thecapitol | Closed

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Who| Captain Jack Sparrow and China Sorrows
What| The promised drinks and dinner after their first meeting!
Where| Lux 4
When| Backdated to a few days before the Binding plot
Warnings/Notes| The flirting will probably be strong with this one.

There’s something about the quiet majesty of the sea creatures swimming above the diners that appeals to China. And, admittedly, also something kind of fun about eating a fish in front of said sea creatures—she’s never claimed to be entirely nice in her pleasures.

She’s already been seated at a quiet corner table with a good view of the entrance. Fitting with the character of the restaurant, she’s had her tattoos styled in the patterns and colors of coral, some color to balance out the black of her dress.

It’s not at all difficult to spot Jack when he enters the room. The Tributes are celebrities enough that they all kind of stand out, but there are definitely some who make themselves more visible than others. Whether consciously or not. Either way, she’d have to be blind to miss a pirate swaggering into a swanky Capitol restaurant.

She waves and calls out, “Jack.”

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There's no doubt, the pirate captain's presence is incredibly easy to notice. His old, ratty clothes had been taken away months ago, and the attempts he'd made to retrieve them from the Avoxes had ended with them eventually taken away again the more Jack insisted on wearing them. Which left, then, the clothes that his Stylist and Escort had procured for him, all of which were reminiscent of his previous style; a deep navy blue frock coat, complimented with a black waistcoat and subdued smoky gray shirt beneath it.

The one piece of his old outfit that Jack had been resolutely firm on keeping -- no matter what the cost -- was the faded tricorne hat. And even then it'd been washed and cleaned and made to look less worn and filthy than before.

He strides into the Lux adorned as such, scouting out the tables for China. Her voice immediately tunes him in to her location, and Jack swaggers in her direction to take a seat opposite of her and, as any gentleman would, place the hat atop his head to the side.

The place is quiet, hushed, and Jack takes a beat to marvel at the curve of clear glass above that separates them from the pleasantly blue water and the assortment of sea life that swim serenely overhead. Not a bad location, by any means, and Jack can appreciate her choice.

His gaze slides to China, then, and a half-smile perks onto the corner of his mouth. "Miss Sorrows. How does the day find you, luv?"

Her smile grows warmer at his courteous gesture--real gentlemen are so few and far between.

She leans back in her chair, looking as pleased as if she built the place herself. "Splendid. I can't tell if it's the lovely weather outside or the promise of lovely company."

She runs her fingers over the edge of one of the cloth napkins, ensuring that there's not a single misplaced stitch. "And how are you, sir? I hope this venue is to your tastes."

The smile on his face widens a bit further, displaying a few of those gold teeth in his mouth. "I find meself likewise. Perhaps even moreso, now that I've set my eyes on such beauty." He appears cheerful enough to match the statement.

"And you couldn't have made a finer choice." His hand softly sweeps to indicate the ambiance that surrounds them. "It's all a nice touch, I must say." A bit nostalgic for him, too, because it'd felt like years since he'd laid eyes on anything that resembled the sea; everything else in this horrid place was drowned in metal and glass and concrete and lights -- and flashy Capitolites to suit.

He slides the napkin down to his lap, and regards her. "So. How'd those books fair in your District?"

She copies his gesture with the napkin, noting the manners again with appreciation. "It is, isn't it? This has long been one of my favorite places in the Capitol."

'Long' being only about as long as it's been since he said he liked it.

Book talk. Could this get any more pleasant? "Better than how I would have imagined given some of the skepticism I encountered. I believe my tastes and those of my Tribute's may be just a little different."

She leans in. "One claims to prefer books with explosions. Tell me, have you heard of anyone enjoying such things?" Her tone is still light, as if she's making a joke.

But, seriously. Explosions? With all the decent literature out there? A travesty.

"Can't win 'em all, eh? But, either way, I'm glad that it was relatively well received."

He doesn't fault her Tributes for the skepticism; Capitolites were known for their frivolity and superficiality, as far as Jack was concerned. And the book titles he'd read, stashed in the pile she'd given him to hold, hadn't given him much confidence in the depth of Capitol literature.

