etcircenses: (Default)
Panem Events ([personal profile] etcircenses) wrote in [community profile] thecapitol2015-01-20 10:58 pm

The Crowning Of The Signless

Who| Everyone.
What| The Crowning of The Signless.
Where| An alcove in a nearby mountain.
When| From dusk to dawn, on Thursday.
Warnings/Notes| This event is mandatory for all Tributes to attend. Even if you do not tag in, your character will attend this party. Peacekeepers will be on high alert. There will be no chance to runaway.

Tributes are encouraged to sleep all during the day, before the crowning. The reason for this is revealed when they are roused at sundown and brought to the closest mountain to the city, where they are greeted by an alcove within the moutainside that has been carved into a temple to what may be an illicit faith. The stone alcove is dim-lit by candles arranged along walls and by what appears to be altars set before iron cancer signs, some plain, some inlet with intricate carvings. Bright red drapery hangs about the room, tapestries with the cancer sign and cirles of blending color spectrum. There are also some waist high leggings hung upon one wall. In the center of the room, shackles hang, glowing bright from some sort of internal heat and light. A hole in the ceiling is set on each side of it, to allow the smoke to escape from the great bonfire that roars beneath it. If one takes a seat upon any of large stones and logs aranged around it, they can see both the stars twinkling down and the way the smoke looks as though it is coming off the shackles.

The only windows otherwise are made from stained glass depicting images from the Signless's life, such as his rescue by "Alternia's First Mother" (so described on the metal plate below), "The Recording of His Teachings" depicting The Disciple writing the Signless's words into a book, "A New Follower" showing the Psiioniic joining the Signless, a boat deemed "The First Ship", and "The Execution" which features the death of the Signless before thousands of followers, a fifth troll- resembling Terezi- bearing the shackles as a necklace and another with great brown wings, a single window of Karkat and Kankri Vantas, as well as a sinister depiction of six indistinct shadowy figures of cerulean, blue, indigo, violet, tyrian, and maroon. Cave-style paintings cover the stone walls, styles ranging from simple scribbled etching to circles featuring twelve colors in circle, with bright red at the center, and yet more elaborate shadowy depictions of those in the stained glass, esepcially the Signless himself, both prior and following his execution.

But not all is dedicated to the Signless and his old posse of biblical age trolls. A shrine has been set up for redeemed and then so quickly lost victor, Matthew 'Punchy' O'Conner. Punchy has been painted upon a cave wall like he fits right into the theme. Upon his shrine lay all varieties of bling; Bling-jewelery, a bling goblet, bling boxing gloves, a hoodie, a nun habit, and a stone with a memorial rap engraved atop-- with bling, of course, all shimmering by the spotlights placed before the shrine. Refillable 40 oz bottles are lain out so that sorrowful guests, wishing to pay their respect to the boy so cruelly slain by rebels when he had turned from them, can pour one out in his honor.

Marius is also honored there with a tea light and small framed photograph set upon an empty table with an empty chair, along with souvenir versions of his and Cosette's wedding rings that guests can take home. Beneath all these rings is a photoshopped picture of javert with a single tear running down his manly face.

The only seating besides the stones and logs and Marius's single chair, are those that are sat at a table at the end of the room. Each is draped in a different color, six on each side for each district and each blood hue-- presumably of the Victor's choosing. Between these chairs sits yet one more with a tall back like a flogging jut that got the redesigned at the base to make a throne that some trolls might recognize as belonging to the Empress. The arms of the chair feature open shackles. The throne is decorated in chains of gold and jewels of all colors. The victor is given a crown of gilded flowers and thorns on chain.

Food can be found upon the altars or the victor's table, in surplus. Alternian delicacies are served, featuring insects, flavored or plain, and food made from insects. Guests may find a giant beetle being served upon a spit roast. Even the meats appear to be topped with bugs. The cakes, marshmallows (which can be roasted with stick by the fire!), and orange creamsicles may be the only things truly bug-free. Drink options are water, wine, and soda.

Stylists are encouraged to dress their tributes primarily in black, with a single bit of color put into the design matched according to district (with exception to trolls), or any manner of draping fabrics, cloaks, and costumery reminiscent of religious iconagraphy that one might expect of ancient aliens. Waist high pants and leggings are also in high regard, as well as fake horn, fangs, contacts, and anything to make guests look more trollish. The only rule is for the main colors to match to the blood assignment.

The music playing is the sort one might expect from a church, featuring mournful vocals, soft bells and melodies, and of course, organ music. But for one or two jarring differences. Where this music is coming from remains a mystery but since the space is open and clear, guests have plenty of room for dancing.

Those who don't wish to dance can talk and regale tales around the bonfire, or may instead seek out the book of "scripture" at one of the altars that features nothing more than various parables- with names that Tributes might recognize! Each Tribute has one parable contained within, telling a tale in flourished manner of a part of their life, featuring a pro-capitol moral at the end.

