The Crowning of Mindy McReady

[etcircenses]

Who| Everyone who's anyone.
What| The Crowning.
Where| A warehouse on the edge of town.
When| Starting from early evening till late into the night.
Warnings/Notes| Be sure to check the linked thread for plot purposes, even if you don't tag into it.

The party is brightly colored.

The theme, subtly, is super heroes. Boldly paints city scapes are splattered across the walls, and hallways are made to look like dingy, potentially crime ridden alleys. From the upper walkways of the warehouse, party goers can get hooked into harnesses and swing out over the dance floor. Above them, tributes and VIPS can find themselves on a clear plastic dance floor levitated above everything, looking like they're hanging in air.

Masks are passed out in plenty, and capes are easy to find, while brightly colored drinks themed around super powers are plentiful. None of them actually work, but many of the Capitol people are happy to pretend, mocking super strength or invisibility with each new beverage.

Under the dance floor a catacomb of tunnels and rooms full of obstacles is splashed with black light receptive colors. Party goers are given vests and laser guns, marked green for villains and red for heros, and set loose to hunt each other in the laser tags playground. The screens in the dance floor keep a running tally of which side is winning, displaying the players on the screens around the room, along with clips from the arenas.

About half way through the night, everyone is gathered to the main stage for a special announcement.

Comments

[gardienne]

Eponine let them dress her up. She sat passively whilst they painted colour into her cheeks and hid the bags beneath her eyes. She didn't flinch when they applied more of that horrible glue and fitted a wig made to look like her hair to her shaved head. She let them dress her in the tight black and yellow jumpsuit that emphasised her tiny waist, and clung to her hips. She was obedient in donning the yellow stiletto boots. She even repeated the name of the superhero she was supposed to be, over and over. "Karma. Karma, Karma, Karma."

Eponine didn't have a clue what it meant.

She stood quietly in a corner of the party, pressed as far back against the wall as possible, watching carefully. Who was talking to whom, who was wearing what. Meaningless, all pointless. But perhaps vital if she was going to help Ian or Howard get out of the arena next time. She hoped that she'd be able to escape this party unnoticed.

[iflipmyhair]

Her night was about to get more complicated. Even if the person in question had no clue about it. No clue that Eponine was next to her.

Homura had gotten tired. She needed a break; this was much more constricting than the dream had been. At least in the dream, she knew it was one. This was reality, and Homura needed a small break from talking to people. Sponsors. Vultures.

So she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and taking a breath. She'd have to go back, eventually. But for now. Rest. Rest and pretend she was like the other wallflower nearby--

Wait. Wait.

"Eponine."

It was an exclamation of surprise, in spite of herself. It was clear, Homura had not expected her.

[gardienne]

Eponine closed her eyes briefly at the sound of that voice. Homura.

Why? Of everybody, why her?

"Go away, Mademoiselle." she murmured quietly, quite determined not to draw attention to either of them.

[iflipmyhair]

There was a quiet moment, before the response came.

"I would....I should." She is quiet, soft, sad. "But I don't want to go back there. Not yet."

[gardienne]

"Well, I don't want you here, either." Eponine snapped. "Please, leave me be.I have had enough bad times. I just want some peace. Please?"

[iflipmyhair]

"I have no intention of pestering you," Homura replied, looking down. "In a few minutes. I'll leave you be."

[gardienne]

Eponine sighed and looked away. Evidently, Homura would not be moved, and Eponine was far too stubborn to give in and move herself. So they'd have to put up with one another.

She wished she had a brandy.

[wantwhatiwant]

Ian appeared next to her two glasses of brandy in his hands, one of which he passed to her. He didn't recognise the superhero he was dressed up as, but didn't mind the costume too much.

"How're you keeping up?"

[gardienne]

"They have given me a wig and false teeth, so it is better than being bald and with black holes." Eponine laughed, and took the drink. She didn't mind, really. She didn't even mind the costume. Compared to most women here, Eponine was completely modest for a change.

"Jessica told me to schmooze with the sponsors. I do not know, though. To me, it seems as the street girls did in Paris. I might have done a lot of things, but always, I vowed never to do that. I don't know how to 'schmooze' anyway."

[wantwhatiwant]

"I can see." He grinned and then pulled a face, "Scmooze is a stupid word. What the hell does it even mean." He shook his head, "You don't have to do anything, I'll tell the sponsors how awesome you are."

[gardienne]

"If you do not know a word, Ian, then what chance do I have? I do not know this 'schmooze' - it is the same as 'flirt' I think: Madame said them together."

She smiled wryly. "I think it is that they know me. Madame says it is the men who will want me - I am to pretend and refuse." She rolled her eyes. "It feels like the game to me, but she says no."

Eponine shrugged her troubles away though, and sipped her brandy. "And you - you are okay?"

[wantwhatiwant]

"Well it might have been French." He shrugged, "Then you know every word and I know none." Except what Marius had taught him.

He nodded at her explanation though, flirting and teasing. "I'm fine, not half drunk enough for this bullshit yet though."

