Authors Notes: SO CLOSE TO THE ARENA! I can practically smell the bloodshed already. I have no idea how many chapters are left to this story, but I'd love to give you guys ample time in the arena. Its a pretty big one, and full of so much interesting stuff, I'd hate to do it injustice.
Anyway, as promised, the next chapter.
Oh and p.s. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the amazing feedback. Its greatly appreciated, and I love hearing what you have to say whether good or bad.
Chapter 10
Lya and the Labyrinth
Watch Your Backs
I wake to Effie calling out its going to be yet another "big, big day". Today we will have the day with our mentors to prepare for our interviews tomorrow night.
I stand in the hot shower for a while, testing to see if it will ever go cold. I get too hungry to wait any longer, so I step out and get dressed.
I pull on a long sleeved gray tunic. Its made of a warm cotton and reminds me of my old clothes. I pull on black tights underneath and worn leather boots. I take the side section of my hair and braid it back like I usually do, and slipping in Ria's comb, I head on to breakfast.
Alton is already shoving inhuman amounts of food into his mouth and Effie is wincing and trying not to look directly at him.
I gently smack the back of his head as I pass to the food table and he just grins and winks at me.
While we sit and eat, Effie goes over the itinerary for the show.
"Well, Caesar is going to ask you personal questions. Alton, he's probably going to want to know about your strength, with your high score and all.
Lya, he's going to ask about your score too, but I he will mostly be interested in how you plan to go about the games, being viewed as the smallest and all"
"We need to work on your angles, seeing as you're being trained together, it gives us the whole day, rather than a split day" Haymitch says.
"First, we'll go over your persona for the interviews, and then Effie will teach you how to act, your presentation."
"What about training for the arena?" Alton asks.
"I want to try some hand to hand combat with you Alton" Peeta says. "I know you and Lya have been practicing, but everyone is much bigger than her in the arena, I want you to try against someone a bit larger."
Alton grins in excitement and makes a few pretend jabs at Peeta.
I roll my eyes at both of them.
"Any further than three meters away and I'd take you both down" I hiss.
They both just laugh at me and I make a mental note to get them back later.
My day begins with Effie in my room while Alton and Peeta spar. She strips me down and puts me in a full-length gown and high heels.
"Alton doesn't need to learn how to walk in heels," I think bitterly.
I strut back and forth, trying to mimic Effie's long strides. My legs are much shorter than hers so I cant manage as well as she does, but at least Im not toppling over. She practices a few simple elegant poses to sit in with me, and teaches me the proper way to fold my hands in my lap.
Finally Im allowed to shimmy out of the gown and put my comfortable clothes back on to go and relax while Effie talks posture with Alton.
As I pass Alton in the hall I noticed he is sporting a few red marks from boxing. Entering the dining room, Peeta and Haymitch are chatting rowdily. Haymitch had been betting on the fight apparently, and was re-enacting it loudly.
Peeta had a bruise forming above his left eyebrow and a few scrapes on his knuckles. I just shake my head at him and curl up on one of the couches. It's not long until Alton and Effie join us, Effie tittering with disapproval at Alton.
She's wagging her finger at him and when Peeta comes into her view she rounds on him.
"You better hope Portia can cover up those bruise on Alton, Mr. Mellark" She says to him, her voice laced with subtle poison.
While we eat, Haymitch and Effie begin on our personas.
"Alton first. I think we will continue with our strong disposition." Effie trills.
Haymitch nods and adds, "Yea, if asked, talk about fights at school, about not losing any. We want you to be charming, appeal to the crowd, we want to get you sponsors."
I knew Haymitch was betting on Alton winning the games. Last year he favored Katniss, she got all of the sponsor gifts, until she died that is. Then he had no choice but to bet on Peeta. I suppose he feels I wont even last past the Cornucopia.
"Lya" Effie turns to me. "I you want to stay sweet and innocent. You can't play strong, or sexy. Those things will get you targeted in the arena."
"We want them to love you, play up on the adorableness sweetheart, but don't be childish." Haymitch added.
"We want them to sympathize, not pity you" Effie said.
I nodded and made mental notes.
We go over questions Caesar will ask, and the appropriate answers to them. By the end, Im tired and my head hurts from trying to remember so much that I fall straight asleep once I crawl into bed.
The next morning, I've barely had time to eat before Octavia, Flavius and Venia are descending me into tubs of cloudy liquid to "cleanse me".
I lie in them while one paints my nails a nude shimmer. They spend a few hours scrubbing at my skin, erasing any scars and callouses I'd acquired during training.
