#cgtaskfive

The crowd erupted into applause and Aphrodite took Cosima’s hand, the two of them walking out onto the stage to the sound of a thunderous audience. There were more people than Aphrodite had anticipated, but she followed Cosima’s lead, flashing smiles and waves at the audience as they made their way over to Dora.

Dora grabbed hold of Cosima first, giving each cheek a kiss before turning to Aphrodite, who held out a hand and raised an eyebrow as Dora went to kiss her too. Dora hesitated, her smile flickering for a second, before the mask was reinstated. She took Aphrodite’s hand and gripped it tightly, and Aphrodite fought back a laugh as she shook the woman’s hand, letting go as soon as she was able and finding Cosima’s hand once again.

After a bit more fanfare, the two of them made themselves comfortable on the sofa opposite Dora, sitting far closer than they needed to as they readied themselves for Dora’s onslaught.

“Well, well, well,” Dora said, settling back into her chair and giving the two of them her most charming smile, “I have to say – I’m a huge fan of yours. It’s been so wonderful seeing the two of you grow closer over the past couple of weeks.”

Aphrodite glanced over at Cosima, unsure of whether or not they were supposed to respond to Dora, but just as she was about to say something Dora continued onwards, and Aphrodite sank into the sofa with her arm around Cosima.

“Now, first things first – because we’re all dying to know – Cosima,” Dora’s head twitched towards the smaller of the two, “how did it feel having to… share Aphrodite over the past couple of weeks?”

Cosima’s composure didn’t break at the question - she had been expecting it. Maybe not immediately in the interview, but it was bound to come up. “It was torture,” she said with a laugh, taking Aphrodite’s free hand in her own. “I’ve liked her from the beginning, and patience isn’t my strong suit.” Cosima looked over at Aphrodite, then back to Dora. “She was worth the wait, though, now that she’s all mine.”

Dora clapped her hands together in delight, the slight narrowing of her eyes barely visible as her gaze moved from Cosima to Aphrodite.

“We were right there with you, Cosima. I know a lot of us at home were on the edge of our seats waiting for Aphrodite to make a decision.”

The audience hooted their agreement and Aphrodite looked towards Cosima with a grin.

“It’s hard getting to know so many people in such a short space of time, Dora.” She said, meeting Dora’s searching eyes head on. “But Cosima was always at the top of my list.” She pulled Cosima slightly closer to her, their legs touching as Dora looked on with a patronising smile. Aphrodite smiled back, daring Dora to test the two of them and excited for the myriad of potential outcomes.

“Yes,” Dora said, leaning closer, “and what a long, inclusive list that was.” She laughed along with the audience, a shrill bubblegum laugh that sent a chill up Aphrodite’s spine. “And how exactly did you decide that Cosima was the one?”

Aphrodite pressed a tongue to her cheek, looking first at Cosima and then at Dora before letting out a soft chuckle.

“I thought to myself: ‘who out of everyone here do I want to make it out alive with?’” She looked at Cosima and bit her lip. “And the answer was right in front of me.”

And then they make out for the rest of the interview.

“Well,” Dora guffawed, raising an eyebrow and looking towards the audience, eliciting a few hoots of laughter. “If people doubted your intentions for Cosima before, I’m sure you’ve swayed them with that answer.”

Aphrodite bowed her head to disguise her laughter, pulling Cosima closer still and letting the audience vocalise their feelings without a single comment on her behalf. She could sense Dora watching her, but chose to ignore it, instead meeting Cosima’s eye and sharing a knowing smile with her.

“I take it you’re both more than happy to be the Capitol’s choice couple then?” Dora asked.

“We’ve both been ecstatic,” Cosima laughed, moving her hand to Aphrodite’s leg and glancing at the audience before looking back to Dora. “Knowing that we have so many people supporting us has really been special.” 

Dora let out her manufactured laugh once again. “Oh yes, my dear, I can only imagine. And what about you, Aphrodite?”

The only thing keeping Aphrodite from really speaking her mind was the knowledge that anything she haid from here on our could be used against Cosima, so she held her tongue, choosing to fix Dora with the kindest smile she could muster.

“Yeah, totally.” She said, nodding sagely. “Having the Capitol on our side makes all the difference in the world.”

Dora scoffed, letting the enchanting mask slip once again.

