What pretty cheeks they have, what pretty frocks they have!

[didnothing]

Who| Luna and you!
What| Luna tries to adjust to Panem. It's a little much, to say the least.
Where| Around the Capitol, then various places in the Training Center
When| Today
Warnings/Notes| None currently.


The Capitol
When Luna's taken to the suites and left to ponder her future, she doesn't know what to do. Waking up from what she knew had been her death, hearing she was going to be participating in another game, being expected to kill others as part of that game...she can't go through with all that again, she just can't. It's not long before she starts to feel a need for something more open - fewer walls, more nature if she can find it. Her body feels heavy and alien too, and the thought of staying inside makes her chest hurt. Leaving the Training Center makes her anxious too, but there are no locked doors on the way out and she knows there are people outside, she'd seen them as she was being escorted by the Peacekeepers. So when she steps outside...

It's almost overwhelming. All the colors, all the noise, all the people. Luna's only seen scenes like this in old records, and experiencing it for real is astounding - and intimidating. Curiosity wins over timidness but just barely, so she wanders the streets trying to stay out of people's way (difficult, given the bustling streets) and glances at colorful displays with a mixture of admiration and hesitation. She's not yet sure she's ready to go inside anywhere; shyness has been her cover before, but now the truth of it is coming back to bite.

Training Center (gym, rooftop, District 6 suites)
Eventually Luna returns to the Training Center, because she can only stay outside for so long. She stops by the training sublevel first, quickly recognizing how out of place she is among the people gathered. The gym is for people who want to improve themselves and increase their chances at survival and victory. Survival is something that appeals to Luna, but victory...isn't. She lingers there a little longer, just to observe and maybe talk with one or two people, but it's not too long before she goes exploring further.

And while the Training Center makes her uneasy, the rooftop doesn't. Even the Capitol doesn't have a lot of nature, so when she looks around and browses the gardens something in her heart settles down a little. She spends a while sitting near the edge of the roof looking down at the city below, and thinking of happy things. The whirlwind of life in the Capitol, the freedom of leaving the facility, surviving on her own outside. The fact that she's alive at all to see this right now. Not dying alone, but getting to be with...

When Luna starts crying, she takes that as her cue to leave. As far as she knows she's alone, but she could have missed something and she doesn't want anyone to see her like this right now. She sticks around for a few moments longer to compose herself, and then starts to head back down to the District 6 suites to see who else is there. It seems that she's going to be here for a while longer, after all. She'll need to figure out what she can do in the days ahead.

Comments

[crabmunicator]

"Pretty much," he says. It's nothing honorable, and at times it means humiliating yourself to hawk some product, but he's not about to say that. He's learned too well to play the PR game by now.

"There's various business people and investors and the like who you can win over through things like merchandise deals, product promotion, or your likability in and out of the arena. Basically, if you give them reason to think supporting you will benefit them, they'll help out. Outside the arena it means earning your keep, like I said, but inside the arena it means gifts that will help you survive. Weapons, medicine, clothes or supplies suited to the environment you're stuck in, that kind of thing. Of course, there are some people good enough that they can make it without sponsor gifts, but it doesn't hurt to have them."

He rolls his eyes as he explains, "People apparently find my anger fucking hilarious to witness, and I've played up my intent to win to media and fans alike. You have to find your shtick, basically. If you have combat or survival skills, use those. If you have some kind of personality trait that can net you a fanbase, emphasize that. The staff will do what they can to make you look appealing and get you to the proper events, and our Mentor, Phil, will tell you what advice he can. He won the last mini-arena."

[didnothing]

"Oh..." If Luna looks a little lost, it's because she is. She isn't very interested in winning the arenas (the idea is actually rather horrifying), but getting by outside of them is a different matter if everyone is revived after the games. She's already started thinking about potential jobs, but sponsors are a different story. As far as she can imagine there really isn't anything worth emphasizing about herself, or at least nothing that will win her any popularity with people. What does she have that others don't already have?

She doesn't want to bother Karkat with all that though. Those are all her own problems, not his, so she just nods quietly and hopes that's fine with him. "Is there anything else that's important to know? Like...are there any special rules to these games?" It's an important question to any Nonary Game veteran, naturally. Luna has doubts about how important they are when the end result is going to have a single survivor anyway, but the details will be necessary once the game starts anyway.

