So, I'm back with another chapter. This was pretty fun to write, though it was hard to think of costume ideas. I hope you like it. :) I know I've gotten kind of behind on sponsor points, but I'll try to calculate them as soon as I can. Also, just as a warning, the training POVs are probably only going to be as long as Maylee's section down below. Sorry, but I REALLY want to get to the actual games, as I already have a lot of fun stuff planned.
District 10: Maylee Templeton, Age 15
"I can't believe we have to wear these clothes." I tell Jon. He nods in agreement. "You'd think the stylists could be at least a little more creative." He says. I sigh, staring down at the pink bodysuit I wear. "I doubt it's going to gain us any sponsors." I remark. Jon's eyes lower at this and he turns away from me. "I think we're going to die no matter how many sponsors we get." He mutters. I don't think he meant for me to hear him, but I did. I glare at him. "Don't say that!" I scold. "We have to keep fighting! We can't just give up." I don't really believe that, but I can't admit that to Jon. He shakes his head. "Don't you get it, Maylee?" He asks me, clearly frustrated. "We can't win. So many kids here are stronger than us! And besides, only one of us can win in the first place. To come home, are you willing to kill me?"
"Of course not!" I exclaim. "I would never murder my best friend!" And crush, I almost add. Jon rolls his eyes. "Well, you can either kill me or die." He says. "Because there can only be one victor." I fall silent for a moment, trying to think of a way to get past this rule. "We'll figure something out." I finally promise. "The Capitol can rip us apart from our families and throw us into an arena filled with all sorts of dangers, but they can't make us kill each other."
"I'm not so sure of that." Jon murmurs.
Iris Lasumi, 22 Years Old
"Cotton Candy, only 7.99!" A worker wearing bright green clothes stuts by. I wave him over to wear Nickel and I sit. "Could I please get one large rasberry cotton candy?" I request. He nods and plucks a roll of the fluffy blue substance from the tray he carries. I hand him the money and settle back in my seat, taking small bites from it.
"Are you excited?" Nickel asks me. I nod vigorously. "I can't believe this moment is finally here!" I squeal. "And just think- in a few years, I'm going to be the one designing a costume for the parade." He smiles. "I'll be the proudest boyfriend in Panem." He tells me, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
"Good evening, great people of Panem!" A booming voice announces. "Today is the moment we've all been waiting for- the chariot rides of the 48th Hunger Games!" There is a huge round of applause. "Now, let's give it up for the tributes!" At the end of the long pathway the chariots ride through, two huge sets of gates open. I sit up in my seat. I need to pay close attention to the costumes, seeing as I'm going to be designing one myself in the not-too-distant future. I'm currently training to be a stylist. My teacher says I'm good enough to be part of a prep team as soon as someone quits or gets fired, and a few years after that, I'll be able to become an actual stylist. I've dreamt all my life to help design clothes for the chariot rides, so this is pretty major for me.
District 1's chariot enters the track. Their outfits are certainly… colorful. The girl is covered head to toe in sparkling pink glitter. Her long, curly red hair flows down her back and has been woven with sparkling beads. She wears a long, golden dress. Jewels of all sorts adorn the dress, shining in the waning sunlight. Diamond encrusted sandals wrap tightly around the girl's feet. She waves at the crowd, her face void of any sort of emotion. The boy has also been covered in glitter, though his is red instead of pink. Instead of wearing clothes filled with jems like the girl, however, he wears a simple black suit. The light reflects off the suit, making it shine like a strange dark metal. He wears black combat boots and a crown made of steel. He does nothing but glare at the crowd. The chariot has been made from pure gold, and the horses are white.
The girl from District 2 wears the clothes of a knight. A silver suit of armor has been placed upon her, and her long brown hair stretches down behind the thick metal helmet she wears. The boy wears something similar, but his outfit has been dyed completely black. The two hold fake silver swords, and every so often they pretend to duel. The chariot is made of wood and is pulled by black horses. I hear Nickel begin to cheer extra loudly for Octavian.
District 3 enters. Just like districts one and two, the stylists have appeared to work together. The girl wears a long, poofy dress made of soft gray fabric. Twisting wires work their way around the dress. A choker made of white lace has been strapped around the girl's neck, and she wears white high heels. The boy wears a bright gray suit. Wires have been wrapped around his entire body, and he wears simple sneakers. Suddenly, the two grab onto each other's hands, and their wires spring to life, flickering and pulsing with light. The audience goes wild. The girl waves happily to the adoring crowd, but the boy simply stands awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with holding the girl's hand. The chariot is a simple white color. Grey and black horses pull it.
District 4 comes in next. A shimmering tail of purple scales has been attached to the girl's body at the waist, giving her the appearance of a mermaid. She wears a light purple bra, and her hair has been put into an intricate braid, A tiara made of seashells on her head. She keeps completely still, a determined expression upon her face. The boy's clothes have been made for him to look like a sailor. He wears white pants and a white shirt. The edges of the sleeves have been dyed a dark blue color. He has a sailor's cap and waves cheerfully to the crowd, though he seems a little bit nervous. The chariot has been painted blue and looks like the crashing waves of the sea. The horses are white, splotches of gray scattered across their body.
