AENEA REGINA SINGH, DISTRICT ONE
3:00 PM, FOUR HOURS BEFORE THE CHARIOT RIDES, THE REMAKE CENTER
The Capitol was where Aenea belonged.
There wasn't a doubt in her mind about it. From the second she'd arrived, she'd felt perfectly at home. The people, the fashion, the atmosphere… All of it was ideal. It screamed regal, just like she did. It was the picture of everything she aspired to acquire someday. Aenea could hardly wait. Now that she'd had a taste for the Capitol, it was going to be impossible for her to stay away.
She would be back once the Games were over.
As Aenea was led to the next room in the Remake Center to meet her Stylist, she found herself growing eager for the Games to begin. The sooner that all of the formalities were out of the way, the sooner she would be free to assert her dominance over the Arena and become the Victor. All of this preparation and nonsense felt like a waste of time, even if it was mildly entertaining.
The woman in front of her, whose name she couldn't be bothered to learn, pushed the door open and allowed her entry. Her eyes found a pedestal positioned before three full-length mirrors. At one end of the room, there was a vanity that looked like a higher tech version of the ones in District One's barber shops. At the other end of the room, the wall was covered with various spools of thread in just about every color of the rainbow.
Aenea stepped up onto the pedestal before the mirrors after the woman pointed to it, briefly admiring her reflection. She was swathed in a luxurious robe that was made from silk. Each District had been given a robe with a specific color upon arrival to the Remake Center. District One's robes were white, which allowed them to look as ethereal as always without so much as a hint of effort. Her eyes moved away from the silky fabric covering her body, focusing in on her facial features.
Thankfully, they hadn't needed to make many adjustments. Aenea prided herself on how well-groomed she always was. Her eyebrows had only needed minimal plucking and the assistants had merely gone through and touched up the shaving job that Aenea had done on her legs and underarms just before the Reaping. She was the picture of smoothness and the poster child of elegance. Aenea smiled slightly at her reflection.
"Disrobe, please. The Stylist will be entering shortly." The woman said before exiting the room.
Aenea did as she was told, though she found herself mildly annoyed at the fact that she needed to disrobe again. There had already been two sets of eyes on her for the past however long it had been since her arrival. Those idiotic Capitolites weren't worthy of looking upon her in the slightest. Aenea was less than thrilled about the fact that so many people had been given the opportunity to see her in such a vulnerable state. To admire her was a privilege, yet the Capitolites so freely raked their eyes over her naked frame without an ounce of hesitation.
The door opened again and Aenea looked in the mirror in order to see who had entered. Surely enough, it was a face she hadn't seen yet. Aenea was left to assume that this man was her Stylist. He approached her and offered her a smile. His teeth were so obviously fake that Aenea almost reacted outwardly. His skin had been dyed a soft shade of purple and his eyes had been recolored to an obnoxious shade of blue.
Aenea wanted to laugh. This man, this "Stylist", likely thought himself to be so grand. He had so drastically altered his appearance in an attempt to stand out. There was no doubt in Aenea's mind that he harbored some sort of delusion of grandeur in which he was the greatest Stylist the Capitol had ever seen. Why else would he try so desperately to look like an alien of some sort?
Aenea held her tongue.
"Grand to meet you. I'm Ottoline." He introduced himself, "It's so nice to finally be seeing you in person. You really are a gorgeous specimen."
The use of the word "specimen" almost made Aenea cringe. How dare he address her as if she were anything less than human? It took everything in her not to lunge down from her pedestal and wring his neck on the spot. The fact that he had the gall to utilize such flippant word choice in front of her was indicative of just how stupid he really was. Of course, Aenea knew there wasn't any way for him to know that he would one day become her subject. She would make sure that he never forgot what he had said to her, then.
"If only I could say the same," Aenea started, causing Ottoline's browse to raise in surprise, "Though, surely you understand why I can't do such a thing. It would be inappropriate of me to make such a remark."
Ottoline seemed to process what she had said for a moment. When he finally decided that she hadn't insulted him, despite the fact that she very much had, he nodded.
