Chariot Rides:
Cassia Abbey, District Five
With screeching tires, our train comes to a stop. ''We're here!'' Davina sings, a beaming smile on her face. The smile on her face soon disappears, though, when she says, ''Someone go fetch Beckett.''
''It's Beckham.'' I correct, tilting my head as I smile. She scoffs – how rude of her – but I turn the other cheek and skip my way over to his room. Once I reach the hallway that divides both of our rooms, I turn to his and begin pounding on the wooden door. ''Beckham, wake up! We're in the Capitol!''
It takes him no time to open the door, and he looks completely worn out. ''I wasn't sleeping.'' I look at him, shaking my head. He obviously was sleeping. He was probably having a nightmare, too, because he's drenched in sweat, his hair is all disheveled, and the bags under his eyes are huge.
''Yes you were.'' He shakes his head. ''If you weren't sleeping, then why were you in your room with the door locked, huh? People who do that are always sleeping. Plus, you look tired, so you can't deny it.''
''You're so ignorant,'' he comments. ''People don't have to be sleeping to lock their doors. Maybe they just wanted to be alone and clear their mind of things. Going to your room doesn't mean you're always sleeping.''
''But you said that you were... Wait, did you? I thought... Wait, you said that you were gonna go nap when Kelsey and Jonas were talking to me!''
''Kelsin and Jonah,'' he corrects, those pearly white teeth of his still shining. ''Anyway, we should go. Our Mentors are probably waiting on us.''
Just as he's about to leave, I place my hand on his chest and wink at him. ''Okay, but remember, you're supposed to show me how to brush my teeth like you do.'' After doing that, I blow a kiss and walk forward, making sure to sway my hips to attract his attention.
When we get to the living room, both Jonah and Kelsin are gone, and Davina stands there, pursing her lips as she taps her cheek. With her, there two Peacekeepers who tell us to get out of the train. Obeying their rules, Beck goes first and I follow after, turning my head left and right to see what's going on.
As soon as we get off, we're put into this line. From what I can tell, it's in District order. In front of us are the District Four girl and boy – and I have to say, from the back, that Four boy looks mighty fine. Wonder what the front looks like. And behind us, District Six, the girl is super pretty, but the boy is a tall and pale child with fabulous hair. His looks aren't up to standards, but his hair sure is. Wow.
Looking down at my nails, admiring how beautiful they are, I start to whisper to myself but I can barely hear my own words due to the booming of the crowd. There's a cacophony of applause and cheering, whooping and hollering, clapping and stamping of feet as the tributes make their way in front of Capitolites in person for the first time.
All around, I spot the type of fashion that these people are into. Davina looked pretty nice, but everyone else here... They're hideous. There's a woman who has zigzag lines across her perfectly straight hair, and they're not even black and white lines, either – they're blue and yellow! And her face is drenched with polished stars, with her eyebrows completely shaved off. Her lipstick has a terrible look of blood red mixed with sunlight yellow. And she has a tattoo of a thunderbolt on her forehead.
What the hell?! Scoffing as I continue to walk, I ignore the rest of our surroundings until the spontaneous outpouring of emotion dissipates.
''Tributes,'' a voice calls out. At the front of the line of tributes, a strong woman stands – she's probably the administrator or something. ''My name is Eliora Avonté, and I will be administering all of you. If you would, please listen to the Peacekeepers who are guiding you. You will be arriving to your appointed sections shortly, where your Stylists will prepare you for the Chariot Ride that will be commencing soon. If there are any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.''
''Yes, exactly what is this Chariot Ride thing?'' I ask, raising up my hand.
''It's self-explanatory, you idiot,'' a harsh voice from the back says. When I turn around, I see a little boy, probably only around fourteen, staring at me with descending eyebrows, like he's mad at me or something. Tributes around begin laughing at his snarky comment and start whispering to one another about what he just said to me.
I glare at the boy, and he returns the glare right back. ''Was that an insult?''
''What do you think?''
I take a step forward, but I'm quickly stopped when Beck grabs my hand and tells me it's not worth it. But honestly, I don't care if it's worth it or not. I'm not letting some stupid little boy make fun of me like that. Insults are something I take seriously, and I really don't appreciate being made fun of. ''Watch your back, kid.'' I warn, finding a new grudge to hold.
''Now, since that's over with, you shall follow the Peacekeepers to the Remake Center, where you will be worked with and designed to look perfect. We'll all see you soon, tributes.''
Davina seems to appear from thin air, tapping on my shoulder when I'm not focused on her. ''Come on, you two,'' she instructs. We begin separating from the rest of the tributes, everyone going a different way. All the way to the front of the Remake Center, there's a giant number One, and the District One tributes have already arrived to their section.
Our walk, however, is long and filled with nothing but Davina constantly continuing her speech about how fascinating the Capitol is. I'm bored out of my mind until we come to a clear opening where the noise reoccurs. All around the District Five tube, Capitolites – hideous ones, in fact – all start pacing at our motion.
Some of them are yelling out our names, some go far as to saying the types of things they'd love to do to us. ''These people are all here for you!'' Davina cheers. ''Look at it,'' she projects a scenery with her hand. ''All of them, loving and enjoying the both of you! How amazing is their presence? I'd suggest doing something to make yourself memorable!''
Wait... She said make myself memorable. And in the Capitol, making yourself memorable means making the Capitolites like you. And when the Capitolites like you, you're in the hot seat to get sponsors, and it boosts your popularity up majorly. And that could benefit me!
Immediately, it's like something of a duo. Beck starts flashing that shiny grin of his, which sways and woos the women all around. They begin fainting over him, over dramatically acting as if they've just been knocked out because of how perfect he is. While I focus my attention on all the males, blowing kisses and waving as they continue to run.
Some of them begin to trip over each other, and I giggle. Davina turns around to see what the both of us are doing to get the crowd this ecstatic, and once she sees, she smiles. ''Hey!'' She whispers. ''Hold hands, you two!'' Quickly, a grimace is formed on my face. No way. ''I know, it's icky Beckett, but don't mind it. It'll only be for about a minute, you can do this.''
