Tigris doesn't enter until the prep team has finished. They've spent the majority of the day making every inch of Taiya's skin glow. Phoenix has loosely braided some of Taiya's hair and stuck pearl clips in each part of the braided sections whilst Pippa has done her makeup with pearl embellishments around her eyes.
Tigris enters the room and slinks around Taiya silently before coming to stand in front of her and nods. "You've done well," she hisses towards Pippa and Phoenix who jump for joy. Wordlessly, Tigris ushers the prep team over and they slip the dress she's designed onto Taiya. It's a stunning sky blue gown, strapless with long sheer sleeves and pearls around the necklace. Pippa grabs Taiya's foot to place her clear heels on and Taiya quickly grabs onto the wall to stabilise herself. After they've finished Tigris steps back and smiles proudly.
"Can I look in the mirror?" Taiya asks and Tigris nods, allowing Taiya to turn around and look in the mirror behind her. Her eyes instantly widen. "Wow," she breathed. "Tigris, thank you! This looks incredible," she gushes as she turns around with a wide smile.
Tigris looks shocked at the compliment and smiles back. "Thank you," she nods her head.
Taiya turns back to the mirror again and swishes the skirt around, giggling as it shimmers. She looks like a princess.
"Practice walking," Tigris instructs. Taiya lifts the hem of the skirt and walks forward a few paces with ease as Pippa and Phoenix giggle and clap. "Time to go," she interrupted before looking up at Taiya's nervous face. Tigris sighed and walked up to the girl, straightening out the dress. "You'll be fine," she promised. "Caesar makes it easy to talk."
"Thank you," Taiya smiled at her before they left the room and met up with the rest of the team by the elevators. Taiya quickly looked around to notice Finnick missing and her smile fell as she realised where he must be.
"Oh, my dear!" Moxie squeaks. "You look simply delightful! Doesn't she look delightful Tyler!"
"She looks great," Tyler nods.
"Can I talk to you quickly?" Taiya asks him and he nods as they move to the side.
"Make it quick!" Moxie warns.
"I'm sorry for snapping yesterday," Taiya apologised. "That wasn't called for, that wasn't me."
"You're fine Taiya," he assured. "I understand. I pushed you when I could tell you were upset and that wasn't right. You'll be good up there tonight, ok? I promise."
"Thanks, Tyler," she smiles.
"Look at you Four," Marcus nods as Taiya and Theo reach their positions backstage.
"You're looking pretty dapper yourself, Two," she nods back.
Cotton looks over and glares at them before turning back around. As soon as she's not looking, Marcus pulls a face that makes Taiya giggle.
"Alright," Theo interrupts, making Taiya turn back to him. "You do look beautiful," he said quietly.
"Thank you," she blushes, looking down at the floor. "I like the top," she says as she feels the silky material of his shirt. "It looks like the ocean."
"On stage!" a producer orders and all the tributes parade their way across the stage and take their designated seats. After a minute of the crowd cheering at them, Caesar Flickerman bounces his way on stage. This year his hair is a forest green colour, and his makeup and outfit are coordinated to match.
Cotton is first up and plays the sly angle, Hero plays the charmer, Calista pulls off the superiority complex and Marcus displays his ferociousness.
Before she knows it, the name Taiya Ambersnow is being called. Taiya immediately rises from her seat with a smile and saunters over to where Caesar stands waiting for her. She shakes his outstretched hand and shoots him a quick wink to which he chuckles.
"My my!" he exclaims. "What a dress, you are a vision!"
"Oh Caesar," Taiya chuckles.
"Now correct me if I'm wrong, but this is not the first time we've seen you is it? I remember interviewing you and your district partner as the friends of a certain District Four victor."
"You certainly did Caesar!"
"I'll admit, in the time since we've spoken you've grown even more beautiful."
"Well, Caesar it's the District Four air. I'm sure the lovely people of the Capitol would agree. We just breed them different in Four," Taiya joked as the crowd laughed.
"That you do. My research also shows that you were related to a previous tribute. A Miss Tayla Kelpin, your aunt if my sources are correct, she got all the way to the final three in the 50th Hunger Games. How do you think you'll compare?" Caesar asked.