"You're absolutely right. It would seem you know your way around social etiquette quite well." Ottoline praised, "Now, if you'll just allow me to take a look at what I've got to work with, here…"
He stepped away from her side in favor of standing before her. Ottoline brought his fingers to his chin, tapping gently against the skin beneath his lips as he looked over her. Aenea clenched her teeth as the Stylist began to circle her. Even when Ottoline was behind her, she could feel his eyes moving over her frame. She was hardly shy about her appearance, but having such an ignorant mongrel inspecting her body made her feel ill. Aenea wished she could kick his head clean off of his shoulders. That would surely put a stop to his prying gaze.
Ottoline returned to face her head-on, a wide smile on his face, "Why don't you put your robe on and we'll begin by getting you into your makeup for the evening?"
CLIO ST. FRANCIS, DISTRICT THREE
6:30 PM, THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE THE CHARIOT RIDES, CHARIOT LOADING AREA
The bottom level of the Remake Center was bustling with activity as Stylists and Tributes were in the midst of last minute touches. Clio had never seen so many people in one area aside from during the Reapings at the square back in District Three. Everywhere she looked, there was a real, actual person standing there. Her Stylist, Pantera, was one of those people. Since her arrival at the Remake Center, Pantera had been there to watch out for her.
Pantera was nice. That fact had more or less surprised Clio. For most of the train ride, she'd been worried that her Stylist would be equally as prickly as her Mentor. However, the way that Pantera had greeted her was a breath of fresh air. The woman had walked up to her and introduced herself in sign language. This resulted in Clio engaging in a full-blown conversation with her after introducing herself in return. According to Pantera, she'd specifically selected District Three after finding out that Clio was hearing-impaired.
Clio appreciated that. It didn't feel like Pantera was patronizing her or pitying her. It felt like she genuinely wanted her to have a simpler time navigating the preparation for the Games. Even though it was uncomfortable to know that in a matter of days, she would be participating in the ultimate fight for her life, she found solace in the fact that there were people who were willing to ensure that she found herself on an even playing field.
The District Three girl stood as still as possible while Pantera put some final touches on her outfit. Clio and Emmanuel had been fitted with outfits that matched their respective skin tones. The flesh-colored fabric was covered in designs that mimicked circuit boards, which had been sewn into the bodysuits with LED lights. They gave off a vibrant, white glow and every so often, they would blink a vivid neon green. The outfits weren't the most flattering thing Clio could've imagined, but they beat several of District Three's past getups.
As Pantera crouched down before Clio to adjust the straps on her sleek white boots, she caught a glimpse of DeMarcus lingering near one of the horses. He was cautiously extending a hand toward the horse's nose, only beginning to stroke the creature's face when he was certain it was docile. Clio almost laughed as DeMarcus looked at her with a grin that radiated childlike wonder. She was glad that he had accompanied her to the Capitol.
Pantera finished up with her tweaks to the outfit, rising to her feet and signing, "All done. About twenty five minutes until you're expected to be ready. Go ahead and relax for a bit. You've earned it."
Clio signed back her thanks before Pantera gave a small nod and walked off to help with Emmanuel's outfit. His Stylist seemed to be struggling with one of the sleeves. Emmanuel looked over to Clio, sticking his tongue out and letting his eyes roll up toward the back of his head to demonstrate his displeasure. Clio giggled and looked away as she noticed DeMarcus approaching.
"Hey," He signed, "Don't look now, but that girl over there has been stealing glances at you since we got here."
The dark-haired girl lifted a brow as she peered over DeMarcus' shoulder. Sure enough, she found a pair of eyes looking right back at her. The girl who had been staring at her abruptly turned her head, though Clio caught her taking another look out of the corner of her eye. It was the girl from District Five. Clio recognized her from the Reaping footage. She was awfully cute. The way that she tried in vain to pretend like she hadn't been staring brought a smile to Clio's face.
