We crown a victor

[gamemakers]

WHO| EVERYONE in the Capitol! No literally, everyone.
WHAT| The crowning of Shepard as this round's victor, a celebration, and an unfortunate surprise.
WHEN | A week after Shepard kills Kaidan.
WHERE | The whole city. All of it.
NOTES | Your character can be anywhere. Please make sure to specify setting/time in your subject bar.

The crowning ceremony made every other party pale in comparison. The whole city exploded into an over-the-top expression of debauchery and revelry. Everywhere a person went, there was food on open towers, drinks flowing freely, and fireworks lighting up the sky.

President Snow's crowning of Shepard went flawlessly. She had made it out of the Arena in fairly good shape, and District 9's stylist had rose to the occasion. The crowd was obviously eating her up; a victor who came out of the arena as something other than a broken child.

The party ran long into the night. And it was luck for those who found themselves far from the city center. Because around 1 am, just a few blocks away, while the party was still in full swing, someone misstepped, someone did something wrong, and a pod full of Trackerjackers was triggered off. A pod that should have been deeply dormant and entirely untriggerable.

It takes a good hour for the Capitol to get them under control, sending out men in bulky suits with a spray foam, and peacekeepers to manage evacuations. By the end of the night, a few Capitol citizens closest to the pod when it burst open were not able to receive treatment fast enough and succumb to the poisonous stings to a painful and unpleasant end. The death toll is not high, or perhaps, not as high as it could have been, considering there are many people in the area who got to experience the hallucinogenic effects of the muttations' venom first hand.

Comments

THE CROWNING CEREMONY

[gamemakers]

[nofunandgames]

Usually tonight meant that everything was over, and they could clean up and go home. It was one of the few night Elias felt like celebrating. Have some drinks, enjoy the casual psuedo friendships most victors have, pack up and ship out to back home. Where it was calm, and peaceful, and you could actually see the sky.

Sure he might get called back in here and there for favors. He might even spend some time here. But it wasn't the same.

Now, instead, he knew they would be going right back in. The stress, the competition. The sponsors.

He watched the President's speech with a frown. Tonight would be a good night to get drunk.

[punchdrunkvictory]

Every night was a good night to get drunk in the Capitol. Especially the nights Snow gave a speech and it wasn't his district winning.

Even now, his district losing meant something. And it meant something that Haymitch wasn't particularly in the mood to deal with.

He had already hit the bar once. Capitol alcohol was smooth. It was always so much better than anything he could find at home...probably explained why it was harder to get drunk here.

It also explained why he wasn't nearly drunk enough while standing there, watching the woman who dominated these games be crowned. He glanced up and down the row, not really bothering to be subtle. He knew Effie would have his head if he did anything to bring 'shame' onto their district.

If he had to be honest though, he'd been looking forward to possibly throwing up on Snow's shoes. Even if they were pretty far away. Guess he'd just have to try harder next time.

[nofunandgames]

"You think she knows what she's getting into?" Elias said softly to Haymitch, looking up at the spectacle before them.

The woman seemed to be made of fairly stern stuff, but she was also far from anything they were use to. He had gathered a bit about her and...it was a lot to swallow.

Victory?

[galaxyherder]

She's been in ceremonies before, even ceremonies where she is the one being honoured... but this? This doesn't feel like honour.

It's been days since they pulled her out of the Arena, but she isn't actually certain how many. She's been indoors, most of the time. The doctors came first, set her broken rib and mended up her ankle that had been a lot more damaged than she had initially thought. Rubbed her down with salves and lotions and god knows what else, even sent in a strong little dark haired girl to massage her back and neck and legs for two hours and it hurt so good she almost cried. And then, they shoved her off into the hands of... well, Shepard isn't sure what to call them properly. But they look a bit like a three-ringed circus. Or, so she imagines. She's never actually seen a circus before, to be quite honest.

The dress she wears is a pale, sunny gold made of flowing silk that looks almost liquid at times. They hadn't been pleased that her hair was so short. Chin-length at best, it wasn't much to work with. So they'd pulled and twisted and glued and braided in long strands of hair that weren't really even hers; given her long loose curls that fall almost to the center of her back. (Her back which she finds to be shockingly free cuts of bruises.) They let her keep her red hair at least. 'Don't want to make her unrecognizable' they say, as though they haven't already done so. She looks in the mirror and there isn't a goddamn thing she recognizes. But the circus seems pleased with themselves. Babbling about how strong and powerful she was. How Olympian of her. She sees the Romanesque dress and the golden bands around her wrists and arms and thinks she sees a theme here.