[gardienne]

"I do not think she is so clever as to speak French. She is a silly woman." Eponine sipped her brandy.
"Perhaps it is that we ought to get drunk and drunk and flirt with these men and make them happy and get out of the arena for good. It won't hurt if we are drunk - we shan't remember a thing of it."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

It would be before the reaping that Elsa spotted Eponine. When she's more social, when she's actually rather cheerful, despite the fact that she was wearing a ridiculously revealing outfit. One she wasn't used to at all.

Even under normal circumstances, Elsa was one to avoid large crowds at parties. She preferred being the wallflower type, which of course meant she would eventually catch sight of Eponine, who was standing against the wall. Of course, she couldn't just stand in her general vicinity without making small talk, at the very least.

So after a moment, Elsa sidled up closer to her, arms folded over her stomach in the hopes it would hide a little skin. "Hi," she said, giving a small nod in Eponine's direction. "Not one for parties, I take it?" A smile was offered. "Neither am I."

[gardienne]

"I do not mind..." Eponine replied awkwardly. She gave the woman in front of her a cursory glance: from her body language, Eponine could at least gather that the woman wasn't a Capitol native.

"But I have had enough of parties. Always I longed to go to one, and now I long for the quiet. It's funny, no?" She shrugged. "But for us - you are a Tribute, Madame, yes? For us, there are so many parties, wearing so stupid clothes. Shall I tell you a secret?"

She smiled mischievously and beckoned Elsa closer, so that she could whisper,

"I dress my dog in the stupid clothes they give me."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Elsa gave a small nod at the party comment. This might have been one of her first capitol parties, but to be honest she was already starting to miss the quiet of her room. It might have helped that the outfit she was wearing just wasn't one she wanted to be out in public in.

She stepped closer, curious as to what she might have to say. Elsa wasn't prepared to hear it, though, and she couldn't help but snort. Quickly her hand came up to cover her mouth, stifling the rest of her laughter as she took a little step back.

"That's awful!" she said, shaking her head, her tone still full of all the amusement she was trying to stifle. "But I don't blame you... Some of the clothes are pretty terrible. I've managed to find a few things I'm fond of, though." She gestured to her current outfit, "But this isn't one of them."

[gardienne]

Eponine shrugged and laughed. "I do not care. If they give me clothes that are so short they are indecent, I shan 't wear them without a fight. All I want is a gown with the big sleeves and a waist that goes in, and a full skirt to the ground. And a bonnet. Always I ask, but... No."

She grinned at Elsa. "So, you are new, yes? Will you tell me your name?"

[frozenfractalsallaround]

"That sounds like a lovely outfit," she said with a nod, giving a small sigh of exasperation at both of their stylists. "They can be very stubborn when it comes to outfits- I tried to get something a little less... revealing. But they wouldn't have it."

At the question, she stood a little straighter, remembering as she spoke that she should be a little more regal. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle," she said, always a force of habit to use the title that was no longer relevant here. "May I ask you the same?"

[gardienne]

"Queen?" Eponine stepped back half a pace from Elsa, and bent her knees in a clumsy curtsey. Suddenly, the Capitol seemed to be over run with royalty and Eponine was definitely feeling uncomfortable about it. But she tried to laugh it off.

"Then you must excuse me, Mademoiselle - Queen - for my bad manners. I'm just 'Ponine. Eponine, Madame."

[paidinbeer]

Orc finally found her in the sea of bodies and he looked...colorful.

He was wearing skin tight blue pants, very shiny and a red speedo over the pants. Matching red boots and his bare stone chest. Finally a blue cape, and a red and blue mask over his face. He was not sure who he was supposed to be, but he felt as as usual.

Eponine on the other hand...

"You look pretty." He commented gruffly and presented her with a drink that had been titled "Telepathic" Except when Orc had tried to read it off the menu he'd called it a "Tela-pathetic"

[gardienne]

"You look stupid." She said flatly, bursting out into peels of laughter. "I should think your skin is enough of a super hero costume than silly underwear. It is not becoming on you."

Eponine took the drink, tipping it this way and that. "What is it? It's not brandy, is it?" But she drinks it anyway, and grimaces. "It's so sweet. What is it?"

[paidinbeer]

He thought he was letting the insults bounce off him, but they were sinking ever deeper each time she found one to be brutally honest with. He smiled all the same.

"Yeah I know...they said it would warm you up though, make you feel like you could read minds or something." He shrugged. "I could go get you something with Fire in the name if it doesn't work?"

[gardienne]

"You worry too much." Eponine grinned. "Perhaps it is that I am just grumpy tonight. I do not like being dressed up and made to smile and simper at these men waiting to eat me up for a few scraps in the arena."

She drank some more of the drink. "Come - what shall we do? Do you dance?"

[paidinbeer]

"Not very well." He confessed and drank his own drink dry, setting the empty glass on the first flat surface he could find. Alcohol would make him more willing to try and dance.

"But I'll try anything for you." He added to make his feelings clear on the subject. "If anyone comes to try and eat you up I'll smack em around."

[gardienne]

"No you won't. You are not getting in trouble on my behalf." She was firm on that.

"Do you think so little of me? That you think I would be allow you to take a blame for me? No. It will all be fine. It will be fine. What do you want to do then, if you do not want to dance?"