Right now, the girl looked like something out of a fairy tale. She was clad in a sweeping gown that looked like it had been constructed from light and light alone. It didn't glow as intensely as Clio and Emmanuel's outfits. It was far more subtle, so as not to undermine her beauty. Her hair had been pulled up into a neat bun and a tiara that matched her dress rested atop her head. She looked like a princess.
"Well?" DeMarcus urged with his hands, "Are you just going to stand there for the next twenty minutes, or are you going to go and talk to her?"
Talk to her? Clio hadn't even begun to think of that. She'd been so caught up in admiring her that she hadn't considered the possibility of introducing herself. DeMarcus gave her a small pat on the back and before she could stop herself, she was walking toward the District Five girl. She seemed to notice Clio's approach, meeting her halfway between the District Three and District Five chariots, just beyond District Four's own.
"Hello!" She said, though her words didn't quite reach Clio's ears, "I wanted to compliment you on your outfit! It looks great on you! You look really nice!"
Clio smiled at her, feeling imbued with the confidence to verbally respond with, "Thank you."
Despite speaking out loud, she still signed along with her words. Signing was second nature to her, something that she did without even needing to think about it. The girl quickly noticed, her eyes widening as she began to sign at Clio.
"O-Oh! You speak sign language?" She spoke enthusiastically with her hands, "I speak sign language!"
Her excitement was infectious and Clio promptly signed back, "What's your name?"
The girl took a moment to think about each letter, but she was able to spell out her name with relative ease.
Nami. Her name was Nami.
Clio signed her name and Nami verbally echoed the letters that she saw. The District Three girl carefully watched her soft, pink lips as she put together the letters to spell out her name. Once she had learned it, she eagerly announced it to the world.
"Clio!" Nami said out loud, "That's a wonderful name! So pretty!"
Nami quickly realized she'd forgotten to sign, which prompted her cheeks to turn a healthy shade of red. Clio giggled as Nami brushed off the small bout of embarrassment. The District Five girl's bright personality truly outshined her dress in every way imaginable. Clio understood now why her Stylist hadn't attempted to put her into something more vibrant. Nothing could have shined as brightly as the girl herself.
Clio hadn't even noticed that she was staring again until Nami looked over her shoulder toward her Stylist. She appeared to call out to her, though Clio couldn't read her lips at such an angle. Nami turned back to face her and smiled.
"It was so good to meet you!" She signed, "I want to know more about you! We should hang out sometime!"
Before she could even react, Nami had thrown her arms around her in a quick hug. Clio couldn't even wrap her arms around the other girl to return the gesture. Nami had pulled away and given her a parting wave before hurrying off toward her chariot. She wanted to hang out? Clio had never hung out with anyone outside of her circle of friends before… As she stood there, feeling an unfamiliar warmth in her face and chest, she turned to look back at her own chariot.
There, DeMarcus sat with his thumbs up and a shit-eating grin on his face.
NICHOLAS CARRILLO, DISTRICT SIX
6:57 PM, THREE MINUTES BEFORE THE CHARIOT RIDES, CHARIOT LOADING AREA
There was a lump in Nicholas' throat that hadn't gone away since his name had been called all the way back in District Six.
If anything, it had only grown larger and more uncomfortable as time passed. Nicholas had experienced quite a bit of difficulty when eating because of how unpleasant the sensation in his throat was. It felt like his stress was mounting and growing inside of his throat. It almost seemed like his body was trying to destroy itself before anyone in the Arena got the opportunity to.
As Nicholas was told to get into the chariot, he felt the lump in his throat somehow expand further. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be on this chariot. He didn't want to ride straight up to the President and listen to her give a speech about the Hunger Games. Nicholas didn't want any of this, even though he knew that what he did or did not want hardly mattered.
The Capitol didn't care what he wanted. All that mattered was that he had been delivered to them like precious cargo. Now, he was theirs to play dress-up with and treat like some doll that they could toss aside once he'd lost his inherent usefulness to them. The thought sickened him, made his stomach tie itself into knots. The feeling of nausea was only furthered by the thought of thousands—no, hundreds of thousands of eyes on him.
