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

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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."

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?"

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.

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

"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."

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.

"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.

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."

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.

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.

"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!"

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."

"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!"

He found himself laughing, despite himself and despite the awkward beginning to their conversation.

"I'll trust you to behave yourself, then," he teased. "If you need anything, I'll be around. It was good to meet you, Mindy."

"Right," she said, and meant it. Those other situations couldn't be helped. It's not like she went out of her way to get into these fights!

She just wanted to make sure she finished them.

"Same here. Thanks again for letting us use your place."

"Thank you for coming," he replied smoothly. "Best of luck." With the pursuit of sponsorship, he meant.

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

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