[UNRECORDED]

[illdrinktothat]

Walter really hopes one day he'll be able to come over to Caro's house for reasons that aren't entirely awkward - the first time was because his goddamn cat went missing, and now... because she happened upon him when he was far more intoxicated than he'd ever like her to see. It ended well, save for the apparently inevitable Bourbon-related interruption, but he'd really rather it not have happened at all.

So today he awkwardly walks across to her house a few hours before her normal visiting time. To... he's not sure what, yet. Apologize for being a big fucking mess and a miserable sloppy drunk, maybe, but that's pretty much his entire existence summed up neatly, isn't it? He sighs quietly, knocks on the door, and waits.

Comments

[caroflower]

Caro grins into Walter's chest. "You're just mad Bourbon interrupted that Assgrab Maneuver." Caro please. That is probably exactly it.

Caro is still a little grumpy about that too, actually.

[illdrinktothat]

"No shit, sweetheart." Walter laughs. He leans back briefly, glancing around to make sure Weyoun's not approaching at all. Since the Capitol Escort has so far shown as much of a talent for interrupting things as goddamn Bourbon does.

"There's always now, though." He briefly considers reaching down and just grabbing the butt, and then... does just that.

[caroflower]

"I really should have seen this coming," Caro drawls as if that wasn't more or less what she'd had in mind. "Though I think my doorstep is maybe not the best place."

Why yes, that is an invitation inside.

[illdrinktothat]

"Well, why didn't you just say so." Walter laughs, bends down and loops one arm under her butt, the other around her waist. It's rather easy to just lift her right up, unsurprisingly. From there it's just a couple steps into the house itself - he kicks the door shut behind him. "There. That better?"

[caroflower]

Whoa what the-- Caro makes a small squeaking sound when Walter picks her up. Definitely not what she was expecting. "Wow, so this is what it's like to be tall. Not bad."

She gives Walter a sidelong glance, which involves less looking up than usual. "I suppose. Planning on chauffeuring me somewhere in particular, or do I have to walk from here?"

[illdrinktothat]

Walter looks around her house and realizes he's never been anywhere in her house but the kitchen, and just once, at that. Huh. "Where to, sweetheart?"

[caroflower]

Oh god, that's a good question. "Ummm, I was in the study before, but I guess the living room might be better?" Caro doesn't really know, to be honest.

She also belatedly realizes that mentioning the study might lead to her having to talk about her stupid Victor Talent, ugh. Oops. Maybe he won't ask.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter more or less guesses the general location of the living room, since it looks like their houses are built from the same floor plans. Thankfully, he's not wrong. As tempted as he is to just plop her down on one of the sofas, he gently sets her back on her feet.

"So what's this shit that's kept you busy lately?" He's not even bothered by it so much as really curious, at this point.

[caroflower]

Caro is glad to actually be moving under her own power again. Being carried is weird. She's not sure if she dislikes it, exactly, but it's weird. She sits down on the slightly farther away, but definitely more comfortable sofa.

Ugh. She was really hoping he wouldn't ask. "We found me a Victor Talent, I guess." Come on, Caro, you really think he's not going to just ask what?

[illdrinktothat]

Walter finds himself a chair nearby to settle into and kicks up his feet. Since he's not really fond of sitting up straight, settling into the chair mostly means sliding down as in it as much as humanly possible.

He arches a brow and gives her a Look. That isn't details, and he wants details. "And what would that talent be?"

[caroflower]

Caro scowls and puts her feet up on the sofa. "Singing."

Well, it's probably just as well that they're getting this conversation over with. But still.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter squints at her for a moment or two before nodding slowly. Singing. Yeah, ok, that works. He's glad they didn't manufacture something because it is easier to pull off an actual talent than fake whatever they decide. "And I'm guessing Weyoun's gone into overdrive making you into a Capitol-ready singer."

They've still got some time before the Victory Tour, at least.

