And All My Wastelands Flower [Open]

[vissernone]

WHO| Eva and Open
WHAT| Diabolical schemes are set in motion and Eva commemorates an anniversary.
WHERE| A bar in the city.
WHEN| Week 5 of the Arena
WARNINGS| Mentions of death, potential mentions of sexual assault and alcoholism.

In a break from her usual routine, Eva doesn't order alcohol when she goes out tonight. She sits at the bar in a black dress with gold embroidery of ribs across her torso, nursing water, reminding herself of a time in her childhood when she and her family were so hungry that it was all they had to fill their stomachs for the night.

She'll need to be sober tonight, she'll need to be alert and vigilant. There are so many ways that she could create a snare for herself, find herself trapped with over thirty years of research and secrecy put to tragic waste. It's a risk she takes whenever she goes about dragging people into her web, and yet she sees herself not as the predator she is but as prey, scurrying from burrow to burrow under the watch of cameras and microphones.

"Put a dash of vodka in it," she says, not caring for flavor nor appearances. She convinces herself it's because she wants a trace of it on her breath tonight. She hums along with whatever moody song the bartender has playing and keeps her eyes out for her targets.

Comments

[revvinguptheharley]

"Well actually~" Harley had a wicked grin and snickered like she'd been caught being naughty. "I just got back from a "Private meeting" with Mr. McDuck of the McDuckles corporation?" She leaned closer in a conspiratorial whisper.

"He put on a one piece swimsuit and had me pour gold coins over him while he sat in a bathtub. I mean I've done some weird stuff before but wowzers! And he was totally into it! Like squirming and writhing under those coins. He's a real sweetie though. I hope he comes through on those sponsorships like he promised."

[vissernone]

Eva laughs, not because it's ridiculous, but because among the rich and eccentric that sort of nonsense is common. And it's a bitter laugh, because those coins could have fed her family for a year while she was growing up.

"Good. I'm glad someone else is watching after our Tributes. I haven't had much heart for it lately."

[revvinguptheharley]

Harley offered a sympathetic look.

"My biggest yeah well...you've had to hold the weight of this district on your shoulders for a long time boss. You've earned the rest. And it's not like Mindy and I have anything better to do right? Gotta stay outta trouble some how. And since the tributes don't trust me and won't open up to me anymore raising money is about all I can do."

[vissernone]

"They don't trust me, either. I'd count that as a point of pride if it weren't such a black mark on my ability to actually mentor them."

She doesn't blame them. She did, after all, have Ariadne executed under the guise of saving her own skin. For the sake of saving her own skin.

[revvinguptheharley]

Harley's expression softened a bit.

"Well I dunno what it says about me, but I've always trusted you." She offered sympathetically. "You've never done wrong by me, even when I was cuffed as a traitor."

[vissernone]

"That's because I have incentive." She tilts her head at Harley. "I saw potential in you. That's all."

[revvinguptheharley]

Harley's smile became a rueful one.

"The last two people who saw potential in me regretted it. One drove me insane and wound up with a stalker fangirl from hell. The other tried to fix me and wound up betrayed and heartbroken."

She sighed happily after that trying to relax herself.

"I'm glad that never happened between us. If I'd upset you I imagine you'd make sure I remembered it."

Indeed after finding out Eva favored Eponine Harley had been worried sick Eva would come for revenge...but nothing had come of it.