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

[lionhearted_victor]

"Oh? You still carry those relics? Why? Our tablets," he pointed to the one in his pocket, "They preserve the knowledge better than books have. It's allowed us to exist and remember the darker times."

Whatever warped sense of history that came with it. "Is it a niche of sorts?"

[contrarianlibrarian]

She smiled and looked away. "You call them relics and, to me, that implies a certain beauty. A tablet is a valuable tool, certainly, but a book is a cornucopia of sensation. The words and the covers are only the beginning--there's the scent, the feel of the paper, the sound of the pages... The experience simply cannot be replicated."

"It is a niche interest. But no less lovely for it."

It was China's niche and she liked it there.

[lionhearted_victor]

Leo smirked and asked, "May you guide me into such a novel experience?" Was it an attempt to be friendly? Or to see if China's words held any justification for keeping mold fodder?

"While your Tributes come along...or are you busy?"

[contrarianlibrarian]

'Novel' in a conversation about books. China wasn't sure if she wanted to go for a theatrical groan or a laugh, but she wound up not having to choose; his question surprised her enough to chase those thoughts from her head.

"Not at all. I'm still waiting on quite a few to settle in just yet."

And they could wait for her, if need be.

"So, certainly, I would be happy to."

[lionhearted_victor]

Oh, Leo's terrible at being a human being at times but it's even worse when he decides to use a pun or to. It just happened and he settled down onto the nearest chair. "All right then. I have 'The Art of Origami' for this experiment," he taunted good-naturedly, "Simple enough, and you'll get to rejoin your District in no time."

[contrarianlibrarian]

She followed him to the seats and eased down beside him.

"All I ask is that you be gentle with the binding."

She watched, interested to see what he'd do.

[lionhearted_victor]

Leo's first instinct is to flip through some of the pages in rapid succession, as he would on his tablet, sorry China. Before long, he began to hear the soft, soft crinkle of paper, causing him to pause.

"Hm, there's the auditory part," he murmured, mostly to himself. "Are these salvaged or is this your print?" the trainer asked in a professional manner, "You should donate these to the museum, otherwise."

[contrarianlibrarian]

"Isn't it lovely?"

She was prepared to try and go into extolling into the virtues of the book, and his question caught her off guard. She paused for a moment. "Anyone can visit them when they're in the library."

They weren't going to be there anymore, of course, but his was a question she'd rather dodge.

[lionhearted_victor]

The dodge about such a mundane question was immediately filed in Cora's mind, causing him to stop for a moment. How strange of her to dismiss her craft, her hobby like that, maybe a loss? Or a memory to be dismissed. "This looks leather-bound, hand-stitched. Probably from District 10..." he continued with the sense of touch. China was interesting.

[contrarianlibrarian]

She nodded along to his observations. "You're very astute. Have you considered going into the dealing business?"

Given his comment about donations, she imagined the answer would be no. The people in her field didn't tend to have that sense of civic duty.

[lionhearted_victor]

"Not really," Leo assured her, "I'm simply used to handling materials as a way to help my father in the business."

The last time someone tried to dupe Raphael Cora into buying subpar leather had ended in quite the stand-off between the merchant and the trainer. So Cora had a bit of a blood knight tendency, to rush into battle, much more if the bodyguard tried to intimidate the small family into accepting the deal. All was forgiven after two broken arms.

Back to the present, the trainer glossed his fingertips along the ink, "For being a book about hobbies, it's surprisingly well built. I wonder how well kept you have the fiction books?"

[contrarianlibrarian]

"It's a valuable skill to have, nonetheless." The better someone knew their way around materials, the easier time they would have cheating an untrained eye and ensuring they themselves were not cheated. A win-win.

She wraps an arm around her waist. "With our technology, I could hardly allow any of my books to fall into disrepair. You'll find they are all treated with the utmost care." Those were the words she used in her pitches, but she meant them. One of the few times China was genuine was when it came to her treasures.

[lionhearted_victor]

"Will you give the same care to your Tributes as you do your books?" Leo recognized that sincerity in her voice. He had a curiosity to see if she had taken the job as a past-time or an actual opportunity to advance politically. Escorts were a thankless job and even less with Offworlders.

[contrarianlibrarian]

"But of course." She was still doing her best at sounding as genuine as possible, but there was something missing. The hint of passion and love, perhaps, that she couldn't keep out of her voice when she spoke of her books.

China tried not to make it too plain, but she really didn't have the same regard for humans.

"They are important resources for Panem. They may serve a different purpose than my books, but they are valuable nonetheless."

Not a word about them being human too. She didn't feel like she had to pretend too much about being that kind when she was with other staff.

[lionhearted_victor]

That lack of passion would be noted in Leonidas' mental file with China's demeanor. So humans were in a lesser rank than her books...then again, as a librarian, she would be keen to consider them as mere clients, passerby visitors.

But it was the consideration of the Tributes as humans, Leo always had a struggle with that. "What a kind and apt description you have for them, 'resources'." Resources that rendered him and his potential Career Tributes a moot point.

