Chapter Four: As bright as the sun
I woke up to Malakai shaking me; I sat up instantly putting myself into a position to attack when he lifted his hands up in surrender. "It's okay, I just came to tell you we're at the Capital" Malakai said eyeing me curiously.
"Already?" I said as I looked out the bedroom window, and sure enough we have arrived. I was amazed at how tall the buildings were, they made District Two's justice building look like a measly little house. Every building was shiny and extremely bright, I doubt you'll be able to see the stars at night because of how bright everything was. I turned around to find Malakai sitting on my bed squishing one of the decorative pillows in his hands, I smiled at him; he noticed me staring and looked at me, a smile forming on his lips as well.
"Be nice to your stylists, don't kill them" he said laughing, I glared at him and stuck out my tongue. "I'm not stupid you know?" I said crossing my arms over my chest, obviously displeased with this topic, he just chuckled. "Oh I know, but you don't like to be touched, and you're very stubborn" he said as the train started to stop at the station, he looked at me sadly for a few seconds before he looked behind him, when he was sure there was nobody there he leaned into me kissing my forehead. "Be good" he said and I narrowed my eyes in a glare and pushed hard on his chest, and even though he didn't budge he got the message and left my room quietly.
I sighed and looked around, even though this is luxury to me already, I'm sure it'll only get better from here, that is until I get put in the arena to fight to the death with my lover. I rolled my eyes and left the room, running straight into Greyti on the way out.
"There you are, let's go" she said grabbing my arm and leading the way out of the train. Even with her small figure and tiny hands she had a fierce grip that I'm sure will leave a bruise.
When she led me off the train I was again greeted with endless flashing cameras and thousands of questions, some I couldn't even understand. Greyti's grip didn't lighten up until we were safely in the transportation vehicle. It seemed her; coral and I were the only ones here.
"Where are Malakai and Kaius?" I asked "they're in another car on the way to his stylists, you'll meet up before the opening ceremonies" I groaned, I almost forgot the opening ceremonies, where they dress you up in the skimpiest, most revealing outfits and throw you on a chariot where you're suppose to smile and wave to the crowd who pretty much holds the fate of your life in their glittery hands.
The car ride was pretty quite; the only conversation that was had was me being told—for the third time—not to fight with the stylists. It was really starting to annoy me; did I look like someone who will just lash out at someone because they dressed me in something I don't agree upon? I rolled my eyes; I have more self control than that. Luckily Coral only kept her side of the conversation to a minimum. Saying how excited she was, and how this Hunger Games she has a feeling will be District Two's year. I didn't mind her talking that much; I have a feeling my stylists are going to give me a migraine much worse than the measly headaches Coral gives me.
We arrived in this huge building where I most likely will be spending my next six hours in torture. The ground beneath us inclined into a ramp where we drove down effortlessly and were submerged in a channel. We drove in this tunnel structure for a good minute before the car stopped at a door. Greyti stepped out and I immediately followed when she motioned for me to get out as well. She walked into the room which was this all white hallway where she continued to walk until we were in front of another door. She opened it, holding it open or me to step through; once I did she smiled at me. "Play nice, your stylist will take you from here to your chariot" she said about to close the door but stopped and looked inside "Good luck, you're gonna need it" she said before closing the door behind her.
I sighed and turned around, looking closely at the room I will be enduring fashion torture in for the next few hours. It was this dark red with plush black carpeting, it had a matching plush couch and two identical chairs with a coffee sized table in front. There was a section full of nothing but mirrors, and a chair for the unwilling victim to sit in I'm guessing. I cringed; this is going to be a long day. I walked over to the couch and sat down, not really knowing what to do until my stylist decides to greet me with his presents.
I heard bubbly laughter coming from the door I just came from, I could hear high pitched voices and hands clapping. I bit my lip, please let them be relatively normal.
I was wrong. Three people walked in two girls and a guy laughing and giggling like the funniest thing happened to them on the way in here. They didn't seem to notice my presents so I cleared my throat to get their attention. They all stopped what they were saying mid-sentence and stared at me, it seemed like minutes but it was only seconds before they jumped up and down squealing how happy they were to finally meet me. I winced at their irritating voices and put a fake smile on my lips for their pleasure.
