Terra Cruze (terraza) wrote in colosseum, @ 2014-02-23 18:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! 56th games, - capitol, victor: 38th terraza cruze, victor: 52nd diana lyme |
WHO: Diana Lyme [D2] & Terra Cruze [D6]
WHAT: Terra (outlier) and Lyme (career) are invited to a university conference to debate each other on the merits of their respective type of district and shit-talk the other. [Plot slot]
WHEN: Day 11
WHERE: Capitol University
WARNINGS: Swears.
STATUS: Complete.
For a first-time mentor, Lyme’s aim had been to assert herself amongst the other mentors as best she could. That included not shirking on things she was asked to appear at, no matter how tired she might be. With only one tribute left in the race, and the Games down to the final eight, Lyme was keen to push for as much attention as possible. Stood in front of a hall of eager Capitolites, with Terra stood to her right, she was trying to not show her exhaustion. Days seemed to be blurring into one another, and she needed to be sharp for this debate. She glanced across at Terra, wary of her as an opponent, but said nothing to her. The first question was volunteered by someone: “What unique qualities do tributes from your districts bring to the games that make them better equipped than others?” Terra wasn't sure how she'd gotten there. Most days she wasn't sure how she'd gotten out of her bed and now she was in front of a lecture hall full of people and even dressed. Cleaned right up, and nicely. Angelina had taken care of that, of course, and now that Terra was actually there, she was almost excited about it. She liked arguing from time to time. But this question was bullshit. Or, at least, it was bullshit that she couldn't give the answer she wanted, that tributes from outlying districts had shittier lives and were used to going without, so they didn't have as much of a problem with the scarce food in the arena, but she couldn't admit that in the Capitol. To the Capitol. "I think tributes from my district — from any outlying district, actually — are more adaptable. We're a lot…" oh fuck, how to put it, "further away from the Capitol, so we have less resources. We have everything we need for a good life, of course, but we have to be more creative and work harder than some some of the closer districts. And I think that gives our tributes a pretty great advantage sometimes." She looked at Lyme and nodded. Lyme wasn’t happy with the question, and she wasn’t happy with trying to twist the truth as best as she could. Leaving training out of it would be a challenge, but it was an art that her fellow victors seemed to have perfected. She smiled across at Terra, trying to show more confidence than she felt. “I don’t know how much you know about my district, but you can say a lot of things about us. We’re proud, hard workers and will do our part to bring glory to our district,” Lyme brushed aside her personal hatred of the district glory narrative to retread that same line. “And sometimes that, with perhaps a bit of brain, is all you need.” This time her look at Terra was perhaps a little condescending. “Hard work pays off, and I don’t think we’ve ever had a tribute who hasn’t given their all to win and bring that title home to District Two.” Lyme stared out at the audience. Terra rolled her eyes. All you needed. No, hard work and brains weren't all anyone needed to win the Games. Nor was that all District Two had. "Hard work sometimes pays off, not always. But like I said, sometimes we have to work harder, but does that mean we always win? No. And I also don't think there are many tributes out there who don't give their all to win. I wouldn't really call those 'unique qualities.'" “Perhaps then we just have a little more drive,” Lyme posed the idea with a little shrug of her shoulders. “As you know, we take our duties to the Capitol very seriously and take pride in the Peacekeepers that we train.” Lyme turned her smile to Terra once again, although she didn’t focus on the other victor. “But I’ll leave that for you to decide, and we’ll see who wins this time.” Terra was about to open her mouth to snap back, but she had no more rebuttals left. The interviewer cut her off quickly, asking for the next audience question. "Who do you think wants it more? A volunteer or someone who is reaped?" Lyme was the first to answer this time, and she raised her eyebrows very slightly as if the question was stupid. Another little shrug of her shoulders, and her smile was something more like a smirk at that point. “Volunteers,” she told them, the answer seeming an obvious one to her. “Volunteers have asked for this-” a brief pause as she searched for an appropriate word, “This experience. They want the chance to prove themselves, show that they’re thirsty for more. No one in their right mind would volunteer if they didn’t want to win, and the tributes from my district have always been ready for any fight.” Another brief pause, and Lyme swept the image of Zipporah from her thoughts. “I mean, look at our boy still out there. Brock doesn’t stop. He wants this, and he wants everyone to know it.” At this, Terra's eyebrows raised, her face giving off the distinct impression that she was unimpressed. "Really?" she asked. "No, that's bullshit. Anyone who—" trains, no, she can't say that— "anyone who volunteers for the Games has definitely given it a lot of thought, and given that most years there are six people volunteering, they have to know there's still a pretty big chance