District Tours: Train Ride

[etcircenses]

Prior to their departure, the Tributes have to suffer a photoshoot, a few interviewers asking them a thousand questions about how excited they are, and more than a few members of their style teams asking the Tributes to bring back mementos. "Don't worry about quality, dears, we can get that all here - we want you to bring us souvenirs for the novelty of it!"

The day of the trip, Tributes are roused bright and early, well before sunrise, and driven in Peacekeeper vans to the train station. It's all rather dour, and not like the start of a vacation at all; if one didn't know what was going on, and if the Escorts and head Stylists weren't chattering excitedly, they might think they were being hauled off to a war zone.

The trains, on the other hand, are plush, fancy things, and there is one per District. There's a single blockaded car for cargo, another for maintenance, driving and Peacekeeping staff, and then several others which are open to the Tributes. A dinner car serves three meals and has small snacks available throughout the day. Another car is an entertainment center with a selection of Capitol-approved films, and a the last one is the Tributes' temporary room. It has a bunk bed for each with sheets that was a truly intense threadcount, and a single massage chair in the back. The Stylists, Mentors and Escorts sleep in the same car, although separated by a partition.

Unfortunately, all the Tributes have to share the sleeping quarters, and it's first-come, first-served.

For the most part, the trip is so smooth that the surface of a glass full of water would not be disturbed. The trips to the closer Districts are a little under a day, but the furthest Districts - 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 12 - take nearly 48 hours.

[OOC: For Tributes accepted during the District tours, you can assume they arrived before the departure so they can participate in the District festivities. During the train ride there is still network access. There will only be this post and the party post from the mods for this event, so players are encouraged to make their own of their characters exploring their surroundings and enjoying the Districts.]

Comments

DISTRICT 1

[etcircenses]

OTA!

[crabulous]

Excited is an understatement. Zoidberg has never been used to pampering, and traveling first class in luxurious style with meals and snacks included is nearly beyond his belief! He could get used to the lifestyle of a District One tribute. Even the whole bodily harm and death thing can be dealt with, so long as he'll continued to be waited upon like a monarch!

Settling into a comfortable seat, he props up his large, stinky feet and gazes out the window at the strange landscapes all around. Such beauty, very scenic, wow.

[not_cocked]

She had been brought to her room in the District center late last night, after the picture sessions, a last minute addition. One moment she'd been half asleep in a shitty hotel room, the next being yanked forward by a bunch of strange look scientists.

It was a flurry from there. She was stuck in a much nicer looking hotel room, and then dragged down to this train less than an hour later. Her body had passed tired into the hyper aware state of exhaustion past tired.

Since she was new, she had slipped past some of the morning attention from Capitol lights, and found one of the beds on the trains. She wanted to fight, to struggle, but she wasn't even sure what the hell was going on yet.

What the fuck is going on. Finally lifting herself from the bunk bed on the train, she moved into the dining room. She needed information.

And food.

[letthemburn]

Like so much else, the idea of trains is entirely new to Iskierka. She knows boats, sure, but being inside of a thing that's moving as opposed to being on the outside is something she couldn't even have imagined. Of course, it still pales in comparison to flying, but she can tolerate it.

Of course, she's also having some problems with fitting neatly into the train cars, but she's doing her best.

DISTRICT 2

[etcircenses]

closed to Psiionic

[lessthanelementary]

He's nervous. The knowledge that the train is moving is unsettling, though he can't properly feel it; glancing out a window and seeing the landscape rushing by (a reminder of how much of this world is still strange to him) makes his stomach turn. The thought of their destination isn't pleasant, either-- the Capitol is, if nothing else, a familiar kind of dangerous.

That's why he's in the entertainment car now, cautiously inserting a film into the box that he thinks (based mostly on previous observation of other people) will make it appear on the screen. The blinds are drawn to make the car as dim as possible, and when he settles himself in one of the plush couches in front of the screen (with no small feeling of triumph at the appearance of the picture on it), he makes sure first that he can forget they're moving.

...The film, he realizes not more than five minutes in, is definitely going to help with that. He picked it without examining it too closely; thus far, it's dark, and sort of blue-lit, and the characters all speak to each other in dark undertones and don't move their hands at all.

