This is a belated birthday present for my best friend, of whom Jacob is based/named after.
I know you guys are probably tired of exhibition and are probably like "Come on, get to the actual games." Especially since I haven't updated in like 2 weeks. Well, those of you looking forward to just the games, you'll probably be disappointed. To those of you just along for the ride, you will hopefully not.
Disclaimer: As always, I only own my OC's, I do not own the Hunger Games.
(President POV)
As the trains entered the Capitol, the President looked out her window with a devilish grin, almost as if she had something especially cruel planned for this year's tributes. While she was spying o-Watching, the districts, she discovered a very, very, appropriate place for this year's games. To her, the games were a torture device for the districts, and this year, the kids would suffer as well. After all, what could be a better torture device than a school.
(Jacob POV)
Jacob watched in amazement as the train entered the city. His old cave hiding spot had a few well aged posters advertising a glamorous light filled city called S VEGA, with a strip of lights he thought were the most impressive in Panem, until he saw the Capitol. S VEGA was NOTHING compared to the Capitol. S VEGA had one maybe two light filled streets (it was hard to tell from the photo). The Capitol had EVERY street covered in lights. Another photo in the cave had a picture of a place called TIMES SQUA, also filled with lights. Times Squa looked like a candle next the neon sign compared to the Capitol. It was just that awesome. Every street corner had something new. One such street, which according to the sign was called Capitol BLVD and Fremont Street, was advertising something called Minecraftia 5.8.101. Jacob had no idea what Minecraftia was, but it sounded weird. The next corner, Capitol BLVD and Capitol ST, was offering trips to a supposed "Island of Adventure" while the other stall offered a trip to "Walt Disney World." Jacob had no idea where either of these were, but judging from the map, they said it was far off the coast of District 11. "Are you seeing all this?" he asked Mariam.
"Yeah, can you believe they have so much stuff? I've seen two advertisements for private islands just for residents of the Capitol since we got here. It's like they don't even care if that the districts are starving and dying off. They just want to party," she replied. "I mean, what's the point of worrying about other people when you have private islands full of rides you could visit. It's sickening to imagine how many people's lives could have been saved if these selfish people would donate even a tiny sum to the Districts. I've heard reports while we were on the train that District 12 people die of starvation more frequently than rain falls in District 11, which might I add is several times a day." While she was ranting, Mariam didn't realize that the train was -slowing to a stop, nor did she notice when the train stopped at the station. She did notice when Jacob grabbed her arm and shook her back to reality.
With Mariam fully brought back to the cruel world, she and Jacob descended from the train, noticing the large amounts of Capitol residents whom had gathered at the station for the arrivals. Wylie quickly herded Mariam and Jacob into the training center, with Elijah following closely behind. Elijah then spoke up, saying "Now, I expect you would like to explore the Capitol, I mean, if I didn't live here I would. But, many of the better attractions, including most of the attractions along Capitol BLVD are off-limits to people under the age of 18 and have been, since even before the days of Panem. My father told my stories of he and his friends coming to the Capitol before Panem, and saying that it is pretty much the same after the war as it was before." Elijah then went off somewhere supposedly to talk with the other escorts. Then it was Wylie's turn to talk.
"I remember coming here as a tribute," he recalled. "It hasn't changed in the years since then, and one major rule is true: although the residents may treat the tributes as royalty and let them do anything they want, the Peacekeepers do not. You have 2 hours before the stylists get here, as District 12 encountered some mechanical problems coming here, and since you can't have the parade without all the districts, President _ has decided to delay the parade for 2 hours. I expect you back here at 3 sharp to meet your stylists." With that, Wylie left the kids to their own devices. Jacob quickly went back to the first thing that caught his eye coming into the Capitol, the Minecraftia thing.
(Two hours later)
After Jacob and Mariam safely made it back to the Training Center, they both parted ways to meet with their stylists. Jacob's was a woman named Alexis. She was pretty enough, but had genetically added mouse ears to her hear, making her look like a humanoid mouse. Not that that was a bad thing, it was just different from what Jacob was used to with District 7. "Now Jacob," she said, "you're a big guy, so we need a big costume for you. Jared and I have decided that the costumes for this year for district 7 will be along the lines of a lumberjack and a tree. Because you are much bigger than her, we have decided that Mariam is to be the lumberjack and you are to be a tree." At that she went to work carefully painting bark onto Jacob's face, hands and arms. 'This is going to be a long day' he thought to himself.
When Alexis was finally done painting his body, he looked at himself in the mirror wall. He looked like a tree out of that Minecraftia game he had been playing before. "Now, you will have to keep your arms straight at your side, but, it's not like you would be doing anything else with them, like holding hands. That's just not done," she said. "Back to my point. If you don't keep your hands straight at your sides, your costume will rip."
After that "helpful" advice, Alexis decided Jacob was ready for the parade. She paraded him out to the chariot where Mariam was, and she looked hilarious. Mariam was dressed in a stereotypical lumberjack's outfit, complete with denim and flannel. Together, they went out to their chariot. It was beautiful, reminiscent of the days of ancient Greece and Rome, and when Jacob looked closer, a tiny signature read: S. Sanchez.
As the chariots began the parade, Jacob remained like, well, a tree. When all the chariots at gathered at the front, President Reign announced, "Welcome, tributes, to the 21st Hunger Games. We have a very special arena designed for you this year. I KNOW you will enjoy it. May the odds be ever in your favor."