DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Hunger Games nor any of its components. Mags and the idea of the Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins. No copyright infringement intended.
Part Three: Unforgettable
When I woke, the first thing I felt was the warmth of sunshine on my face. I smiled, thinking of how my father would tickle me awake while the rays of dawn shone through my window, telling me it's time to go eat breakfast. I stretched, shifting in the blankets before really feeling the materials of the fabrics... Soft, silky, and insulating. They were not the blankets I used at home.
My deep blue eyes snapped open and I flung the alien materials away from me before all of yesterday's events came rushing to me, making my head ache. I blinked away the sleep from my eyes, rubbing them as a slender and lithe woman came up to me with a brilliant smile on her face.
"Good morning, Miss Magali –"
"Mags," I corrected in a croaky voice. Why couldn't anyone just spread the word that I hated being called by my whole name?
"Mags," she restated. I noticed she had pale, porcelain skin and strange purple hair that fell in elegant cascades to her waist. She was clothed in cream-colored dress that fell to the floor, making her look even taller than she already was. When I looked at her face, I noticed a few white gems that were embedded along her temple. She smiled and gently pulled me up from bed and led me to another room which was blindingly white and sterile. "Well, my name's Odetta. I'll be your coordinator and stylist. Would you please get cleaned up?"
I blinked against the white light that was reflecting off of the porcelain room before turning to her and asking, "Are we at the Capitol already?"
She looked amused. "No, but Emer specifically asked me to come wake you and all. He thought it would be inappropriate for him or Nereus to barge into your room."
I cringed, thinking of how awkward it would have been if Nereus of all people had come in to my room. I'd be more surprised if he didn't come to kill me before the games, considering how indifferent he was to me.
Odetta noticed my involuntary flinch and smiled before telling me, "I'll be going now. Take a nice, hot shower and I'll lay out your clothes for you."
I nodded and turned to the room as Odetta opened the door to leave before I quickly swiveled around, surprising her. "Wait, Odetta –"
"Yes?"
"How did I get to my room?" I asked tentatively.
"Oh. That nice boy Nereus carried you here, of course," she informed me as if it was obvious. "You fell asleep on his shoulder and he thought it'd be best for you to take a nap before arriving at the Capitol."
As my face flushed a deep shade of umber, she exited, shutting the door quietly behind her. I didn't exactly know what I was supposed to feel but it just seemed incredibly embarrassing that the boy I thought wouldn't think twice about killing me had thought of my well-being. Maybe I'd misjudged him...
I shook my head of that thought. There would be no mercy within the arena. I couldn't let my defenses down.
After a warm shower and allowing my hair dry into a mess of waves, I exited the bathroom and put on the outfit Odetta had laid out for me: a long, knee-length white dress with pearls embroidered in the waist with a pair of matching white shoes. While it wasn't particularly beautiful or extravagant, I was pleased by its simplicity and elegance. I slipped it on and quickly walked out of my quarters, only to freeze at the sight of a certain someone who had just shut the door to his room as well.
"G-Good morning," I stammered, more out of surprise than anything else.
Hazel eyes looked me over, though not unkindly. Nereus opened his mouth to say something in response but seemed to reconsider and quickly stomped away, leaving me to follow him a few steps behind him since I hadn't the faintest idea where I was.
As I trotted behind him silently, he opened the door to another compartment, glancing back at me and flinging it open so both of us could pass through. I quickly caught the door and stepped through, seeing Emer sitting, watching some odd report or another on the television, clad in simple black pants and a white shirt. When Nereus cleared his throat, Emer finally turned his attention away from the television and looked at us with a small smile.
"Finally awake, I see," he said, nodding towards me. I blushed and nodded back awkwardly before he told us, "Well, we're almost at the Capitol. Any last-minute questions?"
We stood silently before he nodded, understanding that we were more nerves than anything else. With a paternal gesture, he led us to sit down at the dining table and we were served breakfast, which consisted of several fresh fruits I'd never even seen before, and mugs of steaming hot coffee, hot chocolate, and teas. Large platters of pork cooked in several methods sat in front of us, making our mouths water from the enticing smell. There were several types of breads and toasts as well as more omelets and eggs fried in every way possible. For myself, I picked a cup of tea and a piece of toast, since I've never been quite accustomed to eating breakfast. Nereus ate with gusto, picking two omelets and drinking two large mugs of coffee with toast.
After we finished eating, Emer asked, "We still got a bit of time left. Do you want to see the list of tributes again, considering half of our duo fell asleep in the middle of it?" His eyes twinkled, teasing me with no ill will. I flushed nevertheless before I nodded.
"It wouldn't do any harm to," Nereus shrugged.