''Um, no,'' I deny with sass. ''I want it my way, and my way is that we both do this as a team, okay. and that means I do my thing and he does his. I'll continue to smile and blow kisses and wave at these beautiful people—''
''Cassia, lift up your shirt!'' A teenage Capitolite boy says. Oh, teenage boy hormones. My mind clarifies to me. I bring both of my hands up to my mouth to hide my giggle, and then do as the boy requests. From what I can tell, the boy who's literally drooling at the moment, with a blue emblem on his right eye and silver hair with blue highlights, is the one who's mostly interested in this. Quickly, I slip up my fabulous shirt and expose my bra, start shaking a little bit, and bring my shirt down in a slow, seductive way.
His reaction is priceless. Like a teenage boy, he begins to blush and looks like he's wanting more, but I bring my index finger up and wag. His hands are up in the air, like he's trying to grope me or something. But these boys should know by now: they can look but they can't touch.
''—and like I was saying, I can do it my way and Beck can do it his. He'll just keep flashing that grin of his, okay? But just look at all the attention I'm getting compared to him. I mean, I'm fabulous. Not only is my outfit so much better than his, because mommy and daddy are rich and can afford this shit for me, but I'm also superior.'' Davina doesn't bother to respond, looking confused because she didn't catch exactly what I said due to how rapid I was speaking.
Beck doesn't seem to have heard a single thing, either, or maybe he's just ignoring me. ''Beck!'' I scream, catching his attention. I slide in front of him, looking to take the scarce amount of supporters that he has compared to me away from him. ''Move!'' I bump my back into him, bending over just to add a little bit more force, but it turns into a sexual act, which makes the crowd cheer even louder. ''You're in the way, get out of the picture so I can make these people love me!''
There's a kind smile on his face, and as if what I said was a policy, he obeys it and gets away from me. I know that I'm going to be remembered now. Hell, even the signs that are held up tell me that this crowd is interested in me. Just look at them!
''District Five!'' One says. ''Cassia, Cassia, her looks put me in sleep apnea!'' There are even some for Beck. ''Beckett for the win!'' Actually, there's a lot for the both of us. ''Go Beckett! Go Cassia!''
Beck, being as cheerful as he is, jumps up to the glass frame that all of the Capitolites are put behind, and smacks his hand against the glass to high-five them, hyping up the crowd even more.
What I'm seeing before my eyes is truly amazing. They love us. They really, really love us.
But more importantly – they love me.
Atlas Aureliano, District Two
''Go ahead, Atlas,'' Dolise smiles at me. Just as I walk past her, giving her a bright smile, she stops me as she grabs my hand. She looks back, making sure that Sigrid is still with her as well. ''And remember, you two: no matter what goes on in there, you are not in the right place to disagree, or argue, with your Stylists. Whatever they say goes, understand that?''
''Yeah,'' Sigrid answers for the both of us.
''Good. Now enter!'' Dolise exclaims as she opens my door first. ''You two are going to look even more adorable with whatever they have planned for you!''
Gently getting nudged forward, I enter the room and the door shuts behind me. It was quite abrupt, without letting me glimpse back at my District Partner and Mentor one last time before meeting up with my Stylists. Turning around, I face them all and do my best to make a great first impression.
''Hello!'' I say excitedly, making them all smile. ''My name's Atlas, and it's nice to meet all of you.'' One by one, I approach all three of the fruity colored people and shake each of their hands, making sure that my grip is firm.
''Oh, we know who you are,'' one of the females say, biting down on her lip. I let out a chuckle, smiling at her. ''I'm Levina, that's Denell, and this is Cordine.''
Making a mental note on their differences, I spot that Levina is the more vocal and outgoing one, Denell is the fit boy with green hair, and Cordine is the bedazzled woman with gold studded piercings above her eyebrows. Interesting.
''How are you guys today?'' I ask, wanting to engage in a conversation with them.
''Look at the boy!'' Cordine says, her normal-colored strawberry blonde hair making her look like the only regular one around here. She looks my way and blinks. ''Not only is he just as attractive in person, but he's also got that friendly personality that he showed during his Reaping.''
''I think we'll enjoy working with him,'' Levina adds. The two of them completely ignored my question and knocked it out of the way, and speak about my looks and personality instead as Denell stands with his arms flexed, but it doesn't look like he's doing it on purpose.
''We're great,'' Denell answers for all three of them. ''When we heard that you were the tribute we were assigned to, these two lost their minds and began running around like buffoons because of how much they were hoping to get to work on you – in fact, every team of Stylists were hoping to get you. Somehow, we were the lucky ones.''
''Oh, really?'' I ask, looking at Cordine and Levina. Both of them look extremely young, maybe around their early twenties. ''Well, I'm so satisfied that I got this amazing group of Stylists. All of you are fun and easy to talk to, and I know we'll be great friends for sure.''
''Ooh, he makes me melt!'' Levina starts using her hand as a fan to cool herself down. I can't help but look at her with lidded eyes and flirtatiously purr.
''Alright, now I'm dying to get to work!'' Cordine admits. ''Atlas, strip your clothes off for us, sweetie!''
Quickly, my smile disappears and vanishes like the wind. ''Wait, what? Are you guys joking?''
All three of them look dead serious, so I mouth to myself. ''No, we are not joking!'' Levina answers my question. ''When we work with tributes, we like to take our jobs seriously and commit to making them look stunning. And in order to do that, to ensure that the Capitol loves you, like they already don't, we're going to need you to get naked.''
Chuckling, a ton of thoughts begin running through my mind right now. You've got to be kidding me, one thought reaches my brain before the rest. In this situation, if I wasn't in the Capitol, I don't know what I'd do. How are the other tributes reacting to this? How is Sigrid reacting to this?
I'm about to retort sarcastically at Levina until my conscience stops me. Remember what Dolise said? You are not in the right place to disagree and argue with your Stylists. Just listen to them and do as they ask.