they're going to die, even if they're really sure of themselves. Anyone who volunteers has to have already come to terms with the fact they might die, and accepted that. Otherwise I don't think they could even volunteer." She shook her head, continuing. "Someone who was reaped? They haven't accepted that. They're not willing to die one bit, and I think that's pretty obvious when you see these tributes who look like they wouldn't hurt a fly actually kill someone. No, no one wants it more than them." “But killing is part of it all,” Lyme was quick with her rebuttal. “If you have to build that up, like so many of your tributes do, you don’t want it enough.” Lyme hesitated. “It’s less a case of accepting that you could die and making sure that you don’t. That’s wanting it.” "No it's not," Terra snapped, her eyes narrowing at the other victor. "I mean, not like you said. It's making sure you don't die, yes, but having to work yourself up to killing doesn't mean you don't want it. Plenty of your tributes go in just wanting to kill, and that's not the same as just wanting to win. Wanting it is being willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive, no matter how much you don't like it or don't want to. It's them having to build themselves up but still doing it." About to try have another rebuttal, Lyme was interrupted by another question. Seething, she fell silent for Terra to take the first response. “What sort of advantages do you often have? I mean, actual skills.” Terra had to stifle a laugh at this one. While her list would certainly be shorter than Lyme's, half of Lyme's were things she couldn't say. "Well, tributes from District Six often know how to tinker. They do better in industrial arenas. Many of them can drive. And you get some strong tributes too from working with machines. A lot of the other non-volunteering districts have pretty valuable skills too. No one will ever forget how Beetee won, and I think we're all expecting another tribute from Three to pull something quick like he does. I think some Fives have done similar things too. Seven and Ten and Eleven probably have great survival skills. We all know how well tributes from Seven can use tools as weapons. Tributes from Nine are strong and a lot of them know how to handle mutt attacks well." “And I’m sure driving is a really useful skill in about one percent of the arena types,” Lyme was quick to retort, unable to stop herself. “I mean, how many of you think that little girl is going to drive her go-kart to victory?” Lyme shook her head, shaking off the ridiculous thought. A few people in the audience seemed amused by that comment. “Many of our tributes have started work in the Peacekeeper training programme,” she went on to answer the question, “Which provides valuable skills and teaching in reacting to given situations and defending yourself.” It was awkward, but it was as close as she could go without wading into the murky waters of the unofficial tribute training. “Of course, the only thing that we’re really lacking is go-karting skills.” "Stranger things have happened," Terra muttered, but loud enough to be clearly heard. "But hey— are there any Gamemakers out there in the audience? Maybe you can do Lyme a favor and add in some go-kart attacks, since she's missing it so much." “That would be lovely,” Lyme replied quickly, “Perhaps then our luck would be as good as District Six’s always is!” This time she didn’t even try to hide her pointed, poisonous look at Terra behind a false smile. Terra didn't return the smile. In fact, Terra didn't do anything, she just looked ahead at the audience, seemingly unaffected. "And for the last question… what do you think is the greatest impact on whether a tribute lives or dies?" Lyme’s turn to answer first, and she considered the question for a moment. “I suppose it’s that drive, that willingness to do whatever it takes. The understanding that you’re out there to win for yourself, and not to get sidetracked by teamwork. It’s down to the individual and their spirit,” Lyme spoke her words confidently. “If they haven’t got that, they don’t live. It’s as simple as that.” Now it was Terra's turn, and a small smile crept up on her face. "And once again, I think that's bullshit. The correct answer is the odds. Because you can have all that, you can have drive and you can be naturally skilled with weapons and you can be willing to do whatever it takes. I remember the tributes from your district in my games — they had all that. And, fuck, I didn't have any of that, but they died while I won." She shrugged. "Face it, all that shit you just said is only to boost your own ego." “And I,” Lyme was quick to respond again, “What was that lovely word? Bullshit? I think it’s bullshit that you claim to have had no individual drive.” Lyme rolled her eyes. “Everyone in those arenas, no matter what they claim, has killed if they’ve got out. And you don’t do that without knowing what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.” Terra made a face. "I'm not saying I didn't have drive, or that I didn't kill. But enough to go out and track down tributes to try and win my life? No. I won by hiding. And maybe I don't deserve this title, but I got it. Because the only real impact is the Gamemakers running the Games, and the odds. No matter what a tribute can do, they're always at their mercy." "And so you have it, folks! That was Lyme and Terra explaining what it means to be a volunteer and to be reaped! Thank you and goodnight!" |