[unrecorded]

[caroflower]

Caro hasn't been real thrilled with mentoring so far. But that's mostly because she ended up with a real lemon of a Tribute. Maybe in a decade or so, she'll get a decent one. In the meantime, she's decided not to waste any more effort helping a kid who clearly doesn't want her help. So she washes her hands of the whole thing and spends the rest of training actually making use of her time. Which includes having lunch with Luigi Largo again, among other things.

And now it's the morning of the start of the Hunger Games. Caro doesn't even bother to herd her Tribute up to the roof as is traditional. Instead, she snags a donut and just heads for the mentor room. Might as well get used to the equipment and all. Before she goes and sits down, however, she spies Murphy over at District 3's station. Might as well say hello, right? Oh please. Caro's been looking forward to seeing them for weeks. She ambles up behind Murphy, but not close enough to be accidentally threatening.

Scotty leans around Murphy and says, "Good mornin', lass! Ye're here early." And then he slides around Murphy to engulf Caro in a hug. Which... she wasn't expecting it exactly, but she knows Scotty well enough to not be surprised even a little.

"Good morning to you too, Scotty." It comes out a little muffled. After a moment, he lets go of her and she grins at him.

Comments

[murphypendleton]

Murphy's luck for Tributes has been worse, he'll admit that much. It's enough to put him in an alright mood once he's seen Johanna off to the arena. Or as alright a mood as he can get given the circumstances. First order of business is always, always pestering - and today, that's Scotty, because Walter isn't due to show up for a while yet.

He's still pestering the kiltboy when Caro wanders on over, considerably earlier than he'd figured. Given her pain in the ass tribute though... maybe it's not all that surprising. "Morning, Caro," He turns and grins, scooching out of the way of Scotty.

Unfortunately about as soon as she's escaped Scotty's hug attack, Murphy steps over and hugs her. Once he's sure he's outdone Scotty in the hug department, he backs his ass back up and asks, "Walter right behind you or did he go and sleep through everything again?"

Because that's a thing that's happened before.

[caroflower]

"Morning, Murphy." Caro probably should have expected a hug from him too, honestly. "I have no idea. I didn't stick around long." She shrugs a little at that.

She's just opening her mouth to say something else when Data wanders up with a cup of coffee. "Good m-morning," he says, setting his cup down. He's got that look on his face that Caro is pretty sure means he's pleased he didn't stutter too badly.

"Morning, Data." Caro tilts her head and considers for a moment. "Well come on, then," she adds, holding her arms out. "Let's complete the set."

Data blinks at her before shuffling forward somewhat awkwardly. Caro steps forward and pulls him into a hug. Honestly, Data reacts to hugs more or less how Caro used to. Which is to say, with confusion and a somewhat delayed reaction. She lets him go after a moment, and he retreats to his chair.

[caroflower]

Several minutes and inappropriate comments later, Caro excuses herself to go sit down and examine her console. It's honestly less complicated than she was afraid it would be. It's still involved enough that she's fairly absorbed in what she's doing.

[theclownprince]

It isn't often this particular Victor earns the dubious honor of visiting the mentor room, so obviously he has to make the absolute most of such an occasion. A memorable entrance is key. Or several memorable entrances, as it were, since he's spent the vast majority of the morning wandering in and out. This time it's a less-than amazing scene of cheerfully pushing his way past the guard in the front lounge and into the mentor room proper.

He doesn't take a lot of time to assess who's shown up yet. There's a tiny redhead at 12's station and he hasn't met her... yet. Clearly the best way to go about this is to amble on over and introduce himse-- no, not really. Joker takes a second to smooth back his hair before he half-skips, half-bounds across the room, and more or less leaps into Caro's lap. He kicks his stupidly long legs over the armrest and flings one arm around her shoulders, because, that's why. And then he grins and bats his eyelashes at her. "Hi."

[caroflower]

Caro has a split second to realize someone's heading her way before there's a man in her lap. A ridiculously tall, very brightly dressed man. With a face full of makeup and scars. In her lap. Batting his lashes at her. What the fuck.

"Uh." Caro just stares. "Hi?" She's wondering whether she should shove him off her lap or if it's even safe to do so.

[theclownprince]

Joker barely gets to respond before he hears a very loudly disgusted noise from somewhere behind him. A quick glance would suffice, but he doesn't work like that. He leans back until he's looking the noisemaker right in the eye, only... upsidedown. It's none other than Floyd Lawton that's scowling down at them, much in the way one looks at something nasty they've scraped off their shoe. "You sure didn't waste any time, did you?"

"Good morning to you, too, Ffffffloyd," Joker chirps, putting on one of the nastiest smiles he can manage.

