Kevin's Crowning

[etcircenses]

Who | Everyone.
What | Kevin's Crowning
Where | An outdoor plaza, sectioned off and well guarded.
When | Starting at noon and continuing on until sunset.
Warnings/Notes | This event is mandatory for all Tributes and Victors to attend. Even if you do not tag in, your character will attend this party.

Playful signs began to pop-up all over the Tribute center in the days leading up to the crowning, advertising the mandatory nature of the event itself while also promising an afternoon of delightful festivities. All attendees were loaded onto buses and driven to the location of the picnic, with colorful t-shirts distributed upon their arrival (D1- Navy, D2- Red, D3- Grey, D4- Light blue, D5- Orange, D6- Yellow, D7- Forest green, D8- Royal blue, D9- Purple, D10- Black, D11- Lime green, D12- Hot pink, and White for any Capitol officials in attendance.) Likewise, all the attendees were given name tag stickers and then dispersed out into the plaza. All except guest of honor, Kevin, who was escorted onto the grounds dressed entirely in white and was given a large and ornate golden crown to wear.

Balloons of every color decorated the entire area . Along with picnic tables and benches, a large main stage was erected in the middle of the plaza with a microphone and a DJ, who played the same six songs on repeat. At it's center, Kevin was given a throne to sit on, so that he could preside over the picnic and enjoy his freshly prepared hamburger and french fries.

There were several small tents that ringed the edge of the stage area. Inside a few of them, you might face painters available, but the only design they would do was paint your face to look like Kevin. Anyone who had their face painted was also given an adorable construction paper crown to wear.

In other tents, a few carnival games had been set up for entertainment. There was a shooting range game where the faces of the targets changed to look like you whenever you stepped up to play, as well as skeeball and a rope ladder climb game. All the prizes were stuffed plush dolls reminiscent of famed former victors. All with Kevin's smile.

A bouncy castle that looked a shocking bit like the city hall building found in the last arena was free for anyone to play on. (Complete with fog machine!) And almost directly across the way from the castle, a caged-in area set up to be a ball-pit was also open for all to enjoy. Upon further inspection of the pit filled with thousands of plastic balls, one could clearly see how they had each been painted to look like giant, vacant black eyes.

The only two food options available to attendees were cupcakes and hotdogs. The cupcakes came with sprinkles. The hotdogs also came with sprinkles. The only beverage option was orange juice. And everyone must have a glass of orange juice, otherwise no one can ever leave.

At 2pm, Peacekeepers erected a volleyball net and the Tributes were instructed to play. Anyone who touched the net would get a slight electrical shock. Clearly it was a best to avoid the net.

As the volleyball game came to a close, several officials took the stage with a special announcement. Public polls would be open to all Capitol citizens the following morning to begin casting their votes. Who will be the next tributes to go into the next arena?! Over the next few days, the public will pick their favorites to enter a special bonus arena! Stay tuned for details!

Once the festivities were over and the Tributes were loaded back onto the buses, they would come to notice something new in the lobby of the Tribute Center. On the ceiling above them was a massive crystal chandelier, seven feet across. And it was no ordinary chandelier. It was customized beautifully, in the shape of Kevin's jagged and ever-present smile.

Beneath it, a spread of fine wine and cheeses. A man in a cream yellow suit with cream yellow hair sat at a grand piano in the corner, playing calm and pleasant melodies that might seem almost familiar to some and yet unrecognizable to anyone. Escorts seem to be in no hurry to get tributes back to their towers, and the wine continues to flow late into the night for anyone who lingers around to drink it.

Until next time, tributes. Until next time.

Comments

SPEECH / Mingling / Open to Everyone!

[asmilinggod]

"HELLO, FRIENDS!"

The sound of his own voice over the microphone was wonderful, natural to him - like coming home after a long trip. The whole picnic reminded him so much of Desert Bluffs, of his beautiful little town...his heart swelled with pride and glee. He surveyed Grinning from ear to ear, he gestured grandly, hands scrubbed momentarily clean of their gore. How long that would last was anyone's guess.

Strangely enough, he spoke as if nothing that happened in the Arena - the blindness, his mother, the slipping into insanity, the eventual agonizing transformation into a horrible monster - had happened. Right then, in his head, it hadn't; the microchip in the back of his neck hummed merrily along, promptly mopping up the horror and leaving rainbows in its wake.

