thecapitol | The Crowning of Albert Wesker

Who| Everyone in the Capitol.
What| The Crowning Ceremony
Where| The Victor's Complex
When| Day of the Crowning
Warnings/Notes| None yet.

The theme of the ceremony is clearly black and red. A crimson carpet stretches out across the room. The long table for feasting seems to be made of a single slab of dark obsidian, something that couldn't possibly be found in this size naturally. The chairs are wrought iron with red cushions, and embers burn under personal barbecues at each seat. Red wine, red juice, slabs of red meat to be cooked (or eaten raw) - the details are all perfected. Even some of the Avoxes have received black tattoos for the occasion, the number '11' permanently marking under their eyes like grotesque twin tears.

For a crowning, the ceremony is rather intimate. Only a handful of guests have been invited: the usual Capitol VIPs, the Mentors of each District, and a few of the stars of the last few Games. Karis Needleteeth, Aunamee, Dr. Alastor Grey, Alpha, Lindsey McDonald and Hyperion Crius each have a seat at the table. A few Peacekeepers sit off to the side, sipping wine. A few of the Mentors are conspicuously missing.

And Wesker's throne sits at the head of the table; it's made of the head of the dragon that destroyed so much of Disneyland and slaughtered so many Tributes. The head has been dried, the tongue replaced with a plush velvet seat and back the color of blood. The eyes have been replaced with glass that stares at each side of the room. The fangs, however, remain intact.

Downstairs, the rest of the Tributes and their Escorts and Stylists can partake in a more Disney-themed affair. Everything is still sleek, and tends to veer more towards Maleficent and Jafar then Cinderella and Ariel, but the punch bowl is Mickey Mouse-shaped. There's a dance floor, and a string quartet, and all sorts of lavish foods on tables with red cloth. It's a night for mingling, at least.

[OOC Note: Part one of this is going up tonight in the first two subthreads. Part two will be edited into the last two subthreads tomorrow evening; you'll see why. Go forth and mingle! Tributes from downstairs can go say hello to the Victor, although they won't get long before the Peacekeepers escort them back down.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Museum. Lots of paintings. Lots of diamonds, and gold," and Eponine knows what gold does to Parker.

"Good people are dangerous here." Good people follow the rules. Good people would do what they're told. Good people would kill, because that's the rule, that's what they're told.

Parker blinks twice, considering Eponine. It's hard for Parker to put herself in the place of another, so she's uncertain when she says, "I'm sorry?"

"There is no such place in Paris, Madame. Not when I have been there... but then, people are here from a long time after I was alive... it is a strange thought."

It makes her feel a little bit strange, truth be told, to think about it. She knows, that had she stayed in Paris, she would have died within six mmonths anyway from murder or starvation or cold. But it's still strange to think of being dead at least one hundred years before most people in the Capitol were born.

Her gaze, meanwhile, hasn't shifted from Marius. "He is a very good man - but I think he was still to fight against the King. He is lovely..." She sighs again.

Parker nods. She might not have accepted this a few months ago, but now, the least strange thing is from someone before the existence of the Louvre.

"Too bad. It's awesome. So much stuff."

Parker looks towards Marius, not that she knows the difference between Marius and Enjolras, "Tell him he has the capital here."

"No. I will not have him in danger."

Shame he already knew. He was clever like that, Marius. And with Enjolras here - well, Marius had had to stand by his friend. He already knew.

"He's already in danger."

Parker's surprised by the reaction for the most obvious reason.

"He's here."

"But if he does not fight - if, even, he does not try to run away, then they cannot kill him. He will die in the arena - but he will come back to life as well. He will be safe of a sort."

She shrugged. Eponine couldn't prevent him from dying in the arena. But she could - and would - prevent him from getting into trouble with the Capitol.

"What if he doesn't agree with you?"

This sounds a little like telling Eliot not to get into a fight, or Parker not to take the shiniest of diamond.

"Then I will stand by him. I do not care if I am in trouble if - oh. What the hell?"

She stops short. The Peacekeepers had warned her that she'd be executed if she told anyone. And Eponine is not completely suicidal. Not yet. Not whilst Marius might still live. She will let him go into danger - she'll lead him into danger so that they might die together. But not yet. Not until she is ready to go. To Parker, she shrugs.

"Why would you be in trouble? People spend lots of time with the other tributes."

Even Parker knows something's wrong here, but she has no idea what.

"If we are caught doing something we ought not to do."

She shrugs.

"They have caught me once. It is not such a bad thing, you know?" Once ebing when she and Howard nicked a lifeboat at Timaeus' party.

"Getting caught is always bad."

It's unlikely Eponine's ever seen Parker this serious.

"Then they know to watch. They can use you. Don't be used."

"Madame, for now they will be watching me. I am sorry."

They had told her as much. But Eponine didn't have a great sense of personal danger, especially where Marius was concerned, and she shrugged now. She was in trouble. They knew it. She knew it. And they'd kill her if they caught her acting out. And Eponine didn't want to get Parker into trouble.

Trouble: Parker's usually in that, but it's the whole caught and punishment thing she's not going to tolerate.

"We need to get you out of trouble."

Unfortunately, she can only think of one way. "Which is do what they say. That SUCKS."

"And you do not think that I thought of that too, Madame?" Eponine chuckles her rasping laugh. "I am not as stupid as I look. I have brains too, you know? I know I must behave well - and I will. Unless they will be hurt. Then I will do as I must. But I do not want to die here. I have had enough of death."

"Didn't think you're stupid. I wouldn't talk to you if you were."

Seriously, she would've dismissed her as a terrible thief, an embarrassment to the title, and moved on.

"And I don't want you dead either." Did she say that? Sometimes, she's not so sure what's in her head and what's real.

Eponine grinned.

"I am glad you think like that, Madame. It is nice to have one person who does not want me dead."

"If you know people who want you dead, find better people."

Parker found better people, but Eliot's in the other arena.

"But don't die. Maybe we'll win."

She laughs.

"We cannot both win, Madame. You will win over me - me, I am already starving this time. I have not had time to eat, you see? I am unhealthy."

As if to prove the point, she coughs her harsh, chesty cough.

"You will win, and then you may help me win the next time, yes?"

"Too many rules in a fight to the death game."

Still, it's a reasonable suggestion. If Parker wins, she won't have to go back, and can send those ridiculous presents to people. Would Eponine know what to do with C4? Is it allowed?

Wait, Parker doesn't care if it's allowed.

"Deal."

The Crowning of Albert Wesker

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Sorry - I was on holiday

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