Drinking Game

[Demetri Messer]

Demetri had been spending his entire night by the open bar. "I can't believe the Capitol would send me here as some sort of 'punishment,'" he said loudly to the two Capitol women seated on either side of him and to anyone else who would listen. "Free drinks, beautiful women, and look at that," he said pointing to the dance floor, "a perfect view of a perfectly awkward teenage dance fest. Now there's the real feast!"

Demetri waved down the bartender and ordered a round of drinks.

"So let's get these pre-games started! How about we make a little drinking game out of it? Every time we spot some prepubescent dancing, we take a shot. Who's in?"

[Valeria DeMasque]

After scanning the room enough times to have made accidental eye contact with enough people to sufficiently make herself feel like a creep Val was suddenly caught off guard by a loud bearded man over by the bar.

"I really should probably go and mingle with that crowd of people over there," she thought to herself as she eyed the groups on the dance floor. "But a drink or two first might help to make me a bit less..." she struggled to find the proper word, "...abrasive" she decided on at last.

Valeria made her way over to the bar. She wasn't much of a drinker but HEY what's impending death if not a good reason to have a few drinks!

"Hello...um..." She paused to see if he would offer his name. I mean there's no reason she could possibly know it but she was used to "knowing things" and in this case she was at a sufficient loss for information.

[Demetri Messer]

"All right! A new player has entered the arena! Have a seat, gorgeous!" Demetri bellowed, handing Valeria a tall shot glass. He glanced at the two Capitol women beside him, and then asked the one with strange leopard makeup to scoot over and make room.

"You're just in time. The girls from 3 and 12 are heating things up on the dance floor. Now it's a party! Bottom's up!" He clinked his glass against Valeria's and downed it.

"So which way do you swing..?" he asked bluntly, pausing for a moment before adding, "Peacekeeper or tribute?"

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

"Did I hear something about a drinking game and a questionable innuendo? Mind if I join?"

Gwendolyn had her fill of trying to romanticize someone for the night, now she just wanted to drink more and find interesting people. These two seemed interesting.

"Nice blue hair, by the way. Did you do that just before coming here?"

[Valeria DeMasque]

The smile that had crossed her face upon being called gorgeous (what can I say I'm a sucker for compliments) faded quickly when the question regarding underground peacekeepers came up.

She had tried to forget the whole peacekeeper thing was a part of this. It just made everything that much more complicated.

Val downed the drink quickly and while this wasn't her first taste of alcohol her inexperienced throat still burned a little.

"Aghh," she unconsciously blurted out and then tried to save face, "oh this isn't...my brand" She Smiled, "Still good though. Alcohol is good and all that."

"Do we really have to talk about the whole peacekeeper thing," she continued with a frown, "We have a whole mess of days in training to sort that out."

"Right now I'm more interested in trying to figure all these people out...," She paused, "I'm not used to meeting this many people without a little bit of background info on them first."

Information had been currency in the back alley's of District 8 and it seemed like her bank account had run dry...

"What do you think of those three?" She motioned over to a corner of the room where a rather shy looking girl appeared to be being accosted by an energetic young man and a red head with a box of cupcakes.

"Annnnd I think we'll have a shot of this next," she grabbed a bottle with sparkles on the label.

She was a sucker for compliments AND sparkles...

[Demetri Messer]

"Well hey there, look at you!" Demetri not so discreetly looked Gwendolyn up and down and gave an approving nod, dismissing the other Capitol woman so that Gwendolyn could have a seat. "Bartender, another drink for my friend here!"

The blue haired girl pointed to the tributes in the quiet corner and Demetri glanced over. Without hesitation he replied, "Calling it: Silent one takes a crossbow bolt to the neck, cupcakes drowns in a river, and Chatty McBabyFace gets backstabbed by his best friend."

Demetri laughed when the girl grabbed the sparkly bottle without waiting for the bartender to come back. "I like your style. The name's Demetri." Demetri took a swig of the bottle and gestured to the dance floor. "So your turn. What do you make of your competition? The other blue haired babe, I mean."

[Dante Clavus]

"Another of the Farrow's Cornucopia Cider, please." Dante called out to the bemused bartender as he took up a stool. It had been Dante's favorite drink since its release last year; and with the Games starting up again it had gotten hard to find back in District 5. A few sips later and his reverie was broken by the discussion nearby.

