Oh, this is the night and the heavens are right on this lovely Bella Notte

[etcircenses]

Who| Everyone who signed up for blind dating!
What| An evening of romance, or disaster, take your pick.
Where| The Swift Cut restaurant
When| 16th June
Warnings/Notes| The course of true love never did run smooth. Remember that if your character was not rolled in arena but you signed up for them to be here, you will need to mark their death on fatality reporting.

The atmosphere at the Swift Cut this evening is bustling. It's clear from the moment one enters the restaurant that they have pulled all the stops out for this televised extravaganza.

Every fire is lit and the air is filled with the scent of the roasting meat on spits over the flames; boar, beef, pork, venison and more. Pots bubble with the smell of hot stew, vegetables are being roasted in ovens and from giant casks around the room beer is being drawn. The staff are in full 'barbarian' getup, consisting of skimpy furs on both the male and the female servers but luckily for you they don't seem to expect a similar dress code from their guests.

Tribute's stylists may have had other ideas, of course.

The giant room has been clearly divided. Tribute's will find themselves directed to one side while trueborn citizens of Panem and petitioned out individuals are brought to the other. It is left up to them to find their table with the number they will be handed upon entering the restaurant. Whether they are the first to arrive at their table is a matter of chance but they can be sure that a cameraman will always be there to capture the moment of realisation on both participants faces when they realise who their date is.

Once everyone is seated the music will begin the play. Minstrels strum lutes and harps, their voices filling the air softly with traditional medieval ballads. There is a space set aside for dancing if anyone is in the mood.

Throughout the evening, and certainly at the end, Tribute's and Capitolites will find themselves sporadically approached by the show host to be asked questions about how they feel the evening is going. It's up to them how honestly they answer, though they should remember the camera's are always watching.

Comments

[lex_paciferat]

"Oh, boy. There were a lot of them over the years, especially in the districts that in the past hadn't been as closely policed. Every so often I hear from one of my old buddies that's still deployed out there, and the day-to-day work sounds about the same as it was." He doesn't mention any specific district names, not wanting to pinpoint any one as a problem. "I've got to admit, it wasn't always that exciting of a job. In fact, 'exciting' usually meant bad news, as far as we were concerned. But there were a lot of good times, and a lot of camaraderie."

[contrarianlibrarian]

"Camaraderie." She nods her understanding. "No friendships like the fire-forged, they say. It's sweet that you keep in touch with them."

There's no hint of condescension when she says that and that's not only because of her acting. While the idea doesn't appeal to her at all, she won't necessarily look down on others for keeping their friends close. You never knew when you might need someone.

[lex_paciferat]

"I try. It can be tough tracking them down, especially since some of those outposts are in pretty rural areas. Hell, we didn't even have reliable phone service in Eleven most of the time." As soon as the words leave his mouth, he shrugs and smiles to soften the potential insult, as though to say isn't that something? how foreign, huh? "Letters usually get through, though. There's a lot of business correspondence still being done that way."

[contrarianlibrarian]

Both of her eyebrows raise. "I can only imagine the inconvenience--to your friends and their fellows as well as the permanent residents."

"The ability to adapt and make do never ceases to astound me."

Could she weather the same? She barely entertains the notion before dismissing it; no, likely not. And doesn't she deserve better, anyway?

[lex_paciferat]

"Mm-hm. I've seen a lot of districters manage a lot with relatively little, and I give them credit for that. We've got some quality people out there, civilians and peacekeepers."

Districters, said as though he isn't one--it's less intentional than unconscious, borne of years of travel and distance. He has no real ties to Two, not with the dysfunction of his family and the time he's spent elsewhere. He wouldn't fancy himself a capitolite, but doesn't feel like he quite falls into the opposing category, either. Perhaps, in terms of personal identity, he's somewhere in between.

"And plenty of quality people here too, of course," he adds with a grin.

[contrarianlibrarian]

China can think of a few capitolites who would be offended by his use of the term, chafing at any implication that he would be different from his fellows and thus seeing himself at their level. That reaction would be just absurd, thinks the woman who arbitrarily considers herself everyone's superior without a hint of irony.

She smiles warmly. "We need them."

For all her efforts to maintain the appearance of a pleasant soul, she can't resist joking around a moment. She leans forward, eyes wide with feigned surprise. "Here? Do you speak truly? Could you tell me where these hidden treasures are?"

[lex_paciferat]

Quintus laughs, checks to make sure that they're not currently being scrutinized by a camera, and quips, "I might have one of them in front of me."

[contrarianlibrarian]

What does China like better than flirting? The list is awfully short. Were she not the type to keep her true emotions under lock and key, she'd be purring right now. As it is, she flashes him one more smile before she dips her head.

"I regret to inform you that flattery will get you absolutely..." She pauses just for effect. "...everywhere. You've just flung open the gates to my heart, Quintus."

[lex_paciferat]

That pulls another laugh from him, and he's thankful for the timely return of the waiter with their drinks, as it gives him reason to avert his gaze and busy himself with his glass. It's been a while since he's really flirted with anyone, however casually, and he can't help but feel a tad awkward about it.

"Have I," he says when they're alone again, steeling himself with a sip. "Then I guess I'll go ahead and add that you look great in that dress. It's a nice alternative to the crazy themed stuff."

[contrarianlibrarian]

She bats her eyelashes and flashes her teeth in amusement. “Don’t I? I’m ever so glad you noticed.” Well, if he seems friendly enough to flirt, she decides they’re comfortable enough for her to let her ego off the leash a bit. “Crazy may draw the eye in the short-term, but class gives eternally.”

Pausing briefly, she attends to her drink. “While we’re on the topic… I suppose I shall reflect on my good fortune. Paired with someone who is not only looking stunning and dashing, but also speaking in a voice that could be music.”

