Polyphemus Ignotus POV
"Are you ready, folks? Because here! They! Come!"
"Chantel leads the way in a stunning monokini and skirt covered with pink jewels. She even has a bracelet to match! Kazuo complements her perfectly in his blue suit dripping with sapphires. Oh, is that a rose in his pocket? Who's the lucky lady?"
"The pair from Two are wearing suits of armor. Yawn. Pray is at least taking it like a woman. Belisarius looks like he's had enough. I've never seen a brave knight slumped against his chariot and kicking at the floor. Someone's a little out of sorts."
"Why is Rotary covered in clocks? And why do none of them match? It's twelve o' clock, no wait, it's ten to four, no wait, it's a quarter of seven! I'm getting a headache just looking at it. At least I don't have to listen to it! Oddly enough, he seems to be enjoying it. He's jumping up and down and waving at the crowd. He's going to be a popular boy. Mei is wearing a plain white dress. How perfectly drab. At least she has a light bulb headband- oh! It lights up! What a bright idea!"
"Rouge really outdid herself this year. Arielle is resplendent in an ocean green mermaid dress. The seashells on its hem match the one in her hair, and the elegant trim is made of netting. But why is she gripping the chariot so hard? She looks like she's about to fall over. Her other hand is extended straight out toward the audience. Mako is wearing the same old fisherman outfit. The floppy hat really screams "retired hobby fisher."
"Lilith's white dress is shimmering with little dancing points of light. They look almost like... sparks! Oh, that's witty! Even her copper bracelet matches. Her glowing hairpiece bathes her in light. Such an angel. Farlan is dressed as a train conductor. He doesn't have anywhere near Lilith's SPARKle."
"Chase is wearing a silver tuxedo. Aimee's silver dress matches. He's just standing there looking straight ahead. Aimee's playing right to the crowd. She's waving and smiling like the whole parade is just for her. Someone in the audience threw a rose at her. She jumped right up and snatched it from the air. She's holding it up like it's solid gold. What a cutie!"
"It appears that a tree was reaped from District Seven this year. Oh no, that's just Oaken. I can barely see his face peeking out a little hole in the trunk. He seems to love it. He's dancing like an eel. Any farther and he'll fall off the chariot! The crowd is roaring with laughter. Sabrina appears to be an axe. I've never seen that one before. I think we all know why."
"Eleanor's hula skirt is fringed with dozens upon dozens of lengths of yarn. Her rainbow sweater completes the ensemble. She's bent over the front of the chariot panting. Those lights must be getting to her- she keeps wiping at her forehead. Calden is wearing a black suit. Poor show, but it does reflect the distance. It is made of fabric. Eight's stylists abuse that fact all too often, if you ask me."
"Alexa's outfit consists of a pair of red shorts and a red and black plaid button-up shirt. What does that have to do with grain? Heck if I know! She isn't paying a speck of attention to the audience. A bold strategy. Damien's suit is made entirely of corn husks. He's fidgeting and itching a little, but he seems to be all right."
"Whatever will the pair from Ten be dressed as? Could it be... Land o' Goshen! Shoot the horse and slap me silly! They're not cows! Oh wait, Angus is a cow. But Starling is wearing a tight fitting leather bustier and oh-so-short leather shorts. This is a first, folks! Whatever happened in Ten, let's hope it keeps on happening. Oops, a little too tight, perhaps. Her hand is pressed to her stomach and she's panting for breath. Angus... well, he's a cow. An Angus cow, I suppose."
"Eleven is bringing the same good old standbys and a few net twists. Leo looks positively rural in his overalls and wellie boots. Sojourner is the dearest little thing in pigtails, a blue sundress, and... a fruit hat? That does shatter the image a little. She just slipped her hand into Leo's. He's looking down at her in confusion. Will he pull away or will he stand by his partner? He's looking out into the audience now, but he hasn't shaken her off. Big softie."
"Twelve brings us our big finale. Will they dazzle? Will the excite? No, they'll be in the same miner outfits they always wear. At least Vesper's has a little canary on it. Why can't we start with Twelve and end with One? At least they have presence."
"That's the end of another grand parade, ladies and germs. We laughed, we cheered, we maybe hissed a little. I, for one, think it was one of our better shows. At least there were no incidents like last year. Let's hope the Games are just as entertaining."
That sure was a step up from the 25th parade, at least from the Gamemakers' standpoint. That had to have been one of their... less conventional parades.
I finally broke the cow streak. After thirteen years of cow outfits, Ten finally changed. It was fun, but now we have to mooove on.