we wine, we dine, and everything is fine [open!]

[capitolprivilege]

Who| Everyone still in the Capitol. If the Hunger Games is a significant part of your life, or if you wield any influence at all in the Capitol, you've received an invitation. Unless you're Victory Hannibal.
What| Week 1 viewing party! It's horror-movie/monster themed, so break out your best sexy witch/vampire/mummy costumes! Also, feel free to use it for sponsor schmoozing.
Where| A ballroom, and some adjacent rooms.
When| Just before the Arena begins, and into the night.
Warnings/Notes| Watch this space for warnings. Also, feel free to make closed threads amongst yourselves, but Stephen will likely at some point come up to greet you personally. If you think your Capitol character would be familiar with the Reagan family, make an OOC note, and I'll give you a quick rundown on their sordid past.


There is a fog machine.

The fog hovers around the guests' knees and ankles, doing nothing to impede visibility or movement, but it creates a ~mysterious~ atmosphere. The ballroom is modest, by Capitol standards, able to comfortably hold about a hundred people. There's plenty of space. The room is dimly lit from concealed sources that nonetheless throw the guests' shadows into frightening shapes on the wall. There are tables laden with food along one wall, and plenty of comfortable seating, for projected onto the far wall is a live feed from the Games.

Through the doors are smaller, more intimate rooms, with cushy couches and a smaller screen apiece for watching the Games a little more privately. One pair of double-doors leads out onto a balcony with a beautiful view of the city.

Everyone who received the invitation was informed of the theme, of course: no pressure, but if you want your outfit to match (and he's sure you do), make sure it's a little bit -- spooky.

Stephen himself, tastefully attired in a shimmery black suit, cape, and vampire teeth, is moving about the guests, giving friendly greetings to those he knows, making polite conversation with those he does not, ensuring that everybody (or at least, everybody possible) is having a good time. So what if his smile looks a little fixed, every once in a while? It's a party. What could possibly be wrong?

Comments

[hit_girl_mindy]

If she had to go out and do something so ridiculous when it wasn't halloween, this one really wasn't so bad. For now, she was helping herself to some punch, not feeling too awful about how things were going. The costume helped hide the fight she'd had a few days ago, though the remnants of a black eye barely made its appearance. This actually reminded her of Halloween back home, including the abundance of sluttier clothing.

She took a cocktail but drank sparingly, using the opportunity to talk to some of the patrons, get them interested in her tributes. She even dropped Clementine's name, fairly keen on getting the girl provided for, but of course she favored Riley and Dave and Elsa when she could spare a word. Donatello's name would come up when she could, but most seemed less eager to support the turtle, much to Mindy's chagrin.

For now, she was doing her job to talk people up, though her eyes were starting to note that people were looking ill. Was there something in the drink?

[capitolprivilege]

"Did I hear you mention Clementine," came a voice from behind Mindy. Stephen Reagan was holding a drink of his own, smiling cheerily in vampire fangs. The strategy he and Clem had worked out had been for Clem to act like a lost little girl, sweet and innocent and tragic, until the Arena came.

The cat was already out of the bag for the Capitol, since Clem had dropped a brick on Susannah Dean's head, but, well. With any luck, the other Tributes would still be underestimating Clem.

"You're not doing my work for me, are you? Or are you sabotaging your District's competition?" The words were breezy, carefree, devoid of bite: he's teasing, but curious.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy shifted her eyes to the speaker, and it took her a moment to gain composure. In that moment, He could likely see a flash of the emotion she was suppressing: rage. The day where Guy was taken still visited her dreams, and while Stephen had largely had a small part to play, knowing he worked for the Capitol made him nothing more than a filthy collaborator, the same as that fucking crab guy, the same as Azula. Mindy had reached her patience with liking this sort of person, and knew, to keep herself underwraps, this must not stand. Her dad would have told her to bide her time, and that thought, along with his disappearance, kept her in check, tempered that anger.