Elsewhere, are models of the flogging just, where guests can put their hands through the oversized cuffs and pretend to writhe in agony, an Alternian bioware helm where guests too can pretend to have their lifeforce and power used a battery for the sake of the Alternian empire, a dress-up station where guests can customize their appearance to match trolls sold into gruelling slavery to seadwellwers, and an area designed to look like a cave with extensive "Alternian" (gibberish) writings of the Signless's words, where guests too can pretend they've lost everyone they love and are carrying on their legacy by writing upon the walls and leaving their own messages of love and mourning. Not to mention, a life-sized drone with realistic piercing claws, for all your picture posing needs.

A sandpit lies just around a corner for children to make castles, dig trenches, and act out games of pretending they've trekked thousands of miles through zombie infested desert just to speak to a couple of people! Guests can also meet a "mutantblood lusus" a four-eyed crab creature with lizardlike structure-- only sized no bigger than the average dog and perhaps about as intelligent. Guests are warned not to put their hand too close, lest the claw pincers manage to pinch them.

Late into the crowning, everyone is brought out to the dark mountainside, well monitored by peacekeepers, and divided into teams. Everyone is given belts with velcro flags attached, colored according to the "blood" they were matched with by district. Those in the eighth, ninth, twelfth, third, tenth, and eleventh districts are deemed the "lowbloods. Those in the first, fourth, second, fifth, sixth, and seventh districts, are deemed the "highbloods". Each team is given a velcro board to attach the flags to. The first team to lose all their flags loses, winners getting tiny necklace copies of the shackles. The last one standing with a flag wins a larger necklace copy and the option to get it redesigned into a symbol of their choosing.

If you failed not to be "culled", fear not! All tributes receive a participation sticker at the end. This sticker features a number. It is not indicative of districts or of age, as will be announced shortly, but of the new scoring. These will be announced for everyone to hear- and pick out targets from.

The crowning officially ends with the coming dawn. And so begins, to everyone's surprise, preparation for the arena. Tributes will be going right from the crowning off to the Tribute launch tubes. Happy Hunger Games!

[Note: This is ICly on Thursday! Just before the arena on Friday!]
conifer: (008)

[personal profile] conifer 2015-01-27 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Emily's opted for simplicity too, with a black cocktail dress and a matching earrings and necklace, in teal to match the theme, of the leaves of her district. She's got a half-full glass of wine in one hand and a couple of marshmallows in the other, and if anything she looks faintly amused as Jason glares up at her when she passes.

"I take it this isn't your sort of thing, either."
whatisay: (Basic - Eyebrows)

[personal profile] whatisay 2015-01-27 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"I always feel like a damn show pony at one of these," he grumbles, glancing at the wine in her hand out of habit. He's been taking alcohol away from Tributes all night, telling them that he doesn't want to clean up their mess in the hallways, that they're going to need to be up early, not quite letting on that in less than an hour they're going to need all their faculties. She's a Mentor, of course. She's allowed to drink.

"You enjoying yourself? And on that note, you found anything worth eating that isn't covered in insects or sugar?"
conifer: (012)

[personal profile] conifer 2015-01-28 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
"Enjoying would be a bit of an overstatement. Tolerating, that's more accurate." She takes another sip of the wine. "I'm making do with the sugar." She offers him the marshmallows. "Apparently they're better if they're toasted over the bonfire."
whatisay: (Basic - Sprawl)

[personal profile] whatisay 2015-01-28 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
"I'd rather actually have a meal. We're both going to have to pull an all-nighter tonight and I get cranky if I start it on nothing but snack food." And the bugs mean that any of the meat here is completely off limits. Jason doesn't seem to think he doesn't just start off the day cranky.

Once the first death announcements are in, he and Emily will have to get to work immediately making phone calls and securing Sponsor gifts. It's likely neither of them will see a bed for the next eighteen hours.

"For what it's worth, I get the couch in the suite during the Cornucopia. Or maybe I'll just kick Stig out of the Stylist's quarters and take over those."
conifer: (006)

[personal profile] conifer 2015-01-28 07:28 pm (UTC)(link)
The amount of time they're going to be awake without proper food has been worrying her, too. "I had been planning to order in food once I'm back in the Training Centre, but Cornucopias usually put me off eating altogether." Hence the amount of marshmallows she was going through now, knowing she'd need the quick fix of energy the sugar was providing.

Her eyebrows raise a little at his instant claiming of the couch, not that she's going to argue, but she'd have expected the courtesy of at least offering it to her first. "It's fine. I don't sleep much anyway." Her nightmares ever since her own Arena had seen to that. She knew they'd become far worse again having come back to mentor, and was dreading them.
Edited 2015-01-28 19:28 (UTC)
whatisay: (Basic - Glasses)

lol do you want to thread them interacting during crunchtime, her waking up from nightmare?

[personal profile] whatisay 2015-01-28 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Put it on the Suite tab and I'll get Jennifer to write it off." He'll probably have to order too, although it's difficult to get anything this time of night and with the start of each Arena being basically a holiday for most Panem citizens. At least, in the Capitol.

In the Districts they're probably chopping up trees or sorting through rocks or whatever it is poor people do.

