The Crowning of Tony Stark

[etcircenses]

Who| Everyone.
What| The Crowning of Tony Stark.
Where| The New Capitol Stark Expo!
When| Friday, late afternoon into the evening.
Notes| This event is mandatory for all Tributes to attend. Even if you do not tag in, your character will attend this party.  Peacekeepers will be on high alert, so no funny business.
WARNINGS| Alcoholism / References to Alcoholism.  

The Capitol might be known for its extravagance, but Stark Expos have never skimped on a show. Combining the two together could only be a recipe for the most wild indulgences. The center theater takes styling after a arc reactor, with glass ceiling and glowing blue lights set right within the metal and putting a glow to the sky. Lightshows go off on the main stage, the stark logo overhead and a massive screen displaying the Panem flag and Tony Stark's image just behind the dancing Ironettes. A circle plattform going off from the stage, clearly reserved for the guest of honor, features a design Panem's bird in red, gold, and glowing blue.

A globe is featured in the outside gardens, showing off a map of Panem, and the park is filled with artistic statues of destroyed Iron Man amror. But there's no quiet here, not with the fireworks going off all night and the consistent playing of music that is not but sounds an awful lot like that of Daft Punk, Eifel 65, ACDC, and one other song that breaks them up.

Various shows can be found about the gardens, including display models of some of Tony Stark's old weapons and Iron Man suits. Further along guests may find the Avengers display, featuring large portraits of the Avengers and their allies, large red x's going over greyed out portraits of those deemed dead, including Phill Coulson, Natasha Romanoff, and Thor. Along with these portraits can be found the Stark family tree, featuring the Victor Tony Stark and all his relations including apparent son Dave Strider, and Arya Stark, Ancestor of the Stark family, not to mention the great Howard Stark who's accomplishments (and tragic lack of care for Anthony) are lovingly illustrated. One such accomplishment being a "flying car" just a short walk over.

There's plenty for guests to do besides just ogle the brilliant sights however! A bar has been set up with a whole variety of drinking games available from Sink The Battleship and Drink Roulette to an extravagent variation of the classic game, Beer Pong, and an ongoing run of the Games with rules of drinking for each emotional scene, funny incident, or death. Those under the age of eighteen will be served fizzing juice or soda instead and can participate in junior versions of the very same games. All the cups are made from the finest glass with Tony Stark images over them. Avoxes are on scene to clean every spill and break of glass that might come.

A cave has been crafted of artificial and real material, designed to look like the Cave in which Tony Stark became a real hero, but with a twist; it's been made into a fun-for-all maze! Guests can attempt to navigate their way to the labyrinth and reach the core, avoiding those nasty pop-out rebels along the way. Those who make it to the fire-lit center may receive a limited edition "Tony Stark Heart" miniature arc reactor in a beautiful glass case.

An indoor sky diving station is also available, large enough that many guests may enter at once and still find it spacious. Here, guests can don Iron Man themed sky-diving suits and experience the sensation of flight, just as Tony Stark once did. Of course, the party doesn't start until the Victor comes in; he'll be appearing by Capitol-controlled suit to make his entrance at center stage. It is here that his Throne shall be raised up through the stage and his crown gifted to him. Following the official Crowning Ceremony will also come a speech from the Capitol's very own, Cyrus Reagan.

Tributes are dressed in formal wear with robotic accents. Such as a full mask or metal armor. Capitolites can be seen with Tony stark styled hair, bearing tattoos in his image, and even with surgically implanted lights, in honor of the new Victor. Available for purchase are handcrafted Tony Stark dolls, Iron Man action figures, and models of beloved robot-pet "Dum-E" in both small and life-sized. The Iron Man light gloves come completely free for all guests.

The Crowning ends off with a bang, as in the center of the sky, a massive "wormhole" opens up showing a vast darkness full of sinister creatures just on the other side, sure to inspire some screams from fans. Guests near to the Iron Man suit displays are asked by peacekeepers to step back-- far back-- but may be the first to witness the incredible scene of all those suits launching into the sky and exploding around and "in" the wormhole. The wormhole shifts to a message stating the show to have been brought to you by the Hunger Game's skilled Sky-Display Designers before going into advertising for the rest of the night as the party dies down.

