thecapitol | (no subject)

Who| Alex Murphy, Aragorn, Megan Gwynn, Sam Wilson, Oswald Mandus, Buddy Glass, Black Tom post-approval
What| Alex is interviewed by Tributes and Buddy Glass to determine if he'll be a Tribute or graduate to the ranks of the Peacekeepers.
Where| Training Center/Tribute Suite
When| After the Crowning
Warnings/Notes| None so far.

They bring Alex Murphy out of maintenance early when he receives the papers, with "eligible to start the interview process" written at the top in small, flowing cursive. He doesn't celebrate. His team doesn't expect him to - they hug, crack open a bottle of champagne that is cheap enough to be hopeful but not overboard because technically he hasn't become a Peacekeeper. They think he has a good chance. They aren't interested in discussing probabilities, however, so Alex leaves them to it and moves on to meet each of his interviewers.

Wherever he goes, he's announced by the whirring of his chassis, the heavy thud of armored footsteps. When he knocks, it's polite and almost surgical, no impatience or nervousness or any sign that he has a personal stake in something that could decide his future. Just a 1-2-3 series of raps with his flesh hand as he stands there waiting to be let in.

Edit: Individual subthreads up for the interviews with Alex

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Alex doesn't bat an eye at the pink hair or the black eyes - his main concern is that she doesn't commit any crimes while in his presence...even if he isn't authorized to perform arrests at the moment. It's the principle, really. Doesn't sit right.

"Alex Murphy. You can call me Murphy, however," Alex steps in, no chit chat or small talk about the weather or the fact they're still running murder games every now and then. His head swivels left and right as he scans the room and seems to find it satisfactory. "I assume you were given questions to ask me. Let's start."

At least he doesn't beat around the bush: he sits down at a chair that groans under his weight, his flat, lifeless brown eyes fixing on Megan. He's looking at her and yet somehow past her at the same time.

"U-uh, yeah, I do." Black eyes blink rapidly as she scampers back over to her own seat. As eye catching as she is herself, she can't help but stare at him. He's like if Iron Man, if Iron Man weren't a raging alcoholic and had a lot more self-discipline. Megan can't decide if that's a good thing or not.

She takes a seat, eying his chair suspiciously. "Right then. Mister Murphy, why would you like to leave the Games?"

Alex takes the staring in a stride. "I feel I can better serve the Capitol - and you Tributes - if I'm operating in the Capitol instead of trying to maintain order in the Arenas. They don't allow me to have full access to my capabilities in there."

And you Tributes are allergic to law and order goes unsaid.

"But they'd let you have your capabilities if you began a citizen of the Capitol?" This was an interesting proposal. Maybe if she became a citizen, she'd be allowed to fly and use her magic again. Megan scooted forward in her seat, watching Alex cautiously.

Alex stares serenely back. "To a limited extent - you would have to discuss it with the proper official to make sure your individual needs align with the Capitol."

Megan bit her lip, trying not to let a frown settle in. "Aren't policemen supposed to protect and serve the residents of their jurisdiction? If you become a Peacekeeper, you might be asked to do things that won't protect or serve anyone. You might be asked to hurt people who've done nothing wrong. What will you do then?"

"If I'm being asked to pacify them, then they've clearly done something unlawful." The point flies straight over Alex's head. "Anything a Peacekeeper does is for the good of the Capitol. Serving the Capitol's needs serves her citizens."

Clearly.

Edited 2014-11-23 07:02 (UTC)

She barely stops the scowl from forming on her face, nodding firmly. "Right. And you think they'd listen to you? Even though you're not from around here?"

"Why wouldn't they? I would be authorized as a regular member of the Peacekeepers despite where I came from," Alex replies, giving a slow, almost mechanical sort of blink. His mouth presses into a line.

Huh. So he doesn't think there'd be any push back. Good to know, Megan thinks, filing that away for later. It's always useful to learn something new about Panem. "Um, do you think that having been a Tribute has changed your perspective on law and order any?"

"No," Alex shakes his head, a perfectly horizontal shake left to right and back again. "If anything, it makes me even more qualified - I've seen personally how lawless they can be in that kind of setting, what unchecked personality types like many of the Tributes can do."

Alex pauses, a small muscle in the corner of his mouth silently ticking almost invisibly. He meets her black eyes.

"Ms. Gwynn, do you have any personal issues with my affiliations as a Tribute?"

Megan shifts to sitmore upright, somehow admonished by his scrutiny. "No, not at all. I mean, I guess I do find it a little confusing though, that you're one of us, but you'd want to go and work for the Capitol."

"I'm not the first Tribute to petition out. Mr. Bassem, for example, was eager to petition out of the Arena to become a Capitol citizen. I'm only taking it the next logical step further by providing my services to the others," Alex says mildly. "Where there any other questions you're required to ask?"

"Oh, right." She shook her head, pink hair falling in her face, masking the blush of her cheeks. "Um, well. How will you adjust to life as a Capitol citizen?"

"There shouldn't be much adjustment needed. Any changes in regulations and scheduling they can upload into me in real-time." Alex finds that a satisfactory answer. Basically they can do what they've done before with him in the Capitol and without worrying about prepping for the next Arena. There's a certain convenience factor.

"That's very convenient, yes." Megan isn't so satisfied, but at this point, it doesn't seem worth it to point it out. If anything, Alex has demonstrated every reason why he ought to be granted his request. "I only have one more question to ask you. Are you sure your personal needs align with the Capitol? I mean, really sure? Because there's no going back after this. You can't just change your mind and become a Tribute again."

Alex doesn't hesitate to think it through. "Very sure. Being a Tribute is no way to influence the Capitol in the long run."

And for once, he says something that doesn't sound like it came out of a Capitolite propaganda fluff piece. As that was the last question, Alex deems the conversation to be drawing to a close - he gets up from the chair, the teak with long scratches from his graphene armor, his hand extending politely to Megan.

"Thank you for your time," Alex says. "Your help will be appreciated."

Megan stands quickly, but is silent, mouth agape as Alex heads for the door. He's quite effectively shut her up, and it takes far longer than she'd have liked for her to recover. "R-right then! Good luck, sir. I think?"