she keeps moet et chandon in a pretty cabinet [closed]

[capitolprivilege]

WHO| Penny and Stephen
WHAT| Stephen wants to clear up what he thinks is a misunderstanding. Penny wants to gloat.
WHEN| Within 24 hours of Guy's expose.
WHERE| Peacekeeper HQ
WARNINGS| Content warning for discussion of bidding, possibly torture -- it's Penny, guys.

Stephen's initial anger had had time to cool somewhat: he needed to approach this with a level head. The woman behind the inaccurate expose and Guy's arrest was a very influential figure, and as upset as he was about what had been done to Guy, Stephen needed to handle this diplomatically. Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding, a case of poor communication, that could be cleared up without any further trouble.

He had an appointment, of course, but even though she knew he was coming, he knocked politely on her office door.

Comments

[fearisinthemind]

Naturally, she takes her sweet time in answering. She actually finds it somewhat disgruntling that someone would dare to beckon for her at the door, as if they have the right to grab her attention. When she does get up, in her dress that seems a bit too gown-like for a day at the office, she puts on some silk slippers and has the Avox open the door for her.

"Oh, Mr. Reagan, I presume?" Her little holographic calendar on the desk tells her that he has an appointment or rather, did, five minutes ago. She doesn't offer him a seat in the plushy chair across the desk from her. Instead she hardly looks at him, instead picking at a nail and looking over some paperwork. "What do you want?"

[capitolprivilege]

"That's right. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," he says breezily as he walks into the room, barely seeing the Avox.

The rudeness doesn't put Stephen off; he's dealt with greater infractions of politeness, and it slides off of him like water on a duck. He doesn't sit, though -- Hsiang is standing, and unconsciously, Stephen registers that sitting would hand all of the body-language power to her.

So, he stands. Stephen places his hands on the back of the plushy chair and leans forward a little, and when he speaks, he is all business, all politeness: brisk, but respectful.

"I know your time is valuable, so I'll get right to the point. District 6 Tribute Guy Crood was arrested several hours ago, on your orders. I'd like to know on what grounds he was disciplined."

[fearisinthemind]

"Well, if you've been keeping track of the network, you'd know that he interfered with a Peacekeeper operation and verbally harassed me." Penny says this with a bit of a smirk, as if daring Stephen to call her on her bullshit. "Does it matter? I let him go for a song."

She paces around her desk, hands folded behind her back. She walks as if she has all the power, as if her finger is hovering over a trap door right beneath Stephen's foot.

"The only action we took was a warning." She grins. Her gums show. "I'm gentle like that."

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen follows her with his head. He hears the words and senses the disconnect from what they truly mean, but doesn't comprehend the extent of the bullshit yet.

"Interfered with a peacekeeper operation?" he repeats, and his tone is not skeptical, just listening, but definitely seeking clarification. "I wasn't told about that, and I don't remember seeing anything about it on the network. What incident are you referring to?" He does not doubt her; Stephen still trusts Hsiang, even if he is beginning to feel stirrings of dislike. However, what was done to and by his Tribute does matter, and as an Escort, Stephen is confident that this is his business.

[fearisinthemind]

"I tried to initiate a conversation on the network during my usual reconnaissance duties, you know, getting the lay of the land, and he terminated the connection midway through."

She'd sound sensible if she didn't also look somewhat gleeful. She reaches into her desk and pulls out nail polish, selects a color, and then holds it out to one of the Avoxes lurking in the corners.

"And not to be terribly rude, Stephen," she won't dignify him with 'Mr. Reagan' or even 'Stephanus', "but I only have to share police procedure details with Escorts on a discretionary basis."

[capitolprivilege]

Stephen's brow creases in puzzlement as she explains her reasoning for the punishment. He doesn't remember that, not quite, but to reiterate: Stephen Reagan trusts Hsiang Jiao. He is also aware that she is telling him this out of generosity, and has no desire to be impolite. Finally, the use of the nickname rankles him very little; Mr. Reagan is his late father or older brother, and Stephanus is, he has always felt, a terrible name.

But she sounds awfully happy about the network termination. Stephen is only a bad judge of people when he's too complacent to notice anything; if he actually engages his brain, he's socially sharp. He's slowly coming to pay attention now. All this feels wrong, from her smile to the disregard for her guest to the claim that she let Guy off easily coupled with the fear he'd seen in Guy when he was arrested. Just what was happening under the surface here?

But then she points out that he is here with her permission, and he brightens up. "Of course," is what Stephen says out loud, and the smile he gives her is completely natural. He wouldn't want her to think he was demanding anything. That would be rude. "I understand that, and I'm very grateful for what you have chosen to share with me. I have a great deal of personal respect for the peacekeepers; next to the Hunger Games, we have you to thank most for the stability of our society." He gestures outward, towards the window and the Capitol outside. "We wouldn't have any of this without you." Stephen truly believes this: it is clear in his face and voice that he believes both institutions are both necessary and good.

"If there is anything I can do to assist you, especially where my Tributes are concerned, please don't hesitate to ask," Stephen says, phrasing it like an offer rather than a request. He's smiling, completely casual, and just self-effacing enough to make it clear that he is not placing blame, not accusing, just laughing at his own over-zealousness. "I'd hate to bother you with another misunderstanding."

[fearisinthemind]

She would be angry at him for terminating the conversation. That's usually something relegated to her demesne, and when he gets up to leave he very nearly shatters the illusion of a captive audience. The only reason he doesn't is because she is so deeply enamored with the words that escape him next.

Flattery is the reason that Penny lets Stephen walk away. Flattery is a balm to the angry wound of her ego; it's the bright flickering light to draw the cat's attention from the mice. Penny's susceptibility to it is hardly even a conscious thing so much as an instinctive pull towards the sound of praise.

She holds her hand out while a stooped little Avox lays noxious liquid gold on her fingernails. She keeps them long and fine, both because she doesn't have to break them in her line of work and because of the visual, of a hand like a spider or branches of a tree against the moon. She gestures with the other hand and the Avox near the door, who's standing to block it, steps aside.

"It's been a pleasure, Stephen," Penny says. She flicks her wrist again and the Avox opens up the door. "My staff will escort you out."

And they will stay with him the entire way to the door.

[capitolprivilege]

It wasn't quite so bad as Penny perceives; Stephen had been standing the whole time, and hadn't quite made a move to leave, but she was free to read a closing of the conversation in his words and his tone, and in turn, he reads closure in her manner, and takes the cue to go.

"Thank you for your time," he says, and doesn't drop the smile until he's out of the building.