The Crowning Of Clara Murphy

[etcircenses]

Who| Everyone.
What| The Crowning of Clara Murphy
Where| A refurbished former-medical building within Capitol. 
When| Starting from late afternoon, going into the evening and late night.
Warnings/Notes| Don't forget, peacekeepers are on high alert and will notice any rebellious activity or odd behaviour. 

The theme of the ceremony is corruption and dystopia, with a distinct nod to futuristic aspects and, of course, robots. The room is stark, clean, and foreboding, all done in metallics, crisp whites, and the occasional bit of robotics set up as art. It speaks as an unholy cross between a medical office, a military base, and an extremely well kept prison.

The ceremony is both a chance for Capitolites to have fun and be grateful for the grand and glorious Panem which in no way exemplifies any attributes of dystopia, while also working as a not so subtle reminder to the troublemakers out there of what can happen when things get out of line. Which they surely won't, with all the peacekeepers around.

Tributes are dressed in all manner of thing incorporating chains, rope, caution tape, muzzles, bars and cages, prison stripes, and uniform orange-- all things reminiscent of imprisonment and restriction. Some tributes may be made to look scuffed up, like cartoon-ish depictions of hardened thugs. There are a few references to robotics, and that of evil and corrupt military men and police officers, but all tributes will be marked by some manner of cuff or chain that clearly denotes them as “criminals”.

They’ll also be given a “prison number” that is actually indicative of their district association and an arbitrary letter next to it, for example, someone from district six will have 06 and the first letter of their name. It will be temporarily tattooed somewhere visible on their skin. It can be washed off but it will take more scrubbing than would be done in a single day, let alone a crowning.

The only exceptions to these rules, are those who have been brought to the winner’s table; all those who can be deemed as cyborgs, scientists, and of course, the victor herself. Her throne sits at the head of the table, a robotic contraption that appears almost as though it might encase her. For a crown, Clara has been given one that seems to bear resemblance to a white picket fence, which, when made into a crown, looks far sharper than the idyllic home setting it’s meant to represent.

Avoxes are all dressed as members of the corrupt Detroit military police. The uniforms are naturally given a more sinister edge. None of them are comfortable. All of them are serving “Detriotto” staple foods.

Around the crowning, flat hologram projections of hockey games can be seen. They show the games of a team called “The Rouge Wings” and alternate that with the less spectacular showings of what appears to be a young boy’s hockey team. Commercials fill the times between promoting the work of Capitol’s peacekeepers, showing appreciation for them on an individual level, encouraging obedience in citizens with pleasant clips of peacekeepers speaking to children, and suggesting recruitment in the truly good and noble of Panem. Capitolites may nod along to these as they giggle at the sight of decorative signs, that are most certainly from Clara’s lesser world, about obeying, consuming, and so on, to a less than favourable government. A few posters feature Clara Murphy’s face in four colour palettes, all humorous jabs at dystopia proclaiming; “MOTHER MURPHY IS WATCHING YOU”.

But hockey games are not the only things that can be seen on the projection screens; if tributes take the time to look, they may see their own face projected above in profile and facing forward views like that of mug shots. Though, how the capitol has managed to get these pictures may be entirely a mystery. Besides these mugshots, criminal records are displayed, listing crimes from “lied to their parents” to petty theft to murder. Whether these records are true or not may be up for much debate.

In the mean time, there are plenty of things for party go-ers to do, such as take part in the David For A Day egg and spoon race, in which tributes will all have a chance to dress up (with wigs and matching clothing of all sizes!) as the mysterious David, compete against others, and should they win, be dubbed David For A Day, winning themselves a banner they can wear and a spot at the victor table.

There is also an obstacle course available dubbed the "Clarence Boddicker Memorial Prison Funhouse" designed to look, you guessed it, like a prison. Fun for all ages and demeanours!

For those looking for retreat, there’s a small section cut away from it all, designed to be a pleasant backyard patio setting opened to a starry night sky and small surrounding garden, in stark contrast to the rest of the place. There’s a small area for dancing in, that can really only accommodate one couple at a time, but is nevertheless perfect for a romantic scene. Only two songs play over speakers here, one perfectly fitting, the other a little more jarring. It’s also here that party go-ers can get their picture taken with a life sized ED-209. Many more much smaller ED-209’s can be seen around and within the crowning party. As well as the occasional roomba, which fans of the last arena will surely get a chuckle out of.

