The 24th Hunger Games.
It wasn't anything unusual or frustrating for the members of District 1, however, they were never exactly happy to send their children off to die. It was something Cypress had noticed, over the years before the time of her first reaping. Though named for the black silk, the small girl was actually very pale, and held a sickly look no matter what season she found herself in. Her name was given by her jet-black curls, which had made themselves well-seen at a very young age - very unlike her elder brother Pekins' blond ones. There was a lot of scandal behind the small girls' existence, because of this, but no soul within her district would have the heart to tell her as much, with those big, innocent green eyes staring them down. Not after she would prance through the streets, handing out food to the poor; after she treated their ill pets and baked cookies for their children's' class. No, no one would dare spread the rumors after the girl grew old enough to find such a tender, kind personality.
That might have been the cause of the uproar, when the woman they called Peggy drew her name. Cypress Poteert - age fifteen, and had yet to say a word. This would, of course, pose a problem when interview time came around, and no one would be able to say anything besides, "She was always very sweet. Not in her words, but in her actions." because no one had ever grown to know her. As the small girl approached the stage, her calm demeanor seemed unfazed by the people around her; their behavior didn't appear to bother her. It wasn't until Peggy turned - a bit too cheerfully - towards the girl and smiled, that her normally pleasantly opened eyes narrowed into a deadly stare.
But even among the wails of apparent anguish, no one volunteered to save her life. They instead, chose to mourn a wonderful child, friend, companion, and peace-keeper - but this didn't upset, or surprise her. She would have never have even dreamed of someone taking her place - it was simply an outrageous thought! When the crowd calmed, the drawing continued.
"Well, you must be a popular little gall!" Peggy giggled, as if unbothered by the dirty look Cypress had given her.
"Let's continue!" She chimed, reaching into the male tributes bowl. A pang of fear hit the raven-haired girls' heart suddenly as the thought of battling one of her friends popped into her head. She could never even imagine hurting any of the people of District 1, much less one of the boys she had grown to be friends with. Names started speeding through her head, people she knew, their faces staring her down - Wigan, Tulle, Onyx, Toile, Calcite, Citrine, Jasper-
"Pekin Poteert!"
- her brother.
The horror had worn off.
Cypress and her eldest brother sat side-by side on the train. He had not attempted to comfort or guilt her, for which she was grateful; she was too busy being tangled up in her own mind - debating the legality of the situation, mostly - to really offer him any of either. It wasn't their choice, or their fault - and yet here they sat. She guessed karma was biting him on the ass for something she was unaware of, but why was she being punished with him? Why was she the one who had to face him in a battle to the death?
It was then she looked at him, a deep frown settling onto her face as she examined his every feature - trying to guess his thoughts. His brown eyes were gazing off into the distance though, with the same unemotional glimmer to them. He had yet to say a word - from the moment he took his place next of her on stage it was as if he had decided to mock her silence. The words she wanted so desperately to say would never come - how much she loved him, and how sorry she was this had happened to them. She would never cry on his shoulder and demand an answer as to why. No, those things were beyond her.
So she took his hand instead.
It was only then he looked at her, with her vision slowly beginning to swim. His face seemed to soften as he squeezed it in his own. He was twice her size, both in height and in width, so when he squeezed there was always a tentative, gentle feel behind it. After all, one squeeze too hard would crush the small extension of her arm.
"Don't cry, Cypress." His voice was husky; far too deep for a boy who was barely seventeen. He pulled her close, holding her tightly against his chest and leaning down to her ear.
"It'll all be okay," He whispered, though she heard the slight crack of his composure. "It'll all be okay." He repeated, as if trying to reassure himself more than her. This was, of course, when their mentor decided to walk in. The pair was unalarmed, and held their hug a minute longer before pulling apart.
"So," The woman was about Cypresses own size, and she immediately knew the face. Her name was Spinel - Victor of the 12th Hunger Games. "This must really suck for you guys." She said it so awkwardly, that Pekin actually laughed. The girls blond hair was long, and had been braided over her left shoulder - leaving the tip of her hair brushing against her knee. She was beautiful, even with the dark scar across her collarbone. Cypress vaguely remembered her teacher showing the clip in which she gained the scar last year before the Hunger Games - when the male tribute from District Five had tried to slit her throat. It was called a miracle that she survived, though the raven-haired girl acknowledged it as a show of skill.
