𝒶𝓅𝒽𝓇𝑜𝒹𝒾𝓉𝑒 ♡

"Over there," He motioned towards an older Capitol woman, "is a very wealthy woman who loves to sponsor Tributes who she thinks would make good muses as Victors, muse as in they get painted and she adds it to her gallery of victors. You and Loch I think are both more than aesthetically pleasing enough to win her over. She also happens to be friends with my Grandfather, I could try and arrange a meeting at some point if you want."

“A bite?” Sage echoed indifference, though her side eye told an entirely different story. The thought of sharing in this sea of abundance was amusing, at least. Entertainment. Frankly she'd never seen such an assembly of gluttony (or sweets) in her life. “I’ve still got two hands for now, but thanks.” She took a sip of her bourbon and set it down to pick up an identical floral cake. The craftsmanship that went into them was beautiful, for sure. Edible hollyhock petals and bright chokecherries adorned a rich buttercream frosting. Sage recognized them immediately. Both plants were common along the boreal forest floors of District 7. Chokecherries in particular are usually late summer staples before unbearable winters. Bitter but edible nonetheless. Here, however, the capitol probably had greenhouses of them for decorative purposes alone. The capitol probably used them to brim pretty cocktails as something markedly farm-to-table. The capitol definitely had enough bio-engineered horse tranquilizer to overlook chokecherry's sedative properties but, for fuck's sake, the capitol schmuck who harvested them could have at least let them ripen to a darker shade of crimson.

She carefully plucked off a berry, a hint of something passing over her expression – perhaps homesickness. It faded as fast as the berry slipped past her teeth. “never been a huge fan of chokecherries myself ... ” She drawled, eyeing the other, tone still sharp as ever. "a bit fucking bitter for a treat like this, don't you think?'

"i like it." she told sage, holding up the dessert to eye level before taking another bite. "but i'm getting the sense you don't like very much." aphrodite's lips curled into a smirk, then she finished off the cake. she swiped her hands together, away from herself, to avoid getting any crumbs or residue on her outfit. aphrodite wondered if anyone had even spoken to sage, she acted like she hadn't made human contact in days, maybe weeks. "i'm aphrodite." she extended her newly cleaned hand, then flashed a warm smile, "in case you didn't know."

the training center was even more impressive than sparrow had imagined it to be. the shack they called home back could’ve fit in their new bedroom five times over, not the mention the rest of the luxurious suite allotted to district eleven. while their first few hours in the capitol had been spent marveling at the comforts allotted to them, the distraction had quickly faded. everything sure seemed less rosy when they started to think that their last meal before the arena would be enjoyed here, or that it might be the last time they slept in a real bed. 

once those thoughts had settled in, the place had quickly become suffocating. sparrow wasn’t sure they were even allowed to leave their rooms unaccompanied, but no one had tried to stop them when they’d taken a few steps out the door, and the few avoxes they ran into averted their gazes, hurrying on without so much as an indication that they’d seen them. they took it as validation - what else could the capitol do to punish them, anyway ? -, making their way to the elevator and pressing the topmost button.

the sight of the sunrise greeted them. from below, it might’ve been hard to see⎯but up here, near the top of the skyscrapers, there was enough of the sky to take a good look at the soft pink and orange hues of the new dawn. they lingered, walking back and forth aimlessly across the roof, eyeing the plants that grew in their pots. they were fed plenty enough here, but what could they say ? old habits died hard. 

the ping of the elevator startled them, and they turned like a frightened rabbit, half expecting to find a peacekeeper standing there. when they realized the figure who approached wore no white uniform, sparrow breathed a quiet sigh of relief. they shoved their hands into their pockets but relaxed their elbows, deliberately going for a nonchalant stance. ❛ go on. the view’s free, as far as i can tell. no one's stopped me yet, anyway. ❜ they kept the newcomer at the periphery of their vision for a few moments before adding : ❛ early bird, aren't ya ? ❜

back home, aphrodite would rise with the sun and help her father prepare everything he needed for a successful day of fishing. nets, bait, hooks, and spears. it was always a lot of work, but often worth it. but instead she answered, "i don't think anyone sleeps well here." she sat on a barrier beside the garden, linen dress splayed out around her, and long, tanned legs crossed in front of her. "does it remind you of home at all? not the view but...the plants?"

asena sighed quietly, this could be so exhausting if she let herself feel it, she had too much practice being numb to let this tribute send painful prickles through her as she thawed. "if that was true, which we both know it isn't, then i'd still rebuff you. you're a child, and one likely to die, your judgement isn't what i'd call sound." maybe she should change her policy about drinking at these things. "all men are unhappy until they feel powerful. taking advantage of a pretty little tribute? you'll be nothing but a punchline at dinner if you do that. but your life, or what is remaining of it, is your own. however if you do manage to win you'd have to live with the consequences of the choices you make in the next few weeks." she sounded too lecturey even to herself and sipped the juice in her hand.

