The Parade

Dakota Neenah, 15

District Nine Female

Dakota had failed rather miserably in recognising her District Partner, but fortunately for her, he did not make the same mistake.

"It's you!" he had exclaimed after taking a closer look of her young face once they had boarded the train, surprise so evident in his eyes, as she could tell by the way he widened them. Dakota had no idea whatsoever as to who she was according to this strange boy in his lavish clothes; she recognised neither the face nor the attire of this person. All she knew was that she was devastated to be chosen, chose to fight to the death, and she wanted some space and time to grieve.

"It is me?" she replied nonchalantly, raising a brow quizzically, but then the former frown replaced that look on her face, and she sighed deeply, sitting down in a chair, holding her head. Usually, she would talk to this stranger who claimed to know her, probably even have some fun, but she was heartbroken at this point. She was going to the Games. The mere thought of having to kill, or worse, being killed, made her throat arid with each passing second, and her dark eyes welled up with tears, stinging. They did not trickle down, just rested painfully on her lower lids, and she shut her eyes, trying to process everything that was happening, the fact that she could die.

"I'm the skeleton," Kai muttered, and that made Dakota open her eyes, looking at him carefully. She looked confused, as if she had not expected such a statement. After all, what kind of person would walk up to a girl and tell her that he was a skeleton? Didn't all people have skeletons?

"I'm sorry, what?"

At her simple and innocent question, Kai looked quite amused while looking surprised as well; a reaction she had neither anticipated nor wanted to see. He sat down across from her, legs crossed over, arms folded across his chest, leaning back into the chair and wearing that haughty look on his face that Dakota could just tell he prided himself on.

"We met at the Haunted House."

For a second, Dakota's mind failed to make sense of that peculiar sentence. Haunted House? Skeleton? Dakota did not want to bother herself too much at the moment to dig through her vast library of memories, but then she thought it would be rude to ignore her Partner in this way, despite how distressed she felt. So, she racked her brains and thought hard, trying to keep the extremely negative thoughts away, and she recalled that she had visited the Haunted House, sneaking in with her sister without a ticket, and had met a most handsome skeleton…

Kai was that skeleton.

"So…" she said, giggling a little, "You're Skaileton?"

And it was this ability to joke in adverse situations, this innocent giggle that tried to erase the grief from her heart, that made Kai chuckle lightly too. In any other situation, he would have called out on this poorly formed yet smartly made joke, that too made on him, but right now he was in too much trauma himself to fight over it. So, unsurprisingly, Kai had offered her a light smile and then walked away to his own room on this extravagant train.

At this moment in time, however, Dakota was physically occupied with a rather daunting task of sitting still, even if her mind was wandering in some other time and space. The prepping team surrounded her, all solemn in expression and brisk in their movements, efficiently styling her hair into a high bun, something Dakota felt did not look as good on her as her open hair would, but she kept shut. None of these people had said a word to her, unless it was to do something, but Dakota was too terrified and upset to think much about her outfit, a long flowing gown the shade of the starry night, except that the stars were red little apple prints, noticeable only upon taking a close and scrutinising look. They had applied really light makeup on her, the kind that only made her natural features stand out a little more, the kind that made her look classy. Well, the outfit was much classier and prettier than the trash that tributes were made to wear year after year. Yet, she could just tell it costed much lesser than those clothes had, due to the flashier, bizarre items that were used to make them. This time, the dress felt like a dress, and Dakota was glad for a moment that at least she wouldn't look like an idiot in front of the whole nation. Post that optimistic thought, she recalled why she was there in the first place, and concluded that nobody in the whole nation actually cared for how she looked and most would just give her pitiful looks for her pitiable state, and that thought succeeded well in activating her tear ducts, for a tear trickled down her right cheek slowly. Something soft brushed against her cheek roughly, wiping away the sign of her grief and she heard her prep team sigh.

"Please don't do that again," one of the women said, forcing herself to be polite and sounding anything but, "We'll have to redo your eyes and cheek and it's messy to do that again. we're running out of time."