"You have no idea." Pekin responded to her attempt at conversation, standing and raising his hand to shake hers. Cypress simply stared for a long moment at the exchange before following his lead, though bowing her head instead of managing any verbal response.
"A mute, eh?" Her blue eyes lit up at her joke, though they quickly dimmed as Pekins nodded behind the small girl.
"That could be inconvenient when hunting for sponsors, little one." She said it so darkly that Cypress was taken aback, and quickly moved to stand beside her brother, much like a lost puppy.
"That's why I want you to present us as a pair." Pekins said dismissively. "She's tiny and friendly - easy to fall in love with. Her lost voice could become an endearing quality if we play it right." He added, wrapping an arm around his siblings' shoulders.
Spinel looked impressed, though Cypress couldn't tell if it was at his idea, or the fact she was beginning to look him over. The girl was only twenty-four, but even so she was much too old for her brother as far as she was concerned - and if the girl could speak, she would have been quick to say as much, though in the nicest way possible.
"We could do that, I suppose. It would be easy to play on the fact that you're family, too - but it would leave most of the leg-work to you." She pointed out, but the muscular boy seemed unconcerned still.
"Nothing new for us." He said, shrugging with a small smile. This comforted his tiny companion; his show of near-normalcy calmed her pain with the situation.
"Well," Spinel said casually, changing the subject very suddenly. "You two wouldn't happen to be hungry, would you?"
Cypress had never seen so much food in her life; her facial expression seemed to please her brother. Her lightly pink-tinted lips had parted slightly, and her bright emerald eyes had widened, revealing a normally hidden tint of blue along the bottom edge of her right eye. The spread was done in white, with red roses highlighting it; the table was covered in an array of different foods - some so oddly shaped and styled that even between the pair they couldn't put a name to it. The white tablecloth had small red roses along its rim, and when the small girl touched it, she decided it was made of something close to - if not exactly - silk.
And the smell was just delicious. The different spices all mingled well with each other, and was just slightly mixed with the roses. Perfect.
"As beautiful as it is," Spinel said, clearly amused. "It's for eating - not staring." Cypress took a seat, and her brother sat beside her, gesturing for their mentor to sit across from them as they picked a few fruits off the table.
"So. How do we survive in the arena?" He never really bothered beating around the bush, which was a very endearing quality for someone who could ask no questions for themselves.
"Luck." Spinel said simply, before biting into a purple-tinted fruit. His face almost immediately became infuriated.
"That's bullshit, Spinel!" He said loudly, and the group heard a startled little noise from the corner of the room. Cypress glanced that direction and saw Peggy trying to hide herself from them in a dimmed, secluded corner. They turned back to each other.
"No, Pekin, it's the truth." The elder girl replied, leaning back in her chair. "I can't give you much advice, due to the fact the arena changes every year. However, I would suggest getting to water - preferably up a tree or somewhere high up to keep a view of your surroundings. That is, after the Career pack you will be in breaks up." She shrugged, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"Stick together - since you want to present yourselves as a pair - as long as you can, and make sure you play your love of each other every chance you get for the camera. But I wouldn't push it so much that the other is viewed as a weakness by the other tributes, or they'll be sure to use it against you." Cypress bit into a deliciously flavored meat of some kind, smiling as the unique taste filled her mouth.
"Oh - and you probably won't need a fire as badly as you think you will. Try your best not to give away your location." She paused, thinking.
"And that's all I can think of right now. So I'm going to take a nap before we get there, if you'll excuse me, but I would suggest you do the same." And then, their lifeline walked out of the room,
Leaving them to brood on their impending doom in peace.
The Capitol was beautiful.
