Just a little tea party - open to absolutely EVERYONE

[riptheseams]

It's not official, or anything. Not at all. But after her recent... experiences... Calico is determined to show anyone who cares to watch her that she can be a good mentor.

So she's set up a tea party in the park.

It's Calico, so it's fancy - and the poor Avoxes she had helping her cart it all down and set it all up certainly seem to think that she's gone a bit overboard for a simple picnic. Calico is studiously ignoring that... and ignoring that some of them had been imprisoned alongside her before now.

There are streamers - glittery, of course, hanging out of trees, and big paper lanterns, lit, quite unnecessarily in the bright sunlight, with battery operated candles. On the floor, rugs, edged in ribbons, and yet more sequins - and in one case, several feather boas - lie scattered, with cushions dumped haphazardly around as Calico grew more bored. A big old fashioned gramaphone is set up - but it's not the source of the music, as Cal has no records. Her little music player is tucked behind it, playing something she heard at the ballet once.

On the food side... well, the table looks gorgeous, decorated with garlands of fake flowers and glittered plates. A large vase of ostrich feathers takes centre stage. There are cupcakes scattered amongst the sequins, highly decorated, of course, and platters of biscuits and little dinky sandwiches with glittered toothpicks through them. Vintage style cups, jazzed up to go with the Capitol exuberance and Cal's own glittery enthusiasm, stand piled in their saucers - the poor avoxes are 'in charge' of the tea. But for those who want stronger, sparkling rose wine stands in buckets of ice and, for the kids, lemonade is ready and waiting.

To occupy the party, Cal's brought a couple of baskets of her scraps, a few half finished shawls and plenty of bangle things so that people can make their own to their taste - they are getting quite the hot commodity in the Capitol now. Threads and needles are available, and even a hot glue gun (operated by battery) stands ready to attach sequins and feathers and whatever else people fancy sticking on their designs.

Anyone and everyone is invited to come and chill - it's a chance to rewind after the Games, for Tributes and mentors and the stylists and the like - and a chance to meet the tributes for any Capitol citizen who fancies turning up. Come talk amongst yourselves, attempt a sponsor deal... or chill by yourself listening to the tinkling music and making some cloth jewellery.

Utterly exhausted (doesn't take much) with all of her planning and setting up, Cal grabs a frosted cupcake and sits down, on a rug with a sigh. After all of her effort, she hopes someone is blumming watching!

Comments

[savedbyasong]

Shion stood awkwardly on the edge of the tea party. His escort had brought him and in her usual style left him whilst she went to talk to her business associates, telling him not to embarrass himself, or her.

He picked up a bangle and stared at it, he had never done such things before, it was a little like art. Making things like this.

Like the crib and the clothes his father had made him as a child, the one's his mother had kept. Shion looked around at the tongueless people, at the lady eating a cupcake. It was like a nightmare, or a dream, twisted together the good and the bad.

He threaded the needle, not any different than a surgical needle really and stared at the materials.

[riptheseams]

"Y'alrigh', love?"

Calico had watched Shion arrive quite passively. She had no inclination at all, to go chat with his mentor, even if she was trying to be on her best behaviour. Still, the poor lad looked so confused, she couldn't help but grin. Putting down her cupcake, she moved over to him.

" You know what that is, right? It's a frame, for a bangle. And you can cover it in whatever you want, an' there are beads an' feathers an' junk over 'ere, as well. Like these, see?"

She thrust her own bangles under his nose. Cal was wearing seven, three on one arm and four on the other (she had never been the master of subtlety, especially when it came to pushing her own wears.) all in clashing colours and patterns.

"I'm Calico, by the way, love."
She looked to see if her name made an impression on Shion; it would be nice if it didn't, but Calico was more than aware that her little 'breakdowns', her 'binges' as the Capitol liked to call them, we well documented in gossip rags.

[savedbyasong]

Shion blinked, looking for a moment like a rabbit caught in headlights before he smiled and studied her bangles. "They're pretty." He said, looking at the frame again.

"I know. It's very nice to meet you, this tea party was a nice idea." He said with a smile. He had heard of her, though not through gossip. Just through what his escort had been telling him on the way, she had made her sound unstable and best to just be tolerated.

Shion had just nodded along, knowing he would judge for himself. After all if he believed everything his escort told him about himself he would not not like himself, well more than he already didn't.

"I'm Shion." He told her, likewise hoping she had no idea who he was. After all his only claim to fame so far had been being turned into a zombie and his blood thirsty shamble through the desert.

[riptheseams]

Luckily for Shion, Cal hadn't watched a single moment of these Games. Between being arrested and tortured and then trying to make a new - a safer - start, Cal had missed out probably on the most essential bit of the Games - actually watching it. Whoops.

"New 'ere then, love? Just been brought in for the last arena? How d'ya find it? Bit of a shock, innit? I 'ad a few of them in my District - new kinds, I mean - which one are you from?"

She grinned even wider at his compliments. "I make all my own stuff - unless its for proper parties, like. An' then I 'ave to wear what they want, same as you. But these - these are gonna be a fashion statement!"

And used to hide her District members' cuffs - how so many of them ended up on a watch-list... She shook her head at her pondering and grinned afresh.

[savedbyasong]

"I was brought just at the end of the last arena, but wasn't part of that one." He told her, "So it was my first, I'm district four." And no it hadn't been fun, not at all.

"If something is a fashion statement, that means everyone is wearing one right?" Fashion, popularity and popular culture are all alien concepts to Shion, though he is learning fast.

