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

Elsa - Open

[frozenfractalsallaround]

When the announcement starts, Elsa doesn't think much of it. Of course she stands up and turns her attention to the announcer, wanting to be polite. But she doesn't expect it to have much to do with her, so she only half listens. But then, her stomach drops at the mention of a special arena. Her eyes widen and if she were back home, this is around the moment that a snow storm might start forming.

It would intensify into a blizzard around the moment Cruentus gets to the "newer tributes" part of the announcement. Does she qualify? Elsa is fairly new, so she doesn't think she would qualify as a favorite tribute. But she would qualify as new, she's fairly sure.

But despite how afraid she is for herself, it's Anna that she's truly worried about. She isn't sure just how long Anna has been there, or what kind of impression she's made. Does she count as new? Is she anyone's favorite? The idea is terrifying. Could she volunteer in Anna's place if that were the case? She would do so without a second's thought, no matter how afraid she is of the idea.

She's filled with dread as the names begin being called out. Anna doesn't get called out. Hans does.

And then her own name.

Suddenly it feels hard to stand, suddenly being around so many people is harder than it's ever been. She stumbles through the crowd, feeling heavy. A part of her is relieved that Anna isn't going to be a part of it, but the other part of her remembers how it had felt to be in the last arena and she's terrified.

Elsa makes it to a corner of the room and slumps against the wall, sliding down it and burying her head in her hands. She won't cry, won't give them the satisfaction of that. But she's overwhelmed and she needs a moment to herself, to try and figure out how she's going to handle this. It's so sudden, so unexpected.

Re: Elsa - Open

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy had eyed everyone she knew whose name she had called, and while some people here weren't happy, some were very visibly distressed. She didn't blame Elsa: she had watched the Arena, and saw how she had died. She waited until it was fairly busy, then faded into a crowd, which was not easy. It was annoying to have to be all smiles and brightness, but one she finally reached Elsa she was glad enough to drop that persona.

"I didn't know," she said quietly to Elsa. "I'm sorry. I'm glad you're a favorite, but I didn't expect that to mean...this."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

It took a moment for Elsa to realize she was being spoken to. Mindy's voice seemed like it was muffled, distant. But then it seemed to break through the barrier that had formed, the words registering finally. Elsa looked up at her, wearing an expression much like a deer caught in the head lights.

"I..."

She didn't know what to say. Elsa imagined if anyone knew, it would have circulated through the party. Secrets don't remain secrets for long when large crowds are involved. Elsa knew first hand from the party back home, when he powers had been revealed to everyone. "I know," she managed to get out. "I know," she repeated, nodding. "It's not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"That doesn't make it right." They had literally thrown Elsa into this, killed her and then threw her back before she even had a chance to take it in. That was bullshit.

"I'll train you before. Even if you decide to not kill, I can still teach you how to run faster, hide better. What to expect."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Elsa wasn't sure what to say to that. It was true, it didn't make it right. But for all she knew, verbalizing it might make things harder on her. For all she knew, maybe this was punishment for the little she had spoken out already. She didn't know, but it made it hard to want to speak out.

"I... thank you." A lot of people had offered to help her already. Hans and Shepard were among them. But considering Mindy was a victor, it seemed like she might be the best choice. It was hard to refuse that kind of help. "I would appreciate that... But it probably won't even matter. I'm not cut out for arenas. You would probably be better off teaching someone who picks up this stuff easily."

[polyturtle]

"Woah--"

Don spotted her, as she stumbled through the crowds. Instantly, he went towards her, until he found her slumping against the wall. He knew he needed to offer a hand. Or shoulder. Or...shell, something.

"Elsa." He hoped she'd take him up on the offer, or at least respond in some way. She was clearly in shock, and for obvious good reason. "May I sit with you, for a moment?"

[frozenfractalsallaround]

It took Elsa a moment to be able to respond, to even find the words to respond with. They felt heavy in her mouth, like saying them was almost physically painful. Her mouth opened, made movements as if she were trying to say something, before finally she got it out.

