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

[dragoon_pride]

That brought up a thought he'd not really considered before. Ever since arrival, Kain has been so set in the ways of this 'Panem' and its Districts that he hadn't thought there could be a world beyond this. Could there be? "That makes me wonder if there are other nations out there beyond this one..."

[casaerotica13]

"Probably. Hard to tell being stuck in this place all the time." It wasn't like they were given a whole lot of information or that he had any grace to spare on gathering said information... Ugh, he missed his powers.

[dragoon_pride]

"They appear to have considerable power over information as well as everything else... Have you been here for very long, yourself?" Kain is curious to learn more of the people who've been here. How long this has been going on, is there any chance they might find a way out of it all. He has to know the full extent of what they're dealing with.

[casaerotica13]

"Not really. Probably a month, but I haven't seen an arena, yet."

Gabriel looked up some of the history of this place, none of it really hitting him as a big shock. There were a few details he was missing, but he was well aware that he was missing them. "You new?"

[dragoon_pride]

"Yes... The last arena had already ended by the time I arrived. I was in time for their crowning 'event.'" He realizes he's been bad at keeping track of time. The last place he'd been, it hadn't been an issue, and before that... well, on the mountain he'd been trying to ignore the passage of time. It made him less frustrated with his lack of accomplishments up there.

"I'm no stranger to fighting, though... I only wish it weren't for this particular cause."

[casaerotica13]

"We got a lot in common, buddy," Gabe answered, taking a drink. He pretty much fit that bill, but he didn't really care too too much about the killing thing. There was never really a good cause, but at least the souls would be okay. That's all that mattered.

[dragoon_pride]

"Are you a warrior in your world, as well?" He's heard they take civilians, too, though, a thought which really doesn't sit well with him. At least having fighters up against one another makes a certain sense. Even if it is for a fight they never asked to be in, in a world that's nothing to do with any of them.

[casaerotica13]

"Long time ago, yeah. Kinda retired." It wasn't exactly a retirement that everyone agreed with, but he didn't like how the big names were conducting themselves, anyway. He was the baby. He was the one that was supposed to be a snot-nosed, whiny brat.

[dragoon_pride]

"Then... you'd had enough of battling?" That's an interesting perspective, to Kain. For him, being a Dragoon is simply part of life, it's not something he can give up so readily. Nor would he want to ever lose his skills or forsake his training. He wonders, though, what would make someone decide to be done with it all.

[casaerotica13]

"More than enough, thanks. It doesn't really go anywhere, you know?"

Gabriel had plenty of reasons to be done with it all. At first, he fought for his family. Then his family fell apart and he fought for God. Then God left and he fought for Heaven. Then Heaven pushed for murder rather than war and he was done.

"If you enjoy the actual fighting part, that's one thing. I was more of a messenger than anything, though. You know, the guy that blows the trumpet to signal it's on. That's me."

[dragoon_pride]

"There's importance in that... Relaying messages that could mean a difference between victory or defeat, for instance..." He could understand that, everyone had their place on a battlefield. But he can't see that there's never a point to fighting. "What if the fighting is to defend something important...? Or someone?" He's trained all his life to be what he is, even choosing his path instead of following that which the king had wanted for him. Being a dragoon is everything, fighting is everything. It defines him. He can't imagine it being any other way. "Besides, being a strong warrior is how I honor my family name..."

[casaerotica13]

"Oh, it's definitely important. I was the fastest one out there. Knew all the tricks to slip in between battles without ever being noticed. Takes some talent." He has an ego, yes, but he's telling the truth. None of the other angels could do what he could.

"I choose my own battles. I didn't believe what we were fighting for, so I left and sort of ended up fighting for something else." Gabriel knew better than most what it meant to fight for something. Someone. Still, he scoffs. "My family doesn't deserve the honor they already have. They're so messed up. If we're being honest, they're the reason I left."

[dragoon_pride]

"So you had left your homeland before you ended up here?"

Ah, he knows all too well how that feels. He didn't want to have to leave them- but he didn't see much choice. He'd been tainted, forever altered by what had happened to him. He didn't deserve to be among them until he'd cleansed himself of the darkness, of his past. Not that he expected them to understand, but, well, it's why he'd left without saying a word. "I had to do something similar... but it was more because I was the one who no longer deserved to be among them."

[casaerotica13]

"Yep, long time ago."