Elesa, his District Partner, stepped up into the chariot with him. She hadn't exactly been thrilled about everything that had happened this afternoon. Nicholas felt similarly, but wasn't vocal about it. Elesa, though, seemed to have no issue with letting the others know when she disliked something. Nicholas appreciated that. He appreciated how she was willing to say what they were both thinking. They had both come to some sort of unspoken understanding in the short time since they'd been chosen. Nicholas was glad.
"Alright, you two," Dante, one of their Mentors, chuckled in a jolly fashion, "Remember… This is your chance to make an impression! You are going to do amazing, I know it."
Nicholas offered Dante a weak smile. He appreciated Dante's unwavering optimism and support, but he didn't know how much of an impression he could make while he was dressed to look like a street and his District Partner was dressed to look like a traffic light. His suit, which was black in color like asphalt and patterned with blocky white stripes to mimic a road, wasn't uncomfortable—But it was definitely hideous. No amount of Capitolite gushing could change his mind.
Elesa had been forced into a cursed amalgamation of a dress. Beneath the three layers of frills, it was black. The topmost layer of frills was red, the next was yellow, and the bottom was green. The shimmering tassels were many things, but beautiful was not one of them. Nicholas had already gotten a look at a few of the other Districts' costumes. He wished that he and Elesa could've been dressed up in a simple number like Nine or Eleven.
"Don't forget to hold on," Zeta, their other Mentor, smirked as the chariot lurched forward.
Nicholas' hand shot out for the handle to his right and he awkwardly took hold of it. The chariot was moving now. Nicholas' heart was pounding as they were slowly towed along at first. Elesa kept her gaze forward and Nicholas wondered if she was anywhere near as nervous as he was. He could already hear the crowd cheering despite the fact that they hadn't exited the tunnel. Nicholas craned his head as he tried to see which Districts had already emerged, though his efforts were in vain.
Elesa looked to him, "Remember to breathe."
Nicholas hadn't even realized that he had been holding his breath. He exhaled slowly as the chariot sped up, taking them closer and closer to the exit of the tunnel. Nicholas' hands felt clammy as the cheering grew louder. The lights beyond the mouth of the tunnel grew brighter. The pounding in his chest grew harsher. His mouth was dry. He could feel his feet sweating in his shoes.
A burst of light. An uproarious welcome. The sound of various names being called coming from places in the crowd that he couldn't even see. Nicholas was beginning to wonder if the lump in his throat was actually his heart trying to beat its way out of his body through his mouth. His pulse, though loud in his own ears, was nowhere near as deafening as the overwhelming cheers of the Capitolites inhabiting the stands.
There were countless pairs of eyes on him. He didn't want to count, but if he tried, he knew it would be impossible. He was a spectacle. He was something to look upon. It was dizzying. It was far too much to process in a single moment. Nicholas felt his grip on the handle threatening to loosen due to the lightheadedness he felt, but he hooked his fingers around it even tighter.
As he looked out at the crowd, he felt himself beginning to smile. It was an uncomfortable smile. It was one that didn't happen all at once. Rather, it occurred through a series of small twitches and movements of his lips until all of his teeth were on display. He lifted his free hand and waved at the crowd. It felt like if he didn't, he might faint. Nicholas glanced over to Elesa, who was standing tall and keeping her eyes forward.
To Nicholas, she looked strong and impressive. He wondered if maybe he had made himself look silly by waving and smiling to the crowd. Elesa looked far more serious and confident than he did. Would the Capitol take him less seriously because he had chosen to smile at them? How could they think so? They cheered louder when he smiled, when he waved, when he looked in their direction. Somewhere in the crowd, he could have sworn that he'd heard someone yell his name.
"Nicholas!" They cried again as a flower was thrown his way.
Regardless of what the Capitol thought, his smile did not falter. He was a spectacle.
PERTINAX FLICKERMAN, MASTER OF CEREMONIES
7:00 PM, COMMENCEMENT OF THE CHARIOT RIDES, AVENUE OF THE TRIBUTES
Pertinax Flickerman and his cohost, Arista Fleetwood, had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Tributes since the Reapings. Now that they were here, the excitement was through the roof. Pertinax could do little to keep his enthusiasm under wraps as the first chariot emerged from the tunnel at the far end of the Avenue of the Tributes. Thankfully, his cohost matched his fire with her own.