“I’m sure it does, my dear.” Bitterness tinged her voice, along with what sounded like vindication. “I’m sure it does.”

This was the first time it seemed like the audience had picked up on the change in atmosphere the same way that Aphrodite had, but the facade was brought back quickly, and all of a sudden Dora’s beaming smile was on all the screens around them.

“I’m afraid that’s all we have time for, but I wish the both of you the best of luck, and I hope the knowledge that we’re all rooting for you brings you some comfort during your time in the arena.”

 They stood up and exchanged goodbyes, Aphrodite’s hand finding Cosima’s waist as they gave one final bow and started to walk off the stage. Behind them, the screen lit up with videos of their Districts. People Aphrodite barely knew and didn’t care for taking pride of place on the screen, describing their lives back home and how they thought the two of them would fare in the arena. Aphrodite even caught a glance of her mother, but instead focused all her attention on Cosima as they left the stage and the enigmatic Dora behind them.

DORA

Aren’t you a pretty thing? Your sister was Hazella Heywood, isn’t that right? From the 98th Hunger Games? The two of you share that same lovely hair color.

The screen above the stage shows Hazella’s tribute picture next to Alani’s. Alani shifts uncomfortably.

ALANI Yeah, she was my sister.

DORA If I recall, she made it especially far in the games. Didn’t she? Fifth place?

ALANI (shortly) Fourth place.

DORA Excuse me, fourth place. She did very well. I recall her being very brave. And then for you to be reaped the very next year - how unlucky for you and your family. How does it feel to be reaped so soon after your sister? I simply cannot imagine. 

Alani narrows her eyes, deepening her frown.

ALANI How do you think it feels? What kind of question is that?

Dora taps her fingernails against her leg, raising both eyebrows at Alani.

DORA Everyone feels for you, Alani. Your sister was such a hit last year, after all. Such a darling. Didn’t she go in as half a couple?

ALANI (nodding reluctantly) She did.

Dora clicks her tongue

DORA I simply cannot imagine. And she went into the arena with the Choice Couple title, didn’t she?

Alani doesn’t respond, instead looking down at her fiddling hands.

DORA Cont. (laughing) It sure is a contrast to Underdog. What was your reaction when you first saw that the Capitol pinned you as an underdog?

Alani looks up at Dora.

ALANI I’m not an underdog. No one should think I’m an underdog, because I’m not. How could I be an underdog if I didn’t even do anything? That doesn’t make sense.

DORA You know, people frequently root for the underdog. They’re often very likeable.

ALANI No one should root for me, and I doubt I’m very likeable.

Dora presses her lips together.

DORA Mhmm. You say that no one should root for you – do you not think you’ll fare well in the games?

ALANI (shaking her head) I’m guessing I’ll be in the ground with Hazella soon enough. Is that what you want to hear?

There are murmurs in the crowd. Dora’s gaze on Alani remains steady, a small smile on her lips.

DORA Well, I suppose we’ll see if you’re correct soon enough. Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have. Best wishes to you Alani.

“She’s not a siren, she’s Medusa.” Lia pointed out Fenn's comment. There was nothing alluring or mystical about Dora Tales. No, the loose lipped interrogator would turn them all to stone if it meant increased ratings for her interviews.

Quietly, Lia sat on the couch smiling when she was supposed to and looking like a well groomed Capitol doll. Thankfully, Fenn was much more charismatic than she was and had the sponsors eating out of his hand. He was a natural. If she thought about the fact how she would soon be dependent on their money, Lia would vomit, but she chose instead to just smile and nod as needed. The Career Districts had nothing on them.

At the mention of a story, Lia smiled slowly at Dora. Oh, she knew the perfect story for the lady. Etiquette ahad dictated she could not break the finger that had dared to touch her nose, but Lia was more than a capable adversary when it came to a game of wits.

Dora deserved this.

“We do have one story in District Four,” she started smoothly in a honey-sweet that matched Dora’s own. “Have you ever heard of Charon?” Lia asked as she smiled happily at the host hoping that most people in the Capitol had not heard of the famed Ferryman.

She gave pause to give the audience a moment to catch up and waited with baited breath. “Charon is a mythical man, not unlike many here in the Capitol…” Lia started. “Tall, unkempt and lugging his burden, a boat oar. You see, it is his job to man his ship and he’s a proud captain. Never has he failed to accomplish his task.”