It really was a very pleasantly placed place - with the dramatic mountains around the sides, and the massive buildings. The people were all colorful and so very enthusiastic to see their train. Cypress watched in awe as the cat-ears, green-skins, and rainbow-haired characters waved and screamed in so much excitement she had no choice but to grin and wave back. The enthusiasm spread through her and she began bouncing in an almost childish manner, with a massive smile gracing her lips. When they entered the tunnel, however, was when her brother decided to join her for breakfast. He offered a confused look to her apparent joy, and she covered her mouth, closing her eyes in her normal sign for laughter.
"She saw the Capitol." Peggy said, standing from her place in her corner and taking a seat at the table. Once again, the pair had never seen her in the room.
"It's only natural she would be excited." Her bright green hair had formed two massive hoops out the side of her head, much different from the elaborate curls she had yesterday. Her outfit consisted of a bright yellow suit with massive - she was guessing about six inches tall - green heels. Cypress vaguely wondered how on Earth she could stand, but her thoughts were put aside as her brother looked at her.
"And you behaved enthusiastically, Cy?" He asked seriously, and smiled a bit when the girl nodded. "Good - keep behaving like this is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to you. It'll make it easier for us to make you out to be a damsel in distress rather than a frightened child." She grinned, nodding again as Peggy giggled.
"She really is a charming girl - not too loud, not too boring; if she were cleaned up a bit she would be stunning!" Spinel chimed as she bounced through the door, draping an arm over the other girls shoulder.
"But your stylist is in charge of appearance - though I will make it clear I think you should be portrayed as "gems in the rough"." She giggled as the train slid to a stop, though none of them would have known it if the little red light hadn't blinked on above the door.
As the door opened, brother and sister linked hands without any thought, stepping off the train and between four Peacekeepers. Cypress wondered if they were meant to keep the pair on course, but her thoughts quickly changed as they began walking through the glass step-off tunnel. There were people beating on it, screaming excitedly at them as they attempted to get their attention. Pekin laughed, using his free hand to wave pleasantly to the crowds of people before they reached the end of their safety tunnel.
They stepped off into fresh air and the screaming hit an all-new level of loud - people yelling their names, flailing their arms in the air, reaching for them. Cypress was once again filled with their enthusiasm, releasing her brothers' hand and blowing dual-handed kisses in every direction, before throwing her arms high in the air and waving to them. The screams grew louder as people reached to catch her kisses, bouncing over the top of each other to wave back - to be noticed.
Pekin took her hand again, laughing loudly and holding his in the air with hers in an attempt to match her enthusiasm. The tiny girl began bouncing beside him as they reached the door they had been moving towards, turning one last time to face them and taking a bow in unison before they entered the room.
"Oh my goodness, that was perfect!" Peggy squealed, caught up in the moment, and threw her arms around the small girl excitedly.
"You did amazing, little one." Spinel added, less enthused, as she ruffled the girls curly locks. "But now it's time to meet your stylists." She said, looking at Pekin, now.
"Fortunately for you two: your stylists are siblings, and are beyond excited they get to work with you - they requested it, actually! - so let's do our best to keep them so excited, understand?" She said, pointing at both of them in turn - almost like a scolding mother.
"Do not argue, and do not complain; this is the most amazing experience you've ever had as far as they are concerned." She added, and they nodded.
"Now. Peggy, you take Pekin to meet Chloe's crew - I've got little one here." Peggy mumbled something about "not her job" but obeyed the order. Pekin glanced back at his sister worriedly - apparently unsure if he should leave her or not - as the brightly colored girl began chattering away to him about his team, but after a moment of her mindless chatter she realized he wasn't paying her any mind she grabbed him by his arm and led him off in the proper direction.
"Cypress, you're stylist is Adde - he's a good friend of mine - however much older he is that the rest of these kids - so I expect you treat him with the utmost respect." She said it smoothly, but the small girl knew better. The protective note in her voice made it clear she was completely willing to lay hands to anyone who disobeyed her warning - and, to be frank, Cypress wasn't planning to piss off her only connection to the outside world before the games even began.
"He's friendly enough, but he doesn't like idle chit-chat. I think that's why he wanted you instead of your brother." She mused to herself, now unbothered by the girls' infinite silence. "He might ask for some input, but I'm quite certain he will provide you with a means to communicate a response - so don't fret too much."