"Yes."

Her voice was almost hollow, with a shakiness to it. "I-I don't mind. Please." She attempted to gesture next to her, but realized her hand was shaking and quickly balled it into a fist, placing it in her lap next to her other one.

[polyturtle]

"Ok then." Don nodded - well did he understand how frightened she must have been - and quietly slid down next to her. "That..."

He found himself a bit stymied as to what to say. Seriously, what the shell could he say?

"...I'm sorry."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Elsa could relate. Even though he was right next to her, she felt at a loss as to what to even say to him, too. So when he spoke, she shook her head gently.

"Thank you. But it's fine... I'll be fine. It's just an arena. I made it through the first one, I can make it through this one, as well." The suddenness and circumstances behind it just made it really hard to swallow.

[pythianjudgment]

After the reaping, it's not hard to pick out the selected tributes from the rest of the bunch. There's a certain sort of heaviness that covers them, a scent of dread--in most cases. There are a notable few who seem delighted. There are also a few who have slipped outright into despair.

Terezi notices the figure slumped in the corner and casually makes her way over. She's not quite certain who this is, but she doesn't recognize her scent. A newer tribute, maybe? They did say some of the newer ones were being thrown into the fray.

"Hey..." With careful sympathy, Terezi nudges the woman's foot with hers. "You too, huh?" She doesn't think that she has to ask more than that.

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Elsa isn't familiar with this troll, either. She's met a few trolls in general, but Terezi isn't one of the ones who managed to fall under her radar. That is, until now. It's kind of hard not to notice when your foot is being nudged, no matter how deep in despair you are.

So she looks up in slight confusion, her eyes wide and full of fear. It takes a moment for her brain to form a response. "Yes..." she says, though she's quiet, as if her voice just simply won't go higher for the moment.

She wants to say more, wants to ask which one Terezi is, but all she can really get out for the moment is, "Please... sit. If you want, I mean." Elsa gestures to the space next to her on the floor, not realizing Terezi can't actually see her.

/gently adds link because i forgot

[pythianjudgment]

Terezi doesn't hesitate to take a seat next to the human, casually lowering herself to the floor. She's not sure what she's doing here exactly... But it only felt right to say something. Sometimes it's hard to put logic to those sorts of feelings.

"You're kinda new, right? I haven't smelled you around." That's always a good way to start these things off. She ponders her next thing to say, scrunching up her nose when only one thing comes to mind. "I feel obligated to ask if you're okay, but I'm pretty sure that we both know the answer to that one. So instead, how about Are you're going to be okay?"

What a good outfit

[frozenfractalsallaround]

All Elsa could is nod, still embarrassingly oblivious to Terezi's lack of sight. It's only when she mentions smelling that Elsa gets a little confused, but... Well, she pushes that away. For all she knows, it's a troll thing.

"I... don't know," she answers quietly. She wishes she could say yes. She wishes she didn't sound so weak and childish. But the truth is, she has no idea. "I hope so. But the first arena was so... well, it wasn't so bad until the end. I'm afraid of that happening again. I don't want to hurt anyone with my powers. My only consolation is that Anna isn't going to be there. At... least I can't hurt her."

Re: Elsa - Open

[revvinguptheharley]

A shadow falls over her as Harley finally finds her after combing through the crowd. The woman is almost unrecognizable in her red and black jesters costume and face paint. But she even goes as far as to use her therapist voice. "Harleen" instead of "Harley."

"This is no time for tears Princess." She calls down to her calmly. Even a warm smile.

"Your people are looking to you for grace, dignity and strength. We can't let your sister see you like this can we?"

[frozenfractalsallaround]

If it weren't for the voice, Elsa wouldn't have recognized Harley at all. The outfit and the facepaint were enough to make her completely unrecognizable to Elsa, and in her current state of distress, it was even harder to see her as Harley.