''...Alright,'' I respond. Slowly, I grab the neck of my shirt and swiftly take it off, exposing my upper body. Levina blushes in a deep shade of red as she turns to Cordine and starts jumping. I remove my shoes and socks, then begin to unbuckle the belt that's strapped around my shorts. Slowly, I slide those off and stand straight with nothing but my boxers on.
Hesitantly, I stutter my arms forward to slide those off as well, but it's like something possesses me and makes me throw them off. So now I stand in front of my stylists naked, baring it all. ''Is that good enough for you guys?'' I flash a smile.
''Perfect, that will do just great!'' Cordine hops forward, turning around to giggle like I can't see her. ''You're doing amazing so far! Now just stand there so that we can see what we have to work with.''
''Trust me, there's a lot to work with,'' I tease.
''There really is,'' Levina giggles. Denell stands there, shaking his head as he circles around me and stares at everything I have to offer.
''We can make due of his eyebrows,'' Denell stares me in the eyes. ''And his skin, it could be a little bit more tan and smooth for the citizens to take view of. Also, his arm and leg hair should definitely be removed, and some more hair around there as well.''
I would appreciate if he didn't make gestures to my oh-so-obvious area that he's talking about. ''What about his hair?'' Levina asks. ''I think that we could make it more attractive. Maybe slick it back and add a bit of gel to it.''
''Yes, I was thinking the same thing,'' Denell says. ''It also wouldn't hurt if we gave him a manicure and made those rough hands more smooth and glossy. But right now, I think we have exactly what we're looking for. Let's get to work, Team.''
Cordine brings out this tray that's filled with all types of utensils that I assume is for my body. There are tweezers, razors, lotions, creams, all types of things. ''Follow us, and lie down on that bed right there for us, please.''
''Did you save this special seat for me?'' I playfully ask.
''Who else would it be for?'' Cordine flirts. I lie down on the bed with my back, and they begin working without me even noticing. I thought that they were still preparing utensils to find for me, but I quickly realized that I was wrong when a wax paper was attached to my leg and pulled off within seconds.
I grimace, but hold myself together. This hurts, but I'm used to pain because I have to be. I didn't enter the Academy for no reason. This is nothing compared to what I'm likely going to go through in the Arena. ''I'm sorry about that,'' Levina apologizes. ''We know that it hurts, but we promise that it'll be over soon.''
She takes out a towel that's drenched in cold water and rubs it around the area of my leg that's stinging. My focus is on the towel, and so Cordine sneaks in another wax paper and rips even more hair off. I guess that they can see the pain in my face because they're all staring at me with apologetic looks.
''You know, the way you girls pull the wax off makes it look like you're trouble,'' I tease. ''Do you have any crimes planned for the night, or can we hang out?''
''Oh, Atlas, you don't make this job easy.''
''Do I make it fun?''
''Of course you do,'' Cordine says, taking the bottle of lotion that she grabbed and squeezing the substance out into the palm of her hand. She rubs it together between both of her hands and begins patting down both my left and right legs, smoothening out the burning, shaven areas of ripped hair.
Soon, both of my legs begin to feel so creamy and slippery. ''Can I move my hands to feel my legs, or is that not allowed?''
Levina looks at her partners and ponders over it. ''Well... We don't usually let tributes move while we work, but we'll make this exception for you.'' I nod my head after thanking her, and start to feel my soft skin. The way that all three of them are working together continues to enthrall me.
Denell shoves a comb into the top of my hair and pulls it back, basically scratching it off my head. I wince, resisting the urge to spring my hands upward to block the comb from entering again. He now takes out a pick and tries to use it on my hair, but he seems lost, like my hair is a jungle or something.
''Atlas, your hair...'' He says. ''With all of the spikes, I'm not exactly sure what to do here. We could gel it back, but it wouldn't look as good as I envisioned it to be.''
''So what are you saying?''
''I'm saying,'' he pulls the comb again, making me wince even more. ''That maybe we might have to get rid of the spikes. Maybe instead, we can— ''
''No! Don't remove the spikes, those are a great feature to his hair. Instead, shave the corners of his hair to a thin surface, and gel it,'' Levina appoints. ''Removing the spikes would be a vain attempt of making him look even more attractive. We're supposed to make him look presentable for the Capitol, not ruin him.''
Denell nods his head and quickly gets to work, using a razor to shave near my temples. While he's doing that, Cordine is giving me a foot manicure. She scrubs the soles of my feet with this rough sponge-like brush and puts some sparkling clear nail polish, which I'm not too fond of, on my finger nails. Levina continues with the wax, removing all of my arm hair, then moves on to do my armpit hair.
When they've all finished with the front of my body, they instruct me to turn around and lie down with my front facing the ground. All I can feel is the quick removal of wax from my legs and back as they continue to help cool down the pain. Slapping lotion on my body, they scrub and work incredibly hard.
Levina now switches positions with Denell and takes over my hair, applying a surplus amount of moisturizer. She lets it dry, and soon after, she begins combing it. To my surprise, it doesn't hurt as much, and she starts patting it to the right. As soon as she's finished, she takes out a blow dryer and freshens me up.
They all get on their knees and face me, all of them with tweezers in their hands. All of the minimal hair above my lips, they remove those. All of the small hairs that stick out of my chin, they remove those as well. And after everything is over, they pat me down with even more lotion and spray my entire body with a strong-scented cologne.
''All done!'' All three of them help me up, and Cordine goes to fetch a towel for me. She comes back soon enough and throws a blue one with vertical yellow lines on it at me. Denell circles me again, and I decide not to do anything because he might be looking for something else to fix up. Instead, he slaps me as hard as he can on the back of my neck.
The stinging feeling is still there, and as I duck my head, his eyes widen and he asks, ''Sorry, are you okay?''
