Roxanna Stripe's POV:
"For Panem's sake Roxanna" Helena calls from across the hall "Your Tribute is so gorgeous I can't even deal."
"She's just some District girl, what's the big issue." I shout back from across the hall, it's only been about six hours since I drew my tribute and due to the parties and interviews I've managed to not sleep at all for the second night in a row. I'm still in my gown from the show and I've been pouring over tactics from my gaming journal since I got home. Trying to figure out what I can do to get this tribute to be my first ever winner.
"Ugh I would kill for her hair", Helena sighs "and that butt."
"Well I'll try to get her home for you to drool over her some more then" I reply.
"Thanks sis."
I lie back on my bed and close my eyes, even though the tributes have been drawn they still need to get to the Capitol and then be made presentable by our stylists. So I had some time to wait till I was needed again. But I just can't sleep, there's so much to think about, my tactics for one, I never seem to be able to win in an actual games my usual way. I have over ten hours to go till tonight, I just need to spend that time coming up with a new ...
"Roxanna!" I bolt awake on my bed and feel my dress from last night peel off my back as I sit up.
"Ugh" I reply
"Roxanna, do I really have to wake you up so late in the day" Mom scolds "You're needed for the parade in three hours"
"I know" I cry in response and climb out of bed, pulling off the tatty dress in its entirety and throwing it on the floor. Crap, that was not how I wanted to spend this afternoon; no matter I'm feeling more alive now. Pulling on some electric blue leggings and a silver top to wear to welcome my District Five girl to the capitol I slip on some matching flats and leave my house without a word of goodbyes. They all know where I'll be anyway.
I hail a cab a few streets over and take it all the way down to the games sector, where I can see by the large crowd surrounding the train station that the tributes have begun to arrive. I head towards the front door of the prep centre, next door allowing the crowd to part around me as they see my face.
"I love your tribute" calls one man "May I have her after you."
"Sorry promised her to my sister" I smile as I'm let into the building with a scan of my fingerprint. Wandering through the large glass doors I know exactly where to head to get the first glimpse of the Tributes before they go to the crowds. Unfortunately however I'm not the only person to have this idea.
"Hey Roxey" cries a far too happy sounding Maximus "Didn't expect to see you here too so early, and look you already dressed up for the crowds." I can see him judging my outfit so return his glares.
"Fuck off" I reply in a not so lady like fashion, "You here to see your crap tribute get made up? You do know you can't polish a turd right?" I laugh.
"Fuck off" Max replies, ah that's more like you Max much better.
We continue to walk through the prep centre in a cold silence until we reach an elevator guarded by a peacekeeper.
"Evening" I smile as he lets us through the doors and we ride the elevator up to the viewing floor in silence. The door slides open to reveal that for the first time in years me and Maximus are not the first ones here.
Caligua Atia's POV:
The firm hands of my father rest on my shoulders as we look down at the tributes bellow.
"Look at that weakness" he tells me, "all those creatures unworthy to share the same air as us." I can feel him tightening his grip but no better than to fight him away, I will take the pain as I know there would be worse to come if I don't.
"I think Kale is strong" I tell him "he has a fight in his eyes and with me behind him we'll be unstoppable."
"That I don't doubt, you will bring home a victory Caligua."
"Cal, Mr Atia what a pleasure it is to see you here!" the joyful form of Maximus bounds towards us and extends his hand for my father to shake. Father of course declines the offer leaving Maximus with his hand floating in the air. He slumps his hands back into his pockets and looks down below where I can see his tribute laying next to mine, she seems to have finally stopped crying but instead seems frozen in place staring at the ceiling.
"You don't really have fighter there do you Max" I say "she seems to have given up."
Beside Max Roxanna Stripe begins to laugh, she really is what my sister would call an intriguing creature. Obviously a woman of the capitol with her large eyelashes and tattooed arms she doesn't give off the airs and graces that other women I've met do and instead stands hands on hips laughing at my previous comment.
"Come on I'll show you a real champion" she says as she walks past the three of us and taps on the glass that separates us from the tributes. "Who wouldn't want my little beauty to win this?"
