Strilonde-Murphy Double Feature [Closed]

[seestheman]

WHO| Clara and Dave; Clara and Rose
WHAT| Dave teaches Clara how to buckle her swash./Apparently Clara and Rose are dating, so first date in a murderarena for the cameras.
WHEN| Week Two (I am the worst)/Near the end of Week Five
WHERE| A Touch of Class/Around the mall
WARNINGS| Talk of adultery.



(For Dave. A Touch of Class, Week 2)

The discovery that Alex chose to discard his sword doesn't surprise Clara all that much. He knows guns, it's part of his training as a cop. And as much as she would like to believe that, barring the neurosuppression, he'd probably hold onto it (and she'd probably make some sort of awful crack about him being a knight in black matte armor to try to make him laugh or, at the very least, smile), the fact that he gave it to Dave is a relief. The idea of Dave being weaponless is kind of terrifying, so this is a huge comfort to her. Especially since Dave apparently knows how to use a sword.

Of course, Clara only learned that after Dave offered to teach her how to sword fight since she won one as well. Which is why she standing in the middle of A Touch of Class dressed in a vaguely pirate-y outfit (because, really, she has a sword and an eyepatch, of course she's gonna play up the pirate thing) holding her sword until she hears Dave coming from her right and turns to face him.

"It's rude to sneak up on people like that."



(For Rose. Week Five, after the Panem Nightly broadcast)

Clara has to admit the idea is extraordinarily dumb. Hell, it might even count as giving the Capitol what they want by potentially causing drama. But the fact of the matter is that there's a part of Clara that wonders if Alex seeing her be romantic with someone else might bring him back to her. Sure, there's the risk that he'll be pissed if it works, but it's a risk she's willing to take. (And if it turns out that the Capitol decided to lift the neurosuppression they had placed on him for when he's outside of the Arena...well, she'll feel like a moron, but she can only hope that he'll understand when she explains it to him.

The moment she spots Rose, she breaks into a run, trying to make sure that all the cameras on them see how eager she is to get to her. "Rose!" The moment she begins to slow down, she gives the other blonde a look that she hopes gets 'please play along with this and I'll make it worth your while somehow' very clear without making it super clear to whoever's watching at home. "I guess we've been found out," she says once she's come to a stop in front of her, giving her a sheepish smile and hoping she'll play along with it.

Comments

[shenunigans]

"Can't blame a guy for trying." He points out, keeping his sword raised as he edges closer, though he's keeping a decidedly neutral stance. He isn't about to just run and stab at her like she's Bro.

"That's good though, I thought I was angling for your blind spot. People are gonna do that." He shrugs, shifting his weight on his feet when he does. "So are we gonna fight or are you some yellow-bellied scallywag- wait, I think I went cowboy there." He raises a hand to scratch his chin contemplatively. "Whatever, come at me."

[seestheman]

"Do you want a gold star for trying?" Not that she has any on her. All of her calendar stickers, including the gold stars, are back in Detroit and thus are completely inaccessible to her at the moment.

"You were, but your footsteps were loud," she says, raising the sword while offering him a shrug. "I think scallywag is a pirate thing, I don't know, I don't really speak pirate." Actual worst pirate Clara Murphy. And her lack of skills at pirating and sword play would explain why she freezes up slightly. "Are you serious?"

[arosewiththorns]

It hadn't really crossed her mind to go looking for Clara after she left the cafe. The gossip was amusing, a faint reminder of her life back home and back there Rose would usually feed the rumours. It was funny, to see how much you could get people to believe, to put in fake tips from fake sources and see who took the bait. But her in the arena she has bigger things to concentrate on. This is more of a life of death situation than her true life is, even if death here doesn't really mean an end. But she doesn't have the support of her fame here, just a pair of knitting needles and a pistol. And an ability to weigh the scales in a morally black and white fashion, to do what she needed to do and accept the costs.

Clara gets her attention easily enough though, even before she calls out, her footsteps quite audible. Rose should scold her, it did ruin the ability to be sneaky about her location but Clara speaks up and for a second her brow quirks in surprise, a slight twitch that she smooths out in the next second. A smile forms, softer than her usual ones with it's own touch of embarrassment and lovesickness.

