keep where the water's deep

Calder Mizuko District 4

[calder-mizuko]

Task #5: Deep Sea Creature

[mason-brick]

Hearing that Calder's sister survived the arena gave Mason hope. He didn't know anything about her sister but he definitely knew his brother. Smith could handle himself.. when he chose to. What if this was the time he chose not to? Though he was brought out of his thoughts at the next thing the girl said. "Wait, 18th? Your sister is Medea?" He definitely didn't put two and two together at first but now it was so obvious. "Do you have any interest in going into the games and being a Victor like her?" Mason asked curiously.

[calder-mizuko]

Of course Mason knew who Medea was. Calder nodded, a little uncertain about what she thought of it all despite having expected it. Everyone back home either adored or envied Medea--or both. Naturally, the Tribute Facility wasn't such a different place in that regard. When Mason asked her the question seemingly out of nowhere, her first reaction was to snort out a laugh. "Yes, it's always been a dream of mine to star in reality TV." She was being sarcastic, of course. At least she believed she was. "Why? Do you intend to volunteer after your brother?" Mason did not seem the type. Too soft-spoken. Too busy stressing over his brother instead of being proud that his family stood a chance to become victor of the first Quell.

[wonderxrings]

"I do know Medea," Coro confirmed and it finally all clicked. No wonder the girl looked so familiar! "You must be one of her siblings, I thought you looked like someone I knew."

Penny wiggled in place with the urge to go bowl over what was clearly her new best friend. She looked up at Coro imploringly. "Penny's not a service dog, you can pet her. Behave, Pen. No jumping, you know better."

[calder-mizuko]

That was all the permission Calder needed. "Hi, Penny!" she called, patting her lap and gladly welcoming the excited canine. Maybe she should ask her parents for a dog, too. Surely the cats wouldn't mind. Calder could make it work for everyone, if she wanted to. She hummed, confirming the woman's guess to be correct. "Which district are you from?" Maybe the victor was one of the friends Medea didn't want Calder to bother, or whatever Medea's problem was.

[mason-brick]

"You're right.. maybe it is. And that's okay, too, right?" There didn't always have to be a positive. Things could just be a 'shit deal' as the girl had said it.

Then Mason was stuck on something she had said. "Your sister was a tribute?" He repeated. "Who is she? Did she.." He rethought his question, figuring asking if she died probably wasn't the kindest way of asking. "Is your sister okay?"

[calder-mizuko]

It probably wasn't okay. She certainly wouldn't want to be in that position. Nevertheless, whether or not it was okay was for Mason to decide, so she only shrugged. "Oh, yeah, she's fine. She killed everyone," Calder replied, nonchalant. "She won the 18th." Which felt so long ago now. So many years had passed, it was easy to wave off what had happened as something much less serious than it had been. Besides, wasn't Calder supposed to be proud to have a victor for a sister?

[calder-mizuko]

Task #3: Cosmos Persona

[calder-mizuko]

The best thing about the stupid internship job was undoubtedly the occasional detours it allowed. Before the Games ended, Calder intended to take full advantage of this perk at every turn, even if sometimes there was only enough time and space to people-watch.

Like right now. The Tribute Showcase was one of the busiest periods for the filming crew. Fortunately for Calder, it meant that her supervisor wouldn't notice if she disappeared every once in a while throughout the day. This was exactly why, when she was supposed to be getting coffee and snack for the crew, she found herself loitering in the restaurant area instead, watching tributes and Games officials go about their business in the lobby, essentially putting on a reality show, whether intentionally or not.

"This is all kind of dumb, isn't it?" Calder absently remarked to a stranger standing nearby. Yet in spite of her observation, her eyes shone just a little bit. The whole thing might be dumb, but admittedly, the novelty of being there in person had not worn off quite yet.

[cedarbirch]

For all the begging he'd done, Cedar had felt strangely intimidated by the pomp of it all. Lavishly dressed peoply, speaking of things he couldn't quite grasp. An axe, that he could grasp. An axe and a block of wood that needed splitting. Only when he'd set foot into the Tribute Facility did Cedar realize that the next time he'd be touching an axe would be to kill someone.

