Open!

[contrarianlibrarian]

Who| China Sorrows and you!
What| Trying to acquire free labor and company, bringing gifts to District 11 Tributes, and creeping on Tower residents and the Arena
Where| Around the Tower, the District 11 Suite, and the Common Area
When| Week 5 and onward
Warnings/Notes| No warnings for now; if you’d like to set up another scenario, I’m open to anything

[All around the Tower]

Winding her way from the outside of the Tower to the elevators is China, a tall stack of books tucked under her chin. Though neither her body nor the stack waver an inch, suggesting she has everything under control, she approaches the first person she spots regardless.

With a bright but apologetic—not sheepish, though, she doesn’t do sheepish—China asks, “Excuse me. I hate to impose, but would you be willing to assist me with these?”

Why she doesn’t just ask an Avox may be one of the questions that springs to mind.

[District 11 Suite]

As Tributes return from the Arena, China’s stationed in the District 11 common area to meet them. She has herself sitting up perfectly straight on one of the couches, hands folded demurely on her lap. Spread out before her is a selection of books, enough so that there’s one for each Tribute and staff member in the District.

There’s a range of topics, from a book of tales about old Panem heroes with a cover verging on the garish to instructional texts on arts like flower arranging. Conspicuously absent from the pile are any factual accounts of history, politics, or warfare.

Inside each one is a small card on which is written, in flourished handwriting, “As thanks for your service to glorious Panem.” There’s the faintest hint of perfume on each one because China doesn’t like overdoing things. And perfume that nice gets expensive.

As anyone approaches the room—whether from outside the suite or their own room—she greets them with a soft smile, “Hello. Do you have a moment?”

[Common Area]

The Games are as enjoyable as ever, but now China watches with a new focus. As each Tribute appears on-screen, she writes something in elegantly looping hand in a tiny notebook. A clipboard would, of course, be much easier. But it just wouldn’t look quite as good; she’s an Escort, not some low-level administrator.

She does do this for every Tribute, so someone may see her jotting down notes on one of their charges or one of their friends.

They also might notice that her attention occasionally wanders from the Games to the other watchers; she doesn’t bother to hide it, though she politely refrains from making any notes on them.

Comments

District 11 Suite

[president_evil]

Wesker noticed her almost as soon as he left his suite - refurbished, spotless, but somehow still smelling faintly of smoke, so long after the fire. The back of the woman's glossy head was framed neatly in the arch of the hall above the spine of the couch. He would have had to have been willfully blind to have missed her.

He weighed for a moment whether or not to simply ignore her as he padded panther-like toward the common room, but decided finally to at least get a good look at her before he carried on with his day and circled around the couch to pass by her.

He liked to keep tabs on the comings and goings of the Suite.

Call it a hobby.

When she spoke, as if expecting him, peaked curiosity had him pausing, pale head canting slightly to one side.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes flicking down from behind his dark lenses to slip over the fan of books splayed across the table and back up to her face. An eyebrow rose. "Did we have an appointment?"

[contrarianlibrarian]

China wondered for a moment if she'd have to chase after him and was pleased when he stopped. She did detest having to chase, especially in these heels. Capitol-style, they were sleek in looks but awfully spindly when it came down to it.

She tilted her head to one side, nearly laughing. "Are you so strict you won't socialize without formalities?"

"I'm the new Escort for our District. I would simply like to meet you all."

She held her hand out to one of the seats near him, an open invitation to join but nothing that could be construed as a command. China tried to avoid such boldness if she could.

[president_evil]

"I am so busy," he replied without missing a beat, in a tone that someone unknowing might have tried to call humor. "And such things do, regrettably fall through the cracks from time to time. Though--" both eyebrow lifted then, the sharp edges of a smile - a mimicry of warmth - pulling at is mouth, "perhaps that will be less of an issue now."

Her predecessor had been harmless, but ultimately useless. It had been convenient when he'd wanted to make certain appointments disappear, but significantly less so when he goals to accomplish.

Pulling out his communicator - a sleek, gleaming thing far newer than given to a tribute - and tapped it with his thumb. Bumping a meeting at Peacekeeper HQ. (They were still scraping blood from the walls.) Slipping it back into his breast pocket, he deigned to sit. No less straight than she in the chair across the coffee table.

"Albert Wesker."

[contrarianlibrarian]

She nodded gratefully as he seated himself. "Thank you." And she appreciated that posture. Why anyone ever thought it was acceptable to slouch, she couldn't guess.

"China Sorrows. I'm absolutely charmed to meet you."

