It's all it will take, we'll go down in history

[milieus]

Who| Everyone in the Tribute Center (plus various Capitol citizens are in attendance)
What| A Saturnalia inspired extravaganza!
Where| A large, festive ballroom
When| Tonight!
Warnings/Notes| N/A? Let me know if this needs a warning!

Jennifer had spent weeks on the preparations for this glorious night, arranging for the food and gifts and music and dancing. Everything would be perfect, and she was certain all the attendees would have a marvelous time. And besides all that, this would be a perfect way to celebrate her husband's return to the Capitol! It had been weeks since Arturas had any time off to spend at home. Surely he'd be delighted by the fanfare and revelry.

The invitations stated that the party began promptly at 6:30, to bring an appetite, and be ready to dance. The attendees were instructed to dress in costume, to participate in the role-reversal theme of Saturnalia. Capitolites were to dress as Tributes while the Tributes were to dress in the most outlandish Capitol fashions imaginable. Jennifer herself was wearing a replica of the District 2 space costume, bedazzled and covered in crystals, for an extra glamorous kick, while her stoic husband sat at his table with his politician friends, dressed in an ice skating costume, a throwback to Arena 11. Clearly he had business to attend to, so it would be up to her to see to the party.

She made her way toward the entrance and prepared to greet everyone.

Comments

[reallynow]

For a short while, there's a bit of awkward shuffling as Jolie gets the swing of his moves, but it doesn't take long for her to fall into swing with it. She can see why the French Collective is such a popular market, it's just a shame she doesn't have one to take care of herself.

"Are you asking a Stylist if fashion is important?" She looks momentarily aghast, but it's quickly followed by a cheerful laugh. Sometimes she's easy to piss off, but he's too cute for her to feel any sort of annoyance. "Some of it's idle, sure. A lot of it is backhanded chitchat, it can really do a number on your reputation." She gives her shoulders a light shrug. "But trust me, I've already figured out it goes in one ear and out the other when it comes to tributes."

[libertin]

"Not to all of us," Courfeyrac said, leading Jolie in a simple, if elegant step. "You may be surprised to learn this, my dear, but amongst my cohorts, I was always considered the fashionable one. They all looked to me to decide how to dress. Generally they ignored me, but that is a fault of theirs and not of mine. I always looked my best, even for an audience of unappreciative letter-writing types."

Chuckling, he goes to twirl Jolie around. "Not that one can tell from my appearance as of late."

[reallynow]

"I'm very surprised to hear that." She jibes, matching her tone with a sly smirk. "Guess there's the odd one out in every clique, huh? But I have heard good things about those jackets." There's a very vague hint in there about the Capitol, but it's meant to be utterly subtle. She hopes.

She restrains herself from letting out too much of a giggle when he twirls her, but the sound she manages to make is highly amused. "I'm surprised your stylist hasn't pinned you down and shaved you yet." Someone isn't overly fond of scruff. "Is it meant to make a statement or is it just there to catch food?"

[libertin]

He raised his eyebrows, but managed to still look amused. "It was more an attempt at a mask." He hoped he would not need to remind her of the recent state of his visage. "A diversion, you see. And I am French, my dear. I have to shave thrice a day anyway, or else I will look like a wild man."

But it did give him something to think on, this talk of image and fashion. He'd always been so concerned with his looks, whereas his more handsome (and intelligent) counterpart Enjolras was not bothered at all. Courfeyrac couldn't attain the intelligence or natural beauty that Enjolras could, but he'd developed his own little fan base in Panem. Perhaps he could rekindle his own cult of beauty once more.

"But surely a beauty such as yourself must know what a struggle that is, no?"

[reallynow]

Sometimes, Jolie suffers from foot in mouth syndrome. Like any blithely outspoken person does, really. She can't really acknowledge the fact that the brand was bad, because she should point out that he deserved it, so she opts to seem vapid instead.

"If whatever you have under there is as gorgeous as your eyes, you don't have anything to worry about." She crinkles her nose in a goofy smile, hoping it seems as sincere as she thinks it is before her expression becomes a little more neutral.

