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

[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?"

[littlebylittle]

Ayase nodded at that. "That's right. I just arrived back at Tribute Tower though. I was staying with a friend here in the Capitol until the Gamemakers asked me to come back to the Tower to mentor. I can see why, because there's so many Tributes." That didn't mean that Ayase thought he could do a good job as a mentor though. He had basically lucked into his win.

[savedbyasong]

"There are, what district do you come from?" He was still surprised that this boy had won, but at least it proved you did not have to be a strong fighter to win.

Not that Shion wanted to win.

[littlebylittle]

"District 7," he said with a small smile. He was trying to be encouraging. "Which one were you assigned to?"

[savedbyasong]

"District four." He told him with a small smile. "District seven deals with trees and wood correct?"

[littlebylittle]

"That's right. It has a lot of forest."

[savedbyasong]

"It must have so much wildlife." Shion said with a small smile, "It's hard to imagine that there are so many more people here, and people who do not live in the Capitol." Mostly because no one spoke about them, but Shion was curious.

[littlebylittle]

"I know," Yukiya agreed. "Sometimes home seems a bit like a dream while him here. It's so different."

[savedbyasong]

"Can you tell me about it?" He picked up the glue and seemed to take a moment before he worked out how to stick the fabric to the bracelet.

"I mean... you don't have to, if it would make you homesick..."

[littlebylittle]

"I can," Yukiya said with a small smile. "What would you like to know?"

[savedbyasong]

"Everything." He said and then smiled sheepishly, "Um... what was the forest like? I've never seen one before."

[littlebylittle]

"Oh. It's nice! There's a lot of trees and animals. I don't usually go into it though. I stayed in town, but it was nice to look at and it's all around us."

[savedbyasong]

"What is the town like, we only have cities in my world... well a few unofficial towns but I imagine they are different than anything here."

[littlebylittle]

Ayase thought for a moment. "Oh... well, there's a town square that has the mayor's building and most of our main shops, then there's houses around of the workers. Off to the side a bit is where the Victor's live. My aunt and cousin are in the house I got right now."

[savedbyasong]

"Are there lots of victors in your district?" He asked, he was curious, he had found little information on the districts.

[littlebylittle]

"Not as many as there are for 1 or 2," he said. "But we're doing better off than 12. They only have three."

[savedbyasong]

"Katniss and Peeta are two of them right?" Shion smiled softly. "So there was only one before them?"

[littlebylittle]

Ayase nods. "That's right. Just one still living."

[savedbyasong]

"That's not many at all..." He looked down.

[littlebylittle]

"No... But now they can have many."