I look down to where she is pointing and see her tribute laying watching intently as a stylist waxes her legs, taking every rip of the paper well and chattering away. She does have what some would call a natural beauty and glancing back towards my tribute who is looking slightly irritated as his skin is tanned by portable lights I decide that I'll have to do something big to get the support of those who look for beauty in their tributes.
Father has remained silent through all of this, probably taking in all the information he could from Max and Rox in the ways they talked and moved.
"I'll leave you to your tributes children" he says eventually "Don't let me down Caligua"
"I won't sir" I promise as he leaves.
"Ugh your father freaks me out" says Rox, while Max just laughs;
"Please" he says "I've seen scarier Avoxes"
"Say that again" I threaten stepping up towards him, my chin held high.
"Oh well now I'm intimidated" Max laughs
"Guys can we behave like civilised people please" Rox says, as I hear the sound of the door opening again as another group of gamers enters.
"Maximus" one of them calls "I think your tribute just wet herself" the others laugh and Maximus turns his attention away from me to them.
"Hey!" I shout "I'm not done here!"
"I think Maximus is" Roxanna replies "look, do yourself a favour kid, leave any violent fantasies for the arena alright. Show him in there, it's the only place he really listens."
I nod taking in her advice as another female gamer walks through the door, the pregnant one.
"Bianhtz" calls Rox, "How did I not notice you last night, you've become so radiant since I last saw you."
I turn my attention back out of the window as other gamers arrive behind me to goggle at their tributes. I can't take my eyes of Kale though as he's given a robe and led out of the prep space, not long now till I'll first meet him and then I'll really feel the power that lies in my hands.
Cleo Jackson's POV:
By the time I reach the prep centre most of the other gamers are already there, stood watching as their tributes final preparations are completed. I push through the crowd to look down at Ellia who is near the centre of the long corridor. She is skinny which is to be expected but she does look kinda determined I think, or it could be fear. It's so hard to tell up here. The prep team have dyed her hair to match mine which is kind of cool, I'm excited to think that it won't be long before I finally meet her and I can size her up properly.
"Okay Gamers, it's time" calls a voice from the far end of the viewing area. I look up to see Claudius Dorne, the head stylist standing there hands clasped together. His usually long white hair has been piled into a bun on his head, which is certainly an interesting look "Let's get you to the stylists."
We all follow him in a tight crowd, I keep to myself as the others all seem to be talking away about their tributes, parties they have planned and gossiping about each other. I pick up a few interesting titbits, for example one of the younger gamers like myself has this father who's pretty much feared by all the adults in Gold sector and is the single handed reason why they changed the adultery laws a few years back. Another one of the gamers, an older one who's been around for a while and never hit the top five is apparently so desperate for a win his girlfriend has been trying to bribe some of the middling ten to bomb out at the bloodbath.
Claudius splits us off into different rooms where I meet my stylist.
"Ah Cleo" she smiles "the new girl." She seems to have pity in her eyes as if I'm a no-hoper and for a moment I'm even sure that she thinks I'm going into that arena. Stupid woman.
"Don't think you got a bad deal alright" I tell her "I'm going to take that District chick and we're going to win the games alright, so I need to look the part of a champion okay."
"That sounds good to me" a small voice pipes up, I turn around and come face to face with Ellia. The girl whose life I will soon hold in my hands. This all of a sudden feels a lot more real to me.
"Cleo" I say "I'm going to be your gamer in the arena."
"It's good to meet you I suppose, you seem confident I suppose." She talks carefully as to not upset me probably.
"Let me get a look at you" I say "spin around" the girl spins slowly moving her head as she does so to keep her eyes on me. I can't see anything special about her, no obvious strength or beauty, in fact with her pale skin and dyed hair she could pass for my sister.
"Lets get the two of you ready smiles the stylist as she begins to pull out a dress for me to step into, I didn't really look at what she's doing but instead stare at Ellia.
"What did you do back in Six?" I ask, partly out of politeness partly because it could help me.
"I worked in a parts factory, screwing bolts together, I have little hands you see." She almost whispers her response as she watches the stylist pin her dress in place.
"What are your reflexes like?" I try, good reflexes mean than tributes take to the gaming software well making controlling them much easier.