[crabmunicator]

It probably is kind of overwhelming to consider all at once. He waves a hand. "You'll get the hang of it eventually. Staff will help you figure things out."

He certainly didn't go in knowing how to approach it, himself. He didn't even want to until circumstances pushed him that way.

But her question is a good one, and he takes a moment to consider before answering.

"When the games start, you rise up into the arena on a platform. You'll see what I mean when it happens. There's no real warning beforehand, just one day, whoop, time to go, and you get carted off wherever, stuck in whatever the outfit is this time around, and the platform is the last part. There's a countdown that sounds off, and one it hits zero the arena starts. Step off any earlier, and you blow up," he explains, looking her straight in the eye.

"You also start arranged around something called the Cornucopia. There are supplies there--weapons, backpacks with useful stuff--and if you want something, you can run for it. But be well-advised that there are always other people going for it, and plenty of them are willing to fight or kill to have it. I got a broken leg and a punctured lung the first time I went for it, made it unscathed the second, and died from an indirect lightning strike the third. I'm not going for it again."

[didnothing]

"The Cornucopia." The name suggests bounty, and in a way maybe it is one. For those looking for a fight, weapons and supplies certainly are appealing. On the other hand it's not very tantalizing to someone who hates violence, so Luna isn't too thrilled at the concept. It's easy to shake her head in dismissal. "I don't think I could do that. Um, but the platforms..." She frowns there. "That's a steep punishment."

There's no surprise in her statement, though, just resignation. Luna's watched people die for equally steep punishments, and arguably been the victim of another herself. And although she's not exactly expecting to make it out of the Arena alive, it's better to avoid being blown up for no reason but impatience. "I'll make sure to be careful. Thank you for the warning, Karkat. I don't know if there's anything I can do for you, but if there is I'd like to return the favor."

[crabmunicator]

"Probably to make the start even," he suggests, shrugging. He doesn't know exactly why they have such a strict penalty about the platforms, but then, the Capitol has always been strict about certain things. It makes another way to show off their power, if anything.

"It's no problem. For as much as I literally advertise myself as an asshole, I have zero reason to go making extra enemies, especially within my own District. The only thing I'll ask is a truce in the arena. You don't hurt me, I don't hurt you, and we help each other if we need it and are able to provide. Sound good to you?"

[didnothing]

"Of course. You...you really don't have to worry about me, you know. I'm not really much for fighting." Maybe it's a strange statement with what's coming, but Luna has principles and she's trying her best to stick to them. In a kill-or-be-killed situation it's as likely to get her killed as not, but she expects that - and besides, Karkat's been so helpful it's easy to trust him and his logic makes sense. Both of them are better served by trusting each other right now, and she's more than okay with that.

Luna tries to smile to show she means her words genuinely. "I'll help in whatever way I can, inside the Arena or out of it. We should stick together, right?"

[crabmunicator]

"I would rather go making alliances where I can than getting my ass kicked by people I presumed to be incompetent," he explains. He knows enough people who look unassuming enough at first glance who he knows could do it. "You probably have skills I don't know the first thing about. Besides, if you ever want to learn more, there's the training area downstairs. Combat stuff, survival skills - there are stations for them, and often enough people willing to teach you if you look around enough."

Now he goes to gather up his things from earlier: the book he'd closed and the notebook he was writing in, plus his pen. "Anyway, I've got this book review to finish writing." He tucks them under one arm, stands, and heads over to hold his free hand out for a handshake. "I'm Karkat Vantas. I'll see you around, yeah?"

[didnothing]

Luna nods and offers her own hand for the shake. "It's been good to meet you, Karkat. Thank you for all your help." She has a lot to think about now, thanks to him. Expectations, preparations, next steps--she'd written off the training in the gym earlier, thinking that they wouldn't be of use to her, but maybe not. She could take advantage of a few things, at least, to help out in the Arena. It's a good feeling, and it shows in how her mood's brightened. "And yes, I'll see you later. I think I'll go downstairs to see those training stations. In the meantime, good luck with your writing!"