69th Hunger Games Victor Presentation Ceremony

69th Hunger Games Victor Presentation Ceremony Apr 21, 2015 22:27:25 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Lulu on Apr 21, 2015 22:27:25 GMT -5

The president of Panem stood on the magnificent stage in the City Circle, addressing his people as he had done numerous times before. Another of his prized Hunger Games had come to a close. As usual, they had been an enormous success; enough blood, death, and tragedy to satisfy the viewers, and also to subdue the thoughts of rebellion that the high government official knew were brewing in the minds of some of Panem's citizens.

It was the first time in a long time that they'd held the Games in a cold climate, with an arena frigid with ice and snow. To be honest, Snow had expected a victory from a district hardened by winters; instead, a girl from always sunny District Eleven had come away with the crown. This certainly wasn't ideal, since the Gamemakers had devoted so much time to the careful orchestration of the arena's physical features. Not to mention that it was a lower district victor; however, Katelyn would have to do.

He knew that Katelyn was waiting just below him right now, ready for the platforms to lift him up and out into the light for the first time since he'd left the arena three days ago. The usual upholstered throne was placed in the center of the stage, ready for the victor while she watched a recap of what had been her hell for the past two and a half weeks, including the preparations. It was always torture for the tribute, but the president enjoyed it very much. He wouldn't deny the sadistic delight that he took in watching each victor witness their own atrocities from afar, powerless to change the course of Games, even if they wanted to. Many of them, it seemed, wanted to indeed.

President Snow quieted the crowd and prepared to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to welcome you to the victor presentation ceremony of the Sixty-Ninth Annual Hunger Games!" As usual, there was the deafening roar of approval that followed. "Tonight we will show a recap video of this year's Games, so be sure to stay tuned!" Like they have a choice, the president thought. The recap video was required viewing for all of Panem.

Snow went on to announce the prep team, stylist, escort, and mentor of the victor; all were received with tremendous applause. But then, the moment they were all waiting for... Snow plastered a smile across his face before speaking once more. "And now, may I present the victor of the 69th Hunger Games... Katelyn Persimmon!"

------------------------

OOC- RPing is permitted in this thread by Capitol characters and past victors. This is the place to have your Capitol character react to viewing the recap video, if you planned on doing that. All characters from other districts can create their own threads in the districts, if they wish.

69th Hunger Games Victor Presentation Ceremony Apr 21, 2015 23:46:02 GMT -5

Quote

Post by charade on Apr 21, 2015 23:46:02 GMT -5

[googlefont="Ubuntu:400"]

Katelyn

Persimmon

The outfit they had her in was so un-her that she felt like she was wearing a disguise. Snow white for the arena, her stylist, a brightly hued man named Diam had told her. It was a long dress, almost a queenly robe of a sort. The collar was made of a brownish yellow fur; the intention being for it to look like a lion mane wrapped around her neck. While they applied golden eyeliner, they said that many people had adored the little story she had told her allies when she melted an icicle over them.

That it struck a chord to see the little good natured girl from eleven become one of the standout tributes and a ferocious fighter as well as being the eventual victor.

Katelyn had stared at her prep team blankly and wondered which games they had been watching.

But that was several hours ago. Only minutes ago, the president had placed a crown upon her head and started the recap video, and that was all she could focus on. It was the bloodbath again, but from multiple viewpoints. Watching the highlight reel with commentary was a surreal experience, as though the primped up Capitolites were not able to identify with what she had experienced. It began with Velocity’s skull getting cracked by the female career from one, and Katelyn covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a yelp.

Many of the deaths were shown in slow motion which was a far cry from the frantic back and forth that was the reality of the first fight in the arena. Tributes ran. Body parts went flying. Levi’s head split like a ripe cantaloupe.There was no mention of the agony she had felt at killing Dillon,(whose name was revealed in a very off-hand manner) just close up shots as each tribute stopped moving and the view of Katelyn’s terrified face as she severed Dillon’s leg.

And still it came. A few things she hadn’t seen. The tiny girl from ten mauled by the same breed of mutt that she had fought on the third day. Mason brutally killing the girl from twelve. The strange boy (Elverum, they called him) that had followed them getting his throat torn out by an ice monkey.

Horrendous things called gulpers eating hands and legs, and in the case of Quartz Caplin, who had been known to Katelyn in the arena simply as Velocity’’s killer, a head. Mason fell in the feast, followed by three others. Prism died again after taking Lexi’s hand and leg in exchange. Then the screen was filled with Margaret and Marchello trading words and blows. Katelyn sat forward in her seat without realizing it as it drew on.

“...and I don’t blame them for leaving.” Katelyn choked as her heart leapt up into her mouth, eyes watering to know that he had forgiven her and Ellexias for what they had to do. Her own fight with Chaske followed it, the recap audio magnifying the sound of each rib breaking as the boy from nine screamed at her.

There was no sign of when she had held his hand as he died, just a stat sheet for Chaske after he passed and some highlights of his journey,like when he had killed the girl from five at the top of the pillar. He was replaced by her last ally and Margaret soon after.

Then Katelyn saw Ellexias’s other leg cut out from under her and a small horrified yelp barrelled out of her mouth. She began crying immediately, hurt to know how Lexi had been brutalized because of the abandonment. She should have stayed instead of leaving another crippled ally behind. But no, because if she hadn’t, she might have had to fight Ellexias in order to go home, and that was something she would have never been able to bring herself to do.

Lexi’s cannon fired and she flinched, squeezing her eyes shut and then opening them in time to see the start of the finale, when seven had lunged out and stabbed her in the neck after her little speech. All too soon it was over; the recap focusing on the larger blows and fragments of the talking.

The camera panned up and away as Margaret fell into the snow before fading completely. Thunderous applause, hoots, shouts and cheers assailed her ears as the Capitol rose as one. It made her ill. She hadn’t done anything that anyone else would have done. She had killed, but she had never murdered. Every tribute that had died by her hands had attacked her first.

Self defense.

She doubted the families of the deceased would see it that way, but it was the only thing keeping her from breaking down completely about her actions. She was sure she looked a wreck, having smeared all of her make-up as she watched her friends die and others fall at her own hand. Her body quaked with emotion and the complete wrongness of everything.

It was not lost on Katelyn that they had tactfully left out the way she had destroyed the throne. Clearly, they had intended it to hold the victor at the end of the games, but Katelyn had not had any desire to sit in it. It was only an illusion. There was no such thing as being the king or queen of the arena. Only the survivor. She would have refused the crown earlier as well, but something in the face of the president had told her to let him put it on her head.

This was a station she had never wanted, but had achieved all the same. She sniffed, drying her eyes on her sleeve as her prep team started motioning for her to go backstage from the wings. They wanted to prepare her outfits for the victory tour. A parade to extol her virtues as Panem’s newest victor, the lamb with the heart of a lion and the hands of a killer.

It made her sick.

It made her angry.