69th Post Bloodbath Viewing // Kay & Kire

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charade
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Thinking

69th Post Bloodbath Viewing // Kay & Kire Feb 25, 2015 0:31:43 GMT -5

Post by charade on Feb 25, 2015 0:31:43 GMT -5

It was hard to believe that two years had passed since she had run the sixty-seventh arena with Glamour, but time waited for no one. And things had only gotten better for her since then. Being part of the duo hailed as ending district four’s losing streak and putting them back on the map with the other careers had its perks. Take her understudy for example. Valentine Seuss had been wonderful to work with over the past year; few were the people that could pull themselves out of the frilly, candy flavored muck of the Capitol and do something worthwhile. Not to mention that they shared an interest in designing mutts. Valentine was a smart young woman,and Cadence had high hopes for her protege. The Capitol always needed fresh faces to design things, like the pair running the current games.

Paul Smith. Now there was a man that could hold her respect. Perhaps he was considered a little odd, but to see another gamemaker that enjoyed the finer things, both in life and about the games, was splendid. She'd have to find the time to corner him and strike up a discussion, hopefully sooner rather than later. Murdoch Fenn on the other hand, was a filthy brute who should have stayed in whatever hole the capitol had found him in. Any conversation with him was sure to contain leering, drooling and uncouth remarks about her appearance. Though she hadn't met him yet, she despised him already. But those were thoughts for another time.

As she did every games, she was taking lunch in the executive park, this time a cranberry walnut salad with a lemon water. Valentine sat at the same table, as did Glamour. She hadn’t invited him exactly, but she had made eye contact as she watched him trying to find a seat; a hard feat as the park was packed to the brim with eager viewers. There was a lull in the fighting now and the commentators were filling up the large screen in the center. Cadence rolled her eyes as their smiles appeared. Why weren’t cold hard facts enough for everyone? No, they had to spice up the simplest things with every word in the dictionary.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome, to the the post bloodbath report! I’m your host with the most, Caesar Flickerman, and as always this is my associate, Claudius Templesmith, coming to you live from the Capitol! And may I just say that this arena is breathtaking?!” Claudius grinned at his co-host and nodded rapidly. “Indeed. We haven't had an arena this cold in a decade!" The video behind the two commentators melted away and was replaced by a slow motion shot of a young Mace Emberstatt stabbing Aesop Bloom through the stomach over Sundra Wie's body, the small fiery coracle containing Sawyer Monaghan floating away in the background.

This was quickly replaced as headshots of the six tributes to fall so far popped up, each one containing stats such as training score, time survived in the bloodbath and other more mundane things like height and weight. "Now, Claudius, you always have such wonderful insight into the minds of our fellow Capitolites. Tell me, what do you think is the biggest disappointment so far? Surprise? Anything you can think of." Claudius clasped his hands together and gave the camera a meaningful look. "Well Caesar, I think we can all agree that there has been a steady decline in the excitement to be found in the bloodbath. Less kills made each year it seems. However, there has been a rise in tribute hunting, which I suppose balances it out." he finished with a thoughtful glance upwards. As for the eliminations thus far, probably the most surprising was Hedvig Fabre of district two who scored a nine in training.

Many of us in the capitol were certain that she would rack up quite the kill score.” He chuckled. "It seems that another career had different plans." The screen showed Daphne Riot quite literally stabbing Hedvig in the back. "Who knows what the careers strategies these games are? I have to admit though, If Ms.Riot doesn't pull herself together soon she'll be left without a leg to stand on." he deadpanned, a moment before the both of them burst into mirthful laughter. "Puns aside, Fans of the fifty-ninth hunger games were highly disappointed to see Velocity Rush leave us so soon." The video showed Quartz Caplin cracking the district eight girl across the head. "As you may recall, Mr.Blooms antics in the fifty-ninth were the subject of much debate, and we were so looking forward to a repeat."

Caesar nodded sagely, adopting a morose look before speaking himself. "Speaking of missed opportunities for repeats, I know there fans out there that appreciate, shall we call it...creative brutality, who were upset that an Izar fell swiftly." Cue the instant replay of the district six girl swinging an ice pick into Levi's head. “I suppose that will have to do it for them.” The image faded and was replaced by pictures showing what was supposed to be the cream of the crop.”Our fantastic careers! Let’s begin with district one. "Now, my sources tell me that Jeff is from the less wealthy side of district one; in fact its rumored that he's a part of the same street gang that Kendrick Draper, the district one male tribute from last year was. While he hasn't done anything noteworthy yet and didn’t score very high, I'd keep an eye on him. Who knows what kind of backstreet fighting styles or stealthy attacks he may have learned? And then there's Quartz Caplin. She came flying out the gate to claim the first kill of the games, and with her bare hands no less!"

