thecapitol | It's all it will take, we'll go down in history

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It's all it will take, we'll go down in history

Who| Everyone in the Tribute Center (plus various Capitol citizens are in attendance)
What| A Saturnalia inspired extravaganza!
Where| A large, festive ballroom
When| Tonight!
Warnings/Notes| N/A? Let me know if this needs a warning!

Jennifer had spent weeks on the preparations for this glorious night, arranging for the food and gifts and music and dancing. Everything would be perfect, and she was certain all the attendees would have a marvelous time. And besides all that, this would be a perfect way to celebrate her husband's return to the Capitol! It had been weeks since Arturas had any time off to spend at home. Surely he'd be delighted by the fanfare and revelry.

The invitations stated that the party began promptly at 6:30, to bring an appetite, and be ready to dance. The attendees were instructed to dress in costume, to participate in the role-reversal theme of Saturnalia. Capitolites were to dress as Tributes while the Tributes were to dress in the most outlandish Capitol fashions imaginable. Jennifer herself was wearing a replica of the District 2 space costume, bedazzled and covered in crystals, for an extra glamorous kick, while her stoic husband sat at his table with his politician friends, dressed in an ice skating costume, a throwback to Arena 11. Clearly he had business to attend to, so it would be up to her to see to the party.

She made her way toward the entrance and prepared to greet everyone.

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"Nobody likes a savage who doesn't act her age." Azula admonished further though she put the hand down. Her point had been made.

"If you're not willing to at least try and be a little optimistic sometime then no one is going to want to talk to you." She added at Mindy's sarcasm.

"You know, you get really boring when you use the same insults over and over. You have to be less of a broken record."

Because after everything she'd been through? She was not about to be condescended to by someone who long ago forgot what actual suffering was like. Screw that.

"I'll save my happy attitude to people I like," she said. "With all the downsizing they do, the list gets shorter. Tends to dampen the optimism needed around here."

"Well if you ever actually changed then perhaps I'd have something new to insult. But you're stuck in your own rut and that leaves me with only so much to choose from." Azula countered nonplussed.

"I find it difficult to believe you were ever optimistic in this world. Your old one perhaps but in every encounter you and I have had you have been moody, you've complained about things you can't change, you've refused to ever concede even when you're wrong. Honestly the only times we've ever come to an agreement is when there is absolutely no way to deny what I'm saying is honest. And even then you make an attempt." She chuckled with amusement.

"It's the little things in life that keep people hoping for something better. Good little things, bad little things. But the big picture is too much for most people and it just causes more foul moods."

"If you ever bothered to get to know anybody, you might actually see a change," Mindy said. "There's more to me than just fighting. It's just one of the things I'm best at, so of course I'm going to try and get better."

Here though, she shrugged. "Complaining about this place reminds me why I shouldn't be comforted about it. People are laziest when they think they've got it good. I gotta keep my mind sharp. I mean look around: a kid CAN find things to like here, what with the arcade and the potential to do dangerous stuff without people telling you its not OK. But the moment I start to do that, I'll just become another person around here. That just doesn't fit me."

Frankly, there were plenty of times Mindy wasn't depressed: that was usually when other people were around. Azula did not inspire that in her.

"I guess I'm a big picture person then? I mean yeah, there's some little things, sure. They went and arrested Eponine, after all. I could totally be cheerful about that."

"Well you've hardly made me want to learn more about you really. I mean you could make an attempt. It's only polite."

Ah yes nothing like one of Azula's favorite games. Pointlessly argue with a teenager until she goes away.

"You could be, but I don't think you want to be cheerful. I think you're so afraid of losing your edge the only thing you can do is pick apart every good thing that comes your way till you're back down to the gloomy avenger you imagine yourself to be."

She paused and added, "Of course it's just a theory. You could have an actual problem."

"The feeling was mutual, last I checked. Why would I even think you want to know anything about me? You keep calling me a savage anytime we meet, and if you're not doing that than you're talking to me about how great this place is. You get pretty one note after awhile, even if you ARE a pretty capable mentor. What would you even want to even learn from me?"

Pointless was a key word.

"You know, could reflect on the good things that happen to me. Now that I think about it, I was kinda happy once, right around the time dad came. It was bad timing, but hell, he was here, Ellie and Riley were my homegirls, me and Sandy didn't hate each other that much, and I think the Doc was still here. But you know, all it took was a few months, and all that was gone. So maybe for me? Makes more sense NOT to get my hopes up about shit only to have them take it away."