''Yes, I'm totally fine,'' I say sarcastically. ''You just hit me in the back of the neck as hard as you could, and it was after you just ripped out all of my hair! It obviously didn't burn!'' He steps back a little, catching the sarcastic tone in my voice, but I quickly regress and return to being humble and kind to them. ''Sorry, I didn't mean that. I'm fine. Thank you all for making me look appealing. Even through the pain, it was worth it because I got to communicate with you guys.''
''Atlas, you are just the sweetest thing!'' Cordine squeals. ''But no, we have to thank you for this! We got to interact with you, and we met our favorite tribute of these Games! Just go out there and show the crowd how amazing you are. Fight for that favorite spot!''
''He won't even need to contend for that favorite spot, the Capitol already loves him. Imagine their reactions when they see him now! Do you know how much they're gonna adore him?!'' Levina inquires. ''I have to give him props, though. You've been one of the most accommodating tributes we've ever received, and the way you held yourself together, even with all of the pain; we have to commend you for that.''
Cordine and Levina both walk towards me, both of them standing on a different side of me – Cordine on the left, and Levina on the right. ''So...''
''Are you going to put your towel on, or are you just going to let the both of them swoon over you?'' Denell asks. ''Anyway, I'm going to get Maura. She's gonna want to see you soon.''
Swoon over me? And who's Maura? But more important, swoon..? But why? I look down. ''Oh...'' A smile forces its way upon my lips, and I throw my hands around both Levina and Cordine's shoulders, bringing them closer to me. I can feel their cheeks burning with a warm, flush shade of red.
''Guess I should cover myself up, huh?'' I playfully poke both Levina and Cordine's hair. ''You know, I just realized, but I think the both of you would look great with green mohawks. I mean, that's just my preference, but two women as beautiful as yourselves could work with anything.''
They both blush and turn around, for the umpteenth time today, and start whispering again.
But seriously, I should probably wrap that towel around myself. The AC in here is freezing cold, and I heard that being in cold air without clothing makes you shrink.
Emil Robins, District Three
''That's it, you're done!'' Relieda laughs. ''You look absolutely precious in your outfit! Spin around for me, honey. Show it off!''
This is honestly so ridiculous. I smile at Relieda and brandish my body. She runs up to me and wraps her arms around my outfit. What I'm wearing right now is literally an atom. Well, maybe not entirely. It's like a tight suit, but with blue and red balls that are swiveling around me.
''Come, come!'' She exclaims. ''Time to get you out there with your District Partner!'' The bottom half of my outfit is all blue, and the top half is red. In the middle of my outfit is a silver ring-like object, I would say. It's not exactly that bad – I quite actually like it – but it's just so tight against my skin!
It's irritating. The circumference of this outfit is way too small. I don't know if they did this on purpose or not, but it would've been better if this wasn't the situation. I mean, they did measure my body, right? So they should've at least made it comfortable to be in. My Head Stylist grabs my hand and begins walking with me, dragging me back to the area that we were in before we all entered the Remake Center.
My gaze locks on the balls, and it really intrigues me on how these Capitolites were able to make them move on their own. It's kinda like a magnetic field, except they don't attract to my body. They attract to each other, and that's why they're stuck in a never-ending chase. I bring my left hand down and grab one of the balls, measure it in my hand, and ponder over what I could do with it.
''Emil, don't touch that!'' Relieda smacks my hand away. She comes to a stop, and so do I, the sound of animals neighing manifesting itself in the room. I peer up, and all the commotion is conspicuous when I recognize that all the other tributes are dressed up in different outfits. Everyone is so noisy and boisterous, some tributes speaking to their Mentors and Stylists, and other tributes making friends already.
I spot the Careers, and the District Four tributes represent their District incredibly well. ''They look amazing...'' I mutter to myself. The girl is dressed as a mermaid – right now, she's picking and scratching at her green bra. She's wearing a skirt that matches the bra, but it's blue instead. And her entire outfit just looks perfect for her District, because there are seashells and scales that are present, and her hair is all curled up.
And her partner, he's wearing a pirate outfit. It's kinda stereotypical, but it's nice. He even has a little sword hooked in his belt buckle, and a fake little parrot on his shoulder. Him and his partner are in a deep conversation, and she looks incredibly pissed, still itching at her outfit. Approaching the two of them are the tributes from Two, from what I can tell; the girl is dressed as a type of warrior female, with a sword as well, and a nice ass cape flowing behind her.
She's got a viking helmet on, and has a lot of skin being shown as her outfit is all ripped up, and exposes literally all of her legs and stomach. The only parts that are covered up are really her chest and right below her waste. But she has some really nice high-knee shoes on, so yeah. And her District Partner is dressed up as a royal king – he has a red velvet cape flowing swiftly behind him and everything else that you would suspect a king of wearing. Hell, the jewels on his outfit really sparkle in the sunlight and make him shine, too.
''Emil!'' Relieda snaps. I turn and stare straight into her eyes, my eyebrows raised. ''Did you hear a single thing that I said?''
I want to reply but I'm more focused on how I can get these Careers to notice me. Ignoring her, I quickly grab one of the electrons and start shuffling it around with my middle and index fingers. ''What did I tell you?'' Relieda grabs my hand. ''Stop playing with the electrons! Now, did you get anything that I said?''
''Tributes!'' The same lady from before yells out. ''You will have only a few more minutes until the Chariot Ride will begin. Make sure to prepare yourselves before boarding your chariots, and if you fail to comply with our regulations, there will be severe consequences.''
Staring around, I catch a glimpse of the District One girl running, and— ''Holy shit, is she naked?!'' I take a closer look, and it looks like the District One girl is showing it all this year. She walks over towards the rest of the Careers, although her District Partner is nowhere to be found. But then I take a closer look as I begin walking forward, and I realize that she's only wearing a a nude illusion bodysuit. There are diamonds, pearls, and sapphire jewels covering her intimate parts, but it still looks nice.