Taiya froze, she'd never really spoken about her aunt before, let alone in public. "She's actually my namesake," Taiya confessed. "Slightly altered, but I am named in her memory. So even though I've never met her, in a way I feel bonded to her. And I'm confident, obviously, I'm hoping I'll win."
"Taiya, Tayla. I love it! How are you finding the Capitol so far? It must be very different from living by the sea."
Lie. Lie. Lie. These were the alarm bells ringing in Taiya's mind. "I just adore it here!" she trailed off as she spotted Finnick in the crowd, his arm wrapped around another woman's shoulders.
"Yes, well we adore you," he bantered back.
This was it. This was the opening she needed. "Just between you and I Caesar, one of the highlights for me has been seeing the Capitol men up close," she blushed, fanning her face.
"Ah!" Caesar roared with laughter. "I'm sure many men here are just delighted to hear that."
"It's certainly an incentive to make it back from these Games. I'd certainly love to get to know more of you," Taiya winked at the crowd.
"Did you hear that folks? Now, Taiya, one final question before our time is done. Your district partner. You two are very close from what I hear. What's it like to be going in with Theo?"
Taiya looked down sadly. "It's not ideal Caesar. But we've been by each other's sides for a long time. That won't end now."
"And that's our time done," he said sadly. "Best of luck, Taiya Ambersnow, tribute from District Four!" he shouted and the audience erupted into cheers and wolf whistles.
Taiya glided as elegantly as she could back to her seat and quickly sat down, trying to resist the urge to be ill at her pandering to the Capitol men.
After the interviews, the elevators take them back to their designated floor. Theo and Taiya sat in silence on the couch waiting for everyone else to arrive back. After 10 minutes Tyler and Moxie finally enter the room.
"Finally," Theo huffed in relief.
"Sorry, sponsors were swarming me," Tyler apologised as he came and sat opposite them. "You two did excellently. Taiya, all the men want to sponsor you, Theo, everyone loved the dedication."
"What did Theo say?" Taiya croaked. She'd been too busy feeling ill for throwing herself at the Capitol men she hadn't paid much attention to Theo's interview.
"Theo just spoke about the two of you's friendship, what lengths he'll go to to protect you," Tyler explained and Taiya looked back down at the floor in shame.
"Where are our stylists?" Theo asked.
Tyler sighed, "they're socialites. They're stylists to the two hottest tributes this year, they've gone to a party."
"Aren't they meant to come back here?" Taiya asked.
"Meant to, yeah," Tyler agreed.
"And where's Finnick?" Theo sneered.
"Working sponsors," Tyler answered and Taiya immediately tensed up at what he was implying. "He'll be back after dinner," Tyler assured her.
Taiya had gone to bed straight after dinner, they needed to be up at dawn so she needed as much sleep as possible. She was woken up by the creak of her door as it opened. She groggily sat up to see a freshly showered and ready for bed Finnick creeping in.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he apologised as he noticed her watching him.
"Don't apologise," she shook her head.
Finnick walked over to the bed and laid down on top of the covers.
"What are you doing?" she asked with a smile and he looked over at her. "Get under," she laughed as she tugged at the blanket.
"You sure?" he asked.
"Absolutely. It'll be good for both of us. I'll be here if you have nightmares, and you'll be here if I do," she assured and he smiled before getting under. As soon as he was comfortable Taiya rolled herself into his side and he hesitantly wrapped an arm under her. "How was my interview?"
"Perfect," he whispered. "They loved it."
"Are you ok?" she asked.
"Yeah," he promised, leaning over to kiss her head. "I got you sponsors."
They both lay there in silence, Taiya was nearly asleep when Finnick spoke up.
"I never thought it'd go like this."
"Hmm?"
"I just… I've thought about the day when I would tell you how I felt for so long. You ending up here, in The Hunger Games, a few weeks after is not how I thought it'd go."
"And what did you think was going to happen?" Taiya asked with a smile.
"You really want to know?" he snorted.
"I really want to know!"
