etcircenses: (Default)
Panem Events ([personal profile] etcircenses) wrote in [community profile] thecapitol2013-12-15 06:36 am

The Crowning of Enjolras

WHO| All Tributes and Victor, plus a few Capitol guests
WHAT| The Crowning of Enjolras
WHERE| The Tribute Center
WHEN| A few weeks after the end of the Arena
WARNINGS| Forced medical experimentation, needles.

The atmosphere surrounding the Crowning is both tense and secretive. The style teams flutter around listlessly, having received no information from which to draft their designs. Newspapers take bets on when it will be announced where the Crowning is being held, descending into grousing when no press release is given. Peacekeepers pour in and out of the Tribute Center, accompanied by scientists who occasionally pull Tributes aside and look at the veins in their elbows. Even the Avoxes seem jumpier than usual.

Aside from the Tribute Center's new giant marble statute of a nude Enjolras, posed like the famed David, one could almost forget the party is supposed to be celebratory.

When the day arrives, the Escorts and their assistants don't lead the Tributes to their style teams to be gussied instead. Instead, they hush the Tributes and bring them to their bedrooms, where a Peacekeeper, a white-coated citizen and several Avoxes await them. The Escorts instruct the Tributes to lay down in their bed and close their eyes, and a needle is inserted into their arms that the Escorts insist will 'take them to the party'. It's soon followed by a series of sensors taped to the forehead.

Just relax, the Escorts say, and they do their very best to make sure their Tributes feel minimal anxiety. If the Tributes resist too much, more Peacekeepers are called in, and the Tributes are forced into submission.

The first effect is a sort of paralysis - not the terrifying inability to move, but a signal to the brain that says why move? Moving is so much effort. It's quickly followed by drowsiness, and then a chill that radiates from the needle into the body, and finally, unconsciousness.

And that is when the party begins. The Tributes, now dressed in luxurious 1830's French clothing of a quality beyond even what their Stylists could manage, wake up in the front row of a large stone theater setting reminiscent of, simultaneously, Greek and French architecture. The floor of the theater is filled with buffets of every imaginable sort of food. Rose petals fall from the sky, which displays a sunset worthy of award-winning photography.

For his part, Enjolras sits in a throne made of books on the ring of the amphitheater, flanked by Marius, Cosette, Eponine, and bizarrely enough Venus Dee Milo and Ellie, seated on lush pillows and carpets made of dinosaur skin (with the heads comically attached and eyes lolling).

"Welcome, welcome, our Tributes and Mentors, to the first ever somnofestival, sponsored by Hypnogogia!" Caesar Flickerman, noted talkshow host and Games presenter, appears in a fabulous sequined toga in the center of the amphitheater. He doesn't need a microphone; the acoustics here are flawless. "And congratulations to our Victor! Let us hear it for Enjolras!"

He awaits applause.

"As you may have noticed, you're inside a shared dream, due to the just fantastic technology from the Capitol and certain, ah, biological contributions from our dear favorite Aunamee." He holds a hand out and gestures to Aunamee, anticipating wild applause. "We thought that for our most philosophical Victor yet, we should celebrate in a way that's a little bit…cerebral."

Caesar laughs and gestures at all the food, then puts a cheeky finger to his lips. "By all means, enjoy yourselves. Even the most indulgent desserts here won't show up on your hips tomorrow. The party only last three hours, so you might as well get started!"

He vanishes into thin air, leaving the Tributes to celebrate. Occasionally, the Tributes will hear voices in their heads - chatter from the Peacekeeper and scientist and Escort still in their room, in the waking world. Otherwise, this is a party like any other, if somewhat surreal in nature.

-/-

The party begins the same way for all the Tributes. For an unlucky few, however, it soon diverges as they come under an unfortunate glitch in the system.

They'll look around and find only a handful of their fellow Tributes around them. The sky, rather than being a magnificent splay of color, is now blank white, and yet the lighting in the theater seems dim. A sense of panic, detached from any conscious thoughts, surges forth in them like the tide.

For them, this isn't a shared dream. This is a shared nightmare.
justgaveup: (Default)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-16 08:12 am (UTC)(link)
It was fake food, and Perry had to think of it that way. You weren't going to eat a piece of plastic fruit, but you could throw that in the air. Perry looked up at the fruit floating up there, some turning slowly, and then looked back at Ellie.

"I don't see why not. Why, what are you thinking of getting up there?"
justgaveup: (Default)

Re: Orc

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-16 08:48 am (UTC)(link)
There were plenty of drinks to learn about here, though Perry wasn't going to help anyway as he said "Whatever is handiest to get back home." He gave him a wane smile.

"Mostly vodka, there's tons of it and it's easy to make. Some bourbon, I guess? Want to go down the list or something? Glass of each kind, to start off?"
justgaveup: (Default)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-16 08:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Right? That's how it goes in this place." Perry didn't care about what happened to him. But if he cared about someone here, or someones. What was he to do? Start telling and selling lies? He wasn't good at that kind of thing.