Especially in the way that it makes her body shine and gloss up like that. It looks like someone just dumped an entire bottle of oil on her. She looks so slippery but gorgeous. Well, we know who the Capitol is going to love now. She has the looks, even with her hair being incredibly messy like that, and basically appearing naked in front of a large audience as well... She's gonna get everything.
''Listen.'' I finally turn around and place a hand on my hip, but I fiddle with my fingers behind my back so that I can grab a hold onto one of the electrons. ''What's going to happen out there is that every tribute, including you and your District Partner, will ride in those chariots that are dragged by highly trained horses. The City Circle is where you all will be going, and you'll stop in the heart of the Capitol. The President will announce a speech, and all of you will be brought right back here.''
''Is that all?'' I ask.
''No,'' she claims. ''There are sponsors out there. Lots and lots of sponsors. People out there that are willing to spend money on you to ensure that you survive in the Arena, and even make it out, if you make a positive impression.'' Sponsors... ''Attract them to you, do anything that it takes to get them to stare at you and want to support you in the Arena. You see those Careers over there?'' I turn around to look at them all again, and the girls are all disputing or something. Already? ''They're going to get sponsors regardless. You just try to outshine them.''
Moving my head back and forth, I notice that everyone is all caught up in their own conversations. Nobody is staring at me or even paying a bit of attention to me. And I want that attention, even if it's just a second of their time to make them look my way. I don't care how I get it, I just want it.
''Don't mess this up, please,'' Cathodette begs me as she stops right in front of me, looking me straight in the eyes. Oh, I won't. Defying Relieda's orders, I place the electron that I grabbed a hold of in front of me and begin working. There are openings and ways through it, so this isn't too hard to get it to malfunction. Like I said, I don't care how the attention comes as long as I get it. If I can get this to explode, then it'll all be—
A loud bang emits, and the sound bounces off of the garage walls. Cathodette screams, and I'm quickly pushed back, but I catch a hold of my balance. The electron that I was just messing around with starts shooting out sparkling bolts, and they're traveling everywhere.
The tributes around all start staring at me. Yes. Relieda runs towards me, grabs the electron out of my hand, and chucks it across the room. With no care for the other tributes, she quickly grabs my shoulders and questions my motives. ''Are you out of your mind?! I told you not to mess with that!'' She screams at me again. ''How many times do I have to tell you to not mess around with your outfit?!''
The entire room is quiet, except for her yelling at me, and I swear if it stayed this way, you could hear the beating of my heart. ''Uh, I'm sorry, I was just toying with the little blue thingy. I thought you said that I could play with it,'' I make up an excuse. Right now, I'm trying so hard not to grin, and it's honestly so difficult to hold one back.
''Emil, I specifically told you not to play with the electrons at least three times! Can you listen to me for once? Stop causing all of this unnecessary trouble. It's just a pain, child!''
Tilting my head, I ask, ''Huh?'' Relieda looks like she's completely over me and decides to just walk away. In the corner of my eye, I notice a tall blonde male staring at me, an amused smirk on his face. From what I can tell, he's the District One girl's ally – but he's still not joining the other Careers in a conversation... and the boy from Ten tries to approach them instead?
''What an idiot!'' I hear.
''He's from District Three? I thought their tributes were supposed to be smart!''
''At least he's comical; he can provide some entertainment before he dies.''
Ha, whatever, they can believe what they want. They'll see sooner or later, though. But even if they're stating all these ridiculous things, they're still giving me their attention. And that's all I can really ask for.
As I turn to look for some tributes to approach, my Stylist speaks up again. ''Also, I would recommend looking at your competition. Check to see who you think could be a major threat to you, or even a potential ally.''
The Careers are laughing at the little boy from Ten, but then he opens up his mouth and says something in what looks like a serious and terrifying way. They all quickly shut their mouths and begin staring at one another. I'm about to take a step forward to go speak to them, but someone reaches me before I can.
''Hey, are you okay?'' I turn around and spot a boy with a spray tan and exotic hair that's put up in a man-bun staring at me. ''Everyone was laughing at you, and I didn't think it was nice. My name's Poet, what's yours?'' He sticks his hand out for me to shake it.
He's holding his right hand out, but I shake his hand with my left. ''I'm Emil,'' I reply. It might be a quirk of mine, but I've been shaking with my left hand for... I don't even know, but I've never done it any other way. ''And yeah, I'm fine, why are you concerned—?''
''Tributes!'' The administrator starts again. ''Get to your chariots, now! Anyone who's caught disobeying the rules will be severely punished. I repeat again: get to your chariots!''
''I don't know what you were trying to do with your outfit, but it was a nice try. But for now, I'll see you later, so bye!''
''Hey! You are a Poet, and you do know it... am I right?'' He gives me a funny look. ''No, because you rhymed when you said try and bye, so I rhymed your name with know it, and... Uh, yeah.''
Poet chuckles and turns away as he rushes back to his chariot. All of the Careers are going back to their chariots as well, and I spot the One girl again. My eyes continue to deceive me and I keep believing that she's actually naked but she's not.
A feeling of exasperation takes over me because I wasn't able to approach the Careers, but I'll have plenty of time to do that later on so it's perfectly fine. But maybe it was a good thing I didn't get to speak to them today. They're a bit intimidating... Sighing, I jog to my chariot and climb on top of it. The Chariot, however, is pretty tall, and I have to look back at Relieda to make sure that everything is secure.
''Are there any safety ropes around here or anything to keep us safe at all?'' I ask. ''I mean, these things are pretty tall, and the horses, I assume, will be traveling at a high speed velocity, so what happens if we fall off?''
She doesn't respond and just shrugs instead. From my chariot, I turn to observe how all the other tributes are doing. The Four girl launches herself onto her chariot gracefully, as does the One girl. The Two girl is pulled up by her District Partner, the Four boy is standing tall in his, the Seven girl is watching as her District Partner struggles; the One boy has been on his for awhile now, the Six girl has just reached hers, the two from Eleven support each other up, and everyone else is just having complications.