He wrangled with his conscience, fought hard to remember that he'd done this for those who wouldn't be able to defend themselves like he would.

Only problem? He had not yet figured out whether he wanted to fight to live or die for those who deserved it more.

With the tribute parade over and the tree bark that had clung to his skin discarded, Cedar made his way back up to his floor. The Tower was horribly crowded once those festivities had concluded. All tributes presented, wheeled back and forth on those devilish chariots, and now all the sponsors were back to see the tributes from up close. "Uh, could I pass, perhaps?" Cedar spoke, deep voice rumbling in his chest as he tried to reach the elevators.

[calder-mizuko]

The parade had come and gone in a flurry of revelry. Needless to say, Calder had not got to watch up close. She hadn't been supposed to watch at all, tasked with final arrangements in the Tribute Facility, setting things up for the Tribute Showcase the next day. Equally needless to say, Calder hadn't been doing what she'd been meant to do and had joined the festivities in the City Circle instead.

Because of this, she had to bolt back to the facility as soon as the ceremony concluded, to try to beat the crowd. The attempt wasn't entirely successful. Even so, she knew she couldn't very well slow down if she wanted to remain employed until the end of the Games. Better late than never, right?

The elevator was within sight, though with a man standing in the way. First it was just the one man, but a couple more people followed, seemingly trying to get the man's attention. A tribute fending off some sponsors, by the looks of it. Calder hardly paid them any mind.

Taking advantage of her smaller stature, she slid between two sponsors and shoved past the tribute to press the elevator button, probably elbowing him in the process. Mercifully, the doors opened within the second. Calder practically stumbled inside.

[wonderxrings]

This kid was funny. Coro couldn't help but laughing again, shaking her head. "Only during the Games sessions. It's the off-season when we get to go wild." She said as Penny came galloping over from wherever she'd been causing trouble. Coro really ought to keep a better eye on her, but she had enough on her hands. "And some of us are even interesting during the Games, though I try not to be. It's not the best way to keep your Tributes alive. Not unless your brand of interesting is well-received."

[calder-mizuko]

After what had been shared thus far, Calder now doubted that the victor was capable of 'going wild' regardless of the season. Before she could comment, however, a dog trotted over, distracting her. "Do you know Medea Mizuko? Is her brand of interesting well-received or is she not interesting at all?" Calder snickered a bit, though her attention was still trained on the dog. Another question quickly followed, more urgent at the time. "Is he--or she--a service dog?" she asked, gesturing at the heeler.

[medeamizuko]

A small huff escaped her. "That's something you tell me, Calder. What am I supposed to ask you? Hey sis, have you gotten any jobs in the Capitol recently?" It barely soothed her that mom and dad knew. Her other siblings had probably known about this as well. Right underneath the simmering surface of shock that her sister was so close to a place Medea wanted her to have no part of, was a bit of hurt. Another huff was forced out of her when Calder thrust the camera equipment against her chest, robbing her of a bit of air. With furrowed brows and arms overflowing with a tangle of cables and a camera, she watched Calder fumble for something.

[calder-mizuko]

"Look, I won't be bothering you and your very cool Capitol friends, if that's what you're so scared of," Calder retorted, sarcasm draped over the words 'very cool'. The city obviously had plenty to offer. She could handle herself and explore on her own just fine, all without her sister's nagging. "In fact, I won't be bothering you ever again if you just tell me how to get to the sixth floor cafeteria." That was the location typed out on her notes. After shoving her phone back into her pocket, she wrestled the filming equipment back from Medea.

[mason-brick]

Strangely enough, Mason felt relief at some of the others' reactions when finding out his own brother was his tribute. Back in his district, many don't see it as a problem. Here, people seemed concerned. Because that's what it was.

"Yeah, my brother." He confirmed with a nod. "I really wasn't expecting my brother to be my first tribute, which only adds more stress to everything. But.. at least I'm here and able to try and help him... right?" Mason made a face, always trying to find a positive.

