THE CAPITOL
"Glistening buildings in a rainbow of hues towering into the air, the shiny cars that roll down the wide paved streets, the oddly dressed people with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never missed a meal. All the colors seem artificial the pinks too deep, the greens too bright and the yellows painfully to the eyes..."
-The Hunger Games
The train pulls to a stop and I hold my ground standing at the door staring at the capitol creations outside. Though at the moment I was no better then them. My hair was stacked high on my head in an atrocious multitude of colors laced with live butterflies. A large white flower sits on the right side of my head adorned with pearls and a veil of gauze over the right side of my face. My natural skin and lips have been dusted over with a bright white powder making me look deathly ill. My eye shadow and red and white striped originating from the corner of my eye and bright purple lashes draw sights on my artificially yellow irises and pink whites. My ears hold silver hanging earrings made of multiple small silver balls that also create a necklace that is wrapped twice, one long and one short circling my neck. My outfit is a dress that hugs tight on the top with a boat neckline, three quarter sleeves and a bell bottom with gauze to maintain the skirts volume. The entire material is made of latticed rainbow glitter strips. My shoes are fluorescent blue and sit on a platform heel of seven inches, making my already tall height sky high.
In total I feel and look utterly ridiculous to a normal person, but here, this is considered beauty and it's paying off. I catch eyes of both men and women adoring and hating on my style choice, most just jealous not to have the attention on them.
"Would you care to join me for a cup of hot chocolate, it could...warm you right up!" The woman's peach colored eyes stare at me possessively. She beat the others to reach me and has staked her claim. This was one of the most important unspoken rules of Capitol citizens, if you can't have the attention, join it. Once you join the attention will not only be on the eye catcher, but on their acquaintance too, you.
The woman's skin is tinted a mustard yellow, with makeup of orange and yellow lining her eyes and lips. Her long orange tresses are pulled into three braids that line the crown, middle and back of her head all matching the flouncy orange dress that ended at her knees and is only subdued in volume around the waist where a thick yellow ribbon holds the material down.
"No, thank you, Miss. I do believe I have somewhere to be." Even though my manners are something most don't possess in the capitol, my denial has the man scoffing and turning without a goodbye. "Thanks for the invitation." I mutter out. It's funny how the facades fall away as soon as they don't get their way.
I continue down the streets distracted by the colors and sky high buildings all around me until I reach the small fur boutique I was searching for. The shop windows are primarily made with beads of glass distorting the interior designs into bulbous figures. I open the door and the crystals chime over head in a dainty call for duty. The tune is lovely, but the last thing on my mind as the person for my visit comes into view.
Her orange tinted and tattooed skin blends with her tiger fur hair implants nicely. When her eyes land on me her feline orange irises show knowledge of my identity even though I wear a disguise and her flat black nose seems to twitch as though she's smelling the air. Her lips twitch into a smirk making her whisker implants dance at the movement and her shoulders glide back under her purple velvet shawl to look more regal.
"Tigress, my name is Rosamund Demure. I am here to inquire about some feathers my friend ordered." She grins and moves her arm out in a graceful guiding motion.
"Right this way, Miss Demure." Her voice is a purr, clear sign that she had her voice box altered. She guides me to the back of the store where a large dressing room sits, secluded from the eyes in the store. She looks at me with another feline smile and kicks the rug aside to reveal a latch. I suppose all cats are smart. We walk down the stairs quiet and careful not to slip then turn to each other with only two feet between us..
(Leaving the store unattended may be a problem in some districts, but here in the Capitol the people want to spend money to show off their high standing; stealing was simply not a possibility here.)
"It has been long since we've spoken. What have you to tell me?"
"Snow has become a hermit as of late. He regretfully does not visit the café, the victors, or even his granddaughter's dances. He does however remain a daily visitor to the manors rose garden." The roses...
"He is panicking, something has disturbed him. What could it be?" I turn and pace while trying to rack my brain for information when I come up empty for now I turn back to my informant. "How are Cinna and Portia?"
"They still hold their loyalties." She already knew where I was going.
"Good, do you have those feathers?" She nods and walks across the basement to a rack of stylish garments.
"Yes, here you are." She pulls out a chrome caddy decorated with rhinestones galore.
I open it quickly to check over the supplies then nod at the anxious tiger. With business complete for now she leads the way to the stairs again, peaking out slowly through a crack when we reach the top so we don't draw any unwanted attention. When the coast is clear she swings the door open and climbs the stairs swiftly and quietly with the agility of a cat and I follow with only a bit less grace.
The shop is empty now all customers gone giving us a sense of security knowing we are in privacy. I turn to face the tiger one last time as I reach the door my face stern, it was time for the closure.
"May the power be returned."
"May the truth be seen."
This saying was also a test. Had she not been on our side mentioning the Capitol's betrayal in our farewell would have drawn out her true feelings through her speech and eye contact. Tigress held firm, sealing the deal with another ally. And with that I'm gone.
Hey guys,
Hope you enjoy! If you want to see the photos of everyone in the book check out my Wattpad and Quotev. Both are under the name Nightlover77.
DECEMBER DANIELS