''Need help?'' I offer Cathodette, staring down as she continues trying to hop up. She's wearing this dress that's made out of nothing but wires, and a couple of lights begin illuminating every time she bounces up and down. I hold my hand out and just as she's about to take a hold of it, I pull back quickly and laugh. ''Psyche!''
This is honestly hilarious! Back in Three, I would've never had this much fun, but here, in the Capitol, it's like I'm free to explore everything. I don't have to spend my time in those stupid factories, skipping work days so that I could devise devious contraptions anymore.
I can use my brain for something even more fun besides constantly pranking those monotonous citizens. The Capitol is full of so much opportunity, and I plan on being opportunistic!
''Do you only care about yourself?'' Cathodette asks me. Turning towards her, I bring down my hand again just to pull it back up. Cathodette's Stylist gets tired of watching me taunt her and helps her up on your own. ''I mean, first you start off by being incredibly rude to me on the train ride here, then you decide to cause a giant scene and get everyone to stare at us, and just a couple of seconds ago you helped yourself up, and offered to help me, but it was just some stupid joke!''
''What? What are you talking about? I would never do something like that! How dare you accuse me of such things! You act like I'm a bad person.''
''No, you're not a bad person...''
Here we go, she's gonna start with something again. ''Watch out!'' I scream. Everyone looks over here, and I quickly push my partner off of the chariot. ''Come on, Cath, hasten it up! You still haven't mounted the chariot yet, but everyone else has!''
Isn't it funny, how soon someone can switch from joking to being imperious? The majority of the tributes and Stylists all watch as I jabber on and continue to yell at Cath to get up. It's so great! Sure, I am selfish, but I don't care. My schemes may be causing her and our Stylists trouble, but it's resulting in everyone's attention on me!
I know that I'm pissing her off, and I know that she's probably aching to attack me and let every bit of hatred that she feels for me out – but when she amuses me like this, when I get these reactions out of her and it helps attract others towards me, I just don't give a shit.
''...You're a terrible person. You're on the same level as these filthy, arrogant, conniving Capitol assholes.''
Ceres Morrisey, District Eleven
''And remember: smile and wave!''
The chariots pull forward, and in front of every tribute is an incredibly large street. On the sides of the street, there are Capitolite performers who bang their drum sticks against their instruments. Once we pull out into the clearing of the street, I wince uncontrollably because of how bright the golden globe in the sky is.
Soon, though, I regain my vision and the blinding light isn't a problem anymore. But one thing that really stands out to me is the congregation of people. All around, to my left and to my right, there are crowds of funny-colored people that are screaming at the top of their lungs and chanting for us.
''WHOOOOO!'' From every direction, the Capitol people all have one mind that they share, and continue to celebrate our arrival. The roaring crowd buzzes with excitement, and the beaming of joy that's present in their voices as they scream at the top of their lungs makes me sick.
I hate all of them... They all act the same, cheer the same, and feel the same emotion together. What I read on their faces is different from what's written on mine; they're excited and happy, while I'm grieving and hateful of them. In this moment, I truly realize just how different we actually are – just like how they always say, calling us District scum...
Suddenly, the cheering begins to grow louder and louder, and when Kaster taps on my shoulder and points forward, I realize just exactly what's going on. All the way in the front, behind the District Two chariot, the District Three boy is removing parts of his chariot outfit and throwing the pieces into the air; more like straight into the crowds of Capitol people, actually.
He chucks one up extremely high, and there's a weird tick to it as it jerks. The electron – I think that's what it is – explodes in the air and sparks go flying everywhere. It's a beautiful picture, and everyone is just staring at him in jealousy – but for him, this looks like so much fun because there's a smug grin on his face.
Up on the monitors above us, his face appears as he continues his acts. The Capitolites go crazy over him, the cheering still continuing after who knows how many minutes have gone by. Although, the other tributes don't seem too happy about him stealing all the spotlight, especially not the Careers.
The Two girl glares daggers as she stares back at him, and on the monitors, it shows the Four girl growling as she leans into her chariot and holds out a fist.
''EMIL! EMIL! EMIL!'' The Capitol people begin cheering, still mesmerized by how he manages to do that with his outfit. I knew that there was something up with him. When he did the same thing back in the garage, everyone started calling him an idiot, but I just had a feeling that it wasn't a fluke. This is why you don't judge people too quickly, and Emil's a perfect example of that. He knows what he's doing.
There's a mixed chanting of tributes' names. From Emil it goes to someone named Blush, then to Atlas, and even Kaster's name is in the mix. I turn, only to see him waving and pumping his fists. ''What the hell are you doing?'' I question, barely able to hear myself over the Capitol.
''...They love us, Ceres.''
He's joking, right? ''No they don't! Why the hell would you wave and hype up a crowd that wants to see all of us die?'' I censure. ''How the hell does that make any fucking sense?! Last time I checked, people who love you aren't excited about your imminent death. They don't love us!''
''I know that,'' he sighs. ''But they're the benevolent people that have a huge impact on whether we live or not. And I don't know about you, but I want to live. What I'm doing right now... I-I don't like this, having them cheer for me, but if I plan on surviving, I'm gonna need sponsors.''
''What the...'' I breathe. ''So? Who cares?! Even so, you don't have to do all of... this! You could just wave and not do all this extra shit! You're just providing them with even more jubilation, and I don't—''
Kaster quickly grabs my hand and twirls me around like we're dancing or something, which causes the Capitol to go ape-shit crazy on the applause. He looks down at me and winks, and I want to yell at him, but before I can, he pulls me closer to him and wraps his arm around my waist before I can pull back.
Letting go of me, he spins me around one last time before letting me stand up on my own again. I want to yell at him right now, but maybe he's right. The Capitol is showing us empathy, growing a feeling of love for us, and that's so easy to see because they have our faces up on the larger monitors. Kaster holds my hand and begins waving, again.
I don't want to do it. I really, really don't want to start waving and smiling for the people that I so desperately hate. I want to kill them all because of what they've done to me – first putting my family in a poor environment, then killing the love of my life, and now bringing me into a death battle and they expect me to be all giggles and laughter and have a happy, cheerful smile on my face..!
