Checking on your fruit salad

[cherrypicked]

WHO| Lady Cerise and everyone else!
WHAT| She's checking on her babies after the arena and shopping for them.
WHEN| Jan 6 2015
WHERE| D4 suites and Commons/Shopping District.
WARNINGS| Game appropriate conversations of death, maybe?


District 4 Suites

When arenas were on, Lady Cerise had a tendency to go to her home and stay there, watching the feeds of how her 'children' were doing, only coming out for Capitol events or if Jolie or her brother forced her out. As such she's waited a few days after the arena to swan in and make an appearance in the common area of the floor.

"Rise and shine my bunch of grapes!" She calls out as she exits the elevators and then heads straight for the fridge to pour herself an apple juice. Her outfit today is just a simple purple gown covered in sequins with a facinator in her purple wig that resembles half of a very real looking pineapple. She waits to see who's awake enough to manage to leave their rooms. Okay it's probably closer to noon at this point but you can never really tell with her little kiwi fruits.

Tower Commons and the Shopping District.

Satisfied that everyone on district 4 is fine, Lady Cerise leaves to do some shopping for them, wanting to buy them trinkets and whatnots to cheer them up from all the death going on.

As she usually does she stops first in the Common's bar for a little cherry schnapps pick me up, before heading out again.

It's normally easy to spot Lady Cerise with all the purple she wears, while shopping it's harder because she has a bad habit of over loading with bags making her wobble about, no doubt look like a much older and frailer woman than she is. That being said any offers to help her usually end up in her saying.

"Oh thank you dear. How very sweet of you to offer."

And immediately offloading one arms worth of shopping onto the person.

"Not too heavy for you I hope."

After all it's not like she has trouble holding what she buys so much as they get in the way of her legs and cause her trouble.

Comments

Distract 4 Suites (a.k.a. look out Cerise, there's a curious god in your shadow!)

[radianced]

His middle is bandaged and he is sore. The sensations of being wounded made Apollo wonder - for most of the night - whether or not death would be easier. He didn't like to hurt and it was tedious. However, try as he might, he couldn't find a dagger or something sharp enough to take his own life. Finally he had given up and collapsed on his bed, drifting off into his first ever slumber.

It was addicting - all things considered - and he didn't like being woken by such a loud, cheery voice. So what if it was noon? Apollo stumbled onto his feet - gravity be damned - and straightened his toga. Grimacing, he walked to his door and opened it, glaring out into the corridor.

His first sight of Cerise struck him dumb. Speaking of fruit... Without much forethought, he followed her, footsteps light.

Oh, when isn't there a curious god in her shadow?

[cherrypicked]

Part of why Lady Cerise had been an escort so long is because she made it her business to know tributes. She always knew the basics of her babies, names, ages, a little bit about the world they came from. After all, after being brought here that information was all readily available to escorts and stylists to make working with them easier.

Not every one in her line of work learnt these things, but that was hardly her problem. If they wanted to stick around that was something they would have to pick up on their own.

So when Apollo comes out to glare down the corridor at her and looks boggled at her she simply waves for him to come over, feeling more than seeing or knowing he's following her.

"Come now, pomegranate, no need to hang about in corridors, you just sit yourself down now and we'll get you something to drink shall we?" she turns from him long enough to get another glass then proceeds to pour him a glass, sliding it in front of him on the counter before having an actual good look at him, leading her to frown.

"Oh dear. I do hope that's something your just sleeping in, because you really can't go out in something as plain as that you know." Then she smiles at him. "Reputations, start with your appearance after all."

tower commons after shopping?

[sergius]

Being a tall and strapping young man, Sergius is more than capable as a bag boy. Still, he's a little miffed at being corralled into helping Lady Cerise, since he is a full fledged escort now and all. But maybe she just doesn't know that yet. After all, he's only just been promoted for a couple of days, and his predecessor, Nero, is a living legend amongst escorts. It's fair to assume that Lady Cerise simply has no idea who this poor soul she snagged to carry her bags even is.

"Which floor, ma'am?" He asks, arms full of trinkets and presents for Tributes he doesn't give a damn about. Whatever. It won't kill him to be nice. In fact, it might just endear him to her.

[cherrypicked]

Cerise did know who it was she enlisted for help. After all she, while not the legend Nero was, had still been around long enough to know the comings and goings of all the escorts and stylists. One was hardly going to last long in this field without knowing people.

