thecapitol | Just a little tea party - open to absolutely EVERYONE

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!

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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.

"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.

"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!"

"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."

"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."

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.

"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."

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.

"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.

"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!"

"No books, eh?"
Personally, that idea didn't bother Cal, who had all the literary temperment of a teaspoon. But she wasn't so dense that she didn't recognise that people did enjoy reading.

"Eva's a great one fer readin', love. She'll know more'en me. I ain't got the patience fer all the words; I'd rather sew or even knit! She'll be able to help you out anyway. Jus' don't tell 'er I sent yer, 'kay?"

"Eva..." Shion blinked, but nodded. He wasn't sure about Eva. He had met her once and she seemed nice. But after what had happened.

His acting was getting better. He thought even Rat wouldn't be completely critical of him... perhaps. But even then he wasn't sure of his chances of survival, what if she saw right through him?

"I'll ask her then." He smiled shyly.

"Yeah, you try her, love. An' jus' remember, she tries to get you in trouble, or whatnot, you tell 'we she'll have me to deal with, alrigh'? She'll know what it means!"

Not that the threat was hidden in impossible code or anything. Cal wasn't thinking of him acting; quite frankly, she was acting too, so it didn't make an iota of difference to her.

He smiled softly, Calico was nice, she seemed kinder than most the people he had met here. "I will."

Just a little tea party - open to absolutely EVERYONE

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