Hello...?

[Cal Mensen]

With the sheer size of this complex, it took forever to find his assigned room.

"So this is where we're staying?"

His question was pointed at his team coach, who nonchalantly waved him towards the room. From the direction he was moving in, Cal could guess the coach was making a bee-line for the refreshments.

Sighing, Cal examined the expanse of the Hotel Room. It was impossibly clean, the colors vibrant, the atmosphere energizing. This all contrasted with his inner world, choosing to just have a seat in a chair facing the window.

"Maybe this view will clear my head." he mutters to no one in particular, taking stock of the situation.

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen walked out into the common room, still drying her hair from the shower. She stuttered to a stop. She had kind of been avoiding him. Anything reminding her of home tended to break her persona. She sighed and went to grab a drink.

"About time you showed up."

[Cal Mensen]

His eyebrows rise at her comment, swiveling his chair around to face her. This wasn't the usual side of Gwen he's witnessed during their time in the Captial. Exhaling and bobbing his head down, his eyes trail along the ground, out of focus.

"Sorry about that. It's taken a while to adjust to even being here."

Cal walks over to the drinks, gingerly picking up an aluminum bottle before returning to his seat.

"How have you been holding up?"

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen made a noncommittal noise before shrugging her shoulders. "Just trying to have some fun before I die. Drink a lot. Maybe get laid. At least make out with someone. Ya know. The usual stuff. Made any friends yet?"

[Cal Mensen]

"Heh, I've been a bit slow on the uptake. Too much reading, just started opening up. Had some friendly competition during training, closest thing to friend is Wren. May even learn a thing or two from him."

Cal pops his beverage and takes a long sip. Clearing his breath, he sits across from Gwen.

"He asked if I was happy to be here, like it was my last hurrah. Do you really have no hope to walk away from this?"

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen snorted. "Wren is a bit naive. Who the hell asks if you're happy to be here? To think I have a shot at walking away from this is ridiculous. I have no fighting skills. I have knowledge. I've seen the tapes and so far it doesn't look like that's what keeps people alive. A one in twenty-four shot. No. I don't think I will survive. I'll live my last days like everyone wishes they could live their entire life. I'm not going to squander my final moments in petty sneaking behind people's backs and making plans against each other. I will be honest and open about what I want."

Gwen paused, slinking up to Cal up close and personal, centimeters away. "And what I want is to live as fully as I can. With laughter and humanity. Giving people the decency to not treat them as an animal on a chopping block." She looked him up and down, "So let me know if you want to live, too." She gave him a wink, "I'll see what I can do."

[Cal Mensen]

Cal freezes up for second or two, slightly overwhelmed. Slowly, Cal's face turns into a small smile, looking directly into Gwen's eyes.

"You're right, we got the same skills, same odds. But I think we're far more than we let on. I think we can learn a lot from one another."

He moves his hand to the small of her back, his other her hand.

"Alright, show me how to live."

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen grinned at his straightforwardness. She wasn't used to it after her experiences with the other tributes. She liked that he didn't back down from her advances.

Gwen rested her free hand on his shoulder and led him into a waltz, "So, what do you think about the peacekeepers being a part of this year's games?"

[Cal Mensen]

Cal's steps follows Gwen's, not leading being a new experience. He'll adapt, manage, as normal.

"I'm intrigued, but I can't figure out why they're doing this. The peacekeepers are trapped in with the rest of us, if the rules go as normal, the capital will slay up to twelve of their own. Why do it?"

The two dance around the room, the built in music player silent and forgotten. Their steps match their pulse, growing closer in tandem.

"Care to lend your take on it?"

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Cal danced well. It felt natural, almost like she didn't have to lead at all. She sighed.

"I don't really get it either. If the peacekeepers themselves don't understand what's happening then how are the rest of us suppose to find out before the games start?" She shrugged, "Like I said. Not much use in stressing out about it. I'm trying to find out what I can, but they aren't making it easy. It's quite fun actually. We might as well get this out of the way. Are you a peacekeeper?"

[Cal Mensen]

Cal's eyebrows popped up in surprise, slowly falling to meet his usual small smile.

"You are forward, I can't contest that. I'm afraid that information is useless. Like you said, both factions are in the same boat. At this point in the game, it doesn't matter."

After a few more rhythms, his eyes dip below, a few moments of reflection.
This isn't good form for the game
He brings his gaze to meet Gwen's, a quiet intensity behind his eyes.

"Let's say I am a peacekeeper. What could I do? Everyone is suspect. Is there one hidden in each District's pair of tributes? Could there be a pair in their own district? How would they even find one another, really know for sure?"

Cal brings the waltz to a close, holding her still.

"If you can come up with an answer, we could move forward."

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

They were all good questions, and none that she hadn't asked herself before. As they came to a standstill all she could think to say was, "Well, I guess we just have to trust each other." She leaned in to kiss him.