As the crowning nears it’s end, those at the victor’s table will be given paintball guns filled up with red paint. They will be ordered to bring the criminals to justice! The criminals being all the other tributes. Those hit with paint will be made to wait within the Memorial Prison Funhouse until all the criminals are apprehended and forced to do their time! No one will be allowed to go back to the tribute tower until all the criminals are caught.

Comments

[seestheman]

01 - The Victor's Table
Clara hates being at the center of attention, she'd much rather they were holding this for someone else, or that she could share the spotlight with someone to take the pressure off. Instead, she sits in the most terrifying chair (throne, whatever) that anyone's ever put her in with an intimidating crown that sits atop her braided hair. On top of that, she can't help but feel a little self-conscious about the fact that she isn't wearing an eyepatch in public for the first time since she got out of the Arena and has a glass eye in place instead.

Her only solace about being so separated from her former peers is that she knows a handful of the people they've put at the table with her, and at least some of the small talk is interesting.

02 - Around the Crowning
As soon as the right opportunity comes up, Clara smooths out her dress and heads over to look at the screens that have kept grabbing her attention. Specifically, the video clips of David playing hockey with his team a handful of months before hand. While it's more than a little unnerving that the Capitol has access to footage of David playing (and god knows what else), seeing his face for the first time in months is a huge comfort.

That comfort's ripped away when the screen changes right when he's taking a shot on the other team's goal to a now-outdated picture of her and a list.

-Multiple counts of Traffic Violations
-Adultery
-Child Neglect
-Spousal Abuse
-Consenting to Inhumane Medical Practices

While she can't exactly deny the first two (even if the second isn't real and is just to put on a show for the Capitol), the last three are outright lies. "No, no, no. That's not...I would never..."

03 - The Dance Floor
Things eventually get to a point where Clara just wants to escape from all of this. She's sick of the stares and the small talk and runs as fast as she can in her dangerously pointy heels to find somewhere where she can think for a few minutes.

Which leads her to her backyard. Or a facsimile of it, at least, considering that, last she checked, they didn't have an ED-209 back there. Or just a couple of songs playing on a loop (and whoever the asshole was the chose the music programming deserves a punch to the nose). Instead of trying to find someone to dance with, Clara kicks off her shoes and walks through the small garden on a pathway that feels exactly like the one she had laid down when they first moved into the house to sit on the bench and enjoy the fact that she's away from everything else for a few minutes.

01

[silberfuchs]

Albert supposes he should be grateful that he doesn't have to deal with the prison part of the theme terribly much. They still flash his name on the screen with a surly looking mug shot and a list of crimes - theft, incitement to riot, assault, attempted murder, manslaughter, murder in the second degree, murder in the first degree, possession of a concealed weapon, possession of weapons of mass destruction, being a weapon of mass destruction... - but at least he's not in stripes with a number tattoo. That anyone is dressed like that gets his hackles up, but he knows he can't cause any kind of scene, especially not being at the victor's table for whatever fool reason the Capitol's concocted.

Really though his own outfit is distracting enough to take his mind off the rest of the party. It's not that he's uncomfortable with his body, he's fit and no longer has any of the cyborg parts that he hazards the Capitol would state as his reason for being at this table, but he'd really rather only show it off on his terms. These are not his terms.

So he'll just down another glass of champagne, wish it were beer or something harder instead, and try to look as unassuming as possible.

"After every one of these, I wonder if victory is really even worth it..." he mutters to himself between glasses.

[seestheman]

Clara's seen Albert around, of course. She's seen just about all the other Tributes around at one point or another. But just because she's seen him around doesn't change the fact that he's pretty much a complete stranger to her and that, while she wouldn't say he's unwelcome at the table, the idea of meeting someone for the first in a situation like this is a little daunting.

She's sipping from her glass of champagne when she overhears him and debates not saying anything at first. The Capitol has eyes and ears everywhere, so it would make sense for them to be listening to this conversation. But she can't help it, whether it's because of her own lack of self control or because of the third glass of champagne that she's sipping from.