As for certain people, say, Kenny, she would keep that to herself.

"Oh, I have many problems. So does everyone else."

"Ah but you don't here the rest of us gloomily shuffling around making snide remarks under our breath and ruining perfectly nice viewing parties. This arena in particular should be wonderful for me because my strongest tributes are at their best." She gestured to the screen which flashed showing Shepard making her way through the base with the confidence that came with her former title of commander.

"You're basically just rebelling against life. Happiness comes and happiness goes. If you close the door when happiness leaves how can you expect it will ever come back?"

Why yes she had read some self help books in her day. Why do you ask?

"Making snide remarks happens to make me pretty happy," Mindy said, and weirdly enough, she realized that was actually true: the idea of going along and smiling and being happy about everything had a way of twisting her insides, especially after the torture session. Worst still, when she realized there was no way that dad was likely coming back, it had been enough to want to keep her in room forever. What the fuck kind of happiness was she expected to show at parties for rich people who didn't have to deal with the Capitol's hand around their throats?

"I like life just fine. If I didn't I'd be one of those sad sacks that shut themselves in their room. Look, if you wanna find joy in these parties and this frumpyness, more power to you. Me, I guess I'm more of an adrenaline seeking kind of girl, and this place grinds me to a halt."

Azula's smirk never wavered. This girl was such a strange out of place sort of creature. She had only the faintest idea of how to be a child and was still years away from having a mind capable of handling adulthood.

Some would argue that most of the Capitol was years away from being adults but that was neither here nor there.

"Well then first, you're completely misusing the word frumpy and you should know that. It means dowdy and old fashioned. This party is neither as given by the futuristic designs and theme."

In fact it was rare for the Capitol to have a party themed for more old fashioned sophisticated affairs.

"And second you're not considering how completely and utterly thrilling it can be to play the mental chess game required of every good mentor to secure proper funding, keep prospects entertained AND help manage your tributes with a team of questionable assistants."

There were many kinds of adrenaline pumping events. Azula took hers where she could find them.

Edited 2015-01-05 05:43 (UTC)

Really, what did Azula expect? Having patience and political playing? Mindy had been a superhero, not Alexander the Great. Securing help for her district meant that she had to have patience and diligence for this whole process. In retrospect, and it physically hurt Mindy to admit this to herself, she was actually right.

"You're right, wrong word. Granted, plenty of other words spring to mind, but to me, might as well be the same thing. Not that its the coolest thing to mock that stuff: my stylist is all about that life."

For some reason.

"Right, sure, but what about when you're done, you know, doing your spider web thing. What do you do for fun then?"

There were a number of answers here that were extremely petty and would not serve Azula's argument in the least. The first starting with "Spa day" and the last ending with "Video games"

So instead she adjusted her smirk into one that suggested she knew something she wasn't sharing with Mindy.

"The "Spider web thing" as you so articulately describe it, is never done. It just changes. But you've made it painfully clear you have no interest in doing things the way a proper mentor does. You carve your own path of grumpiness."

"Oh, for fucks sake," Mindy said, rolling her eyes, "you can be just as annoying as I can, but I swear you don't see it. It would be a lot easier to ask you for pointers, but you're so goddamn smug and irritating about it you won't say anything unless someone is on their knees begging you for answers. Fuck that, you already beat me once in a fight. Go keep your shit to yourself if it makes you feel that superior."

God, it was one step away from having a conversation with Eponine, and worst still, it just made her miss Ellie all the more. God, she hated this place so MUCH sometimes.

Azula savored her frustration in a way that she knew was more or less entirely petty. But it was so fun to watch.

"Now you're not being entirely fair. I've offered you advice and pointers before and you've almost always thrown them in my face at first. Then when it becomes undeniable that I was right you actually consider my words." She countered.

"And I don't feel superior because of my secrets, I feel superior because I am."

"You offer those things in the same way you always have, in the same way you do it now. I'd have thought by now you pick up that its a shitty way to do it, but I'm sure you have enough people feeding your ego about how great you are that you never think its you. I'm almost glad to see you're dating that Diana chick: I can tell that no one gets to top her, like, ever."

And no, she didn't mean sexually. Mindy was just not going there. Ever.

"I haven't seen anything telling me that is even remotely true."

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It's all it will take, we'll go down in history

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