It was in fact exactly why she put on enough airs to easily get him to carry her things. It does pay to see how much the new escorts and stylists could handle after all.

"Oh!" She crows once in the elevator bringing her hands up looking as if she's delighted to hear him ask that question.

"'ma'am''!? That is just so very sweet. But young man, I am a lady, and it is best to respect someone in such a position and address her as such." She pats his arm comfortingly, like a grandmother fondly pats a child. "But if you could be a dear and press the button for the fourth level, that would be delightful"

She waves a hand in the direction of the panel before clasping her hands together sweetly.

[sergius]

"Sure thing, Lady Cerise." He makes a special note to remember her preferences, since as an experienced escort she really does command his respect.

Arms loaded with excessive amounts of... crap, it takes Sergius a moment to maneuver his way into a position where he can actually press the button on the panel, and it likely looks ridiculous as he does so. But he is successful at last, and the doors finally close behind them.

"So, uh, all this is for your Tributes?" He looks over the piles in his arms to make eye contact with her, then gives his most endearing smile. He might be a bro, but he didn't get to this position by being a jerk. He got here by knowing who to be kind to and how to turn on the boyish charm.

[cherrypicked]

"You really are such a dear. You really are."

Lady Cerise gives an excitable wiggle as Sergius manages to press the button, she doesn't really need to praise him for having basic motor skills and could even come over as condescending if she wasn't looking so bubbly about it.

At his question she strokes on of the closest bags to her.

"Well, there might be one or two things for me in there. But yes, after all those nasty little things in the last arena, I just had to splurge just a little for them."

She claps her hands together and beams. "Oh I can't wait to see their darling little faces when they see what I've got them, Oh! It will be so charming and sweet."

[rediscover]

It's so early.

Okay, not actually, but when you're as heavy a sleeper as Anna, any time of the day feels early when you've just woken up. She hears a familiar voice calling out from the suite commons, and with a loud grumbling that's not at all becoming of a princess, rolls out of bed.

She doesn't even bother trying to fix the rat's nest that is her hair before poking her head out of the door and peering into the kitchen down the hall.

"Too early," she calls, sleepy humor in her voice. "Come back later."

[cherrypicked]

Hearing Anna's tired voice, Lady Cerise looks up over her glass as she drinks it, The moment her eyes lock onto the young girl, she has to pull the glass away from her mouth fast, politely covering her mouth to avoid spraying it everywhere.

She had seen enough of Anna before noon to know how she looks, but it never stops being an interesting moment.

"Come now, Strawberry. Pancakes are waiting for you." She gestures to the table with it's usual breakfast spread. Sure, she had nothing to do with it there, but she chose to sound enticing about it. "With fresh whipped cream and chilled fruit. We can't let that go un-eatten now." She pauses as if finished then adds. "Bring your brush, dear."

[rediscover]

Anna huffs, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Well, alright. But only because you mentioned whipped cream!"

She's teasing, of course; she has nothing against her escort, and actually rather likes her. She's pretty sure Dave's coolkid attitude is rubbing off on her far too much. Anna ducks back into her room, fetches her hairbrush, and then pads out into the kitchen area to take a seat at the table.

"I brought my brush, but don't think for a second I'm using it!" Anna sets it next to her plate and eagerly begins piling pancakes onto her plate. Fruit follows, and then copious amounts of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. She's clearly never had to worry about maintaining her figure.

[cherrypicked]

Lady Cerise chuckles. "No one can resist whipped cream." she says to herself playfully as she waits for Anna to reappear, beaming as the young girl sits down and starts on her food before working on her pancakes.

"Well I wasn't really planing for you to be in charge of your hair right now, dear."

As she speaks she picks up the brush and begins to lightly run the bristles through Anna's hair to smooth out the mane she currently has.

[reallynow]

Cerise has been beaten to the punch. Jolie is already at the bar with her early noon cocktail and a look about her that reads as fuck off. She's vaguely hunched over a kindle novel about pirates, though it's a heavily biased rendition through the Capitol's eyes, based mostly on the fashions and the romance of it all. It's vaguely interesting, at least, so she's stuck into it when Cerise makes her loud and cheery order for her schnapps.