But I think about this. Cheering and waving would get them on my side. They'd enjoy the company that I'd provide, and tributes that are liked tend to survive longer... And no matter how much I hate myself for this, it's worth it, so...
With the largest grin that I can muster, I begin waving vigorously and smile at all of them. A woman with orange hair blows a kiss at Kaster, and a male with a mix of purple and green hair throws something at the both of us. Even a child decides to donate us with a gift, but I'm not exactly sure what it is because I can't see it with how fast we're moving.
Kisses are being blown all around. Kaster receives a couple and pretends like he's catching them all and saving them in his heart. A gift manages to land at our feet, and I spot a small rose. I pick it up, and, with the intentions of making myself likeable, I throw it up into the air and hold my hand out.
Then... something happens when I least expect it. Our Stylists told us to be prepared, and I guess that this was what it was for. Kaster's outfit is a plain brown robe with gold wisps that are locked around his ankles. But his outfit transforms. On his arms, green leaves begin to sprout and it's used to represent the agriculture of District Eleven – how we stay strong and grow, despite the rough circumstances.
And with me, my earthy gown changes shape and my entire body is now covered in nothing more than a beautiful array of flowers, and I feel so light because of it. Even my flower headband turns into one large purple flower that surrounds my hair. My worn down hair is complimented with the change of this outfit, and I can basically feel the million pairs of eyes shifting towards us.
Suddenly, all of the chariots come to a slow stop, but the cheering is still loud and ear-splitting. When I stare up, I see a massive mansion with stylish decorations, and I can only guess that this mansion belongs to no one other than that condescending President of ours.
The District One tributes both turn around at the same time and stare at both Kaster and I. The boy is dressed in what looks like an assassin's robe, but it only covers his arms and upper body until it cuts off at the top of his stomach. At his waist, there's a bandage wrap of gold, and a velvet skirt is covering his lower body. There's a pendant of some sort dangling from his gold wrap, and it looks quite nice.
He's smiling at us, while his partner, who's in a nude bodysuit, glares at us. The boy doesn't look like he takes anything seriously, judging by his kind features, but he could be deadly for all I know – he didn't Volunteer for no reason, he's obviously got something under his sleeves... literally.
And same goes with his District Partner. Her glare might not be as intimidating as she wants it to be, but... who knows? She could be the best Career here, for all I know. ''Hey!'' I hear. Both Kaster and I, and everyone else, turn to look at the District Five tributes, the girl with her arms crossed over her chest. ''Stop stealing all the spotlight!''
I turn away and ignore her, but still stare at her and her District Partner from my peripheral vision. There are clockworks and gears on her dress, and they're moving on her own. I don't know how she's standing next to her partner without faltering, though, because his outfit is made out of solar panels, and they're extremely bright. Whenever the light hits it, I wonder if he's burning on the inside.
''Tributes!'' The President walks out. People start cheering even louder, whistles and the vibrant stamping of feet filling the air with energy that doesn't cease. Well, until he puts his hand up in the air – that's when the entire audience goes quiet. ''It's been one hundred and seventy-six years since these Games have become a tradition to compromise with the Districts for their disloyalty and rebellious behavior. Panem thanks you for the entertainment that you've provided for so many years; your sacrifice has been a major key to our country's success. Personally, I thank you for how much you've all—''
''Fuck the Capitol!'' I yell out, when nobody is looking at me. The audience gasps, and the tributes all turn around. I turn around as well, to make it look like I'm spotting out the culprit.
Kaster grabs my hand and squeezes it, his sweat mixing with mine. ''—for how much you've all cooperated with us, even with your dispassionate emotions. And tributes,'' the President goes on, ignoring my comment. ''Watch what you say. And like usual, have a happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!''
The President walks back into his sumptuous home, and the chariots turn. The screaming of the Capitol regains its momentum. The District One chariot pulls ahead first, both tributes ignoring everyone who's staring at them. Both of the tributes from Two look at me, the boy with a charming smile on his face, and the girl with impressed features on hers.
''I want to see you do that again,'' Kaster says, smiling at me. I'm surprised by what he says because I thought he was frightened by my words and was worried about the repercussions if I was caught.
''What do you mean?'' He doesn't answer. What I notice about him is that he's someone who's abrupt with his words. He's clear about what he desires, and I can admire that. ''Fine. But I'm doing it my way, and it'll be done in the best way possible.''
''A perfectionist, are we?''
...I hate every single on of these people. There's one last trip around the Capitol, and the fans continue to cheer us on with adulation. Instead of taking the same, regular route that we took before, the chariots take a circuitous route instead, this time, and when we finally arrive back to the garage, away from all the perfidious people who crave our deaths, we're swarmed by our Prep-Team.
''Oh, you two were absolutely stunning out there!'' Haleele exclaims. He holds out his hand and helps me down, and I hold out my hand to help Kaster descend. ''Kaster, what you did out there was amazing! The Capitol loved you for it! You, too, Ceres! Going along with the spin and acting sweet with each other, ooh!''
I take off my headband and sigh loudly, the sweat staining my forehead. ''I just wish that that little outburst didn't happen...''
''Who cares?'' I retort, wiping the sweat off of my forehead.
''That was rude of you to say!''
''I don't care if it was rude, and I don't care if the Capitol doesn't appreciate me for it,'' I admit. ''Fuck the Capitol, fuck the Games, fuck everything that you people make us go through..!''
Haleele looks completely out of breathe. ''Do not say that!'' He shouts. ''Ceres, are you still upset over being Reaped?! Get over it! It's going to be okay! You made your mark on the Capitol, and they were in love with you out there! Everything is going to be alright!''
...Is he serious? Did he really just say that everything— No, he couldn't have. These Capitolites aren't that stupid. ''Stop, you're joking...''