"Exactly. You're expected soon."

Upon hearing these cold words, they hitting her mind like a block of ice, Dakota couldn't help herself. Her lower lip quivered, and her eyes, her eyes that always defied impositions, did that very thing again, shedding pearls, and she could feel someone's grip on her shoulder tighten as the tears fell. Dakota was aware that she was about to be reprimanded now that she had dared to cry, but she was a free spirit, and a free spirit would never bow down to such ridiculous demands.

"Wow, doing the exact opposite of what I said!"

"You don't want to survive girl?"

"Shut up," Dakota snapped, her voice low, eyes fiery, threatening to burn them all, "You do what you have to. I'll do what I have to."

It was no surprise that, post this statement, the prep team stopped its job and simply left the room, leaving Dakota all alone with her face stained with tears and the eyeliner. Dakota, on her part, did not care about how she looked, and would wear her tear stained face with pride.

The Five deserved to know, after all, that she was not happy with their treatment.

Ark Zagog, 12

District Seven Male

Ark had absolutely no shame in admitting that he was petrified, that he couldn't really see anything good come out of his situations, and there was little hope for him.

He tapped his foot lightly as he waited in the grand hall where all the tributes had gathered, the chandelier overhead casting a false positive glow on everyone present, giving the incorrect impression that everything was okay. Ark was sitting on a leather sofa, his lime green tuxedo a bit too tight for his comfort, and he was appalled at the fact that he actually looked quite nice. His wide eyes had trouble staying focused on just one object, and they tried to take in everything they possibly could, his little body tensed as if he would be attacked at any moment. The parade, as they were calling it instead of chariot rides, was about to start in a while, and a lot of tributes were trying to mingle with each other, while some were conversing with their mentors instead, and there were others, like Ark, who were just trying to hide from everyone's penetrating glare. It was almost as if people could learn all about him if he socialised too much, this was the Games after all, and everyone could and would use that against him.

Ark was in no way naïve. He knew people could get cruel, and in this situation, could he even blame them? Not really. This was a life and death scenario, and Ark was no fool. He planned on surviving, on living, but he simply could not bring himself to face the reality courageously. He was afraid of death, afraid of the unknown, afraid of what an ending meant, and as he fumbled with his fingers, tapping his foot restlessly, he did the only thing he could do to prepare himself.

He listened.

Whatever anyone thought of the tiny boy, he was quite observant, something that just wasn't evident when one would give him a first glance. He looked at the Careers, who were too far away from him, but they had all assembled together. Ark frowned when he saw the boy from Eleven joined them too, all of them talking…happily. It was this behaviour, this mentality, that disgusted Ark. All the future killers whose ream was to become killers had assembled together to decide who they were going to kill before they decided to kill each other. It was low, it was disgusting, and it was what would probably make one of them win.

"I can't believe they put on all this show to kill people," he heard Jet mutter.

"Humans can be the worst monsters ever," Avni replied, and after that the pair from Ten became silent.

Ark closed his eyes now, trying to listen to people who were standing away from him, tributes who were conversing amongst each other in tones that were low, unwilling to be heard by anyone else lest they decided to use them. Ark was, after all, in a corner, sitting away from the rest, but he could pick up voices…

"They ae apparently messing up all the traditions. I wonder what the parade will be like?"

"Anyone you think you need to look out for?"

Ark clenched his fists then, trying to listen really hard. He did not know who was speaking, but he needed to get the input on who was a threat other than the Careers. He bent forward a little, trying to hang onto each word.

"Apart from the Careers? The pair from Twelve looks strong. The boy from Five does too."

"I think the girl from Ten looks strong as well."

"Nah, she looks like a weakling."