"Gosh, look at all these happy, shining faces! Isn't this great? Let's give a hand to everyone who made this happen!"

A pause. Whether clapping happened or not, he continued as if it did.

"Now, I won't keep you from your fun for too long, but I do want to say a few words. I am very, very proud of this promotion, but I recognize that it couldn't have happened without each and every one of you. You see, any good workplace is like a hive of bees. Lots of little workers, all buzzing around and doing their part to make the whole hive PERFECT. It's true, it takes a lot of work, a lot of focus, and yes, a lot of stinging - but in the end, you have a strong hive, tasty honey, a number of bodies turned inside out, and healthy, happy plants for the rest of the world. And it's because of everyone's efforts! We did it, gang! We built a great hive, and look at all this honey!"

There was not a trace of irony about anything he was saying. That may have made it worse.

"Now, I'm just a little bee who made it a little further than the others - but that doesn't mean I'm going to rest on my laurels! Oh, no - I plan to be a proactive Mentor, and I look forward to helping all you other beautiful drones learn to fly harder and faster! You will all see me - and hear me - around the Capitol, and I would just love to get to know each and every one of you...and get a sense for your efficiency. We may have all come from different worlds, and none of you are with Strex, but...you are all some of the best friends I have ever, ever had."

He wipes at the voids under his eyes as if there were tears of pride there. There weren't, though the words were sincere. Of course not. He couldn't cry. He went back to being frustratingly happy, waving to the crowd.

"Thanks, everyone! You all have a great time! Take some time in that wonderful ball pit - heck, take a whole hour! You deserve it."

With that, he sat back in his throne, taking up his hamburger (raw meat in a toasted bun) and taking a little while to simply...watch the festivities. Over the rest of the day, he mingled, happy to speak with anyone who approached him, and generally having a great time. He did everything - bounced in the bounce house, did the Harlem Shake about fifty times, played in the ball pit...even indulged in the wine and cheese afterwards back at the tower.

Anywhere you went, you had the chance of running into him. And boy, he was just SO GLAD to see you.


((Feel free to talk to Kevin right after the speech, or run into him literally anywhere in the Crowning. I am down for anything and everything.))

you don't need to reply just

[shenunigans]

[Dave watches and listens to the entire speech with a bland expression, not giving into any of the urges to heckle or clap inappropriately.

Mostly.

He can't help it when Kevin finishes his speech on such a high note, he's pumping his fist into the air and yelling out:]

Woohoo! I LOVE BALLS! [And now he's clapping hard like he's been so emotionally moved by that speech that he's filled with the urge to applaud it and not feel the disconcerting vibes he's getting.]

[arrogantalloy]

[ Tony, being Tony wasn't even remotely paying attention to the speech. Because well he's not the kind to care about speeches, even his own really. He's not too far away from Dave when the kid starts hollering like a crazy person about balls. So he takes it on himself to make a comment. ]

And you tried to convince me you weren't 6?

present but also standing so far away from you dave, because you're embarrassing

[riddledwith]

[Edward just kind of.... glances over at Dave.

And shakes his head.

In judgement.

Whatever you say, kiddo.]

oh no actually I do

[asmilinggod]

[What wonderful enthusiasm!

Kevin points at Dave once he's settled on the throne, gesturing excitedly for him to come up closer for a chat.]

Balls are great! You are not wrong! Why, I have played with many, many balls in my time!

[arosewiththorns]

[And in the not so distant distance Rose's palm meets her face]

[seestheman]

[No. Dave no. Dave stop.

He would be so grounded if she had that power over him right now. Okay. Maybe no so grounded. Maybe just a little grounded.]

Wow, you're the most mature teenager ever.

no no we do

[polyturtle]

DAVE. WHAT THE SHELL.

Don wasn't sure whether Dave was making it better or worse. No--he was making it worse. His own animal instinct - that which made him wary of Wesker and scared of certain Arenas - was practically crying in horror. Or it would if it was personified.

Don wanted to shake Dave and ask him what was wrong with him. Instead, only two words came out.

"...I...what?"

Good showing for your junior Districtmate there, Don.

