[open]

[tucky]

Who| Tiffany Doggett AND YOU
What| A smalltown jailbird arrives in the Capitol and immediately decides that it's the best place ever
Where| Various places; scenarios under cuts
When| Some vague nebulous time after the latest plot; can take place over a few days if needed
Warnings/Notes| If you haven't already, please take a look at her permissions post before tagging her so I know what you are and aren't comfortable with! Other than that, nothing (yet - it's always yet with her)

A: District 1 suite, Part I

If you're going to be unceremoniously pulled from your prison block with no warning and not much explanation, there are definitely worse places you could be landed. This place is insane - everything in it is more lavish and luxurious than anything she's seen in pictures or on TV, let alone in real life. It's at least a couple hours before she even considers leaving her suite - she's too busy trying everything out. She tests out her big, soft bed (which she can't resist bouncing on like a child for a minute or two), she takes a shower followed by a long, hot bath, she raids the fridge, she checks out the view from the deck. If something is available to be examined, turned on, or tried out, she does it.

Honestly, she had kind of glossed over the whole "battle to the death" thing. Forced death matches simply aren't a part of reality as she knows it, and until the idea is shoved in her face a little more, it's just not something she's going to think about at all. As far as she's concerned, this place is heaven. The Capitol has already begun to win her allegiance.

B: The streets of the Capitol

Tiffany finally leaves the Training Center, after being reassured (more than once) that this is her home now and she'll be able to come back whenever she wants. There's nowhere in particular that she's looking to go, but that's fine with her - she'll wander. She's bound to come across something or someone interesting eventually.

C: The Districts shopping center

Handed a credit card and set loose in a city, it's unsurprising that Tiffany finds her way to a mall. Not really one for thinking ahead that much, she immediately starts buying things - clothes mostly, but also earrings, bracelets, and makeup. It's only after an hour or two that she starts wondering if she's going to hit a credit limit, or be dealing with bills later. She looks around for people with similar-looking cards; when she finds someone, she stops them and holds up her own.

"Hey. How much is on this thing?"

D: Various clubs and bars (The Speakeasy, .infinity, Anomaly, The Cave, or Tesserae)

After gussying herself up at the shopping center, Tiffany eventually discovers the Capitol nightlife, and the rest is history. She bounces from place to place, skipping the sit-down restaurants but hitting all the clubs and bars, sometimes more than once. Affiliation means nothing to her at this point; any rebellion-minded talk at places like The Speakeasy mostly just goes over her head. She's shed her prison clothes and dressed herself to the nines (though she still looks pretty tame in comparison to most Capitol fashion), accessorizing with jewelry, shimmery makeup, and lightly-styled hair (nothing too fancy, but infinitely better than the untreated, unbrushed 'do she often sported in prison). She's a little underdressed for the fancier places and a little overdressed for the dive bars, but she doesn't seem to care. She'll have the time of her life - dancing, drinking, and occasionally chatting up men. She's not used to looking good, or feeling good about her appearance. The fact that she does now puts her in an amazing mood.

E: District 1 suite, Part II

Somewhere along the line, someone had slipped her some tapes of past Games - either out of a genuine desire to help, or because they'd pegged her as someone who'd be easily spooked and wanted to psych her out. She should familiarize herself with these, they'd said, because she'd be going into the arena herself soon enough. So later, tired out from her night on the town, she remembers the tapes and pulls them out, flopping down on the common room couch to watch.

And it's... terrifying. She watches intently, leaning forward, eyes wide. It's like a horror movie she can't look away from. She's killed before, and she's threatened, and she's gotten into her fair share of fights - but this is a whole new ball game. Can she really do this? Is she really going to be expected to do this? She doesn't want to die, but looking at the fighting skills of some of these people... there's no way, she thinks, that she would stand a chance.

She'll have to ask someone about it later; someone in charge. They've been helpful so far. Surely they'll continue to be.

Comments

c

[justoutrunyou]

"Huh?"

Sandy had idly picking through some elaborate looking socks with different silly patterns on them when the woman asked her a question. It took the girl a moment to catch up. New tribute, seeking information. She could do that.

