The Crowning of Enjolras

[etcircenses]

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.

Comments

[hit_girl_mindy]

"You assume I think you can back it," Mindy said shrugging. "But you were waiting in the trees for a trap to do your work and then tried to finish me off and you couldn't still. All that let me know is that you're too concerned with an easy win, and now that its over you don't ever have to lift a finger in the games again."

An easy win. Pfft.

"But that's not how I work, and I wouldn't want to anyway. Training my body to do the shit I want it to do isn't easy, and I don't expect it to be. So you go ahead, stay privileged in your world and brag about it. Might help you to remember, though, once upon a time a girl did shake up the games a little. Hell, its why I'm here now, best I can figure. So I wouldn't discount what one person can do."

[burnedbrighter]

She rolled her eyes.

"Did you watch ANY of my tapes after you saw how you died? Or did your bruised pride keep you from potentially learning anything about what I've accomplished?"

Her skills were well documented. She'd made sure of it.

"Besides, it's foolish to discount the importance of fighting smart rather then burning energy uselessly. But I'm sure if you didn't already know that you'd figure it out."

Her eyes settled on Mindy's with a gleam of delight.

"I don't know who trained you before you came here, but either they left some wide gaps in your education, or you're just a fool who lets her opinions get in the way of her duty. Not to mention logic."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"You really like to hear yourself talk," Mindy said, fidgeting with her dress. "That's cool though. I mean, I'm sure if you insulted anyone else's mentor, you probably would have touched a nerve. It's really funny, though, hearing you talk about boastful opinions of your own abilities, especially from you."

It had touched a nerve, of course, but Mindy handled this quietly. This was the game the bitch played, talking, figuring out what she could use and exploit.

"As for the tapes? I watched them, with you in them too. They were very informative. Very."

[burnedbrighter]

"And yet you continue to act as though you're underestimating me." She chuckled "What a waste of time. It's like you don't even want to be successful."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"I just thought it was shitty thing to do," Mindy said. "You have all this strength and agility, and you pussed out with a fucking bear trap. Then you go justifying it by saying its smart instead of lazy. Could you even be in another arena and actually win?"

[burnedbrighter]

"Perhaps." Azula was not going to lie to herself about it. "Sometimes despite all the skill you have, the odds simply aren't in your favor."

But her voice was thoughtful and coy "I think I see the real problem here. You're upset because in your first showing you were thwarted, not by lack of talent or skill, not because you were weak...but simply unlucky."

And was that sympathy? It almost sounded genuine.

"That's simply the nature of the beast, and life. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Each battle can't always be about who's more worthy of victory."

A pause, then...

"Because if it was I would have won this arena as well."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy didn't like being read by a sadist: it made her all too aware that they were like minded. Being one step away from that was not at all a comforting thought.

"No, I'm annoyed that happened. Who wouldn't be? Sure, you're fearing for your life the first few days, but after that you adjust. The starving hardens your stomach, you're dirty, and then? All you can think about is outlasting. Two weeks of having little to nothing, only to have a trap get me was bullshit."

Here, Mindy smiled. "I'd love to know the reason you think that."

[burnedbrighter]

"Why bother? There's no reasoning I could give you that would convince you that I deserved to win. You're too stubborn for that." She purred coyly.

"There's no sense in dwelling on your misfortune. Turn that anger into something positive and stop letting it get in the way of seeing the truth of things." She admonished as if she were Mindy's mentor instead.

"I will never understand why so many of you Tributes waste so much energy on personal problems when there's such a bigger picture to be had."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"If you don't wanna answer the question you could just say that," Mindy said, looking amused. "Even if I don't believe you, you have a reason to think it, right?"

Mindy chuckled. Man, she liked hearing herself talk. "The truth of things? I've got to hear this. If we shouldn't be concentrating on personal problems, what SHOULD we be thinking about?"

[burnedbrighter]

She was irritated, but it never found her face.

"I did answer your question, I just didn't give you an answer you were hoping for. Of course I have my reasons. Everything I say and do has purpose. You would do well to consider such a life instead of wasting so much time."

"It's a much bigger world then what you have in front of you. A bigger universe then even I was aware of until they started bringing in tributes from other worlds. Obviously what you should be focused on is your ultimate goals. Not your petty day to day interactions with people you dislike."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy was quiet. Sure, she wanted to tell Azula what a smug, stupid girl she was, but then she had to think. All Azula was, in retrospect, was a stooge. A stooge shouldn't KNOW more what she thought.