Cypress had never had anyone care so much about her predicament - she'd had quite a time learning the art of charades! - so this much attention to it was quite embarrassing. It was all so mind-numbingly flattering to her. All the attention and love was, admittedly, expanding her far ego beyond the boundaries of her skull.
They entered a closed room, and Spinel rested her hands on her hips as she began scanning the room. "Not bad." She purred, then looked at her tiny companion, pointing at her in reminder before leaving wordlessly.
She had no idea how long she sat there before someone finally came in to visit - but they were not at all what she expected. It was an elderly man - she was assuming late forties - and two younger ones, both appearing vibrant and excited as ever. It was like they'd never seen a girl before as they prance up and began examining her, chattering away to each other so quickly she could hardly understand them - besides an occasional "tsk, tsk!" or "Oh, how cute!". Her face quickly turned a bright red as they began looking into more detailed areas - her armpits, her eyebrows, excetra - and making tiny disapproving noises. She made eye contact with the elderly man before he snapped his fingers and the pair backed off.
"Alright, boys, we need to get her looking nice and clean," his voice was gruff as she frowned at him, almost pouting. "So get her looking naturally beautiful, then we'll work on the rest. I'll be back in an hour and a half." He waved them off to work as he turned and left, closing the door firmly behind him.
"Alright, dolly-dearest, we need you to hop in the bath for us." She finally got to get a good look at them as they quit buzzing around, and found them to be fairly attractive boys. They appeared to be twins, upon closer examination, except one was blond and the other had apparently died his hair a bright red. Their eyes were both a light hazel, and both glimmering with mischief as she turned a bright pink once again.
"Now, now, don't be shy!" The other purred in her ear as he began dragging her towards a bathroom she hadn't bothered to examine while alone. "This is our job - I promise we're not checking you out." They were apparently prone to taking up the others conversation.
"Though she is really pretty." One giggled as she stumbled a bit, having been shoved towards the tub. "By the way," she turned and could clearly see them now, no longer being tossed around like a ragdoll. The blond was speaking, a massive grin planted on his chiseled features - an identical one on his brothers face. "I'm Nathaniel, and this is Nikolas." He said cheerfully, both breaking into slow laughter as they stepped out long enough for her to strip down and crawl into the massive tub. They returned barely armfuls of different soaps and oils and scrubs.
Cypress couldn't help but feel violated by the handsome pair as they began bathing her in the oddly smelling mixtures - but the pleasantness of the warm water was quickly taken away as soon as they decided she met their standard of clean. She was then whisked away to what appeared to be a hospital table in the middle of the room - after some insane machine dried her in a matter of seconds! - and laid out, still very naked. Though she wasn't starved, her ribs still stuck out a little more than usual and they shook their heads in disapproval, though remained silent to it, and began waxing her legs and arms. Fortunately, she was not known for her noisy disapproval, so her cringes went unnoticed by them.
In fact, the red-headed boy mumbled, "She's very quiet for someone who's never had this done before."
"She's a mute, dumby."
As if embarrassed, he ducked his head and began plucking away what little was still there with his tweezers.
It felt like hours before she was finally allowed to get dressed - and by 'get dressed' she meant 'given a robe to put on'. The twins had left her after a tedious application of skin-softeners and other such concoctions, promising to be right back. Apparently they had to go find Adde, as he had apparently refused to return in the given amount of time.
Cypress sat on the table she'd been on only moments before and lightly felt her skin. She felt... pretty. Her hair had been brushed out, though the curls remained lazy and loose. She had the feeling Adde would probably accent them somehow, she guessed, just from watching the previous games.
"Cypress!" She turned to look at the man in the doorway, her stylist, with a shy stare. "You look lovely," he said simply, before adding, "But it's time for some real work to be done." her stomach dropped. She couldn't even imagine laying there while people flicked and flittered and covered her in their odd smelling make-up and hair-styling and -
"Relax, it won't take near as long." He grinned at her, his face wrinkling more with pleasure at her relieved expression.
Cypress could see a long, lasting friendship with this man.