vox_tacenda (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
vox_tacenda) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thecapitol2015-07-24 03:02 pm
vox_tacenda) wrote in thecapitol2015-07-24 03:02 pm
[to be quiet like I should]
Who | Atlas Fairweather and the Initiate; Atlas Fairweather and YOU
What | Come and socialize with your friendly neighborhood Avox wrangler!
Where | Around the Training Center; in the Avox quarters.
When | Following the changes in Tributes' finances, but flexible otherwise! Just, between Arenas. In the Capitol. Around. u know.
Warnings | There will be a lot of talk about Avoxes, and there might be mention of the conditioning process, meaning torture, brainwashing, slavery, etc. There will be no abuse of any kind in this log, but Atlas will not speak to or about them as though they're human beings. Just a heads-up, if that's something you'd prefer to avoid!
I. Ground floor common area
Atlas works in the Training Center. He's got a sparsely-furnished set of quarters not far from the Avoxes down below, even, so he can keep closer guard over his charges in case of some emergency. You'd think he'd get sick of spending time between the wall of the Tower, that he'd take his free hours in the day to walk the city, to change up the scenery - but he doesn't.
Not today, anyway. He's come up here on break, where all the walls are banks of glass and the afternoon sunlight streams in. It's nice after a morning down in the Avox quarters to remember that sun shines on the rest of the Capitol, and people go out of their way to be too loud, to draw attention to themselves. Atlas lounges on a chic green couch not far from the bar, his stiff left leg propped up on a provided footrest and a half-empty beer in one hand. He's out of uniform and everything. An Avox handler in repose.
It's a good vantage point: He can see everyone who comes in or goes out through the front doors. He's become a good observer in his years working with Avoxes. He remembers faces well; he recognizes near every Tribute who walks by, can call their District affiliation to mind just by looking.
Any Tribute who passes too close (or anyone, really, whom he's seen on a screen recently) will hear a friendly, booming "Hey!" from him, and get a wide one-armed beckoning motion if they turn to look - Here. Sit down right here. Maybe you know him by sight - have seen him in his Peacekeeper's uniform, walking the halls with an Avox or two following docilely behind him. Maybe you recognize his face, but can't place it. Maybe you have no idea who he is, beyond some Capitolite. Either way: It's clearly you he's talking to.
II. Suites - all Districts
Among the more important of Atlas' duties is making sure, in all circumstances, that Avoxes act like Avoxes. He's well known in his own employment circles for his ability to tell the moment when conditioning begins to slip. When an Avox has forgotten its place. When they are no longer afraid enough.
He's here in your District Suites to make sure their duties are all being done according to the Traning Center's standard, as laid out in the Properties Manager's Handbook he carries in tablet form in one hand. He's here to ensure that there are no marks left by shoddy cleaning, no linens left unchanged, no food left out to attract flies, no signs that any Avox has been anywhere it's forbidden to them to be. He makes a round of every suite, slowed by a desire for precision as much as by his limp, knocking politely on Tribute's doors before he leans into their rooms to make his quick inspection, marking his tablet with an air of satisfaction at the end of every round.
He approaches the Avoxes as well, while they move about the room doing their mandated tasks. He follows them closely, watching them for illicit reactions; leans down to catch their eyes and nods with approval when their glances skitter away from his face; tugs lightly at their arms to see whether they pull away (the test is passed if they don't). None of it is painful, but there's a casual indifference in his movements. Like he's running a program to check for error. Like he's giving a table a shake to make sure none of the legs wobble.
...Though if you catch him making an inspection in an unoccupied Suite, you might come in to find him standing in the middle of the room, turning in a slow circle and looking around him at the luxury laid out for the District residents. Keep silent a second, and you might even hear a low, envious whistle.
What | Come and socialize with your friendly neighborhood Avox wrangler!
Where | Around the Training Center; in the Avox quarters.
When | Following the changes in Tributes' finances, but flexible otherwise! Just, between Arenas. In the Capitol. Around. u know.
Warnings | There will be a lot of talk about Avoxes, and there might be mention of the conditioning process, meaning torture, brainwashing, slavery, etc. There will be no abuse of any kind in this log, but Atlas will not speak to or about them as though they're human beings. Just a heads-up, if that's something you'd prefer to avoid!
I. Ground floor common area
Atlas works in the Training Center. He's got a sparsely-furnished set of quarters not far from the Avoxes down below, even, so he can keep closer guard over his charges in case of some emergency. You'd think he'd get sick of spending time between the wall of the Tower, that he'd take his free hours in the day to walk the city, to change up the scenery - but he doesn't.
Not today, anyway. He's come up here on break, where all the walls are banks of glass and the afternoon sunlight streams in. It's nice after a morning down in the Avox quarters to remember that sun shines on the rest of the Capitol, and people go out of their way to be too loud, to draw attention to themselves. Atlas lounges on a chic green couch not far from the bar, his stiff left leg propped up on a provided footrest and a half-empty beer in one hand. He's out of uniform and everything. An Avox handler in repose.
It's a good vantage point: He can see everyone who comes in or goes out through the front doors. He's become a good observer in his years working with Avoxes. He remembers faces well; he recognizes near every Tribute who walks by, can call their District affiliation to mind just by looking.
