I'm doing science and I'm still alive. (goldenwire) wrote in colosseum, @ 2014-02-09 22:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! 56th games, - capitol, victor: 2nd bit coyne, victor: 33rd beetee latier |
WHO: Bit Coyne, Beetee Latier, and NPC Capitolite Faye Vrit
WHAT: Don't worry sponsors, District 3 still has a tribute!
WHEN: After (spoilers) Ace died.
WHERE: Somewhere in the Capitol
STATUS: Completed log
"You'll have to convince me, darling," wealthy Capitolite Faye Vrit drawled, peering at the two District 3 victors over the vivid turquoise rims of her glasses. "You told everyone that Ace could put on a show like you did, and we've seen how that turned out." From the lack of light refraction through Faye's lenses, Beetee guessed she wore them simply for aesthetic purposes, as many of District 3's usual sponsors did. Spending money on such a niche district projected a certain image. Even as he disdained the unsustainable system upon which the Hunger Games (and, by extension, all of Panem) ran, Beetee wasn't above exploiting Capitol pretensions for potential personal gain. More importantly, the Capitol connections he forged during the Games could become useful later. "He could have. He just died before he did." Beetee's voice remained calm and neutral. Ace's death had reduced District 3's chances at parcel days and another innovative victor, but it didn't upset Beetee, even in the face of the boy's clear emotional attachment to him. His odds had been low from the start, and District 3 would necessarily hesitate before making any more comparisons to past victors. "A shame, but it won't be him you're sponsoring. Machine still has significant opportunity to make use of her own ingenuity." “We’re all upset about Ace,” Bit said, glancing at Beetee. He figured that she could be won over but like most Capitolite sponsors, it would take some wooing, something that continued to annoy the shit out of Bit even after all these years. Inevitably they would give money, but they wanted sweet promises, to feel special. It was obnoxious and spoke volumes of the Capitol’s vanity. Ace had potential, but so many dead tributes had too. Ace was another face, another name, another tribute who in a few years no one would remember except the family he had back home. “But Machine is very talented, she reminds me of the…” Fuck what was the girl from last year’s name? He couldn’t remember, despite getting far. “Girl from last year who got so far, one kill away from winning. With the right gift and the combination of her intellect, that could be Machine this year.” He glanced at Beetee, they both knew that it was a lie, it was him talking out of his ass. Nothing was certain in the Games, not even for the so-called Careers. "Based purely on factors evaluated before the arena, I would have given Machine better odds than Iaso," Beetee said, glancing back at Coyne as he supplied the name. That would make his narrative easier to sustain. "Arena elements add favorability, and she's resourceful. The effect of whatever we can send will only be intensified by whatever Machine can find and use in the arena. Ace may be dead, but District 3 is still a solid choice." "Many districts are solid choices, dear," the woman said, her face impassive behind her glasses. If she maintained her patronizing affect for much longer, Beetee decided that he might not even try to stop Bit Coyne from throttling her, sponsorship money be damned. Maybe she would have a better response to a different approach, Beetee thought. "But not all tributes have the same fighting spirit as our Machine. You saw her at the reaping, and you saw her after Ace died. She has anger, and think of what she could do if she had the supplies to channel her anger." In a way, Beetee took that angle in a cheeky fashion. In the unlikely event that Machine came home, the very anger that served her in the arena would become an issue. A victor who could barely disguise her disgust with the Capitol might bring attention to District 3, attention that Beetee couldn't afford. “While those idiots in 1, 2, and 4 are playing for the camera, Machine is playing for something else, to go back home,” Bit said. “Even the favorites got seriously injured in the arena so far this round, and we all know there are no sure things in the Hunger Games.” He didn’t look at Beetee, they didn’t need to show weakness or that one of them doubted themselves. “But that girl is clever and smart and willing to fight back.” That was more than they could say for some previous tributes. She’d gotten away from that 1 so far. Faye tapped the rims of her glasses. "No sure things," she repeated. "Now, let's talk numbers." |