Staffer's Retreat

[whatisay]

WHO| Every Escort, Stylist and Mentor. Any Capitolites or Peacekeepers who might have reason to oversee or visit.
WHAT| A professional retreat for the overworked, underpaid, and super underappreciated Tribute Care Teams.
WHERE| A chalet in District One, easily accessible by train.
WHEN| Before the next death roll.
WARNINGS| Typical Capitolites being entitled asshats.
NOTES| I've put up some subthreads for various activities, if you want to add more just do so under the appropriate day subheader!

Staffer's Retreat. Mandatory. The teams for each District are given a handful of days to prepare for the weekend, which, they're told, is going to be scheduled for a weekend with no big shake-ups in the Arena and perfect weather for outdoor activities. On Friday morning, they're taken by train to a small chalet tucked into a mountainside. A few inches of snow covers the ground but the sky is clear, reflected in the beautiful lake at the base of the mountain.

Until Sunday evening, their days will be packed with "professional development". The schedule looks something like this:

Friday:
Icebreakers
Trust Falls
Hypothetical Scenarios: How to Be the First Person Chosen for a Bomb Shelter
Three-Legged Race
Self-Care Hour: Mandatory Yoga
Dinner
Breaking Down Stereotypes Workshop

Saturday:
Mandatory Mentor Group Therapy: PTSD is Not An Excuse
Mandatory Escort/Stylist Workshop: Building Trust with Your Tributes
Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training: Focus on Tribute/Mentor and Tribute/Escort Relationships
Lunch
Capture-the-Flag
Group Lego-Building
Dinner
12am Karaoke

Sunday:
5:30am Continental Breakfast
Compliment Circle
Journal Hour
Farewells

Comments

[milieus]

Jennifer certainly wasn't the strongest person in the room, but she was likely to be amongst the most willing to reach out and play catch, regardless of who was falling. As Emily prepared to fall backward, Jennifer prepared to catch her. Mentors, escorts, stylists... didn't matter. They were all working for the same goal now.

"Ready when you are," she said, waiting to play catch.

[conifer]

She swallows heavily, hoping to quell her nerves but still feeling them churning away inside her, then decides that the sooner she gets this over with the better. She had far worse injuries than falling like this in the Arena, after all. It was the image of all the Capitol faces looking down at her from her back on the floor that she was dreading.

Sighing, she closes her eyes and falls backward through the air, waiting either for pairs of arms or a hard floor to catch her.

[milieus]

Determined not to drop Emily, Jennifer braced herself for impact, arms giving a little once the other woman fell into her waiting embrace. To her credit, she didn't let Emily fall, though she wasn't strong enough to catch her without her nearly hitting the floor, but if one fell, the other would go down too. "Here we are! Safe and sound!"

[conifer]

Emily's a little jittery from the sudden rush of adrenaline on falling, though this is quickly displaced with the relief washing through her, as well as the surprise, that Jennifer had managed to catch her. She grips onto her arm as she steadies herself, half afraid that they're both going to end up in a heap on the floor.

"That was impressive."

[milieus]

Gently, Jennifer helped Emily to her feet again, steadying her with great care. How fitting it was, to have a pillar of the Capitol catching and caring for her District counterpart. Symbolic, really.

"It was nothing, really. You just needed a help up, that's all."

[conifer]

She straightens out the rumples in her clothes from where they'd twisted a little when Jennifer had caught her, feeling very glad to be on solid ground.

"Well, I promise I'll do the same."

[milieus]

Jennifer took that to heart, she really did, then she prepared to do her own trust fall. Assuming the spot where Emily had been previously, she glanced over her shoulder briefly to make sure Emily was in place.

[conifer]

Emily shifts her weight between her feet for a few seconds, making sure that she's as secure as possible and won't go tumbling over as soon as she has to support Jennifer's weight, then nods up at her, arms outstretched.