[caroflower]

"Yup. He's out looking for a voice coach right now, actually. And I was doing breathing exercises when you showed up." Caro scratches at her face briefly before remembering that Walter actually knows what that means. She makes herself stop and fold her hands in her lap.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter just smirks knowingly at that very brief-face scratching. "Breathing exercises, huh? Bet he's going to have to get a vocal coach from the Capitol." He doesn't think he has to expand much on Capitol people, but... "So brace yourself for that."

[caroflower]

"Ugh, probably." Caro's not really looking forward to that. Or anything involved with her Victor Talent, really. "Is it too late to try and find something else? It is, isn't it?" Sigh.

Hey, since she's already got a couple of song ideas, maybe she could just be a poet instead. Haha, yeah... Why are Victor Talents even a thing? Ugh.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter laughs a little, but it's a sympathetic kind of laugh. "Only gotta put up with it for a little bit, sweetheart. Then there'll be another fresh piece of meat out of the Arena for them to parade around and they'll forget all about you."

[caroflower]

"That's true enough. Hopefully." Caro's well aware that Victors who end up being deemed more interesting stay in the limelight for years sometimes. She doesn't want to be one of those.

She slouches down on the couch a little and sighs. "Well this took a turn for the unfortunate in a hurry."

[illdrinktothat]

"Trust me, with me following you around they'll get bored quick." Walter laughs again, shoving himself up off the couch so he can amble on over to the sofa. He's got to move her legs so he can sit down next to her, and once he's carefully settled he drops her legs down across his lap. "Aw, it ain't that bad."

[caroflower]

Caro laughs a little at that. "Thanks." That's actually kind of sweet, Walter. But she probably shouldn't say so. And then he's up and ambling over.

She lets Walter move her legs out of the way and then across his lap. Huh. "I don't know, it might be." She idly blows a piece of hair out of her eyes. "Things did just take a turn for the better, though, so there is that." Caro, that's obnoxious. And cheesy. Ugh.

[illdrinktothat]

Walter snorts a little. "I could start naming shit talents I've seen them give other Victors," He offers. There's at least a few that have legitimately embarrassing things he's seen them do.

He's got to do a little double-take at that last thing. After a moment, he cracks a half-smile and looks down... at her legs. Yeah, ok.

[caroflower]

"I think I'd prefer a shit talent," Caro says honestly. This is something she cares enough about and is decent enough at that she'll actually try. Getting stuck with something dumb like needlepoint might have been better. She wouldn't care then.

She smiles a little. Yeah, that was too cheesy, Lichfield. Knock it off. On the other hand... Now that Walter's looking down at her legs she crosses them at the ankle, moving more slowly and deliberately than is really necessary.

[illdrinktothat]

"What if it was interpretive dance." Walter suggests while looking at whatever the hell he can in the room. It's decorated nice, he guesses. It's at least less of a mess than his place is. "You could be playing the accordion."

He's got to shift a little at that. He shoots her a slightly-squinty look. He sees what you're doing there, Caro. He will come over there.

[caroflower]

"I'd be fine with either of those. Accordion actually sounds pretty great." Caro really isn't kidding. If she actually knew how to play accordion, she'd probably have a lot of fun playing songs that don't sound like they should be played on it.

She just gives him a wide eyed, innocent look back. And twirls a lock of hair around her finger. "What?"

[illdrinktothat]

"Well at lest that'd be better than Pendleton and his banjo." She probably doesn't know about Murphy playing the banjo - well, she certainly does now. Best to warn her before they actually visit the man, at least. That the singing thing is apparently so awful has him wondering, though. "The singing thing really that miserable? Want me to twist Weyoun's arm about changing it, maybe?"

Walter just narrows his eyes at her even more. "The innocent act ain't gonna work on me."

[caroflower]

"Banjo, huh?" Caro has a brief moment of surprise, but then reminds herself that she doesn't actually know anything about Murphy, really. She considers Walter's offer for a moment and sighs. "I'd like to change it, but it might actually be too late. Besides, it's mostly just embarrassing. I'll live." But she'll keep grumping about it in private while she can still get away with it.

"No?" Caro pouts at him. "Are you sure?" She shifts her legs a little, just to be obnoxious.