[riptheseams]

"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself, love?" How ridiculous did that sound? Enjoy himself in the middle of a fight to the death. If Cal wasn't on her best behaviour, she'd be rolling her eyes at herself for that one.

"I mean, it's good 'ere in the Capitol, anyway... and the death ain't permanent, so... yeah. Lemonade?"

Change of subject, change of subject so that no slip ups are made.

"Yeah, that's what a fashion statement is, love. Don't you 'ave them where you're from? The Capitol is ALL about fashion. That's what you are, even. Fashion. All you foreigners are!"

[savedbyasong]

"Oh... um yes please." It was easier to accept than refuse and much easier than trying to form an answer. He had gotten used to questions such as what his favorite thing about the arena had been.

"Not really, my city was more scientific and fashion or art at all was discouraged." He explained, and was silent a moment as he thought about the concept of him being fashion in of himself.

Dangerous, even to someone with little knowledge about fashion bar what his stylists told him every day. But even he had learned that fashion could very soon, and very quickly, go out of fashion.

Then what would happen to them?

He twisted a finger round his white hair and grinned lightly, "I'll use that next time my stylist tries to make me dye my hair."

[riptheseams]

"It's easier to just let them do i', you know? They're gonna do i' anyway, so you'll save time if you just do i', love. They've been dyin' my hair ginger since I were about seventeen - nearly ten years now."
Cal's fixed smile became more sympathetic, and she reached out to touch Shion's hair.

"You'll get used to i', love. You know, though, I think some of the Districts are dead scientific. I dunno much meself, like - my District were all about the cloth makin', an' the ribbons an' sequin bands an' the like - I reckon thats why I like the clothes - I were training to make these materials before I go' Reaped."

[savedbyasong]

His grin faded and he nodded, "Yeah, I guess." It was such a small thing to fight for, but that made him all the more determined. He let her touch his hair, not minding. Funny how he had once tried to hide it, and now he was fighting to keep it this colour.

It was important though, he had to remember why he fought, he had to remember his promises. "I guess some of them are, those that focus on technology." He nodded, he had done as much research as he could about the districts, and about the Games before those from other worlds were brought in.

"That's still science though." He explained, "How to get the different colours, the machines you use, everything like that is science and technology, so you probably know much more than you think, probably more than someone that learns science as a general subject, because you know the intricacies of one specific field."

He snapped his mouth shut, blushing as he realised he was babbling.

[riptheseams]

"I know how to sew sequins together, how to hem an' stuff. Use a sewin' machine. I never finished me trainin' on the big weavers an' stuff. 'S alrigh' though. Don't need to know everythin' about the cloth to make a dress. I'm alrigh' with the lazy way, love."

She laughed again. "You're really inter it, ain't yer? It's kinda sweet, love. Work on tha'. There are a lo' of sponsors knockin' about who appreciate a tribute who knows technology and stuff."

[savedbyasong]

He smiled softly, "The technology here far surpasses any I knew at home, I'd probably get lost trying to hold a conversation about it." Even if he was fascinated, he doubted anyone was going to tell him how the technology to bring them here worked, or how they brought them back from the dead.

[riptheseams]

"Then you can learn. They let you learn here, sweetie. 'T ain't all abou' the killin's, you know? They le' me go to art school. Now I make me own dresses. Jus' like I always wanted."

On the other hand... no. No, they wouldn't be sharing such technological secrets at all.

[savedbyasong]

"I'm glad that you got to fulfill your dream." He said softly with a smile. "And I hope I can learn much here, I've already read a lot of books. Books were all but banned where I come from, though in the last year I lived outside my city, with a friend who had many books. Still it was a tiny number to the amount I've seen here!"

[littlebylittle]

Ayase probably gravitated towards Shion because he looked as awkward as Ayase felt. He also had wanted to try his hand at making something, so getting nearer to the supplies wasn't a bad idea.

"Um," he said, when he saw Shion. "Do you mind if I join you?"

[savedbyasong]

Shion blinked at the boy as he approached and nodded with a small smile. "Yes, of course you can." He budged over a bit, to make his point, even if there hadf been room already.

[littlebylittle]

Ayase smiled at that. "Thank you," he said. "This looked like a lot of fun."

[savedbyasong]

Shion smiled back at him, thinking the boy was probably a tribute. And it was sort of nice to see one as awkward as he was. "Do you want to make one too?"

[littlebylittle]

Ayase nodded and smiled. "It's really nice of Miss Calico to get us supplies like this, don't you think?" he asked as he picked out some of the items for him to use.

[savedbyasong]

"It is, she said she wanted them to be come fashion statements so I think it is important to her that we all make one." He smiled, looking through the beads and fabric, picking some at random.

[littlebylittle]

Ayase picked out a neat little pattern with his. His hand was steady enough that he could make a pretty one too, though he still doubted his skills as he started at it.

"Are you really close to her?"

[savedbyasong]

Shion shook her head, "I only met her today, she is very nice though." He smiled, "How about you?"

[littlebylittle]

"Oh. I've seen her before, but I only met her when I made it to the Tower recently. She's really nice."

[savedbyasong]

"Are you a tribute too then?" He asked beginning to wrap the fabric round the bangle.

[littlebylittle]

Ayase blinked at the question. "Oh no. I won the 69th Games... That was a while ago though."

[savedbyasong]

"Oh..." Shion blinked, they were on the 75th now from what he had heard and they used to be every year. He must have been very young when he went into the arena.

"So you are a mentor?"