"I doubt it is," she says quietly, "Honestly, it scares me a little bit."

[silberfuchs]

He hadn't meant for Clara to overhear him, especially not Clara. She's the one facing it after all. "I'm sorry, I did't mean... It's better on some level, not having to face the arena again. And after your first one."

He doesn't want to call her lucky; there were those who made it happen, it had little to do with luck, and she'd lost her hand and eye. No, that's not luck.

Albert's gaze - though unseen thanks to the visor - goes to her prosthetic. "I know this may be forward so you're under no obligation to answer, but... the replacement hand, have you had any trouble with it?"

Being a former cyborg himself, he knows a few things about having to learn to use cybernetic limbs. He doesn't know how good the Capitol's technology is in that regard, but at the very least he can help Clara with the knowledge that someone understands and sympathizes. It should be Alex, but from what Jet has told him, Alex is... there's something wrong there.

[seestheman]

Clara isn't quite sure she believes that yet, no matter how many people she's sure think it's better that she's out of the Arena now. It's not worth bringing up that she had plans to anyone at this point. "I guess," she says quietly. "I just wish someone more deserving had won."

Like one of the kids. Or Alex. Or Carlos. Or anyone other than her.

"Not really." As if it's almost out of reflex, she covers her cybernetic right hand with her left hand. "I'm lucky, Dr. Norton's known for being at the top of his field back home. Mostly I've just been trying to adjust to it." The way it feels is still astoundingly weird, more like an awareness that it's there and that it's doing things compared to the way her own hand felt. "Why do you ask?"

[Closed to Alex]

[seestheman]

Clara had been fairly certain, just from the way Alex kept his distance from her after she got out of the Arena, that he was still neurosuppressed. She doesn't know why she's so surprised by this. Maybe it's because she had hoped that he would come back to normal when they were in the Capitol. Or that whoever it was who made these decisions would give her back her husband after winning the Arena. There's a difference between being certain about it and seeing the truth for what it is. And seeing that deadened look in Alex's eyes as she sat next to him at the Victor's Table was all the proof she needed.

After escaping from the table and the festivities for a bit, Clara returns to the main hall to find Alex. And when she finally does, she almost freezes up. She'd rather not talk about any of this stuff in public, but she's running out of options since she can rarely find him the rest of the time (and god, it feels way too much like those last few weeks back home), so she's going to swallow her pride and drag him somewhere relatively quiet if he gives her the chance.

"Alex, baby, can we talk?"

[yourmove]

Alex doesn't seem to care one way or another about the Crowning - he looks at the ED-209s and the muzzles and faux hand-cuffs and his face doesn't so much as twitch. "David for a Day" doesn't get a rise out of him. He stares forward as he sits next to his wife, his own seat set lower than her throne and reinforced to hold his weight. Alex does spend the time to go over everyone's criminal records, at the very least.

He's not authorized to pursue any of them. Not after his assault on Mr. Cassidy. It's the closest thing to frustration he can feel when he can stand there and ID several Tributes who should be executed before they continue their criminal careers.

He moves to the main hall to keep any eye on things - intoxication getting out of hand, foul language, rough housing that would require a warning. He's still there when Clara seeks him out, Alex turning to stare at her with that same look he'd had when he confiscated her knife in the Arena.

"Of course. What did you want to talk about?" Alex can easily multi-task, recording and processing his conversation with Clara in real time while keeping an eye on the rest of the room. "Congratulations on your win, by the way."

[seestheman]

Clara can't help but be angry with herself for being unnerved by the look in Alex's eyes. It's a rational, logical reaction, even though she's had weeks to get used to seeing him like that, but at the same time, it's not right at all.

This would all be so much easier if she were just trying to break things off with him (as horrible as it is for her to admit that to herself). But the fact of the matter is that she can't do that. Not when, despite logic and common sense considering their current situation, she still loves him too much to do that. Especially over a relationship that's purely for the cameras. (And, more importantly, not when she knows that there's still the possibility of getting him back someday.)

