#mb135

[slate-skylar]

Slate was sober -- he didn't count nicotine as a drug, surely not after everything he'd been doing -- and was, therefore, feeling sick and annoyed with everything around him. Ash and Finch were both alive, which meant that he had no excuse to not be here, to not be theoretically schmoozing with sponsors, though he was not doing that. He was instead standing by one of the heated lamps in the tent, eating something he was told was called funnel cake, and generally looking grumpy and off-putting. When someone approached, he said, "You want some of this artisan-hand-crafted-low-protein-low-fiber-high-sugar shit? That's what the Capitolite who gave it to me said. It's good though."

[cress-meadowforge]

"Oh, thank Snow," Cress beamed, the odd latex and rubber of her outfit squeaking as she shimmied closer to Cain, hands lifting, encircling him, clasping something at the base of his neck. When she withdrew, her fingers toyed with a locket that centered below his throat. An 'M' was engraved onto the front, and she'd spent time discoloring the metal, letting it appear just the right amount of tarnished. "A gift from Mack," she asserted, though the 'M' certainly stood for Meadowforge and had been taken from her own collection -- but they were playing a careful PR game, and with the media blast that had been leaked, they needed to take things a step further.

"Wear that out," she instructed. "And if anyone asks you to open it, act coy and insist she wouldn't want you to share the contents with the world."

@cain-gunn

[cade-bentley]

"Couldn't help but notice you and Mahlon all matchy-matchy this evening. You two back together?" Cade took a sip of his drink, eyeing Greer over the rim with interest. He was off-duty tonight (thank God), so he felt he could be a little more brazen in needling for topics of gossip that interested him. "Not to say it's not cute. It is. Even sweeter than whatever the fuck this is." He held up his pink-blue-rainbow monstrosity that he was enjoying far more than he'd admit to.

@greer-morgan

[alder-reid]

"You doing okay?" He hadn't spoken to Nano in a while, but he'd... heard things. Word got around, especially somewhere like the Tower. There was no such thing as private business. "If you ever want an excuse to disappear from this sort of thing for a little while, I'm definitely your guy. I hate this stuff." And, he remembered when he'd felt his most fragile, large crowds tended to make everything he felt a hundred times louder.

@nano-cache

[holland-westbrook]

"You know, I've never done this before, but I feel very confident in my skills," Holland said, letting her hair down as she approached the ring toss. "And I've just spent my entire day trying to reprogram a crocodile, so what do you say? Let's make it a competition."

[hestiaember]

Hestia nearly gagged on her drink, holding it out at an arm's length. She didn't usually like the cocktails at these things, of course-- too sweet, too artificial-- but she was feeling more adventurous than usual. Maybe partly because she knew being in a good mood tended to curry better favor among sponsors, and partly because both Finch and Ash were alive. Not just alive, doing decently, in fact. They were handling the challenges thrown to them about as well as she could hope any tribute from Twelve might, and neither seemed to have completely given up.

"Do you want this?" she asked the next passerby, expression twisted up in distaste. She waved her hand at the neon contents of the glass. "It's too-- everything."

[sheenlux]

Sheen had a tribute left in the games, he should have been going to the ball on full alert. He should have prepared to work with sponsors to secure more support for Jade. Perhaps, though, the ether would help him relax, it would boost his confidence and make it easier for him to socialize with Sponsors, thereby getting her more money. Or Sheen was just being selfish, and he just wanted to run away from his feelings of feeling like an absolute failure. Regardless of his intentions, and what was going to happen, here he was at the Mentor Ball, high on the ether he'd bought from Mahlon.

The sponsors seemingly enjoyed how much more social he was being, a wide smile across his face, he had one arm wrapped around one sponsor's shoulder, and a drink in the other, as he sold Jade to them, securing his third? fourth? new donation tonight. He was bidding them fair well when he saw a familiar face. Sheen bounced over to them, quickly putting an arm around their shoulder.

"Wow! Don't you look absolutely stellar! Talk about the belle of the ball. I'm almost jealous over how much better than me you look. Tell me who dressed you, you have to."

[everettcannon]

"This is higher stakes than either of my Bloodbaths," Everett said, joking, as he balanced a drink in one hand and threw another dart at a balloon, successfully popping it and revealing behind it the words 'YOU LOSE.' The majority of the balloons were 'losers,' but a handful were 'winners,' which meant you'd get a prize -- he'd just gotten unlucky. "Here, you try." He held the dart out to the person watching.

[coralcovestarlight]

Coral looked around the room, fascinated by just how literal they were taking the theme this year. Some arenas had themes that translated better to the ball, while others didn't. "When I see all this and how elaborately everything is set up.. from the games and decorations, to the drinks and the food, I do wonder how everything looked for my own games. I do think the ball got more grand over the years, don't you?" Some mentors had no issue freely talking about their games and their time in the arena, for others it was more difficult. Coral fell somewhere in the middle. She could talk about them from a detached and logical point of view, but ask her what she felt like treading in the open water for what felt like days and she'd clam up. Parties and such were what felt safe to her, she didn't like to think back to her own games otherwise, the trauma of it buried deep inside her underneath a heavy layer of denial and drugs.

[mxhlon]

Security. An interesting concept, but one a little too close to the reality of Peacekeepers in the outer districts. How many times had he run? Hide? Earned (or not) a beating from one of them? And now, the tributes were fighting for their lives trying to avoid them -- and each other. The brutality came from all sides. "Sheeeeeeesh," Mahlon whistled, elbows back on the bar, head tilted at the screen. "Most a' them are gonna be dead by dawn."