"What is this?" he demands of the air-- he's not sure if he should be laughing or not.

open

[fire_punk]

Kevin hated getting up early. Unfortunately, this time, he didn't really have a choice. He yawned his way to the train station. Once on the train, he grabbed a seat and turned on a movie only to fall asleep before it was halfway over.

Open

[alldeduction]

Sherlock spent all his time at the window. There was no necessity for sleep - not if the trip was only a day, and he was busy memorizing everything that went by him, even if it was mostly trees for a goodly length. It was the mountains he was most interested in, and he cursed his lack of american geography as he did so.

So he stood at the window, hands clasped behind his back, and watched the world go by.

DISTRICT 3

[etcircenses]

open

[retrieverchef]

Eliot had been awake long before anyone came to wake him. He never slept much at the best of times. The longer he was here in the Capital, the more true that seemed to be. He grabbed a drink and sat down where he could look out the window. He might as well enjoy the sunrise and the scenery since he was awake.

Re: DISTRICT 3

[gardienne]

Eponine was carried onto the train, in the end, and dumped unceremoniously onto a chair in the entertainment carriage by a Peacekeeper. She didn't want to go - in fact, when she had realised that she was expected to go, she had hiddden herself away as well as she could. She just couldn't go on a trip with Marius and see his face and listen to him sigh over Cosette. It was too much, and so she had hidden.

They had found her, though, the Peacekeepers, and had taken her to the station, simply picking her up when she tried to resist. On the station, she had reached out for Eva or for Sigma, but in a tangle of arms, she was transferred from one Peacekeeper to another and into District Three's train, where the door was closed immediately. She was going.

Eponine, now that she was aboard, sat stiff, numb. Her face was expressionless, her eyes blank. She stared straight ahead. She didn't know how to fight any more.

open

[splendid_roman]

Ian had discovered the dining car and was making use of it, tucking into something that resembled bacon and eggs for breakfast. There was nothing quite like being starving in the arena to make him dislike being hungry. Besides, he was still trying to wake himself up after the early morning.

He was looking forward to this. It would be something new to see at any rate and who knew what opportunities there might be in District 3.

Open!

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert had discovered the sleeper car and in an effort to make himself as obnoxious as humanly possible he had pulled all the blankets off the beds and made a massive pile out of them. He then planted himself on top of the pile and set a challenge to anyone who witnessed it.

"Anyone who wishes to have a good nights sleep will have to topple the King of Blanket Mountain. Do you have the strength of will to take me on?"

DISTRICT 4

[etcircenses]

Re: DISTRICT 4

[swill]

They thought they were all so damn clever, but the truth of the matter was that he had done this all before, what seemed like hundreds of years back. The rude awakening, the chattering, bring back a souvenir!, waving goodbye as the unwilling heroes were forced onto the transport to visit with the strange people they were rescuing, who had lost so much, and who couldn't care any less for them. He played along because how could he not, and he searched the crowds all over but never caught sight of anyone he particularly cared for, and sour at the idea of no goodbyes that mattered, Hawkeye boarded the train.

He exclaimed his surprise. The moment he set foot in, and roamed from room to room, he kept talking- either loudly, conversationally, to himself, or silently moving his lips with things he wanted to say but never got around to voicing.

What an interior! Look at that design! We're kings! Top bunk's mine- all of them. I mean it! Mine, mine, mine! How many of these do you think I can stuff in my mouth? Have I told you about the whitefish? Someone help me, I think I'm aroused. There's trout and salmon and splake. Cusk. Lobsters. --and Hawkeye yammers on despite a tired jaw, the subject arbitrary. He climbs the bunks, and chairs, and moves not unlike a cat wanting out of the dogcatcher's net. Once or twice, he'll spend a while looking out at the world the train marches past. Once or twice, he sniffs out the liquor and drinks. Once or twice, in broad daylight, he'll be asleep somewhere other than the assigned car. It was a long ride. There was much to do and think over and ignore.

He was already determined to bring back a fish, rotting and stinking or in a jar, splashing with happy water, as his token trinket. Nothing new to the Capitol, just another dumb animal that they could all fawn over. Because simply bringing himself back, with a new shine in his eyes, he supposed wouldn't be enough. There was talk of a revolution nobody knew how to go about. He was in a train with people told to murder for fun

and they were going to go fishing.

