It seemed like the longest time, the wait for the golden body dye. In truth, however, he had only taken a couple of minutes to actually obtain the golden body dye from his accomplices. When he comes back into the room, he grabs something from his pocket; a syringe full of a golden substance. This entire time I had been thinking about how he was even going to be able to dye my skin. Can something like that small syringe he held in his hand cause my entire body to chance colors? Apparently so. As soon as he pulled out the syringe, he quickly gripped my arm and stuck it into one of the many veins that ran down to my hand. It only took a few seconds for the gold dye to begin to take effect, each of my skin pigments beginning to slowly change. In those few seconds, I changed from tan to gold to the point where light reflected off of me. I looked like a walking statue. "Perfect," he commented while looking me over. He took another moment out of his time to walk out of the room and hand me two articles of clothing. Golden underwear which I neatly slipped on after sitting up on the table, allowing myself to finally take off the gown that his prep team had forced me to put on over my body. The second article, however, was different.
"What is that?"
"It's a surprise. Your mentor thought it would be a good idea."
"I wasn't aware that Amawrath or anyone else for that matter was helping you out with my costume. Well, besides your prep team," I comment, looking over what he had given me. No, not a shirt, but what looked to be a backpack. However, I can tell that it doesn't have much in it the moment that I put the straps around my shoulders. The backpack, that happened to be opened at the top, is just as gold as my skin is and blends perfectly with my body. What Iunius does next is pull something else out of his pocket. This time, he pulls out a small tube of gel which he spreads over my hair, causing it to turn gold and blend in with my skin. However, my hair seems to glisten more than my body does.
"Oh, trust me. I get a lot of extra help."
"Is... there a mirror in here?" I ask in a coy tone of voice, looking around. From what I see, there aren't any mirrors anywhere in this room.
"Yes, there is."
"Wait, where?"
He gives a smile as if he's heard the context before, getting up from his seat and walking over to the wall across the room. I get up and walk over with him. His fingertips gently press down on the wall, revealing a mirror as the white wall slowly slides into the wall closest to it to its right. I slowly rose from where I was sitting, moseying over to the mirror and looking at what I had become. I look like them now, covered head to toe in something that just isn't me. It is much different from anything that I've ever worn in my entire life, but I still find beauty in the costume even though I'm not a fan of it. I gently reach my hand over towards the mirror and run my fingertips across the mirror as if there is something for me on the other side. "Wow," It's all I'm able to muster, glancing at what is apparently me.
"So you like it..." His voice slithers out like a snake, dragging on before abruptly stopping.
"I... I do," I lie through my teeth. Although it's beautiful, there is nothing I can do to change the fact that I simply do not like being something that I am not. Although I hold no hatred for the Capitol citizens, I do not want to play dress up for them by dressing like they do. To me, it's wrong to do this. However, since I can not object to them treating me this way, I do not decide to explain my discontent with the outfit. Still, I can't help but think of Sheave. Sheave was immediately taken by the Capitol fashion and how they looked. They were cheering for us at the beginning and Sheave just smiled while running her hand through the crowd. For a moment, she seemed innocent and free. Still, she succumbed to the Capitol fashion in mere seconds. I wonder, briefly, how she can find this beautiful. I do not consider this a costume at all. While it may be called a costume, it is not hiding who I am. They are trying to replace me using this uniform, they are trying to silence me. They must not want the Capitol citizens to see me as I really am, a starving boy from District Nine who has to live off of small portions of food to live. Yet, by turning me into something that I am not, the Capitol citizens have no idea of my former life in District Nine and what my life held for me back there. Now, they will see me as one of them in just an hour and I can't do a single thing to change that, "But it's not..." That's where I stop. I stop myself from saying anything else to my stylist who I am supposed to respect and enjoy being around. He is one of my lifelines.
"It's not... what?"
"... Forget it," I shrug it off, looking towards him and faking a smile along with my happiness, "Should we... get going now?"
"... Give me a second," He said with a strange tone of voice, examining me again. Of course. He had to make sure that each and every detail looked good on me, "Alright, we can leave." That is when I am led to a long hallway compromising of the rest of the tributes, ready to enter their chariots.