The smallest girl who looked no more than twenty skipped over to me and wrapped her pink colored arms around me. She had red hair and pink skin, the same markings that were on Coral were on her but they were a freakish orange color. She led me over to the other two. "My name's Tianna and this is Remie and Draylen" she said pointing to the other girl with the green pixie colored skin and blue hair, and the guy with the golden hair and silver skin. I wanted to throw up all over them, these people disgust me. They both greeted me with their high pitched hellos; I rolled my eyes and backed a little bit away, but not much so they wouldn't notice. "Uh, is one of you my stylist?" I asked eyeing them carefully; they all busted out laughing like I just said the funniest thing. "Oh no babe, we're your prep team, we have to go through all the essentials before handing you to Mika" The golden boy, Draylen, said before grabbing my arm and leading me into a separate room.
This looked exactly like a bathroom but it was the size of one house in District Two. There was a Jacuzzi sized bathtub in the middle of the room with mirrors on every wall. There was a tiny stool in front of a lighted mirror and stand that held all sorts of supplies from make-up to this weird waxy stuff.
They led me to the tub where the girls proceeded to fill it up, and add these beady like things and some different smelling liquids to it making the water all bubbly. Draylen then grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off my clothes, I bit my tongue to stop me from protesting, all he had to do was ask me and I would have taken them off myself. When I was completely exposed they progressed to looking at my body from all angles, making sure my skin was exactly to their liking. Whenever they would find a blemish or something they obviously disliked they would take a tiny needle and poke the spot with it, releasing some weird liquid. Whenever I asked them what it was all they told me is that it will make my skin look absolutely stunning.
When they were finished looking over every inch of my uncovered body they instructed me to get in the bath. This part wasn't so bad, the water was warm and whatever liquids they put in here were amazing, it made my skin so soft and silky to the touch. They washed my hair and conditioned it twice before running cold water over my head rinsing all the shampoo out. They then took little tiny scrub brushes the size of a toothbrush and starting scrubbing every inch of my skin, when they were done my skin felt like it was rubbed raw. When I was told to get out of the bath they put me under this other faucet thing that looked like it belonged in a shower but instead of water it released a warm breeze drying off my hair and body instantly.
Then came the part I was treading most, they instructed me to sit down on that stool where they propped my legs up. Tianna began to remove the hair from my legs with the weird waxy stuff and thin paper strips. The pain from one little pull was unbearable but I stuck it out. Draylen focused on my face and eyebrows, plucking any hair he didn't like and using the wax stuff to shape them the way he wanted. Remie focused on my nails, rubbing this nice lotion stuff on my hands before scraping the tops of my nails with this rough thing she held in her hands, she said it was to make them look healthy and pretty, I think it was to kill any feeling I had left in my fingers.
Once I was pretty much hairless, my eyebrows were less bushy, and my nails glistened to their liking, they rubbed this oil stuff all over my body that made it shine brighter than most buildings in the Capital. Remie and Tianna added glitter to my body as Draylen continued to focus on just my face adding this glittery white eyeliner and placing this gray and black eye shadow to my eyes lids. Once done with my body, the girls proceeded to do my hair, straitening it and then adding some curls making it look more thick and full then I've every had it. They took half of it, grabbing bobby pins and clipping my hair into a bun on the top of my head, letting the other half fall down my back in waves. Draylen then added white lip liner and sparkly lip gloss to my lips, making them glisten.
After they were finished they told me I could put on a light robe, but be careful not to mess up my hair. When I did I caught them looking at me, satisfaction clear in their eyes. They each looked at each other and then together squealed and gave each other high fives admiring their work. They seemed to finish just in time because I heard a door open and when I looked over a man with pearly white hair and a black silk suit walked in. besides his hair and the little gray eyeliner he had on he looked relatively normal, I sighed in relief. The man looked me up and down before turning to my prep team and nodding in approval, they all shrieked with pleasure before each kissing my cheek and leaving the room, leaving me with—who obviously must be my stylist—Mika.