[calder-mizuko]

Her eyes grew even wider. Not only was his brother a tribute, this was apparently his first year as an escort. Calder could scarcely imagine what that might feel like. When Medea had been a tribute, Calder had only been seven, confined to watching everything unfold from home. Was it as Mason said, that it was good he at least had the means to help? "Maybe. I probably would've wanted to be here when my sister was a tribute," she remarked in thought. "Or maybe it's just a shit deal all around for you." After all, like Mason, she was learning the ropes of a new job, too. Unlike Mason, she was glad she didn't have to worry about a sibling being a tribute while doing so.

[wonderxrings]

"Back to their rooms." Coro said with a laugh. She wasn't a mother, but she had wayward Tributes at the beginning of each Game cycle. The nighttime routine reminded her strongly of the way her mother treated her when she was younger. "Understandably, they often try and sneak out. Steal some precious time on their own. It's likely some of the last they'll ever see without someone trying to kill them."

[calder-mizuko]

Well, that was disappointing. For whatever reason, Calder had thought that the mentor had meant she took the tributes to exciting places, helped facilitate their escapades even if only through the odd chances that they could sneak anywhere at all. Instead, it seemed to be the opposite. "Are all you mentors so boring?" Calder wailed, sinking deeper into the seat. Was this what Medea did, too, as a mentor? Upheld the stupid rules? If Calder were ever to become one, she would definitely do things differently.

[medeamizuko]

Medea's mouth was left agape. The sight of her sister here was so jarring, a shock zapped through her veins. It took remembering that Calder was not a tribute to calm her heart that had all of a sudden begun to race. She didn't belong here, but at least she was merely going to go back home with her after this was over. "I'd have appreciated a fucking warning," she spat back, letting out a deep, sharp breath right after. "Since when has this," she gestured at the equipment Calder was carrying, "been a thing? Where are you taking it?"

[calder-mizuko]

Alright, so no bite. That was fine. If Medea wanted to be annoyed, Calder could very much be the same. "You never asked." Granted, there had never been a reason for Medea to, especially when they didn't even live in the same house, but Calder needed to argue back nonetheless. "I don't know, I submitted an application a few months back, then heard back like a week ago, I guess? It's just a stupid internship, okay? I haven't snuck out here or anything, mom and dad know." And Caspian, obviously. She'd also told Rio. Had it come up with Dam, too? "That's what I'm trying to-- Here." Calder thrusted the camera equipment towards Medea, asking her sister to hold onto it so she could retrieve her notes from her pocket.

[mason-brick]

"Well, we really shouldn't base all names off of Districts, should we? Seems a little silly." Though Mason did enjoy learning someone's name and trying to guess their District before being told where they are from. He then watched as she scrolled through her phone, patiently waiting. "Okay, yeah, I'll do that right away." Mason told her as he quickly pulled out his binder and wrote in his notes. Luckily there was time available in the next hour or so. Then he froze. Who knew that this was all apart of the Escort job. It had always seemed it was about being their for the tributes and helping them with a schedule. He gulped nervously as he thought about anything to say. "I can't say I know too much on the female tribute as of right now but I will sit down and talk with her more in a bit. I'll try to find something .. juicy." He made as face at how weird he sounded. "As for Smith, I know a lot about him, evidently.." Mason started, "He's the troubled middle son of Clayton Brick. Or at least that's what the papers say about him all of the time. There's also something fishy about him being voted in but I'm still working on the details for that."

[calder-mizuko]

That certainly sounded juicy. Quickly enough, Calder forgot that this was supposed to be about the items on her to-do list. It mattered little to her if whatever Mason told her here was going to be useful to Lucky's team. She had her own questions to ask now. "Wait, wait, wait." Calder held up a hand as if to stop Mason, even though the escort was obviously done talking. The name Clayton Brick didn't mean anything to her, but she took note of the last name and how it matched Mason's. And if the tribute was this man's son... "One of the tributes is your family?"

