thecapitol | (no subject)

WHO | Sandy and YOU!
WHAT | A new tribute is confused and...hey free food?
WHEN | pre-Arena 5
WHERE | suite 12
WARNINGS | None for the moment.

Sandy felt decidedly out of place in the lavish surroundings of the Capitol. She was after all, a skinny little brat from the bad side of town. And yet here she was with freshly washed hair, clean clothes, and a view of the city from this gigantic window.

It had all happened so fast she still wasn't entirely sure she was alive at all. One minute she was running for her life, the next she was being told by some old farts that she was going to be fighting for her life.

Then it was off to bed and now here she was. Alone in a room that was bigger then her entire apartment. It was enough to make a girl wanna scream just to hear it echo.

More curiously she had tried in the shower to do her special trick, to make her skin hard as stone and nothing had happened. It was gone.

Her attention was drawn by a smell. A strong smell, a sweet smell. It led her from the window to the kitchenette area where delicious food sat on display. Like someone was preparing for a party but no one came.

Eyes shifting around cautiously as if an adult was going to pop out of one of the many doors to this area and yell at her Sandy hesitantly took a flower shaped roll out of a basket and broke it open.

It was still steaming inside.

That was all the encouragement she needed. Finding a knife she took stock of the various items near the basket and decided to try what looked to be pink butter. It was even better then she imagined! Raspberry honey butter! She devoured the roll in a few bites and moved to the fruit basket. Some kind of purple melon caught her eye and she plucked a crescent shaped slice.

If she really had died, this was not what she had imagined Heaven was like. But it was a good start.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Well, District 12 is actually a place you'll be representing."

Breaking this to new people was the worse part of this. But still, much better than reaping. It wasn't until it was no longer part of her job that Effie realized how much she was relieved that it wasn't.

"But you probably won't ever have to actually go there, dear. This is the suite for District 12, in the Tribute training center, where you'll live."

((OOC-do you want effie to avoid saying she'll come back?))

This was all starting to sound too good to be true. If it hadn't been some of the less then comforting comments that had been made during her judging she would have been sure something awful was going to happen to her.

...well ok, something awful WAS going to happen, but it was only vaguely explained.

"Sounds...great." She offered trying not to stay too silent. "But I heard I was supposed to like...earn my stay here with some kind of a game." She had heard a little more then that but she didn't want to tip her hand to this weird grown up. She may be painted up like a clown but that didn't mean she was as harmless.

"Well."

Here went the fun part.

"You will, in fact, be participating in the Games. It is a fierce competition, but we will do our best to get you through ready for it."

A little vague, but it would do.

Sandy's lips were a thin line as she continued to judge and mull over just how much she wanted to trust this stranger.

"And what do you get out of this?" She half accused thinking back to something her mother had once shouted during a lucid moment.

No one ever does anything nice for others for free.

Effie opened her mouth, and then closed it, because the answered weren't so easy anymore. They weren't rehearsed and well considered and thoroughly thought out.

Was this keeping the peace still? An honor still? Why was it an honor for them?

"The Games are very important to us."

Sandy didn't look impressed, that answer didn't satisfy her in the slightest.

"Why?" She stated as simply as a child could.

"Well." Effie sat down, having a feeling this conversation might last a bit.

She soothed out her skirt, devoting her attention to Sandy.

"The Games are a very important part of our history. It is hard to explain, to someone from outside of Panem, but you will be helping the people in District 12 when you play."

"Who?" Sandy stated bluntly. "Why's it so important that you guys gotta kidnap people from their lives?" Not that her life had been that great.

"District 12 is...well."

She paused. When they were from the Districts, so much of this was already known to them.

"Panem is split into the Capitol, and 12 districts. Our team represents District 12, which is the coal mining district."

She avoided the second question for now.

"coal Miners?" There was a level of irony to that that Sandy was not prepared to deal with.

"And just how does this help them?"

"When you win," Well, if, but they needed to always stay positive. "Everyone in 12 receives gifts. Food, supplies, that sort of thing."

She smiled, hoping that would help. "So, now, you see you are very important."

Sandy didn't return the smile, "Tough luck for them to get saddled with me. Unless it's a foot race I'm not exactly what you would call an athlete."

"Oh, dear, you would be surprised!"

Effie's face lit up.

"Our last runners were just a simple boy and girl from 12."

...not that she was sure Katniss and Peeta could make it in these games.

Sandy didn't look impressed. "Oh yeah? How'd they win? Did they just keep running and let everyone else die? Because that's all I got." That's all she had ever done back home.

"It has been a winning strategy in the past."

Not often, but it had.

"And we also will help train you, of course!"

Sandy didn't look convinced but she mused that she didn't have much else she could do. "How long do we have? Before the murder starts?" Her dry sardonic tone was a strong indication on how well Effie was doing to convince her this was something she should want to do.

Edited 2013-02-04 02:08 (UTC)

"Well, the next arena should start soon."

She clearly wasn't thrilled with the term murder, but she had heard worse from tributes before.

"Lucky me." Sandy turned on Effie with a pout in her voice and made her way back over to the buffet to sulk over a snack. It felt like she was having her last meal, though she hoped that the next arena wouldn't start THAT soon.

"Well, if you need anything, do ask dear."

She hesitated, before turning to leave, back to her own work.

((OOC actually this one feels like a good end too. That good with you?))