To Elsa's credit, she wasn't crying. She felt like she could, very easily, but she was holding back the tears. Instead, when she looked up at Harley, all she would see was an almost deer in the headlights look, as if she couldn't quite comprehend what was going on.

The mention of Anna was enough to sober her up just a little. "I don't know how I can be any of that right now," she said, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. "Not when I know I'm going to my death."

[revvinguptheharley]

Harley sighed and knelt down to meet Elsa at eye level.

"In my professional opinion? You will most certainly without confidence. And since you're such a logical educated young woman, logically you can't see yourself as winning. Which is why we must resort to one of the greatest tools any human has at their disposal."

Reaching forward she placed a finger in the middle of Elsa's forhead.

"Denial. Not only are you not gonna die, you're gonna win this thing and be out of the arenas forever. You'll live here in the Capitol without having to worry about your powers. And you can even help your sister by convincing sponsors to send her items."

"And I'm gonna help ya. I'm going into that arena too you know."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

It all sounded so good when Harley said it like that. She sounded so confident, that it was almost easy to believe that it could be true. But at the same time, she knew the heavy price of winning meant killing people and that wasn't something she could do. If somehow she could do it without killing, that would be one thing. But then it wouldn't be the same kind of competition, would it?

She rubbed the spot on her forehead where Harley poked her, swallowing and trying to make sense of everything. But then Harley continued, and she felt her stomach twist a little. She'd been so caught up in her fear of Anna getting reaped, and then herself, that she hadn't even realized Harley's name was called too.

"You can't!" she said quickly, a forcefulness in her voice that surprised even Elsa. It was the first time since getting reaped that her voice wasn't tiny and afraid. "You can't help me," she said, this time a little calmer. "You can't come anywhere near me in the arena- don't you understand? I could hurt you. If they decide to give me my powers back, there's no telling what might happen- except for one obvious thing."

And that would be Harley's death. Who knew how it would happen? Impaled? A frozen heart? Buried under snow and suffocating? There were so many ways it could happen and each one made Elsa want to preemptively run far, far away.

[mannersmatter]

Effie hesitates, because this isn't her tribute, and she isn't sure, even if she was, what exactly to do. But she also knew, right now, she could not reach her tributes that might need someone, and hopefully someone else would show them a little kindness till she could. All she could do was the same.

But it won't rest,it won't leave her alone, and the girl did sink down right by her. Grabbing a sparkling juice from one of the avoxes serving drinks, she quietly moves over and crouched near the young woman.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, trying her best to smile warmly. Focusing on this, right now, was easier than any other option. She knew she'd have to find the girls soon, and hopefully this would prepare her for that.

[frozenfractalsallaround]

When Elsa looked at her, she immediately knew she was looking at a native of the Capitol. Despite her situation, she honestly couldn't even bring herself to be angry towards the woman- she could tell by the kindness in her voice that she obviously had nothing to do with it. And it was impossible to hate the Capitolites, they were so...

Friendly, even if they did condone such awful games. It was a weird situation, where she knew she ought to dislike them, but she just couldn't.

"I..." What should she say? The truth? A lie? She was aware that acting certain ways towards these people could make her life easier in the arena. The fact she was even considering that was... jarring, to say the least. It meant she was growing accustomed to this. She didn't know how to feel. "I don't know," she finally let out. "I'm trying to be... but I just. It's a lot to handle- it's so sudden."

[mannersmatter]

"Here. Drink this." She said softly, moving between the woman and the crowd that was unconsciously pressing in on them.

Perhaps she wasn't much better than the nearest lookie loo, but she certain felt much more equip to deal with this whole mess. More so than tthe average Capitolite who would probably just cheer her on.

"Let's get you out to some fresh air."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Again, Elsa was struck by how kind the woman seemed. She took the drink carefully, gripping it tightly as if it were a lifeline. With a nod, she moved to follow Effie out. Fresh air sounded good, to be honest. The crowds of people were beginning to feel suffocating.