Im allowed to step out of the tub and wrap myself in a warm robe so they can fix my hair and makeup.
My hair is dried and falls in a silky sheet, ending in its usual curls. They weave shimmery ribbon into the base of my neck, and braid it into a section of my hair, which they wrap around my head like a headband. It's like wearing a crown of beautiful hair, and I hope I can recreate it on my own.
Cinna enters to do my makeup. My face is dusted with white powder, and Cinna paints a pale pink flush onto my cheeks and lips. He gives me long, glamorous lashes and sweeps my cheeks with a glittery powder.
In the mirror I look young and innocent, but I also look proud and strong. Cinna does his work well.
Behind me is my dress, but I can't see it because it's still inside its bag. My eyes are covered by one of the assistants and I feel the sensation of silk falling softly over my naked skin. Venia steadies me as I slip into a pair of heels, bringing the length of the dress just to hit the floor. A few adjustments are made at my waist, and the dress is drawn in.
"Open your eyes" Cinna whispers.
I open my eyes and at first I don't recognize the girl standing before me.
She is beautiful, like a true victor of the games. Cinna has transformed me exactly as I needed.
My dress is a strapless sweetheart neckline. I have eaten so well these past weeks, the dress fills out nicely in the bust region. I actually have a womanly figure now compared to the skinny girl I came here as.
The dress is a deep coal back, and flows like air down to the ground. I turn to see the back, and the material swishes delicately in the air and that's when I notice all the tiny sparkles imbedded in the material. Im not coal, Im more like the evening sky. I looked like a thousand sparkling stars at nighttime.
Alton was dressed similarly. He was in a smart black suit, with a more subtle shimmer to it. His gray eyes, like so many in the Seam, were sparkling tonight, eager to show off.
We make our way to the elevator, prep team in tow, fussing here and there over small details. When the doors open, we step out to take our place in line with all the other tributes. We are told to sit in our chairs, the twenty-four of us making an arc around the stage behind Caesar. This way, the cameras can watch us at all times, and so can the audience.
The crowd is whispering and pointing, and a few tributes are blowing them kisses, already playing in their favour.
Caesar Flickerman bounds into the stage, his unchanged face smiling and waving at everyone. This year he has died his hair a deep gold, and he wears gold eyeliner and lipstick to match. His shoes are black and kind of pointy at the ends. I think they look ridiculous and I just hope I don't accidentally say that when I get up there. His suit is the same every year, a sparkly blue one, embedded with tiny lights making it glow and glisten.
The cameraman does a silent countdown and suddenly the crowd is hushed and Ceaser begins.
"Hello everyone, and welcome to the 75th Hunger Games! My, my, what a lovely crowd we have here tonight" he gushes, and the crowd eats it up, cheering for him and calling his name.
Caesar makes an embarrassed gesture and moves to introduce the male from District 1. His name is Silas, and he is dressed in a ridiculous green suit, probably the fashion for the Capitol, because the crowd ooos and ahhhs as he steps up. His dark hair is carefully messy and he casually flicks it back as he chats to Caesar. He is confident and egotistical, and I can feel my face scrunching in repulse at him until I catch Cinna's eye, and he is giving me a sign to smile. I immediately lapse into a innocent grin and Cinna nods approvingly.
The buzzer goes off and the girl from One takes her place. She's dressed in a shimmery green dress to match Silas's suit, and its very revealing. I have no problem seeing the entire outline of her body. Her angle is sex appeal no doubt. I could never have pulled that off.
The tributes one by one take their place with Caesar. I learn the bronze god from District 4 is called Lyle, and he's in a shimmery blue suit that looks like the ocean. His play is charming and likeable, and the crowd is sad to see him go.
His partner, Etta has mermaid blonde hair to her waist, and she's been dressed as such. She has a shiny green skirt that falls in sections, made to look like scales. Around her chest, a blue sheer fabric is delicately knotted. I can't stop staring at how beautiful she looks, and I notice that most of the boys in the audience are struck too. I'm not fooled though, I know its all a ploy. All of this is a game.
Little Cora from five walks shakily to sit next to Caesar. She's dressed innocently, in a soft pink dress, little frilly white socks and pink shoes. I know they are hoping everyone will leave her alone, but I know the Careers better than that. Cora wont be going home.
Caesar talks sadly with the old man from District 6, but makes a point that this is a Quell and the Capitol is doing us a favor really, that we are just paying our price. Although the words are coming from his mouth, I can tell he doesn't really believe them.
The wife and husband from eight make everyone tear. They talk about their children and how much they miss them. They have no fear in letting everyone know they plan to make it back to them.