Finnick thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "No way, that's too embarrassing," he laughed nervously "Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Win."
"I can't promise that," she said quietly.
"Promise me you'll try to win. Don't get all angelic ok? If you have to, kill them. I don't care who, I just need you to win. I can't do this without you. I can't lose you. I need you to come back ok? You made me promise when I went in, now I need you to promise."
Taiya looked up at him to see the glisten of tears in his eyes, "I promise," she whispered back as she slowly leant up and touched her lips to his. She pulled away to see a faint smile on his lips and he nodded at her, touching her cheeks and kissing her one last time before she settled back down for the night.
Finnick fled from Taiya's room the next morning before Tigris could arrive to see him. Tigris silently handed over a plain shift dress to Taiya before the two of them headed up to the roof. A hovercraft arrived, taking Taiya up by the ladder. A woman in a white coat approached her and grabbed her arm.
"This is your tracker," she monotonously relayed before inserting the syringe into Taiya, releasing the tracking device into her forearm.
Tigris then arrives in the hovercraft and leads her to the breakfast room. "Eat as much as you can. You've got some time and who knows when you'll be able to eat after this."
Taiya nodded numbly. She was too nervous to think, so she just sat there eating until they landed. Tigris and Taiya followed an Avox through the catacombs of the arena until they reached her Launch Room.
"Oh my god," Taiya panicked as she began to hyperventilate. "I don't want to be here," she cried to Tigris.
Tigris's cold exterior melted slightly and she walked up to the panicking girl and lightly touched her cheeks, slowly guiding her to the shower. Tigris left her to finish her shower in peace while she waited for the delivery of clothes to be worn in the arena.
After a while, Taiya steps out of the shower and looks over at Tigris who is staring at the clothes. Taiya walks over and her eyes widen. There is a giant puffer jacket, a snow jacket, snow pants, thermals and snow boots.
"Snow," Tigris mutters.
"How can I survive in the snow?" Taiya trembles. "I'm from Four, it's always warm there, I don't know how to survive in the snow."
Tigris turns to face Taiya, with a serious look. "You do not lose these clothes. If something happens you need to keep these with you. These will keep you alive. The Gamemakers won't want anyone to die from exposure so if you keep these you won't die from the cold. Wouldn't be very entertaining."
"How can I run in snow boots?" Taiya muttered, jumping up and down in the clunky boots.
"If you can walk in those heels I gave you last night you can run in these," Tigris joked lightly, making Taiya smirk. "Here," she says, holding up the sea glass necklace Annie had gifted her to wear. She walked behind Taiya and clasps the necklace together. "Now you're ready."
"Thank you," Taiya muttered as she stared down at the necklace. She'd nearly forgotten about it.
"I'm sorry you have to do this," Tigris said gently, making Taiya look up, Tigris had never before really made an effort at interacting with her. "I try not to care about my tributes," she said sadly. "I've been styling for over 40 years. Not caring makes it easier. But I like you," Tigris confessed. "I think you can make it back."
Taiya's whole body shakes and she lunges forward, pulling Tigris into a hug. Tigris stiffens, not knowing how to react, before slowly patting the girl on the back.
"I think you should sit down until they call you," Tigris muttered, ushering Taiya over to the couch to sit until called.
"I can't see Theo?" she asked.
"No," Tigris shook her head. "You can only wait."
They sat together on the couch in silence until a female voice broke it, announcing it was time to prepare for launch.
"Oh my god. I can't do this. I can't do this," Taiya cried out.
"You can. You can and you will. Remember what your mentors taught you. Find Theo, find the other careers, try and stay out of the bloodbath, then find water. Just find Theo. That's the priority. That's the first thing you do ok?"
"Ok," Taiya nodded as she stepped back onto her launch plate. "Find Theo. Find Theo," she muttered as the glass cylinder lowered around her. Taking one deep breath, Taiya composed herself and straightened up. Tigris nodded in approval and the cylinder began to rise. It was pitch black until a sudden cold blast of air hit her, making her gasp. Then it was nothing but white, blinding white light.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 67th Hunger Games begin!"