"We're all going to go fishing," Hawkeye announces proudly, voice booming, and falling into a seat. There. Now nobody could say he didn't warn them.

[iwatchtjhooker]

He'd expected to wake up either dead, or in the hospital. When neither happened, and in fact he was told he'd been selected for participation in some sort of death olympics, he was certain he'd actually found himself in one of Gabriel's little time-wasting mazes again.

Except Gabriel was dead. And the last thing Sam remembered, anyway, was the angels falling from Heaven.

So this wasn't Hell. He'd been there. It wasn't Heaven. He'd been there. Pretty sure it wasn't Purgatory, because he'd heard the stories. So what was this? A figment of his own mind? Someone's dream? Djinn poison? Any of these were very real possibilities, and it meant that Sam had things on his mind other than actually taking the trappings seriously. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

But no sooner had he started trying to figure out what was real was he packed onto a train and shipped out. The trappings were certainly plush. Not that that impressed him--illusions could take many forms. But that didn't mean he didn't have to explore. There had to be some clue who was behind this. And what it all meant.

[finnickohdear]

There's a guest on the train a lot of people may recognize but most haven't seen in person. He's relaxing in the dining car, drinking something bright and fruity and greeting everyone who comes in.

He's dressed like a fisherman, or at least, what the capitol thinks a fisherman should dress like.

"Welcome. Settle in and enjoy the trip, it won't be too long now."

DISTRICT 5

[etcircenses]

OTA

[carnagecarnival]

When the Initiate finds that they're sharing a room, he wastes no time immediately darting for the one furtherest from anybody else as can be, taking the bottom bunk if only because his height wouldn't allow for anything else, and even then he feels far too cramped-- and too open. He shoves the blankest and sheets and pillow to be as much of a pile as he can make it, being much more aggressive with it all than truly necessary. He hates this. Already. He hasn't gone anywhere yet but he has already decided this.

He ducks his horns under the bunk and crawls in underneath, being very much a tangle of too-long-limbs as he tries to make himself as small as possible. Eventually he will find something to occupy himself with. For now, he opts to sulk. He pointedly does not look at anyone else.

Eventually, as time goes on, he starts to pull the sheets out to tuck them into the top bunk, starting to make a veil-like wall all around. It's almost, but not-quite, like a tent.

DISTRICT 6

[etcircenses]

OTA - also I hope my geography is correct!

[wantwhatiwant]

Ian didn't particularly want to go on this trip, but it wasn't like he had any chance so he was sat in one of the plush carriages- you would think that it would be easy to love the luxury of the capitol, but it left a bitter after taste when you knew the price.

Either way he was not happy about going to fucked up other world Texas- and a bit of Mexico if the map he had seen was to be believed.

It didn't help that the early start had meant he had still been mostly drunk and a bit high when they had grabbed him, and so barely an hour into the journey the lack of sleep and the hangover hit him simultaneously.

He moved into the sleeping compartment, fell onto a bed, not bothering to check whether someone had already claimed it, and shoved a pillow over his head.

DISTRICT 7

[etcircenses]

Re: DISTRICT 7

[disciplewhomsignlessloves]

Luckily she was one of the first to the sleeping train and got to survey the lack of privacy they were going to be expected to deal with. She raised an eyebrow but simply chose the bunk furthest from the door on the left and climbed up to the top bunk.

From her perch, she could watch others come in and at least see anyone who could come in. And it was high, she liked that. High and she could curl against the wall behind her and the ceiling above her like a cavehive.

She wonders if she can snag a spare sheet to hang from the top to provide a semblance of privacy. Or would open air be better if they're attacked. Will they be attacked? Will the Capitol keep her friends and lover safe? Is it too early to check on them? In her thoughts, she misses the next arrival until they're standing in the middle of the four bunkbeds.

"Oh hello. I've gotten this bed but I think the rest are still free to chose from."

DISTRICT 8

[etcircenses]

ota

[doc_holi]

It had been several hours since the departure and Holiday was trying very hard to ignore her nerves. The message from the anonymous rebellion, or who was presumed to be the rebellion, was haunting her. The people of her district likely didn't care for her at all. She wouldn't really blame them, honestly. It wasn't like she was showing her district's strength or anything. Still, the fact bugged her and she really couldn't pin down the exact reason.