Gabriel's quiet for a second, thinking about that. "If you say so. I would say something all gushy like enjoying life and love and all that jazz, but if that's what you really think..." Or really wanted? Sometimes the two got confused, but probably not in this situation. Besides, that story sounded familiar, but with less self-righteous gloating.

"Don't have to worry about all that stuff here, though. Right?"

[dragoon_pride]

"I can't possibly enjoy life until I've accomplished... something... that I set out to do before I came here. Not that I can do anything about it right now." He's still not sure how to handle this, being so far removed from the one place that'll bring him that redemption. This would all be a lot easier if his memory were gone like the last random world he'd been pulled into.

[casaerotica13]

Okay, now he's talking crazy.

"This isn't still about that whole honor thing, right? Dude, serial killers have fun that they don't deserve. Everyone has a right to happiness and fun in some form."

[dragoon_pride]

"You don't think it's a right to be earned?" He doesn't think he'd ever be able to see it otherwise, but he has to wonder how others might see it. He's traveled with some people who certainly seem to hold this viewpoint. But Kain has never been able to simply enjoy things... though he's found himself wondering sometimes, when he's alone under a perfect sky. Sometimes.

[casaerotica13]

"Redemption, maybe. The love of someone else, always. Happiness? You make your own happiness."

Gabriel examined some grapes, not thinking about them at all. Being happy wasn't really like that deep down and he knew it. It was more of a gimmick to put on for everyone else, but if you act the part long enough, you start to believe it every now and then. Those few times are worth it if there's nothing else you can do.

He's not going to say something like that, though. "You also make your own misery. I'm not saying you get to choose what you get, but it helps to put a smile on every now and then."

[dragoon_pride]

"Hmmph. Now you just sound like someone I once fought beside." He'd never quite realized that his stoic, loner nature was such a problem, but Jecht had gotten it in mind to point it out. Sometimes Kain wondered what had become of him. He also wondered if perhaps he should have made more of an effort to take his advice, but really... he wouldn't know where to begin. "But it's just as important to be serious as well, surely. Especially in a situation like this."

Was there time to be happy here? Had there ever been back home or as a warrior of Cosmos?

[casaerotica13]

"And you sound like my brothers," he grumbled to himself. "None of them ever stopped and just took things for what they were. They didn't want to be happy. They didn't want to act like they cared even though they did. Things were always serious with them and all it accomplished was bloodshed for everyone."

He shook his head, realizing that he was frowning and actually becoming a little heated and emotional about it. Right. He shifted. "If you want my humble opinion, be happy and let be be finale of seem. Especially in this situation." He leaned back in his chair again, letting his feet rest on a table as he quoted the poem lowly to himself. "The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream."

[dragoon_pride]

"You imply that there's anything to be happy about now." The situation is far too serious, too tense. It's not just that, though. He'd just come from a world of endless wars, after all. But somehow here, this place feels even more confining, more of a horrible situation to be in. Maybe it's the extent of control the Capitol has, or the fact that he has less personal freedom. It's harder to be truly alone in this world. Then there's the matter of the loss of powers...

Another moment, and Kain gives him an uncertain look. "...Ice cream, truly?"

[casaerotica13]

"All in perception," Gabriel shrugged, "Depends on what you want to perceive."

If he wanted to focus on the confining aspects, then fine, but there was still something to be enjoyed in this world and the people were allowing their oppressors to blind them from it... At least, that's what he told himself.

"From a poem," he explains. "It's a human thing."

[dragoon_pride]

"Hmmph, I suppose. But on the other hand, it doesn't do us any favors to become so content that we miss an opportunity to defeat our oppressors." It would forever baffle him, the way Jecht always talked, or even Edge back home. They were involved in some highly serious quests, and yet they could just kick back and find amusement...

"Well, then... I suppose it's not a poem that's familiar on my world." Another moment, though, and Kain glances at the other man curiously. "A 'human' thing? Are you implying that you're not?"

[casaerotica13]

"That just makes worry lines." Gabriel could be content and keep an eye open at the same time, but he was kinda special, too. Being so old and experienced helped.

"Aren't you implying the same thing?" He was nothing if not evasive.

[dragoon_pride]

"I'm not too concerned about that." Not worried about worry lines, really. Kain sighs, but shakes his head. "Hardly. I'm entirely human. Perhaps not from the same world as you, it would seem..."