Claudius nodded in return."But what about Mason Hammerfell. Clearly the favorite to win, judging by the polls. And who wouldn't vote for him? Look at that jaw! Those fists! It's like he was chiseled out of the very stone that his district is so famous for.” Caesar tapped something and a video of Mason fleeing the snowy hills with the boys from three, nine and seven. “Curiously, he has opted not to partner with any of the other careers. A bold move. By surrounding himself with weaker tributes from lower districts, he increases his chances of being able to take out the other careers early on. Less actual competition for the crown." he said with a knowing look at his fellow host. "Of course, this is not to say that he shouldn't still be careful." The vid behind them changed to a shot of the district seven male killing Zeki Webb with a blow to the head.

"After all, three of the other careers have already managed kills." The scene was replaced by another shot from the same fight, showing Alexis hurling a dagger straight into the chest of the boy from district twelve. "While not as popular a choice for victor as Mason, I daresay he will have no trouble finding sponsors due to his looks. We might be looking at another Leon here! And while Daphe is no Siren Baitwell, she’s a beauty in her own right and potentially just as deadly. I wonder if she’ll be going after any of the other careers. Well, Caesar, any final thoughts before the break?” Flickerman stroked his chin. “ I'd advise Mason to step up his game, I mean, the only other person that's landed a kill so far is Katelyn persimmon from eleven. granted, other tributes did all the work, she just managed to squeak in the final blow. But that’s still one more kill that our man with the highest training score these games. Vidshot of the blonde girl bringing her ice pick down on Dillon Hartman's leg. "When we return, we'll be seeing where the tributes we have yet to talk about have gotten to in the arena. We'll be right back after these messages from the sponsors."

The commentary faded away and was replaced by a commercial touting bubble pipes designed to look like Prism Nixton's as one of the newest additions to the tribute token toyline. Cadence snorted. The marketing department was moving faster every year. Polishing off the rest of her cranberry walnut salad, Cadence wiped her mouth delicately with the napkin before folding it over and over into a little square and placing it by the plate. Unlike the majority of the people in the area, she was a tad more cultured and it showed. She was dressed in business casual, all muted tones complemented by black heels. No garish lacy awfulness for her. Turning to her understudy, she cocked an eyebrow. "Tell me something, Valentine, what does your predictive model say about the remaining five careers?" It was a boon to be able to speak with someone else who cared about logic and statistics. Glamour was more an...idiot when it came to that sort of thing.

16 Jul 12, 23:43
GB: I bet you just sit at your computer with a tea cup and a monocle

Kire
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thinking about thonking

69th Post Bloodbath Viewing // Kay & Kire Feb 25, 2015 2:27:53 GMT -5

Post by Kire on Feb 25, 2015 2:27:53 GMT -5

Does, Says, Thinks

I sat with my back straight, eyes focused on the screen and not on the plate of vegetable stir fry on rice that rested in front of me. My fork dipped down to take a scoop of the food and when I put it to my lips I realized I had only snagged a few grains of rice. I took what was there into my mouth and chewed neatly, better to pretend I had gotten a proper mouthful than to try and get more onto my fork like I was greedy. My glass held a light white wine, but beside it was a glass of water to actually soothe my thirst. While I wasn't as particular about what I ate as my mentor, I refrained from indulging excessively like many of the others I knew - I flicked a quick glance at Glamour Kinkade, coworker to my mentor Cadence Fortissimo.

On the screen before us was the usual report from Caesar and Claudius on the progress of the Games so far. I knew much of the stats already, as I kept a running list of each aspect of each tribute, which was good because I was distracted. Caesar's hair was the most horrible shade of orange and it made him look like he was entirely tangerine, or perhaps he was a carrot. Too much bronzer, most likely. Claudius was his usual self, always with some overly dramatic facial expression or trying to find something witty to say. Between the two of them they were less comedic than they looked. The population seemed to enjoy them, though, not that I'd ever understand why.

I took the time to get a proper scoop of my meal, chewing carefully even as I watched the death of Hedvig Fabre. After being brought up watching the Games, and then going on to study every aspect of them in hopes of becoming a gamemaker in the future, I was no longer affected by violence. I stabbed a carrot at the same time the District four female - Daphne Riot, a heavier tribute who was clearly just as capable despite her larger mass - stabbed her fellow career in the back. As Claudius began to speak about the first death of the Games - Velocity, District eight female, killed by the District one female Quartz Caplin - I took a quick sip of my wine. The crisp taste washed my palette so I might enjoy my next bite.

