Chapter 3: Arriving in Style
R-i-i-i-p! Tansy grit her teeth as Cassia, a plump woman with fuchsia hair and blue tattoos on her neck, yanked a strip of fabric from her leg, tearing out the hair beneath it. "Sorry!" she piped in her silly Capitol accent. "We would have gotten it sooner, but your body hair is so fine it's practically invisible!"
Wasn't that a good thing? Who the hell was going to look that close? Why did these people speak in such a high pitch? Why did their jaws barely open when they talked? Why did the ends of their sentences go up as if they were asking a question? Odd vowels, clipped words, and always a hiss on the letter S… no wonder so many of the younger children mimicked them. Tansy would have laughed if she weren't in so much pain.
Cassia made what Tansy supposed was meant to be a sympathetic face. "Good news, though. This is the last one. Ready?" No. But Tansy got a grip on the edges of the table she was seated on and nodded. The final swathe of her leg hair was uprooted in a painful jerk.
She had been in the Remake Center for more than three hours and she still hadn't met her stylist. Apparently she had no interest in seeing her until Cassia and the other members of her prep team had addressed some obvious problems. This had included scrubbing her down with a gritty foam that removed not only dirt, but at least three layers of skin, turning her nails into uniform shapes, conditioning treatments for her hair, and primarily, ridding her body of hair. Tansy had no idea she had so much. Her legs, arms, underarms, and parts of her eyebrows had been stripped of the stuff, leaving her like a plucked bird, ready for roasting. She didn't like it. Her skin felt sore and tingling and intensely vulnerable. But she did as Finnick and Mags told her, and no objection had crossed her lips. She was glad she had left her choker and abalone pearl with them for safekeeping, because she had no idea what her prep team had done with the clothes she arrived in and somehow she doubted she would ever see them again.
"You're doing very well," said some woman named Fabia. She readjusted her powder-blue wig of curls and applied a fresh coat of pale pink lipstick to her small mouth in the shape of a heart. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a whiner. It's a shame about those scars on your back, though. There's no way we can fix those in just one session. Grease her down!"
Cassia and Gaius, a man whose entire body had been dyed a shade of pale turquoise, rubbed Tansy down with a lotion that first stung but then soothed her raw skin. Then they pulled her from the table, removed the thin robe she'd been allowed to wear off and on. Tansy stood there, completely naked, as the three circled her, wielding tweezers to remove any last bits of hair. Ordinarily she probably would have been embarrassed, but they were so blasé about the whole thing that she felt no more self conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around her feet.
The three stepped back and admired their work.
"Wonderful! You weren't half bad when you came in, but now our rough diamond is all polished and shiny!" said Fabia, and they all laughed.
Tansy forced her lips into a smile to show how grateful she was. "Thank you," she said sweetly. "I've never had such a thorough makeover before."
She had never had any makeover before, but this seemed to win them over. "Of course you haven't, you poor darling!" said Cassia, clasping her hands together in distress for her.
"But don't worry," said Gaius. "By the time Vita is through with you, you're going to be absolutely stunning!"
"We promise! You know, now that we've cleaned you up, you might be the most attractive tribute we've seen come out of 4 since Finnick Odair! I mean look at this hair, it just doesn't stop!" said Fabia encouragingly, playing with Tansy's full head of bouncy golden curls. "Let's call Vita!"
They darted out of the room. It was hard to hate her prep team. In an odd way, she knew they were sincerely trying to help her.
She looked at the cold white walls and floor and resisted the impulse to retrieve her robe. Vita, her stylist, would surely make her remove it at once. Instead her hands went to her hair. Her fingers stroked the silky, springy curls. It was amazing how much softer they had become.
