, a few interviewers asking them a thousand questions about how excited they are, and more than a few members of their style teams asking the Tributes to bring back mementos. "Don't worry about quality, dears, we can get that all here - we want you to bring us souvenirs for the novelty of it!"

The day of the trip, Tributes are roused bright and early, well before sunrise, and driven in Peacekeeper vans to the train station. It's all rather dour, and not like the start of a vacation at all; if one didn't know what was going on, and if the Escorts and head Stylists weren't chattering excitedly, they might think they were being hauled off to a war zone.

The trains, on the other hand, are plush, fancy things, and there is one per District. There's a single blockaded car for cargo, another for maintenance, driving and Peacekeeping staff, and then several others which are open to the Tributes. A dinner car serves three meals and has small snacks available throughout the day. Another car is an entertainment center with a selection of Capitol-approved films, and a the last one is the Tributes' temporary room. It has a bunk bed for each with sheets that was a truly intense threadcount, and a single massage chair in the back. The Stylists, Mentors and Escorts sleep in the same car, although separated by a partition.

Unfortunately, all the Tributes have to share the sleeping quarters, and it's first-come, first-served.

For the most part, the trip is so smooth that the surface of a glass full of water would not be disturbed. The trips to the closer Districts are a little under a day, but the furthest Districts - 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 12 - take nearly 48 hours.

[OOC: For Tributes accepted during the District tours, you can assume they arrived before the departure so they can participate in the District festivities. During the train ride there is still network access. There will only be this post and the party post from the mods for this event, so players are encouraged to make their own of their characters exploring their surroundings and enjoying the Districts.]

Comments

DISTRICT 12

[etcircenses]

OTA

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna suffered the photo shoot in silence and answered the questions as best she could, being on her best behaviour and managing not to use any of the swear words that Howard had taught her.

She stuck close to Sandy through being moved to the trains, scowling at anyone who came near, but her mood improved when she saw the train. She had been on transports before, and taken to and from Arena's. But this was different that anything else.

The first hour of the journey was spent moving from room to room looking out of every window- she was used to having to sit still and strapped in in transports, and picking up anything she could to study it.

The strangest thing was how it barely felt like they were moving, so much that she could forget it until she looked out of the window.

After her thorough examination she could be found on the bed she had claimed, one of the top bunks, hanging off it, observing everyone upside down.

This was another oddity, a bed that you have to climb to get on! Like a tree bed.

Re: OTA

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy casually slid into the bed underneath Pruna's.

"Well...this is different." She concluded, thinking of the entire situation on the whole.

"Never been on a train above the ground before. Back home we had subways which are like trains but they move in tunnels under the ground. They're also no where near as nice as all this." She gestured with her arms.

"Mostly it's just hard plastic seats and metal poles to hang on to. They smell like pee and rattle like they're going to fall apart."

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna twisted so she could see Sandy through her veil of hair. "Like the ones that do be going to the arenas?" She asked with a frown, she didn't like the shuttles and couldn't imagine anyone actually going on them of their own free will.

"You do be having to be hanging to poles?"

[justoutrunyou]

"You don't have to hang onto the poles." She clarified. "But if all the seats are full then you should. Or you're gonna fall over when the train starts moving."

She stretched out on her bunk luxuriously like a cat and then turned her attention to the over sized massage chair tucked into the corner.

"It's like a leather throne." She commented curiously.

[knifewithnoname]

"So it do no be being like this train, because I can no be feeling it moving at all." She tilted her head up to see the throne chair. "Be sitting in it! It do be looking cool."

[justoutrunyou]

Curiosity had already gotten her killed once, but there was no sense in ignoring the urge here on the train. So Sandy clambered up into the chair and sank into it's smooth soft seating.

"Ahhh~ Not bad. I could fall asleep in this thing." Her fingers slid over a display of buttons built into the arm and curiously she touched one making the chair hum. She yelped startled as massaging vibrations buzzed along her back.

"Cooooooool!"

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna grinned at the words but her smile faded and she leaped from the bed when the chair hummed and Sandy yelped. Reaching out to grab Sandy and kick the chair at the same time. "What did it be doing?"

[justoutrunyou]

"It's moving! Here climb up!" Sandy scooted over making room so both girls could sit in the over sized chair together and Pruna could feel the state of the art massage bar technology in action.

Meanwhile Sandy would be both amused and proud that Pruna would attack even a chair to defend Sandy's honor.

Re: OTA

[marcato]

Aunamee arrives in the bedrooms later than most of the other Tributes. He doesn't like the bunks, doesn't like the fact he'll be forced to sleep next to people who could very well kill him. His paranoia has been even stronger after Orc's attack, and sometimes he jerks at sudden noises, expecting hands wrapped around his neck or a knife in his chest.

Sure enough, he jerks when he sees Pruna out of the corner of his eye. He had somehow missed her tiny shadow from the entrance.