They next talked about the deaths of the District eleven boy - one Levi Izar-Krane, cousin to two previous tributes and an unfortunate disappointment to fans of the family - and District three girl - Dillon Hartman, who was killed by the female from Eleven, Katelyn Persimmon - before making quick mention of the two hunting deaths. I ran the fingers of my left hand over my sheaf of papers, feeling the faint lines on the paper from my writing. Even Claudius and Caesar, with the help of all of the editors they had, could compare their notes to the ones I collected on Cadence's behalf. I understood my mentor and I shared an appreciation for statistics and predictive models. So far I had constructed ones for each career and each tribute who had gotten a kill. The others would come after, but it was a simple matter with all the other data I had on each tribute.

When Caesar mentioned the two District four tributes from Cadence and Glamour's own Games I looked over at the two of them. As ever, Cadence had a plain expression. She wasn't really one for major facial expressions. Glamour, however, was a bit more difficult to predict. It usually depended on how drunk he was. Before I was able to read the man's face, though, Cadence snorted and I was brought to attention. I relaxed as I saw she had been reacting to the ridiculous adds for tribute token items, easing broccoli onto my fork and then into my mouth. I chewed, watching as my mentor wiped her mouth and turned to look at me. The look in her eyes was one I was becoming used to, and somewhat fond of, it was time for me to talk statistics. "Tell me something, Valentine, what does your predictive model say about the remaining five careers?"

I pushed my plate aside as gracefully as I could, adjusting my papers so they sat squarely in front of me. I pulled out the five pages for the remaining careers, setting the rest of the pages off to the side. The top one was labelled Quartz Caplin: District one female. I trailed a finger along the numbers, scanning each quickly. "If Quartz is anything like the previous females from her District, she should go far." My finger stopped on the latest note I had made. "However, she is without allies now, has few items, and has one of the worst injuries." My notes said various bruises, deep gash left forearm. I flipped to the next sheet. Jeff Ryder: District one male. "Jeff is in a decent position at the moment. He lost one of his allies, but he has only one wound." I tapped the spot that said shallow cut on left bicep.

The next sheet was a more interesting one that Jeff's or Quartz'. While the pair from District one were reasonably decent according to my notes, the District two male was by far the most intimidating of the five careers. Mason Hammerfell: District two male. "Mason is the one who is in the best situation, as well as being the most likely candidate for victory." The eleven on his page leapt at me, making me stare for a bit longer than I needed to before moving on. "His entire alliance has patched themselves up for what few wounds they did take, and they were part of the party that dispatched Zeki and Kolton. All in all, a strong opponent." I tried to keep my face straight as I turned to the next page. Daphne Riot: District four female. Caesar's comment about Daphne not being Siren was certainly true - the 67th Games' second place tribute had boasted a score four-and-a-half times that of the latest female from Four, as well as being much lighter on her feet - but Daphne was not to be counted out. She had, after all, gotten the second kill of the Games.

"Daphne is admittedly in a poor position, having lost an ally and a leg in the bloodbath." The list of injuries was the longest of any living tribute - deep gash on right bicep, wound in stomach, severed left leg at calf, shallow cut on left calf - and contained the most severe wounds. That missing leg would be a challenge, though there were plenty of victors with missing limbs. "It's hard to tell yet just how far she'll go, but it seems like she may have to rely on her allies heavily, and that could be the thing that gets her killed." There was just one page left, the final remaining career. Alexis Rondhal: District four male. "If anyone could contend to Mason, it might be Alexis." I tapped the ten on his page appreciatively. "He also was the one to kill the District twelve boy, and thus has outpaced Mason in that regard." I looked at his list of injuries, noticing that the list was short but nasty - deep gash on stomach, deep gash on back. Jeff and Daphe had nearly sliced him in half, but with the help of his allies and sponsorship he had patched himself together pretty well. "I think we can expect interesting things from him."

I sorted the papers back into order and then placed them back into the stack. I clasped my hands together and looked at Cadence, then at Glamour. "What were your impressions of those five?" I shot a glance at Glamour, then turned back to Cadence. "They aren't the most intimidating group of careers as a whole, but at least two of them have promise, and the others may yet prove themselves." I took a drink of my water, then a sip of wine so I would have the refreshing taste on my tongue. "Of course, there are the other thirteen tributes." I regretted not having the entire collection of progress models completed, but I would be able to interpret my other notes on the spot if I needed to. As it was, I almost felt that Cadence was testing me, even after the years I had been working with her. She was always diligent with understanding the statistics of each tribute, and I merely repeated the things she had thought most of the time.

Once more I looked at Glamour, wondering how closely the man had been paying attention to anything. I retrieved my plate and returned to eating, minding that I didn't make a mess. As I chewed I looked once more between the two gamemakers I shared the table with. I really did wonder what they thought at times, Cadence was somewhat easier for me to understand as she and I were relatively like-minded. Glamour, however, was a different story. He was so different that there was no way for me to know what went on behind that dynamic face. I looked up to see an ad for the latest "beauty modification" and rolled my eyes. While I dyed my hair, I wasn't part of the group that modified my body permanently in order to follow fashion. I scooped up the last of my food and placed it in my mouth, gently placing the plate to the side. Now it was nearly time for the talk about the rest of the tributes, and I readied both myself and my papers with a bit of a restless shuffle. This would be the tough part of my test, as it always was. Careers were easy to predict, but the lower districts? The numbers were all over the place. I sighed at the image of my scatterplot graph in my head. While I didn't mind inconsistent data, I always loved when a general pattern emerged.

