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Joe was a jittery mess, the party was nearing its end and he had no idea what she should be doing. This was their fifth year working as a Capitol Escort, he had been doing great, his first year their tribute had won, and now as a mentor her tribute’s tribute had won too. This brought him honor and prestige in society, but she was still nervous about all the responsibilities that weighed on their shoulders.
The Escort’s Party, an event held each year the weekend prior to the start of the Game was a coveted event to attend to, half the Capitol attempted to join but ultimately it was up to the Escorts to decide who could come. An incredible event, that for the 149th Games clearly had Lizzies touch in the organization and decoration.
The evening had been truly spectacular, they had gotten to meet the new District 12 Escort formally, even though most of them had known Ren for a while as a trainee, and they collectively ignored TFC's absence as it wasn’t their business to question his disappearance.
Joe’s night had started going downhill when Jev had approached him, and taken him outside to talk in private. At first she had wondered if Jevin was trying to flirt with them, but it ended up something much more dangerous than a workplace fling; joining the rebellion.
He hadn’t even been certain there was such a thing as the rebellion, there were always rumors of rebel plots, but it always came to nothing.
Jev had told her she could join them but he had to tell him before the end of the party, otherwise he would get her some drug that would make them black out and forget the conversation.
Joe wasn’t sure which of their behaviors had been the cause for him catching the eye of the rebellion, she had always behaved right, never out of turn, nothing outside of the ordinary for a member of high Capitol society.
Sure maybe he had liked the company of the tributes and district folks a bit more than what would be considered normal, but that was mostly because he escorted District 8, and they always had something interesting about the latest fashion trends to talk about.
All night they had been keeping up appearances, Jevin sometimes shooting her a knowing look. All night he had wondered who else knew, Jev was definitely too Capitol to be high up, probably just a messenger, but who else in that room, where all the elites the rebellion fought stood, was secretly rooting against it. Against him. She was part of that elite, what if they sometimes disagreed with the Capitol rule, he couldn’t just choose to ignore who she had been raised to be.
He wouldn’t say anything about it, it wasn’t her place to denounce Jevin’s crimes, it would have been dangerous to even have known he is a rebel, Joe would just take the drugs and forget everything about that night. That was the safest option.
When he found Jev, shaking her head was enough to let him know, but they could not ignore the disappointed look on his face. Joe just hoped that after that night their friendship would not change. When she woke up the next day, all he had was a raging headache, which they attributed to the wild drinking that usually happened at this kind of party, and the feeling that he had missed out.
Jevin for his part hadn’t slept at all that night, and was now busy writing up the letter which would soon make its way to Hypno and the People of the Hog’s bunker, detailing all the happenings of the Escort’s Party, his disappointment at Joe’s refusal, but the certainty that they would eventually come around, it was just a game of getting her uncomfortable enough.