[semi-open and open]

[capitolprivilege]

Who| Stephen and D6 | Stephen and anyone
What| Trying to convince his Tributes to go the fuck to sleep, and unwinding himself when the kids are in bed
Where| D6 rooms | the coffeeshop downstairs
When| Thursday morning
Warnings/Notes| First prompt closed to D6; the other's open!

A:

Stephen is usually around the D6 rooms. Generally, he's easygoing -- he was stricter for a while there, but after the last Arena, now that his traitor cuff's come off, he's started to let his Tributes get away with more. If you've come to him with a problem, he's done his best to help you, and he's also had a conversation with each of his Tributes about just how many public appearances they want to make. If a Tribute requests that their fancy-event invitations be kept to a minimum, he's done his best to facilitate that. If a Tribute wants to play the social game and network, Stephen's helped them with that, too.

Today, though, he's trying to get in touch with all of his Tributes, because he has something very important to ask them to do.

He has to ask them to sleep.

Stephen is generally sticking around the D6 rooms. When his Tributes wake up, they'll find him in the common area, playing on a tablet. He'll look up at them and grin.

"Morning."

B:

Leave it to Stephen not to take his own advice. Around 4pm, he can be found on the ground floor of the Tribute Center, sipping some kind of froofy coffee. There's probably like three kinds of chocolate in it. It smells divine. If anyone meets his eye, he'll flash them a smile, and wave if he knows them. He's got a tablet propped up in front of him, and it looks like he's flipping through an e-release of a vapid Capitol magazine.

Comments

[atethecanary]

At the mention of Avoxes Julian frowns, a question on his mind but trying to think of how to phrase it. He’d originally thought they were just staff, but between the not talking, and the way they seem to scurry around with only orders on their mind, he’s started to find something a little unsettling about them, to say the least. “The Avoxes. Are they… paid?”

[capitolprivilege]

The question takes Stephen aback. He stares, surprised, and lets out a laugh that's a little nervous.

"No, they're not paid-- of course they're not," he says, in the same tone you would use if someone asked you do you pay your horses?

[atethecanary]

Julian’s not very impressed with that answer, or the tone of Stephen’s voice, and so he folds his arms across his chest, glaring as he asks, “Why not?”

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen Reagan is visibly uncomfortable.

He's had coworkers Avoxed. Acquaintances. Tributes. One particularly persistent ex.

But the party line is avoxes aren't people.

"They're--" he begins, fidgeting with the cuff of his sparkly, sparkly jacket. "Because they're criminals," he says, and knows it's not true. "Traitors. Or they did something to make the wrong people angry." There. That was honesty. Never forget Hsiang Jiao. "They went through a process that made them the way they are. I don't know what exactly it involves, but part of it is cutting out their tongues."

[atethecanary]

For a moment all Julian can do is stare at Stephen in horror. He’d figured something was up with Avoxes, but he’d never realized it could be quite to this extent. When he finally does speak, he looks a bit sick. “Tortured. They were tortured.” That’s what the ‘process’ sounds like to Julian anyway, going by the cutting out the tongues.

“And that’s normal here? To have punished people do unpaid work for everyone?”

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen worries the button at the cuff of his sleeve harder.

"It's how it's been done for decades," he says, uncomfortably. "There are corporations contracted by the government who do it, but the distribution is under the control of the government itself." He's rattling off facts like he's trying to fill a silence, a clear indicator of insecurity and discomfort.

[atethecanary]

Julian’s often times slow to pick up on other’s emotions, but even he can see Stephen’s uncomfortable now. Even so, he’s not sure he really cares, not when taking into account the way Stephen had spoken about the Avoxes earlier. But if it is all under the control of the government, then there’s no use blaming Stephen for it all, so Julian decides not to press it.

“What a wonderful thing to add on top of murder Arenas. Are there any other important… things I should know about this place?”

[capitolprivilege]

What a position to be in.

Well, better to be honest than try to hide anything.

"Let me think," Stephen says. "You already know about the Tribute Center security cameras, right?"

[atethecanary]

“Yes. I know about them. Are they really everywhere? Like in my room, too? That’s creepy.” Not that there’s much that isn’t creepy about this place, but that doesn’t mean Julian’s going to stop being cranky about it.

[capitolprivilege]

"Absolutely everywhere," Stephen confirms. "But it's okay. I promise, the Peacekeepers on the other end have seen it all before and then some. Like doctors! You are not the weirdest thing that's been caught on Capitol surveillance. They probably don't even notice you."

Yep. That's meant to be comforting.

[atethecanary]

Unfortunately for Stephen, Julian doesn’t look comforted at all. If anything, he only looks more agitated.

“Like doctors. Except without the healing part or the actually being useful part.” Julian’s glancing around now, looking for the cameras, but he knows often times you can’t even see them. “I’ve seen them use footage from around the Tribute Center before in those dumb interviews. How do I know they won’t use footage from my room at some point too?”

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen sighs. He doesn't have a better answer, but he gives the one he has.

"You can't," he says. "But nearly anything you'd be doing in your room is either too boring to make good television or too risque to broadcast. The chances of it happening are slim to none."

[atethecanary]

Julian’s expression, unsurprisingly, does not look any happier, though it does turn a little mortified when Stephen mentions the risque part.

“The cameras are always watching you too, right? Doesn’t it bother you at all?” He supposes maybe the Capitol people are just used to it, but Julian would think that most people would at least like some sort of privacy.

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen looks at him, honestly puzzled by the question.

"I mean...not really? I usually don't even think about it, and when I do, it's like what I said about a doctor. I figure whoever's behind the cameras is so used to it they don't even care anymore."