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On hills and waves on stormy days.

Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]
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cameron stood in line for an hour for a stupid ride for me <3 best <3

69th Post Bloodbath Viewing // Kay & Kire Feb 25, 2015 11:58:32 GMT -5

Post by Baby Wessex d9b [earthling] on Feb 25, 2015 11:58:32 GMT -5

a note from the desk of

gamemaker

Glamour Kinkade

i can hear the echo ringing in my head

He was, perhaps, a little tardy to the official Bloodbath viewing banquet, but he had good reason. He whispered a little ditty as he wove his way through the tables, waving at most and tilting his head towards those few he considered above his station. The spike-clink of his metal heeled shoes formed the rhythm of the ditty, his own little processional. It was shaping up to be a very good day.

And with any luck, the beauty in his bed would still be there when he returned.

Several chairs had been made available to him by the time he crossed Cadence's path. However, none of them were from esteemed company. Jareth was of course absent and the other Gamemakers had scattered around the room. None of them had the wherewithal to court the wealthiest Capitolites or try to edge forward to President Snow's private table. Really the lack of ambition among the Gamemakers was shocking. It was as though most of them were content with their workaholic lives with zero appreciation for the finer things.

Then, there was Cadence Fortissimo. He'd spotted her almost the moment he'd walked in, drawn by the tether created during the Sixty Seventh Games. Having been so buoyed by his morning activities, he hadn't even entertained the thought of joining her, especially at so small a table. How could connections be forged? How could she leverage her network, when she sat like a Queen, aloof? A table with slightly less famous but endowed prospects would be better for him. Yet, as he wound his way through the Park, he found himself being drawn closer and closer to his Co-Gamemaker.

He scowled to think he was becoming as settled as the others. "Cadence, you look... like you," he said, still scowling. He'd long ago give up trying to hold an extended conversation with her. They usually dissolved into numbers and statistics and things that could be better summarized with a report. Cadence was the only person in the entire damn country that Glamour could share a meal with in silence. Sometimes, it was all he wanted, though he would never admit it.

With a flourish of his billowing ivory sleeves, he perched on the edge of the straight backed chair. He sniffed in the direction of the peon and decided to get very drunk. When the avox brought one glass of champagne, Glamour demanded another. He studiously avoided the bacon and cheddar biscuits, opting instead for a few oysters and the occasional arugula leaf.

While Cadence and her understudy analyzed the broadcast, Glamour analyzed the crowd. It was as good a crop of tributes as they got. A few personalities from the outlying districts, some serious Career material, and beauty enough to spare. The sponsors pockets should be open wide. There was no better time than the viewing party to start schmoozing donors. It was equally important to be present, to know who was supporting whom. Though he would make his decision later in the Games, it was important to know which tributes had the support of the shrewdest Capitolites.

He had the champagne flute pressed to his glossed lower lip when Leon and Siren's names filtered through the babble. His smile was softer, more genuine than the one he used publicly. He tilted the glass to Cadence and then finished the remainder of the golden liquid. "Another Leon, please," he scoffed after, dabbing at the edges of his mouth with his napkin. The pundits had already moved onto the next topic but Glamour wasn't paying attention. "We really ought to write another Op-Ed, Caddy. It'd be a shame for Siren to be remembered for her beauty when she was so vicious. Leon may be the prettiest victor we've ever had, but I'd like Siren to be remembered for something too, and lord knows it won't be for her looks."

He swished the second flute of champagne, even though strictly speaking it wouldn't improve the wine and was quite likely to irritate the bubbles. He had a lot of wishes with regards to his twin legacies, almost as many as there were bubbles in the flute. Would that Peridot would rise to his potential, that Sixty Seventh be immortalized for something other than that hideous mutt. But wishes, like the bubbles, were so easily burst.

"If beauty is the metric we're using," he began, giddy that he had pulled a term from Cadence's vocabulary, "Hedvig Fabre should have won. I don't think that's what Fenn and Smith have in mind. Were it up to me, I'd have stacked things differently." He paused, bouncing the back of his Sixty Second commemorative ring against the glass. "I suppose you're on track with Mason. The lug's got a bit of a soft side, judging from the interviews in Two. That ought to play well with sponsors."

He sighed dramatically. "Remind me the names of the pretty boys? The ones from Four and Seven? I'd like to see more of them." His grin fit easily, wickedly, into his modified face.

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