[wonderxrings]

"They wouldn't let you in here if you weren't involved." Coro pointed out. Getting in this place was infinitely harder than getting out. Though anyone who left without permission didn't stay out for long. The Capitol demanded its pound of flesh.

She shrugged. "Where they need to go -- training, judging, their interviews. That's the first part of it at least. Then once they're in the Arena, I work to get them Sponsors." Pray they lived. Cry when they died. Welcome the new Victor on their Victory Tour. Help them live as Victor. Rinse and repeat. "That's the simplest explanation."

[calder-mizuko]

"But they don't need to go to those things at night, do they?" At least not from what she understood. Even now, the facility was quieter than it had been before sundown. She wouldn't pretend to know what went on in there, surely not on her first day when her interactions with Games officials so far had been very limited, but it didn't look like the tributes were supposed to be herded someplace within the next few hours. "So where do you take them to?" Her pesky curiosity added just the slightest bit of a demanding tone to her question, as if she was owed a truthful answer.

[wonderxrings]

"Chaperone." Coro said with a grin. It wasn't abnormal for the tributes to try and sneak out to explore. It was the first time most of them would've seen anything half this grand, and it was a lot to take in at once. But that didn't mean the Capitol didn't stop watching them all. Coro's job was, unofficially, to keep them from doing anything stupid. None of them were allowed to die off-screen after all. "Some tributes do sleep, but others want a chance to get to know the facilities while they can. As a mentor, my job is to keep them safe."

She looked over at the girl next to her and frowned in thought. Medea had mentioned siblings. This girl reminded Coro of her, a little. "Is this your first time working the Games?"

[calder-mizuko]

"Calling what I do here 'working the Games' feels like a gross overstatement," Calder shrugged, "but yeah, I guess." What the woman had said immediately caught her interest, manifested in the slight twinkle in her eyes. "So you take the tributes places? What kind of places?" She could only imagine, but she wanted to know. "Is that what all the mentors do?" Medea had never mentioned anything about this, but that might be because Calder had never thought to ask.

[medeamizuko]

"Classic tribute-pedestrian mix up," Medea snarked. Nothing classic about it whatsoever. Some of these tributes looked old enough to be victors themselves, but were nowhere near on the Capitol level of put-together. The more she thought about it, the less the mix up made any sense.

It occurred to her then, several moments belated, that the voice was oddly familiar, speaking over her shoulder in such a manner that Medea had eased into it immediately. Hadn't questioned it whatsoever, even if it had no place in the Tribute Facility whatsoever.

Medea turned, lips parted in surprise as she found herself face to face with her sister. All decorum was forgotten now, any etiquette thrown out the window. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Her eyes flitted downwards, taking in the clunky camera equipment in Calder's hands. If she hadn't known better, she'd have almost thought that it was just like Calder to sneak to the Capitol under the pretense of filming something.

[calder-mizuko]

To be fair, that reaction was warranted. No mention of the internship had come up with Medea back home. Calder almost snorted laughing, but she held it in. "Ouch. Good to see you, too," she quipped. "Obviously I'm on an extremely critical mission to get this pile of shit to-- uh..." Which floor was she supposed to bring this up to again? With her hands full, she couldn't even pull out her notes from her pocket now. "Whatever. I'll figure it out. Hey, you know what would be fun? You giving me a tour of this place." Would Medea bite? Given how shocked she looked, maybe it was a slim chance, but it was worth asking.

[calder-mizuko]

@coro-ryder

Admittedly, it had got a little late. Admittedly, there was nothing left in her to-do list pertaining to the Tribute Facility. Admittedly, she was supposed to be on her way back to Lucky's offices. She couldn't be compelled to do that just yet, though, given how utterly boring the network's office building was compared to this place. What was the rush anyway? Instead of rushing out like most of the other interns, Calder lounged on a sofa in the lobby, unbothered.

There was a woman nearby. She looked familiar enough that Calder knew the woman had to be a victor, though which district Calder couldn't say. "What do you usually do here after sundown?" she asked, solely because it was what was on her mind. "Do the tributes sleep at all?" What happened behind the scenes, when the cameras weren't running?