Comments

[foundafamily]

"...Yeah, sounds like tons a' fun." Firo looked around at the people surrounding them. No one looked offended--interesting. "You know me. Not causin' trouble's definitely my thing."

Firo's grin turned into something more thoughtful a moment later, though. A comment Phil had made during their sparring match sprang to mind. "I'm startin' to see how you didn't get into fights back where you're from. You're like..." He scratched his head and scrunched up his face as he searched for the word. "Diplomatic or somethin'. Like, a smartass, but not loud about it."

Which definitely tended to get a guy beaten up much less often than being a loud smartass.

[voiceinthephone]

Phillip laughed for a moment, then shook his head slightly, "Not just diplomatic, I've just gotten really good at sarcasm. Trust me, there are times when telling your boss to choke on a large phallic object isn't appropriate." Fazbear Entertainment got the full brunt of Phillip's bitchiness when he was on a roll, mostly because he was right. All that changed in this case were the target and how subtle he had to be with it.

"You just have to pick your words, never be too direct, and never really raise your voice than your usual tone. It has to be something your brain can get on the fly but not directly insult or point out the mistake. At least that's how I do it."

[foundafamily]

Firo laughed and nodded along, noting down the differences between their brands of taunt. Sarcasm was one of Firo's main resorts when he couldn't punch someone in the face, but he hadn't mastered the art of making it not obvious.

Predictably, it still got him into plenty of trouble.

When Firo'd fully digested all of the words, though, he suddenly shook his head. "...Wait, wait, you talk like that to your boss?"

It was the kneejerk reaction of someone who'd been trained for years to bow to the Family higher-ups. Too late, he realized that the past tense might have been more appropriate there. And that if said employer's negligence lead to Phil's death... Well, he was more than entitled to his sarcastic comments.

[voiceinthephone]

"Oh yeah, I used to make my opinion known every time he tried to sneak a budget cut on supplies just to make an easy buck," Phil was quick to come up with that remark. "Every time he took away anything, it made my night shifts that much worse, and my afternoons that much more loaded with work. We didn't have that many employees left at the restaurant and upkeep's a must if you want to survive."

The use of the word "survive" meant both literally and metaphorically. Freddy's was already shutting down by the time Phillip was reaped, his death just added fuel to the fire. Hell, he'd give anything to see the CEO's face when they wouldn't be able to find what could have been the last of his body.

"Sarcasm just became a way to deal with it."

[foundafamily]

"Yeah, I guess that all makes sense..."

"Can't do that with mine, obviously." Phil seemed at least somewhat versed in mob traditions, so Firo imagined he could guess that even quietly sassing a boss wasn't appreciated.

"Not that I'd want to," he was quick to add, the defensiveness not brought on by concern for his skin, but genuine respect for the man. He frowns. "Sounds pretty different for you--that guy had to be a real ass if he was sacrificin' his employees for a profit."

Firo hadn't even met the guy and he already resented him.

[voiceinthephone]

Firo would be right in that regard and Phil agreed, "I can't imagine you disrespecting your boss, could cost you something dear."

Though the genuine concern wasn't that surprising after their sparring match. Unlike the CEO, Firo's boss actually cared for the young man, enough to earn respect. Phillip may have been a citizen on the straight and narrow but he respected the Martillo boss on his own terms. Quite the opposite of what his friend felt for the Fazbear Entertainment owner.

"He was and it pains me to think that they were allowed to make the restaurant as they did. A general screw you to human safety."

[foundafamily]

Firo shook his head quickly, smiling a little when he looked back at Phil. "I'd never. He's a great man."

The admiration shining in his face dropped abruptly as he shifted gears to think of the Fazbear boss. "Screw him. People in that position have a responsibility to the guys who work for 'em."

And the people who come into their establishment, though slightly less so, Firo thought. His mind would be greatly changed if he realized that some of those involved were children.

His lip twitched in disgust and he reflexively looked around for another drink. "...I know you can't rely on the cops for crap like that, so somebody shoulda' taken him out."

[voiceinthephone]

When Phil spotted Firo's searching for a drink, he simply grabbed the nearest bottle of beer and offered it to the younger-looking Tribute. "And the clients and children they're supposed to entertain and protect."

Yeah, that was a literal family restaurant they were dealing with, okay? And Fazbear Entertainment was even worse at that.

[foundafamily]

Firo smiled and bobbed his head in gratitude for his salvation.