And so she sits, alone amidst a crowd of of thousands of screaming, cheering faces. Some of them even chant her name, and she has no idea what to do about it. But she can't smile...

[implant]

Kaidan is there, in the crowd. He's wearing dark clothing, subdued compared to everyone around him-- and he's not cheering, not smiling, just keeping his eyes trained on Shepard. His arms are crossed and his jaw is locked, many of the people giving him a wide birth to harass Shepard some more. He can see the tension in the line of her neck; the hold of her shoulders. He has the same look, one he sees in every mirror. What happened in the Arena...

Well, that's behind them now, isn't it? Like Horizon, like Cerberus...

[galaxyherder]

Out there, in the crowd, it's all just a blur of candy colours and noise. She's seeing it all, but not really looking, not really caring to at all. After the Arena, she's been under a tight watch. Escorts and stylists and her three-ringed-circus, the mentors of District 9, and a handful of others she doesn't know. She suspects they're a little afraid of her. She's not the scared little child they're used to pulling out and they can't know much about her... They don't know what she's capable of. Or if she's liable to snap at any moment.

Sometimes, she things she sees something though. A ghost in the crowd. She wonders if this is guilt that haunts her; sorrow, rage; anger. Maybe she just doesn't want to believe it really happened at all...

[buildingreality]

She was happy for Shepard. It was better than nothing after all; one of them had managed to survive the elements, each other, everything that the Gamemakers had thrown at them. It wasn't to say that the entire matter wasn't completely surreal, but Ariadne attended all the same.

She had only the vaguest of ideas what would happen now; her previous conversation with Elias had shed just a little bit of light. But she was still concerned, her brows furrowed even as she watched the ceremony in silence.

whoa sorry for such a late reply! gmail ate it D:

[galaxyherder]

It seems like hours that she's up there, on display like some kind of pageant queen and she wants so badly to scream and punch just about half the people around her (and that's her being generous, really) she's actually angry when they let her down; let her mingle with her crowd of adoring fans. Or... whatever they are. She doesn't care to speak with any of them past learning which ones are responsible for this.

That is, until she spies a familiar face: a pretty dark-haired girl among the sea of strangers.

"Ariadne?" she asks, trying to keep as much of the surprise out of her voice. She'd already seen one ghost tonight, and she was still getting used to seeing others.

There's a slight ping of sadness seeing her like this, clean and beautiful and delicate as she should be. Someone put her back together only for her to be ripped apart again.

man, gmail. D: i hate it for that o9

[buildingreality]

It was purely that she wanted to say something - that she wanted to see the woman she got to know outside of the Arena - that made her inclined towards dealing with the crowd. She had been keeping to herself, glancing around warily at the Capitol fans until she heard her name.

And though they knew her name as well as anyone else, thanks to the copious quantities of cameras watching their every move, she knows it's Shepard. The surprise doesn't faze her; at this point, Ariadne all but expects it when she turns, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I was starting to think you had been taken off somewhere else by your escort by now," she greets, offering a small smile.

PARTYING ON THE STREET

[gamemakers]

[needsaprince]

Now this Lottie could handle a little bit better.

Her stylist had been more than willing to create the kind of over the top dress that Lottie just loved. And these Capitol people seemed to eat it up. The style and cut was a little different than she was use to but...it was fun none the less.

And it hurt her to say as such but...this party possibly put the Mardi Gras parade to shame. Something she never thought she'd live to see. With a vile of vivid pink liquid in one hand, and the other waving to people who called out to her as she walked past, she was feeling much more at home than she had before.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

When Momoko dreamed of the party lifestyle, she had a more sedate picture in mind. Lazily strolling on the green with parasols, whiling away the afternoons with other beautifully dressed women in an embroidery circle, and so on.

This...loud, crowded mess was about as far from that image as possible, but her mentors and stylists had laughed in her face when she'd mentioned her plans to stay in her rooms. So, here she was, pressing her way through the crowd, jostling people left and right in hopes of finding some air, when she finds herself face-to-face with someone she'd last seen plastered on the screen in her bedroom (or the screen in her living room or her dining room...they did not want Momoko forgetting about the Games, that was for sure).

