open spectator log because why not

[shenunigans]

Who| Anyone who wants to spectate but doesn't want to make a million logs
What| Spectations, spectactling, spectalary. Gathering together to cross fingers and watch the mini arena.
Where| The Commons
When| All through the mini-arena. However many hours people feel the need to watch.
Warnings/Notes| Watching your friends die, kind of a huge bummer.

In one of the many tasteful bursts of helpfulness the Capitolites are prone to having, the commons are full of bowls of snacks and drinks. Popcorn or many varieties, candy and drinks are spread across the table, as if it's a delightful addition to the decorum right now. In another bout of helpfulness, there's also over a dozen tissue boxes spread across the room, nested between couches and chairs. Basically, it's all super tasteful.

It's probably a little sickening watching the Arena on the screens in the common room, but it's hard not to keep a close eye on your friends. Surely some people will opt to keep their viewing in private, but perhaps others are inclined to gravitate toward other people while this shit goes all the way down.

As far as parties go, this one is a real stinker.

Comments

[gruesome]

Some can't stand to be alone, just now. So mind the masked grue occupying half a couch in his tight huddle, hugging a pillow. He's kept his helmet from the crowning, and is wearing it with the visor down, so all that's visible of his face are his mouths, both pressed into flat lines.

[observationalhazard]

For once, Hanji's voice is a bit subdued. She leans over the back of the couch, arms folded and elbows propped against the backrest.

"Hey, Some - I haven't seen you in a day or three. How are you?"

She's trying to be cheerful, but this is a bit serious. It's a preview of what she's going to have to go through in a little while (and of what Some has already done).

[gruesome]

He looks up at her, tipping his visor up. "Well enough. Do you want to sit?" He doesn't have a smile for her, but his shoulders ease a bit, and he makes sure there's room.

dave [open]

[shenunigans]

This shit is already off the chain as far as unfair experiences go. After literally just seeing Terezi again, she's getting dragged into an all-exclusive arena. Dave hasn't even seen a real arena, but an exclusive one is fucked up on levels he cannot even begin to comprehend. He doesn't want to watch, he shouldn't watch. It seems weirder and more torturous than going back in time and watching yourself fuck up the lines in the school christmas pageant, but Terezi is his friend and she's living this, the least he could do is keep an eye on her somehow. Right? Right.

He's extended over an armchair currently, legs draped lazily over one side and his head propped up by the other arm. It's hard to tell how intently he's scanning the screen when he has his aviators on, but the fact that not a single piece of popcorn from the bowl he has sitting on his lap has actually made it to his mouth is telling of how distracted he is. He's not really good at the Emotions thing sometimes.

Mindy [Open]

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy was not one of the people viewing in private. Hell, she wasn't even eating any of the food, opting only for water. For all she knew, something might happen that would quickly make her lose whatever she was eating. Better to watch then stay by herself.

That and, well, she had friends that were here. They might need her here.

[polyturtle]

At long last, someone slipped next to her, in the public venue that she and he both somehow ended up in. It was almost surreal, to be on the other side, not having been chosen for the dubious 'honor' of participating.

Still, when he saw Mindy, he walked over to her.

"Holding up there?"

Clementine [open]

[smarterthanthem]

Clementine is no stranger to seeing people die, that's a fact. But this is different to anything she's previously experienced. It's... strange, seeing it happen on a screen. It's not a movie or anything like that (and Clem's parents had never let her watch movies that showed such gruesome detail anyway), it's real.

Reluctantly, she stays in the common room, grabbing a drink and snacks out of ingrained habit to never pass food by and settles on a chair in the corner. Watching the screen whenever she can stomach it.

She had to be prepared, that's what she tells herself. This is what they say will happen to her too.

let me know if this is too godmodey!

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard's seen this all before. Even before Panem, he was somewhat desensitized to death. He went from being afraid to touch a dead body to picking the belongings off of corpses like a vulture. When he crawls into a seat next to Clementine, there's no horror on his face, and indeed, very little in his soul.

There is worry, however. Wyatt's in this Arena, and Howard has been told Sponsor gifts aren't an option. There's nothing he can do and yet he finds himself compelled to watch, as if it'll make a difference to anyone if Howard knows the minute or the hour that Wyatt dies. The scene switches to Prince Hans, and Howard loses interest.