Set, the boy with the shaved head from District 11 is cocky. He openly chats about how well he did in training and how his score was no surprise.
And then its Alton's turn, he walks smoothly to the stage and takes his place.
"Hello Alton, welcome!" Caesar greets him whole-heartedly. Alton shakes his hand firmly and sits on the couch.
'Well, well, aren't you a large fellow?" Caesar jokes, and its true. Caesar looks like a boy sitting next to Alton, who easily towers over him. The crowd laughs, and Caesar leads them in a cheer.
Alton laughs a hearty laugh and pats Caesar on the back.
They chat a while about home, how Alton misses his mother. His father isn't in the picture, and I didn't know that. In fact there's a lot about Alton I didn't know. We never talked about it, I guess it was easier that way. The less we knew, the easier it would be if we had to kill each other.
"So Alton, tell me about training, how did it go?"
"Oh it was easy" Alton says casually "Nothing I couldn't handle" and he flexes nonchalantly as he leans back. The girls in the crowd are having hysterics and even the girl from District 2 is eyeing him and she turns to me and winks.
"Tell me, is there a special girl back home" Caesar winks at Alton and encourages the crowd to shout, "tell us, tell us!"
Alton chuckles and shakes his head.
"Oh c'mon!" Caesar urges "Surely there's something between you and your fellow tribute"
The camera pans to me, and thankfully I still have my innocent façade planted on my face.
"Haven't you noticed just how lovely she is?" Caesar says sneakily and the crowd cheers in response.
Alton smiles "Oh yes, she is a stunning creature, and we're very close but only as friends"
"And you'll protect her in the arena yes?" Caesar smiles.
"Oh I don't think I need to worry about that" Alton grins mischievously.
"Oh?" Caesar says, delighted, and he leans closer to Alton like it's a secret.
Alton leans in too, holding the dramatic pause.
He finally whispers "All Im going to say is, watch your backs"
The camera pans to me for my reaction, and I have a smile on my face that hints I have a secret. The crowd is eating it up, and Im just hoping this is sponsor-worthy.
The buzzer goes off and the crowd boo's. They wanted to know more of the secret. Alton heads back to his seat and I hop off my chair and try and glide gracefully towards Caesar. He kisses my hand sweetly and helps me sit next to him.
"My dearest, how are you finding the Capitol?"
I remember Haymitch muttering about sponsors and sucking up.
"Oh Caesar, it's beautiful! So bright and colorful" It's a shame the habitants are awful, awful people. I thought bitterly.
"And you!" Caesar gestures to all of me. "Look at this lovely dress!"
He stands me up and spins me, the dress flying out and shimmering like the night sky. The audience makes noises in awe and applauds.
"I owe it all to Cinna" and I gesture towards him "He's a genius"
Cinna smiles politely at the camera zooming in on him but never takes his eyes off me.
"Now Lya, tell me about your Reaping. You volunteered to save someone. It seems to be quite the trend in District 12."
"More of a trend in love" I say tersely.
Caesar nods like he understands, but he doesn't. He couldn't possibly understand the hurt, the starvation, the loneliness of living in a District.
"Who did you volunteer for, was that your mother?" He's asking me in a voice that sounds sympathetic, but I know its all for the cameras.
I decide now's the time to play it for the camera's too.
"No" I say and I make my voice choke a little "My mother died a long time ago"
The audience cries aloud and sniffs are heard.
"Oh that's terrible" Caesar says, and whips a handkerchief from his pocket to pretend dab at his eye.
"It's okay though. The woman was Ria, she's my caretaker, and my closest friend,"
"That's nice my dear, but tell me more about this secret threat you are" He leans in close like he did with Alton.
I lean in too, mimicking Alton's dramatic pause.
"Oh dear Caesar" I say melodramatically, "How can I win if I tell my enemies now exactly how to defeat me?"
"Oh yes of course, of course!" And he glares around at the other tributes.
"I don't suppose the Gamemakers can shed some light?" And he looks up hopefully at the balcony they're sitting in. The camera pans up with them on Plutarch Heavensbee, head Gamemaker.
He just smiles and says "Let me tell you, with little Lya Redwan, these games wont be boring"
The crowd goes wild and the buzzer goes off.
Caesar brings me in for a hug and whispers in my ear "Good luck Lya, Im betting on you"
Over his shoulder, I give a thankful look to Plutarch Heavensbee who nods back at me.
Thanks to him, Caesar and Alton, I was a big threat for the 75th Hunger Games, and I wanted everyone to know I wasn't going down without battle.