The shocking and thrilling adventures!

[gamemakers]

Who| Everyone
What| The Capitols oh so exclusive interviews~!
Where| Primarily the common areas, but the interviews would be on every TV everywhere.
When| This evening, at 6 pm sharp
Notes| Use this post to ICly react to the interviews (if you don't make plans of your own!)

The advertisements hit hard today. Tune in at 6 o'clock, you won't want to miss this special! Everywhere a person could look, it was there, and the city was clearly excited for whatever this mystery event was.

As if that wasn't enough, escorts were encouraging Tributes to be in the commons, and a small feast of finger foods was laid out along one wall, extra avoxes available for drinks.

And, as promised, at 6 pm sharp, all the TVs flickered to the ever flashy Caesar, on an equally flashy tabloid-tastick reality style "interview" of the tributes. All the TVs in the common area light up with it, as well as the Districts suites, even if the TV had been off before.

Hope you all enjoy your dose of fame!

Comments

[the_hit_list]

Tim's hand clenched on the chair when he saw Damian coming over. Of course, he saw everything. He couldn't have escaped this - Damian couldn't have been off getting his diaper changed or something for the Tiphanie segment. No, because then something would be off in some sort of karmic balance that said that Tim wasn't allowed to catch a break. Then, the little brat has to open his mouth, and it wasn't anything useful. Of course.

"Fuck." It's closely mouthed and said with just a huff of air. Tim's not even sure if he heard it or if he only knew he should. He wasn't normally much for cursing, the occasionally damn or shit, yes, not often more.

Really embarrassed? Really? You think, Damian? If Tim wasn't so furious, he'd be spluttering in humiliation. Again. He's stuck in another press relationship again. Last time it was just the threat of exposure, and he'd faked a spinal cord injury to get out of it. How the hell is he supposed to fix this? "When does the next Arena start?"

[bratwonder]

"Not soon enough." But then again, he wouldn't mind a nice, long moment to just revel in Tim's frustration and irritation right now. It was such a good feeling to see things not going his way. (Someone should probably tell Damian that there's nothing okay about taking joy in someone else's pain. Just probably.) On the other hand...

He actually had no idea what Tim was so irritated about to begin with. Surely it wasn't only the embarrassment that made him so angry he looked about ready to chuck that table at something. "You mean this isn't what you wanted?"

[the_hit_list]

"No, not soon enough," Tim agreed - but not agreeably. He'd tell Damian to go away and stop being an emotional vampire, but he didn't have the energy for the argument that the conversation would explode into. He didn't want to talk to him anyway, but Tim was effectively trapped. He was not providing them any more highlight reels tonight. Getting up and leaving right now would just make it look like he was looking for Stephanie.

"What makes you think this is what I wanted? I said three-ring circus - I didn't say I wanted to be in the goddamn center ring!" He's keeping as quiet as he can, but he's pissed about this because that - that he is included in the epicenter - is what's bothering him more than anything. He wanted everyone else that he knew to be more popular, to get better gifts, because he needed them all to get to the Capitol and they weren't going to do it on their own. They could only get out if they outlasted, because they were not going to get out killing.

[bratwonder]

"You wanted to give them a show and your plan backfired. Good job."

Damian still didn't quite understand why being the center of attention was the worst thing that could happen (especially when, from Damian's point of view, Tim usually was the center of attention where he was involved), but he understood this much: things just weren't going his way. And you know, he knew that sucked. But this was Tim, he didn't get what little sympathy Damian could muster up. You know, assuming he could muster up any at all to begin with.

He crossed his arms.

"You should've known they'd use your words against you."

[the_hit_list]

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Tim sighed heavily. Damian was bored or pissed, evidently, because this conversation wasn't ending. He didn't want to take a lecture from a ten-year-old. There had to be someone here that he could pawn Damian off on. Where was Harley when he needed her? Couldn't she take someone hostage and demand they bring her Mistah J to town?

Tim folded his arms as well, mimicking the stance. "I did."

That's why they had said the things that they did, because Tim had thought, if they handed the Gamemakers what they needed on a silver platter, maybe it would count in their favor. He hadn't counted on them wanting to further repackage it - just topping the whole thing off with a bow. "Are you going to say anything constructive?"

[bratwonder]

"I'm only here to watch you suffer."