"Alright" she replies "I mean I'm not that clumsy, Perri is the clutz of our family" she looks away from me as she finishes but I can't help but notice her fight away the tears.
"Perri?" I ask
"My little sister."
"You have siblings?" I ask, I've never had anyone to share my life with fully. Some of the foster homes I've ended up in before Gran's had other kids but we never really got along.
"Yeah there's three of us, me Perri and Tryp" she says "I'm the oldest" I'm frozen in place, why was the enormity of what we were doing here just hitting me now?
"All done" announces the stylist who I'd forgotten was there "Your turn now Cleo"
Bianhz Sinclair's POV:
After smiling politely as Roxanna wittered on for a while about my pregnancy as if she actually knew me, I was at my wits end. As the stylist a short little man with a bald head rolls his eyes as if to judge me my tribute enters the room.
"Oh gosh" gasps the tallish District Two girl "Someone got busy didn't they?" she chuckles with a cruel smile that angers me.
"Watch your mouth" I reply, as I finally snap "If I'm to work with you you'd better respect me" the words come as a shock to me. I remember my last and only other tribute too well; a happy boy, few years older than I was at the time. I'd cried when my stupid mistake had got him killed, that was then though and this is now. I was going to do it properly this time as I knew that the longer I gamed the longer I would have to remember my lost year and finally make sense of all the mystery that was building around my life.
"Sorry" she groans sarcastically as our stylist begins to pull out the dresses we'll be wearing tonight.
"I thought I'd clash the concepts of life and death to celebrate Bianihz's pregnancy and the victory you're aiming for in the arena" he says with a smile that tells me he's very pleased with this awful idea.
He pulls out two eggshell dresses, one flowing and loose and one much harder and tighter. It's sprayed with blood splatters and will be adorned with a blood splattered rose crown.
"I love it" gushes Victoria as he begins to dress her in the much sexier bloody dress. It's laced with blue ribbons which match the colour of her eyes.
"I hate it" I state staring at the dowdy plain dress "I'm already a laughing stock. Dye it red, rip it to shreds I'm not wearing it." I glare at him as Victoria stares at me.
"I'll see what I can do" he says as he exits the room, my dress in hand.
"Wow, maybe I underestimated you" says Victoria "Look I'm gonna be honest I wanted Max he's a champion but I've been hearing a lot about you too, top five your first year a whole career ahead of you and you vanish. So I guess I just want to know if you'll be able to get me home."
I take her in, beneath the sarcastic exterior there did seem to be some honesty there and as reluctant as I was to even enter the games now I'm here I know I'll do anything to win. "I'll get you home" I tell her "You just have to do everything I tell you and we'll work this through as a team. Okay?"
"Okay."
Constantinos Brakus' POV:
"Hello sir" the District Twelve boy nods respectfully towards me, "I've seen your face in the games before haven't I?"
"Yeah" I reply as our stylist begins to work quickly fitting me into my navy suit first "I've been playing for a while. You a fan of the games?"
"As much as I can be sir" he says "It's not exactly the done thing back home."
"Yeah I do see Twelve being a little backwards like that" I say "Never had a tribute from Twelve before. What's it like there?"
"Nothing like here" he says "It's much duller and dustier. It took them ages to clean all the coal from my skin."
"Coal?" I say "Didn't think you'd be in the mines just yet?"
"Been down there since I could walk." He says dismissively "I didn't know I shined up so well anyway I don't really want to talk about home. What's it like here?" I've not had a tribute who didn't want to talk of home before; usually they loved to tell me all about their homes and family in the hope that it would motivate me more. Not that I ever needed the motivation and not that it ever helped when they did finally die.
"The capitol's wonderful" I reply to his question "This area at least is. So what do you do back home, when you're not down the mines?"
"Sleep. What do you mean this area? Are there other areas?"
"Well of course, this is the game sector its one of the commercial sectors and there's the four residential ones. But that's not important to here and now. You got any special skills, hobbies?" I try anything, I need to get some information out of him.
"Nope, just a kid from the Seam who's been down the mine since he was a kid. You say you got sectors here, like the Seam and the Town back home?"