"Oh um...well they don't really let us check it. So basically you just keep spending till it stops working. Usually you get a message or something when you're running out." She shrugs her narrow shoulders studying the new woman and trying to decide if she seems like a threat. She on the other hand was a healthy looking young girl who dressed as casually enough it was clear she didn't belong among the bright colors and over the top fashions of the Capitol citizens.

After two years of doing this dance of arenas and death Sandy would like to hope she's developed a slightly more critical eye for people then she had when she arrived.

"If you do stuff like commercials or interviews or whatever they give you more. There's this company that still uses my face to sell their hover bikes so I never really worry about it."

If her mother could see how recklessly she spent money these days it would probably make her minimum wage mind spin.

[tucky]

Tiffany, for her part, looks pretty unthreatening - she's small and skinny, with no built-up muscle that would suggest training or conditioning. Her tone and expression aren't overly friendly, but she's not angry or hostile either.

But commercials and interviews? This is clearly the first she's hearing about this, because she just looks confused. "I'm not a..." Model? Celebrity? She's not anyone that most people would care about interviewing or using for product promotion.

[justoutrunyou]

That was enough to make Sandy snort and laugh.

"Well do I look like a model?" Maybe for street urchin fashion. "You're a tribute. That's like being a celebrity around here. People are always video taping you, reporting about you, even writing stories about you online." She explained looking incredibly unimpressed by the reality of it.

"It's dumb, but it's why we're here. Your escort might set up some deals for you, or maybe after your time in the arena the deals will come to you."

She was well spoken for a girl her age, well versed in the comings and goings of at least these matters.

[tucky]

She raises her eyebrows and shrugs, narrowing her eyes just a little at the laughter. She hates being laughed at and made fun of, but she also doesn't know if that's actually what's happening right now.

"It don't sound dumb." Because it sounds awesome. The word celebrity rings in her ears. There had been news stories about her, years ago, before she'd been sentenced and imprisoned; she'd eagerly watched them over and over. "Everybody wants to be a celebrity."

[justoutrunyou]

"Not me." Sandy objected leaning against a pillar with mirrors on it. "I mean the food at the parties is OK but I'm tired of everybody starring at me wherever I go. And of all these strangers knowing more about me then even I do sometimes." It was embarrassing in her opinion.

"But...if we're not playing the game and keeping them happy there's no reason for us to be here right?" Her reasoning carried a sort of finality to it. In her mind the options were "Keep dancing for the people" or "Die horribly."

[tucky]

Hearing it described in a little more detail doesn't do anything to dissuade Tiffany. She likes being stared it. It makes her feel important. She even looks around right now, wondering if they're being watched; she smooths her hair down a little, just in case.

"How do we keep them happy?"

[justoutrunyou]

Good question. Sandy had the answer even if she rarely heeded her own wisdom.

"Play the game. Answer their questions. Pretend this place isn't secretly awful." The last part she added quietly to avoid causing trouble.

"I guess it doesn't hurt to be willing to brutally murder people in fun and interesting ways." She added in an attempt at dark, sarcastic humor.

[tucky]

"It's not awful." Not outwardly. And she doesn't want it to be secretly either, because she's been here less than a day and she already hates the thought that it could be any less amazing than it appears.

"You talking about the, uh... the matches? You saying those are real?"

[justoutrunyou]

That was enough to make Sandy snort and she didn't look particularly convinced.

"You just got here. You'll see. The matches are very real. Trust me I've got the nightmares to prove it." She may not have the scars on her body but there were some experiences she'd never shake completely.

"I'm Sandy by the way." She added realizing she hadn't introduced herself yet.

[tucky]

"Tiffany." She turns her attention back to the card again, turning it over in her hands. "So how do I get one of those sponsorship things? How do I find out who wants me?"

[justoutrunyou]

Despite herself, and despite hating the system they were constrained by, Sandy actually enjoyed sharing information with new tributes. It made her feel useful, and she knew that it might pay off when she needed help herself.

"Well if they don't come looking for you on their own, your escort is supposed to handle that stuff. Do you know who your escort is?"

The replacement escort for District 12 had not been particularly helpful to Sandy, though that could be that ever since Effie Trinket took her leave of absence Sandy refused to endear herself to another escort out of spite.