Dec 6, 2015 19:27:38 GMT -6 Demetri Messer said:

"So which way do you swing..?" he asked bluntly, pausing for a moment before adding, "Peacekeeper or tribute?"

Does he not know about all the cameras they keep throughout this event to build up drama for the viewers? 

Dante thought he could make out the recessed nook behind the bar whose camera would show everyone in Panem their discussion tonight. Sliding into the stool next to Valeria, he interposed himself in the conversation. 

"I'm with Valeria on that. We can find out more about everyone later on in the training days. For now Demetri, I've been wanting to ask you;" The teen tried to look sophisticated as he paused for a drink; looking toward the nook.

"Did you spend any time training with the District 1 tributes last year? The Schuhmachers were incredible! Getting so far with only the two of them."  

[Valeria DeMasque]

Val was about to answer the Demetri when a boy a tad younger than herself with rather...foofy...hair plopped down at the bar and started chatting her drinking buddy up about training and districts and...boring stuff.

So she turned to the significantly younger girl on the other side of her.

"I've had this hair for a year or two I guess. Everything in District 8 is grey and ashy with all the factories around but I liked knowing that I always had a little color close at hand" She glanced over at the other blue haired woman that Demetri had pointed out. "Though I'm thinking maybe orange is more my color now," she mused to herself. The expression hopefully indicated the fact that she didn't exactly like to be like other people. This was a quality about herself that half of the time made her cringe but at the end of the day she was glad to have a little individuality in the District she was from.

It slowly dawned on Valeria that this was one of the two girls she had seen almost kiss on the dance floor and the impetus for coming over to the bar.

Val downed a shot of liquor from the glittery bottle which, surprisingly, TASTED glittery, "So you and that other girl on the dance floor have already struck up a relationship?"

After realizing how blunt that probably sounded she backpedaled, "I mean not that there's anything wrong with that I mean emotions and death and all that I'm sure that hormones are crazy and..." the babbling continued before she caught herself.

AHEM she cleared her throat, "I'm Valaria, pleased to meet you," she smiled, "But most people just call me Val."

[Demetri Messer]

"Anton's my boy!" Demetri replied excitedly. "Yeah I knew him. Good friend of mine. His dad would get us into these fancy VIP clubs. Was hoping he'd go all the way. I couldn't watch anymore after he died."

Demetri turned his attention to Gwendolyn. "Have you ever been to a private club before? Do they have them in 12?"

[Valeria DeMasque]

The term "private club" struck a cord in Val's ear.

She glanced over her shoulder at Demi (she had decided that was an adequate nickname), "Private club just sounds like a fancier name for Strip Club, Demi."

[Agni Sparks]

It was difficult to not notice Agni's approach of the bar. The bustling party-goers tended to give a bit of extra space to the District 11 tribute.

"Hope y're all havin' a good time tonight." He motioned toward the bartender, who leaped to prepare a dark cocktail.

"Won't lie to you; even with the odds "in your favor"; t'only counts for so much." He wrapped his arms across the shoulders of Demetri and Dante.

"Try t' plan ahead bett'r than the District 1's from last year. Their plan was t' take on the field by themselves." Agni looked toward Valeria and Gwen. "Saw how that work'd for 'em."

It could have been the shifting lights; but the bartender almost looked a bit pale as she nervously put Agni's drink on the bar. The victor gave her a smile as he took the first taste.

"I hope t' see everyone here fightin' smart out there. Might even get to see one 'f you here next year."

[Demetri Messer]

For a moment Demetri lowered his voice and changed tone. "Sorry... You can't call me that."

And then he snapped back to it. "But what can I say? I enjoy the finer things in life. What's your vice, Blue?"

[Valeria DeMasque]

Demi..Demetri's response was unexpected. Internally it felt like someone had punched her in the gut but she didn't let it show on her face and she maintained a playful smirk.

"Well than what CAN I call you? If you get 'Blue' I get SOMETHING," she chided.

She tried to force another shot of liquid sparkles down her throat...it was beginning to make her feel warm.

"And for the record its cigarettes," she laughed lightly, "I know they're horrible for ya but they just taste so good..."

[Valeria DeMasque]

Val made her way over to the buffet, "Be right back the eclairs are amazing!"

A couple minutes later she returned still awaiting the gift of a nickname from Demetri.