He watches how Clementine eats. Survivors of hunger tend to recognize other survivors, the covetous way they approach food, the paranoia about letting it sit for too long. And after a moment, he speaks up, curled in all the overlarge clothing that keeps his starved body warm.

"You should eat dairy."

[shenunigans]

Clem and Dave have that in common, at least. Though deaths were probably fewer and further between from Dave's travels, seeing it in excess still sticks with you more than he'd probably like to admit. But everyone else is so quiet about it, so nonchalant, why would he whine about it? Is it a faux pas?

He's not used to this place at all and there are only two people here he can really say he knows. He's never been very good at making friends, but if watching the broadcast has taught him anything, it's that allies are valuable. At least there's plenty of common ground to approach people with, but glancing around the room of people it takes an iron will to make him begin his approach. Clem looks lonely in that corner, maybe an approach would be appreciated? God stop waffling and do it, Dave.

He slinks closer, heaving himself down in the chair beside her like that walk was so damn exhausting. "They have one hell of a spread here, huh?" He cocks his head toward the food, figuring it's a common interest.

Re: Clementine [open]

[hit_girl_mindy]

She was new. It wasn't often that she saw a kid around here, and she had to wonder what was going through her mind right now. So why not go ask?

"Hey," she said. "Just got in, right? You dealing well, with all of this?"

Hanji [open]

[observationalhazard]

Hanji's there, if only relatively infrequently. It's always good to get a glimpse of what waits for her in the future, even if it's not pleasant. But she's always a bit chipper, even when things are going terrible. Although at times, her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. In fact, her smile is almost entirely gone when the killing starts in earnest. Whatever appetite she had is gone for the moment, so a half-finished drink and a collection of miscellaneous snacks stay piled up on the table next to her.

"What a waste," she mutters.

Re: Hanji [open]

[clarityinchaos]

Armin had been keeping an eye out for Hanji, if for no other reason than to be glad to have a familiar face around. On one of her returns to the common area, he moved himself and his book over to a chair near her. He offered her a nod hello, but remained in a kind of reverent silence for a moment before he heard her mutter. "Be careful, Captain," he started quietly. "They're pretty much always listening." He let his book, a pictorial guide to great cats, go ignored on the arm of his chair as he pulled his knees up to his chest. He just hoped everyone would come back.

District five Mentor: Azula [Open]

[burnedbrighter]

Having claimed her favorite sofa in the lounge Azula can be found dressed comfortably yet tastefully. A silk robe, her hair done up in a neat businesslike bun but adorned with a glittering planet. Venus.

A pair of sideburns lay on the table, she had refused to wear them. Instead to show her support for the Prince of the southern isles she wore a pendent with his family crest on it...or at least she had been told that's what it was.

With a half drank glass of wine on the table next to her she nibbled on a cake and watched as her tributes fought for their lives once again.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was growing fond of the ever polite and respectful Hans, even if she had noticed how quick he was to change attitude depending on if he was speaking to his fiancee, his mentor or for example...Shepard.

Then again Shepard had a way of getting under everyone's skin.

And as for Venus, while she was still frustrated that such a smart respectable woman would debase herself by being in a relationship with Enjolras, she still wanted the girl to win. She worked harder then most to compete both in and out of the arena.

It was going to be a long night.

[sithcretapprentice]

Meeting Azula had been something he'd meant to do before now, but circumstances never aligned to allow it to happen. He was busy, Azula was busy, and it just wasn't something big enough on his priorities for him to actively pursue it.

As luck would have it, they've both convened in one room in order to watch the various deaths and show support people. He knew she would be there for Hans, though he imagined she would also have other people to watch out for as well, being a mentor and all. As it was, Hans was a mutual interest for the two of them. It gave him a reason, once he spotted her, to make his way over to her.

His eyes landed on the fake sideburns laying on the table. A roll of his eyes indicated that he wasn't very amused by them. "I wouldn't wear them either," he said, nodding lightly to them. "Some of the things the Capitol encourages is beyond ridiculous."

Sandy Marko Part 1: Open

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy was on the edge of her seat.

Her stomach was twisted in knots and she found it difficult to eat anything more then soup. So she sipped warm broth to try and sooth her tense tummy as she watched her best friend once again fighting for her life.

But this time the odds of her not coming back were much higher.

She knows she shouldn't worry...Pruna would never kill herself rather then fight to her last dying breath.