"I doubt even Silk is as bad as the Seam" I reply, thinking of how outraged Verena would be if I told her that the thought was even muttered by my tribute. My stylist smiles at me as he slips a flower into the lapel of my suit and begins to work on Ole's.
"What's the theme then Julius?" I ask him "Because I'm not feeling un-forgettable in this"
Julius smiles as he feeds Ole's belt around his waist and fastens in on the tightest setting, "You two don't need some stupid theme to stand out" he replies, I frown, but stylists always have themes, last year when I worked with the girl from District Four, she was a mermaid and I her fisherman lover. I loved it, Verna not so much.
"I don't think..." I begin but he cuts me off.
"You two will stand out in your normalcy" he announces as if it really was a good idea "You'll both look like equals like sons of the capitol."
"What!" I cry as Ole laughs.
"I like it" he says "Things need to be more equal in life I feel, Don't you think Constantinos?"
"I think that if we were all equal, no-one would have anything to strive for." I reply, thinking of how I'd fought my way to the top. "If we were all equal, we'd never be able to better ourselves. I'm sorry Julius but it's a stupid idea."
Julius just smiles "It's too late to change now my little Const" he says sliding the flower into Ole's lapel "The show must go on."
Roman Ferling's POV:
After our stylist takes what feels like forever to stitch me into a golden suit, I turn my back as Chastity is slid into her long dress, she giggles flirtatiously as I do so "It's okay" she says "you can look, I assume you'll see a lot worse when I'm in the arena."
"I'd rather respect your dignity" I reply carefully, we hadn't really spoken much since we'd met. I just couldn't think of anything to say to the stunning girl who stood before me and she seemed to understand that.
"You're not like how I expected you to be" she replies "You hear so much about you capitol boys. Especially the gamers"
"Well I'm not like the Maxwell's of the capitol, I was raised properly"
Our stylist laughs I look at the tall dark skinned lady whose name I had already forgotten "What's so funny?" I ask her.
"Darling I mean no offence" she purrs "But you aren't exactly Ruby raised" she means much offence by this but I'm not one to lash out outside of the games, anyway I'm used to it.
"That's kinda rude" Chastity says "Roman is a very skilled gamer to be in the top ten, where he was born means absolutely nothing."
"Oh darling, your District ideals don't work here" the stylist replies.
I can see Chastity about to shout back when the door opens and Claudius Dore steps into the room all smiles as usual "Come now Noxica, surely your two must be done by now."
"As good as they'll ever be" replies the stylist as Chastity glares at her.
"What a cow" she mutters to me as we follow Claudius to the waiting area where pairs of Gamers and Tributes are being shown to their chariots.
"I'm used to comments like that" I reply "I've only moved up from Silk to Gold a few weeks back. I need to earn my rep still, that's what my sister says at least."
"You're all nuts" Chastity sighs "I mean the Games and all this crap with the horses are tradition I get. But why shove each other down too when you've got the rest of Panem to beat on. People suck."
"That I agree with" I say as we watch as Invictus shoves past his tribute to stand in his place in their chariot, "That's why I'm here to win, to earn my rep."
"I like that plan" she says with another little giggle and I wonder what her tactics even are here in the capitol.
We take our place on the ninth chariot along and as Chastity fiddles with her hair, using the shiny surface of the chariot to do so, I take a look around at the others. Up ahead are Maximus and Invictus, both glaring at each other and shouting obscenities as their tributes both shake with fear. Behind them Roxanna chuckles as she talks to her tribute who seems oblivious to the fact that most of the other males in the area couldn't take their eyes of her. Behind me other gamers and tributes admire each other's costumes mostly in silence and I can't help but admire the pregnant girl a few chariots back with her long blood splattered gown as she stands gracefully above a girl in a tiny dress who looked positively terrifying. At the back of the line, two girls stand side-by side dressed identically, it takes me a moment at a distance to figure out which one of them is Cleo and which her tribute.
"Wow" says Chastity "Who's that? I've not seem him around before."
Looking up I watch as a young boy followed by an older boy enter the room and take their places two chariots behind me. "That's Caligua Atia" I reply "His dad's one of those well known, terrifying private security guys."
"Like peacekeepers?"
"Oh no" I say watching as the small boy stands above his tribute with confidence. "Much much worse."