"My, word! Look at District One!" Arista cried out dramatically, "What lovely outfits!"
"Why, this is certainly a new look for the Luxury District, isn't it?" Pertinax laughed, "District One, sporting the old renaissance aesthetic for tonight's grand entrance! They almost look like a historic painting, wouldn't you agree, Arista?"
Arista nodded eagerly, "Oh, absolutely. They look stunning!"
Pertinax was able to get a closer look at the outfits that District One had donned as the chariot drew nearer. Both Tributes were clad in red and blue renaissance-styled robes that appeared to be made entirely from silk. The garments had been encrusted with jewels of every sort, as well as gold. They were the picture of elegance in their costumes. Erebor stood tall and waved enthusiastically to the crowd while Aenea gazed confidently ahead, one hand on her hip and the other on the handle beside her.
"Now, look at District Two! That is something to behold! Look at them, look at them!" Arista said, prompting Pertinax to move his eyes to the chariot trailing behind District One's.
His eyes widened, "That is astonishing! What a unique approach to District Two! Such strength, such creativity!"
District Two's Tributes had been fitted with Peacekeeper armor that had been repainted black and topped with a subtly shimmering finish. Attached to both of their backs were large, dramatic angel wings. Each Tribute had a halo that had been cleverly attached to their head in a manner that made it look as though the halo was truly floating above their hair. They clutched large swords and truly seemed to embody the concept of strength. Leona waved in a regal manner, looking far more poised than Vitus, who made a show of kissing his own muscles while raising his sword toward the sky.
"Here comes District Three," Pertinax pointed out, "Would you look at that? They're dazzling!"
"Literally!" Arista laughed in agreement.
The pair from District Three were wearing matching skin-colored bodysuits that had lights sewn into them. It looked as if there was circuitry running all over their bodies, radiating white hot light. Occasionally, the outfits would blink the color green. They were the spitting image of District Three's focus on technology, Pertinax thought. Simple, but sure to make an impression. Clio waved to the crowd, looking all around as she did so. Emmanuel waved for a moment before twirling to show off his outfit, which the audience roared in approval over.
"Oh, Pertinax! Look at District Four! It's almost like they've come straight from the sea!" Arista gushed.
Pertinax whistled, "My, my, those are some impressive outfits! Can we take a minute to admire the handiwork there?"
The Stylists for District Four appeared to have gone all out for their Tributes. The boy, Nyle, was wearing a gold mermaid tail that glistened beneath the light. He wore a chest piece that had been fashioned from all sorts of shells and black pearls, as well as a headpiece to match. Similarly, Sutton wore a silver mermaid tail that had been paired with a bralette constructed purely out of white pearls. She had a headpiece that was identical to Nyle's, but consisted of white pearls rather than black. The pair looked alluring as they where whisked down the Avenue of the Tributes. Sutton waved to the crowd, appearing like the picture of class, while Nyle did the same, but with an air of flirtatiousness about him. Pertinax even caught him blowing a kiss to someone in the crowd before he shifted his attention over to District Five.
An abrupt, hoarse laugh was torn from Pertinax's throat as he pointed to the District Five chariot, "Arista, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Artista's laugh was the only response that Pertinax received. The District Five Tributes had been made to wear complementary outfits. Nami, the girl, was wearing an absolutely jaw-dropping number. It was a dress that looked like it had been sewn from light itself. It glowed softly, with a rhythm similar to breathing. Atop her head sat a crown of lights that glowed in unison with her dress. She looked like a princess beside her peer, Isaac, who was clad in a suit that resembled a battery in terms of color and patterning. He had an overcoat with lights sewn into its hems, as well as a wire that ran from the back of his suit and joined with the back of Nami's dress—As if he were powering her outfit. Nami bounced around and waved to the crowd as Isaac stood as still as a statue beside her, looking rather impressive despite his outfit.