The door opened and a young woman who must be Vita entered. Tansy was taken aback by how normal she looked. Most of the stylists they interviewed on television were so dyed, stenciled, and surgically altered they were grotesque. But her curled and plaited platinum hair appeared to be its natural shade of blonde. She was wearing a pure white outfit with a tasteful neckline, puffy sleeves, and fluffy knee-length skirt that made her look like a living doll. The only concession to self-alteration seemed to be that her pale skin might have been lightly bleached to match the color of porcelain and the soft, feminine makeup and unnaturally long false eyelashes that brought out the blue in her eyes. All of it served to make her look even more like a flawlessly beautiful doll. And, despite her disgust with the Capitol and their hideous fashions, Tansy couldn't help thinking how strangely attractive it looked on her. It almost made her feel protective of her petite stylist, like the woman should be wrapped up, placed inside a lovely little box to protect her delicate frame, and put someplace safe and high, away from anything that might try to harm her.
"Hello, Tansy. I'm Vita, your stylist," she said in a soft voice that managed to make the Capitol's affectations sound endearing.
"Hello," Tansy ventured cautiously.
"Just give me a moment, all right?" Vita asked. She walked around Tansy's naked body, not touching her, but taking in every inch of it with her eyes. Tansy resisted the impulse to cross her arms over her chest, but she could feel her cheeks flushing. Seeing her blush seemed to amuse Vita.
"My, aren't you adorable? You're Chicory's daughter, right? I can see the resemblance," she remarked with an affectionate smile. "And I bet you're just as clever, too."
"You knew my mother?" Tansy asked, surprised.
"Of course!" said Vita. "I started out in 11, so your mother was one of my first tributes. I was sorry to hear about what happened to her." She gave Tansy a very sympathetic look. She was truly sorry for her loss.
Tansy looked down at her feet. It was still hard to talk about her mother's death. She had expected someone overly flamboyant, someone older trying desperately to look young, someone who viewed her as a piece of meat to be prepared for a platter. Vita met none of these expectations. But then what she had said about having been her mother's stylist sunk in, and Tansy realized pretty and petite Vita had to be much older than she looked. That was kind of scary, considering she should probably at least be in her thirties, yet she still looked like a teenager.
"How long have you been with 4?" Tansy asked eventually. "I don't think I've seen you before." Most of the stylists were familiar, constants in the ever-changing pool of tributes. Some had been around her whole life.
"Oh, no I'm sure you wouldn't remember if you had," Vita said with a small smile, taking the hint that her mother was a sensitive topic. "I decided to retire from the Games when you would have been around… two, I suppose? But when I heard the daughter of one of my favorites was competing this year, I just had to come back. Why don't you put your robe on, and we'll have a proper chat."
Tansy pulled on her robe and followed her through a door into a sitting room. Two blue couches faced off over a low table. Three walls were blank, the fourth wall was entirely glass, providing a window to the city. Tansy felt like a little like fish in a bowl. She could see by the light that it must be around noon, although the sunny sky had turned overcast. Vita invited her to sit on one of the couches and took her place across from her. Vita pressed a button on the side of the table. The top split and from below rose a second tabletop that held their lunch. Chicken and chunks of oranges cooked in a creamy sauce laid on a bed of pearly white grain, tiny green peas and onions, rolls shaped like flowers, and for dessert, a pudding the color of honey.
Tansy tried to imagine assembling this meal herself back home. Chickens were too expensive, and getting a wild turkey would mean poaching outside the fence. A nice, mild white fish might make a decent substitute. Fresh milk and cream were less expensive than chicken but still difficult to come by. Most of the cows were raised much further inland. A few kids from school were from families that could afford to keep a goat. She could trade some wild fruit for that. Goat's milk would have to substitute for cream. They could grow peas in the window box or ask Mags if they could make a small plot in her garden. Wild onions were easy to find. The grain looked like the rice she had in the paella Mags treated her to before, only the rice in that dish had looked yellow. Either way, rice was an expensive grain. She couldn't think of anything that would make a decent substitute. Fancy rolls would cost a pretty penny, too. The baker might be willing to give them a discount if they threw some fresh figs into the bargain. As for the pudding, aside from the obvious milk, sugar, and honey, she couldn't even guess what was in it or how it had been made. Mags would probably be happy to pay for everything and treat her, but Tansy didn't like to ask. Remaining self-sufficient was important to her. Days of gathering and fishing for this one meal and even then it would be a poor substitution for the Capitol version.
