thecapitol | New kind of victory.

The lake has been frozen solid, at least within the reach of the party, with a pathway lit with flickering light to a pavilion on the ice. In the middle of the pavilion is a flickering bon fire. Various foods are arranged on plates that can be roasted on long metal sticks, but this is far from marshmallows and hot dogs. Gourmet petite sausages, pastry puffs full of warm cheeses, fruits marinates in decadent sauces, and crispy dessert with centers full of caramel and chocolate fill these plates, waiting to be flame kissed.

At the edge of the pavilion are many pairs of ice skates, in all sizes. There is a gentle force field around the safe edges of the lake, and anyone can skate as far out as they would like.

If you get too cold, you can step into the lodge and have a warm drink by the fire inside, a much more mellow setting.

The party is very familiar to those who have been in the Capitol, however, as drinks flow, some of the less friendly edges of the District 1 citizens start to appear.

The Tributes are taken to a very old, very large hotel. It is obviously a well preserved historical location. It’s nestled against the base of the mountain, on the edge of a small lake, and lit up with white lights.

Inside the building is decorated stately, but modestly. The food is solid and delicious, but simple. Fresh elk, corn, and breads, goat cheeses and wine. There is a live band, playing lively folk music. As oppose to District 1, with wine flowing and music playing, District 2 is in much higher spirits with the party. However, especially towards the end of the night, higher spirits also leads to higher emotions and some fights may break out.

The party is held in the rose garden, and roses are clearly the theme. The only real decorations are lights hidden throughout the rose plants. Although not everything is rose flavored, there are hints of it-a specially brewed rose wine, rose ice cream, and small rose candies through out. And it’s not the only recurring flavor. Galic also features heavily, as well as seafood and sour dough bread. The plain seeming district comes alive with many flavor and dishes, obviously prepared by man different loving hands in a sort of potluck.

The divide between the poor and wealthy in some ways is over come a the party, with everyone in good spirits and dancing. However, those watching will notice the divide still, in clothing styles, and social circles. Most of the woman wear the roses in their hair, no matter their social status. By the end of the night, most roses have ended up in the button holes of their partners.

The party is at the end of the pier. Torches have been set up along the edges, lighting up the whole area, with string of lights criss crossed above the party goers head. The decoration are light, letting the natural beauty of the ocean do the job. The food is all freshly caught and prepared that day, unlucky for you if fish are not your thing. You’re in the wrong district, buddy.

A live band jams all night, composed of a sultry female singer and two guitarists. The party is lively, those in District 4 happily celebrating their tributes.

For their celebration, the tributes are shuttled to the beach, where a tent has been set up. The inside is warmed, and although the Tribute can wander a bit away before a peacekeeper comes to gather them up, it is pretty damn cold outside, with a biting wind that cuts through their party clothes. Still, for those who don’t mind a little cold, a walk down the soft sand to where the waves lap the water is nice, and you can enjoy the huge rock formations ringing the lake, cutting pattern into the stars.

And oh the stars. From horizon to horizon, millions of them in the clear, crisp sky.

The food is on the spicy side, heavy and filling with lots of meat, beans, corn and spicy sauces and salsas to liven up the simpler staples. Horchata and coffee flows freely, however this close to the water,beer and wine are regulated to just a few drinks per person. The most is lively and generally happy, although some debates happen, and loudly, everyone seems to be arguing more for the fun of it, than out of any true ill will.

The party is out in the open air in the desert, with fireworks and bonfires. Cacti in the area are dressed up with twinkling lights, to mirror the many stars twinkling above and everyone is issued glowsticks and shining neon paint to play with, and paint themselves and others with. Loud music plays across the desert, echoing for miles.

Tributes may eat from the buffet of many finger foods, in a large gauzy pavilion, but citizens have to bring their own food and beverages.

The party here is festive and takes place in an old concert hall that’s been spruced up - no pun intended - from run-down to charmingly antiqueish for the Tribute tour.

Candles with artificial fire provide the lighting, giving the entire stage a reddish cast. Microphones have been set up for any Tributes who wish to karaoke or say anything to the crowd.

District citizens after their day of work all mingle with the Tributes, packing the concert hall tight and warm.

The party is stately, but stifled. There was obviously a carefully chosen guest list, and everyone on it clearly got a notice of what they could and couldn’t talk about, how they could and couldn’t behave. They are dressed in their best, showcasing the districts textile skills, which looks a little awkward against the more drab setting of the party itself, a banquet hall in the city center. Someone tried to liven it up with more textiles, tablecloths with elaborate runners, and beautiful tapestries and banners on the wall. But still, they can’t cover up how depressing and worn down the whole place is.

The food is a bit better than the fair they have been given, but still nothing compared to the Capitol. Still, at least an effort was made. Games and fresh made pastries fill the table, with fresh greens and pie for dessert, as well as a steady, but controlled line of a mediocre wine.