Phil's words startled him before he could even twist off the cap. He froze in place and stared at him. "Shit, kids?"

As hardened as Firo might have liked to pretend he was, he'd go far out of his way to never hurt a kid. As unsurprising as it was to him that other people wouldn't do the same, it still made him angry.

He gripped the neck of the bottle like he was about to use it as a weapon. "The hell is wrong with that guy?"

[voiceinthephone]

"Yeah, kids...they were the bulk of the clients we got at Freddy's," Phil began as he took the whiskey glass and took a long gulp from it. "The man in question is, by all means, not fit to run a track much less a restaurant. He was looking to make the next big thing in our town, bring in tourists and the like since basically everyone and their mother started to either go east to New England or west to the plains. Sure he had some good intent in getting the bots fitted with criminal databases, to track down any predators but...jeez."

And that's not even mentioning the murders.

"As much as I loved the place, Fazbear's was a complete mess and there weren't that many employees left after..." Almost let that slip, "After the economy hit, yeah."

[foundafamily]

Firo finally opened his drink and took a long swig. When he finished, he scowled and shook the bottle, carelessly enough to almost spill some. "What a son of a bitch. You can't be that lax when there're kids around."

Firo may not have been that sharp, but even he raised an eyebrow at that pause. He wondered if he should follow up or not. "...Economy was tanked there too?"

[voiceinthephone]

Out of Phil's mouth came a nasty little laugh, bitter and full of disdain for the man that had once been his boss, "Kids were never really high on the priorities list, even if our policy states we be as safe as possible. And there was the Bite of '87. I lost a..." friend? "coworker that day." A person who had done nothing wrong other than show up for work. Jeremy was a bystander in all of this and it pained Gray to know his injuries and subsequent death would've been preventable.

But it wasn't all the CEO's fault, now was it?

"...Yeah. I lived in a factory town, automobiles. Near Detroit and smack in the middle of what would be the Rust Belt. Car factories shipped their work to overseas, taking jobs with them." Phillip never saw the resurgence of the USA built car, died a full decade before. "The Coasts were fine apparently, but Middle America was screwed. You?"

[foundafamily]

He angrily knocked back another gulp. "What a bastard--who'd leave kids out to dry?" The Bite of '87... He wanted to ask, he really did. But Firo tended to be more sensitive to the feelings of people he liked, so he just frowned and gave his condolences. "Sorry about your friend."

Would it be better to let the subject change? Firo imagined so, so he continued on their other line of conversation. "Damn. Cars were just gettin' to be a really big thing..." Autoworkers were some of the few people getting paid well in Firo's time, even if they weren't doing as well as they had been several years ago.

"Everybody went down with the banks, I think. People go west, but they're not doin' too great over there either."

"...I mean, I can't really complain. But it's bad for a lotta people."

[voiceinthephone]

"Thanks for your condolences," Phillip did his best to keep a serene expression rather than break his current appearance, "I guess I don't usually think about all the pain that man caused because of his greed." And Gray'

The change in topics was appreciated in spades, though the subject itself wasn't too happy to begin with. "The Banks huh? What'd they do, screw with the stocks like in the Great Depression?" Oh boy. "Car factories began to move, and nothing came in their place." And down went one hell of a gulp on his part.

[foundafamily]

He blinked. "Great Depression? That's what everybody's been callin' it. Somethin' happened with stocks or whatever back in '29 and..." He shrugged and wiggled one hand in a gesture intending to mimic an explosion.

"...everything just fell apart. It sounds like what went on with you guys was pretty different. Or maybe not. I don't really know anything about economics."

[voiceinthephone]

"It's, uh...part of the history books where I come from. Things went so bad, but I guess you lived it in all its' so-called glory," Gray sidestepped the issue, "My economic situation was like a slow chemical burn, just gradual," he would know about that, fixing the bots and getting rid of the dead guards' bodies, "Your economic breakdown? That was like, uh, a cluster bomb going off in a room. Just destruction."

With that, Phil looked on, "Either way, people learned from our messes and went on...for a few generations. It's all a cycle, kinda like what we see." He was referring to the Capitol, as he knew, somehow, such luxury wouldn't sustain itself on just intimidation and death. "That or we got burned for it, sorry for rambling."

[foundafamily]

He laughed at the thought of associating the Depression with glory. "If that's how you wanna put it."