[caroflower]

Caro slowly turns her head to look at whoever is making grossed out twelve year old noises. It's a Career, of course. From 2, she thinks. Haha, no wonder he's disgusted. She smiles nastily up at him in that way that really twists and pulls at the scars on her face. "Careful there, we might have cooties." And then she leans forward and wraps her arms around... whoever this is in her lap. Which is both likely to gross out the Career asshole even more and will hopefully keep her and her uh, new friend here from toppling out of the chair.

[theclownprince]

Floyd's scowl just turns into a sneer at that, and it's likely not helping that Joker takes Caro's arms around him as a cue to blow a kiss at the Career before righting himself into a less precarious position. Less precarious, and right back into Caro's personal space. Floyd can fuck off and be inane elsewhere as far as Joker's concerned. He's got far more interesting people to keep his attention. Namely, the lovely creepy smiling lady who's lap he's currently occupying. Speaking of that.

It's not as if Joker has any discernible sense of personal space, but frowning thoughtfully and poking Caro's facial scar quizzically might even register as a little much for even him.

He does it anyway.

"Heeey, those aren't fake after all," Joker concludes aloud with no small amount of glee. And then lightly pokes the scars again. Pokepoke. "That's fantastic."

[caroflower]

Caro doesn't even get a chance to obnoxiously ignore the Career, her attention is immediately diverted by the guy in her lap poking at the scars on her face. She just raises an eyebrow at him. "Well of course they're real." Never mind that she's had variations on this conversation more times than she can count.

...Caro decides she should follow this up by letting go of the guy and reaching up to poke at the scars on his face. "Not bad," she says after a moment.

[theclownprince]

"Why, thank you. I think they bring out my eyes." And then Joker flips his hair.

He drapes his arm over her shoulder and the back of the chair again, adopting the thoughtful frown from earlier. "What was your name? I'm so bad with names. Had a - had a hard c sound. Or a k." He pauses a beat. "Conundrum? Wait, no, different redhead. ...Kerosene?" He snaps his fingers, looking at her mildly triumphantly. "Yeah, that's it. Kerosene."

[caroflower]

Caro has to laugh at that. "If that's what you were trying to do, you aimed a little low." Caro no. Caro, that's terrible.

She's not sure how or why, but she ends up with one arm back around her mystery friend. And then blinks at him. "Close enough. Now are you gonna tell me your name, or is that too much for a first date?" He is sitting in her lap and all.

[theclownprince]

"I see what you did there." Joker downright cackles.

He somehow manages to look a bit bashful at the date question, complete with very stage-shocked hand on his chest. "Oh. Well," He pauses, idly kicking his feet a bit, as if he wasn't just cracking up at an eye-gouging joke. "I normally wait until at least the third but since you asked so nicely... I'm Joker."

[caroflower]

"Yeah, 'cause you missed." That face you make when you tell a really awful joke? That's the face Caro's making right now.

If she hadn't already been laughing, the sudden bashful routine would definitely do it. "Well it's nice to meet you," Caro says grinning. She even means it. "I'd offer to shake hands but that seems a little ridiculous at this point." That's probably tempting fate, but Caro is both deeply amused right now and curious. Which is a terrible combination.

...This is why she gets along with Murphy and Scotty so well. Joker here actually reminds her a lot of those two and Walter. If you put them through a very brightly colored blender or something.

[theclownprince]

"Nobody's perfect," Joker shrugs. And then that faux-bashful expression slowly cracks into a very wide, very crooked grin. "Weeellll, if you say so."

That's... Joker full on kissing Caro on the mouth, out of nowhere. And when that's over, smooshing his cheek against her's. "You - you, I like already."

It's right about then that he hears someone clearing their throat behind him. A quick glance over his shoulder answers the who part of that quickly enough. "Morning, sweetheart," Walter greets with what Joker can only interpret as an amused sort of frown. "I see you already met this asshole."

[caroflower]

Caro has a brief moment to register that grin-- that grin that is way more appealing than it has any business being-- and then Joker's kissing her. And then smooshing his cheek against hers. Scar touching huh? That's... huh.

She just sits there and blinks until she hears someone clearing their throat. Oh, hi Walter. Caro smiles sweetly up at him and gives him one of those Weyoun finger waves. "Good morning. I'm making friends." She decides to punctuate this by wrapping her free arm around Joker and leaning in to smoosh her cheek back against his. Look, aren't they cute? They're freaking adorable.

[theclownprince]

Joker was all ready to jump up and make a pest of himself at Walter, when - arms around him. And a face smooshed against his. He just smiles brightly up at Walter, greasepainted face squished against Caro's.

"Uh-huh," Walter just raises his eyebrows.

"It's been a - a while, Walter. Don't I - don't I get a hello?" Joker sounds a little crestfallen. So while Walter moves to walk by to his chair, Joker reaches out and leaves a big ol' greasepaint handprint on Walter's ass. Because, that's why.