"Oh, I dunno. Focuses my mind. Clears my head. But then, you've been a mentor. Maybe you forgot."

[burnedbrighter]

"Or maybe, you still have alot to learn." Azula shot back feeling particularly amused at the circles they were spinning in.

"But that's enough free education for tonight. My quantity of charity is finite even on such a wonderful evening."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Christ. Of all the indignities, having to deal with your enemy full of her own self importance was the worse. But there was one things he agreed with: there was still a lot for her to learn.

"How generous of you," she said, rolling her eyes. "Only you would call this charade 'wonderful.'"

[burnedbrighter]

"Oh I don't know, I see more then a few happy faces." She purred delighted.

"After all, tonight District five celebrates with extra food, drink and more gifts of plenty. Families will live more comfortably in the next few months then they have in years. All because of that boy and everyone who helped him win."

A vicious smirk. "Including you of course." Because if she hadn't died so unfortunately so quickly she might have killed him.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Oh right, the famous Districts we never get to see," Mindy said. "Might give us a little motivation if we get to see them, instead of just being told they exist somewhere out there. A lot like dangling a fish in front of a starving person with no prerogative to feed them."

Ugh, the smugness just made her sick.

"Yeah, I doubt I had anything to do with this shit," she said.

[burnedbrighter]

"As someone who was born out there, I assure you it's all real. But I'm sure you won't care until you're actually there."

Though she was pleased to know Mindy would never get to visit HER home.

"Well you were there, and you were unlucky enough to die. If you hadn't who knows how things could have changed?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

It could all be a load for all she knew. The only person she thought she could trust with that information would probably be Katniss anyway.

"If I hadn't died that way, it might be another. I was too green for this one anyway. I'll know what to do next time...that way I might not be starving in that one either."

[burnedbrighter]

"See...you say that." Azula sighed for a moment of genuine disappointment, but up until the Capitol changed things all the players were as green and inexperienced as you. And all of our winners...myself included, were against the same sort of odds. Now that people have multiple chances...well it just doesn't have the same sort of bite to it does it?" She mused longingly.

After all, she was more special now that victors like herself were a thing of the past.

"Be thankful you came when you did." She concluded. "This is a warmer, fluffier Capitol that gives second chances."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Yeah, I say that," Mindy said "just like I say you can't bitch because you could just as easily have been killed. Winning one doesn't make you the master of all games, no matter how much you think it will."

Ugh. That thinking of hers made her sick. She didn't mind killing for the right reasons, but for sport and amusement? It was sickening.

"Oh, shut up about that shit already. If I could die once I would stay dead and I wouldn't have to be brought back here, so it wouldn't matter. Instead, you come here again and again just to be reminded you can't die unless they say. Nothing fluffy about that. It's always been about control, and that's all it will ever be."

[burnedbrighter]

It irritated her a bit, but she should have expected this. Why was she even bothering to try and educate this savage about their new world? Was it a sense of pride? It couldn't be obligation.

"Count your blessings Mindy." She admonished "You may look at it as an eternal punishment where death cannot set you free, but that will hardly do anything for your moral. And if you become to depressing and dull a subject then you will be granted that sweet eternal death you seem to crave."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy gave the girl an appraising look. "Appreciate your concern, but you don't need to worry. Just because the situation is fucked doesn't mean I'm going to play the emo card. I was never much for wallowing. It's like you think my age means I haven't seen death and despair already."

And that was as forthright as Mindy felt like allowing herself to be. Azula was a mentor, but she was just as well an informant and another part of this system. She was an extension of it.

[burnedbrighter]

It seemed like for how alike they were they just weren't on the same wavelength yet. "Oh I wasn't worried about that." True, Azula wasn't worried about Mindy in the slightest.

"I know you're no innocent. You're more mature then many of the adults around here. But I've yet to see you show any sign of enjoying yourself. And at any age that's important."

[hit_girl_mindy]

That was fine with her.

"Now what makes you think I'm gonna go enjoying myself around you? Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean its not happening."

For instance, watching Guy get introduced to a messed up hat was very entertaining.

[burnedbrighter]

"Then I shall take comfort in that." Because Azula suspected giving her comfort was one of the lowest priorities on her list.

"I look forward to your next performance in the arena. Perhaps you'll have a more honorable death."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Dying is not on the top of my list," Mindy said flippantly. "But I can promise this: if I die, I'll make a show of it. Never did like the idea of 'going gentle into that good night.' I' rather go loud and hard and fucking lethal."