"Oh, um, thank you," she says. It's one thing to hear it from everyone else, but this is Alex. Though, maybe part of it is that this is the first time they've spoken in weeks. There's no excuse for that, really. This isn't like when he was acting like this back in Detroit and OmniCorp was playing keep away with him. There's a handful of floors between them and she was too chicken shit to step in an elevator and go down to see him.

"We need to talk about us." As much as Clara would love to dance around this, she can't. This conversation needs to be had and she's finally worked up the nerve to have it and refuses to back down. "But I'd rather not talk about this in front of everyone else, if you don't mind us stepping away for a few minutes?" By which she means a hallway or somewhere that isn't a wide open area filled with people she knows who might see her cry if it comes to that.

[yourmove]

"I don't mind."

Then again, he doesn't seem to mind anything these days.

Alex ends up heading for the patio, decked out to look like their one in Detroit. He assumes a familiar looking setting would be a better place to put Clara at ease than taking it outside the entire building, back out into the Capitol proper. The last time he saw this was in a dream back in China, induced into REM sleep by sedatives. It's not an exact copy, of course, but it's a fairly good approximation. It's the closest thing to "home".

He faces Clara, chin tilting down so he can look her in the correct eye. Even with the amount of makeup the stylists put around her eyes, he can tell she's tired - even the glass eye, swirling with glitter frozen inside, can't hide that. Not from him.

"What did you want to talk about?" Alex goes through a list of possible topics involving their non-verbal interactions, conversations. He selects one that seems to be the most immediate, logical choice to start with. "I apologize I wasn't able to keep you safe in the Arena."

That seems the most obvious. She had still won the Arena, but she had been injured in the process. It doesn't cross Alex's mind that when Clara says "us", she means their relationship - non-relationship - and that it could mean anything from emotional to physical intimacy to even a possible divorce.

03

[a_minute_younger]

For a few minutes, indeed. It's not long after Clara sits down that a teen in gaudy leather wanders by, shuffling and bouncing to the beat of the first, more tranquil song on the speakers, humming nonsense as he goes. There are no troubles in Gary's life at this moment--and if there are, he is doing a very good job of pretending they don't exist.

Perhaps unfortunately for Clara, no amount of blissful ignorance can keep Gary from recognizing the main event, so to speak. He does a slight double-take while passing and twists to face her, but doesn't actually stop walking. "I guess that chair is pretty uncomfortable, isn't it?" he says with a shrug. "I'd want to take a break from it, too."

[seestheman]

"It's comfier than it looks," she says with a small ghost of a smile. And really, that isn't saying much considering it looks like something out of a cyberpunk nightmare. "But it really isn't my style." Yes, because talking about personal tastes in horrific furniture is an excellent ice breaker.

"I haven't really seen you around before today. Are you new?"

[a_minute_younger]

Gary couldn't agree more! Awkward as it is, the teen is quite happy with Clara's relatively friendly response; he feels like he's had to really work to get people to open up to him at this party in particular, and it's nice to see someone who is casual on the outset. Hopefully this trend continues.

"Yeah," he nods--still slowly dancing his way backwards along the path. He's going to have to turn the corner soon, but he'll deal with that when he gets there. "They found me at the tail end of your arena, I think. How many have you been in?"

[seestheman]

Truth be told, in another time and another place, Clara tended to be this open. It's something about living in the Capitol that's made her incredibly careful about what she says and who she says things to. But this is closer to small talk than anything else and she can be fairly open.

"Two of the regular ones and one of the day long ones," she says, beginning to feel guilty that she got out this quickly when she didn't even want to, while there were people who've been here for so much longer than her who were still trying to win. "I'm sorry they brought you here." That seems like the right thing to say, all things considered.

1

[smarterthanthem]

"Hi." Clem says as she sits down next to Clara, directed by a pair of Peacekeepers who leave them to it.

As soon they're gone she pulls off the blonde wig, just leaving herself in the rest of the 'David' costume and wearing the sash. Clementine has an apologetic look on her face as she sits down next to Panem's newest victor and tries not to stare at the glass eyes and cybernetic hand Clara now sports because of her injuries in the arena.

"I'm sorry about this. I don't know who David is but... this probably isn't something nice for you." she says quietly.

