Hullo everyone! I was originally going to enter this story in a FanFic contest, but didn't finish it by the deadline, so I thought I'd post it here. I hope you enjoy it! I love getting feedback, so please comment!
Avliana Auzra lounged on the faux leather couch in her mother's large estate. Across from her, on the large television, she was watching the news. The reporter droned on about the latest fashion and the winter storms that were to come. Bored, Avliana turned it off, and played with a strand of her electric-blue and black hair. Avliana hadn't wanted to dye her hair, just like she hadn't wanted to get a pigment injection into her eyes. She had preferred the plain brown that they used to be to the deep purple that they were now. But her mother had insisted that she do it. 'As a fashion-designer in the Capitol, it's my duty to make sure that everyone looks their best,' she quipped every time Avliana groused about her appearance. 'Other girls would be happy to have a mother who is so influential in the Capitol and the Hunger Games!' Her mother insisted.
"Good afternoon, Avliana!" The sound of someone entering the sitting-room roused Avliana from her stewing.
Speak of the devil, Avliana thought. Her mother was home. Avliana looked up from her hair to see her mother's tall figure standing above her. "Hi mum," she mumbled.
"What was that dear?" Avliana's mother asked. "You know how much I hate when you mumble!"
"I just said hello," Avliana said, pushing past her mother, and going to the white-washed kitchen. In the sitting-room her mother turned the television back on.
"How was school?" Avliana's mother called.
"Fine," Avliana yelled back. In truth, it wasn't. She had tons of homework, her math grade had dropped, and Rozrotto, the most annoying boy in her grade, had called her ugly. He's not that handsome himself. Avliana thought.
"Guess what tomorrow is?" Her mother said as she sat down.
Avliana groaned, silently, and chose to ignore her. She grabbed a plum from the refrigerator, and went back to the sitting-room.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten, dear!" Her mother said.
I haven't forgotten. Avliana thought. Just don't like talking about it.
"Tomorrow is Reaping Day!" Avliana's mother sounded euphoric. "It's my favorite day of the year!"
Avliana couldn't help feeling disgusted. How could her mother love the day when twenty four people were chosen to kill each other? Avliana took a bite of her plum to distract herself.
"Don't you love it Avliana? Two courageous young people, chosen to bring honor to their districts!"
It's not so glamourous if you're being chosen, mother, Avliana thought, but instead said "Yes, it's lovely, isn't it?" She hoped her mother didn't hear the cold edge to her voice. Gods forbid she disrespect the Hunger Games when her mother was in the room. Trying to make herself seem more at-ease, Avliana took another large bite of her plum.
"I can't wait to see this year's games! And guess what! Someone at work slipped up and told me that this year's arena is a forest!"
Avliana forced a smile, and tried to look exited. She was glad that the plum stopped her from answering.
Her mother continued to ramble on about the Games, and Avliana picked at her long, manicured nails. She never liked the Hunger Games. She didn't show why. Everyone else in the Capitol loved them. But, to Avliana, the Games were a sick twisted time.
"Avliana!" Her mother's sharp cry jerked Avliana back to reality. "What have you done to your nails?" Avliana looked down at her hands. They were covered in flakes of blue, silver, and black nail polish. Her perfect nails were snatched and bent. Avliana's mother continued to shriek.
"This close to the Games too! It will be impossible to get them re-done in time!"
Avliana mumbled her apologies, but deep down, she felt a surge of pleasure. She continued playing with her hair, ignoring her mother's petty problems.
When her mother had finally calmed down, she turned to the subject of the former tributes. Avliana's mother was the stylist for District Two. She had started with District Twelve, and had been working her way up to District One for the last nineteen years. Although Avliana was disgusted with the Games, she had to admit that her mother was a very good stylist. Every year she came up with a theme for the tributes. One year is was stars, the next it was lights. Her tributes almost always made a grand entrance, ensuring them sponsors.
"I can't wait for everyone to see the design I have for this year!" Avliana's mother gushed. She traced her fingers along the sketches of the girl's dress and boy's robe. "The tributes always look good in gold!"
Avliana looked up from her hair and to the design. For the girl tribute, there was a sleepless dress with one strap on the right side. The dress was made of an off-white, silky material that resembled an Ancient Greek toga. It reached to the tribute's knees, and was tied in the middle with a golden ribbon. Overtop of the dress was a golden robe. On the tribute's head was a laurel wreath, the leaves made of various types of precious stones. The boy tribute's design was mostly the same, except he wore a gold and white three-piece suit instead of a tie. Avliana had to admit, the designs looked really good.
"Because the designs are so complicated, I've had to start on them before I see the tribute. Do you know how stressful that is, Avliana dear? I've been worrying non stop! What if I get someone horribly obese? The design will be ruined!"
Avliana sighed to herself. Lots of people in the districts are starving, mother. I doubt these tributes are going to be fat.
"And what if their hair color crashes with the colors! If they have red hair then I'll look like a fool!"
Avliana's mother was about to list all the other fashion disasters, but something on the television caught her eye.
"Oh my!" She said, looking at the television. "Look at her hair!"
Seeing that her mother was captivated by the news reporter's flouncy green hair, Avliana slipped away to her bedroom. Suddenly exhausted, she collapsed onto her bed. Avliana didn't know why she wasn't a fan of the games. Her mother was, her friends were, even the teachers at school were. The only person that she knew who openly criticized the Hunger Games was her father.
Avliana's father, Aleixo Auzra, was a retired peacekeeper, and now head of peacekeeper training in District Two. While Avliana's mother was on a trip to District Eleven, to see the scenery for future designs, the two met, and were nearly inseparable. They found ways to communicate, and Avliana's mother was finally able to pull some strings to get Aleixo into the Capitol.
However, although he looked like a Capitol resident, and talked like one, Aleixo despised the high-class city. Whenever anyone mentioned the Games, or anything related to them, Aleixo would promptly leave the room. He openly criticized the President and the way he ran things, and looked disgusted when Avliana came home with silver tattoos on her eyes, neck and hands; another fashion statement of her mother's. He and Avliana's mother had argued late into the night, and Avliana had tried desperately to get the tattoos off, to stop her parents from fighting.
Avliana traced her fingers along the tattoos on her eyes. They were a spiral pattern with ancient runs running along the space between her eyebrow and eye. She didn't know what they meant, but her mother insisted that it was fashionable.
Avliana didn't want to have to watch the reapings tomorrow. She didn't want to have to see her mother on live television, her face shining with pride. Her mother was a demon, working for a monstrous cause. But no one thought so, because to them, the Games were their lives.