"So... new topic, I guess?" He gave him a half smile, just a little bit of one. "Now that torture has been put out there."
justgaveup: (trying to relax in a suit)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-16 09:02 am (UTC)(link)
"The only real place safe from the zombies, it's a good fortress kind of thing." Perry shrugged. "They do need more booze." He agrees with that.

And then he remembers something kind of funny. "We do have a bar in the stadium. All decked out like a bar, except the drinks are all fruit drinks. Really bad juice, too. So we flavor it better from stuff we get during missions."
justgaveup: (Default)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-16 09:12 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah. You know how they say that not knowing is the bigger problem? What makes it all harder for you to come to terms with? That feeling of unknowing?" He shook his head. "That's bullshit. The knowing, and not being able to do anything about it. That's the worse thing."

He gave her a look right back. "If I'm going to be alive in this place, then I'm taking the option that gives me what I want. Living a life here of a bourgeois Capitol pig isn't anything I want a part of."
wantwhatiwant: winchesterway (smirk)

[personal profile] wantwhatiwant 2014-02-16 10:31 am (UTC)(link)
"Zombies?" Ian raised an eyebrow, "Shit." Zombies were one of those things that were way cooler when they weren't actually real.

"Zombies and bad juice, that sucks."
dragoon_pride: (frowny frown)

[personal profile] dragoon_pride 2014-02-16 11:16 am (UTC)(link)
Kain would definitely be keeping this in mind. He didn't care too much about his own death- not normally, anyway. But there were things far worse, and losing his freedom in any sense was one of them. He didn't want to be controlled any more than they technically were being, here.

"Is there anything else I ought to know about this world?" He could already see he'd have a lot to figure out.
hit_girl_mindy: (Wtf? (Mindy))

[personal profile] hit_girl_mindy 2014-02-16 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, it is. It was what I live with, what most people keep forgetting when they see someone like me. There's this unwritten rule that I'm supposed to be whatever shitty ideal of a kid is like, when in reality living like that means I'm stupid to the problems around me. I'm more than happy to know what the hell is up."

Ah. That was what he meant.

"So you're thinking the same thing as me. I hear that. Some people would say to take advantage of what we have. I will: I'm going to that training room and work out this body of mine, so when the time comes I don't have to kill mindlessly."
undercoverprincess: (Default)

[personal profile] undercoverprincess 2014-02-17 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
The only Gray Ghost that Cindy had heard of was that crappy Western TV show back in the 50s, so she had no idea on that. "Do we really need more detectives running around this place?" She grinned, having to think. Who would she want in here that wasn't real? Well. That might be too tough.

"I want the cast of Cats to show up. Having a bunch of people dressed as cats running around here? Especially the second to last group, I'd love to see them in this place."
pythianjudgment: (pic#7427725)

[personal profile] pythianjudgment 2014-02-17 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
"And the safest thing for everyone just now was accusing me of trying to browbeat you with my moral superiority? Instead of acknowledging what I was trying to say?" Terezi cocks her head a little, fixing him with a deadpan stare.

"I am not here to make you feel like shit. If that happens, then it is the collateral damage of my real purpose, which is to make sure that you understand where you fucked up. Not because I hate you, but because it is in everyone's best interest that you learn how to not cause trouble! You asked me to keep tabs on you, remember? So this is me keeping tabs on you. And this is me trying to figure out where exactly your problem is. The first problem being that you were refusing to even talk to me about this--which leads to my accusation that you are running away."

"So," Terezi continues, tactfully deciding to drop any comment she might have had about pulling on his big troll pants. "If you're ready to talk, I would like to do that."
undercoverprincess: (Default)

/end!

[personal profile] undercoverprincess 2014-02-17 06:49 am (UTC)(link)
"Then let's go do some taste testing." Cindy grinned, taking his arm so they could go eat some fake food.
revvinguptheharley: (Harley: Fist pump!)

[personal profile] revvinguptheharley 2014-02-17 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
"Ohmygod yes!" Harley cheered with a little jump and throwing her fists in the air. She however did not remember she had a drink in hand and spilled it all over the person behind her. Nor did she care.

"And maybe Captain Carrot! He's like this giant bunny right? But he's a loser till he eats his magic carrots and then he's this big hunky superhero bunny and it's hilarious because he's all campy and like "Halt villain! You're a hare away from making a regrettable mistake!"

She threw her hand out dramatically which caused an unfortunate avox to have to dodge out of the way and spill his platter of snacks for the guests. They crashed to the floor and Harley let out a startled "Eep!" And then cackled delighted.
onlyimmune: (smug as shit)

[personal profile] onlyimmune 2014-02-17 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Me," She revealed with a grin.

"Why not, right? If I fall and get hurt I'll just wake up, yeah?"

She gestured at him. "Come on. Give me a boost."
onlyimmune: (smug as shit)

[personal profile] onlyimmune 2014-02-17 07:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Ellie whistled lowly. "That's fucking nuts. She sounds scary as fuck," She added, but she laughed as she did so. "Looks like you lucked out on the guardians, huh?"
shinyisfalse: (Default)

[personal profile] shinyisfalse 2014-02-18 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
"That would be something to see though, wouldn't it? I'd be sick as a dog. A dog without any fangs. I'd be a fang-less hound." Peeta was just rambling a little and taking it all in.