“Be wary of eyes that burn like coals in the fire…”

Lia stopped again as she pondered how to phrase her next part of the tale. “Eyes like fire that will burn in the darkness as you cross the River Styx into the unknown abyss. But beware, for the ferryman demands a toll.” Was it too much, maybe, but Lia was committed now. “It’s why we bury our dead with silver coins,” not unlike the one Lia had shoved into her sister’s cold hands. “Not unlike,” she reached up and seemingly pulled a silver coin out of her mouth; a slight of hand, but the Capitol people would never know. Her secret was safe with Fenn. “The fee for a safe passage into the next life.”

In a smooth motion, Lia tossed the coin up in the air as if to toss it to Dora, but at the last moment she snatched it out of the air. “I think I better keep this, don’t you?” She asked Dora with a sly smile. The Capitol wanted to focus on the happy, the drama, and the festivities of the Hunger Games. It was about time someone shoved it in their faces the reality of the Games. Reminded them in a few days they would have twenty-three or twenty-two dead tributes.

Smiling, Lia leaned back into her chair and let Fenn pick up the questions. She liked to think she unsettled Dora by the way she quickly moved onto Fenn and his love affair with Valentine. All the tributes were nervous and unsettled, it was only fair to pass the feelings onto the rest of them if she could. Surely the Capitol would be captivated by a story that did not strike as close to home as it did for the tributes.

It wasn’t until Dora asked about Onyx that Lia’s attention came back to Dora. Of course she wanted to know about their little rendez-vous in the Capitol. “Well,” Lia said slowly, hoping Fenn could pass her a little of his charm magically. Coming from his mouth the lines seemed natural and charming, whereas she was awkward and candid. “What is there to say that you don’t already know?” The Capitol reporters had followed them the entire time. “We just wanted to have some fun, unwind a bit…” Which was not entirely false if she was being honest. “Sometimes you just need a little fun to recharge the batteries before you buckle down and get to work. So, don’t worry, I’ll be well prepared for the Games.” Lia cooed softly.

According to the plan, Lia let Fenn speak and answer the questions that were asked of them. It was safer that way and to be honest, Lia did not know what to say to the questions. It wasn’t like talking to Fenn who knew her thoughts, who understood them and where she was coming from. Instead she just smiled and flipped the coin in her hand to release nervous energy.

Only, her breath caught in her throat as Fenn mentioned their sister. No, no. They were not going there because she did not want to go there. The Capitol got to decide her fate, decide she was going to live a short life, got to force her into doing things she did not want to do, they were forcing her into the arena, and taking her future. The Capitol did not get to have her sister too. Atalanta was something they did not get to have too and if she had her way, they wouldn’t even know she existed. It did not matter if it was the single thing that could give them the edge in the arena.

When Dora asked about her sister and what it was like to have a twin, Lia shook her head and crossed her arms. She would not give her the satisfaction of answering her questions. Not that any words she said could fully explain it to someone who did not live it. You could not know what it was like to be born one of two. What it was like to look at someone and have it like looking in the mirror.

“She’s my sister,” Lia told her eventually after Dora pressed. Thankfully, they were smart enough to move on when Fenn had said what he needed and that Lia was not going to add to it.

Thankfully, soon after that, the interview was over and all that was left was to smile and follow Fenn off the stage. Lia hoped this wasn’t a sign of what was to come when the Arena came tomorrow. 

“Now,” Dora said, clapping her hands together and fixing her eyes on Jade, “first things first - Jade, the one to watch - how does it feel to have secured that title two times over?” She leaned a little closer in anticipation.

“It feels correct.” Jade laughed, beaming out at the audience members that laughed along with her. “I mean, they can’t exactly put me right on the pedestal straight away but I really do love you all for voting that I’m the one you’ve all got your eye on!” Her wink to the camera’s was solely for those not in the live studio audience, Jade knew if she played effervescent and bubbly that The Capitol would see a side of her that wasn’t all about the training or the scores, she had to be likeable as well as skilled. 

Dora gave a small gasp and waved her hand in the air, all but brushing off Jade’s answer entirely as she turned to Onyx and gripped his leg, giving it a squeeze. Onyx started, trying to maintain some sense of composure as the woman rounded on him.

“Does it bother you, being in Jade’s shadow throughout this whole process?”

