thecapitol | (no subject)

WHO| Everyone
WHAT| Ariadne's crowning does not go as expected
WHEN| After the arena
WHERE| The Banquet hall in the bottom of the Victor's complex
WARNING/NOTES| The black out lasts about 10-15 minutes. Feel free to start a thread during any part of the proceedings, just clarify in the subject bar.

The celebration this time was private. Of course it was broadcast live to all of Panem, but the victors, the tributes, and a collection of those working closely with them were the only ones in the extravagant banquet hall. Behind them was a carefully selected audience-those known to not cause trouble.

And Peacekeepers. Many, many Peacekeepers.

Snow stood before them, giving a speech geared towards Ariadne’s winning. A mellow girl, a bright girl who found her place in the Games and bloomed.

“Not all of those who come here, unfortunately, choose to be welcomed into our circle.”

Lifting his hand, he gestured for Tate to be brought in from back stage.

“This is bullshit!-” Tate doesn’t remain quiet like he probably should. “You people can just bring people back from the dead in the arena- what’s it matter if anyone else gets hurt? Huh?” His eyes are glaring at every face that looks at him.

He struggles with his hands bound behind his back, two Peacekeepers holding his chicken-winged arms as they bring him onto the stage.

Tate is forced to stand facing the crowd. He doesn’t care how they see him, what they think of him and this shows in the disgust on his face. “So what-”

Before he can say another word the zip sound is heard by those within a few feet of him and he collapses. The small hole on his forehead, bleeding, the only sign of what happened.

“Those who do not appreciate what we do for them...will not be tolerated. If we offer you our gracious hospitality, and you attack those who help you...” He pauses as the crowds shocked silence descends into rabble, waiting for silence again.

However, when the silence came, it wasn't due to anyone waiting for him. The televisions flanking the stage and all across Panem suddenly flickered, before turning to static.

There was a moment, before the screen turned black. And then another before a voice started speaking. It was clearly computer generated, a soothing female tone with no inflections, no Capitol accent. Immediately, across the city, those in control of the Panem broadcast began to scramble, rushing to shut things off.

“This bloodshed proves nothing, this is all just a new game for the Capitol, this is all an attempt to draw your eye away from the power you have, this is-”

And then the power cut out entirely, sending the whole city into Darkness.

In the darkness, Snow was rushed out under protection. The peacekeepers rushed in, trying to hold down peace and order.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If Neeshka squeaked than Valeria shrieked, her relief at some semblance of light short-lived once she realized there was someone right next to her and she hadn't even noticed. She didn't really have any room to move so she just pressed her self flatter against the wall and threw up her arms. "I'm Valeria Rushlit," she said in a rush, visions of Tate's execution dancing in her head. "I'm a Capitol Citizen, I'm a Panem native, I'm loyal, I'm loyal!"

The shriek made the tiefling wince and rub at her ears, scowling at the girl for making such a fuss. That didn't last, though, because the words sunk in-- and she had to slowly smile, her tail flicking side to side, and fold her arms. It was a very poor attempt at looking imperious, because her lips kept twitching up. "Loyal, huh? And how do I know that, missy? Anybody'll say anything, if they're scared enough, you know." And she had the feeling this chickie here was scared enough.

Valeria had her hands in front of her face, though she wouldn't have been able to give a good reason why any time soon, her head down and eyes tightly shut. Even if she'd been looking Neeshka's appearance wouldn't have thrown her off too much--Peacekeepers didn't go for the hardcore alterations that Citizens did but Valeria was hardly in the mood to parse that out at the moment.

"I'm a Stylist! Check my records, you can see, I've never been anything but loyal! I work hard for the Capitol and the Games!" And the fame, but that probably wasn't a good thing to mention out loud.

Neeshka wished she knew more about this place and its history, and whether stylists were ever considered dangerous. She settled for just looming closer-- or as much as someone of average height could really loom-- and glared fiercely. As fiercely as she could while trying not to laugh. "Your record isn't here. And you're all lit up like-- like a-- like a torch, over here." They still had torches in this world, right? Maybe? "You sure you weren't trying to be a beacon to somebody, miss Ruchlit?"