Any Tribute who passes too close (or anyone, really, whom he's seen on a screen recently) will hear a friendly, booming "Hey!" from him, and get a wide one-armed beckoning motion if they turn to look - Here. Sit down right here. Maybe you know him by sight - have seen him in his Peacekeeper's uniform, walking the halls with an Avox or two following docilely behind him. Maybe you recognize his face, but can't place it. Maybe you have no idea who he is, beyond some Capitolite. Either way: It's clearly you he's talking to.
II. Suites - all Districts
Among the more important of Atlas' duties is making sure, in all circumstances, that Avoxes act like Avoxes. He's well known in his own employment circles for his ability to tell the moment when conditioning begins to slip. When an Avox has forgotten its place. When they are no longer afraid enough.
He's here in your District Suites to make sure their duties are all being done according to the Traning Center's standard, as laid out in the Properties Manager's Handbook he carries in tablet form in one hand. He's here to ensure that there are no marks left by shoddy cleaning, no linens left unchanged, no food left out to attract flies, no signs that any Avox has been anywhere it's forbidden to them to be. He makes a round of every suite, slowed by a desire for precision as much as by his limp, knocking politely on Tribute's doors before he leans into their rooms to make his quick inspection, marking his tablet with an air of satisfaction at the end of every round.
He approaches the Avoxes as well, while they move about the room doing their mandated tasks. He follows them closely, watching them for illicit reactions; leans down to catch their eyes and nods with approval when their glances skitter away from his face; tugs lightly at their arms to see whether they pull away (the test is passed if they don't). None of it is painful, but there's a casual indifference in his movements. Like he's running a program to check for error. Like he's giving a table a shake to make sure none of the legs wobble.
...Though if you catch him making an inspection in an unoccupied Suite, you might come in to find him standing in the middle of the room, turning in a slow circle and looking around him at the luxury laid out for the District residents. Keep silent a second, and you might even hear a low, envious whistle.
no subject
He rises; maybe it comes off as respectful, rather than apprehensive. He thinks it's slow enough. "No idea... Are you quite sure he's not assigned to this suite? He fits in very well."
He remains silent as Atlas tilts his father's face up to better examine him. District 6ers have a very distinctive look already, but the resemblance is fairly unmistakable to Linden.
no subject
"No, I'm sure he was on his way up to District Nine this morning." It's strange, considering how obedient he's being - besides being misplaced, there's no abnormalities whatsoever in his responses to Atlas' quick, impersonal ministrations (A gentle tug at his arm. A tipping of his head to one side. A nudge to his chest). He glances over at Linden as he speaks-- and then pauses.
Looks back at the Avox. Looks back at Linden. Opens his mouth, as though to say something, and doesn't. He's noticed the resemblance - couldn't miss it. But you don't-- he can't inquire about that. You look like an Avox is a schoolyard insult in the Capitol, a statement that starts fights between children, that no one would let slip out in polite company. In fact, most Capitolites wouldn't have noticed the resemblance at all. Atlas only notices because it is his job to differentiate them, and he knows this one's features apart from all the others', and recognizes them in the face of the man in front of him.
He searches Linden's face a long second, and then closes his mouth and turns back to the Avox.
"Just making sure, Mr. Lockhearst," he says, and his voice is carefully neutral as he tugs the cleaning rag out of the Avox's hand. "You think he came up here all by himself? Just... made a mistake? Forgot his assignment?"
no subject
Then it's happened. Knowledge exists where it didn't before, and now it's the elephant in the room that can't be mentioned any more than it can be missed. Even if it's an insult in the Capitol, for more than a few Districters, it's an aching reality. His teeth clench as the other man meets his eyes, but he keeps his gaze steady, unwavering, and most importantly, unconcerned.
"It's your job to make sure, isn't it?" he asks when Atlas has finally turned away and started to relieve the Avox of his duties. "And I wouldn't know. Avoxes have been mixed up before, and they probably will be again. Maybe 9 was all right for the time being and somebody noticed that we're still cleaning up glitter from Stephen's wilder days and asked him to come here instead."
no subject
But he hasn't been distracted. He's got himself in a dilemma. There's a conflict of interests here, that's obvious. Maybe Linden's telling the truth, and it's all a mix-up, an unfortunate coincidence; Atlas doesn't think so, but you've got to be cautious where charges of fraternizing with Avoxes are concerned.
"It might be," he says evenly. "They get confused sometimes, when their assignments get changed. Might be we'll just have to watch him for a few days, see if he's still confused tomorrow."
The Avox wants to go back to work, that's clear. Or, well. Clear to Atlas. It's been a long stretch of minutes they've been paying attention just to him, without delivering any new orders. There's not much person left in him, but he knows enough still to feel fear about that. (It's sad, that that's a good sign.)
"I'll bring him down with me now," he says. "Send you up a replacement for the day, if that's all right. I think this one might be due for reconditioning."
He glances at Linden. He doesn't want to look like he's trying to read for a reaction. But he is trying to read for a reaction.
no subject
"When I said 'mixed up,' I meant more the way a dealer might mix up the cards in a deck, rather than the cards mixing themselves," he clarifies. "I have always been interested in your line of work, you know... I've read about it extensively, though my knowledge is hardly even befitting of a self-proclaimed amateur. I don't like to brag, but... he's not displaying any of the tells indicative of an Avox needing reconditioning, is he? Now that I have a chance to look at him, everything from the submissive posture to the blank and slightly dilated eyes are consistent with a well-conditioned and thoroughly broken Avox. It would be a waste of your valuable time to put him through that unnecessarily, wouldn't it?"