Onyx frowned, looking from Jade to Dora and then back to Jade. Why would it bother him? He shook his head and cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice calm and even.

“Not at all. It’s hard to ignore how good Jade is at what she does, and I’m not about to complain about it either.”

Dora nodded her head sagely, letting go of Onyx’s leg and moving back in her chair.

“Yes, yes. “We’ve all been wondering what the exact nature of your relationship is.” She waved her hand around to reference the audience. “Is it merely platonic… or perhaps something more?”

Dora raised an eyebrow, her smile growing as the crowd began to cheer.

“We’re, uh…” Onyx gave Jade a sheepish smile. Their relationship had changed in immeasurable ways in the short time they had spent in the Capitol, with some of that blame falling on the Capitol’s shoulders - but Onyx knew they were referring to the almost kiss. His almost kiss. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. No one knows me better than she does.”

Onyx used this moment to take Jade’s hand in his, feeling rather like a schoolboy who was experiencing his first crush under the blinding spotlight of the Capitol.

“It seems stupid that I haven’t kissed her before now.”

Jade held Onyx’s hand tightly in hers, that feeling of anxiety that they could be separated rising in her again as she gripped his hand softly enough that it didn’t hurt but hard enough that he would feel it. If he was going to make a move she knew that now was the time he had to do it. With a practiced movement she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes letting the Capitol’s anticipation build. Raising her head to look directly at the boy she’d known for so long, she felt her face beaming with adoration for him. Now she thought to herself. He has to do it now. 

Onyx hated this. He would have preferred to do it anywhere except here. But they had little choice in the matter. Their ability to survive the games depended upon this moment, so he reached towards her, tracing the edge of her jaw before cupping her cheek with his hand. My Jade, he thought as he looked into her eyes, and all of a sudden the pressure from the Capitol melted away. Their lips brushed, softly at first, as though he was asking for permission, and then any pretence of control he had was gone as he kissed her again, and again, and again.

It was only at the sound of Dara clearing her throat that he moved away, wrapping an arm around Jade and choosing to pull her closer to him instead. He tried to focus on Dora, but all he could think about was Jade’s lips on his and how badly he wanted to kiss her again.

It was clear to Jade that Onyx was playing this moment for all that it was worth, but she couldn’t decide whether it was for The Capitol or for himself, she felt her cheeks flush with nervousness and excitement, her first real kiss, in front of all of these people. She wasn’t mad at the idea, but she didn’t want to give the Capitol enough time to notice that this was something completely new to her, she broke away and grinned into Onyx’s face, drinking in his happiness and letting it wash over her too. 

“Oh!” Dora exclaimed, fanning herself vigorously with her hand. “I do believe we have a Capitol Exclusive!” She played up to the audience, joining in with their cooing and ahhing and pretending to blush.

Meanwhile, Onyx and Jade only had eyes for each other. Onyx couldn’t keep his goofy smile off his face as he looked at her, the noise of the audience becoming a mere murmur as his head spun at a mile a minute. He hadn’t always wanted to kiss her. There was a time where they were just friends. In fact, it was only in the run up to the Capitol that he had started to realise just how lost he really was without Jade. He couldn’t help but wonder if this would have happened if they hadn’t ended up in the Games.

“I’m getting all hot under my collar just looking at the pair of you.” Dora declared, pulling their gaze back to her as she continued on with the show. “I could sit here all day gushing about the pair of you, but alas, we have one more question before our time together is over.”

She paused for a moment, waiting for the crowd to settle down.

“Your training scores were very surprising to us. Getting a twelve must mean you did something right!” She gave a shrill laugh before turning her gaze to Onyx again, her face suddenly full of concern. “How did you feel when you saw your training scores?”

Jade knew that the question was coming but refused to balk at it, instead steeling herself with another smile and letting Onyx reply first, it was important to her that this was his moment to shine. 

“You know,” he said, glancing over at Jade, “I think I went into that evaluation a little distracted. I mean, can you blame me?” His hand rested itself on Jade’s thigh as he laughed along with the audience, the movement feeling surprisingly natural to him.

“It was definitely a wake-up call.” He continued as the laughter died down. “Jade alone is a force to be reckoned with, of course, but I need to keep my focus if I want to make sure I can be there for her. That’s the most important thing for me.”