"It seems so..." her voice is light, loud enough that the words won't be missed, and she takes a step, two steps forward and her arms slide around Clara's waist with a familiarity she didn't have seconds ago. Rose's smile widens slightly and she looks up, head tilted slightly to the side. Clara wants to play this game? Fine, Rose invented it. "I can't say I'm that upset, in truth... It does take the thrill out of sneaking around, but I was growing tired of people not knowing you were mine."

[seestheman]

Clara's a rank newbie to this kind of thing. Hell, she wouldn't even consider doing this under normal circumstances, but, considering how far they're into this thing? These aren't normal circumstances. This is a bizarre mix of boredom and hope springs eternal at play while she waits for her inevitable demise. And if she knew that this was something Rose was familiar with...well, she would have definitely done it.

Really, what's the worst that can happen at this point?

Admittedly, Clara's relieved that Rose is willing to play along. Really, this entire thing could have fallen apart if Rose had shot her down like she half expected her to. And it's not like she would've been able to blame her for doing so.

If there's anyone in the Capitol who's analyzed Clara's face when she looks at Alex so that they could pick out every detail, they'd probably be able to tell that the way Clara smiles at Rose isn't the same way she smiles at Alex. It's close, but it's not quite there. Instead, the smile Clara gives Rose is a little bit tighter and less dreamy and slightly less radiant. Of course, that could easily be explained away by the lack of history between them compared to between her and Alex. Or that this is the less than best circumstances to be doing this.

It's weird to be in this position. She's so used to being the smaller half of a couple. She's so used to staring up or being able to rest her head on Alex's chest that she isn't quite sure where to put her hands when Rose first embraces her. She quickly clues in, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman and placing a feather light kiss on her cheek. "No one said we have to stop sneaking around," she says, giving Rose a playful smile, "but it'll be nice to not always be in the shadows. I just wish everyone else didn't have to find out this way."

[arosewiththorns]

She does wonder what's going through Clara's mind with this. She knows the woman's married, knows her husband is here too. Of course she's heard the whispers, here and there, that he's been taken over by the Capitol and does their bidding now. And between that and the trauma he seems to have suffered, physically... well it wouldn't be the first marriage to hit a bump and Clara wouldn't be the first wife to seek some other comfort out.

There's not really time to consider this and so Rose picks her options quickly, knows that the smallest second too long could call them into question. Later, after this arena they'll discuss it. Figure out what they're doing and if need be stage a break up.

But now she just returns Clara's smile, her touch light as her hand runs gently up and down the small of Clara's back and she hums, lips curling up a touch more and her eyes closing when Clara kisses her, Rose easily playing the role of a love struck woman. She even laughs, soft and sweet, and glances up through her lashes at Clara. "Mm, that is true... The tower is quite crowded, I'm sure we'll find some way to cause excitement." And she nods, stepping in slightly and letting her hip bump Clara's as she sighs softly. "I know. It would have been better to have come from us... But we should have known it would likely happen like this. We are more closely watched here, after all. I'm sure they'll understand."

[seestheman]

It would take a lot for Clara to admit that her and Alex's marriage has hit a large enough bump that she's hit a wall of frustration. While it might be true at this point because of the neurosuppression, she tries not to think about it. Every marriage has its issues, but she's sure other couples have been able to get over bigger issues than this.

It briefly crosses her mind that, with how easily Rose reciprocates, that there could be something real beneath the surface. She doubts it, but she makes a mental note to find sometime and place away from prying eyes to sit down with the other blonde and try to figure out what lines they need to draw.

Clara raises an eyebrow at that and, for a moment, her mind is securely in the gutter. She knows she shouldn't even think about it for a moment. Fake relationship or not, she's married to a man that she loves more than anything and the idea of heavy petting in the hallways of the Tribute Center with anyone other than Alex shouldn't excite her as much as it does. "Oh, you're terrible," she says warmly, with a playful smile on her lips. She finally lets her hands settle, one resting on Rose's hip while the other sits right above the small of her back.

"Honestly, I never thought I'd make it this far in so it wouldn't be a problem. I was so sure I'd wind up sitting in the Capitol waiting for you to come home and we'd be able to break the news to everyone on the downlow. Maybe it's better this way, it'll give them more time to adjust." Which is a lie, but it sounds good on camera and heightens the drama that the Capitol probably wanted by saying that they were an item. "I'm just happy to be with you again. I hated knowing that you were so close, but out of reach."