[contrarianlibrarian]

"Would you disagree? The time and energy you invest in your own Tributes would preclude anyone from claiming the don't have value."

And in her mind, value wasn't inferred by merely being human. So resources it was.

But she knew that the Career Districts were hardly fond of the Off-worlders. And why wouldn't they be? It was one fewer jewel in their crown and it erased the purpose of countless hours invested in training. It was a blow to some of Panem's more loyal Districters.

[lionhearted_victor]

China would be spot-on towards Leo's feeling on the new Tributes. He wasn't fond of his own, save for those who have earned his respect. Even then, his resentment was evident, as his worth diminished with every new Tribute.

"I would not. They must earn their keep, their stay here. Some of these are not worth my time...and others have potential."

Yes, that was incredibly bitter of him.

[contrarianlibrarian]

She nodded. "It's sound logic. We invest quite a lot of resources into each one of them." And there were so many more than they'd had in years past.

"I would hope those with potential outweigh those without." She shook her head, disappointed. "But there are sayings about wishes and horses."

"I would hate to pry too much, so I won't ask which of yours have potential if you don't wish to answer."

[lionhearted_victor]

"I used to be in the two-per-Arena cycles, Reapings were much more competitive than they are now," the coach replied as he allowed himself to read some of the pages, indulging in the experience China had offered. There was a charm about it, nostalgic to a fault, almost like the librarian herself. Almost.

"I can answer that question just fine: Thor, Felicity and Jet. They're the most combat and Arena savvy of the Tributes, though I have hopes for this Cullen, if he's able to hold his alliances tight and push forward," Leo answered on the spot, proving that while he wasn't fond of the Tributes, he could name them on the spot and memorized each of their stats and kills.

"Luke is still too emotionally dependent on the other Tributes in his alliance, but there is something there. Might not be Victor material yet, but Clara Murphy and the Signless has proven the game is really about the last stretch."

In his mind, and according to Capitol protocol, those were compliments.

[contrarianlibrarian]

China's smile grew enough to show a glint of her teeth as he read. Even if she didn't secure a convert to the print format, she could relish watching someone indulge her.

She shook her head at the mention of the past Victors, as if still in disbelief. "I'm glad I don't bet on the Games, because I certainly would have wagered on neither of them. Those three of yours you mentioned, on the other hand..." An appreciative nod. "And I'm sure you can mold the others into shape as well."

[lionhearted_victor]

"I can only hope there's something to salvage and make due with what we've been given. Got any more books with...less mundane topics?" There is hope for Leo owning a printed book yet. Even if he just had it as a desk decoration, it would be interesting to partake in an almost symbolic activity of the days gone by.

He then looked to her, "Have you found any favorites on your end? You don't have to list them, but indulge me."

[contrarianlibrarian]

"I believe I have some in which you might be interested. A text on old fencing techniques, perhaps?" She raised an eyebrow and watched to gauge his interest. If he seemed amenable, the book would be out of her library and in his hands in mere days.

She paused to consider his question. "They're all sweet. How promising they are... I'm less schooled in matters of combat, so I can only speak of how they'll appeal to Sponsors. Coureyfac, Combeferre, and Milla are incredibly charming and polite--they should be no trouble."

Though Coureyfac had claimed he'd been falling out of favor. She aimed to fix that. "Haruto and Gary are more... childish. Cute, I suppose. And Thorongil can impress with his skill alone--he seems accustomed to similar affairs."

[lionhearted_victor]

"Ooh, haven't done that in a while, that would be lovely," Leo spoke without a drop of irony in him as he acknowledged the interest in the book. "The lessons may be out of date but they still hold a certain elegance about them."

The book would be his to treasure and maybe even regard as a resource in his time off. But to hear her opinion on her Tributes, it showed a willingness to work unlike other Escorts he's seen, even if most of her Tributes were more personality than combat. Friendly advice could go a long way here.

"Focus on those suited for battle, or that can adapt fast."

[contrarianlibrarian]

That prompted the ghost of an actual, genuine smile from her. "Perfect. I'll see it reaches your quarters as soon as I can make the arrangements." She made it sound grander than it was; really, all she had to do was search it out from the shelves and send it over.

"Only allocate the resources to those who will last long enough to use them?" She pressed her finger to her chin and nodded. "I see the logic, though I believe it's my job to try and give all of them a fighting chance."

But her tone didn't take on any air of scolding. She'd leave it up to him to figure out how serious she was about fulfilling that task.

[lionhearted_victor]

The gesture spoke more of China than the words she said: she took pride in her librarian work and cherished the printed word like a treasure. Cora had to admit, he was amused by it all, "I'll be waiting for its' arrival." A good history lesson never hurt anyone.

"Of course, you want to make sure your District wins, last Tribute standing, more so with the Arenas being so wildly unpredictable," Leo agreed only slightly with her, "But if I were a smart better, I'd go with the one who adapts the quickest. Sometimes the powerhouses end up losing miserably once the Game Makers throw in different variables."

Some of which would eventually decimate District 2 but that is neither here or there. Leonidas still carried the confidence of a man who knew a bet was closed.