Even if he was jokingly asking her something that threatened to piss her off all over again.

"I'm doing what I want," she said breezily, keeping her face dispassionate. "Clementine is new and she's a kid. So was I a few months ago, only I pissed of my mentor enough that I had to make do. I don't know what kind of fuckers you know, but I'd never do something like that. I mean, I'm not in the games anymore, who would be that spiteful?"

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen caught it. The rage. It was chilling, sobering, enough to make his own expression freeze for an instant.

For a second, he wondered what she was so angry about. For another second, he thought about all the reasons Mindy had to be angry. But it was only for a second, because a second later, he had pushed those thoughts away and smoothed the smile on his face.

"I didn't mean to offend," he apologized. "Old habits die hard, I suppose; time was, when Mentors were from the Districts themselves and a year's worth of plenty for their home was riding on their Tributes' victory, the competition for sponsors was fierce. The games have changed, of course," Stephen went on, "and with that change, the division between the Districts has weakened. It's hard to remember sometimes how easily our visiting Tributes -- and Mentors -- form inter-District friendships."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Visiting?" Mindy was unpleasantly amused. "Is that what we're thought as? I'm sure we would all like the idea that we were visiting, and we could pop back to our world whenever we want. You might as well just call us what we are: tributes."

Because slaves would sound too unsavory, whether it was true or not.

"Still, I don't even know if what I've done does anything for my district. I'm still wracking my mind around getting outsiders to play the game instead of kids from every district. You sort of wonder why any of the districts would care at all what happens to us in the first place."

Ok. Good. Leading away from her anger. Much better.

[capitolprivilege]

Acutely aware that he had done nothing but put his foot in his mouth through this whole conversation, Stephen replied with a nod, "Tributes, then. Far be it from me to belittle your position -- which is still important, even if you aren't from our districts. After all, before the Quarter Quell, not everyone in the districts knew their Tributes personally, but that did not diminish the emotional impact of the Games."

His words sounded a little hollow, a little rehearsed. Discussing the Neverending Quell, discussing the import of Tributes from other worlds, was reminding Stephen of things he had discovered the other day, uncomfortable things, things he didn't want to think about.

"Don't worry -- all of Panem cares about what happens to you. You're quite an impressive young woman, and I'm sure there isn't a single citizen who doesn't know your name."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Yeah, but even if they didn't, they've still lived in the District, right? That's one thing you can always say: its at least knowing the person suffering lived their life suffering right along with the other people in the district. With us, you can't. You can only hope that we've lived some kind of fucked up life. About the only thing you can do is if you don't like one tribute from a district, there's still others to choose from."

Although she was counting on that being more of a Capitol thing.

"Cares about me?" She snickered. "Oh, I have a big mouth, I'm sure I make some kind of impression. But care? I'm sure they care I'm the youngest, at least."

sorry this took so long!

[capitolprivilege]

"But you're also inspiring," argued Stephen. "Your performance in the Arena, especially for a Tribute as young as you, was spectacular. I'd even call it heroic."

Re: sorry this took so long!

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy practically choked, she was close to bursting into laughter. "OK, before we get into how wrong you are, please tell me about how I'm heroic. I'm really fucking curious."

[capitolprivilege]

Though he was a little taken aback, Stephen decided to explain. "In the Capitol, strength is something we admire," he said. "Victors exemplify that -- in winning the Games, you demonstrate the strength to triumph over adversity. The things you're capable of in the Arena -- it's astounding. I don't know how many of us I speak for, but I'm very sure I'd last maybe ten minutes in an Arena. Tributes remind us how strong humans (and certain inhuman beings, I suppose) can be. At least, that's what it's always meant to me."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"I thought strength was why I was picked in the first place," Mindy said, shrugging. "I mean, yeah, you have less kids than you used to, and they're nowhere near as strong as some of these adults, but every once and awhile you're going to find some who are gonna go the extra mile. They just weren't willing to do what I did: betray someone and kill someone when their back was turned. Trust me when I tell you: that's not how I like to win a fight."