"I imagine we have quite a lot of business to discuss. First, though--" she swept her hand over the table to indicate the books before her, "would you care for a book? I brought them from my own library. I'd like to start things properly, you see."

And with all the goodwill she could get. She was not as unaware as she liked to pretend of the feelings of Districters and Off-worlders alike toward people like her.

[all over for book carrying?]

[lionhearted_victor]

Leonidas was taking a break from the Arena bloodshed. Overall, he had to admit, he would have to swallow his pride and praise his tributes where it was due. He expected to see Tributes and employees walk around, not a dangerously over-stacked pile of books. The D2 trainer stared for a moment, rather rude if he's honest, before he heard her call out for help.

"Ah sure, Miss," Leo answered her request, "Let me at some, you keep your balance."

This was a new Escort, huh?

please and thank you!

[contrarianlibrarian]

Rude? Perhaps, but China wouldn't dream of pointing it out. At least, not so long as she was getting what she wanted.

She leaned forward to let him at the top of the stack. Her voice effusive with gratitude, she replied, "Oh, you are a dear. Thank you."

"They're very precious, I would hate to trip with them."

[lionhearted_victor]

As Leo took some of the stack, he smiled, "Studying or researching something, Miss?" These were leatherbound and preserved, quite beautiful if taken in a structural light. "I don't think I've seen you around the tower...or maybe I've been that focused."

Mostly Column B, if he were to admit his workaholic nature.

D11 suite!

[a_minute_younger]

Gary pads out of his room in the early afternoon, still unwashed and in his pajamas. The pizza rolls in the freezer aren't going to leave if he takes his time waking up, Gary figures, and neither will the rest of the Capitol. As a matter of fact, following his most recent death, Gary would rather just let the Capitol do its own thing for a while. People have made him strangely wary these past few days out of the Arena; suddenly he feels keenly aware of a stranger's eyes boring holes into the back of his head, or the hushed voices of groups of Capitolites standing behind him. Checking over his shoulder is something he does regularly now. It's an odd feeling, one that Gary doesn't know how to define and one he certainly doesn't like.

Such feelings would explain why, when Gary comes wandering out into the common area on his way to the kitchen and China calls him, he spooks mid-yawn and nearly leaps back behind the wall. But she clearly doesn't mean him harm, her tone is friendly--so Gary recovers quickly, combing a hand through his unkempt hair and forcing a wide smile so he doesn't feel quite so ridiculous.

"Uh--yeah! Yeah, I'm free." Gary gives a nervous chuckle and slinks around the couch. "What's up?"

[contrarianlibrarian]

China wouldn't be caught dead looking so disheveled; she did her best to wake up looking near presentable and wouldn't leave her room until she looked better than presentable. Not a hair out of place and definitely not without her makeup.

Still, though she's already slightly concerned for his apparent disregard for appearances, she doesn't let her face show any surprise. Her expression stays locked in that smile--friendly or unsettling, depending on how you look at it.

Her face brightens even more as he approaches. "Hello, Mr. Epps. I don't believe you've met me before, but I certainly know you. You had a wonderful performance this past Arena."

There's no hint of derision or irony; the compliment is perfectly genuine. Or she makes it look and sound like it is, and she's had a lot of practice with that.

"I'll be the Escort for our District, so I'd like for us to get acquainted."

[a_minute_younger]

Gary chooses to view that unwavering smile as 'friendly,' because that option sounds much nicer than being unsettled and there's less cognitive dissonance with the compliments she's giving him. He takes them all in stride.

"I thought so myself," Gary preens. Thus emboldened, he takes this opportunity to flop onto the couch next to his guest and really get settled, and is about to make some crack or other about how he's at a disadvantage when she mentions why she's here. Or rather, what she is.

"...An Escort?" There's a moment of shock, and suddenly Gary is making a much more deliberate effort to brush his hair with his hands and straighten his conspicuously branded sleeping shirt. He doesn't pay attention to a lot of things, and their old Escort was barely around for Gary to remember, but he's been herded between locations and gotten enough passing snipes over his posture or clothing to understand what their job is. "I--I didn't know we got a new one! Hi!" He snaps out a hand for her to shake. "I guess you already know my name. What's yours?"

District 11 Suite

[wizardplease]

Haruto hadn't been back from the arena for very long, but was handling it better than his first time. Or at least handling it more productively. While his first recovery from the pain of death and despair had been spent by distracting himself with drink and parties and constant stimulation, this second one had motivated him to improve himself. There would be more arenas, ones where they weren't going to be nice enough to toss him some magic rings, and he needed to learn how to handle them without using magic as a crutch. So he had been spending a lot of time down in the training areas.