[tucky]

"Nope." She barely knows anything, and it shows. "How do I find out?"

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy blinked "Wow, sorry I guess they just kinda threw you in here. It happens sometimes. Maybe your escort just got busy."

Taking out her pad she scrolled through "Which district are you from? I can look it up here. The Escort is supposed to get in contact with you, but you can call them too."

[tucky]

She shrugs. She'd gone wandering out of the tower after just a few hours, so it's probably not too surprising she hasn't been roped in by anyone yet. "They said 1. That's where they put me. What does that mean?"

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy let out a whistle "District One huh? That's the rich kids district. See we live in the Capitol but there are twelve districts spread out across the country. And they each produce things to send to the Capitol and be distributed. So your district makes luxury items. You know, diamonds, perfume, jewelry and stuff."

"So your Escort is Sergius Romulus. There's not much about him right here but I'm sure you can find him." She turned the screen around to show the picture of an incredibly attractive man.

[tucky]

The rich kids district. Tiffany wonders if that means they made a mistake in assigning her, because she is most definitely not a rich kid.

But she'll keep quiet about that, she decides. If people want to think she's rich, or should be rich, she's certainly not going to correct them. So she just nods impassively, attempting (not incredibly well) to hide her surprise. She leans in to look at the screen.

"Okay. And what do escorts do?"

[justoutrunyou]

That was an easy one. Sandy had been rather attached to her first escort after all.

"They teach you how to behave, good manners and stuff. How to sit at a dinner table, how to talk to people in like...a charming classy way." Sandy still needed work in those areas.

"And they set up meetings, get you invitations to parties and help raise money so your mentor can send you items in the arena from fans." She added what she thought to be the most important part of their jobs. "Your mentor is a guy by the name of Valerius Tor." She added anticipating the next question.

[tucky]

"You think I don't know how to be charming and classy all by myself?" Says the girl who... doesn't really know how to be charming and classy all by herself. "My manners are just fine."

[justoutrunyou]

"Hey take it easy." Sandy held up a hand to indicate Tiffany shouldn't be too offended. "So maybe you do. That'll make your escorts job easier. But the Capitol is kinda different from where I come from. A lot different really. So I needed the lessons."

"Even if you don't need the lessons you'll need your escort for the other stuff. Your escort, your mentor and your stylist are your most important allies in the Capitol. No matter what everyone else thinks of you it's their job to help you succeed."

She if she sounded like she was quoting someone she was. A book on the importance of a tributes support staff she'd found once.

[tucky]

She calms down, easily placated. "It sounds like a good deal to me. Parties, fans. Do... do I get those right away, or do I have to do stuff first?"

[justoutrunyou]

"Um..." Sandy had to consider that one for a moment, and also consider that this girl seemed focused on entirely the wrong things. Then again she might just be in denial.

"Well I mean, you're new so not as many people in the Capitol will know who you are yet. They may still show you on TV and stuff. After your first arena everyone will know you though. They'll watch you from the minute you arrive in the arena to the minute you die." She explained trying to put a little more emphasis on the dire part of their situation.

[tucky]

The discomfort at hearing that is clear on her face, and so is the fact that she's trying to forcibly push it from her mind. Nope, don't want to think about dying. It's too unbelievable right now.

"Can I get known in other ways instead?"

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy had to think about that one.

"I guess sometimes if tributes are making waves in one way or another the news picks up on it. Making a scene in public, showing up at places where lots of other famous people show up." She was struggling a bit with this one.

"When they do events and stuff if you participate people notice you too. Like there was this big bike race last year and because I participated and one the kids race lots of people came to talk to me and try to get me to work with them on commercials and stuff."

[tucky]

Tiffany nods, making mental notes. That sounds a lot more reasonable and appealing than getting killed.

"Okay. So maybe I'll do that instead."

[justoutrunyou]

Sandy's eyebrow rose in interest and she folded her arms wondering how much she should press the issue.

"You should make time to train too. You're going to need to learn to defend yourself you know? I mean your mentor should be going out of their way to train you but if they don't you might be on your own." And some of Sandy's best training sessions had been on her own.