I was all that Jade could do to laugh in the right places along with the audience and respond with humility at Onyx fawning over her. What she wanted to do was tell everyone just how much Onyx could do and how dangerous he could be in a fight, but he was right, he could get distracted and it appeared that The Capitol were trying their best to distract the pair of them. Jade felt a sudden pang of panic in her chest as she realised what The Capitol had done to others before Onyx that she’d held dear. Her Mother, Her Father. Jade pushed through the doubt to answer calmly. 

“I think that we're both caught up in each other. He gets so distracted.” Jade laughed and turned once again to the camera, “You know how it is, but I think that it focussed us both into realising that as long as we’re together we’ll win this and get to the other side, and back home.” Jade’s attention turned back to Onyx and she drank him in again. “I couldn’t do it without him.” 

Dora sighed, she’d fallen for their plan hook line and sinker, they were star crossed lovers that had loved each other for all this time. They would be going into this together and nothing would tear them apart, not even the arena, not even The Capitol. The host held her hands to her chest and let out another sigh, only to be snapped from her revelry by a loud buzzer that made everyone jump including the tributes, audience and host. 

“Oh--” Dora said, looking over towards one of the cameras. “Is that our time? Such a shame.” She ushered the two of them to their feet, her picture-perfect smile plastered on her face as she wrapped her bony arms around them.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet the two of you.” She gripped Jade’s arm, giving her a pointed stare. “And hopefully you’ll be following in your father’s footsteps any day now, hm?” 

“You wish.” Jade hissed back, ripping her arm from Dora’s grasp. “You’re first on my list if I get out, watch your back Tales.” 

Dora let out a little tinkle of a laugh and then turned to face the audience once more, the altercation all but invisible to the audience watching at home. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for District One’s finest: Jade Ametrine and Onyx Feldspar!”

“I swear.” Jade growled as soon as they were out of view of the cameras. “We’re winning this, I’m coming back and I’m going to kick that bitch from here to kingdom come.” 

Lavenne Hardgrove, Rowan Torwyn’s mentor, had tried her best to emphasize how important this interview was supposed to be. Although this was just her first year at the helm, the Capitol reporter Dora Tales was as deadly as she was charming. “Words are like arrows,” she had told him. Something about not being able to take them back once loosed. Unfortunately, Rowan was, well, distracted throughout that conversation.

Following Alani Heywood’s own interview, Rowan simply sat there, feeling his chair, comfortably grinning and smiling at everyone else, including Miss Tales, blissfully unaware at the true dangers that lurked around him. “Sup?”

"Hello, Rowan Torwyn of District Seven. You have been quite an interesting personality, as far as everyone have seen, and I am assuming that you are who we've seen you to be, shirt and all?" 

Despite her smile and affable personality, Dora was not amused when Rowan simply waltzed out of there right after Alani was done, denying her of a more appropriate introduction as befitting her skills. Still, she eyed him from head to toe, somewhat disappointed that he had his shirt on. The crowd laughed at that barb, though as per usual, Rowan was oblivious to it.

"Yeah, yeah, uhm, everyone was wearing a shirt, so, I, uhh, put one on."

"You mean you were shirtless just...minutes ago?" Dora raised an eyebrow even before she knew she had. When Rowan nodded, goofy grin still on his face, she let out a laugh and the rest of the crowd followed suit. "Well, if you want, feel free to take that shirt off. You don't strike us as someone who'd be interested in fashion."

"Oh, okay." Rowan took off his shirt, much to everyone's laughter and subsequent silence, eyes narrowed upon his magnificent physique. Even Dora couldn't help but spend a few minutes just staring him down, biting her lower lip. 

Leaning closer to him, she asked her first question, making sure to make her segue feel natural. She didn't really need to, as Rowan wasn't as cunning as the other tributes. "We're all curious, Rowan, dear, what inspires you to be so shirtless so regularly? I mean, we’re not complaining, but we’d just like to know."

Rowan simply shrugged. "I mean, I guess I'm not just used to the Capitol's shirts?"

The crowd laughed and Dora chuckled to herself while Rowan remained grinning. It wasn't a joke. At least he didn't intend it to be one. But he just seemed so stupid and oblivious that everyone else thought it was somewhat entertaining. Wack.

