The 82nd Hunger Games Victor Presentation Ceremony

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

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.

But was it truly enough?

He wondered, as he stared at the array of feeds. The public one replayed the moment the 82nd Games had been tarnished: when the last Career district tribute fell. He’d been an arrogant, obtuse boy, but the President had been hoping he’d learned something from Victor Morrisen nevertheless. After him, there was hardly anyone suitable to crown. He felt something cold bloom in his gut as the sons of a Victor and would-be Mayor advanced. That feeling of dread never quite left him, long after Jacob Fel and Cedar Halt had fallen.

The private feeds displayed clips from the 80th, the District Eleven and Twelve apartments, as well as a live feed of his greenhouse, white roses fully in bloom. He rubbed his chin. “My roses?” He demanded of his assistant, and expected the man to know what he was referring to.

A little sweat bloomed on the assistant’s brow as he gathered three wilting bouquets. “I clipped them exactly when you asked, but they’ve already started to brown. Are you sure you don’t-”

“They’re not intended for the masses,” he said casually, drawing his finger around one of the dying petals. “The three recipients need a little reminder that beautiful things don’t live forever.”

Some things deserved to die.

President Snow lifted the curtain, ascended the stage, and quieted the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to welcome you to the victor presentation ceremony of the Eighty-Second 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 82nd Hunger Games... Kassandra Nerys!"

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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. Also, apologies for the delay in getting this up!

[sbeeg]

She can feel the eyes on her back. Even now, in the darkness of the stage wing, there are minders in clean white suits and some hidden in black that keep close. She shifts her weight and her shadows move in tandem.

Kass can hardly take a breath without them knowing.

Lights point down at the stage, at the man in a blue suit. His white hair catches the light, the rose on his lapel impossibly bright. The bright yellow ribbon tied around her neck tightens. She flexes her fingers and the metal parts of her new arm hiss and whirl with the action. Kass wonders if they made the arm noisy on purpose.

The clean steel of her right arm is a stark contrast to the soft pink dress they'd buttoned her into. It's simple and girlish- flaring out at the waist and stopping at her knees. Little yellow roses dot the skirt and she resists the urge to pluck them off.

If their goal was to make her look youthful they didn't need to do much and yet they rubbed pink paste into her cheeks and curled her eyelashes out. Focused hands tried to fill in the scar cut through her eyebrow but they gave up- she had earned the wound in front of the country and it couldn't be hidden now. They offered a realistic arm, one with beige skin wrapped around it and neat filed nails. It looked too much like the limbs that had littered the ground.

She preferred her robotic replacement. It wasn't pretending to be a part of the old Kass, but an addition to this new post Games Kassandra.

Her lips were sticky with gloss, her curls twisted into two buns at the crown of her head topped with yellow roses. Her neck felt exposed and she ran her left hand over her throat as if that might protect her.

"And now, may I present the victor of the 82nd Hunger Games... Kassandra Nerys!"

Her name was odd on his tongue, no longer her own. She felt a nudge and she pushed forward into the blinding light that coated every inch of the stage.

Gravity pulled at her shoulders but she pushed through, her flat shoes tapping against the stage as a youthful girl was presented to the country.

A victor. A killer.

Kass gazed at the audience before looking at Snow. Her lips parted into a smile, her teeth freshly whitened by Capitol chemicals to hide the stains of poverty.

A threat.

She raised her hand high into the air, waving to all the feathered and sparkled Capitolites who screamed her name, a name that didn't matter a month ago. They love an underdog, they craved a twist and she gave it to them.

In her hospital bed she was rarely alone. Victors from every district visited her bedside, whispering comfort and bringing gifts. It was when she was left by herself, when the lights were turned off and she was left with the soft beeping of the monitors.

As a street rat in District Eleven, throwing cards around for pennies, she had made a promise- to Killian and herself. She promised to find a way to tear a hole in the Capitol's control.

Now, she had as much power a fourteen year old could possibly have in Panem.

She turned her smile on the crowd. She watched the recap with a straight face- through Blair floating through the bloodbath, blood seeping from her eyes. Through Dio falling through a green tented lens to his death. Through seeing Cedar's face melting off for the first time. Through watching her own haggard form slashing through Cyril and Jacob. Through Red slashing off her arm, through all the words echoed against dramatic music. Kass kept her face impassive even as her own bloodied, sunken visage filled the screen.

She grinned as the lights came up and they walked a crown across the stage. She smiled through all the ceremony and beamed as they crowned her with a chunk of metal.

The citizens at her feet screamed, their vibrant costumes shimmering as they jumped and shoved one another to get a better view.

And she smiled.

And she could feel the power.

table by griffin