"Excellent." Again, Emer led us into the room with the large flatscreen television where he rewinded the Reapings to the first district's. I saw the arrogant and confident girl from before and noted how beautiful, yet lethal she looked. Her partner ended up being an older boy who smiled pleasantly at the camera and strode calmly to the stage. The second district consisted of two frightened children who were quickly replaced by two volunteers: one girl who was as pale as ice with her hair and eyes as dark as the night sky and a boy who was big and bulky – a stark contrast with the girl's willowy figure – with dark hair and livid yellow eyes. The next district flew by quickly and I paid special attention to District 4's Reaping. I noticed how calm and collected Nereus looked and how handsome he looked on camera. He looked focused and serious, making him look even more appealing.
When my face appeared on screen, my fingers wrapped around my skirt, turning white as I saw my unreadable expression morph into one of determination as I gave my friend a quick hug and lithely strode up to the stage. Thankfully, I pulled off looking like a confident combatant to any viewer.
District 5 had an interesting character of a boy who looked more than pleasantly surprised to be picked for the Hunger Games. He appeared to almost glide up to the platform, smiling with an indecipherable expression and a small wave. However, his eyes, which were a pale blue, seemed to pierce into your mind as he stared point-blank into a camera, his grin morphing into a wry smile. Even the announcer seemed a bit perturbed by the boy. His partner was a girl who was nearly as disturbing as the boy was. She had vibrant orange hair styled into short, thick ringlets around her pink cheeks. Her eyes were big and golden-brown which seemed to always be laughing at something. When she bounced up to the stage, she pecked the announcer on the cheek and smiled just a bit too widely.
District 6's tributes were a bit more normal than the District 5 tributes. The girl, who I had seen briefly the day before, was younger than me, with dark ringlets that encircled her head down past her shoulder blades and pale skin with hazel eyes that made her look doll-like. When her name was called, her eyes widened and her mouth parted in shock before she tremblingly made her way up to the stage. The boy, on the other hand, looked positively smug and confident as his name was called. He flicked his shoulder-length dark hair and flashed his blue eyes at the camera in a smirk. He looked to be about my age but a bit tall, maybe even taller than Nereus.
District 7's female tribute caught my attention as well. She looked very young but the grim expression on her face when her name was called made her look older than her age. She strode up to the stage, her face controlled but her lips were pinched with what looked like a mixture of anger and disdain. Her partner looked older than she and he had an equally somber expression. He walked up to the stage with reluctance.
The train suddenly turned pitch black, making me jump. I looked around and realized that we must be in a tunnel as Emer sighed and said, "We're nearly there. We should get ready to dismount."
"Wait," Nereus stopped him as we stood to get up. "Let her see District 12's tributes."
"Er, okay, then," Emer said, fast forwarding the Reapings until he got to District 12's. The first thing I noticed was the shanty conditions of the district and how weathered the people looked. The announcer, who seemed to hold a severe disdain for its people, attempted to look cheerful and bright, but only served to contrast greatly against her surroundings.
When the female tribute was called up, I could immediately see why she stood out to Nereus. She was a petite little thing who still had bits of her baby fat sticking to her cheeks. Her storm gray eyes didn't widen in surprise or narrow in disdain. Instead they showed fear and disappointment. Her dark hair, which was cut in one length hid much of her expression but I could tell from her trembling that she was in shock. With determination, however, she pushed her hair back and I saw how young she was... She couldn't possibly be older than twelve years old but to me, she looked not like a twelve-year-old but a small child.
The television suddenly shut off and I realized that my fists were clenched tightly and shaking in rage and my blood was running cold. I forced myself to stare down into my lap as my head spun. How could the Capitol even think it was possible or fair to let a girl who was only a child participate in this... in this bloody terror?
A warm hand gripped my shoulder and I looked up, seeing Nereus stare down at me with a distant look of worry before lifting me off the ground and telling me, "Mags. It's time to go."
- : -
"Lucky things you are," my stylist, Odetta tutted at me and Nereus as she gave us a thorough look over. "Already attractive as you are... Particularly, you, Nereus."
Her partner, who looked to be her brother, snorted at me. "You've got your work cut out for you, sis."
"I haven't the faintest clue of what you're talking about. Mags is perfectly attractive even in this... rather disheveled state," she said in my defense. I couldn't help but wryly smile at her. She reminded me of Arlen with her thinly veiled shallowness.
After another exchange and confirming which design they would put clothe me and Nereus in, we separated. After a painfully taxing wax job that made me nearly scream and soothing skin care, Odetta had her assistants swaddle me in a thin robe as they began with my makeup. Odetta hummed a quiet ditty as she glanced over my facial structure and smiled approvingly.
"You've high cheekbones and lovely eyes. You'll look absolutely stunning after this," she said excitedly.