"Some new girl just wandered in too," she said in between bites of eclair, "I invited her over. She seems...intriguing"

[Dante Clavus]

Dante's mind sprang with a torrent of other questions to ask Demetri about Anton when he felt Agni's arm on his shoulder. The cider's glass nearly fell out of his hand as he recognized who was speaking and struggled to keep his composure.

Dec 6, 2015 20:28:41 GMT -6 Agni Sparks said:

"Won't lie to you; even with the odds "in your favor..."

Agni Sparks is leaning on me! Dante's mind raced between trying to keep calm, think of something witty to say while carefully listening; but everything was moving so fast!

"...bett'r than the District 1's from last year. Their plan..."

What drink did he order? Should I ask for his autograph?! 

"...fightin' smart out there. Might even get to see..."

Play it cool, Dante! What would Millie say?! The air burned in Dante's lungs as he realized he'd been holding his breath; a stifled cough helped get him back to speaking again. 

"I, uh... bought your commemorative set of..." Dante's voice trailed off as he realized the conversation had moved on. The camera's nook seemed to judge him from behind the bar.  

[Demetri Messer]

A man who looked too old to be a tribute squeezed in next to Demetri, separating him from the pretty girl from 12. This rubbed Demetri the wrong way. "Thanks for the advice man, but we have a whole mess of days in training to sort that out,"
he said quoting Blue from just a few minutes prior.

"Cigarettes, huh?" Demetri said turning back to Blue. "I used to smoke. Wouldn't mind getting back into it, considering our current situation. Ever tried morphling?"

[Valeria DeMasque]

"Sold it. Never Sampled it. Wouldn't ever sell it again." she said bluntly.

She let out what sounded like a 'sad laugh', "I really screwed over a good friend when I got mixed up in that whole trade."

"ANYWAY," she said with a smirk, "you still need to let me know what I can call you..."

[Demetri Messer]

Blue had brought back a handful of eclairs. "Now THAT'S a hell of a drug. Don't mind if I do!" Demetri took one from her hands and took a bite. "A new, intriguing girl?! Invite her over!"

[Valeria DeMasque]

Val finally took the hint, "Ok Demetri, she should be right behind me."

[Demetri Messer]

Demetri's jaw dropped, and he quickly closed it when he realized there was still eclair in it. "No way! I sell too! Well before I got arrested... not for selling, but that's another story. Never tried it either."

Demetri laughed. He had a lot more in common with this girl than he had anticipated. "I can't give myself a nickname! You're just gonna have to pry more until you find something you like."

[Valeria DeMasque]

"I have to come up with a nickname for you?" she let out a playful sigh.

"Alright then, how about we get to know each other," she smiled pouring a drink, "I'm not flirting or anything but if you can get away with slinging morphling in the capitol you're worth getting to know."

She grinned evilly, "Plus you do need a nickname. Its only fair..."

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen smirked at the once over from the bearded guy. Perhaps her endeavors were not quite over. Her amusement continued at the hasty introduction from Val.

"I'm Gwendolyn. I don't mind Gwen. I'm not entirely sure if Sharlot and I are in a... relationship. She ran away before I could ask." She grinned mischievously, "Perhaps one of you could fix that?"

A couple new folks showed up talking about the games. Gwen was getting bored when Val showed up with some eclairs, "Wonderful! I cannot get enough of this food! I used to dabble a bit in the narcotics and morphling. Wasn't really my thing in the end."

[Dante Clavus]

Dante had just recovered from his shock from Agni and was greeted with another as the conversation turned to drugs! These two seemed a little older than he was, but none of his friends had ever brought up anything more illegal than swiping a pack of cigarettes. Not trusting himself to speak, he gave his best confident smile to both Demetri and Valeria before walking off toward the crowd.

He hoped it wasn't too noticeable when he sheepishly returned for his forgotten drink.

[Holly Edison]

Struggling to keep pace with Val, Holly made her way into the room. She sure is quick on her feet, weaving in and out of all these people. I should keep an eye on her, however things play out.

"Seems like you all have made friends already. I'm Holly. What are we drinking?"

[Demetri Messer]

Demetri laughed, "Aw! I'm flattered. I'd love to get to know each other. I'm not flirting or anything but I hear the Training Center roof is a great place to share a cigarette. If it's open tomorrow, hell even if it's not, we should have a little smoke date up there."