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen, while his critical thinking and social awareness were stunted and disused, did have a knack for reading people. He sensed that now was not a time to talk, but a time to listen.

"How would you have done it," said Stephen, "if you could have done it your way?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

She knew she should be wary about what she told him, but this was a question she felt confident enough to answer.

"I would have taken on people face to face, not stabbed them in the back or shot them after a fight. I would have stuck to killing people that deserved it, because some people do. But I know that's impossible...once you get injured to a certain point, you take what you can get. It's the only reason I shot Wyatt how I did. Took too much damage."

[capitolprivilege]

He nodded. Stephen was honestly intrigued -- truly interested in her point of view.

"It matters that much to you?" he asked, surprised but without judgment. "Even though dying in the Arena isn't permanent anymore, you still feel guilty about killing in a way you think is dishonorable?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

How do you explain this to someone who saw the same thing happen over and over? She could understand the confusion, hell, she had it sometimes. Why not play dirty, if you just came back?

"Where I came from, its a truth," she finally said. "People think I was at my worse in the Arena, but every kill was one on me. These people don't do it because they like it. Back home, I had enough remorse to fill a fucking thimble. They were part of gangs, they raped, they killed, they extort. You think I gave a fuck if I shattered his brain on the pavement then, or wondered about his parents? They made their choice, that was it. Can't compare shit like that to shooting a guy in the back, or betraying a friend. Honor makes a difference."

If she needed a reminder of that, she already got it weeks ago when her dad came.

[capitolprivilege]

"That's one hardcore philosophy," Stephen replied. "Especially from someone as young as you."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Me being a kid doesn't stop them from being dangerous," Mindy pointed out. "You want to do what I do, you have to lose some of that innocence. If you don't, you fuck up and it gets you killed."

[capitolprivilege]

He shook his head. "And you asked me why anyone would care about you. There's a lot that sets you apart, Mindy, besides your age." He looks impressed, honestly.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"I'm awful," she said, grinning. "In my world, I'm sort of the ugly side of the good guy no one wants to see. You know, that one guy that doesn't play by the rules, that kills and maims and doesn't blink an eye. The thing about it is? You always sort of need someone like that to be the other evil so you pick the better good guy. No one likes to admit they need a killer even if they ARE on your side."

She was, in a nutshell, ahead of her age. That brought along its own set of problems.

[capitolprivilege]

That idea was something Stephen didn't agree with, and something that made him feel deeply uncomfortable. The idea that good couldn't exist without brutality -- ironically enough for a Capitol citizen, it didn't sit right with him.

So, he changed the subject.

"But luckily for you, you're out of the Arena," he said. "Being a killer, honorable or otherwise, isn't necessary anymore."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Mindy stopped and looked at Stephen, and there was no doubting what look was on her face now: amusement. It could have been mocking, or bitter, it was hard to tell.

"How many fights do you take part in until you win?" It sounded simple enough, but as Mindy had already had TWO fights after the Arena, she had her own point of view there.

[capitolprivilege]

He frowned. "Mindy, if you've been getting into fights outside the Arena," he began, but then thought better of it. "...I don't want to hear about it," Stephen finished. There were just as many cameras here as anywhere else.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Well, one was in the training room, and they just LET that one go. It was a mentor versus mentor thing, and so long as you don't break any bones, they weren't going to interfere. But the bar fight, well, they just tased my opponent. It's not like I asked for those-well, ONE of those fights!"

[capitolprivilege]

He shook his head again, not sure if he was scandalized or tickled. "If you're still attracting fights," he said, unable to completely suppress his incredulous smile, "I think I'll leave you to your own devices for a while. As your host, I feel compelled to ask you to take any brawls outside. Or at least into the hallway."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Hey, those were all circumstantial! One of them is because I have an ongoing feud, the other is because, well, someone just wanted to pick a fight. I swear, you can take me out in public! Probably!"