The Victor is...

[gamemakers]

Who| EVERYONE. IC participation is mandatory (OOC is not, you may handwave)
What| Momoko's victory crowning
Where| The ball room
When| The Wednesday before the next arena.
Warnings/Notes| None atm.

The party was styled for Momoko.

The tables were covered in lace, delicate dishes and silverware, flowers that fell from vases covered in Victorian paintings. It was the most extravagant tea party to ever be thrown, with tiny, thin china cups and a too many tiny little finger foods being passed around to count. The ballroom has been styled in extravagant Baroque, as the Capitol was fairly liberal with their adaption of historical time periods.

The costumes were just as liberally chosen, from tall, powdered wigs holding birdcages with live birds, clearly hailing in the style of Marie Antoinette to regency gowns gathered under daringly (and occasionally outright) exposed busts to tight corsets and the skeletons of skirts exposed and decorated. A quarter played live music at one end of the room, before a wide dance floor.

At the head of the room there was a long table with a throne for Momoko, as elaborate as anything else in the room. And along the long table, group close to those who they seemed to enjoy, was a place for many of the Tributes, with a small place card that said "Special guest of The Capitol." This table was fed first, received drinks first, and was clearly favored.

Any Tributes not seated at the long table with their peers were dispersed among the the smaller table spread about the room, left to rub elbows with the guests invited from the Capitol, and the reporters covering the event. Security was, if anything, tighter than the last crowning.

These people have seats a the big kids table. You guys are free to decide who sits by who (And if three people sit by one person, don't worry too much about it) but they are, when possible set by their friends:

Atticus Bell
Draco Malfoy
Chibi-Usa
Dr. Grey
Adel
Tony Stark
Howard Bassem
Javert Neeshka
Vanessa Carlysle
Lindsey McDonald
R
Albert Wesker
K
Alpha
Diana
Katurian
Aunamee
Maximus
Blaine Anderson
Alex Rider
Glinda
Gaila
Parker
John Watson
Lottie LaBouff

Comments

[battroll]

Bruce was used to watching for signs of distress, and used to protecting others. The girl shivering in the corner certainly seemed to fit the bill. Bruce gravitated towards her.

She was staring across the room, eyes large and dark and unhappy. Bruce wasn't the best at this situation, not the best at people, but he was here.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure that the worst that's going to happen to us tonight is the outfits." His voice is a little wry, but gentle, and he's smiling, just a little.

"I'm guessing you're new? I don't remember seeing you around. Of course, I guess that might not be saying too much."

[purebred]

Lady's eyes quickly traced over the man, heart racing suddenly as the prospect that she might be in even worse trouble seemed completely plausible. But he looked kind, and his voice was soothing and not scolding. This man could easily pass for one of Jim Dear's old friends come round to talk about whatever human men liked to talk about. It was still almost alarming to Lady that the man was talking to her directly.

"I-I..." The first word came out in a stammer. She wasn't used to the way her voice sounded, or the fact that people seemed to understand her when she spoke. "I'm afraid I don't know what this party is for, exactly."

A true enough excuse, though the least of her worries. Still, it would be very unmannerly to share all of her private business with a complete stranger.

[battroll]

"It's to celebrate the victor from the latest Hunger Games." His voice is very dry as he speaks. "But don't let that stop you trying to enjoy yourself."

[purebred]

"The Hunger Games," she repeated slowly, still trying to figure out what that meant, besides what she'd been told on arrival. Part of her thought perhaps she was still dreaming, perhaps she was still really asleep beside the Tramp, that this was all some type of odd and alarming nightmare that could be forgotten just as soon as the sun came up. That would explain all the strange things the humans were saying about hunger and games and tributes and such.

"Who is the victor? Would it be customary to congratulate him?"

[battroll]

"She's sitting over there," Bruce said, gesturing to Momoko. "If you want to, I'm sure she would appreciate it. But customary...? No, I wouldn't think so. Of course, I'm a bit new myself. I could be wrong."

There was an empty chair at the table, though Bruce wasn't sure if that was because the occupant was gone, or simply hadn't shown up. But maybe that didn't matter. "Would you mind if I join you?"

[purebred]

Lady looked over to Momoko's table, envious of the opulence, if only for one passing moment. She wondered what one might have to do to be welcomed over at the large, pretty table with the fancier, more grand looking food.

"Please, you're welcome to have a seat," she said, sitting up straight.

[battroll]

Bruce slid in next to her, maintaining a polite but friendly distance, smiling.

"Forgive me for saying, but... you seem a little lost. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

[purebred]

"I'm not sure," Lady answered honestly. "You see, I've only been here and like this for a few days. I don't really understand what's happened to me, or why it's happened to begin with."

[battroll]

"I wish I could tell you," Bruce says, equally honestly. "A lot of this doesn't make sense to me. A lot of what they do doesn't make sense. I can tell you what I know. First, though... what do you mean, 'like this'?" It was an odd way to phrase something, to be sure.

[purebred]

Lady responded in a manner that didn't suggest anything strange about her prior state, as if what she was saying made complete sense. No shame, no mincing words. Everything in her expression and voice indicated that she felt it was entirely ordinary. "I'm a cocker spaniel. I've only been like this for a couple of days now."

[battroll]

Bruce's eyebrows go up, though the expression is more one of surprise than of shock. Of course, whether or not what she's saying is true, she certainly seems to believe it. That was, in the end, probably what mattered most.

"I'll admit, I didn't think these people could actually change someones species - though I guess it's not much more extreme than multidimensional transport, and they've clearly found a way to do that.

"I guess it's time to hold up my end of the bargain. You've already heard of the Hunger Games - has anyone told you anything about them?"

[purebred]

"Am I the only one here that isn't a human?" She asked, looking disappointed. So much for suspecting that maybe all the Tributes were altered animals. "Well, they told me I was brought here to be a Tribute and that I would go into an arena. But I don't know what a Tribute is, I'm afraid."

[battroll]

"I can't speak for the others, but I was born human," Bruce tells her, almost absently, looking over the woman. She looked normal, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

"We've... been brought here to fight and die, for the entertainment of our hosts. That's what being a tribute means." He doesn't look happy at this, and doesn't look happy at telling her. But someone had to.

[purebred]

She bites her lips, brows knitted somewhere between puzzled and sad. Death didn't mean a whole lot to Lady. It was abstract, it was a lot like sleeping, or so she thought. A long sleep from which there was no waking. It was something to be feared, but the reasons behind that were unclear for her. So for now, she had to settle on being afraid but not understanding exactly why.

"That sounds simply awful. Why would our hosts want us to do that?"

[battroll]

"I'm not sure." Bruce's voice is simple, and slightly sad. "Sensationalizing death never made sense to me, though. That doesn't stop people from doing it - our hosts have just taken it a little further than is normal."