It's like a superbowl party but with more Effie and death.

[mannersmatter]

WHO| Everyone who's anyone in the Capitol.
WHAT| Effie is throwing a private party
WHEN| Towards the end of the Games
WHERE| A loft rented out towards the edge of town.
WARNING/NOTES| Treat like any party post, tag amongst yourselves!

They were down and out for this rounds, but with the new idea of the Games, Effie wasn't going to take a break. The Games would not be forgotten to the general public until next year like usual, and after getting out not one tribute but two Effie was not happy about being out so fast. She was determined they would do better next round.

So since they weren't worried about keeping tributes alive, Effie had made an effort to keep District 12 on people's radar in other ways. She had spare not expense for this party, and it looked like it. The whole pace was decked out in vivid reds, oranges and yellows. Vases of glowing coals sat in the middle of the tables, and Effie has designed the food and drink menus to contain as much spicy and outright flaming food as she could. She had no idea what they actually ate in 12, but she was running with this fire theme for all it was worth. She had invited as many interesting people as she could, and as many wealthy, and been pleased when the two overlapped.

And she, of course, matched the whole theme. As should the rest of her team when they showed up.

Comments

[mannersmatter]

Effie knew Momoko's stylist, and she knew that the woman...she had a feeling Momoko's attire had anything to do with that, well...less than creative woman. It was a brilliant idea, to play up how baby faced she was, and Effie was impressed.

Moving over, she smiled at the younger girl. "You're dress is lovely."

[cowardfacinghappiness]

Clutching her hard-won plate, Momoko had intended to escape to a corner until she was able to leave, but, well. She could hardly let a compliment go by unremarked, could she?

Calling up an easy, charming smile she turned to the woman. "Why, thank--," she stumbled slightly over her words, eyes widening at the outfit the other woman was wearing. No matter how long she stayed in this place, she was never going to be able to stomach the fashion without flinching. Oh for the days when Jusco was the bottom of the barrel.

"--you," she finished hurriedly, remembering herself. "Thank you." Momoko stroked a hand over her dress, her usual lacy Lolita fare, red and yellow as her stylist had insisted for the party. That was the most input her stylist had on her clothes so far, but she hadn't seemed to mind. Apparently she was just happy not to have to deal with a 'wood theme' for once. Whatever that meant.

[mannersmatter]

Effie's eyebrow went up, and her lips tightened a bit, but she was here to host and alienating guests wouldn't get them far.

Then again the girl was a tribute, so she wouldn't exactly be donating any funds to District 12. But she was also a guest. So Effie extended an elaborately manicured hand.

"Effie Trinket. I'm the escort for District 12."

[cowardfacinghappiness]

Momoko hesitated only slightly but took Effie's hand with her smile firmly back in place. Obviously if the woman was aligned with a certain district there wasn't much chance of her helping Momoko, but there was no reason to cut off any possible resources. "Momoko Ryugasaki. Tribute representing District 7. Though of course, I've never actually been."

[mannersmatter]

"Oh! Are you looking forward to it then?" Effie asked with a bright smile.

Of course, it wasn't going to be fun. but now the tributes didn't even die, so hopefully more of them could appreciate the honor of going into the arena.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

For one bewildering moment Momoko thought Effie meant looking forward to entering the Arena but of course, that was ridiculous. She must have meant getting to see her assigned District. Not that anyone had mentioned visits to the Districts, but that must be what Effie meant. Right?

"Ah, I suppose," Momoko said uncertainly. "I've heard it's mostly just...trees. I'm not sure what else there is to see."

[mannersmatter]

Oh, never under estimate how obtuse Effie can be.

"Well, they don't all have trees. The last two have just been very forest oriented, but my personal favorite was a system of caves." It had been much scarier to watch than any of the others, and had been very popular in the capitol because of it.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

Momoko blinked. She was rapidly losing track of this conversation. "What...what are we talking about?"

[mannersmatter]

"...the arenas?"

Oh, Effie felt a pang of sympathy for this poor girl. She had seen too many tributes, too stunned by their fate to focus. It was, of course, very understandable.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

Momoko frowned, going over the last few minutes of the conversation in her head. Apparently the ever-cynical Momoko Ryugasaki had been giving these Capitol citizens far too much credit when it came to sensitivity. God, Ichigo was having the most horrible effect on her resolve.

Well, had. Had the most horrible effect.

"Ah. Um. I don't know if I would say I was looking forward to it," Momoko said carefully. She was trying not to offend anyone, in case that put her in bad standing with the possible sponsors and it was...difficult. "I just have no real idea what to expect, I suppose. It changes every year, as you said."

[mannersmatter]

Effie's new found sympathy was apparent as she nodded her head to what Momoko was saying, eyebrows nit together in concern.

"Have your escorts, or your mentors been helping to get you ready?" She asked, concern lacing her throat for the young looking girl before her.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

"As much as they can," Momoko admitted reluctantly. At one point she had considered keeping up a tough front to ward off attacks in advance, but she (and her mentors) had quickly decided that being likeable was a much better tactic, if only slightly less difficult for her to manage.

