After refreshing drabbles, T.E.D.S. proudly presents new multi-chapter Hunger Games story:

Stitch by stitch

Enjoy!

Snip, snip, snip. Long, thin, pale fingers ran through colorful threads. Scissors lay on table, useless for a while. Sun's rays were coming through glass walls of Sparkler's Stitching Studio. Sparkler knew nearly no free days; if she only had some time, she opened the studio and stitched, or designed patterns, or accepted custom orders. The studio was closed only on the Reaping Day, when Sparkler first went to see brave volunteers to represent District One on yet another Hunger Games, and then came to wish them good luck. And after the tributes left, Sparkler would always open her studio again and bury herself in work.

Sparkler worked a lot. She was hardly famous and never rich. But she enjoyed her job and wouldn't exchange it for anything else. Most of her income she reinvested, and she could provide a wider variety of goods with every year. No one minded her working so much, because she had no husband, no kids and her brother lived on other side of the district. Her parents complained, but she couldn't care less. She was perfectly happy living on her own. She hardly even had any friends – she acted friendly towards nearly everyone, but there were just a few people who were close to her. For example, Brocade.

Brocade was the main trainer and he knew Sparkler the best. He would often come to her studio and tell her about the trainees' progress. He came that day, too.

'Hi, Sparkler!' he called as he came in. Sparkler looked at him and gave him a bright smile.

'Great to see you, Brocade' she said. 'What's new?'

Brocade looked at the sheet of paper she was working on. He smiled as he saw a new pattern being made.

'Am I interrupting some job?' he asked. Sparkler nodded. It was their little ritual.

'I'm quite busy, so I hope you won't mind me working while we talk?' she asked. Brocade chuckled – as always.

'You're always busy' he said and sat down opposite her. 'And I never mind you working. What are you designing?'

'A wedding arch' Sparkler corrected her glasses. She was always wearing them while working, even though they were only for fashion, as they had "zero" lenses. 'Custom order from Capitol.'

Brocade smiled, looking at the pattern. Sparkler was drawing symbols in squares, symbols that meant nothing to Brocade, but everything for Sparkler.

'I bet it will be beautiful' he said. Sparkler smiled.

'Have I ever designed an ugly pattern?' she asked, and Brocade shook his head.

'Is this order urgent?' he asked. 'Because I have another task for you.'

'Oh, you made the tests already?' Sparkler smiled. Brocade nodded. Even before Sparkler set her business she had been making tokens for volunteers from the district.

'So, any preferences?' she asked. Brocade grinned to her.

'As for the girl tribute, use satin and rayon floss, and maybe iridescent fabric…' he said, but she interrupted him.

'I'm not using iridescent fabric for tokens, as it's not durable enough' she said patiently. 'I'm using linen, as every year.'

'Okay, okay, so maybe some metallic floss? You know, for extra glimmer' Brocade said. Sparkler chuckled.

'Glimmering token for our girl tribute? Consider it done. And for the boy?'

'No preferences when it comes to materials' Brocade glanced at variety of floss and fabrics stocked behind Sparkler's back. 'I know that even with plainest floss and roughest linen you can do marvels.'

'Don't worry, it will be marvelous' Sparkler said.

'Will I see them before the tributes do?'

'Of course not! You ask every single year and you always get the same answer, geez…'

'It turned to our little tradition, don't you think?'

Sparkler laughed.

'It did! But it's my tradition too: the tribute is first to see the token while it's being made, and the tribute is first to see it finished…'

'So, when you finish, if I send the volunteers here to have a look, can I come to see them too?'

'Another question you ask every year…' Sparkler shook her head. 'Of course you can!'

She finished designing the wedding arch and took another sheet of paper. She hummed a tune while designing.

'Are you designing a marvelous pattern?' Brocade asked.

'No, a glimmering one' Sparkler chuckled.

'So I won't disturb you anymore' Brocade said and stood up. 'I'll be going.'

'Okay, take care, and give my love to Dainty' Sparkled nodded and waved to him.

'I will. I hope you know you're the only woman I can talk to without getting Dainty jealous?' Brocade smiled. Sparkler nodded and chuckled. The trainer went outside, leaving the stitcher to her work.

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