[seestheman]

Out of everyone who Clara can think of that she'd want to have won the race, Clementine's near the top of the list, after Dave (and...well, Rose would be, but the idea of sitting in between Alex and Rose is slightly terrifying). So the moment Clem gets to the table, Clara offers her a warm smile, "Hi."

It's vaguely surreal to see her wearing one of David's long sleeved Red Wings shirts (she knows exactly which one it is, too, and where it would sit in David's drawers). "It's not your fault," she says softly. Clem has no reason to apologize, in her mind. She wasn't the one who came up with this ridiculous game. Clara almost hesitates for a moment. She tries to not talk about David too much, partly out of fear that bringing him up will urge someone behind the scenes to bring him here, and partly because it hurts too much sometimes. "He's my son," she murmurs, refusing to say that, no, this entire idea isn't nice for her and makes her want to scream.

"How's today been for you, so far?" Great diversion tactic there, Clara.

[smarterthanthem]

Dave might have won it if he hadn't tripped near the end. His face when he realised he hadn't won a prize with is name on it had been pretty funny, honestly, she'd had to fight not laugh at how indignant he got about it.

"Oh." It's all the response Clementine has for that to start with, the full scope of the cruelty of the Capitol hits her then. "That... that sucks." she says it quietly of course, though she's probably heard anyway, not that she cares because some things have to be called out. Clem thinks of how much she misses her parents and Lee still sometimes, tries to turn that around and gets a good idea of how awful it must be for Clara.

More loudly she answers the questions, "It's been good. I don't really get it but the food's better than the last Crowning."

[seestheman]

For as much as Clara had tried not to watch the race, she couldn't help but keep an eye out for Dave during it. And honestly, watching him eat it...okay, it was funny and she's a terrible person for giggling slightly at it.

"Yeah." It more than sucks. It's infuriating that they apparently have the knowledge to be able to accurately dress people up in David's favorite shirts or how they got the cut on the wigs just right. But she doesn't want to rant about that in front of Clem. Sometimes the small wins need to be appreciated and this is one of those moments.

Clara lets out a small chuckle at that. "That it is. I still don't understand the sprinkle dogs from the last one." There's a tiny smirk on her face. "Though they didn't get the home fries right. Whoever was guestimating the measurements for that recipe was a little heavy on the seasoning." Okay, it's small talk, but it's nicer than raging at the Capitol for this entire affair like she wants to.

2

[pythianjudgment]

"Would never what?" Terezi steps up behind Clara in her short white dress and rope 'jewelry', tilting her head to the side. The little noose earrings dangle back and forth.

She only catches the last little bit of what the woman was saying, so Terezi seems more curious than anything. She sniffs a bit, catches the words from the monitor, but that doesn't exactly tell her which ones the woman was protesting.

[seestheman]

"Most of it," she snaps, before realizing how she sounds. "I'm sorry I'm just..." Pissed off? Frazzled? "...a little overwhelmed right now."

She's seen the girl around, of course. Going off the grey skin and the horns, she's probably from the same place the Initiate's from. "I'm Clara," she says as she begins to put out her right hand and then stops, before pulling back and offering her left. "Sorry for the terrible first impression."

[pythianjudgment]

Terezi lifts a brow at the apology, but reaches out to shake her hand. If Clara expects her to flinch from her, she'll have another thing coming.

"What, the yelling or the limb loss? I was pretty used to both of those things--even before I got here." That probably says more about the world that she came from than Terezi herself, though. Or maybe it just said something about her friends. They were kind of weird.

"I am not at all surprised that you are feeling overwhelmed. It's hard being a celebrity." Not that they weren't all celebrities, but those few weeks after being a Victor had to be tougher than most.

[seestheman]

Clara can't help but raise an eyebrow at that. "The yelling, I can't really help the limb loss." It's weird being so blunt about it, but if this girl's going to be, she doesn't see a reason not to do the same.

"I'm not a celebrity." Okay, that's a straight up lie, but she doesn't feel like one. Celebrities are supposed to be glamorous and right now she feels anything but. "Well...you know what I mean." She shrugs and hums slightly, trying to figure out what to say. "I'm sorry, this is awful of me, but I don't think I even know your name." She thinks it begins with a T from what she's seen and heard during various highlight reels, but she can't remember.