Jolie's shoulders hunch visibly, but it's all for dramatics. She places a hand over her kindle, obscuring the cover as she turns in her seat to look at Cerise. "Excuse me, madam. Can't you see some of us are trying to read?" She gives her a dour look, but it's fading into a smirk fast.

[cherrypicked]

It wasn't like Lady Cerise didn't know that she has stopped next to Jolie, an outfit like that it would hardly be something she could miss, really. Though she does raise an eyebrow at being called madam, but then just looks a little bit closer at Jolie. Focusing on her eyes.

"An awful lot of lines there to be using that word on me, don't you think, Grapefruit?"

As her drink arrives, Lady Cerise picks it up and takes a drink, giving the kindle a look. She can't see what's written but she knows a lot of text when she sees it.

"Read? What are you reading?"

[reallynow]

"Well, if the boot fits.." She trails off innocently with a gentle shrug of her shoulders. Cerise knows how to piss her off, which is why Grapefruit annoys her every time. But she can play that game too.

"Don't sound so surprised, girl..." She gives her a sidelong, accusatory look for the question. Finally, she relents and reveals the words, even though the book isn't identifiable from the exert. "I'm researching. I got all these weird past people and I ain't got a clue what to do with 'em. They don't even know what toasters are." There's a hint of genuine despair in her tone, this shit is annoying.

[cherrypicked]

"Just because the boot fits, dear doesn't mean they can't be exchanged for something a little smoother and more flattering for ones figure."

Lady Cerise comes back with acting like she's talking to herself more than replying to Jolie as she swirls her drink. As the text is revealed Lady Cerise leans in to give a glance to some of the lines presented on the kindle. Her tone and pacing changes from dry and critical, to calm and slow paced, like she's telling a story to her grandchildren.

"Oh, I know what you mean. It's almost endearing how something as simple as a light switch can throw some of our precious mandarins. Like watching a fully grown baby. Really it's one of the few plus sides of having people brought here from other worlds."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Look, Mindy wasn't always a total bitch. Believe it or not, there were actually times Mindy could be pretty nice, and when she saw some poor old lady with an armful of crap trying to get around, she wasn't going to just look away at letting some lady break her back. Naturally, she offered to help, and now had an arms worth of stuff.
It wasn't heavy to her (thank you training room) but Mindy still was pretty short.

"Where did you say that you lived again?"

[whatisay]

The idea of getting any of his Tributes a gift is something that Jason wouldn't consider even if it were a time-proven method of getting them to perform better. As far as he's concerned, don't no one get anything for free, and that includes his petulant, uncooperative brats of charges. He's aware that Lady Cerise differs with him on this opinion - as well as many other key factors, he's sure - but he's not about to change his ways. The world can come to its senses before he'll reduce himself to groveling for his Tribute's amiability.

He knows Cerise, although they never spoke much back when he was an Escort for Ten over a decade ago. She always struck him as not even someone worthy of ire, but as someone so completely different to him as to be entirely alien, beyond his understanding. If anything he rankles at being so baffled, because he can't latch on to anything about her to hate aside from how foreign everything about her is to Jason's habits and opinions.

When they end up in the elevator together, he doesn't offer to help her.

"Think you spent enough spoiling your charges?"

[cherrypicked]

"Oh, well I could have gotten more, but I have some new little Kiwi fruits. It makes buying something to their quaint little tastes so much harder, you know how it..."

She pauses and glances at Jason giving him a slow appraising look, before sighing a little woefully.

"Well you would know, if you were ever learn what friendly is, pineapple." Then she just gives a dismissive wave. "OH, but I'm sure you'll be able to find something to be cheerful about the second time around."

She gives him a sweet and playful little smile. Lady Cerise always knew he was never really a cheerful person and rumours and public records about him make that obvious as to why. However, Lady Cerise was so very sure that all he needed really was some more positive things to happen to him for that to happen. Of course she did have a needlessly overblown sense of optimism.

[whatisay]

"Well, I can imagine it's harder to shop for people you don't know." Granted, Jason's never actually shopped for anyone's gifts in his entire life. Avoxes have done that for him, and the gifts have always tended to be impersonal and businesslike.

His lips twitch upwards a bit at Cerise's smile, but it's only scraping the bare minimum of politeness. They're antithetical in this elevator, one bubbly and warm, the other cold and only shy of rude.