With dexterous hands, she and her assistants transformed my face from a normal human being into a sort of creature that looked like a nymph's, albeit not unattractively. My face was highlighted so as to bring out my cheeks, forehead, and nose. They contoured my nose so as to make it look even taller. With shimmering blue, green and silver eyeshadows as well as a thin line of black eyeliner and mascara, they turned my normally plain blue eyes into those akin to a sapphire. They applied a matte pink lipstick on my lips before gliding over it with a lovely shimmering pink gloss that shone silver in the light.
"Beautiful," Odetta gushed, making me blush. "Now... Your hair is gorgeous in all of its texture but we've really got to do something to make it look outstanding."
This time, she had her solo performance as she applied serums and balms to my hair and straightening it slightly so its waves were toned down so as to imitate the calm waves of the sea. She pulled back my hair away from my face, weaving ropes of pearls and silver threads through it expertly, with two small ropes of pearls hanging on my forehead.
"I was a hair stylist before I focused more on designing," she explained, pinning a long trail of pearls underneath my hair. As soon as she finished, she lifted me by the hands out of my seat and ripped off my robe, making me shriek indignantly.
"Oh, stop being such a fuss," she muttered. "This costume's going to be a pain to put on."
Completely naked, I waited patiently as she and her assistants hopped about, arranging the costume before placing it in me. The fabric was made of what seemed to be hundreds of thin layers of silk of green, blue and white. It reached down to the floor, starting from the tops of my breasts. It was shoulder-less but had sleeves where the several ripples of clothing flowed behind me. Each piece of fabric was pinned down by a pearl ornament. To my extreme surprise, I saw that every time I took a step, it flowed majestically in the air.
Odetta nearly squealed after she was done donning me in more pearls and earrings. After I slid on the memento from Arlen, she quickly led me another room where a full-length mirror was set up, probably just for me. When I strode up to the mirror, I froze, shocked beyond belief.
The girl in the mirror wasn't just some fisher from District 4... No, she was a beautiful, stunning being that was manifested by the ocean. Pearls and silver sparkled in the light as my hair and dress shimmered and flowed as one. Yet the makeup from my eyes and my pouted lips, as sensuous as they may look, accented the sharp angles of my face, giving me a look that screamed beautiful yet dangerous. From what I saw, I looked like one of those old fairy tale creatures... Those mermaids that my father would tell me about. The ones that were so incredibly beautiful, but would capture you in her arms and take you to the depths of the sea when you let your guard down.
A door slid open, snapping me out of my reverie. I turned, my clothes and hair floating in the air as I spotted the familiar face of Nereus Eathelin. My eyes widened as I examined his outfit which was almost identical to mine, except his costume went over one shoulder, exposing the majority of his well-defined chest and shoulders. The bottom of his costume skirted over his bare toes and his hair was relaxed from its normally short hair that was spiked up in the front. Instead it fell into gentle, beachy waves that caressed his forehead in soft, dark locks. A circlet of silver fell across his bangs, giving him the look of almost royalty.
His hazel eyes grew wide for a split second before he regained his composure and looked at me carefully. His stare grew soft for a moment, taking a few steps towards me and grasping a lock of my dark blond hair in his long fingers, making my heart stop as his hazel eyes gazed down at me. Blue accents around his eyes and shimmering white highlighting made him look almost ethereal to me.
"You two look fantastic!"
A squeal of excitement made us blink and move away from each other quickly, my face turning a bright shade of pink while he coughed and attempted to look nonchalant. Odetta and her brother exchanged knowing glances before Emer swept into the room, looking us over approvingly.
"Excellent work. You two will surely draw the attentions of a good number of sponsors," he commented, giving us a smile. "Now, about your appearances. I want you two to smile but don't look overly happy, else you'll look like a perky poseur in that getup. I want you to be smiling graciously and hold your heads up high, wave to the audience, but keep in mind that you want to look untouchable and unforgettable. Understand?"
We nodded, still trying to regain our composure before Emer quickly ushered us to where our chariot of silver awaited us. Nereus quickly stepped in and glanced down at me before offering an arm. Hesitantly, I grasped his forearm and let him lift me up effortless in his arms, making me squeak in astonishment. He released me quickly and I placed my hand on his arm, trying to look as graceful as I could.
The doors to the city open and I hear the blaring cries of a cheering audience. Unconsciously, I felt my muscles contract stiffly before Nereus grabbed my hand, weaving my arm through his and making me grip his arm, soothing me.
He leaned over as the chariot began moving and whispered in my ear, "Let's be unforgettable."
A/N: Thank you for reading! I just thought I might address something. So I looked into the books and it seems like there's no indication of which annual Hunger Games Mags was in. When I checked the Hunger Games wiki, however, it said that she was in the 9th Hunger Games at the age of 14. I started writing this far long before the movie was even announced so I used what I knew and made Mags age-appropriate. I hope that's not too AU for you guys haha. :)
Please don't forget to review!
Much love,
Quiddity