This chapter is brought to you by the letter P, which is for paranoia, which is what I feel right now. My laptop charger is broken, and we need a new one. My mom seems to thing Duck Tape will fix it. Here's the thing, it doesn't work. So updates will be slower till I can get a new one.


"I think some dude just grabbed my junk, now I know how Ke$ha must feel!"

-All Time Low, I Feel Like Dancing.

RIIIIIP!

"FUUUUUCK! LADY! I'M A GUY! AREN'T I SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAIR!?" I've been yelling like this since Feliks first dropped us off.

So far, Yao The Skinner has taken hair from my legs, arms, chest, and parts of my eyebrows.

"Not if you want to look presentable, aru!" He applies more hot wax to my thighs, and places thin paper over it, " And I'm more of a man than you!" He quickly rips off the parchment, causing me to squeal as my thighs turn an angry pink.

Yao is feminine, but strong. Nobody I've seen come through the double doors of the Remake Center have come to tell Yao what to do. So, I guess he's okay in my book. He's the one giving me the, erm, 'makeover.' The only thing keeping me from attacking him is knowing, somewhere, in this building, Antonio is facing the same torture.

My executor picks up a bottle from the side table, "We can't have you looking like a pink baby, can we? aru?" He grabs a bag of cotton balls and pours a green potion over one of the cotton spheres. The man, I'm almost sure, is bipolar. He's calm one moment and up the wall the next.

Yao smears the green goop where he pulled my hair out with the utmost care. It leaves a lovely cooling sensation. I groan before I have the chance to silence red is gone too.

He giggles like Che'n would. I need to get my mind off her. It will only blur my focus during the Games.

He motions me to a metal plate that stands in the middle of the room, and asks me to remove my underwear.

Fuck. No.

"NO! NOT IN YOUR DREAMS YOU SICKO!" I yell, grabbing my lower torso protectively.

"Look, It's not like I want to see your lower half aru, but I have to," He shrugs, "Would you like it better if I turned around, and closed my eyes?"

I would actually. I mean, he's a complete stranger asking me to take off my underwear! I nod.

He sighs and turns around as I strip down. The full force of the air conditioning rears it's ugly head, and reeks havoc on my poor, bare butt. I cover my goods as Yao turns back around.

He looks me up and down, not saying anything for the longest time. The silence is driving me to the brink of insanity.

'Till I say something, "So, why'd they force you into District 12? All the good ones taken?"

He smiles what I'm certain is the most genuine smile I've seen all day,"I chose 12." Now that I think about it, Yao doesn't look like a normal Corp. citizen. He doesn't wear make up, his hair isn't died, but it's long and tied back. He's normal.

He must be insane then, no one in their right-mind would CHOOSE 12!

"Hmm...You're a would-be Italian, right?" He asks, his eyes are glazed over in thought.

"Yes."

I'm going to wind up naked.

"I'm basing that on your outfit, aru."

Naked and covered head to toe in pasta sauce.

Maybe with stray noodles hanging in my hair?

Yao disappears into the backroom. I'm waiting for him to appear with a jar of tomatoes, but he doesn't.

Instead, he appears with an outfit drapped in black cloth. He uncovers it.

"I've read a lot of Roman Myths, aru, and since Italy was once part of the Roman Empire, I thought this up." He smiles at me again.

I'm dressed in a black unitard, with a light weight armor strapped to it. He places more of the strange metal around my shins, and places a head-dress of faux green leaves on top of my head. A cape of what feels like rabbit's fur is strapped around my shoulders, and ends at my lower back. He places lit candles into the head-dress. Normally, I would throw it off and try to kill him. But, somehow, I trust Yao.

"Don't worry, aru, the fire's not real." He pats my back, "Lovino, The Boy With Courage.."

The Boy With Courage. I like it.

Yao helps me off the platform. Feliks squeals like a banshee when he sees me, "Like Oh my God! You look so totally ammmmazzing!"

Yao giggles and I start blushing. Good God these people are idiots.

Feliks takes me out of Yao's custody. He leads me down a flight of long stairs and into a stable. Antonio is dressed identical to me, he helps me up into the carriage. It's floor is narrow, and I think I may fall. Feliks smiles and makes us hold our intertwined hands in the air.

The tributes are let out one by one, with us going last. Each one dressed like the main export of the district. Then, it's our turn. The door opens and the horses run on a long stretch of grey road, Corp. citizens on either side.

They're floored when they see us, then the shock quickly turns into a cheering crowd. The night makes the flames in our hair look like halos. We look like holy warriors ready to go to battle.

I realize I'm still clinging to Antonio's hand and try to pull it away. He looks at me.

"No, please don't let go, I'm scared I may fall!" He whispers to me.

I nod, and hold his hand. I can feel a blush coming on.

I blow kisses to each person I pass by. I don't know what made me do this or why. The attention is just to great to pass up! Some people catch them, some are reaching up to us.

Everyone wants my kisses!

We make a few more rounds, then we go back to the Slaughter House. I help Antonio out of the carriage.

"You know," I say, "I really didn't want to hold your hand."

He smiles at me, "Don't pretend, I saw you blushing."

I feel anger rush through me, "I was making sure you didn't embarrass our district by falling head first from the carriage, that's all!"

The nerve of that guy! I run into my room, not to go to sleep of course.

But, to plot his demise in my head.

I won't give it all away, but it consists of a bow, an arrow, and a meat slicer.