Before Ark could catch on to more words, information that he could process, the hidden speakers in the hall boomed, and the sudden loud sound made Ark jump. He was afraid of uncountable things, and sudden loud sounds were at the top of the list. Hence, when an announcement was made in the most robotic voice that he had ever heard, he resisted with all his willpower, all his strength, to cover his ears. He wanted Nathan with him, his elder brother who always held him whenever he was scared. Never had he imagined that Nathan would be absent when he would be going through another fear, another moment of darkness, and Ark's lower lip trembled slightly. His eyes a little wet, even as the announcement was made for the tributes to step outside the Grand Hall, in order of their districts. Ark stayed rooted to the spot for a second too long, unwilling to move, when he felt a soft hand take his.

He looked up to see a girl who was probably around his age, wearing a cute black dress that seemed to be moving with programming codes, a concerned look in her large eyes.

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah."

"It's time to go. do you want me to help you find your Partner?"

"No it's fine. I'll manage."

"Alright."

The girl withdrew her hand but didn't leave, her eyes innocent and worried, and that was probably what motivated Ark to get up and look for Calista. It was then that Cat Doyle gave him an encouraging smile, a smile that only Nathan ever gave him, and walked towards her District Partner.

It was not hard finding Calista, even if it was she who actual found him, and then she was leading him wordlessly through this maze of people so much bigger than him in size, he feeling puny with each passing second, and he was overwhelmed by the loud fireworks, this time unable to keep himself from covering his ears in fright, freezing where he was. Somebody was pulling him, he did not know who, but his legs complied with whoever it was, and he was soon in a large indoor stadium of sorts, the kind used for fashion shows or some function, but so huge that Ark could see no end to it, although it could also be partially blamed on the darkness. He bit his lip as he steeled himself to go through all the noise as he saw the seats were completely filled up with people who looked astonishingly normal; no weird hair colours, no weird clothes, no aesthetic. Simple, rich people.

It was post that he noticed the black ramp, the ramp that was glowing just a little brighter than the stars that must be in the sky outside, reflecting off the dim light of the room in the most efficient way. Ark and Calista were ushered away from other tributes, and that was when he realised that all the District pairs were being assigned platforms by the circular ramp, and that they had to step onto the ramp when given the word. Ark's head was spinning, this was too much for the poor boy. He would have been nervous during the chariot rides too, but standing on a circularly moving ramp, with all these solemn and important looking people staring at him, was somehow even worse.

Hence, it was Calista who helped him get on the platform, waiting for the word to start.

And as another announcement was made, Ark could feel his knees go weak with nervousness and fear, but he clenched his fists and refused to show how frightened he was. Everyone was watching, everyone… And Ark thought of Nathan, of how he hugged him whenever he was frightened.

He was ready.

Margaery Goldman, 18

District One Female

Margaery was not too bothered by the new arrangements in the Parade.

After all, the Chariot Rides served to present the tributes to the nation, especially the potential sponsors, so Marge was not concerned with the change in this tradition, the ramp walk in which they weren't really required to walk. They just had to stand in their fashionably designed outfits, and Marge personally thought they looked much better than the outfits that were usually there. She and Jupiter were wearing matching suits, dark brown suits that had their names emblazoned on them with gold linings. Margaery was somewhat concerned as to how they knew she wouldn't like a dress without even meeting her; she and Nell were the only girls in suits. Her hair was flowing down her right shoulder, and she smiled brightly at the crowd. Jupiter, on his part, was smiling lightly too, both of them waiting for the ramp to start moving.

They had talked on the train about the angle they were going to play, and Margaery hoped it would work. There were a lot of angles that had been at play earlier, the least favourite of hers being the fake romance. Then there were people who played cool, or who waved their hands at the crowd to show they were delighted when they were anything but, and Margaery was sensible enough to understand why they would do it. Her and Jupiter's angle wasn't anything special, but it was different for people from One, and as soon as the ramp started moving, and they started drifting towards the larger crowds, the eyes that were criticising their every move, Margaery and Jupiter too a look at each other, pretending to ignore the crowds, and she was surprised when she saw Jupiter smile, his face even more handsome due to this simple action, and the two gave each other a dramatic fist bump before throwing their arms around each other in a side hug, raising their free arms up in the air, and they hollered like the fun loving Careers they were, or pretended to be, their faces lighting up beautifully in this dim but mystical light, dazzling smiles etched candidly on them. They were not love birds, they were not rigid warriors, they were comrades in battle and fun, they were the 'Bros of District One', and as Margaery showed a victory sign, even the poker-faced audience applauded, cheering them on.

