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.
pythianjudgment: ([i] bring down the law)

[personal profile] pythianjudgment 2013-10-08 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
There he goes again. Assuming that he knows what she's thinking, what her intentions are. If she only cared about herself, she wouldn't have slit his throat at all. Her life was easy before she did that, but clearly that sort of logic doesn't sink in.

"Would you like to try?" She spreads her arms wide, her own voice raising to match. "Go on! If you really think you understand everyone's feelings so well. I dare you."
sleeplessinalternia: (71 Don't wanna fight)

[personal profile] sleeplessinalternia 2013-10-08 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE, BERT."

Hey, Cuthbert, do you feel that armor-clad torso against your back, yanking you back from Terezi. Yeah, maybe the two of you shouldn't be shouting like this.

Karkat cranes his face around to glare at Terezi. "And you," he growls, "stop baiting him. He'd fucking do it, you dumbass, and we don't need this kind of revenge killing clusterfuck going on outside the arena."
tis_allgood: (What else should he be set for?)

[personal profile] tis_allgood 2013-10-08 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
"I wouldn't kill her, not like this. And especially not for thee. But she could use a slap or two to get her head on straight."

He isn't fighting Karkat's hold though. He doesn't need more yelling right in his ear. He's also feeling extra bad for getting loud enough to attract attention.
pythianjudgment: ([d] bluh bluh whatever)

[personal profile] pythianjudgment 2013-10-08 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
The glare that Terezi shoots back at Karkat isn't much better than the one she was giving Cuthbert a moment ago. Of all the people to intervene... Jegus, she doesn't need this. She'd rather take the Peacekeepers over this.

"I'm not baiting him, I'm calling his shitty bluff. He started this in the first place and obviously can't take a hint when to leave. Kind of like someone else I know! Imagine that."
sleeplessinalternia: (75 The very first stone)

[personal profile] sleeplessinalternia 2013-10-08 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
"You're both full of shit," Karkat snarls. "And you need a fucking auspitice." He tugs on Cuthbert again. "Come on. You're not going to slap her, okay? Not now, not here."
tis_allgood: (He might be dead for aught I know)

[personal profile] tis_allgood 2013-10-08 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't want to fuck her! No offense to thee."

He straightens his belt, nevermind that it's completely ridiculous with his outfit. He's trying to scrape together the smallest bit of dignity.

"I am going to slap her, but not here and not now. I can agree to that."
pythianjudgment: ([i] bring down the law)

[personal profile] pythianjudgment 2013-10-08 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
As soon as the word auspistice comes out of Karkat's mouth, Terezi bristles. No. No, no, no, no, no. She is not doing this again. She could deal with the insults; she could deal with the threats of violence; she could even deal with them talking about her like she's not standing right there. But Karkat Vantas deciding once again that he's going to insert himself into the only quadrant that he hasn't yet tried to fuck around with...

"No. Don't you dare. You don't have the right to tell me what I need, Vantas. You don't have the right to make that decision, and you can fuck right off, right now."

She doesn't think, doesn't analyze, doesn't plan. She just does. Which retrospectively is probably a bad idea, but nothing in the world feels better in that moment than putting her hands on Cuthbert's chest and shoving as hard as she can.

"You can have your shitty clusterfuck without me," she shoots, then turns on her heel and marches away--mostly because she knows the Peacekeepers are probably one step away from restraining her.
sleeplessinalternia: (35 As it flies through the world)

[personal profile] sleeplessinalternia 2013-10-08 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Ow FUCK," Karkat yells as the two of them tumble to the ground, which is not a very pleasant experience when you're wearing armor, even if it's mostly for show.
tis_allgood: (Default)

[personal profile] tis_allgood 2013-10-08 06:31 am (UTC)(link)
It's not too fun for Cuthbert either, landing on top of someone in armor. But he rolls off immediately and checks to make sure Karkat is okay.

"I didn't crush you, did I, caterpillar?"
pythianjudgment: ([d] look to the sky)

(for Sybille)

[personal profile] pythianjudgment 2013-10-09 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
Just as expected, Terezi finds herself pulled aside by a Peacekeeper and given a strict warning. She's all polite "yes, sir" and "it won't happen again, sir" on the outside, but on the inside she's still seething. She wants to go back and punch both of the boys in their stupid faces for good measure, but she doesn't. Even as she stands there, the anger is slowly leeching away into something painful she doesn't want to think about.
arachnoble: (WC9934)

[personal profile] arachnoble 2013-10-09 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
Sybille doesn't come find Terezi immediately. She saw the...altercation between Terezi and the two boys (it was too pathetic to really call it a fight), and she's not pleased at all. After telling Terezi not to antagonize the stylists, she goes and gets into an argument where everyone is watching.

Her lips are pursed and there's no hiding the annoyance on her face. Once the Peacekeeper leaves, she steps forward, staring down at the girl. "What do you think you're doing?"
pythianjudgment: ([d] bad news)

[personal profile] pythianjudgment 2013-10-09 11:07 am (UTC)(link)
She doesn't immediately answer, and she doesn't lift her head. She's not really sure what she was doing except trying to get away from them.

"Getting into trouble, I guess," she mutters finally, though her response is a little lackluster. "Do I really need to have two reprimands for this?"