The party, which takes place in the old Catholic church, is catered by the best District 9 can provide: pastas in rich sauce, millefeuille desserts, and cuts of cattle imported from District 10. Genetically modified crops have produced ears of corn the size of pigs.

The party colors are gold and silver, and what appear to be synthetic sparks hover in the air like fireflies. The pews have been rearranged to face inwards, and Tributes and citizens are encouraged to dance on the wide, empty floor. Gold streamers pour from the ceiling like Rapunzel’s locks, and bales of hay too soft to be natural provide lounging areas for those who’ve enjoyed the wine a bit too much.

The celebration in Ten is a wild, rowdy affair.

The food is a smourgous board of different kinds of livestock-the best steak, pork, and lamb the Tributes have had, even from the Capitol. Most things are simply prepared and fresh, and the smell of roasting meat fills the room. Home made beer runs freely (and sometimes messily, you're lucky to get out without getting any spilled on you.)

An active band plays on stage, and everyone let's loose and dances. Barrels stacked against the walls provide seating for those who decided not to dance, and a few fires are lit just out side the door, for those who would like to step out into the snow to cool down. They can find a group gathered around the fires, most smoking and energetically debating. Everyone is in good sprites, and anyone who gets a little too much liquor in them and decided to fight is pulled apart by the Citizens and taken to cool off.

The party for District 11 is for Tributes, Mentors and Capitol citizens only. District 11 citizens are stopped at the door, and the Peacekeepers try to keep news of Mayor Elf being turned away quiet, with relative unsuccess.

The party takes place in an old skyscraper from before Panem was formed, all glass windows and steel that seems out of place with the rest of the District. Each floor of the twenty-story building is available to Tributes, and each is themed around a different crop, with colors, foods and wines to match.

Fireworks are shown at the end of the party.

The party is the most lively thing about 12. It is very much a celebration run by the district. The food has obviously been supplements by the Capitol, but between decadent soups and hor d'oeuvres are fresh baked bread, local meat from the butchers, and a beautiful cake from the Mellark Bakery, decorated in coals turning to flames.

There are several fire pits outside the building, with people huddled around for warmth, with the bottles of beer brought in from the district a plenty. Everyone seems in good spirits, the happiest the Tributes have seen them, with warm bellies and cold beer. Live music pours out of the building all night, different musicians swapping out with homemade instruments. Not everyone is good, but everyone is obviously enjoying themselves, putting their hearts into it, and lightening up in a place they often don’t get to.

Post any OOC mod questions here.

Blaine felt a little overwhelmed by the whole thing, but he played that up well by acting gracious and impressed by everything he sees. He does like the District better than the Capitol, but there he was more certain of things. Here, he isn't sure how happy the people really are to see him. He's on uneven footing here, and nervous because he can't obsessively check on Kurt while they are so far apart.

Fighting doesn't help either so he tried to spend as much time as he could avoiding the alcohol and sticking to the people he knew.

Shell, that corn.

Don had seen the cornfields, but even this? He'd not seen anything like it before. It was practically humongous. And the cattle was...well, it was really good.

He felt bad accepting the hospitality of the citizens. But the people around him seemed so happy to have him around, that soon enough, he felt his mood lift. Soon, the traces of Donatello that had first arrived in the world of Panem showed itself, around the kind, good people of this place. ~~And, of course, rebellious, but he wasn't about to spoil that surprise.~~

He was even willing to do a dance or two, later on - if someone else was willing to dance with him, of course.

Edited 2014-01-13 05:05 (UTC)

In District 9, are district residents in the celebration (are they part of the citizenry)? Also, are any children present?

Kankri isn't used to parties. Really, for the past sweep and a half he's been around barely enough people to have a party. He feels incredibly awkward, but no one seems to mind; they seem jubilant, partaking in the rich food and encouraging him to do the same. They laugh at how he reacts to the spices burning his throat, but it's not entirely unkind. He's clearly an alien and a stranger, but they're acting like he's one of theirs all the same, particularly in comparison to the Capitol, where he's held apart from everything. He feels acutely uncomfortable whenever he's reminded that he's taking these people's place in their Games, and that some of the young people here might be in the Capitol, never to see their home again, if he got his wish and all the current Tributes were sent away from here. It's not fair to anyone, and he doesn't even know what to think or do about it. The fact that he hasn't even been in an Arena yet, hasn't done the very thing they seem grateful for, only makes it more awkward.

Still, once he starts sipping at the sweet, fizzy brown drinks people hand him, it's easier not to think about anything. As the night wears on, his shyness fades, and he even begins to smile and relax. He still debates, because he simply can't resist, but it doesn't feel so deathly serious, and it's almost a relief.

Venus, on the other hand, having experienced one of the most intense hangovers of her short life due to that absinthe the other day, is staying well away from drinks that aren't water or fruit juice.