"Of course, of course. District Seven has always been more focused on lumber, chopping...wood, than fashion, so the Capitol's level of comfort and aesthetics, culture, would otherwise be new to...someone like you." Dora sneered, only for Rowan to genuinely agree with. Wow.

This boy, his head, is so easy to steer. She didn't even feel like she needed to make any effort to keep this interview entertaining. He was a walking curiosity if not hilarity. Anything that came out of his mouth was so simple, she could easily ply his words to suit her needs, and he'd just sit there, taking it all, like a complete idiot, allowing her to do whatever she wanted with him. She wondered, what else could she ply of his?

"You and Aphrodite... We've seen you two develop a sort of bond. Did it hurt when Aphrodite was paired with someone else? Did you cry, bury your face in your many discarded shirts?" He was probably too stupid to cry, Dora thought, but the crowd laughed at that last bit, and she knew this was going to be this interview’s direction from here on out.

"Oh, yeah, well, you know..." Rowan didn't, but he tried to just let his brain do all the work for once, something that it hasn't done for a while now. The words just slithered out of his mouth without any review or filter whatsoever, a stream of consciousness, utterly irresponsible blabbering. "I mean, Aphrodite is hot! She's fun. I like spending time with her, but, you know, she probably didn't feel the same or something. I mean, I thought she would but what do I know, right?"

Rowan chuckled, Dora sneered, and the crowd laughed. 

"Yes, of course, what do YOU know, right?" Dora pandered to the crowd and got an even bigger laugh. Rowan just sat there, a little confused but shrugged it off as strange Capitol humor, laughing with them. "Tell us about your family back in District Seven, Rowan. What are they like? Are they also always shirtless, just as confused as you are?"

Dora poked Rowan’s nose, which he thought was odd. He frowned at that but also laughed because it was the first thing that came to his head. It was awkward but the crowd or Dora didn’t really care about him. All they cared about was the version of him they wanted to see, laugh at. Rowan wasn’t aware of any of that, though. He was just being himself.

“Oh, uhh, they’re...okay, I guess.”

Silence followed. Rowan just sat there, dwelling in his thoughts, while Dora frowned, now a little confused. Her eyes darted from Rowan to the crowd, unsure of what to make of the momentary respite.

“Okay, you guess?”

“Yeah... I mean, my parents are nice, hardworking folks... My sister’s just as...hardworking.” His brain froze, his emotions overtaking his words. He was missing them so much, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to go back home anymore. He was most likely going to die soon, and he was okay with that, but he couldn’t stop missing his family. They were all he had. 

“Uhm, so, they also don’t like to wear shirts?”

Dora’s voice snapped him out of his reverie, but the words that crawled out of his mouth were the first thought that came to his mind, still unfiltered, even though he should have desperately needed them to be. “Oh, uhm, no, they wear shirts. I mean, not like Capitol shirts but like District Seven shirts...”

“Uh-huh.” Dora nodded, trying to keep her laughter in. The crowd, however, were less polite, roaring in laughter at Rowan’s perceived stupidity and simple-mindedness. “You heard it here first, folks: People from District Seven wear shirts from District Seven. What an enlightening revelation from the smartest of our tributes, Rowan Torwyn!”

The crowd continued to laugh, some even applauding Rowan for no other reason than being entertaining for them. Rowan actually joined them in clapping, even though he had no idea why they were doing that in the first place. Wack.

"Hmm, well, in any case, that’s the end of the interview, folks. We actually spoke to some of Rowan’s old friends from District Seven about him, but they were all so generally positive about him that I...fell...asleep.” Dora tilted her head at Rowan, pretending to sympathize about his district being boring, much to the crowd’s amusement and Rowan’s confusion. 

As the laughter slowly died down, Rowan continued to sit on his chair, looking around him. Dora frowned at this, uncertain if he was playing the part of a fool or if he was just that stupid. A part of her thought it was somewhat interesting, though, if only curious, and her eyes spent a few more seconds ogling his bare chest before she shooed him away. “Uhm, Rowan, dear?”

“Yeah?”

“That was your cue to leave. Our interview is over. Someone else needs to sit on that chair.”

“Oh, uhh, yeah, sorry about that...” Rowan slowly pushed himself off the chair, as the crowd laughed as loud as they could once again. 

Dora, however, used the opportunity to put a hand on his own, pressing it lightly, and whispering to him, using the crowd’s loud laughter as cover. “You can sit on something else much later.”