He waved me out of the bathroom and out into the other room where he sat on the plush couch; I took a seat in one of the chairs, not wanting to get too close to him. He ordered some food and tea and waited for an Avox to serve the goods before saying one word to me. "So you're Miss Ebony" he said loading some finger sandwiches and fruit on a plate and handing it to me. I knew he wasn't looking for an answer but I nodded anyway, taking a small bite of my sandwich. "Kaius warned me about you" he said ignoring the food in front of him and focusing on the cup of tea he held instead. I raised an eyebrow, whatever Kaius had to say obviously wasn't good, and the man isn't even my mentor so I don't know why he's telling my stylist anything.
"Oh yeah? What did Kaius have to say?" I asked spitting out his name like it was bile on my tongue. Mika smiled, continuing to stir his tea "nothing that I took seriously, you are my tribute" he said putting down his coffee and eyeing me "and I will treat you as any other" he motioned for me to stand, and I did as he instructed, putting my plate down on the table. He led me in front of a group of mirrors turning me around so I was facing him and not the mirrors before telling me to close my eyes. I refused at first but he glared at me and I did as I was told. He came back and slipped a very thin dress over my head, and sipping the back. I was going to open my eyes then but he told me not to, so I continued to stand there feeling very uneasy until he returned. I felt something being placed on my head and when he instructed for me to open my eyes I did, turned around to look in the mirrors in front of me.
I gasped at what I saw, I didn't look like myself, and somehow these people made me look like royalty. I had on a very thin white silk dress that flew down to my feet cascading in all directions; the thing on the top of my head was a white pearl crown that seemed to shimmer in the light. I looked absolutely stunning, but one thing was bothering me.
"Um, what does this have to do with my district?" I asked, obviously nobody from my district has looked this stunning ever, I mean they always look good but nothing to this extent, but being from the District that produces Electricity doesn't really give you much to work with. He just chuckled and pointed to my crown "that's what this is for. Just wait until the opening ceremonies start, you'll know what I'm talking about" He said with a smile, before snapping his fingers and turning back around "Oh, one last thing" He said before coming back with my locket. He clipped it around my neck and when I looked at him through the mirrors reflection he seemed to have grief in his eyes. "You knew her well didn't you?" he asked touching the locket and looking back at me, I nodded "she was like a sister to me" I said turning around when he walked back to the couch sitting down and sipping his tea. "Sagan was one of the best Tributes I was blessed to be the stylist of" he said looking at me but not seeing me "she had such brightness about her, not like other District two tributes" he said, shaking his head "I was so sure she was going to win" he looked down into his tea as I grabbed onto my locket looking back in the mirrors.
He set his cup down and made his way over to me, "well, we best be going, don't want to be late" he said opening the door and ushering me out all thoughts of Sagan diminished for now.
He led me down a series of hallways before stepping onto an elevator; it was like a weird maze through the Capital. The elevator ride was abnormally fast. We stopped in less then a second when the doors swung open revealing a colossal foyer filled with twelve chariots all being led by black and white horses of all sizes. I stepped out to find other Tributes stepping out from an array of elevators to the left and right of me. I saw Malakai in the distance standing next to what I assumed was our chariot. It was pure white, just like my dress and it looked to have the same glittery substance as my skin, what did this have to do with my district? I have no idea. I smiled and walked over to Malakai, he was wearing a light grey silk suit with a white tie, he had eyeliner and white lip liner on just like me, his hair was spiked and the tips were dyed a bright glinting bright white, he also had on a crown, but it was more masculine then mine. When he saw me the awe in his eyes was clearly shown. He looked me up and down admiring what he saw; you could see the pride in his eyes.
"You look absolutely stunning" he said eyeing me up and down, I smirked and nodded to his outfit, "and so do you" I said laughing and he smiled straightening his suit. I decided to look around at my other competitors, each one looked as stunning as the next, and surprisingly not one outfit looked horrible this year, district one was astoundingly striking this year, they wore mostly jewels covering nearly all of their bodies, the girl, blossom, was naturally stunning—like most district one female Tributes—but with the jewels it made her stand out among the crowd. The boy was simply wearing red shorts—the color of rubies—and with the jewels contrasting with the curvature of his muscles, it made him look strong, and gorgeously stunning at the same time. That in and of it's self should get people to fall head over heals for him. If we had competition in the fashion department, it was definitely them. The Capital must have hired new stylists this year; I can already tell this year was going to be especially entertaining for the people of the Capital.