"'Pineapple', though. That's a new one. Are you just choosing fruits at random?"

[cherrypicked]

"Oh, you know how it is when talking about groups, sometimes you just have to make things up. After all! We can't all be grapes now, can we?"

While she can't exactly flourish both of her hands with all her bags, she does at least manage a cheery hand wave with the same hand that dismissed him earlier.

"However, Pineapple is just for you. Because you're so very prickly and unappetising, dear." Lady Cerise let's her head wobble sadly, before she beams again at him. "But once we've freed you from you oppressive coating and soak you in juice I'm sure you'll be an absolute sweetness."

d4 suites

[somethingprecious]

Bilbo hadn't slept. The time between arriving back to the world of the living and finding himself at his room in the district suites was a blank memory. The feeling of being ripped apart and dying with only the sounds of creatures eating and his own screaming rang permanent in his ears. Closing his eyes only brought back the images of his last few moments alive in the arena and so he simply decided not to close them at all. If he passed out into a dreamless sleep then all the better for him!

When he hears the commotion in the common area Bilbo very nearly ignores it out of burning hot spite, so angry and frustrated beyond imagination at everything that had happened so far... but it fizzles out almost as soon as it appears, leaving a pitiful ember glowing tartly in the pit of his stomach. It just simply isn't in him to be rude to someone he doesn't know (yet), as much as he wishes he could be.

So Bilbo steps outside after trying to make himself presentable. The clothes he has are tailored to fit him and not a child which is a definite plus. Just a simple cream colored button up shirt and brown trousers that come a little too far down for his tastes, but there's not much he can do about it now.

She doesn't notice him right away as he slips off to the side, curiously watching her raid the fridge with an energy he's only seen in his cousins during a party planning. After a moment when she turns back around he clears his throat.

"Ah- Excuse me?"

[cherrypicked]

Lady Cerise starts when she hears the voice clearing and looks around looking very surprised until her eyes rest on Bilbo, and puts a hand to her chest and sighs.

"Oh, my! I didn't think you were the kind to go around scaring old women, my little kumquat."

Shaking her head a little she pulls out the juice and pours herself a drink.

"Would you like one too, dear?"

[somethingprecious]

He blinks at the pet name, unsure of what it could mean, but settles on learning its meaning for another day. He was only thankful she hadn't called him halfling.

Bilbo shakes his head at her offer, a small smile pulling at his lips out of politeness and speaks quietly. "Oh... No, I'm quite alright. Thank you." Glancing away he twists his hands with barely concealed nerves in front of him. "I was wondering- Well, I'd like to know if there was anything planned for today."

Shopping District

[wizardplease]

Haruto is out window shopping to distract himself from... well... there are a lot of things that one needs distracting from after coming back from an arena. He doesn't dare spend any money, knowing that they'll want it back from him later, but helping some poor overburdened old woman? That is totally something that he can go and do.

"Excuse me. Here. Let me help?" He sweeps in with a kind smile on his face, and gives a moment of pause so that she can shoo him away if needed. But only a moment, and then his arms are full of bags and he's momentarily straining under the surprising weight. "...it's been a busy shopping day, has it?"

A closer look at the woman suddenly reminds him of the owner of his favorite donut cart, back in Tokyo. (It might be the hair. It's probably the hair.)

[cherrypicked]

When she hears the offer of help, Lady Cerise beams up at the young man, sighing at him in what sounds to be a triumphant way.

"OH! You sweet, and dear little thing." She begins as she holds up her arms a little so he can take some, if not all of her bags. "You truly are a credit to your age bracket, and that is saying something I'm afraid. But yes! You are right. I've just had to come out today and spoil my fruit salad of a district you see."

She gives him a giddy little smile, as one of her biggest loves is spoiling people.

[wizardplease]

Haruto shrugs beneath the bags and puts on a humble smile. "Aaah, it's nothing..." Were people around here so caught up in themselves that they wouldn't stop to help a poor overburdened old woman? He wouldn't doubt it. His opinion of the average capitol citizen wasn't very high.

"...Oh? Your district?" And then it clicks, and his smile wavers a moment. "You're... you're working for The Games?" That almost sounds like an accusation, he realizes, and he's quick to cough, shift his grip on things, and add, "What district?" Probably not 11. Probably? Probably not.