[knifewithnoname]

She grinned at him through her hair. Wary herself because she knew this man, he had killed Howard, and Wyatt had killed him back. She had been watching reruns to see what she had missed.

He seemed like a good fighter and he wasn't afraid of killing, that made her respect him. For now she just watched him though, wondering what he was doing.

[marcato]

And Aunamee was familiar with Pruna. A tiny girl with a shocking level of endurance, an unwavering determination to kill. He admired her because of her small size, because she looked so terribly harmless yet was anything but.

Despite his earlier flinch, he smiled, sly and secret, his arms resting calmly at his side.

"I don't believe we've met."

[knifewithnoname]

"No we have no been meeting." She twisted so she was lying on her front, and rested her chin on her hands. "But you do be being Aunamee. I did be seeing you on the technology screens."

[marcato]

"And I've seen you," he said, fighting not to smile at her strange way of speaking. Technology screens. It made him curious about the kind of world this girl came from. Killing and clumsy words.

"You're very good."

[knifewithnoname]

"I do be thanking you." She smiled at the compliment and then added after a moment. "You do be being good as well."

[marcato]

"Do you think we'll be enemies?" he asked.

There was no sense in beating around the bush.

"I hope not," he continued, leaning back against one of the bunk beds, his arms casually folded over his chest. "I've been a fan of your style."

OTA

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy had to pinch herself every so often to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

She liked to sit next to the window...probably like most kids would she concluded. She wasn't used to being a kid as much as she was used to getting kicked around so she had to imagine how she was feeling was normal.

And how she felt...was excited! It was so confusing to think about considering she had even less freedom right now then she did back in the city. She could only go so far on this train and there were plenty of peacekeepers on hand to shut her down the minute they were told to.

But there was a great big world outside! She could see it now just beyond the window. Trees and mountains and wide open plains. Clear skies, no rain clouds in sight.

It was overwhelming to imagine. A world with no laser web or giant wall to keep people in. Sure the districts themselves were probably guarded but nothing like back home or the Capitol.

She was finally out in the world beyond the wall. It was hard not to be hopeful.

OTA intensifies.

[mannersmatter]

"All right everyone, listen up!"

Effie clapped her hands together neatly, clearly in high spirits. She was back in her territory, there were proper, if still green around the ears, mentors, and she was feeling refreshed.

And ready to work on some team unity.

"I have a...well, a game of sorts for us."

A game, literally. Because she didn't actually have a lot of team building experience because, really, she was use to the team being her, and Haymitch.

And they certainly weren't going to do any trust drops.

[69problems]

"A game?" the Signless asks from his bunk (he chose a bottom bunk. Unlike the Disciple and despite Karkat's best efforts he just doesn't have the balance or grace to trust himself not to fall off).

"What sort of game?"

It might be a good way to pass the time, after all. He's heard their ride is one of the longest.

[knifewithnoname]

"A learning game?" Pruna wrinkled her nose from where she sat crossed legged on the top bunk. Guy had taught her about how games could help you in the arena, and the game Kevin had bought her was useful in practicing knot tying.

So she did not scoff at the idea of a game, which until a week or so ago she would have claimed were for babies.

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy perked up at the prospect of a game as well and took off the headphones she'd been using to listen to some music.

[misscabernet]

Team unity. Sure. Except they were, you know, probably gonna end up killing each other. Julie's only bout of luck was she hadn't run into her fellow District 12-ers in the Arena yet, but it'd happen. Maybe. Eventually.

Considering staring out the window, no matter how huge the surprise of a live, working train was, ended up being boring as hell after an hour, Julie didn't have much choice.

"Uh, sure. I'm in."

[mannersmatter]

"All right, good!" Effie looked pleased as could be, making quick little motions with her hands for everyone to gather into a circle, and handing out packets of cards. Each person got 10 or so, with things neatly written, in Effie's precised hand writing, such as 'Childhood injury' or 'favorite food'.

"So, we'll sit in a circle. And you choose one of your district mates, and either ask them a question they have to answer, truthfully. Or you give them a simple, but fun task to complete."

She clapped her hands together, beaming at them, before remembering her cards.

"Oh, and I've given your prompts. In case you get stuck."

[69problems]

Oh. Well, that seemed fairly straightforward and not like it could in any way get awkward or go badly. Score one for Effie, D12 team lusus.

"I"ll start, then?" When no one registered any objections he took that as assent and shuffled the cards Effie had given him, picking one at random. Pruna, he knew already, so he passed over her and settled on Julie.

"Sing us a little of your favorite song."

[shinyisfalse]

He hadn't been there for Effie's announcement, but Peeta came in at a fairly early enough time in the game. There was still some figuring out things with the sleeping arrangements, so he hadn't gone straight to the beds like some people had.

"We're playing a game?" He looked around, going and taking a seat next to Signless. "This should be fun." He'd catch up easily enough.