Nonetheless, he'd humor her.

"Aye." A pause, then a flash of a smile. "But, with that said, I could see the appeal it'd have, for those without the proper experience of it." He'd be lying if the roar of a cannon and heart-racing seconds before boarding another ship didn't call to him on another, deeper level. But he'd lived enough of it to not particularly care for actually reading about it.

That he speaks of others without the experience makes her wonder, of course, if he's not one of those others.

She quirks an eyebrow. "Would you say you have the 'proper experience of it'? How did you come by that?"

She doesn't recall many explosions this past Arena, but it definitely seems as though many Tributes had rather adventurous lives before coming to the Capitol.

"Aye, just so. I've more experience, I wager, than most." He looks pleased by the interest, in some ways hoping it'd be impressive to her. Most people seemed to be fascinated by his backstory, particularly Capitolites.

"The captain title isn't for nothing, luv." Although why Jack insisted that people call him by it, where there wasn't even a body of water around this place much less a ship to call his own, was something Jack only knew. "I came by it by spending most of me life aboard ships, and having captained a great handful of them. It's dangerous work."

And this Capitolite won't be the exception to that rule. You don't meet many--or any, really--pirates in the Capitol, so her curiosity is flaring up.

She rests her fingertips on the tabletop as she leans in, her eyes widening slightly. "A real ship captain? Forgive my enthusiasm, but I've never met one of your status before. That must be quite the life."

"What dangers are there besides explosions?"

His mouth parts with a grin. "Ain't nothin' like it or the freedom it gives a man. Besides, you know -- " some hand waving, " -- the more unpleasant bits of it that come along. But I'd never dream of doin' anything else with me life as long as I live."

He'd been born into it, had live and breathed it nearly every single day, and in all his years Jack had never thought to do anything else with himself but sail on the sea.

He gives a light chuckle. "Could give you a list a mile long, honestly. But besides the dangers that come with battle -- bein' shot, stabbed, the like -- there'd be inherent peril in just sailing on the sea. Disease and sickness, with such close quarters. Starvation, if supplies run a touch too short, mutiny if a crew ain't happy with how their captain is conducting himself." There's a short flash of displeasure at the notion, but it disappears quickly.

"And, on the few occasions, coming across the mythical and otherwise supernatural. Mermaids, gods and goddess, sea monsters large enough to devour a man whole."

"Mutiny. My goodness." As a Capitolite, she can't show anything besides confusion and disapproval at that notion. She plays her part obligingly with the slight dropping of her jaw and the flutter of her palm over her mouth.

But, strange and terrible as the Capitol wants its citizens to think rebellion is, it's hardly the most interesting thing Jack is talking about.

"Mermaids?" She shakes her head, her tone gently chiding even as her eyes sparkle with interest. "Please, I may be unfamiliar with the sea, but don't use my ignorance to deceive me."

"Aye, terrible as it is, mutiny." His upper lip curls, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. He has more than enough reason to dislike the idea of it, even with his next words. "Sometimes, there's a sense and good reason for it. Sometimes not."

But then his grin widens at her disbelief, a sly look on his face. "I wouldn't lie to you, luv, would I? I've encountered them meself, a long time past, on the Isla Sirena. Beautiful creatures, those mermaids, but frighteningly deadly."

"Indeed." She notes it's interesting that a Tribute--not people she tends to think of as devoted to law and order--shares this opinion. "I could never imagine."

Her eyebrows both rise and she's unable to hide a smile. "Deadly? How?"

The juxtaposition of beauty and deadliness is endlessly fascinating to her, as it is with many of her ilk. It's something of an inevitability when your society worships the Victors of the Games and refuses to waste time looking at anything less than pretty.

It's a perfectly fine when Jack's on the right side of it. Not so much when he's the one being hauled off onto a dinghy -- a pistol to his face and the tip of a blade against his spine -- to be sent off to die alone on a deserted island, sans his damn ship.