Subtlety? Not here.

[lex_paciferat]

Quintus can feel the flush rise in his cheeks, and his eyes flick around nervously, as though expecting a camera to be shoved in front of him at any moment.

"Haven't gotten that one before," he says, smiling in embarrassment as he rests his face in his hand. "You really like my voice that much? I know I've still got a bit of a Districter accent going on."

[contrarianlibrarian]

"Such a thing should hardly be a detriment." She clucks her tongue playfully, still smiling.

Because he seems the type to appreciate compliments beyond the surface, she hazards another one before dipping back into her drink. "I find the content just as sweet as the sound, of course."

The vapidness of many Capitol conversations is a criticism she's been dancing closer and closer to voicing lately. That her suffering through such conversations is often due to her own efforts at flattery and manipulation, she doesn't blame at all.

[lex_paciferat]

"What can I say, you're good at bringing out my stories." His smile becomes a slightly more comfortable smirk. "And asking smart questions. Some of the stuff I've gotten--'they have parties out there?' 'couldn't you just shoot those troublemakers?' 'why were those kids freezing? couldn't they just turn the heat up?' Almost says more about the people here than it does the Districts."

[contrarianlibrarian]

She covers her mouth with her hand, but a laugh still rings out. "My goodness. And I imagine responding politely to those can be just as much a challenge as the rest of your job."

"I'd hardly call her a sympathizer, but my grandmother did her best to ensure she was as aware as she could be." Which wasn't always much, in this nation, but Grandmother Sorrows wasn't entirely without resources. "A pity she was never able to meet you."

[lex_paciferat]

He laughs too. "Things you learn through being a Peacekeeper--how to keep calm while dealing with idiots.

"Good for her. There's a lot of people that I think just get all comfortable in their own nice little corner of the world and don't want to peek outside of it, and they're really missing out." He wipes some of the condensation from the side of his glass. "Have you ever been on one of the district tours, or vacationed out there? I can't remember whether I ever asked."

[contrarianlibrarian]

"It's a valuable skill to have." Considering how many idiots there were in the world--it just wouldn't do to be constantly agitated because of them.

"I wasn't able to visit as much as I might have liked, but yes. I saw 11 when I was young, as well as a bit of 1."

[lex_paciferat]

"Oh yeah? It's been years since I was in One," he recalls. "My father was a retired Peacekeeper with some travel permits so I made a few trips there with my family when I was a kid. We used to go hiking and sledding and poke into all the little tourist shops. It was fun."

[contrarianlibrarian]

She smiles, imagining the memory. "It's a beautiful place, isn't it? Some of the things their craftspeople can do are amazing."

"Of course, I've heard great things about District Two as well. Leonidas was telling me all about some of the beautiful touches put on the buildings--I would love to see them someday."

[lex_paciferat]

"Too bad I can't get a bunch of those permits and run my own tours. Haven't been in Two since...when I was getting my surgeries done, probably, but I'm sure it hasn't changed that much. I'd take you through downtown and show you the best restaurants."

With a grin, he adds, "There wasn't much to it, but we also had a library."

[contrarianlibrarian]

She laughs. "That sounds like it would be marvelous."

Something like a grin lights up her face, though China tends to pride herself on not being the type to offer such a childish expression so readily. "Did you? What did it have? Some books on the history and culture of the area, I hope, but what else?"

There's something to be said for little libraries in niche places--once you sift through the dirt, there are always some gems.

[lex_paciferat]

"It had some good fiction. I used to read lots of crime and adventure stories--growing up, I went for this series about a group of boys unraveling mysteries. When I was recovering I found this book called The Backwoods which was about a group of Districters who get stranded in the wilderness in the middle of winter after their truck breaks down. It's told from the viewpoint of these Peacekeepers sent to find them, and when they get there--"

He stops himself. "I won't spoil it, but it's pretty disturbing. Not the happiest story ever, but really interesting."

[contrarianlibrarian]

She raises an eyebrow, smiling. "And it's from those books that Quintus the man was formed, hmm?"

Appreciatively, she nods. "Not everything needs a happy end." Though perhaps his qualifier is necessary considering how Capitolites tend to try to inject happy endings even into their bloodsports. They claim everyone is playing nicely even as they demand reparations, and they claim to honor and adore their Victors even though they're the ones who put the child through hell.

“I would love to see these books someday. They sound rather more fascinating than some of the fiction I carry." The cheesy romance novels cover quite a lot of ground but run rather short on literary merit, in her opinion.

[lex_paciferat]

"I guess. Though I never thought of myself as that adventurous."

He glances aside as the waiter returns with a platter of meat and bread to share, thanking him as he hands a plate across to China and fills one for himself. "I should check and see what I've got at home. I have a handful of books I brought in from the Districts but I think they're mostly nonfiction."

[contrarianlibrarian]

"At the least, you must consider yourself courageous. Adventurousness is merely an extension of that, so forgive those who conflate them." China would add that the latter tends to have a healthy dash of foolishness, and she wouldn't accuse him of that.

She accepts the plate with murmured thanks. She's careful in her selection, only taking the few pieces that don't seem to have much smell and that won't get stuck in her teeth. One does have to be careful.

"Nonfiction is even more my style. On what topics do you tend to read? Please tell me you'll occasionally dabble in something that isn't for work, as fascinating at that must be." She smiles gently--but, seriously, Quintus, you need a break.

[lex_paciferat]

"I've got books on the history of different technologies that aren't exactly work-related," he says in mock defensiveness. "There's a really interesting one about how a lot of the surveillance and security tech we have was developed in response to the needs of the Arenas. I also read biographies and--what'd you call disaster stories, I guess? Though I'm never sure how much I believe them when it's easy for the good guys to put things back together."