Yes, she said the name wrong. So what? She hadn't exactly been paying attention, at the time.

"I was just trying to see," she wailed, finally looking up and to stare pleadingly. She blinked, peering through the gloom at her interrogator. She made for a threatening silhouette, certainly, but not the kind of threatening Valeria was used to. Certainly not the tidy, uniform appearance of the Peacekeepers. "Who--who are you again?" She asked uncertainly. There was something familiar...

Really, Neeshka was close enough for Valeria to make out the horns in the amount of light her dress was shedding. Neeshka was kind of amazed at how long it was taking her, but she would play this as long as she could. "I'm, uh. I'm not important!" she puffed. "I'm part of the secret government plot to make sure all of you stay in line. That's right."

Bluff was not really one of Neeshka's strongest skills, for all she was a rogue and all.

Valeria was not known for her common sense. And certainly if someone were part of the secret police, going undercover as a Citizen with genetic alterations was sure to stave off suspicion. Or so went Valeria's rather shaky line of thought.

And yet--Valeria squinted harder. "You...you're undercover as one of the Tributes?" This was hard to believe even in Valeria's distressed and gullible state.

It was at that point that Neeshka officially gave up. She broke into a "gotcha" grin and elbowed Valeria jovially, as if she was in on the joke and everything. It wasn't worth it to keep fighting the girl's brains, what little of them there might be. "Naw, I'm just a regular Tribute type. Well, if you can ever call me regular!" Which, as she would have it, you couldn't. Neeshka, after all, was the best thief in Neverwinter.

Valeria flinched away from Neeshka's friendly elbow, staring at her confusedly. "What?" she asked blankly. "You're--what?"

Rolling her eyes, Neeshka answered slowly and clearly-- rather too slowly and clearly for politeness, actually: "I'm. A Tribute. I. Was. Playing. A joke. On you. Gods, are all of you guys stupid? I know I didn't scare you that bad."

Well, actually, she didn't know that. But she assumed she hadn't.

"You--you're a Tribute?" said Valeria, taking a moment for her nerves to calm down and fully process. "You're a Tribute and this is all a joke? What, even the blackout? The Capitol takes rebel threats very seriously you know!" Possibly Valeria was not fully back in control of her common sense.

"Not the whole thing." Damn, yeah, she was kind of stupid. Neeshka rarely had patience for stupid. "Just the whole yelling at you part. The lights out and the message and the shooting thing, that was totally real." Not that she was paying it much mind, at the moment. Well, the lights and message part. The shooting was disturbing, but she'd seen worse on the streets.

"Well this is hardly the time to be playing pranks then, is it?" Valeria hissed, and a small, horrified part of her mind noted that she sounded a little like Effie Trinket. "I mean," she said, forcibly calming down because ew, she was not going to be the buzzkill at any party, thank you. "Don't you think it would have been more appreciated...in a different situation?"

"It's a perfect time. It worked, didn't it?" Neeshka stuck her tongue out at Valeria. "Besides, I'll just do more later, too. Speaking of, you should totally get out of here. The door's that way." She pointed in the appropriate direction. One less person in here with lights on meant more spare change in her pocket, and Valeria was starting to get less funny.

Valeria scowled at her, making a mental note of her appearance for a complaint to be filed, already forgetting that complaints could lead to much worse consequences for the Tributes than she could fully grasp. Tate's graphic execution was already slipping from her memory.

"You should watch your step, girl," she said, gaining back her equilibrim as she realized her status above the likes of a simple Tribute. Any sense of bravado was lost when she followed the finger to the doorway, a look of longing on her face. "That way? Okay. Fine." With one last attempt at dignity she straightened, tossed her head, and started over to the exit, shoving her way through the crowd with the experienced elbow and shoulders of a football player.

"I always watch my step. It's why I never trip. See ya." Neeshka waved her fingers after Valeria, rather unaware of any potential for trouble, herself. It wasn't like she'd done anything that bad, after all. "Take care, and all that."

She turned back to the crowd at large to see if there was anyone left to fleece, already half-forgetting about Valeria, herself.