etcircenses: (Default)
Panem Events ([personal profile] etcircenses) wrote in [community profile] thecapitol2016-02-10 08:41 pm

A Bloody Valentine: Dance Auction!

Who| Everyone in the Capitol!
What| Dance auction!
Where| The top of the Romulus Hotel in the Capitol
When| February 14th, in the evening
Warnings/Notes| None at the moment

It's the Valentines day gala come again, and moreover, it's been over two months since Capitolites have gotten to get up close and personal with their favorite Tributes. With all the curfews and restrictions and fear suddenly cropping up, everyone's due for a little time on the town. And you, the lucky soldiers (and hostages), get to take the briefest of breaks from the battlefield and get away from the Detainment Center for a few hours.

There is a catch however. Two. The first thing is that there can be no mention of war whatsoever to the Capitolites. None. Talk of war will result in talk of execution. Your execution. The second catch is that a number of you have been signed up for dancing auction! You will be expected to dance with your assigned partners (some people may buy dances for an offworlder to dance with another offworlder!), be respectful, and at least slightly enjoyable. Most of all, you are to be a distraction. These people cannot know there is a war going on.

Some years ago, a similar dance auction was held. On top of the tallest hotel in the center of the Capitol, there's just as much scuffle as back then to fit into the elevators, maybe even more so after the long absence of Tributes. Just as back then, the sky has been artificially cleared of clouds, with more stars projected upward in their place. It's chilly out here in the early month of February, but the very floor has been set up with a heating system, keeping the rooftop nice and cozy. The Games are aired and the narrators are nostalgic.

There's something tense about the party. Everyone is smiling too hard, trying their best not to seem nervous or cast too many side-glances over unspoken worries. Small talk is taken up with intense gusto, everyone more eager than ever to forget all worries and woes. What lies are told about what the Tributes have really been up to in their absences are swallowed entirely.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a booming female voice announces from nowhere, "Celebrus Magazine, in conjunction with The Romulus Hotel, are delighted to host the third annual Hunger Games Dance Auction for charity! As a matter of decorum, let us remind you of some ground rules. A guest's actions reflects on the hotel, and the Romulus reserves the right to remove anyone in any position of authority from the premises for any reason, including going beyond the boundaries of a dance auction. Any unseemly, fraudulent or presumptive action on the part of the guests will lead to their immediate dismissal. These Tributes volunteered for charity, and their wishes should be respected.

"You may bid as much as you like, on however many Tributes you like, but please don't promise more assi than you have on-hand. All donations will be taken at the time the winning bidder is announced. Get excited, but don't get too excited!

"And now… may the bidding begin!"

At no point does Celebrus Magazine indicate what sort of charity any of the money generated is going towards. It will be a good hour and a half before the bidding closes and the pairs are announced. In the mean time, everyone is welcome to mingle. And... should a few people slip away from the party for a little while, using the crowd to hide themselves, well, who would really notice? Be sharp and keep low and you may just get away with it. The rest of you may just have a new meaning to the job of being a distraction.
porcelainandsteel: (The girl under the mask)

[personal profile] porcelainandsteel 2016-03-24 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Sansa laughs at that, squeezing her friend's arm. "It isn't so hard," she assures Luna, with an air of some confidence. "You just need to try not to think about it too hard. If you start staring at your feet, you start tripping on them."

Of course, she's coming at this from the perspective of a highborn lady who learnt to dance almost as soon as she could walk, but that isn't the point. The point is that shyness in Luna's smile, and the attempt to stop her from worrying.
didnothing: (are you talking about another history?)

[personal profile] didnothing 2016-03-28 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
"Really?" Despite what Sansa's said, Luna can't help but glance down at her feet. She's still feeling a little self-conscious about her lack of experience, but the reassurance does help a little. Maybe whoever she ends up dancing with will be as kind as Sansa, too. (They probably won't, but it's nice to hope.)

"I wish there were more time," she admits. "I'd ask you to teach me a little, if I could." She supposes that technically it could work here and now, but in the middle of a public party hardly seems like an appropriate place to start learning how to dance.
porcelainandsteel: (Warmth under the armour)

[personal profile] porcelainandsteel 2016-03-30 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Sansa smiles, shaking her head. "I ought to have offered sooner," she says, apologetically. "If you like, though, I could teach you a little of it after tonight? It isn't as though this is the last party you'll attend, after all."
didnothing: (I've fallen for you all over again!)

[personal profile] didnothing 2016-04-06 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks to the war Luna's honestly not sure how many parties there will be, but the idea of lessons is promising and it's enough for her to brighten up. "That would be wonderful. And you didn't need to offer. I wouldn't have had the opportunity, anyway." She rubs her arm self-consciously, very mindful of the fact that she'd spent over a week in total with it dead at her side until recently. Thank goodness for Sigma, at least.
porcelainandsteel: (Warmth under the armour)

[personal profile] porcelainandsteel 2016-04-06 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"I suppose not. You must have been very busy." It's an automatic response, really, parroted off without thinking about Luna's circumstances too hard. She smiles, brushes that aside, and reaches for a pastry from the snack table. "But I'd love to teach you! I'm sure you'll be a beautiful dancer."
didnothing: (you could say it'll have a starring role)

[personal profile] didnothing 2016-04-12 06:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Do you think so?" Luna imagines herself dancing with someone - an unknown imaginary suitor, perhaps - and thinks that it sounds really quite romantic that way. And she's always enjoyed a good romance, of course. "Maybe we can try sometime soon, then. If we can find a place, that is." She doesn't really know where to go, or how to go about it. Technically she's allowed to leave the Detention Center so long as it's not in attempted escape, but in practice she hasn't gone out for leisure since before the war.
porcelainandsteel: (Soft words)

[personal profile] porcelainandsteel 2016-04-14 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"We'll find a place," Sansa promises, with a smile. "It's a big city. There'll be somewhere." She clasps Luna's arm, resting her head companionably against the other girl's shoulder for a moment.
didnothing: (happiness is closer than you think)

Wind down?

[personal profile] didnothing 2016-05-14 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
Luna relaxes a little when Sansa leans against her - she trusts her, and she believes the girl when she says things will work out. It'll be nice, she thinks, if they make it work. "Right...thank you, Sansa. I'm looking forward to learning from you."