3

[arosewiththorns]

In all honesty Rose has been giving Clara some space. It's not an easy thing to win, to know that while you may be out others you care for are not. And she knows how much the woman cares for Dave, and she knows of her husband. Right now doesn't feel like the time for that talk they need to have, away from prying eyes and ears in the walls.

But it's a hard balance to try and play, to give Clara space and not make it seem like this relationship idea they've had is a complete falsehood. She's tried to play it up with smiles from a distance, with keeping an obvious eye out for Clara but when the woman bolts Rose knows she needs to follow now lest this all fall down around their ears.

"Clara?" Her steps are quieter than Clara's rushed pace but Rose announces herself all the same as she approaches, two glasses of juice in her hands. One she offers to the other blonde in turn, her smile of sympathy not completely faked. "It's been a long day hasn't it?"

[seestheman]

This isn't the first time Clara's wound up back here during these festivities. At the very least, this time doesn't involve having a discussion with Alex that should have been...something more than it was, instead of him being understanding and agreeing this entire thing is a good idea. She had expected a little bit of resistance to the idea, at the very least.

As much as Clara would love some alone time, she knows that asking Rose to leave her alone probably would give the Capitol some doubts about their relationship. And maybe it's for the best if she isn't alone with her thoughts for the moment.

"Hey," she replies as she takes the offered juice with a thankful, but weary smile. Really, she's glad it isn't more champagne. "That's definitely one way to put it." Though she could also think of a number of far less generous ways to say it. She thinks for a moment before saying anything else. She knows she needs to tell Rose about her prior conversation with Alex, but she isn't sure how to broach that topic. Maybe just being straight forward would be the best way. "Alex and I spoke earlier...partly about us."

[arosewiththorns]

She has seen them leave earlier, the hulking man she knows is Clara's husband, and Clara herself. Just like she had seen him return first, a slight frown in his usually expressionless face and then her, noticeably later and with eyes red. And Rose had known then that Clara wasn't ok, that something had happened and she can connect the dots, a blind man could connect these dots, and she feels a pang of regret for having some hand in this pain.

Regret and guilt and yet here she stands with a glass of juice, all she can offer at first, until she can judge the situation a little better.

"Don't worry about it." Rose tries not to seem as calculating as she often does, know that after an altercation with her husband the last thing Clara needs to another person picking and choosing what they think will be the most suitable answer, the one she'll want to hear. Instead she sits, and slips her hand into Clara's hand like it's the most natural thing in the world. And she waits for her to continue, fingers squeezing her when she does and Rose sets her own juice aside to turn towards her, expression hard to read. "And... how did it go?" She tries to keep her voice light, playing it careful between lover who truly cares what the answer is and someone whose coming to care at the very least for Clara as someone who could one day be a friend. Or the closest Rose allows herself to having friends.

[seestheman]

Clara's been fighting a losing battle to keep from looking like she's been crying. The last thing she needs is the Capitol catching her at her lowest, especially at a party thrown in her honor. She takes a long drink from the glass to try to steady her nerves before she even considers answering in an attempt to make it look like she has things under control.

Rose sliding her hand in her's is more comforting than she expected. It's not the hand she wants to be holding, really, but she knows that she probably won't be holding Alex's hand anytime soon. And anyways, it helps them look like the couple that they're claiming to be. She gives a gentle squeeze back before saying, "As well as could be expected." Which makes it sound like it went worse than it really did. "He's fine with it. He said it's good that I found somewhere to get some emotional and physical intimacy from since he can't provide either of them right now."

Clara places the half empty glass of juice down next to her before tentatively reaching out and caressing Rose's cheek with her cybernetic hand. "Though, he doesn't exactly approve of you. He said it's because of the whole supposed traitor thing, but I can't help but wonder if he's a little jealous." The fond smile that grows on Clara's face isn't as false as it could be, though whether it's because she genuinely enjoys Rose's company as a friend or because she's getting good enough at faking it for the cameras is anyone's guess. "Either way, too bad for him. Now that I've got you, I don't plan on letting you go."