[plushaeusrumpified]

[He had been ready for it. The second Kevin goes silent, he had been prepared. He'd taken a deep breath, prepared his most witty reply and then-

Dave.

It's that awful feeling of being a proud parent and feeling as if your child has stolen your thunder all in the same moment. So conflicting, so annoying. Damn you. This can't go unpunished, so he slides up behind Dave and promptly smacks him in the back of the head.]

You stole my moment, dickbutt.

Mingling!

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen was mostly just trying to stay out of the way at this party, but he had to come up to Kevin.

"Congratulations," he said with a smile that was only a little forced, giving Kevin a handshake with one hand and a shoulder-pat with the other. "That was quite a performance."

[asmilinggod]

Out of everyone, Stephen was one of the people Kevin was most excited to see. When he was approached, he beamed, rising from his throne and setting the food aside. He shook the hand - but then pulled the other man into a hug, giggling.

A real hug. He had been practicing.

"Gosh, thank you so much, Stephen! Y'know, it's all kind of a blur, to be honest - but I am so grateful for your guidance - and for this opportunity! It has been just...SUCH a wonderful experience!"

[formersurgeon]

Kevin freaked Joan out. Everything about him screamed "WRONG" to her medical sensibilities, her detective sensibilities, pretty much every damn sensibility she had. It really was one hell of a feat. Joan had stared down serial killers, and sewn together the flesh of car accident victims. And yet.

So clearly she had to talk to him.

Their paths didn't cross during the picnic, but back at the Tribute Tower she spotted him by the cheese table. She plucked a glass of wine from one of the Avox-carried trays (giving the Avox a kind smile) and headed over to the man of the hour.

"So," she started in conversationally. "What's it like to be a Victor?"

[asmilinggod]

The grinning man was just having a grand old time. All day, he was meeting new people, making new partnerships, shaking hands - it was the best day he had had in a long, long time. By the time he got back to the Tribute Tower, he was sitting pretty on Cloud Nine, a glass of red wine in one hand and the other hand seeking out tasty looking cheeses.

He looked to Joan as he was addressed, his permanent smile echoed overhead by the chandelier.

"It's just amazing," he practically squealed, wine sloshing in his glass as he gestured with the words. "And the party was just SO much like home, there was no way I wouldn't have loved it. I've made SO many new friends today! And it looks," his voice became singsong, "Like I'm about my make another one! What's your name, Ma'am?"

Kevin had a talent for being unsettling. Even when he was saying something perfectly friendly, that smile of his tended to make it seem...not quite right.

[void_whereprohibited]

Being without a voice was, on the whole, completely terrible. Cecil was technically a Tribute, and so had been relieved of his normal duties to attend the Crowning; but there wasn't much to do for someone who was devoid of any way or will to communicate, not well-equipped to eat most food, and pathologically terrified of crowds.

Mostly, Cecil just allowed himself to be shunted around by people more courageous than him. He held plates of food thrust into his hands for minutes at a time and then abandoned them, he stepped onto the volleyball court and failed several times to see the ball due to having his eyes fixed on the ground, he sipped successfully at a cup of lackluster orange juice. It wasn't fun.

When he caught Kevin's eyes, it wasn't on purpose. He was standing beside the facepainting tent (the least crowded place Cecil could find, as only one person could sit in any chair at a time), looking into his cup of lackluster orange juice, and then he was looking up, and then he was looking at-- at Kevin's face under its golden crown. A wave of revulsion that had nothing to do with the Avox conditioning swept through him-- a wave that carried in it foreign and frightening and forbidden thoughts, that washed through him and said things like You killed Carlos, you villain and She was my mother, too and You don't even have a voice for radio!--

Quickly, he turned his back, eyes wide, trying to look like he hadn't actually noticed Kevin, and actually only managing to look like he was trying to look like he hadn't noticed Kevin.

[asmilinggod]

Oh, but Kevin noticed Cecil noticing Kevin and trying to look like he had not noticed Kevin. Kevin noticed Cecil noticing Kevin and trying to look like he had not noticed Kevin very quickly, his eyesight sharp and bright now that his body had been mended.

And gosh, it would have been so very rude not to acknowledge a friend, right?