District 5 comes into view. The girl's dress looks like a circuit board, with blinking lights and a mess of criss crossed wires. She wears a tiara that has small red lights on it. The lights blink on and off. She looks extremely scared, but manages to wave at the crowd. The boy has a similar design, though he wears a suit instead. He stares around at all of the people, looking shocked. The chariot is a bright, blinding green and pulled by two simple brown horses.
The stylists for District 6 were obviously thinking outside the box this year. The outfits on the tributes themselves are nothing out of the ordinary. The girl has on the simple dark blue uniform of a pilot, and the boy wears similar clothes, though his are black. The chariot, however, is not pulled by horses. Instead, it's powered by an engine in the back, which whirs and sputters as it speeds along. Long wings of white metal stretch out from the chariot, making it look like an airplane. The boy waves happily at the crowd, smiling widely. The girl looks a bit more scared of the people in front of her, but she waves anyway.
The District 7 tributes wear two classic costumes. The girl has a long brown gown on that looks like the bark of a tree. A small hat has been placed on her head. Branches spring from the hat and fall to the floor of the chariot. The branches are covered in pink flowers. It's clear they were trying to make her look like a weeping willow. She waves peppily, smiling from ear to ear. The boy is has taken on the look of an oak tree. He's been given a brown suit, branches jutting out of it. He also wears a hat, but this one is covered in sticks and leaves. The boy stands as stiff as a board, not a single emotion on his somewhat handsome face. The chariot is covered in twigs, with dark brown horses carrying it down the track.
The District 8 girl has on a long, ty-dyed dress. A soft fur coat has been placed around her shoulders, and she wears a shimmering rainbow colored choker around her neck. Shoes have been fitted on her feet, and they glow with a pinkish hue. She waves at the crowd, clearly a little nervous but trying her best to look happy. The boy's costume is an absolute mess. A poorly sewn patchwork suit has been thrown over his body. Needles stick out of the suit in different directions. It's obvious the stylist was trying to form intricate patterns with them, but they failed miserably. Now the outfit just looks uncomfortable. The poor boy keeps wincing as the sharp points of the needles dig into his skin. He glares out into the crowd with an unmistakable hatred in his dark brown eyes. The chariot is of a shiny marble material with white and grey horses.
The District 9 costumes are stunning, that's for sure. The girl wears an extremely long, golden dress. The poofs of the dress have been decorated with small, glittering stalks of grain. Her bright red hair has been topped with a tiara, which has grain sticking up from it. She has on golden high heels, and makeup has been delicately applied to her face. She wears a scowl the entire time. The boy is dressed in a sparkling suit of gold. A long red cape is draped around his shoulders and makes him look larger than he is. He wears simple sandals, and a sturdy crown has been placed on his head. He smiles shyly and gives a wave every so often. As the painted gold chariot, pulled by brown horses with white spots, walks along, the announcers shouts out, "Please welcome Rois McCormack and Albin Ainsley, the King and Queen of Grain!" It's a fitting name, I must admit.
District 10's outfits are laughable at best. The girl has on a tight pink bodysuit, with a little tail sticking out in the back. A mask in the shape of a pig has been strapped around her head. She waves to the crowd, obviously miserable about her outfit but trying to make the most of it. The boy has on a similar outfit, though the bodysuit he wears is white and covered with black splotches. His mask looks like a cow. He seems much more intimidated by the number of people in the audience and shrinks back in the chariot, which has been painted a boring brown color with two dull brown horses. I honestly feel bad for the pair.
District 11's stylist, Jayor, has made another wonderful outfit, just like usual. The girl wears a long gown that's light pink in color. Large, blooming purple flowers are attached to it, and they almost seem to glow. She wears golden sandals and a tiara made of vines and branches. She waves cheerfully to the crowd. The boy's costume isn't nearly as good and pales in comparison to Jayor's skill. He wears a brown suit that gives off the impression of dirt. Prickly vines twist around his body. He smiles, unbothered by his rather unflattering costume, and jumps around his chariot, clearly not afraid of the crowd. The chariot looks like grass and has brown horses. The horses have little flecks of grey embedded in their fur.
District 12 finally comes out. The things they're wearing are arguably the worst ones yet. The girl is a lump of coal. A huge sphere of black rock circles around her, making it very hard to do much of anything other than just stand. She wears black gloves on her hands. She shouts insults to the Capitol, telling us that we're 'going to pay for this'. While this doesn't bode well with some citizens, others seem to enjoy her spirit. Beckett is wearing a cartoonish looking coal miner suit. Work clothes have been placed on him, with a work hat on his head. Flashlight gear has been attached to the hat. He looks ridiculous, but I begin to scream and clap anyway, along with many other Capitolites. Beckett has become one of the most popular tributes in Panem after volunteering to save his brother.
The ring of tributes around the president's mansion is eventually completed. President Haza steps out onto the balcony of her house, smiling down at the audience below her. "Good evening." She greets. Just those two words are enough to make the Capitol go crazy. After the applause has finally died down, President Haza continues. "I want to thank all of you for coming out tonight. It's been a wonderful experience, hasn't it?" There's more cheers. "Well, that's all. Good luck, tributes of the districts. And may the odds be ever in your favor." With that, the President turns on her heel and exits.
As the crowd begins to disperse, Nickel turns me. "So, what did you think?" He asks, taking my hand. I smile, saying, "I think this going to be an interesting games."
Training day 1 is next! Questions:
What was your favorite costume?
What was your least favorite costume?