thecapitol | (no subject)

Who| Everyone, pretty much. Particularly Secret Santa people and those Creuntus is fucking with.
What| Holiday times!
Where| The Tribute Training center
When| The whole week, but Creuntus' gifts arrive today.
Warnings/Notes| none atm. Please add any in thread headers. Also, for secret santa, if you are the giver start a thread with your giftee's name (unless you two have worked something else out between you). You can use the District threads below, or choose a different setting of your own.

Every floor public space is dripping with holiday decorations.

The decorations are themed, ridiculously so. Every surface is covered, and a table sits proudly full of holiday treats and spirits, kept stocked constantly by the avoxes. Cheerful music plays softly throughout the whole building, though luckily for everyone the Capitol doesn't really know what Christmas carols are.

Those with secret santa's have a cheery, passive-aggressive note reminding them not to disappoint anyone and ruin their holiday.

Those that have expressed a want for some object from home will find a box on their bed sometime during the day, with a merry holiday greeting from Cruentus. Inside they will find the object of their desire, or something similar, crafted from their words.

In blown glass. Pretty, decorative, utterly useless.

Bert's guns, Punchy's goggles, Sigma's music box, Maximus' leg, Mindy's knife, Terezi's dragon cane...on and on, as many gifts as Creuntus could find out. Those that were with them when they were pulled are more perfect replicas, those that they have just described obviously have an artistic touch to them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Maximus was preparing for bed when the knock came, and his brow arched sharply at the sound - and then a slight sigh when he realised who it was. And what the man had likely been up to.

He opened the door with a bemused smile and a raised eyebrow. Somewhere far behind him lay Ferox, curled up asleep on the end of the bed.

"Hawkeye, if I remember correctly. You do not have the wrong room." It had been a long time since anyone but Wyatt had called him 'General', but he did not mind.

"Can I help you?"

At least he didn't even stumble when his support swung open. He detached himself from the door and studied Maximus for a second- he thought that this was the first time he had seen the man since the arena and that he should have, in hindsight, been in a better state to present himself. His eyes wander past the man, to the room inside, but he's quickly pulling a face and convincing himself that, yes, he's drunk.

And that peeking into Roman gladiators' bedrooms was rude. Hawkeye offered a slight grin, apologetic. It was a far cry from the intimidated shell he should have had the sense to withdraw into. He holds out the box- a perfect little rectangle with a perfect little bow, and the paper was scented and every bit as neat and proper as the gift inside wasn't. It was heavy, and a bit of a task to keep from dropping when he held it with only one hand, but he manages. He's not turning it over, though- more like showing what he has to explain. "I have to give you this," he settled on, after a false start. Instead of slurred, every other word was only pleasantly clipped. "It's from my heart, to yours. That's what they want me to say but this means a lot more to me than hearts. It's from the-- it's delicate, so you wanna be careful. It took me all month to make it. Don't worry, I didn't bake it."

He should have baked a damn cake. So simple.

The realization makes him blanch.

He thrusts it forward, the present, fumbling with his hands as he tries to grab Maximus' own. Under the bow, the wrapping paper, the box... was a brick, nothing spectacular but the train of thought that had twisted the object into a Good Gift Idea surely had been. The brick had had googly-eyes attached, and features drawn on with marker- eyebrows, a beard, a red mouth. Power, Hawkeye had thought- power and stability and the very foundation of- "Don't open that until I leave." But he's not moving to leave, and won't without prompting. "They made me do it."

Maximus could practically smell the alcohol rolling off him, and he looked very bemused as Hawkeye made a grab for his hands, but he allowed it - the man seemed fairly harmless, after all.

The gift was solid and heavy and Maximus had absolutely no idea what happened to be inside, but he took it carefully anyway.

"I understand, I was asked to do the same, for Joan. I will not open it until you depart." He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Do you require water?"

He even gives the man's hands a pat, for good measure.

He strains to hear. He wants to ask Of Arc? but wouldn't know what to do after, so he doesn't. He only nods along, his mind clearly elsewhere. He'd told a lie and his present would be used to smash his bones in the next arena, Hawkeye was damn sure of that. The look Maximus graced him with was one he'd gotten plenty of times through the evening and night. He thought nothing of it, which of course was a mistake. He was aware he'd pay for his state the next day, and just couldn't care. "I'd like a drink," he says, and it's funny to him because the meaning shifted. From water to booze. Wasn't that great? And he grinned. And laughed silently to himself, before fanning himself with one hand, waving at the air.

"There's something in your bed," he says slowly, lowly, with great suspense. Oops- he admitted to peeking at the man's bedroom. "Can you tell me what it is while I'm still drunk? I'd hate to think what I'm thinking it is if I ever get sober again. Again."

"I have wine," Maximus said as he gestured into his room and walked back towards the cupboard. At the mention of his bed he looked up and over, and shrugged.

"That is Ferox. Ferox, introduce yourself," Maximus said a little louder so that the great cat raised its head. It blinked, blearily, before turning to look at Hawkeye, its tail swishing. Its teeth, far too long to fit in his mouth, glinted in the light as he pulled back his gums in a snarl.

"Relax, boy," He murmured as he came back with the wine bottle and a glass. He passed the glass to Hawkeye.

"He's harmless, as long as you don't provoke him."