But something about this situation felt wrong to her. She couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of dread as she curled up into a anxious little ball in an oversized armchair. She was grateful for other people milling around. It gave her a distraction from her own grim thoughts.

*************

Re: Sandy Marko Part 1: Open

[hit_girl_mindy]

And here comes one of those people now.

"Hey kiddo," she said, hunkering down next to her. "How's it going?"

THE MULTIPLE PERSONALITY CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG

[dividedgirlofmine]

The screen is currently showing Harley and Susannah clinging to each other as the thin ice starts to crack around them.

Harley, for some reason, is babbling about math to Susannah: "There's gotta be some formula right? Weight times impact divided by speed or something? Maybe throw a pi in there somewhere? I love pie."

Susannah's frowning. "Math was never my forte, honey, I'd need pencil and paper to work that out."

Susannah closes her eyes. And something-- shifts in her expression. Her beautiful face seems almost ugly. She starts moving the two of them--

--a jump cut to the other side of the thin ice. Harley's grinning, but it's not a nice grin. Not in the least. "I'm thinking you'll have a lot more fun with that spear if you keep ahold of the wheel. Ya know the only way to buy us more time is to kill suckers, right? So how about you recite pi as far as you can and we get back in the game, 'Legs?'"

The grin that answers is, if anything, more malicious. And the words that follow, spoken in an accent that's best described as a racist parody of a black person, Butterfly McQueen on steroids, "Honky, I think I like you," sound nothing like Susannah at all--

"Now, that's entirely unexpected," Caesar Flickerman says as they cut briefly to the studio.

"Not entirely, Caesar," Claudius Templesmith says a bit smugly, "In fact, there's a bit of unaired footage from Arena Eight that explains everything. I've been informed that our Mrs Dean has a secret she's been keeping from everyone. See for yourself--"

--and suddenly the screen cuts to entirely different footage of Susannah and Harley, dressed in the outfits from Arena Eight, the one on Dinosaur Island. The two of them are just outside the compound.

"--with multiple personalities," Susannah says.

Harley whistles. "Boy that's gotta be a trip! How long have you had the condition?"

"Since I was five," Susannah says. "Brick fell on my head. It's better than it used to be. Used to be I wasn't aware of it. Used to be I didn't remember what the other half did--"

--another jump cut, still the same conversation, but obviously later on. Susannah has a far-away expression as she narrates, "Odetta Holmes made Detta Walker to act out on her anger and pain, to follow through all of her evil impulses--so that Odetta could take the higher ground, could be selfless and forgiving and above-all good. Made her and forgot about her and made her forget Odetta as well. And then, when they both knew each other, made Susannah Dean to reconcile the difference--"

--back to the studio, where Caesar Flickerman has an intrigued expression. "Well," he says, "to Odetta and Detta, as well as Susannah, may the odds be ever in your favor."

The screen cuts to elsewhere in the maze.

[OOC: People can react here to this highly intriguing footage if they want! It's also here so I can have a reference to it if I need to link back.]

[ka_sera_sera]

Roland's around, and of course paying a little attention to everything. He doesn't look at the screens much and ignores the food completely, only prowls around the edges of the seating area and leans occasionally on the back of an unoccupied couch. It's when Susannah's voice sounds through the room that he pays the most attention. His head snaps up, gaze resting on the screen for only a second before sliding aside and digging into he wall next to it instead. He stands that way the duration of the clip and a moment after, eyes narrowed, gripping the couch's back tight enough that his knuckles go pale. Then he looks over the crowd, trying to note everyone watching with more than a passing interest.

For anyone who knows Susannah - and maybe anyone who doesn't - it's probably clear Roland knows what's happening here. And cares. Feel free to try and get some clarification on this whole thing, if you'd like to risk it.

[polyturtle]

Don watched, quietly taking in that information. Multiple personalities. A dark, a light, and an in between. Oh, but he should have known, shouldn't he? The few times he'd seen her, the differences in her personality...

He simply watched, not sure what to do or say about this particularly personal moment, this personal revelation, being turned into water cooler gossip. In truth, he shouldn't have been surprised. Nothing should have surprised him. He should have been numb to it.

Maybe the fact he felt some shock, even so, was a sign that he maybe he hadn't seen the worst this place could offer yet. Or that, maybe, he'd somehow repaired himself just enough to care.

Orc

[paidinbeer]

Another party.

More death.