Usually, she would just drink more in these situations, but she hardly touched the liquor or the food. She was on a train for two days with Jack, no Calico, and no Chris. Calico's disappearance gave her mixed feelings, but Chris' only gave her one less reason to find any comfort within the Capitol.

She was unsure of what was going to happen, and she was actually scared. Holiday held her still full glass of scotch and stood silently by the window, watching the outside world go by and hoping it wasn't another projection. Trees, nature, that wasn't confined within an arena... At least that was worth getting up for.

DISTRICT 9

[etcircenses]

OTA

[polyturtle]

Don wasn't at all roused out of bed that morning. Mainly because he'd been up and ready by the time the Escorts burst into his room, intending to surprise him to reality. Instead, they had been surprised to find him sitting on his bed, arms folded, bag packed.

Needless to say, Don was quietly excited. Part of it was that at last, they would be away from the Capitol, at least in the physical sense. Part of it was wanting to know what, exactly, he was fighting for - and who. He had to know if they were truly happy with his fate, and theirs, with him fighting for them. If his repeated doom had even made a shelling difference to someone, anyone.

So he picked out his bunk holy shades of childhood!, before at last coming to the dining car. The first thing he did was get a cup of coffee.

And shudder a little bit. Not just because of the anticipation, either - it was cold. Even with the heat on, ice had formed on the windows, and being cold-blooded didn't help. So after coffee, he began to make his way through the cars, looking for a sufficiently warm blanket.

DISTRICT 10

[etcircenses]

OTA

[futilecycle]

Small, enclosed spaces were never a problem for Sigma - it was the people he had to share them with. Having foreseen (not prophetically, of course, but with mere common sense) that extended periods alone with one districtmate in particular might become a problem, the Doctor preferred to sit alone with his thoughts, avoiding others if he could manage it.

Hardly concerned that the best spaces would be taken by the time he retired to the sleeping quarters, Sigma stayed up as late into the night, waiting for the rest of the Tributes to fall asleep first. Seated quietly in the dining car, Sigma enjoyed a piece of cake at a phenomenally slow rate, a cup of tea at his side. As he lifted the cup to his lips his usually steady hand trembled, and he took small sips. It was clear to whomever may still be awake that the Doctor was finding an excuse to put off resting for tomorrow's events.

Indeed, he would have preferred to sit in the train the entire tour. Dr. Klim didn't feel as though this would turn out to be a trip he would enjoy...

DISTRICT 11

[etcircenses]

ota

[casaerotica13]

There was only one reason Gabriel had been looking forward to this and that was for the change of it all. The Capitol was very posh, oh yes, but he couldn't help but hate a rather large chunk of it. Truly, it wasn't a terrible afterlife. He got plenty of food, sweets, drinks, women, but there was just too much. The memories he had forgotten, the resurrections of tributes, the leaderships and overseers of the city. It reminded him of Heaven, but if Lucifer had taken control. Fun 24/7, all the way down to torturing innocent souls.

He needed to get out. He needed to see the rest of this world. The lack of flight was stifling him enough as it was. It would be interesting to see what actual people with common sense and calloused hands looked like in this country. He would say that he didn't know what to expect, but this isn't his first rodeo with people like this. The Romans and Germans came first to mind.

For the time being, he was gonna enjoy the ride and not act like he was high strung. That usually made him hyper sensitive and the chocolate he had been munching on since they left hadn't helped at all. The wine doubly so.

DISTRICT 12

[etcircenses]

OTA

[knifewithnoname]

Pruna suffered the photo shoot in silence and answered the questions as best she could, being on her best behaviour and managing not to use any of the swear words that Howard had taught her.

She stuck close to Sandy through being moved to the trains, scowling at anyone who came near, but her mood improved when she saw the train. She had been on transports before, and taken to and from Arena's. But this was different that anything else.

The first hour of the journey was spent moving from room to room looking out of every window- she was used to having to sit still and strapped in in transports, and picking up anything she could to study it.

The strangest thing was how it barely felt like they were moving, so much that she could forget it until she looked out of the window.

After her thorough examination she could be found on the bed she had claimed, one of the top bunks, hanging off it, observing everyone upside down.

This was another oddity, a bed that you have to climb to get on! Like a tree bed.