"How fitting! How very fitting! District Five! Power!" Arista said.
"District Five is grand, sure, but direct your gaze to District Six! I mean, look at these outfits!" Pertinax was laughing again as he gestured toward the avenue.
Six was placed into transportation-themed outfits, as was par for the course. The boy, Nicholas, looked like the personification of a Capitol street. His suit was black with thick, white lines running all over. The girl, Elesa, had been dressed in a tassel-covered dress that resembled a traffic light. It seemed that both Tributes had been placed into outfits that weren't doing them any favors, but Pertinax loved them nonetheless. They were memorable, even if it wasn't for the right reasons. Nicholas waved and smiled in a bashful manner while Elesa kept her eyes trained to the end of the avenue.
"District Six? I think you meant to direct the attention to District Seven, Pertinax!" Arista corrected him as the next chariot came into view.
District Seven's Tributes looked fascinating. The fiery red-haired girl, Cherry, was wearing a vest constructed completely from tree bark. It left her sternum and midriff bare, allowing the amber body jewelry she was sporting, which resembled tree sap, to be seen clearly. Tyrell, the boy, was dressed similarly. He had a large scarf that had been made to look like tree roots around his neck, spanning down to the middle of his stomach. Like Cherry, he donned the same body jewelry, just in fewer pieces. Both of the Tributes wore matching bottoms that flared out near the ankles, made to look like they were tree bark. Cherry smiled and waved as she passed the audience by, leaving Tyrell to stand beside her with a disinterested look on his face.
"That is beautiful, isn't it? I love the touches with the jewelry! Not something you see from Seven often," Pertinax noted.
"That's true! Speaking of surprises, what do we have from District Eight? This sure is a new look!" Arista pointed out.
Much like District Six, District Eight seemed to have drawn the short straw in terms of luck. The young girl, Jubilena, had been put into a white bodysuit with a skirt attached that looked next to impossible to move in. It was constructed from several long tubules of fabric, each one differing in material and color. Her hair had been tied up with a large bow that looked like a mishmash of several different pieces of patchwork. Her District Partner, Kolton, wore a snow white suit with an aggressively ruffled undershirt. Every single ruffle that protruded from beneath the open jacket of the suit was a different color than the others. Kolton didn't appear perturbed by his outfit, standing firm as Jubilena smiled and waved like she was a princess.
"District Eight is certainly feeling bold tonight, but District Nine seems to be making a statement of their own!" Pertinax remarked as the Tributes in question rode by.
Opting for simplicity over wow factor, the Stylists for District Nine had worked together to dress their Tributes in togas. The togas were fastened with intricately-carved golden shoulder pieces that resembled several stalks of grain laid directly beside one another. Both Tributes had matching circlets around their heads that were a vibrant shade of gold. They looked remarkable despite their outfits not being the boldest on the avenue. The boy, Henry, appeared as if he was having the time of his life. He waved and laughed and hollered as the chariot pulled him along. Sonora stood beside him with a dreamy look on her face and a stunning smile to match.
"You can tell that District Nine's look was one from Hazella Duvant, no doubt about it!" Arista commented, "The minimalism speaks for itself!"
"District Ten didn't want to concern themselves with minimalism! Look at these outfits, Arista! Look at them!" Pertinax urged her as he smacked his hand enthusiastically against the commentators' table.
The Livestock District's Tributes were dressed in costumes that resembled the skeletons of two animals in specific. Clarus, the shirtless boy, wore a headdress that looked like the skull of a bull. It was complete with two large horns that jutted out from either side. The base of the skull was connected to a long spinal column that trailed down to Clarus' back, where it eventually met a pair of bottoms that had been fashioned from leather. Maine wore an incredibly similar outfit, though the animal skull atop her head belonged to a deer with magnificent antlers. A shawl had been crafted from buckskin and draped over her shoulders, matching the material that her skirt was made from. Clarus stood tall as he waved and cheered enthusiastically alongside the crowd. Maine threw an arm around her District Partner as she waved with him to the crowd, both of them smiling from ear to ear.