"Oh, it's you," said Momoko without thinking. It was the American named Charlotte, the only tribute Momoko had become invested in, because while everyone else was snickering at her ladylike demeanor and attire, another pink-loving lady was making her way into the final four.

Of course, she didn't win so it was meaningless in the end, but still.

[needsaprince]

"Why yes!" Lottie said with a wide smile, dipping down her head to Momoko. She was clearly use to this whole pomp and circumstance going on. Parade princess? She could handle that.

But looking at the girl, she paused. These Capitol people, even with the tributes dressed to match...there was something different about them. Something this girl didn't have. An honestly, it was a relief to Lottie. Tributes came with their own slew of baggage, but at least they didn't...well, didn't make these awful games.

"Oh, are you another tribute?"

[buildingreality]

Ariadne, in stark contrast to Lottie, felt rather uncomfortable in her Capitol-designed outfit, surrounded by other people who stuck out like sore thumbs in the sort of society she typically knew. Her head was almost spinning with the colours and joy she was surrounded by, and for a moment she wondered just how people could celebrate like this if it was normally at the expense of so many lives.

But that was depressing, even if it niggled at the back of her mind. She almost ran into Lottie before she saw her, stopping abruptly with a soft gasp before they ended up tumbling into each other, "Sorry."

[needsaprince]

"Oh, my darling are you all right?" Lottie's brow knit together in concern as her hands moved forward to steady Ariadne. The girl looked a little lost and confused and, to be honest, that was always something that worried Lottie in a crowd like this.

[nightlightheart]

It's one of his first nights here in the Capitol and for once in his life, it's a relief to be lost in the crowd. They had given him charcoal grey pinstripes with a blazing orange-red waistcoat and tie to wear for the evening which isn't actually anything out of the ordinary for Tony to be wearing at all. So, while he feels entirely normal, he can't say that the scenery is. It's a bit loud and obnoxious even for his taste, and he's pretty sure that's saying something.

A young woman in more pink than he thought it was humanly possible for a person to wear catches his eye. Mostly because she seems to be the center of the attention for many of those around her, and Tony's always been the kind of person who knows people, so it only stands to reason that he should probably know her too. Maybe it's an ego thing.

"Nice dress," he says, looking pointedly at her. He isn't sure that he means that, but he's learned how to navigate that territory pretty well at this point. The hint of a smile on his lips says all he needs it to: Hello. You have my attention.

[needsaprince]

She turned to the man, and an instant smile spread across her face.

He was good looking, and just exuded confidence. Plus, she was fairly certain from the looks of him that he wasn't a Capitol citizen. Plenty of them exuded that attitude as well, but most of them did it with a little something else she hadn't quite pin pointed.

Something unpleasant, though.

"Why, I thank you kindly sir. Is there a name to go with that gorgeous face?"

POST TRACKER JACKER RELEASE

[gamemakers]

[mannersmatter]

She was mid conversation, ironically about what all the ruckus two blocks over might be, when she felt a tiny little pinch on the back of her neck. By the time she had lifted her hand to feel what, exactly, had caused the pain, she was hit by a wave of searing pain. By the time she grabbed the small, wiggling little bug and it sank in what it was, her hands were starting to shake and her vision sway

"...oh my."

[punchdrunkvictory]

Of course the ten minutes he stopped watching them, everything went to hell. At the very least, if there was one thing that sobered a man up, it was imminent death and danger.

He was stumbling, trying to catch his footing while searching for some sort of sanctuary in the area. He caught a flash of colors that he knew all too well, and he ran towards it.

Well. Her.

Just as he grabbed Effie's arm to turn her towards him, there was an angry buzz and a sharp stab of pain on his hand. He curses, letting go of her, shaking his hand to get the abomination off of him.

[mannersmatter]

It was a strange feeling. Like being drunk. Incredible drunk. She swayed as Haymitch grabbed her, her center of gravity off so much she had to pin wheel her arm to stay upright. Finally she just grabbed on to him, clinging tightly until the world stopped swaying.

Except it didn't. Every pushed in on them, screaming, and bumping, and too close. Too incredibly close. Grabbing at them, rushing past, the whole world seemed to be frantic right now.

And the burning was spreading. Growing.

"Haymitch...." She looked up, eye wide, terrified.

