etcircenses: (Default)
Panem Events ([personal profile] etcircenses) wrote in [community profile] thecapitol2014-01-07 07:31 pm

District Tours: Train Ride

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.]
polyturtle: (this final jeopardy is hard)

[personal profile] polyturtle 2014-01-14 04:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"A better read than I do right now in general," Don admitted. "Its...not been a good few Arenas for me."
thatwasme: (✘ ask (how serious you can be))

[personal profile] thatwasme 2014-01-15 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
"I'll say," she said, tone neutral enough. "In your opinion, what do you feel you can do to change that?"
polyturtle: (this final jeopardy is hard)

[personal profile] polyturtle 2014-01-15 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"...Well..." At this, Don looked down. "I'm not sure. Not losing my mind would help."

Not being forced to fight or aid in the support of an oppressive government would help. He didn't say that out loud, of course.
thatwasme: (✘ consider (all the variables))

[personal profile] thatwasme 2014-01-16 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
"We all have pie in the sky dreams!" Her laughter wasn't mean. If anything, it was sad, knowing there's scant to be done to keep him together other than him finding coping mechanisms no normal person should ever fight tooth and nail to get.

"You'll find some way of coping. Direct it outward, try not to keep it in, because all that does is wear you down even faster. I don't have any good, homegrown advice for you. I'm sorry. It's nothing anyone's had to deal with before."

Living through multiple death matches, being resurrected from the dead? "Your own best people for that are the ones you go in there with."
polyturtle: (this final jeopardy is hard)

[personal profile] polyturtle 2014-01-16 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"...Yeah." Thoughts of Shepard echoed in Don's mind at those words. "I guess you're right. I just have to make sure I know who's got my back and who...well, who doesn't in the long run. Especially with all these newer people here."
thatwasme: (✘ ask (what else is left to learn))

[personal profile] thatwasme 2014-01-18 08:09 am (UTC)(link)
"Long run might not even matter as much as knowing who you can count on holding an alliance up until the breaking point," she pointed out. "If you know what that point is."

People you're protecting, or people you're acting against because you don't want to die first.
polyturtle: (this final jeopardy is hard)

[personal profile] polyturtle 2014-01-20 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"But..." Don paused, before speaking again. "There's the possibility that those allies may disappear."

Judging by his voice, it was obvious he'd gone through that multiple times.
thatwasme: (✘ consider (the challenges ahead))

[personal profile] thatwasme 2014-01-24 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
"They might also stay," she pointed out. "Ask anyone from before, and we could tell you about our alliance return rates. You have a better chance by numbers and probability alone." She kept her voice low, her cadence melodic. "Or so I hear it told!"

She didn't want to appear to be the kind of person who used probability and numbers as anything much she thought about. People talked; she could have easily heard it from the Capitol citizens caught up in the betting pools.
polyturtle: (this final jeopardy is hard)

[personal profile] polyturtle 2014-01-24 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
There was a quiet moment before Don nodded. He knew probability; it just wasn't something he'd been using in the Arenas, especially not lately.

"I think I see what you mean."
thatwasme: (✘ ask (in a playful tone))

[personal profile] thatwasme 2014-01-30 05:19 am (UTC)(link)
"You do?" She laughed, like she'd been pleasantly surprised. "That'd make at least one of us!"

Adjusting the heat setting on the portable heater, Barbara stood, patting the heater like one might a dog.

"Still, I figure that means you should think on about it for a while, before coming to any big ol' conclusions on your own. But all that after you warm up, buster!"
polyturtle: (I'M TTLY MODEST)

[personal profile] polyturtle 2014-01-30 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"...Probably a good idea," Don admitted. "I don't think too well in cold either!"
Edited 2014-01-30 19:41 (UTC)
thatwasme: (✘ amused (by the things you say))

[personal profile] thatwasme 2014-01-31 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Then let's put our thinking caps on together when we're back in warmer places." She moved past his chair, shooting him one last smile. "Don't freeze!"

Freezing was the enemy. Oh so very much so.
polyturtle: (I'M TTLY MODEST)

[personal profile] polyturtle 2014-01-31 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
"I-I will!" A pause. "I mean, I won't. I...you know. What I mean."
thatwasme: (✘ smile (something close to pleasure))

[personal profile] thatwasme 2014-02-02 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
She laughed as she moved down the length of the car. "Later, Donny!"