"Don't you just love to see the Tributes coming together to celebrate their District? I love that! I adore that! I love that!" Pertinax threw his own arm around Arista and was shaking her excitedly.
"It really is wonderful! I wish more Districts could come together like that!" Arista concurred before leaning forward and gesturing to the avenue once more, "Look at District Eleven! They're beautiful! Stunning! Look at those outfits!"
District Eleven almost looked unreal. Both of the Tributes were wearing outfits that were decorated with the blossoms from sakura trees. Callista looked more well put-together than she had at her Reapings as she stood in the chariot, swathed in the flowing cream colored gown that fell past her feet. The single shoulder that held the dress in place was made to look like the spindly branches of the sakura tree. Sett, despite the flowery theme of his District's costumes, was the poster child of strength as he stood behind his tiny District Partner. He was shirtless, save for a clear jacket with the sakura petals contained within the transparent material. His bottoms were the same cream color as Callista's dress, held up with a belt crafted from the same twig-like material featured on her gown. Callista appeared to be white-knuckling the handles of the chariot while Sett flexed his muscles and laughed before waving to the crowd with a proud smile.
"District Twelve is also looking incredible tonight! It would seem we've got the lovely coal-inspired costumes making an appearance again!" Pertinax said.
It was true, District Twelve looked phenomenal. For the last few years, the District's outfits had been reimagined. Gone were the days of Tributes being dressed in over the top mining outfits. Now, it was all about the fire that burned within the heart of the District after the migration to District Thirteen had indirectly breathed new life back into Twelve. Atticus and Pepsi looked like coals that had been plucked directly from the middle of a fire. Pepsi wore a beautiful, layered gown with an ombré that began from the top down. Atticus was in a suit with matching colors, but the ombré began at his ankles and moved up toward his chest. From black, to a deep shimmering red, to a marvelous and vibrant burning orange, the outfits were outstanding to say the absolute least. Pepsi was in awe as she took in the sight of the avenue and Atticus wasted no time in flirting with the crowd through blowing kisses and waving.
"Wow! Just magnificent! It—"
"Arista!" Pertinax interjected, "Look! Look at the final chariot! District Thirteen! Why, they're glowing! They're radioactive!"
Sure enough, District Thirteen was gleaming at the very rear of the parade. Both Tributes were wearing latex bodysuits that featured multiple colors, complete with dramatic shoulder pads that were pointed upward at the ends. Everything below the waist was white, while the tops were a powerful neon green that quite literally glowed. It looked like uranium had been directly infused with the Tributes' outfits. Dark green accent lines ran through various parts of the suit and a black trefoil was printed onto the backs of the latex outfits. The pair from District Thirteen had both gotten their hair slicked back to complete the look. Nova, the girl, whooped and pumped her fists in the air as the chariot rode past the commentators' table. Adam, the boy, was far more reserved as he maintained a straight face and waved casually to the crowd.
"What an utterly astonishing array of outfits we've seen tonight! Such talented Stylists, such wonderful Tributes! The 149th Hunger Games are nearly in full swing, ladies and gentlemen! We are merely waiting on the word of our President!" Pertinax said.
The audience cheered louder than ever as the chariots drew to a stop in front of the President. Their cries of excitement and approval hardly quieted until President Silverhorn took to the podium and raised her hands to encourage their silence. As the crowd began to calm down, President Silverhorn spoke over the chatter. Her voice carried far and wide beyond the Avenue of the Tributes, measured and elegant as always.
"Welcome, Tributes. On behalf of the Capitol, I welcome you all." Kallista Silverhorn said as the Tributes looked up toward her, "We do so appreciate your being here this evening. Your bravery, your respect for tradition, and your sacrifice are not without our gratitude! We all wish you a very happy Hunger Games!"
The crowd was back to going completely nuts as President Silverhorn's voice echoed down the avenue. Pertinax felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Goosebumps began to break out across his arms. This was his very favorite part, this next part…
"And may the odds be ever in your favor."