Standing, he parted the crowd for the moment, walking straight towards Cecil. His stride was casual, his grin like the maw of a crocodile - who's been performing poorly NOW, hm?

"Hello, Cecil." There was an edge to the words that was rare for Kevin, a sort of sharpened glee. "Gosh, I had heard what had happened, but...well, to see it for myself, with my own two eyes...."

He knew Cecil wasn't able to respond to him. He knew perfectly well.

He dribbled a bit of orange juice onto his shoe. On purpose.

"Oops! Clumsy me, haha. Would you mind getting that for me, friend? I don't want this big heavy crown to fall off."

[hanssome]

Everybody by this point has realised that there is something very off about Kevin. A few moments around him and some Arena footage could clue you into that much. It's both a huge surprise and typical that his Crowning would be something so so innocent. Hans can't help but be bitter that he got a crowning when he didn't, but he doesn't let it show.

Still, as a fellow mentor desperate to make some connections with a varied group of people, he would approach him politely with his best and warmest smile. He has a hotdog in his hand, but he looks like he isn't sure what to do with it when he sidles up alongside Kevin.

"Congratulations on your victory." He offers his free hand to shake. "I'm Hans, one of the District Five mentors. With our Districts so close, I assume we'll be working together in the future."

[asmilinggod]

When approached, Kevin beams, welcoming the stranger with open arms. He thrusts his own hand out to take Hans's hand, shaking it in a firm and businesslike fashion. He wants to make connections, too - making new friends is wonderful. Making new business partners is even better, and that's a big part of his job now, isn't it?

"I'm so pleased to meet you, Hans," he chirped, voice too honey-sweet for its own good. "Gosh, I hope we get to work together! What a great day this is - a promotion, networking, and so many new friends!"

One would think Kevin hadn't just won an Arena by turning into a monster and eating people, the way he's talking. On the other hand, he had eaten people while he WASN'T a monster in the last Arena, so perhaps it didn't matter so very much. "District five, huh? And a Mentor! That means you won, too, right?"

Re: SPEECH / Mingling / Open to Everyone!

[carnagecarnival]

They've pieced Kevin back together it seems. Fixed his eyes, fixed where all he was becoming one unrighteous picture of a daywalker. And they fixed where all he got his twitch on strange, everything all distorted. All glasgow smiles now.

There's something grotesquely fascinating about the man. Like an old fashioned carnathedral torturtainment show. And just like such a show, he finds himself curiously drawn.

He likens them all to bees, which makes him think of Mituna and aches. He likens them to insects, mentions hives, which is perfectly correct. Then he compares them to drones which is so far the opposite it ain't even in this galaxy, the very mention of drones makes him stand straighter, like there could be one behind him. He reminds himself that he's far, far away from those creatures, but it's still hard not to look, just to be sure.

Kevin carries on, as he's starting to learn that Kevin just tends to do. He is a perpetual ball of sharp-toothed delight. It might be less unnerving if he hadn't seen him as he had in arena and gotten a glimpse of something else in there.

"NICE HAVING SIGHT BACK, AIN'T IT?" He greets as he approaches.

Re: SPEECH / Mingling / Open to Everyone!

[asmilinggod]

When they had first met, Kevin hadn't been...quite all there. He had been recently blinded, the microchip in his neck sending him into convulsions as it tried to reconcile, tried to make the memories go away - Initiate had only been a voice and a relatively compassionate hand to help him up.

But now - now he is standing there where Kevin can see him, and he is...not at all what he was expecting. His eyebrows raise, speaking just a little bit breathlessly as he takes the sight in. Gray skin, horns...like Kankri. Must be the same species.

And what a beautiful species, really.

He waves, smile warm. "Gosh, it IS! And y'know, the whole thing is just...such a blur, I can hardly remember what it felt like not to be able to see anyway!"

There is the faintest waver in his voice, but it passes quickly, quietly. Now isn't the time for those kind of thoughts and feelings. This is a party! He moves his hand from the wave to hold it out for a handshake.

"So nice to get to...see you."

can't handle the ballpit jokes XD

[silberfuchs]

There may be some scattered applause for politeness sake or whatever other mundane reason but Albert certainly isn't clapping. In fact he's imagining that disgusting smile of Kevin's literally splitting the man's face in half and spilling his skull and brain to a squishy pile right in the center of the stage.