''No, Ceres—''
''Shut up!'' I yell. ''Just shut up, okay! Nothing will be alright! You monsters are sending us to our deaths, but before you do, you decide to fancy us up with nice outfits and give us a tour around your damned city! Oh, yeah, because me getting a fucking tour is going to make everything better, right? Just because you fancy me for a temporary amount of time doesn't remove the fact that I'm still at a high ass chance of dying very soon!''
''Stop your querulous bickering!'' Haleele says. ''Now, your Mentors will be waiting for you two on your District Floor in the hotel. If you want, I can accommodate the both of you there, or—''
''Just shut up!'' I repeat. I'm trying so hard to hold back the tears, but it hurts me... The other tributes are looking at us, and they're all eyeing me with questionable looks. ''I hate all of you! You act like we're friends, but—''
''Hey, hey!'' Kaster whispers. He looks at Haleele and then back at me, then decides, ''Why don't we go looking for allies? I mean, we're gonna need to go looking for people to team up with eventually, so why not start now?''
''No!'' I exclaim.
''But, come on, this is a good time to go talk to others tributes while they're all scoping out their competition,'' Kaster declares. ''Maybe we could even ally together with a couple of other tributes and... y'know, work with them.''
''I don't want to,'' I refuse. Kaster continues to pressure me into going to find allies, and his reason for it is because we never know when it might be too late or not. But it doesn't matter to me, I think I'll be fine when I want to go looking for allies. But right now... ''Kaster, I said no. I've made up my mind, I don't want to go looking for allies now.''
''Fine, but can we at least be allies?''
''Kaster, I don't know, I'll have to think about it.''
''Fair enough.''
''But right now, I'm not sure what you can do for me,'' I sigh. ''I'll let you know when I make up my mind. But as of now, my mind is made up on something else – I'm not going to go looking for allies just yet, that can be held back for later on. I'm just gonna go up to our floor, because I'm tired and want to get through this day without anymore bullshit.''
...It's okay, he said. No, it's not fucking okay. As I'm walking to the elevator doors, that is the only thought that's running through my mind. I try to ignore that thought, though, but it won't go away.
Sighing, I think about how Kaster was willing to fill into the Capitol's needs. He made those horrible people cheer and smile, and for what? Some stupid sponsors? You don't need sponsors to win, many tributes from the past have proven that. But it looks like Kaster might be a sell-out. The last I see of him is him walking up to a girl with a sequin silver dress on with a matching crown and high heels. She looks uncomfortable in it, but when Kaster opens up his mouth, she immediately begins smiling, like she's charmed by his presence.
I don't know what his game is, but I don't know if I can trust someone who's willing to satisfy the Capitol in order to survive. If I do ally with him, he might kill me in my sleep. For all I know, he could be a Capitol supporter himself, and I don't agree with anything that he's done so far. I don't know, I'm judging him too quickly. But that's something I don't do, along with underestimating others. I'm just confused right now and don't know what to think.
It might be a little bit too early, but I've made up my mind. I'll find a better ally than Kaster, and maybe even more than one. He's a nice kid and all, but when it comes down to it, will he back me up? I don't think he will...
And that's why I might just have to leave him behind in the dust and find someone more prudent and trustworthy.
Sorry, Kaster.
A/N: Ayeeee! So updates have been coming quick as of lately, and I might just cut down on those. I need to live my life, because it seems like I don't have one right now and ahhh ;u But yeah, I just wanna get over with this story by the time summer ends, and I dunno if I can do that but I'm trying. And yeah, I know, not all of the tribute chariot costumes were shown and all that crap, but screw it, I didn't feel like writing an entire POV based on one tribute examining all the others' outfits. I thought it would be better if they stated their opinions and had emotion in it and shit, and just really wanted to go off personality more than just looking around and being like, ''Wow, her outfit's pretty cool,'' instead of doing shit like, ''I hate the Capitol. They dress us up in this 'stylish' shit and think we enjoy this..!'' Y'know?
Also... I'm not trying to be one of those authors who are like, ''Bruh, where tf are all my reviews at?! You guys just abandoned me and shit, I'm gonna kill your tribute if you don't pick up the pace soon.'' Or the ones who leave subliminal messages and are like, ''Hey, noticed a couple of you have left me hanging... Just letting you know that the Bloodbath will be updated pretty soon.'' Nah, Idgaf about that, I'm not a petty author like that (also, no diss to authors who do that. I'm close friends with a couple of you who do, calm tf down, don't start beef) I'm just wondering where most of you are at. A lot of you told me in the beginning that you weren't gonna be reviewing every chapter, and I don't have a problem with that, and a couple of close friends haven't been either, and yeah, I know, we don't review each other's shit anyway, but a couple of you who were have just left and I'm like, ''Are they still reading?'' I don't mind if you don't review, I just wanna know that you're still here and enjoying the story. Just lemme know if you're still active is all I'm trying to say.
But yeah, short A/N. Don't have much to say. The poll will still be open, and excuse any idiotic mistakes made in this chapter. I was proofreading them on the document and I clicked something and my whole browser restarted without saving and I didn't feel like going through that shit again. It was too much trouble for me, and quite annoying as well, so sorry about that. Anyway, I'm thinking about keeping this kind of layout for now on. You guys know the tributes' ages and genders, I think, so I'll just keep it at their names and Districts. And this is how the Interview chapter will go as well. They'll get ready with their Prep-Team, get dressed and stuff, and then I'll have like, two POVs dedicated to reactions and shit. Anyway, onto the questions.
Thoughts on each tribute POV?
Would you go against what your Prep-Team told you to do, depending on how you'd be feeling at the current moment?
How do you think you'd feel if you were a tribute and all these people were cheering for you and your upcoming death?
Your ally outshines you on your chariot, what do you do?
So yeah. I made some stupid mistakes in this chapter, like forgetting that two words that sound alike are spelled differently and crap, and like I said, too annoyed to actually go back and fix that crap. So bear with me, and that's all for now. See you guys next time, and have a great day/afternoon/night/whatever time of day is for you. Bye! ^-^