"i'm not offended, and it isn't my business what strategy you choose to pursue. i pointed out who would be receptive, but that's all i do for that strategy." she was still too rude about it and she could hear it in her own voice but she knew how the capitol loved to take advantage, that they saw the tributes as playthings, toys, and she hated to see any tribute lean into that thinking they were the ones in control. she felt like if she tried hard enough she could look right through this one, and in the end they were all ghosts. "i do remember, and i'm still here." she said slowly, voice clear and point made. "yes, and beauty hides a lot of things, doesn't it?" another pointed statement, a gaze unbroken.

"i don't need them to respect me." aphrodite countered asena. this, by far, was the most stimulating conversation she'd had since entering the capitol. it was making it difficult to keep up with her usual tricks, but then again, her usual tricks weren't working on asena. so maybe, she'd look at it as if she was running a trial on a new tactic. "all men are unhappy all of the time, looking for a woman, or money, or power to fix it." her gaze was steel on the group, "and i don't need to fix them either, i just need to make them love me." enough to empty their pockets at least. aphrodite would be fine if they laughed at her over dinner, or whatever asena was implying, because if it meant being alive in the end, it was worth it. asena was a curious thing and aphrodite wanted to pry. so, she fixed her gaze back on the other and asked, "and what is beauty hiding this evening then miss mavi?" she leaned in slightly to whisper, "because all i see is a great party."

Orion chuckled and glanced over at her. He recognized her from the reaping, she was from district four. He nodded. "Sure, I'll take a bite." He said as he leaned closer, hoping he didn't actually have to touch the cake himself.

He had just gotten a new suit and if he got it dirty, he would have to get it cleaned or re-done. He just didn't want to deal with that. "Come on, I don't think I can get anything on this suit." Orion said in a flirtatious tone.

The gamemaker smirked at her and pulled away afterwards. "So, you're from four, right?" He asked her. He already knew the answer but he wanted to hear her say it.

Orion nodded and took a sip of a drink he picked up from the table. "What do you thin of this party?" He asked, motioning to the mansion. "It's pretty spectacular, huh?" Orion stated.

loch hadn't had the opportunity to full process what had happened. they'd been whisked from the justice center right to the train, barely an opportunity to say goodbye to his family. he'd barely been able to breathe. he'd zoned out during dinner, pushing his food around the plate, nodding periodically. it wasn't until he retreated to his room that he'd started to process the reality of it all. he'd been reaped for the 74th hunger games, he was on a train to the capitol. in all likelihood, he'd never see district 4 again.

their eyes followed the stranger's to the food in question, an elegant, tiny little cake painstakingly decorated with a floral motif, frosted with stunningly bright dyes. the sort of thing borne of someone's passion, a labor of love-- the thought sent a pang through the pit of their stomach, but they wouldn't focus on that right now. they'd try not to, at least.

"for me, the key to a perfect cake is all about the frosting," iza noted. they leaned in to take a little nibble at the offer, taking a moment to savor the flavor profile, the texture. "not bitter, but not too sweet, either. perfectly creamy." they nodded their head at it, eyes finally slipping back to their new companion. "you should give it a try. life's too short not to take advantage of such pleasures."

it wasn't as if it didn't work. duri simply wasn't nearly charming enough to pull it off herself.

"everything tastes wonderful until it starts to taste like ash or blood or soot. too much of a good thing and all that rot." her shoulders lifted in a shrug that fell away again like nothing, and she leaned back against the table to look out over the crowd. "are you enjoying your time in the greatest place in panem so far?"

"heavens," kolya hissed, weaving angrily through the crowd with a blaze in his eyes and smoke left in his wake. figuratively. oh, he was a social butterfly, really, but there was only so much one could take on the salt of other people's sweat and remain sane about it.

kolya had reached his limit.

there was always a point in the night where the party went from fun to pestiferous and for kolya it had reached that point. he tugged off his jacket irritably, hoping a bit of airing would help remove the scent of other people from the fabric, and shook it in the evening breeze, allowing himself to slump against the railing for a moment.

he just needed a second to regather himself and let the adrenaline dissipate and then he could waltz back inside, pull his smile back on and go back to mingling and charming and fluttering about. he wasn't a stranger to parties-- he didn't mind them, even, but kolya much preferred the quiet, private chaos of his workshop to the hustle and bustle of a grand affair.

this was a necessary piece of the puzzle that built that ideal future he imagined for himself, though, so he'd suck it up and deal with it.

he would. in just a moment.

for now, he turned and offered the only other soul out on the little balcony a weary grin, pausing in shaking his jacket long enough to lift one hand in a friendly wave. "good evening," kolya greeted. "they've outdone themselves inside, but i daresay this has to be my favorite spot in the whole place. how about you?"