"Hm? I like regular food... I mean, some of the meat stuff here. The soups. There's a lot here we don't get back home, so it's... I like the cakes and cookies, though. They do amazing things with them. What about you?"
knifewithnoname: (smiles)

[personal profile] knifewithnoname 2014-02-18 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"A dog who did no be having fangs would be being useless." Pruna agreed and then grinned, food was a subject she could talk about for ever. "I do be liking sweet food, they do be having honey cakes, me and Guy did be nabbing some earlier. The meat do be being nice but it do be making me feel all full, fish do be being better. We did be eating a lot of fish in Gauig but they do no seem to be making sweet fish here."

There was nothing in existance that could not be made better with the addition of honey.
knifewithnoname: (pondering)

[personal profile] knifewithnoname 2014-02-18 01:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Pruna grinned and nodded, "I did be being, I do be being lucky." She tilted her head, "Did you be having guardians?"
justgaveup: (Default)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-18 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, zombies. We call them corpses, 'cause they're, you know. Corpses." It's just something that happened; maybe zombie didn't have the fear factor feeling that a 'walking corpse' did. Perry didn't know where the idea of it came from, but it was the language they used.

"Really bad juice, and carbtien for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." He shook his head. "Really stupid idea, to have a bar serve fruit juice. There was a TV, too, they would play spliced video tapes of sports games. So it went on for awhile."
justgaveup: (Default)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-18 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Everything else, pretty much." Perry shrugged, but he wanted to help. He just had to think of what could be useful to know about this place. They should have a checklist of things to go down when someone new arrived. 'Welcome to the rest of your life and your death, by the way, this is Hell' kind of deal.

"Uh... I don't know. Any questions to start out, I guess?"
justgaveup: (Default)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-19 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
"Not gonna lie, you would fit in well back home at the Stadium. Not that you should want to live in fear of zombies and only get out to the rest of the world during salvage missions, but training starts younger then you are." Just as an idea. She didn't seem like she had a problem killing live people, so why not dead ones? Most of them were scared about the training, but you had to wise up to real life pretty quickly.

"First plan I've heard so far that's actually good." Perry laughs softly; still not used to it, but trying. "I'm going to do the same. Training room, food, and real medical supplies. If they're going to give it to us for free, sort of, then I'll take it."
justgaveup: (Default)

[personal profile] justgaveup 2014-02-19 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
It's funny that the thought of 'maybe we shouldn't do that...' is squashed quickly by 'oh my god we have to try this'. It made logical sense; if they can get fruit up there on the ceiling, then why not anything, or anyone else?

And like she said, if she falls and get hurt, she should just wake up. That's how dreams worked.

"Sure, okay." Perry looks at the table. "We have to get you up high, so jump onto the table and I'll boost you up from there."
69problems: zilleniose @ deviantart (xtra | Such selfish prayers)

[personal profile] 69problems 2014-02-19 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
He doesn't really mind. He likes sitting here and listening to Bert talk, in that very particular way he has.

"Anything, really. That's about people being happy. Tell me about your home, maybe?"
hit_girl_mindy: (Taking Aim(Mindy))

[personal profile] hit_girl_mindy 2014-02-19 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
"Sounds like you and a friend of mine come from a similar world." Not the same, of course, but similar. "Then again, not gonna hod my breath that there won't be any zombies. This is the Arena, and they brought raptors the last time. Whose to say that they won't bring out the undead?"

Mindy would, of course, come into contact with the undead later.

"Only worry is getting dependent on stuff. Wouldn't put it past them to make some of this shit addictive."
acroodawakening: (056)

[personal profile] acroodawakening 2014-02-19 06:46 am (UTC)(link)
"Ooooh," he said slowly. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of the mentors from the Districts. On the one hand, they'd been forced through all this themselves, younger, and under circumstances where they hadn't been revived.

On the other, some of them, like Lestat, seemed to have adapted to the Capitol lifestyle to be no different than the people that had forced them into the arena in the first place.

For a moment, Guy gave Peeta an odd look, as if he was trying to figure out which he was or if he might be at some strange point in between.

Then his brow furrowed. He had trouble finding the words. "I know I'm - I know I'm not supposed to say it - or I guess think it even." After all, they were in his head right now. "But I don't - if you're like some of the other people here, I don't really want to talk to you. But if you're - I don't know if you know the, but like Cinna or - or Effie, then it's okay."

That was the best way of putting it without putting it in terms that might get him hurt right on the spot. No rebellion, not overtly saying how much he hated the people of the Capitol, but laying it all out there anyway.
acroodawakening: (011)

wanna wrap it here?

[personal profile] acroodawakening 2014-02-19 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
That made him wrinkle his nose but it was a happy nose wrinkle. It was finding something familiar in an unfamiliar place.

People being kind to each other, watching out for each other, that was just the way it was supposed to be.

So it was a happy nose wrinkle that came with a smile.

"Sure thing."