What must it be like, she wondered, to live in a world where food appeared at the press of a button? How would she spend the hours she now committed to combing the ocean and green areas of the district for sustenance if it were so easy to come by? What did they do all day, these people in the Capitol, besides decorate their bodies and wait around for a new shipment of tributes to roll and die for their entertainment? No wonder her prep team's chatter had mostly been about pointless things like strange pets, parties, fashion, and drooling over Finnick.
Tansy looked up and found Vita's eyes trained on hers.
"You really do look just like her, you know," she said seriously. "Chicory was gorgeous, so I'm not surprised her daughter turned out to be such an exotic beauty."
"Exotic?" Tansy asked.
"It's a complement," said Vita. "So, Tansy, about your costume for the opening ceremonies. My partner, Felix, is the stylist for your fellow tribute, Sean. And our current thought is to dress you in complementary costumes. We wouldn't want you too clash too much, or you'd both just end up looking ridiculous," she explained. "As you know, it's customary to reflect the flavor of the district."
For the opening ceremonies, tributes were supposed to wear something that suggested their district's principal industry. District 11, agriculture. District 2, masonry. District 3, technology. This meant that coming from District 4, Sean and Tansy would be in something to do with fishing. Since the baggy rubber pants and yellow rain slickers worn by her farther and the other fishermen in 4 were not particularly becoming, their tributes usually ended up in skimpy outfits and nets or a captain's hat. One year, their tributes were dressed as fish in silver body paint and tight body suits patterned like fish scales. Another, their tributes were stark naked and covered in a pearly white paint to represent pearls. It was almost always dreadful yet still somehow managed to win some favor with the crowd. Probably because the costumes for Districts 11 and 12 were always so terrible, they made everyone else's look better. Tansy prepared herself for the worst.
"So, I'll be dressed as a fisherman?" she asked, hoping it wouldn't be indecent.
"Not exactly. You see, Felix and I think that fishermen thing's very overdone. No one will remember you in that. And we both see it as our job to make the District 4 tributes unforgettable," said Vita.
I'll be naked for sure, Tansy thought. She had never seen a recap of her mother's game, but with that sly grin on Vita's face, the doll-like woman looked capable of anything.
"So rather than focus on the fishing itself, we're going to focus on the ocean," said Vita.
Yep, naked and covered in nets or seaweed, Tansy thought.
"And what do you think of when you think of the ocean? Neptune," said Vita. "Neptune was the ancient god of the sea, so that's what Sean's costume will be. But you know who else came from the sea, Tansy? Venus. She's the goddess of love and charm, but Venus was born from sea foam. She's often depicted standing on seashell in the middle of the ocean."
Tansy thought back to a mural she had seen painted on one of the walls in the room where she received her visitors in the Justice Building. It had been the image of a beautiful naked woman with golden hair and fair skin standing on giant clamshell on top of blue waves. "And that's who my costume is going to be based on?" she asked warily.
Vita saw her expression and grinned.
A few hours later, Tansy was dressed in what would probably be the most sensational and tastefully sensual costume in the opening ceremonies. Contrary to Tansy's earlier fears, she was not naked. Instead, she was in a beautiful flowing dress fashioned from a glistening blue-green fabric that perfectly imitated the colors and texture of the undulating surface of the ocean. The fabric was gathered under the bodice and arranged to fall in a way that highlighted her slender curves and showed off her long legs without being obscene. Behind it flowed a graceful train that fluttered in the breeze. A shimmering net of silver was draped casually around her neck and over her back to obscure the view of the scars on her back, which could not be completely covered up even with the special makeup they had in the Capitol. Her springy curls had been relaxed into flowing golden waves decorated with pearls and tiny shells. And a gleaming crown of seashells and starfish, dusted with a metallic powder to coordinate with the net, and matching cuff bracelets. Her bare skin had been lightly brushed with a special powder that had a pearly sheen and the make up on her face was soft and feminine. A style that was charmingly innocent with a sensual undertone.