All that training works up a sweat, and all that sweating necessitates washing up. So when China finally has a chance to catch Haruto's attention, it's when he has just emerged from the bathroom after a shower. He has jogging pants and a t-shirt on, both clinging slightly damply to him, and his hair is still wet. "Huh?" He stops, doubles back, offers a careful and curious smile, and steps into the common area. "I've got a moment. You'd be...?"

He's been so busy with his own business that he hasn't realized that there was a new face around here.

[contrarianlibrarian]

She could make a sarcastic crack at apparently being very hard to notice, but refrains. That's not the image she wants to project and, besides, he seems nice enough.

"China Sorrows. And your new Escort."

She beckons to him to sit if he well, her arm airily waving at the chair facing her. "How do you do? I've been eager to meet you all."

Her bright smile and eyes suggest that the claim is nothing but truth. And it is, of course.

[wizardplease]

"Oh." He's still smiling, but now there's some uncertainty in his face and his posture. They had an Escort, now? Was this going to be good, or bad? He'd jokingly complained at the District 1 Escort about how he was feeling neglected up here near the top of the tower, a while back. This is what he gets for complaining, isn't it?

But he's not one to cringe away from an unexpected situation. He gives a nod, heads for the chair that China has indicated, and sits himself down. "We're a fun bunch. I can understand why you'd be excited." That's one way to describe the floor with the hyperactive guy that doesn't believe this is happening, the highwayman from fantasyland, a samba-dancing mom, two French guys, a sarcastic rock-whisperer, and a donut wizard. A pity that the guy that liked to draw orange dicks all over everything hadn't come back yet.

just off the elevator!

[aintyourdad]

Joel may be a murdering, torturing asshole, but he's also got a deeply ingrained - if a bit rough - sense of manners. Someone asks him something with enough kindness, enough politeness, and he might just do it, especially after a year or more in this place. His paranoia is still there, but it's faded, only rearing its head when things start to get genuinely suspicious.

And not wanting to ask the avoxes to do things for you? He doesn't consider that suspicious. The avoxes are creepy as hell.

"You startin' a lending library?" he asks, pausing and waving her over to take some of those books off her hands.

[contrarianlibrarian]

Her smile grows even brighter as she follows his gesture. She holds the stack up so he can take some books off the top. "Thank you so much. I was afraid I'd topple over with all of them."

She tilts her head at the suggestion. "What a lovely idea. I do have a library elsewhere in the city, but perhaps I should consider expanding." She likes to be selective about her clientele, though, "Are you a reader, then?"

He doesn't look like one, but her eager gaze doesn't suggest that she thinks such a thing. And, besides, people would surprise you.

[aintyourdad]

"Not really," Joel admits, grabbing a bunch of books and nodding at her to lead the way. "I bet a lot of the kids here would like a library, though."

Joel and kids. Ellie would've loved having access to a bunch of books.

[Tribute Center lounge/commons]

[whatisay]

Jason notices the books before he notices China. Books are one of those strangely divisive materials in the Capitol; some consider them a sign of wealth, the sort of thing to populate an estate with enough space for them, while others see them as the inferior, Districter version of electronic literature. Very little attention is actually paid to the contents, and although Jason does do the occasional reading, he doesn't know that he's ever seen someone carry so many of them at once.

When she asks him for help, he looks at her face, and after a moment places it among the panoply of acquaintances he held as a child, the other faces that filled the tedious dinner parties and boring fundraisers of his youth. He doesn't remember much about China or her brother, except that people joked that they were just as antisocial as he was, and as few adults suspected that Jason was setting some sort of trend as one of the older kids by being so withdrawn and sullen, which the Sorrows were following. The children all knew better, of course - the politics of child society are more complicated than a hierarchy of birth years.

After a moment, another memory rises up out of his subconscious like a koi in a pond, and he remembers that he didn't much like China. Thought she was a bit of a manipulative little bitch. Jason finishes the last of his seltzer water and drags from his oft-present electronic cigarette before answering her.

"Sorrows, you and I both know you know how to use an Avox." Jason reaches a hand up and snaps his fingers, flagging one down from the corner, smoke flowing down his upper lip.

[contrarianlibrarian]

Well, isn't this a blast from the past? China's distanced herself somewhat from the children of her parents' crowd, but she supposes it would be foolish to expect them to drop out of her life altogether.

That smile doesn't falter as she peers over the stack into Jason's face, quietly studying him. "If it isn't one of the famous Compson gentlemen."

As if his remark were just the height of humor, she cants her head and laughs. "And you and I both know that Avoxes aren't the best for conversation."