"Thank you," she managed to get out after a moment. "Who are you?"

[googledox]

Like many, he had seen the footage. Despite how much it disgusted him that such footage even existed, he watched it, because he watched everything he could get his hands on, read everything he could find. There were things that could be learned by watching the arenas, after all, such as capabilities of the Capitol that he could study, technology that revealed itself in every camera shot simply by certain things existing, suppressed powers in his fellow Tributes that might be useful were he to devise some way to stop suppressing them.

He learned things from watching the footage that might be useful.

But learning about the people as he did it made it all the more difficult to watch the footage. They struggled and died and every minute of media that flashed before his eyes reinforced how horrific the entire thing was, made his rage towards the Capitol grow.

That rage frightened him. He had been taught from an early age how much of a danger he posed to the people around him and the angrier he got, the more afraid he was that he might someday turn into the thing his caretakers had thought he was - something that innocent Coluans needed to be kept away from. Where might his anger take him when his ancestor bottled cities like this one and razed whole civilizations to the ground? He had never held this much rage towards a villain or group of villains - save perhaps his mother and that was weighed down by far more sadness than anger.

Maybe that was why he spoke to her when he wasn't usually the type to try to comfort others, even when he was acting like himself, being a hero. Powers out of control, killing her sister by accident, her pleading for death - like she was a monstrous thing and not someone forced into a monstrous situation. It touched something in him that threaded strange and winding little threads back to a childhood full of empty rooms, one he spent trying to pretend he didn't care whether or not he'd turn out to be a monster.

That was why he walked over to her, hands folded behind his back, gaze focused and cautious all at once.

He had no idea what to say to her, a stranger, and it was all the more difficult since he couldn't be too kind because of the act he was protecting himself with as he dealt his secret blows against the Capitol. He couldn't pretend to understand what it must feel like, to be thrown back into possible death once more after barely catching a breath.

At least, not for a civilian. The life of a superhero wasn't for everyone and he would have even found the futility of such circumstances difficult to deal with. Near-death meant something more when it happened in the course of accomplishing altruistic things.

"Why are you on the floor? It's very undignified."

At the very least, his voice wasn't as harsh as it might have been back when he actually was a cruel person.

[frozenfractalsallaround]

It took Elsa a moment to acknowledge that she was being spoken to. Her mind was wrapped up in fear and anxiety, so it was hard to pull out of that. But she did after a moment, and the words he spoke registered on her mind, albeit slowly. She recognized him from the roof that night, though they hadn't spoken since then, as far as she could remember.

Her eyebrows furrowed what he said. "So is all of this," she said, throwing her hands up in a vague gesture. "Do you really expect me to act dignified when everything I know is falling apart?"

[googledox]

"Yes." It was said without hesitation. "Throwing yourself on the floor and acting out in despair won't save you from what's coming. A measure of dignity, on the other hand, might help you feel less like an object - less like something that can be unmade."

Conceal, don't feel...except that wasn't what he was suggesting.

"You can't make the fear and despair go away but you can fill the void around them with other things. Pride, for instance. Acting the part can help worthier sentiments rise to the surface. They want to see you broken. You'll just let them have that? You cringing on the floor like a child? I would think someone of your station wouldn't give them the satisfaction."

[frozenfractalsallaround]

"That isn't what I'm doing!" she said, her voice raising, tone a little defensive. She wasn't yelling, by any means. Her voice had taken on a quiet and subdued quality to it by default, but now it was a little louder, a little more like normal. "I'm just... I'm just trying to get myself together," she said. "It's overwhelming, that's all."

After so long trying to keep her feelings in check, it felt only natural to let it all go now, when she had nothing else to lose. "Were you chosen?" It was an honest question, as she hadn't paid attention to anyone but the names that mattered to her.

But if he hadn't been chosen, then she wouldn't be happy that he felt the need to dictate how she felt.