OPEN Valentine's Day Plot

[thebiddingbaron]

WHO | Everyone
WHAT | Baron sends Valentine's Day gifts to Tribute Tower.
WHEN | Valentine's Day!
WHERE | Tribute Tower
WARNINGS / NOTES | Warnings for drug use and all of the things that go with that. Possibly also sexual themes. The OOC post for this is here.




On the morning of February 14th when the Tributes come down for breakfast they're greeted by an impressive holiday themed spread. Pink and red baked goods, chocolates shaped like hearts, beautiful red and pink flowers, adorable stuffed animals all line the table.

On the table is also a sign in cursive that reads:

To our beloved Tributes, Victors, Mentors, Escorts and Stylists. Enjoy your holiday. -- Bartlett Industries

Most of the sweets are completely harmless, but if the Tributes taste the chocolate covered cherries or caramels they find themselves suddenly acting very strangely...

Comments

[itswhoyouare]

The thought is appreciated, of course, but Anna isn't used to being this protected by someone and just the thought of Eliot fending for himself all alone in the Capitol makes her sick. "And what about you?"

Her eyes flutter shut at the kiss to her forehead and she doesn't tense up nearly as much as last time he traced her spine. "Actually, it is." Anna opens her eyes to gaze up at Eliot with a slight smile tugging at her lips. "It's what I do."

[retrieverchef]

"Well, this is what I do," he says. "I keep my team, my family safe. And I make the choices they can't."

[itswhoyouare]

"I make sure my team and family are safe too. So you're just gonna have to deal with me lookin' out for you," she replies firmly and steals a quick kiss. Anna pulls away to put her shirt back on and clean up their picnic, handing Eliot his clothes.

[retrieverchef]

Eliot pulls his pants up and the slides the shirt on. "Just don't get yourself hurt over what's already a done deal."

[itswhoyouare]

Anna simply nods as she gets to her feet, the picnic basket hanging from her arm as she offers Eliot a hand to get to his feet. "Would you like to escort me to my room?" She asks with a playful smile, almost flirty in her approach.

[retrieverchef]

He smiles as he stands and kisses her cheek. He takes her free hand in his. "I think I'd lie that a lot, darlin'."

[itswhoyouare]

Anna's cheeks flush with color at the kiss and she laces her fingers with his on the walk to the elevator. "You said home was Boston, but your accent suggests Tennessee or Oklahoma, that area."

[retrieverchef]

"I grew up outside of Oklahoma City. Left to join the army and haven't been back since. My team works out of Boston now."

He presses the button for the elevator and wraps his other arm around her waist. "Your carriage awaits."

[itswhoyouare]

She looks pleased to have guessed his home area correctly, grinning when the elevator doors open and she feels Eliot's arm around her waist.

"I've been meanin' to ask what your team does exactly."

[retrieverchef]

"We take out the assholes who use the law to hide their crimes and we do what we can for their victims," he says, ushering her into the elevator. "And we make sure it lasts, whatever it takes."

[itswhoyouare]

"A modern day Robin Hood and the Merry Men," she says with a smile. "Pickin' up where the law leaves off, it's very noble." Anna presses the button for the fourth floor and watches Eliot for a moment, just gazing pleasantly at him. She's being silent for now in case he wants to talk or ask anything.

[retrieverchef]

He bites his lip. "I ain't exactly Robin Hood, Anna," he says quietly. "I'm not near that good of a man. Our boss is but..." He sighs.

[itswhoyouare]

Her smile fades, replaced by a confused frown as she steps in front of Eliot to look up at him. "But what, Eliot?"

[retrieverchef]

"But I'm not half the man he is. I... After what I did for Moreau... I'm no hero, Anna."

[itswhoyouare]

"Who is Moreau? I don't understand." She chews her lip and raises a hand to cup the side of his face gently.

[retrieverchef]

He closes his eyes, not wanting to see her reaction. "The man I worked for after I left the military," he said quietly. "He... I was his best opperative for several years. People who opposed him didn't fair well and often their families died with them. He wanted me to be his second in command."

[itswhoyouare]

That wasn't what she expected to hear, and she goes still for a moment while her brain wraps around the new information. It registers that he was a hitter and this Moreau guy must have been some sort of drug or arms dealer. Or he was a human trafficker. Her inner detective wants to recoil in anger and disgust, but the rest of her can't bring herself to hate him. Eliot is obviously haunted by his actions and she believes there's a story to explain how he ended up going from the army to the criminal underworld.

What he needs isn't a slap or lecture. Eliot's not a cold-blooded sociopath, and he's clearly been trying to do good with his team. Words honestly aren't Anna's thing; she screws it up more often than not, actually. So she does the only thing she can think of.

Propping up on her tiptoes, she cups Eliot's face in both hands and kisses him gently. It's a kiss that says everything she can't find the words for; she doesn't think less of him, if he can't forgive himself she can until he's able to, that it's going to be okay, that she just wants to heal his heart and take that pain away.

[retrieverchef]

Eliot freezes, opening his eyes as she kissed him. His head dropped to her shoulder as he wept uncharacteristically. "I'm so sorry, Anna," he whispers. "I shoulda left him sooner. So much sooner."

[itswhoyouare]

Seeing Eliot break is far too much to handle around prying eyes, so she hits the emergency stop button to pause their elevator ride for now. She lets the basket drop to the floor and she wraps him up in a tight hug, voice cracking as she speaks into his hair.

"It's okay, it's okay. It's over and done, you're doin' the right thing now."

[retrieverchef]

"I hated it," he murmurs. "The whole time, I hated it."

[itswhoyouare]

"I know you did. You made the right choice in the end, that's what matters." She presses a kiss to his hair and says softly, honestly, "None of that will ever make me love you less."

[retrieverchef]

He holds her tightly. "It wasn't soon enough, though."

[itswhoyouare]

"If you keep sayin' things like that, you'll never move past it. It's done and you can't change that. What y'can change is what you do next."

[retrieverchef]

"Already did that. Can't bring them back to life, though."

[itswhoyouare]

She tilts his chin up to look at him, free hand softly brushing hair out of his face. Anna gazes intently into his eyes, "Then you let it go and start to forgive yourself. And remember that you never want to be that man again."