[slowlydrowning]

It's a relief, really, that the round is over. She wishes she were about to go back up to her suite, pack her things and return home, but she knows that won't be happening.

Her dress tonight is more the colour of the sky than the sea, simple and blue. But her hair is piled on top of her head in twists and curls; streaks of blue and white and sparkling silver were added to match and she thinks it looks odd. She fiddles with it as she watches the screens. The crowning ceremony is over, but the woman's face is still everywhere. Highlights of her 'best moments' in the Arena, sometimes even live images of where she was right now. She's the biggest talk of the town right now and Annie can't even count how many times she's overheard conversations of how people 'knew she would win from the very start.' But people always say that in the end. The mentors of District 9 seem positively smug though, as if they'd had a damn thing to do with it.

In spite of the chaos of the crowds, it's a beautiful night. What stars aren't hidden by the lights of the city are clear and bright, and the air is a refreshing kind of cool.

She hears the panic spread before she sees it. Gasps and startled screams, and then people start to run, swatting the air as they scream and shout. A few of them fall.

Typically, her instinct is to run. But the panic and fear is so unexpected, so sudden, she can't even breathe. Petrified, she curls into herself and begins to scream.

Sorry so late!

[knottherapy]

Finnick had gotten caught up making the expected rounds mingling throughout the ceremony. They'd all seen so many of these that they were all the same and hardly anyone actually paid attention to it. He was dressed in the usual dark suit with blue and silver highlights in the shirt and lining of the pants. He had left the suit coat at the suite deciding he didn't want to look too dressed up. It was a warm night out after all.

It was just by luck that he had been approaching the area where he found Annie standing right before the pod opened. The screams even trigger his own startled response as his body automatically poised itself to fight. When he saw the swarm of trackerjackers rise up his first instinct was to make sure Annie was safe. The panicked crowd did not help as they began to make everything and everyone blur together.

Luckily Finnick knew Annie and she would freeze, making her easy to locate. He found her curled up and his arm automatically wrapped around her, "Annie!" He brought her towards him. "It's me-Annie! We gotta move." All that mattered right now was getting out of this crowd and away from the trackerjackers that were beginning to spread out. People were dropping like flies around them showing that these stingers had no names.

[dandelionsinspring]

It was bitter sweet, knowing this round was over. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or even more on edge. There would still be no returning home, she knows.

Much to her personal annoyance at having to even attend, she was dressed to the nines. A gray dress that glowed in places when she moved, like a living bed of coals. Her pin was firmly in place, fastened to one of the transparent frills along her shoulders. If she were to turn about, fake sparks would ignite along the train of her dress. Cinna had dressed her well as always. She was thankful for that - it helped her look the part she was being forced to play, with her smokey makeup that matched her dress. She didn't see that frightened and anxious girl in the mirror - only the Girl on Fire.

It was a comfort, it kept her level headed and in her role. It was very much like putting on a mask. Her hair was equally well done with it's intricate curls of dark hair that cascaded behind her, set back from her face by silver pins.

With the crowning ceremony over, the new victor was the topic of the evening's gossip. She caught snippets of hushed and excited voices, guests whispering among themselves. Highlights from the arena were being played, interchanging with the victor's face and where she was at that moment, depending on which screen you looked at. She didn't look. It held no interest to her - none of it ever did.

She stood among the throng of people, not really holding her gaze on anyone in particular and only occasionally speaking to someone. She tried to dampen the morose mood that had settled within her and turn on the crowd pleasing but it was hard to do with the knot in her stomach that came and went like the changing of the tides. Her nerves were shot.

Despite the chaotic air that came with events like this - people moving about, talking loudly, eating and laughing merrily together - it was a picturesque evening with a few stars here and there, caught in her view when the city lights weren't blocking them.

Then there are screams, terrible and ringing in her ears. A panic settles deep within her bones. What was happening? She sees people running and swatting at the air, arms flailing here and there as they run.

She feels the sting against her exposed skin like the tiniest of knives, there are a few more that follow it. It doesn't register right away, shock settling in as people run around her.

Trackerjackers. She swats them away, hands slapping at her arms and neck when they come. Turning at last, her gown glowing in places from head to foot, she bolts away at last. She can feel the pain burning in her veins while she moves - that familiar tunnel vision setting in.

"Damn it-!" Where were the others? Haymitch, Peeta, Effie - they had to get away!