[Cal Mensen]

Closing his eyes, Cal met her kiss. It began gentle, the softness of her lips dancing across his.

Where am I going with this, why are we doing this. When... fuck it.

Cal drew Gwen in for a closer embrace, electricity dancing between them. Nothing else mattered right now.

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Finally! Gwen threw herself into the kiss. If she were to be honest with herself, her districtmate was the last person she would think to do this with. She broke the kiss, breathless.

"So, uh, you want to..." Gwen glanced to the door to the bedroom.

(OOC: Just so we're on the same page whatever happens ends at the door. I'm into RPG, but I'm not that into it haha.)

[Cal Mensen]

(OOC: Fine by me, it was the build up that was more fun anyways )

Cal's eyes darted to the door and back to Gwen. His expression softened, his voice dipping to a whisper.

"Yes."

Sweeping around her, he made quick steps to the door. He stops short of entering, his eyes tapered with a smile holding hers.

"Still leading?"

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

My, this boy is something.

Gwen couldn't help but smile despite herself, feeling her heart flutter, "Let's see what you got."

[Cal Mensen]

Cal awoke first, exiting the bedroom to stretch his limbs. He sat next to the music player, flipping through the library's collection.

That was... incredible. Why is there less than a day left?

A title catches his eye, playing it on a low volume, careful not to wake Gwen.

OOC: link for song www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gxplhQH27s

IC: Listening to the lyrics, his eyes stare at the ground. Reflecting on their earlier discussion and... activities, Cal frowns at the possibility of complications. As the song finishes playing, his eyes light up and his smile returns.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen woke to the soft sounds of a song coming from the main room. She stretched, a smile appearing on her lips. Well that was... something.

She got up and leaned on the door-frame, listening to the lyrics and watching Cal for a few moments.

"Hmm, not becoming sentimental are we? Quite the song you picked." Gwen went to a screen to order breakfast. "You want anything?"

[Cal Mensen]

Carl's eyes move up to meet Gwen's, his smile unbroken.

"Nah, you wouldn't be the type to fall for a big softie, right?"

He lays back across the couch, his head still nodding to the phantom beat.

"If you read between the romantic bits, I believe it's fitting of our own situation. We're a long way from home."

Cal lays on his side, his gaze resting on her.

"Black coffee and some fried eggs, please."

[Cal Mensen]

While the food is on the way, this is it.

"I've been thinking, and I have an idea to help increase our odds."

Cal stood up, taking her earlier spot in the door frame.

"I expect some of the tributes suspect your attitude to be a front. A means to either create distance from true opponents, while drawing others into compromising positions. Under the guise of living your remaining life to its fullest."

He walks over to Gwemn, leaving a few inches between them, his smile turned into a grin.

"Could it be both?"

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen punched in the request for two orders of black coffee and eggs. Home. It was a weird thing to think about. She had distracted herself so much she hadn't really had a chance to think about it. There was an emptiness at the thought of the place. The only spark of pain being her longing to cuddle up with her dog, Mojo.

She turned to Cal as he started talking about a way to increase their odds. She frowned a bit at the mention of other tributes thinking she was putting up a front. It started off as that, sure, but she had come to rather like this new skin she put on. She didn't think of it as fake anymore. She knew that people would question this personality she chose. It was a bit unprecedented to say the least. She was just surprised no one had thought to confront her about it yet.

Gwen grinned back at Cal as he stood closer to her. She put a hand on his chest, "Let's just say I like who I am now. I have more here being who I am now than I ever did back at home. I wouldn't risk that at this point. I don't much like the idea of being anything but genuine." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. "So what is this idea of yours?"

[Cal Mensen]

Cal closes the gap, can't help but smile as he kisses her. He's comfortable with this, feeling more assured.

"Full disclosure between us. Right now, whoever we were entering the Games is meaningless."

His smile fades for a moment as he looks into Gwen's eyes.

"I realize its a gamble, the paranoia out there can spell death if we aren't aligned. At the very least, one of us will walk away knowing something about the other. Odds increase."

A warmness spreads across his face, capped with a spark in Cal's eyes.

"But if we happened to match up, think what we could do. No one else has access to this room, we can share what we know. And what's living without a little risk?"

He finishes the statement with a wink, his arms wrapping around her.

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

"Mmm last night wasn't full disclosure enough for you?" Gwen said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Have you made any alliances yet? I think Val likes the numbers game if you want to join us."

[Cal Mensen]

"I haven't joined up with anyone yet. Trust is... slow to build, and I'm a bit late to the game."

Cal guides them to lay on the couch, a nice supported embrace.

"However, I like the idea of someone having my back. Do you think I'd be better suited openly allying with your group, or work my way into another team?"

[Gwendolyn Fisk]

Gwen was unused to the feeling of a cuddle session. She didn't mind the intimacy. She settled in.

"That part is up to you. Only you know what you can handle."