"They've been helping me train, of course, fighting and survival that sort of thing but, well. There's only so much you can learn in a few short weeks." Momoko shrugged and indicated herself with a wry smile. "Before I was taken--ah, brought here I was never one for such...physical efforts."

[mannersmatter]

She continued to nod. Something about Momoko reminded her more of a Capitol citizen than a District one. Then again, the escorts had been warned not to make too many connections like that.

Still, sometimes it was hard.

"I can imagine. You poor dear."

[cowardfacinghappiness]

This was going well. Of course, Effie had already stated her association with another District but, well, loyalty was just a word after all.

"It has been rather stressful. I mean, the Capitol itself is wonderful, exactly the sort of place I always dreamed living in someday. I just wish I could enjoy it without being distracted by thoughts of...you know."

[mannersmatter]

"Well, dear, if you win, this will all be yours, all the time."

She couldn't imagine they'd send the victors back to the district they represented. That wasn't their homes and just seemed far too unfair.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

"Right, of course, that's what I've been told," agreed Momoko, and carefully didn't bring up the last five minutes where they talked about the unlikelihood of her winning. That wouldn't accomplish anything. "That would be wonderful, though, I must admit, I would prefer to go back to my own home. It's nothing like the splendor of this city but--," nobody sets me up to murdered horribly on camera over and over, "--my family...my poor grandmother."

[mannersmatter]

"Oh you poor thing." Effie said softly, shaking her head.

"If your escort doesn't help you out, you let me know, I'll have a word with them. Your story...it is perfect to work with." She confided softly. She knew she shouldn't be offering advise to another teams tribute, but it was always hard. Especially one so delicate.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

"My-my escort?" asked Momoko tremulously, dabbing carefully at her dry eyes. She could never get the hang of crying off the cuff, she usually had to build up to it. "Oh, oh yes, I think I know who you mean. They haven't really spoken to me about my 'story', or anything." Not that she really had a story until thirty seconds ago, seeing as her grandmother was, if anything, enjoying her old age a bit too much and was physically healthy as a horse.

It wasn't an exaggeration that the various people charged with Momoko's survival paid her little mind, however. Aside from running her through the ringer whenever she showed up for training, they mostly left her on her own, concentrating on the other District 7 tributes with more of a chance at winning. Momoko mentioned this, casually, adding, "I'm actually not sure what an escort does here. I mean, stylist, mentor, those are self-explanatory of course."

[mannersmatter]

"Oh, your escort should be just as much of a help as them. They are your guide to how the Capitol work, and well...for lack of a better term, how to work the Capitol."

Effie, who took pride in her job, even if not her district (althought that was starting to change) found the idea of Momoko left to flounder on her own, well, despicable. Being a tribute was hard enough, without your only support abandoning you.

"What is your district, again? I'll try to look into it for you."

[cowardfacinghappiness]

"Seven," said Momoko, briefly considering that this might get her escort into trouble and just as quickly deciding she didn't really care. "District seven. The one with the trees." She reached a hand out to Effie, letting her lip tremble just a bit.

"And thank you, for any help. I know we're supposed to be on opposite sides, you have your own tributes to help, but I honestly feel so much more affinity for people like you than them. You know what I mean, I'm sure."

[mannersmatter]

"Oh, of course sweetheart, of course. I know this can't be easy for you. And really, this is all about honor, and there's no honor if you aren't all starting on the same playing field."

A subtle jab at the Careers, possibly. Not that Effie would ever own up to it, but it was always something that had sat badly with Effie. With, really, any escort not from a career district.

She flushed at the compliment.

"Thank you dear. I...well, I do."

[cowardfacinghappiness]

Only the fact that this is going so well stops Momoko from going into a lecture about such a meaningless word as 'honor', particularly in relation to the Games. Instead she pastes on a shaky smile and clutches her hand to her chest. "I understand, of course. These Games...sometimes I wonder why we were chosen to participate. Not to say I'm not flattered, I just...well, they're very important to you aren't they? Much more so than to anyone they pulled from somewhere else to play."

[mannersmatter]

Effie pressed her lips together. Because, in all the information that had been dumped into the escorts laps, that had been missing. And it was a very important thing, to Effie, because that was what these were all about.

"Well, I do wish I could tell you, but all of that is very top secret." A little white lie never hurt anyone. And, well, it was top secret. Just...above her, as well.

[cowardfacinghappiness]

"Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of asking you to betray a confidence," assured Momoko hurriedly. "I only...I wouldn't want someone to accidentally disrespect these...proceedings." She's running out of discreet synonyms. "There's just so much history here, I try appreciate the importance of history myself, but others might not be so...appreciative."

[mannersmatter]

"Oh, I do know what you mean dear. It is....a worry of course, that other won't understand. But hopefully...there are process and guidelines for all of this." At least Effie hoped so. But she would try to put this poor girls mind at ease.