"I think I could get away with stealing the president's pajamas." thimble declared after what appeared to be a genuine moment of reflection. they were standing in one of the hallways just outside the bulk of the party. "for no particular reason at all, I think if I could figure out which room is his, I could get into it. when I get into it, I can easily find them and then take them. who would think to stop me? why? what would they do if I got caught? kill me? seems a bit redundant, no? and frankly, quite petty over pajamas. besides, we all can extrapolate they don't want us to die yet, right? that's why they've got the whole energy field over the tribute center to prevent a hop, skip, and jump. so at worst, it looks like I would be punished extra during the games, and at that point... wouldn't it just be funny to have the president's pajamas?"

when there was no immediate response, nor even a reaction, at the somewhat outlandish statement, thimble narrowed both eyes. they lifted a finger and prodded the shoulder of the figure they'd been babbling to who appeared to be made of stone. "hm." that should probably be filed under embarrassing, but as the last two statues they tried to talk to turned out to be people, this seemed to track in the convoluted ways of the Capitol. they turned away and took a sip of the cup in their hand. "so apparently the marble I've been talking to for the last five minutes doesn't have an opinion on it. do you?"

When Des spotted Aphrodite by the refreshments, she slid past a couple of friends with a grin and plucked an olive off of the elaborate table setting. Meeting Aphrodite's gaze, Des bit down on the salty delicacy and smiled, amused by the other's hesitation. "Well, it's lucky I'm here-- Yaris' cakes are notoriously powdery and I would hate to send you out with any dusting," she teased, breaking off a piece of the cake to taste. Patting her mouth with a napkin, Des glanced across the crowd before settling her gaze back on Aphrodite. "How are you finding it all?"

She didn't think she had charisma, either. Willie didn't know how to woo anything more than a boy in 12 and really, all she had to do was exist to be paid attention to. She was far from special and she didn't fancy pretending like she was either. The table of food entranced her, fully aware of the hunger in her stomach. She just didn't know where to start. It all looked plastic. Like it wasn't meant to be consumed. Beautiful, like the girl next to her said.

The eye contact was alarming, but Willie didn't pull her gaze away. Instead, she stared deeply, as if she were being pulled into the girl's soul. She was beautiful, far more beautiful than mama had been in her prime. The kind of girl that even when done up, would look like a million bucks. "What is it?" She asked. "I know it's a cake, but... what does it taste like?" She had no idea if the other would even know the answer for her, but she felt it was worth it to inquire.

asena had been witness to a wide array of personalities and strategies in her years as a mentor, there were very few of either that she was amenable to but the one this tribute was attempting made her skin crawl, and brought forth the more unpleasant judgemental part of her that she tried not to let run wild. still, she knew her disgust was written all over her face and she wouldn't apologize for it. she knew it was unlikely anything she said to the child would make any meaningful difference and with that feeling like the case she would speak her mind without constraint. "that was a truly disdainful and unnecessary thing to try. but if you insist on it you may want to assure you are asking someone closer to your target audience."

still, she wasn't an idiot, she recognized the strategy the other was attempting to employ, she recognized the way the tribute had tried to assert power, strength with their gaze, to play coy and make herself something akin to prey when the opposite seemed apparent to asena. this would be one to watch, underestimating her would be a mistake. "there's a cluster of wealthy sponsors with old wives over there, and a few single bachelors with money looking to make a name for themselves over there." she subtly pointed out each for the tribute, it was likely the only help she'd offer them.

she levelled with the other, crossing her arms, "i didn't mean to offend you. i'm only trying to make the most of my time here." she examined her nails thoughtfully, avoiding eye contact as she added, "i'm sure you remember how overwhelming it all is...to be here." she sighed and looked up at the decorated walls. it was no ocean, but, "at least it's beautiful here-- first glance."

it would be the height of impropriety for duri not to make an appearance at the tributes gala, though the thought of the party already had her head pounding, right behind the eyes, and she had been nursing a glass of something quite strong since those shiny silver heels of hers had wandered into the room, clicking uncomfortably on the floor. the food table was safe, or so she thought, until someone was speaking to her. someone...

As excited as he was about his first taste of the Capitol-- of anything outside of twelve, really-- Nero felt fucking ridiculous. He'd never worn makeup a day in his life, and his stylist had practically bound him to the chair for an hour, griping and muttering about how his black eye and freshly-busted lip needed to be hidden to protect his image. Nero didn't have an image, he just was. Everything else was bullshit, and the chalky black on his lids made his eyes feel so fucking itchy.

He was pacing the 'foyer' and tugging on the sleeves of the leather suit jacket he'd been forced into when he heard heels clacking down the hallway. Resisting the urge to swipe at his face, Nero looked up, eyes fixed on the familiar face. "Aphrodite Saltshore, District Four," he mumbled, mostly to check his own knowledge. Soon, he would be trapped in a cage with these people, so the more he could memorize, the better. "You're not a Career," he stated, as if he could know for sure. It was technically illegal in Four, his mentor had said, so they tried to keep that kind of thing quiet.

"Are you a threat?" Nero asked, glancing at her ridiculous netted get-up. Could anyone really be a threat in these outfits?