@cain-gunn

[lee-hatchett]

Leaning into the casual denim looks of the Tributes' launch outfits, Lee Hatchett of District Seven arrives to the Mentors' Ball in a custom denim look by Forrecca Balisimo, including an oversized jacket and hand-jeweled jeans. The sandals are handmade in District Ten with real leather, and while Balisimo would like to think the look effortlessly blends fashion and comfort, Hatchett seems to be leaning a bit further into the "comfort" side of the equation.

[nano-cache]

; 134th biannual hunger games mentor’s ball

play stupid games; win stupid prizes

[cress-meadowforge]

Cress balked, bolstered against Cain's arms. No. "No," she gasped, her heart plummeting. They were supposed to have more time. They had a plan. Not like this, not here-- "No," she repeated. This wasn't how this was meant to go. Defiantly, Cress straightened, releasing her hold, trying to show that she could manage on her own. But a contraction began, stronger than her stubbornness. She gasped, bending forward involuntarily, grasping at her stomach to find the source. "Slate--" she hissed, fingers snagging into Cain's shirt, curling, dragging him down to her level. Between gritted teeth, her voice strained. "Get me Slate--"

Cress struggled for a breath. The muscles that seized were too deep in her core to be reached, so she rode the contraction, nails threatening to tear Cain's shirt. The pain rolled over, a wave submerging and then gone, but there remained something else. A rising panic. Fear of this moment, of facing it alone. Cress panted, staring down at the puddle between them as she screamed out: "SLATE!"

Her water had broken. Kya was coming.

@slate-skylar

[mtoinspo]

135th Mentor's Ball Drink Menu

Cosmopoli-Ted (by Greta)- this cocktail combines some blood red cranberry juice with cointreau, triple sec, lime, vodka, and some iridescent edible glitter. Topped with an orange twist, optional sugared rim, and a little bit of mystery, this tribute to the nametag missing its owner is always served with a smile.

Giraffe's Laugh (by Greta)- a chocolate martini that's just a little bit twisted, just like our favorite safari mutt! Vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, triple sec, and orange juice are stirred, not shaken, and will have you bending over backwards for more.

Out of this Whirled (by Greta)- an alien blend of sparkling lemonade, blue curacao, and melon liqueur, swirled together and ready for takeoff

Blood in Water (by Devin)- Based on the lazy river and the vines waiting below - Grenadine - Blue Curaçao - Mixed berries  - Rosemary

Ash Chaser (by Devin)- ½ oz Real Grenadine, 1 oz gin, 1 oz apple brandy, 2 dashes absinthe, Black Food Dye, Shake all with ice for 10 seconds, Strain into a cocktail glass, Garnish with a rose

Little Green Men (by Kaye)- This sour appletini is guaranteed to blast you straight into outer space! A play on the Space Race mutts, the Little Green Men is cosmically sweet with a starry sour punch.

Serengeti Sunset Sangria (by Kaye)- A fruity red sangria chock-full of lush berries and fruits, topped off with a rosemary lemonade for a summer taste as bright as the Serengeti sun.

Cotton Candy Carnival (by Kaye) - A cotton-candy flavored drink so sweet your teeth just might rot out. It's garnished with cotton candy flavored dot ice cream that sinks to the bottom in a rainbow of colors, and crushed rainbow candy lines the glass rim. Try not to die of a sugar rush!

The Big Top (by Kat)- A drink inspired by the wonderful centerpiece found at every good carnival. The drink itself is made with cherry grenadine, topped with rose petals and mint and filled to the brim with ice. When the drinker stirs with the signature heart shaped straw, causing some of the ice to melt, a reaction occurs and it looks as if the liquid itself is sparkling.

Space Chaser (shot & chaser) (by Rainy)- This drink can be paired with whatever alcohol the drinker prefers, though it is typically served with vodka. Celebrating the two ride vehicle colors represented by 'space race', these drinks come in a starry starry flight. the first drink, red white and blue: vodka, edible sugar petals, and grenadine. the chaser, some lemonade with strawberries floating inside of it. It's truly a race to the bottom.

A Little Panem (by Hair)- This drink is colored red and gold to represent the beautiful country of Panem. It is a combination of tequila and cranberry juice, with a zest of both lime and orange. To add a little extra sweetness, there's a bit of golden honey, and a dash of coarse sea salt ties it all together. From the mountains, to the sea, to the orchards full of fruit, Panem (and this drink) has it all. But be careful! This drink may seem alluring, but indulge in enough of them and you might come out the other side a little disoriented.

A Long Day’s Journey Into Night (by Lena)- When the fireworks have stopped and the rides have grown still in the dead of night, those who remain must reckon with the actions that took place in the light. An anise-flavored liquor pairs here with a dose of ether to create a drink that encourages the consumer to contemplate. What lengths have you gone to? And how far will you go?

Ball Brownies (by Lena)- Mahlon’s special, still made with essence of ether (for as long as supplies last). So what if the price is doubled from last ball? You want the thing or not?

[alder-reid]

"I don't really know what to do with this." It wasn't exactly his style, a giant, fluffy, pink stuffed dog that he'd won without really even trying at the balloon darts. "Beginner's luck, I guess. You want this?" He held it out to Denver in offering. "I'm sure as hell not dragging it back to Seven."

@denverneumann

[coltmarrow]

Colton Marrow's Ouftit for the 135th Mentor's Ball