"These mermaids," His hands settle atop of the table, fingers spread. "Beautiful beyond all measure, aye, with divine voices to match. But even so, a mermaid will promise a man that whichever he desires, perhaps merely a kiss, then -- " He clasps his fingers together, pulling one away from the table for dramatic effect. " -- snatch the man down and drag him to the depths to drown him an' feast on his flesh."

Her real feelings slip through for just a moment and she doesn't even try to look for a less creepy reaction to that description. The bright smile remains on her face and her wide eyes look almost wistful. "How marvelous."

Of all the strategies for murder, China has to say that one seems to have many pluses. Elegant and easy, it seems; some people are very vulnerable to temptation of that sort, she's learned.

"Have you seen this happen, by any chance? I imagine it could be quite terrifying up close."

Her reaction does give him momentary pause, eliciting the subtlest of eyebrow perks; most would find the idea of coming across mythical creatures like mermaids intriguing, certainly, but the rest of it -- the method of murder, tearing a man apart to devour him alive -- repulsive, or at least horrifying.

But Jack has to remind himself that she's a Capitolite. Her kind lived for nasty violence and death and viciousness. It was their primary method of entertainment.

"Once in me life, aye." He shakes his head. "Not a pretty sight an' it's a terrible way to go. But to resist the lure of a mermaid's song, that promise, that's a hard thing for a sailor."

Blood spatter and death cries were her entertainment from the youngest age, just as it was for all of her time and privilege. Her bloodthirst is one part of her persona as a good little Capitolite that isn't faked.

She nods slowly as she listens to the story. "Did any of them come after you yourself?"

She hopes he gets the hint of flattery behind her question--the thought that perhaps he could be one of those few with the mettle to survive a mermaid.

For someone who, most times, lives and breathes for other people's compliments, it's easy for Jack to ferret out the hint of flattery behind her words. So he's more than pleased to elaborate, to show her that yes, he was one of few that could go up against such monsters and come out on top.

"Oh, o' course. The creatures were bent on havin' me entire crew, including meself." He's propped his elbows onto the table, leaning into that space with his hands splayed. "I was strong enough to resist the temptation, as it happened, to resist the lure of that song, and placed myself in a position to negotiate the safety of meself and me crew."

China's an obliging audience, leaning forward over the table more as he continues. She nods every so often, eyes as wide open as her listening ears.

"You saved them all? Or, rather, those that remained. How did you do that? Those creatures sounded rather fierce--could a mere man best them in strength?"

Jack is, of course, enjoying the rapt attention, and illustrates his point with a tap of a finger against his temple. "Through strength of will, luv." And then quickly adds, "Though I'd no doubt best them if it'd come to arms. I resisted the sway of their song, something they'd never expected, an' offered a useless trinket -- what they'd believed to be treasure -- in exchange for the freedom and lives of all aboard. They took it and let us leave."

It's a story that Jack bends smoothly, without any clue that there's more to it; the mermaids had actually tricked him, deceiving him into thinking the stone he'd given them was nothing of interest. He hadn't realized until later that the stone had contained power and had value to it.

She claps at her hands at the cunning ruse. Despite herself, she can't help but wonder what kind of treasure it is that mermaids look for and that he would have on hand so readily. Her collector brain never quite turns off.

"And that all by yourself? I hope your crew gave you a good thank you--that sounds like a truly harrowing experience."

The clap provokes a wide grin from him. "All by me lonesome, aye. And for certain there was a lot to be celebrated, afterwards." And thankfully, the situation had turned out well and good for him in the end.

"It weren't the worst of what I'd experienced in my time at sea, treacherous as it was. But I'd be glad to never come across mermaids or their ilk again."

"They sound like the stuff of nightmares." Beautiful nightmares. China doesn't think there's anything wrong with being in or enjoying someone else's nightmares.

She raises an eyebrow high, willing to risk the possibility of wrinkles to accurately express her curiosity. Which says a lot about how interested she is. "I can hardly imagine anything much worse than that. Battling a creature who's even more at home in the water, yearns for your blood, and can completely beguile a crew?"

What she means is, tell me more, though she uses many more words to say it.

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