Holding up his hand, he tried to dismiss the apology. "Nah, it's okay. If I was smart enough to understand half a' what you just said, I'd say I learned somethin'." He was pretty sure Phil knew what he was talking about, so that was good enough for him.

"...You think people're never gonna learn, huh?" Though it was horribly blown out of proportion, the parties here almost were like the craziness of the '20s.

[voiceinthephone]

"You're plenty smart if you're able to pick up the diplomatic approach, Firo," Phil corrected with the same ease as he would inflict his wit onto others. Maybe this gangster would do better with sponsors as soon as he had refined his speaking style. Firo had a handsome enough face that they could use him for promotions.

"Heh, you'd be surprised at how often this happens in history," Gray added, "Or at least what I remember from history."

[foundafamily]

Slightly flustered--Firo wasn't used to the suggestion his brain was good for anything--he ducked his head and looked away. "Yeah, well, let's see if I can actually make it work first."

Or if, when push came to shove, he could choke back his anger enough to even try it. Weeks of prison and Panem had made swallowing indignities easier, but Firo didn't know if he was learning or just gearing up for a big explosion.

"Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow and thought it over, "People were sayin' we had trouble like this after the war ended too... But I was a kid back then and I thought that was how it always was."

An impoverished tenement kid, to be specific. That had undeniably painted his view somewhat.

[voiceinthephone]

"I'm certain you will, have a little faith in yourself," Firo and Phil had a few things in common, and one of them had been to face humiliation with their heads on high. The Arena had not broken them, and for all intents and purposes, Gray assumed they would stay the course. Firo had, for lack of a better word, a strength in his personality that gave the former guard hope and motivation. Nothing like watching children die and be powerless to stop it in his world, then have the roles reverse to shake some foundations but not all of them.

"It got better, people could afford, uh, more and have fun. Then people got cocky and overdid the whole luxury thing," Gray explained with a sigh, "Everyone just wanted a piece of the American Dream, lot of good that did. Can't complain, it enabled Freddy Fazbear's…for better or for worse."

He then pointed with his drink towards the more elaborate costumes, "We're just seeing the logical conclusion, you know?"

[foundafamily]

Faith was something Firo had in spades, just not when it came to himself. He just nodded along and busied himself with his drink as he listened.

He glanced up at Gray with an amused smile. "...You think there's somethin' logical about all this, pal?" He'd hate to make this guy insult their gracious hosts, so his tone made it clear that it was a rhetorical question.

After another sip, he asked an actual question. "They still blab about the 'American Dream' in your time?"

[voiceinthephone]

"What other way is there to think about all this?" Phil said as calmly as possible, considering they were both in the lion's den of the Capitol. "Certainly not over-the-top, right?" Heaven forbid!


Firo's disbelief would be validated as soon as Phil was done with his glass, "Yup, only now it's luxury cars, a swanky second home on the Alps and having $300 suits with $5000 watches." If those numbers sound boggling, it's because they are even by the 1980s' standards. Truly something to behold.

[foundafamily]

Right. Subtlety. Firo bobbed his head up and down quickly. "Yeah, yeah, exactly."

After processing those numbers, Firo just stared at him for a moment. "...You gotta be kiddin' me. $5000's more than a lotta people make in a year!"

Firo's situation was, of course, different from the typical family, but the amount still made his eyes want to pop out of his head. "Hell, you sell a suit like that and it'll keep you in the tenements for a year."

Did he sound a bit bitter about that? You bet he did.

[voiceinthephone]

The bitterness was not lost on Phillip as he kept his watch over the people and maybe even staring down anyone who tries to chime in with their own tales of luxury.

"Five thousand dollars was a good chunk of my salary and my boss would around with a damn Rolex watch, gold so tacky," he added, "While the company suffered for his incompetence. I hope he got what was coming."

Oh he did.

[foundafamily]

Firo shook his head in disgust. "Seriously? You've gotta pay your subordinates better before you go showin' off like that."

"Yeah. I hope somebody whacked the bastard." But, then again, his employees probably didn't have the money for a hitman if he paid them so little. A shame.

Firo frowned and looked up at Phil with heartfelt sympathy. "If we were from the same place, I woulda' seen if my friend would give you a discount on that." Claire was an all right guy, if not for all the murder--surely he'd understand.