At the moment, she's guzzling it down in an attempt to wash the taste of jalapeños out of her mouth. Years of not having tastebuds failed to prepare her for the taste of spice.

She's sweating slightly when she runs across Kankri, and she's wearing a sarong under a dyed coat of faux fur - an unfortunate choice by one of her stylists, although not Claudia, that left her with freezing cold legs and overheated everything else.

"How you liking the party, kiddo?"

Yes, and yes!

Courfeyrac had never seen a building as tall as the one they were presently mingling in. The glass and steel were unlike anything his Paris could have offered, glinting imposingly like a knife into the sky. As he wandered up through the tower, it occurred to him that it was like being inside of a rainbow. A delicious, gargantuan rainbow.

He pause on a floor decorate in deep blues to sample some of the fruits. If he'd had any concerns about his personal safety, they were gone for the moment. He didn't bother speaking to anyone in particular, but he didn't give off an unapproachable air either. He seemed content to snack on some food and take in the scenery. Mostly, his mind was back in the Capitol and on his friends.

This visit has been a singularly strange experience for the Signless. It's not because it's such a stark contrast to the Capitol, though that's certainly part of it, but rather because it reminds him so strikingly of home. It's like a lowblood labor town, complete with a military highblood presence to keep things quiet and a carefully-hidden spark of rebellion. Seeing it come alive like this, like it hasn't since he first got here, is touching in a way that's perhaps a little more personal than it would otherwise be.

So he's more outgoing and personable than he's been probably since the end of the last arena, and for the first time since then it's entirely genuine. These people aren't trolls, and it's purely by chance that they're 'his' district at all, but they are still his people in a very particular way. He makes a distinct effort to mingle, to talk to both his fellow guests from the Capitol and the people in whose place he's supposed to be fighting. He hopes his team's proud of him, because it's not effortless, but it's a start.

A few conversations back someone had pressed a beer into his hands. Halfway through it and he still isn't sure what he's supposed to think of it. The Capitol had figured out that it wasn't alcohol that got trolls drunk quite some time ago so he's neatly bypassed it for the most part, and he's certainly never had beer.

"What exactly is this drink?" he asks the person he finds himself standing next to.

Edited 2014-01-13 07:02 (UTC)

Toward the end of the night, Barbara needed anything as a distraction from having to talk and seem happy about all of this. More food than any of them saw in a year, enough heat to make the whole church feel welcoming, everyone freshly scrubbed up and happy.

She didn't know how they had the energy to keep all of this up. She barely did.

"Donatello!" She laughed, holding out her arm to him. "Picked up on any of the line dances this evening?"

Claudia put Kankri in too-big clothes again, in particular another turtleneck that he practically swims in, saying that he should play up that "lost, innocent look" of his. He doesn't know about publicity stunts or any such thing, but he's kind of glad, with how chilly it is out; the sweater is nice and snug.

He smiles and waves when he sees Venus, and has another big sip of the fizzy drink. "Well, you know, usually such events aren't my kind of thing. But this is rather nice! Even if the food is very hot. Have you been enjoying yourself, Venus?"

The beef is what surprised her most. She knew how ostentatious the corn could be, before processed into any of the countless forms it was used as in the Capitol. She'd been to this exact church several times in her life, though never often. Even being dressed as she was in simplified golds to match the setting, making her seem more a part of the setting than anyone of particular importance. By now, it was meant to be more of a truism than it might have been in times past.

She smiled and kept to the fringes, making small talk and asking after families and work in the acceptable ways she can when they're all under scrutiny. Barbara stopped by the food earlier in the evening, taking careful nibbles even when she had to fight down the compulsion to eat more. Later, she turns toward entertaining the children, keeping an eye on the Tributes while she entertained the youngest demographic. Big sister, but not the motherly figure. That was Eva. Barbara did what she could to avoid associating with that image. Even later on, she was pulling people out into the line dances, engaging the kids once again, tugging Tributes along with as a matter of course. They might not see the truth behind the pretty facade. She didn't expect they would, but she did want them to show some sense of appreciation and attempt to engage with the little her District had to offer that wasn't scalped off them to be turned back around and presented as their own.

If nothing else, the skyscraper is a great location. Kain has been feeling incredibly tense since arriving in the District... there's been an ominous air to the whole thing with so many of those guards around. 'Peacekeepers', indeed. He also definitely has gotten the impression from the district's citizens that they're less than enthused about everything. It's almost hopeful to see that the Games really aren't universally celebrated by this world.

There's plenty to see on each floor, and Kain wanders from floor to floor idly sampling the food. But his true destination is the top most floor. When he finally gets there, he pauses to look out. As he'd expected, it's quite a view from this high up, and he's just in time to watch the sunset.

New kind of victory.

District One

District Two

District Three

District Four

District Five

District Six

District Seven

District Eight

District Nine

District Ten

District Eleven

District Twelve

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Signless | OTA

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