"Goddamn it, clown," Walter chokes out, turning to smack Joker's grabby hands away. He looks... a little mad, but he's laughing really hard all the same. For Joker, that's a pretty good response.

[caroflower]

"Oh don't mind Walter," Caro says, face still squished against Joker's. "He's just mad he had to get up before noo--" She can't finish that sentence because she's now laughing really hard at Joker grabbing Walter's ass.

After a moment she manages to quietly choke out, "the Assgrab Maneuver lives." That's also about when she realizes that she's been laughing so hard she's kind of clinging to Joker. She'd feel bad about that if he weren't, you know, in her lap and all.

[illdrinktothat]

"Clown." Walter repeats, frowning down at the large facepaint handprint now on the back of his pants. Joker just looks up at him innocently while Caro cracks the fuck up against him.

He's not drunk enough for these shenanigans yet.

Walter tries - tries being the keyword - to settle into his chair at his station. Joker's not anywhere near done, though. Walter's chair is out of arm's length... but not out of the range of his stupidly long legs. Joker manages to tug Walter's chair over with his foot and then proceeds to just lay his legs across his lap. "Comfortable?" Walter grumbles, mostly good-naturedly.

Joker just beams back at him cheerfully.

Goddamn clown.

[caroflower]

Caro keeps laughing as Joker reels Walter's chair over with his ridiculously long legs and then props his feet up in Walter's lap. "Now we're one big happy family," she says after a moment. She gives Walter a big-eyed innocent smile. While still kind of wrapped around Joker. Uh.

...Speaking of which, she should probably disentangle herself. She's not gonna, though. Actually, she'll just lean back in her chair a little more and kind of tug him with her. Might as well get comfortable.

[illdrinktothat]

"I'm abandoning this family," Walter says with a frown, attempting to scoot his chair back away. There's no wheeling his goddamn chair back no matter what, though. Joker's not having it.

"Nooo," Is all he hears from Joker about that, and when he glances back over at the two of them, Joker's goddamn pouting at him. That's not okay.

[caroflower]

Caro can't stop giggling. This is really ridiculous. She doesn't care. Joker refusing to let Walter escape and pouting at him, though. That's more than a little unfair. So she responds by letting go of him just enough to reach out and pat his leg.

"Don't worry, he's just playing hard to get," she says soothingly, smiling sweetly. Caro could wrap her arm back around Joker, or... she could just rest her hand right above his knee. That's good.

[theclownprince]

Joker's more than happy to just settle back against Caro and stay exactly where he is. Which is... in her lap and increasingly curled around her. Walter's continued grumpiness just means continued pouting from the clown.

"Maybe I caught him on a bad da--oh," Joker laughs at the sudden leg patting. That is a hand on his thigh. "Oh my. You know, you could move your hand a little further up."

And then, suddenly, Walter's knocking Joker's feet out of his lap and standing. Joker's got enough time to wonder if perhaps he actually did piss 12's other Victor of when -- that is Walter lifting him up and away from Caro. "Wait," Joker protests, "Waaaaait! I'm behaving!"

He really doesn't expect Walter to wander back over to his own chair, sit down and plop Joker on his own lap. Well. That's an unexpected turn of events.

[caroflower]

Caro's sweet smile slips a little when Joker makes that comment about moving her hand. She has the distinct feeling he wouldn't complain much about her looking predatory, though. And then Walter stands abruptly, and Caro wonders if she's crossed a line. She only has a moment to wonder, though, because then Walter's picking Joker up and sitting back down with him in his lap. Well then.

She pouts over at the two of them. "Well now I'm all lonely," Caro says in a very sad voice. She'd invite herself over, but she's pretty sure three of them would break the chair.

...Heh.

[theclownprince]

"How," Joker starts, furrowing his brows thoughtfully. "How annoyed do you think our hosts would be if we, er... borrowed a sofa from the break room?" But that would require moving and Walter's arm is pretty securely around his waist.

"Maybe if we ask really nicely," Walter muses in one of the most sarcastic tones Joker's heard in... a while. Caro's sad voice, though. Oh no.

Joker sighs a little bit dramatically and just leans on back, reaching out to - there we go. He pulls Caro's chair over close enough it bumps into Walter's. If he could, he'd sprawl across them both, but the armrests are in the way. And then he bats his eyelashes at her. "Did you miss me?"

For the whole two seconds he's been gone.

His attention gets immediately redirected when Walter pats his face lightly. "Look alive, J, the bloodbath's going to start soon."

[caroflower]

Caro beams as Joker tugs her chair over. And then she laughs and bats her lashes right back. "Oh no, I never miss."

"Oooh." She re-angles herself slightly so she can see her monitor a little better. "I wanna see how quickly mine gets dead," she adds very quietly.