"Right. Shrieky Mentor Syndrome." He's already putting up with screaming at home, why not at his workplace? It just goes to figure. "It's a miracle you're not some kind of pill or morphling addict like half the other winners here are. Not that I'm suggesting you start a habit or anything."
conifer: (010)

ooh yes! here or in a log? happy either way

[personal profile] conifer 2015-01-28 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Emily glares at him, her mouth thinning into a barely perceptible line. She's squeezing the marshmallows a little tightly. "Do me a favour, and don't talk about it so flippantly. When you've seen children murdered in front of you, then you can comment." She sets the glass down on the table, folding her arms over her chest and trying to focus on the backhanded compliment in there. "I like to think I'm stronger than morphling, anyway. Something like that - it's the ultimate way of showing the Games conquered you, broke your spirit. I want to be stronger than that." And yes, she does think she's better than a lot of the other Victors, maybe even looks down on them a little. But she also knows how horrific it was. And unlike escaping into an addiction, the nightmares were something she had no control over, no power to stop. She hates them most of all.
whatisay: (Default)

I'll set up a log!

[personal profile] whatisay 2015-01-29 12:42 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, please. Don't be precious about it. We all got our crosses to bear." Jason's face is one decidedly without sympathy, one that says without further words that he buys into the Capitol logic that Emily should be grateful she was even given the opportunity on the proving grounds to be worthy of the Capitol's beautiful city.

He frowns at his glass as if fixing it with a disapproving gaze will make a lemon wedge appear on its rim. "Besides, you know the Games aren't about breaking spirits. If they were, our work here would be a lot easier. We'd have fewer Tributes trying to backtalk us every chance they get."
conifer: (005)

[personal profile] conifer 2015-01-29 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"You have no idea how good you have it." She's annoyed at herself for rising to him - especially as she'd only come over to be friendly, but God forbid he'd actually want to get a drink or a dance with her. She's not sure if he even knows how to be friendly. She knows she's just going to have to learn to let things go if they're going to work together, but now, with the inevitable bloodbath of a Cornucopia looming in just a few hours, she's a little touchy.

"Well not now they're aren't, not with everyone being brought back to life as soon as they're downed and coming back to the high life here. But they're the exception. You Capitolites may see the Games as entertainment, but they're meant to break the spirit of everybody in every district. And the Victor isn't excluded from that. Believe me, I know."
whatisay: (Default)

[personal profile] whatisay 2015-01-30 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"You sound like you don't have any idea who you're talking to." It's not a threat, but it is a warning. Get back in line, Mentor. Jason's breath feels hot in his mouth.

Jason fakes a yawn. "Anyway. Save the sob story, Finch. The Games are there to unify Panem. That's it."

Of course he knows the real reason behind the Games, but he isn't about to say anything out loud that could be incriminating. Maybe if he didn't come from a family famous for fucking up and fucking around, he would speak his mind a bit more, but Jason's got a handle on his razor tongue when it comes to politics. He's not going to say that the Games are a gigantic waste of money and time, a big distraction taking shots at the animals in the District, like taking everyone in the city out to hunt game while the house back home is robbed.
conifer: (006)

[personal profile] conifer 2015-02-03 12:57 am (UTC)(link)
Muffled behind gritted teeth, Emily makes a noise of frustration. She finds she's crushing the marshmallow in her fist. She's beginning to understand what he'd meant when he said that the Tributes hated him. She'd hoped that with how he'd actually wanted to help them win, he'd be a little more understanding, but he seems exactly the same as every Capitolite she's ever come across. But she knows where the line is, and she's dangerously close to crossing it. She's not about to risk getting avoxed for careless talk at a party of all things. Still, the spark fades from her eyes as she replies, locking the part of her that's simply a daughter and sister and citizen of Seven away deep inside her beneath the responsibilities of being a Victor and Mentor.

"You're right, of course. It's just difficult to remember that sometimes." She smiles sweetly, though her eyes are still sad. "I'm glad I have you to remind me."
whatisay: (Angry - Are You Dumb?)

[personal profile] whatisay 2015-02-03 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
Jason's eyes, by contrast, are harsh and loveless, as if anger is a wall beyond which sadness cannot enter or exit. "Don't be so transparent. I don't need your flattery. That just makes me trust you a little less."

And he makes it a point never to trust anyone. He holds a marshmallow out and picks at it, looking displeased with its existence.

"Anyway. I should probably confiscate some drinks or something. Have a good time, Emily."
conifer: (007)

[personal profile] conifer 2015-02-04 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
She'd been intending less as flattery toward him and more as a reminder to herself, that she needed to hold her tongue and toe the line, and that he was the example she'd have to use. But she wanted him to trust her, as much as someone from the Capitol was able to trust anyone from the districts, wanted them to be a cohesive team rather than at each other's throats. So she nods swiftly, the smile leaving her face, making a note to stay away from flattery.

"You too," she replies hollowly, knowing that neither of them actually will, hoping the evening can be over as quickly as possible so that the bloodbath that was sure to follow would come and go quickly, too. She watches him disappear into the crowd, her brow furrowed over, feeling very alone.