gamemakers: (Default)
The Gamemakers ([personal profile] gamemakers) wrote in [community profile] thecapitol2013-09-02 11:22 am

The Crowning of Maximus Decimus Meridius

Who| Everyone
What| Maximus' crowning
Where| Victory Hall
When| Today
Warnings| Violence.


Prior to the Crowning, the Stylists and Escorts were given information: the color scheme for the Crowning is brown and gold, the theme is fire, and for Tributes, Games Staff and Victors in the Capitol alike, attendance is mandatory. No exceptions.

The Victory Hall has been completely refitted to the theme. Great brownstone pillars reach up from the floor, now made of polished marble. Rose petals and dying embers flutter from the ceiling like confetti, and long panels of fabrics embroidered with Maximus' kills pour down the walls. Rather than tables, Tributes are given wooden chairs to sit around fire pits in groups of four, where pigs and sheep are roasting whole, tended by attentive Avoxes. The smell of charring flesh and rosemary wafts through the hall.

In the center of the hall is a pit, fifteen feet deep, ringed with brick and filled with sand. Torches line the inside wall, casting light in every direction. A circular screen up above lets those not close to the edge view the contents of the pit in real-time video.

Maximus' private table has a theme of anachronisms; Tributes from 'less-developed' timelines and worlds are seated around a long table, facing the gladiatorial ring where, at the moment, a full-grown, well-fed Bengal tiger paces. Compared to the muttations of the Arena, it may seem positively demure, up until it bares its fangs and reveals that it's been modified to have saber teeth gilded in gold. Occasionally an Avox will dangle something into the pit and jerk it away if the tiger looks bored and lays down.

Occasionally, with fanfare of music pumped in to announce it, a challenger enters the tiger ring - a hologram of one of the Tributes who were cuffed and marked by the Capitol. The hologram must be affixed with smell, too, as the tiger takes note and attacks like a kitten following a laser pointer, making dramatic roars as it does. The holograms put up valiant fights, and their deaths are brutal, illusory blood flying and the sounds of death rattles and bones cracking coming from speakers embedded in every table.

"A speech," Maximus' Escort says to Maximus. "The General must give a speech."

Tributes who attended Wesker's Crowning ceremony should notice a remarkable increase in security. Visibly armed Peacekeepers lurk behind the panels of fabric, and bulbous, obvious cameras dot the ceiling. Even the Avoxes seem shiftier than usual, and are equipped with discrete tape recorders pinned to their rough-hewn tunics.
savedbyasong: (serious)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-10 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Shion shook his head, "But people should be taught things, even if it is just things practical to the arena."
splendid_roman: (Default)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-09-11 07:14 am (UTC)(link)
"There's the training centre for that," he pointed out. "It's useful for teaching you what's edible and what's not and what's useful and what's not." Assuming you had any of those things in the arena.
savedbyasong: (serious)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-11 12:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Shion nodded, "I've been teaching Cindy. But there are a lot more things people could learn."
splendid_roman: (Thinking)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-09-11 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
If he was teaching Cindy Ian was sure he could too. "I usually taught teenagers, but I'm sure I could manage adults too," he said thoughtfully. "They can't be too much different."
savedbyasong: (tiny smiles)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-11 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Well a lot of us are still teenagers. [He pointed out with a smile] So it wouldn't be very different at all.
splendid_roman: (Smiling)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-09-12 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
Ian smiled back. "No, it wouldn't. But I am sure there are adults who'll want to learn too. Maybe I could set up a table in the training centre."
savedbyasong: (tiny smiles)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-12 10:24 am (UTC)(link)
"I am sure there will be, people come from many different worlds so there are lots of different skills and abilities represented." Shion would happily learn from others, even if he might not use the skills learned in the arena.
splendid_roman: (Default)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-09-14 08:05 am (UTC)(link)
Ian nodded. "And there are things I could learn too." In some ways he'd prefer to learn things that wouldn't be useful in the arena - although given how much they differed almost anything could turned out to be useful.
savedbyasong: (tiny smiles)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-14 09:41 am (UTC)(link)
"Maybe we can find some others, and work out how to teach each other what we know." That would probably be the best way to do it.
splendid_roman: (Default)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-09-15 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
"That's a good idea," Ian said nodding. "There are bound to be people who want to learn and some that are willing to teach. We probably don't know what range of skills we all have between us."
savedbyasong: (tiny smiles)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-15 03:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Shion nodded, "Maybe we should ask people about it, and then all meet at the training centre, I'm sure no one will mind, if we are teaching skills useful in the arena."

They were probably not supposed to help each other, but that was silly and impractical.
splendid_roman: (Default)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-09-15 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"Maybe not tonight." Everyone would have other things on their mind. "We can put a notice out and see how many people come."
savedbyasong: (tiny smiles)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-15 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Shion smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean tonight." Tonight was not a night for training. He wasn't sure what tonight was. Celebration for the citizens, of a game well played, entertainment served.

Remembrance of suffering, silent, gone unnoticed by those who had not lived it. Remembrance of those who had not returned, gone unnoticed, forgotten in their absence. Their loss not mourned nor mention.

A silent toast to the victor, for whatever he had done he had gotten out. Not free. But no longer required to die and kill.

"We could do that, make a notice and see who wants to. It's a good idea."
splendid_roman: (Default)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-09-16 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
((OOC: That seems like a good place to end the thread, since they're in agreement. Not sure when would be a good time, but would you like to do something with this whole idea?))
savedbyasong: (Default)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-09-17 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
((OOC: Yup! Maybe we can do something after plot but before next arena if there is time! If not then in the next capitol break))