She smiles at the approaching Avox and flicks her wrist to shoo them away, "Aren't you now, dear?"

[whatisay]

"The last of the famous Compson gentlemen, since my brother's not quite a man anymore, if you catch my drift." Get it, because Benjy's been castrated, and Jason's awful. Get it.

He laughs too, then gestures for the Avox to stay.

"And I think we both know full well that I don't need to carry books to carry a conversation, so I don't see anything wrong with letting the Avoxes take your things for now." He won't be finagled into doing it for her, won't stand for feeling like she's trying to pull one over on him.

D11 Suite

[libertin]

Somehow, without him even realizing it, Courfeyrac became the most senior of the District 11 Tributes, having just died for the seventh time. It never got any easier to make that sacrifice, in fact, each time he died it seemed to cheapen his actual death back in Paris. But thinking about all of that made him angry, and what good was anger if he didn't have a plan? He'd taken his rage out on Grantaire in the Arena and accidentally killed his friend. God only knew what other evils he was capable of.

He'd returned to the Capitol again with little fanfare and sulked back to the District 11 suite with every intention of showering, changing, then disappearing to look after Max. She was back but she was in a different district now, so it would make it a little more difficult to get her old possessions back to her again. He'd kept as many of her belongings hidden away in his room, for the sake of memory. It seemed silly now that she was back and didn't know him at all. Still, he was compelled to return what was hers.

He was about to sneak into his room, quiet as a cat, when he noted the unfamiliar dark haired beauty sitting perfectly on the couch. Oh, but she was a fine one. In spite of his revived love(?) for Max, he found himself instantly charmed by the silent grace sitting quietly in the common area.

"Ah, but who might you be?" He asked, changing his course to meet her.

[contrarianlibrarian]

It's a relief when she sees him shift his destination and veer for the sitting area, but China does her best not to betray that with a change in posture or expression.

"Hello, dear." She smiles brightly as he draws closer, folding her hands over her knee. "I'm your new Escort; it's a pleasure to meet you."

She waves her hand at a nearby chair, "Would you care to take a seat? If you have the time, that is."

As pushy as she could be when she knew someone, China had learned over time that it was better to seem patient and flexible with people. At first.

[libertin]

A new escort? That was certainly unexpected. He'd been used to the ineffectual Cronus running things before. Perhaps this was a positive change for District 11's Tributes. Unlikely, but a man could dream.

He was rather in a hurry to get back down to see after Max, but he could hardly see the harm in taking a moment or two to visit with the woman who could provide him with so many benefits in the Arenas. So he gave a sharp smile and took a seat near to her.

"You must forgive my unkempt appearance. I've only just been revived and have yet to properly adjust my dress, you understand. Courfeyrac, at your service. And your name, my dear?"

Around the elevators

[drinkupmehearties]

Jack was on his own path to the elevators, swaggering in that wayward and unsteady way that was customary for the pirate, when the woman calls over to him. He comes to a somewhat smooth stop, apprising her with a lingering look, then offers out a pleasant smile that flashes with a hint of gold and silver.

"Of course, not imposing in the least, luv."

He approaches to take any of the books offered, tucking them within the crook of his arm. He's dressed in the new-and-freshly-laundered clothes that Swann has made him wear, and has managed to squeeze in an actual shower since reviving from the Arena. With all that said, the pirate now has his dreadlocks back and looks as if he's been stuffed into the wrong set of clothes. "Whereabouts are you headed."

[contrarianlibrarian]

Jack cuts quite an intriguing figure as he sails through the lobby, enough so that China's even more sure to try and take in every detail as she approaches him.

Her smile is full of relief and gratitude as he takes the books. "You're so kind, sir."

He does look wobbly, but... he's stayed upright so far, so the books will probably be safe. If not, they're definitely not among the most valuable in her collection.

"The District 11 floor, if you please."

[drinkupmehearties]

It's amazing the sort of miraculous feats Jack can accomplish, all while looking like he's about two seconds away from tipping over. That's not to say he's anywhere near graceful; if China had paid any attention to the Arena recaps, she most likely would've seen the not one, not two, but three times that Jack had either tripped and fallen on camera, or nearly done it.

And all those times the pirate had actually been (mostly) sober.

"Aye, District 11 it is." He swaggers his way towards the elevators, keeping pace with the woman in the meanwhile. He'd hated the weird contraptions when he'd first arrived -- they made no sense, were uncomfortably claustrophobic, and made lots of alarming noises -- but eventually Jack had become accustomed to using them to get around.

As he pushes the up button on the panel, the pirate inclines his head towards her. "As it is, what name could I put to such a lovely face?"