Well, Tim, you did ask. But even if it weren't for that, what advice could he give? He still thought the idea was stupid. He didn't want to play up any kind of persona just to please these people. He'd had enough of that. Still, though...

"It isn't exactly the first time you've embarrassed yourself in public, Drake. You may not be able to fix this, but maybe if you actually try for once, you might be able to work with it."

[the_hit_list]

"Of course you are. God forbid you act like a human being for five minutes." Tim shut his eyes and tipped his head back against the chair. That, he was going to regret. Yes, Damian was over the line again, but working with it was actually good advice. Okay, it was the only advice that would be a real option in this situation, but he wasn't advising Tim to drown himself in the lake. It was an improvement, wasn't it?

"I'll manage it. You're right," he said, since that was what the twerp wanted to hear, "I've been embarrassed before, and it's only going to get worse. Now that everyone had confirmation set to what I'm sure if this year's breakaway pop hit, I'm going to spend from now until the next Arena being asked about Stephanie by everyone. Which means you're going to get asked about the two of us. Have fun with that."

No, really, go nuts with it. Maybe some of your jabs will take root, and they can be the couple that everyone loves to hate and wishes would break up. That would work.

[bratwonder]

"You want sympathy?" Oh. That's cute, Tim. Really cute. Likely not to Tim's surprise, Damian was legitimately offended now. He didn't care about the little insults, but something like that coming from him? It went without saying that it struck more than a few nerves. "I would be more than happy to kill you, if that's what you'd prefer. Perhaps an extravagant death at the hands of your 'little brother' will give them something else to talk about."

[the_hit_list]

"No, I want help. I want a little bit more than constant static from you, because it's not doing me, Steph, or even you any good beyond letting us all go around in circles taking it out on each other."

Okay, Stephanie wasn't taking it out on anyone. Yet. Tim was sure that was coming though, and he wasn't looking forward to it any more than this.

"You can't kill me in the Capitol. Don't be stupid. Tributes are forbidden from fighting outside of the Arena. Do you really want to sacrifice an ally to find out what the punishment for killing another Tribute is? Shit, and Dick wonders why I have a problem with you. Tim said something I don't like, so I'll tell him I'm plotting his death. Real nice fucking teamwork there, Robin."

[bratwonder]

"We are not allies."

Oh, Damian was seething. It really wasn't as simple as saying something he didn't like, but he refused to justify himself to Tim. What was the point? He didn't get it. He'd never get it. Damian was sure of what Tim thought of him and that was why he didn't try harder to cooperate. Because when he did try, it didn't matter anyway.

"If you want teamwork, find it elsewhere." He gestured away to the rest of the group crowded around in the room. "Perhaps you'll find someone who cares about your delicate sensibilities."

[the_hit_list]

"Don't kid yourself, Damian. Right now, I'm the furthest thing from an enemy that you have." So, he was pissed that Tim pointed out the truth. Half of their animosity was on Damian - more, in Tim's opinion, but he couldn't even get the kid to accept some of the blame for it. As long as Damian saw them as enemies, there was nothing that could enable them to put aside their differences and work together.

This was not the setting for trying to do that anyway. It was time to cut him loose and let him stew in it for a few days. Maybe after a few more days of Games reruns, he would see the sense in cooperation. Tim didn't expect him to suddenly like him, but even Jason would work with him with a great, common enemy in play. He'd attack Tim afterwards, but Tim didn't give a shit what Damian did once they were home again.

"I'll find someone else to talk to right now. Keep in mind that I won't slit your throat," Tim said as he stood up and started into the crowd. "For someone who talks about family so much, you've got a lot to learn about being a part of one."

[bratwonder]

Sometimes, Damian thought he couldn't possibly hate Tim anymore than he did. And then there were things like this, and he knew that nope, he really could hate him even more than he already did. He didn't buy anything that Tim said (well, except for the not slitting his throat part, because pfft, Tim wasn't man enough to kill him, he knew that), no matter what the situation. He didn't buy it because even if they were "allies" now, it didn't mean understanding or acceptance. He would continue to be as ignorant as he always was.

But as much as crippling Tim right here and right now would feel amazing, Damian only made a loud tt sound instead, letting him walk away without much more fuss. He wasn't happy about the decision, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice, either.

Ugh, the things he would do to him if he hadn't made that stupid, awful promise.