But surprisingly enough Orc wasn't drunk. He was working on it but not there yet. No instead he was lumbering around the commons area watching Waytt and Susannah on the screens and looking for Howard. He felt like he was always looking for Howard and he wished that he couldn't figure out what it was he'd done wrong.

But no, Diana spelled that out for him pretty clearly.

So instead of trying to figure out why it wasn't OK for him to sleep with Eponine, Orc was being proactive in his Howard hunt.

"Ya wouldn't think it'd be so hard to find one black kid in a crowd of so many white guys, girls and trolls." He muttered.

Re: Orc

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard, by contrast, has seen plenty of Orc. Orc sleeping, Orc drunk, Orc passed out on the District Ten couch while Avoxes vacuum around his feet. Howard's snuck in at hours when he knows even a waking Orc would be too incapacitated to get up and argue with him, and he's made sure his friend wasn't drowning in vomit, and sometimes he sat on the edge of the bed and talked to him about the day in a sort of one-sided conversation.

He's just been avoiding Orc when he's awake, and he's been doing a good job of that until today. He sees Orc coming and quickly look for an escape, but right now it's closed off unless he outright runs, and that's just going to make his Escort drag him back in here. To tell the truth, he has no idea how Orc will respond to the last fight they had.

So he just sinks into his clothing in the armchair he's curled up in, like a cat in front of a fireplace, and pulls his hood over his head as if that'll be perfect camouflage. See no evil, he thinks, and can't find it in himself to laugh.

[shenunigans]

As if Orc didn't attract enough attention just being himself, it's the mention of trolls that really gets Dave looking at him. If watching this Arena has taught him anything, it's that he's woefully unprepared and only having two, troll friends here is only going to make it harder. The people in the maze seemed to team up, bro to bro, helping each other and having their backs. He wanted to pretend he was a lone wolf, but he is awkward and clingy and desperate for attention. He needs to start the grade school b.s of making friends- no, allies- all over if he wants to survive.

And really. Nobody here looks like a better and more viable option than Orc for obvious reasons, but it's what he says that gives Dave an in he'd been hoping for rather than approaching out of the blue to say hi.

"Did you just say trolls?" He puts a hand to his heart as if he's surprised to hear it. "The term they prefer is nomosapiens, bro. Have a little respect."

[savedbyasong]

Shion sits with his fists clenched watching the screen angrily. He obviously hadn't been able to do anything to stop Rat being taken. He was in danger again and Shion couldn't do anything to help him. Not that he could have done anything if he was there, but he was even more helpless just watching.

He sat with his knees up to his chest trying to remember to breathe and glaring at anyone who might come near him, with eyes filled with tears.

Diana [open]

[keep_surviving]

It's worrying Diana a little, how used she'd becoming to so much death.

Well, death she'd already been used to. The FAYZ did that. But watching it like a sports games. The idea of that becoming commonplace was what pinched at the pit of her stomach.

So she'd decided to watch with the others for awhile. It made her feel better. Seeing that other people were just as bad as her. Watching people die.

OTA

[carnagecarnival]

Everyone runs a little faster, fights a little harder-- even the pacifists. The Initiate wonders if it's because he's not there as well that it all seems that way.

Terezi met up with someone what all looked familiar but whom he didn't know himself. They seemed amiable and the Initiate takes that as a good sign, that perhaps this one won't betray.

Pruna isn't so lucky. He notes Harley, whom he remembers from the Crowning, and his eyes narrow and both she and the woman with her. Pruna stands her ground and he feels a surge of pride for her, even knowing it ain't near over. Of course it wasn't. Harley he liked-- and so it was a damn shame-- but this other woman, he didn't know. A target. Next time. Pruna lived, meeting some man he ain't know but who'd been around for as long as could be remembered, only to die for him.

He notes Venus's mention of deadlines but whatever it is she's referring to is unclear. The mentions go on with Courfeyrac --"especially this particular arena". It seems to be a scavenging game.

He doesn't leave the chair he's sitting in, back straight like it's a throne, but claws tense on the arms of the chair, eyes intent. He doesn't take his eyes off the screen and doesn't even ask the nearby Avox to get him anything-- he never requests anything of them anymore, not since learning of his life before. He studies it all.

Some other man he ain't know, mentions being killed for good. Something's off, voices in his head whisper. Something is different. He tells himself again, it's just because he ain't there, immersed in it, but he doesn't leave the chair, not for a moment.