They ramp slid forward, but Margaery refused to let her energy go down. Once the semi-circle was completed, the two released each other and grabbed each other's, before raising them up together a if declaring each other and themselves the champions of the tournament. Of course, Margaery had no intention of letting anyone get even close to winning the Games, but one had to put up a show for the crowds, and that was what she and Jupiter were doing. She knew that Jupiter had no attachment for her, and she for him, but that did not wipe out the smiles off their faces, for they were honourable competitors. Margaery especially appreciated her District Partner's strength to control his rage; Jupiter was quite well known in One for it. Hence, she tightened her grip of his fingers and raised his hand even higher, for Marge was not someone who would not show her admiration for someone. Jupiter too, looked glad after this, and with each moment, his smile became more and more genuine.

The ramp kept on moving until it simply integrated back into the platform from where they had boarded it, slowing down just a bit. The two raised their hands in greeting at the audience, before giving each other a side-hug and getting back onto their platforms, the uproar of the cheers and applause ringing in their ears, and Margaery smiled as she sat down on a bench away from the ramp, a rather strategic position as she could easily observe the other tributes even when nobody from there could see her, and as Jupiter settled down beside her, the ghost of his smile still lingering on his handsome face, Marge grinned at him.

"We owned it bro," she said, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder, winking, before turning her attention back to the ramp. The cheering was loud for all the Districts, but none as enthusiastic as for theirs. This made her smile even more, even chuckle a bit, even as Josephine and Napoleon joined them, smiling.

"That was a good show out there," Josephine said, and her light smile told Margaery something really important about her. Any other person, a Career especially, would be somewhat put off by someone else performing better, but Josephine's compliment was real, she was not the victim of jealousy and envy, she was a woman of honour, and this was what made Margaery grin even more broadly.

"Thanks dude!"

"Yeah, you guys were great," Napoleon grinned.

While Josephine gave her the vibes that she meant well, Margaery could not say the same for Nate. He looked happy enough with the response he got, but he was already sizing them up, his concern about their apparent popularity carefully hidden behind his smile, but Margaery could sense it. one could call it Career instinct, and some would even call her paranoid, but she was sure that, sooner or later, Nate would create trouble for Jupiter and herself. And that was not something she could afford to have at the moment. She had been preparing for a long time, after all, and a handsome boy in glasses could not create issues for her.

It wasn't time for enmity though, and so she beamed at them, standing up as Jupiter gave her a look as if anticipating some weird antic, but Margaery only gave her allies from Two a hug, placing a hand on each of their shoulder, grinning.

"You guys were great out there too."

"Thanks."

Josephine was about to respond to this when a loud commotion caught everyone's attention, and Marge's eyes darted to the ramp. District Eleven had just completed a quarter of the circle, and Margaery was shocked to see the scene unwrapping before her eyes, for Belladonna Betony had slapped their ally, Basileus Paladino right on the face, and the slap was so strong that he stumbled and fell off the ramp on the polished floor, the impact so loud that Margaery could hear it as if she were right there. Basileus cursed her aloud, jumping to his feet, and the ramp was stopped. Belladonna and Basileus were ushered away from the hall, Peacekeepers and their mentor accompanying them, and Margaery groaned.

"This won't hurt our alliance, right?" Nate wondered.

"We can always oust him," Margaery suggested.

"We won't," Josephine and Jupiter said simultaneously, and their eyes met, a sense of respect in them, a sense of understanding that Margaery did not share with anyone, and Jupiter stood up as the pair from Four approached them too, their faces showing the same question that Nate had voiced on witnessing the humiliating debacle.

Margaery cracked her knuckles with a sigh; a long conversation was coming her way.

Here's the parade, and I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought of it. Also, the Skaileton pun is Shiro's, not mine XD

Have a great day!