"I'm sure a beauty like me would have no idea what you're talking about." She scoffs and it's followed by a cackle. Definitely not the most attractive of laughs, but it's a lively one at the very least. "It doesn't look too bad. Y'know. The beard. Just don't let Joel know I said it, alright?"

[libertin]

"Ah, thank you." He cracked a smile, one of those charming little smirks that used to work on the flower girls back in Paris, or the milkmaids near his family's estate. "But perhaps you are right. There is nothing wrong with a little change, yes? Perhaps I would get more love letters again if the girls could better see me. I know you aren't my stylist, my dear, but maybe you have a word or two of advice you could impart?"

[reallynow]

Jolie definitely has more experience than flower girls and milkmaids, but that doesn't mean she's immune to the charm of a smile like that. Her expression softens some, her smile sweetening with her expression.

"Are you asking me to work without getting paid?" A painted brow arches, but who is she kidding? She could never turn down such a sincere and devilishly handsome appeal for advice. "Wax your chest, but leave just a little bit of pepper on it. Just a bit of hair." She rubs her fingers together to illustrate her point. "V-neck shirts, long jackets, tight pants and boots. It's vintage, it'll suit you. Ladies like a shirt with a view, but they're a sucker for the classics as well." She winks. "And if you want to appeal to a certain crowd, try eyeliner. I mean, I don't touch the stuff, but I hear it's a miracle worker."

[libertin]

Courfeyrac laughed, though part of him was internally wincing at the notion of willingly waxing himself. He'd been subjected to it before by his stylists when he first arrived, but if it was a matter of marketing and fashion, he could probably suck it up and do it again.

"I shall take every word to heart. Before you know it, all of the ladies of the Capitol will be swooning before their screens, and you may tell them all that we shared a beautiful dance together." He grinned, bringing her hand up to kiss it.

[reallynow]

Jolie is cold to this pain, because she's pretty sure she number all of the nerves in her skin long ago thanks to excessive waxing. Or it's pain drugs and lotion.

"Whaddaya know? You listen better than my Tributes." It is the best feeling when people actually take your advice, after all. She presses her lips together gleefully when he raises her hand to kiss it. God damn it, he's adorable. "I'll tell them all it was the best dance I ever had. They'll hear all the accolades about your moves, I promise."

[libertin]

"If only I had a stylist so capable to guide me always. It is really a shame that I am not in eight or you are not in eleven." Whoever would have thought he'd enjoy dancing with a man in a dress so much? Smirking, he went to twirl her once again.

[reallynow]

"Believe me, if they let us pick our teams you'd be on my list. I'd have the prettiest team." She utters that last part in a sing-song voice whilst moving into the twirl with more grace than the last time. It's less of a surprise but just as thrilling, god damn these French guys. When she comes back around, she'll give his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "So, flatter my ego and trash talk your stylist for me, would you?"

[libertin]

"You mean Sebastiana?" Courfeyrac wrinkled his nose as he recalled the stubborn horse-faced woman who always wanted to dress him in inferior duds. "I can't stand her. She has the fashion sense of a mule. I refuse to work with her another day."

[reallynow]

"That's the bitch. I hear she's only in it for the money. Her and six's head stylist are fucking useless and they've been phoning it in from day one." Her exuberance over gossip knows no bounds, but she moves her hand from his shoulder. "Don't go telling everyone I told you, though. If she comes heehawing around my District in a huff, you're in big trouble." She gives him a dangerous look that almost seems serious, but it fades into laughter fast.

[libertin]

He gave her a charming grin of his own, "If she comes heehawing around your District, surely it is because she is trying to steal some of your secrets, no? I can spot a jealous woman a league away, and Sebastiana is nothing if not incapable and driven to pettiness."

He then bowed to Jolie, looking up to give her a wink. "And you, my dear, are a gem. I thank you for the dance. It was a sincere pleasure."

[reallynow]

"I'm sure it's the least I deserve if I'm snapping her Tributes out from under her." She admits with a snigger, gladly allowing herself to bask in the flattery when it keeps coming.

She steps back, nodding her head in place of curtseying. The restrictiveness of the dress isn't conducive to it and it's a culture she's not strongly familiar with. "Keep talking like that and the pleasures all mine." She winks, flourishing a hand as she waves and moving back into the crowd as the music starts to change.