Perhaps it's not completely deserved, some rational part of the German's psyche provides. Kevin was obviously not in his right mind in the arena by the end, it's clear enough in the footage, but there's no apologetic touch to his posture here, no remorse coloring any tone or word, and all Albert can see in his mind's eye is the bloodbath that ended Jet and Felicity's tours in the arena. It's not just their deaths - that's inevitable, given their situation - it's the manner of brutal, visceral, and eldritch savagery in which it was executed and the lack of any modicum of acknowledgement after the fact.

So he can't forgive Kevin.

Nor can he avoid him, it seems. The man is everywhere after his speech, or maybe it's just that Albert keeps track of him subconsciously. Either way, there comes a point when he can't keep quiet any longer, when he finds himself next to Kevin at the table of proper h'ordeuvres later in the evening at the tower.

"How do you sleep at night?" Albert mutters under his breath, voice only carrying to the eyeless man beside him.

I saw an opportunity and I took it. <3

[asmilinggod]

Kevin hasn't met Albert yet, and so he thinks very little of seeing him everywhere, largely viewing his presence as a kind of white noise. That night at the table over wine and cheese, he looks over to the stranger as he is being addressed, blinking his voids a few times. He considers the question for a moment - tilting his head as he chews and swallows his cheese, really contemplating it before finally he speaks -

"On my side. Sometimes on my tummy." He rubs his stomach in an effort to illustrate his point.

YOUR point, on the other hand, has been completely missed, Albert.

Awkward mingling ahoy

[metalicarus]

"You're...a lot peppier than I was anticipating."

Really, he didn't know what he was expecting, but he'd guessed that the creature that had torn him apart in the arena was no longer whoever it had once been. But the difference between that and this man was...extreme.

"Um...I thought we could formally meet this time." Now that they weren't in a life or death situation.

[asmilinggod]

It took Kevin a minute to figure out just who was addressing him - everyone that he had killed in the Arena was reduced to a muffled series of grunts and screams, the faint slickness of blood on his hands and teeth. There was no visual. The blindness had robbed him of that, and he hadn't quite worked up the nerve to look at the videos yet. He wasn't sure why.

For now, he grinned, expression vaguely uneasy.

"Gosh, I'm going to take that as a compliment!" He stuck out his hand with enthusiasm, voice too bright. "How wonderful! My name is Kevin. What's yours, friend?"

[youbarium]

Carlos marched right up to Kevin, his broad shoulders square, his strong chin held high. He had something to say, and though it would not be pleasant, it needed to be said. His eyes flashed: he had seen what Kevin had been doing to Cecil, and scientifically speaking he was disgusted. However, Carlos couldn't bring it up; he wasn't supposed to care about Cecil anymore, so of course what Kevin did did not matter.

But there was fury in his determination nonetheless.

"Kevin," he said. Carlos took a breath, chest rising and falling under his black D10-issue t-shirt. "I'm not talking to you for personal reasons. I'm here to apologize for what happened in the Arena."

[asmilinggod]

One moment, Kevin was at ease, enjoying the party, casting his eyes over the crowd with his signature smile. He was sipping on yet another glass of orange juice, feeling amiable and content, generally on top of the world.

And then he saw Carlos approaching him, and an icy knot suddenly settled in his gut.

The feeling was alien. Strexcorp didn't really abide by much in the way of negative feelings. Negative feelings weren't conducive to productivity. They just weren't. But here he was, looking at Carlos who...should be his friend, and he could feel something dark threatening to burst from his chest like a swarm of wasps. He tried not to show it, tried to be pleasant, but there was something distinctly uncomfortable in his bearing and voice when he spoke after a painfully long pause.

"Well, friend, that sounds pretty personal to me." He blinked his eyes. They worked. He could see, but he could also feel a phantom burn, feel something just behind where those voids were settled wanting to burst, to flicker out into nothing. After another moment, he tried to smooth his voice a bit more, keeping some nameless and terrible thing at bay.

"Either way, though, I'm willing to listen! Go right ahead, Carlos. Let's talk."

Oops. His voice warped for a second there, and he felt that old familiar jolt in his spine. He relaxed, looking careless again and sipping at his orange juice.