I was interrupted from my reverie by one man calling for everyone to step onto their chariots. Malakai got on first and helped me on, I held the bar in front of me like my life depended on it, and my balance wasn't bad so it wasn't so hard to stay on.
When the chariots started moving forward I can hear the screams from the Capital people outside, when we rode out it was extremely bright and I had to squint before my eyes adjusted to the light. I soon realized it wasn't the light of the sun or even the Capital buildings that blinded me it was Malakai's crown. I looked over at him and I could tell mine was sending off the same glinting light as his. Now I understood what Mika was saying, electricity gives light was darkness is unwanted, we are like the sun. I heard an array of gasps coming from the crowd as everyone watched us, and then out of no where everyone started screaming our names, roses were being thrown, people were trying to break the mounds of Peacekeepers trying to get to us. I smiled and started waving at them; I would blow the occasional kiss and smile when I saw people fighting over who it was to. More and more chariots started immerging from the foyer. We were led to the circle where everyone sat and listened to the Panem anthem and watched the replays on the big screens over the city. There were screams from all around, and while the music played I focused on the replays on one of the big screens.
I saw from third person perspective how striking Malakai and I looked when our crowns let off that magnificent light. It actually looked like we were our own rays of sunlight. We were carrying our own personal sunrays on our heads and we had full control over the darkness. We looked like Gods, and now the Capital is going to want to see us fight like Gods in that arena. No worries, that's doable.
When the anthem was over the chariots started again, and we were led into the training center, where I will be spending my next three days in before the games start. When our chariot stopped we were immediately greeted by Kaius, Greyti, and Coral who lead us into an elevator where Coral pushed the number two and in less than two seconds we arrived at our apartment. In the first room was just a couple of chairs and a couch, the second was the dining room which led to the hallway where the rooms were at. Off to the side of the dining room was a separate room that held a TV, probably where were going to be watching out training scores from. We were told that dinner will be served in about an hour, so I excused myself to go and find my room.
When I did I walked in to find it was two times bigger than the room I had on the train. The bed was big and draped in a bath comforter with black and red pillows decorating the front. The floor was covered in plain white carpet but it was so smooth that it would be comfortable to sleep on the floor too. Just like in the train there sit a dresser with different compartment and drawers filled with an array of clothes and shoes to my picking. I walked into the bathroom and found it to be the exact same size as the room in the train; the bathtub was bugger than before but not as big as the one in the Stylists office. The sink was huge and also a platinum silver, enough to feed my entire district for a week. I rolled my eyes and walked into my room where I stripped off my clothes and proceeded to put on some jean shorts, a light red blouse some flip-flops. I went into the bathroom and scrubbed off as much make-up as I could, by the time I was called to dinner I was satisfied enough with my face and left, not being able to scrub off all the glitter on my face.
When I got to the table everyone was already there, sitting in the same seats they were sitting in on the train. I took my seat next to Malakai as a bowl of this delectable mushroom soup was placed in front of me. I forgot I only had a few bites of that sandwich today at lunch so I was absolutely starved at dinner. I devoured the soup in minutes and a plate piled with three different meats, and some pasta topped with a roasted tomato sauce. As I dug into my meal Kaius spoke up, "Okay, for the next three days starting tomorrow you two will be training, in preparation, not only for the arena but for your personal training sessions with the Game makers where you will show them everything you have, receiving your training scores which will tell you how likely you are to survive in the arena" He said looking between Malakai and myself, I was only half paying attention to him, I already knew what was going to happen from here and I was prepared for anything.
After dinner I refused desert, saying I wasn't feeling well and being dismissed to my room. I took a hot shower letting all the tensions from today wash down the drain with the water. After I was finished I dressed in a simple white night dress, brushed my teeth and climbed into bed. I laid there for hours trying to let exhaustion overcome me but it never did, so I got out of bed and snuck out into the hall, knocking lightly on Malakai's door and letting myself in. I could tell he was sleeping from his heavy breathing so I crawled into bed next to him, laying my head on his chest and wrapping his arm around my waist, he instinctively tightened his grip and pulled me closer. I smiled and fell asleep in my lovers arms, excited for the next day, to meet my new alliance and show them exactly what Ebony Morella can do.