"Now, that's a goddess," Vita said confidently, brimming with pride. "Everyone's going to want to either kiss you, kill you, or be you."
Well, Tansy thought two out of three of those didn't sound so bad.
"Wow!"
Tansy and Vita turned to see that Sean and Felix had showed up to meet them. It was Sean who had spoken. He was stopped in his tracks, mouth hanging open. His costume was closer to what Tansy had been afraid she would end up with. Apparently, Felix's idea of Neptune was a boy wearing a silver net over a shiny blue speedo. His costume had been made with the same fabrics as hers, and he was dusted in the same pearlescent body powder. On his head was a more masculine version of her crown of shells and starfish, matching bracers on his arms. He was even wearing the same shade of lavender-blue lipstick as her. Sean actually had Tansy's sympathy on this one.
"Chin up, son. We don't want to get drool on the costume," Felix chided him lightly as he sauntered over to greet them. "Oh, don't you look fabulous! Marvelous work Vita! Simply marvelous!"
Tansy watched the two stylists exchange a couple of air kisses. Felix was a plump man with silver hair and a mustache sculpted in an elaborate, eccentric design. His ears were pierced and he wore a lipstick that complemented his suit of varying shades of purple.
"Oh, girls are so much fun to design for aren't they?" he prattled on. "Mine kept complaining the whole way through."
"Please," said Vita with a small scoff, "we both know you would have had her in a shell bra."
"Guilty!" Felix sang with a giggle. Tansy realized she had dodged a major bullet there. "But you know, there's nothing like a good bra accentuate a girl's best assets," he said with a wink.
"There's nothing to accentuate," Sean said with a pointed glance at her flat chest.
Tansy looked at Vita. "Is there a way to make him fall off the chariot and have it look like an accident?"
Vita smirked. Sean frowned and Felix giggled. Then they were whisked down to the bottom level of the Remake Center, which was essentially a gigantic stable. The opening ceremonies were about to start. Pairs of tributes were being loaded into chariots pulled by teams of four horses. Theirs were snow-white with long manes and tails that had been died to fade from sea foam to blue, so they would look like waves in the wind. The animals were so well trained, no one even needed to guide their reins. Vita and Felix directed Sean and Tansy into the chariot and carefully arranged their body positions, the drape of their costumes, before stepping back to observe their work, making sure everything was perfect.
"Where are Mags and Finnick?" Tansy asked, wondering where they were. She was starting to feel nervous.
"Haven't seen them," Sean said with a shrug, which earned him a scolding from Felix as the plump stylist fixed his pose again.
"Don't worry about them," said Vita. "They'll be watching you from the stands. If it helps, try imagining the entire audience is filled with those two."
Tansy pictured that for a moment. "I don't think the world is ready for more than one Finnick Odair."
"Mm, I hear that!" said Felix. "That boy is too delicious for his own good!"
Vita stepped forward and gently tucked a hand under Tansy's chin. "Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you!" She smiled and the two stylists hopped off the chariot.
The opening music began. It was easy to hear, blasted around the Capitol. Massive doors slid open revealing the crowd-lined streets. The ride lasted about twenty minutes and ended up at the City Circle, where they would welcome them, play the anthem, and escort them into the Training Center, which would be their home/prison until the Games began.
The tributes from District 1 rode out in a chariot pulled by pure-white horses. They looked so beautiful, spray-painted gold, in a tasteful gown and tux glittering with jewels. District 1 made luxury items for the Capitol. You could hear the roar of the crowd. They were always favorites.
District 2 got into position to follow them. In no time at all, Tansy and Sean were approaching the door and she could see the light was turning gray as the evening came. The tributes from District 3 were just rolling out, when Tansy considered risking a glance over her shoulder to see if she could catch a glimpse of 11, but decided against it. She wasn't sure she could take it if she looked back and saw those familiar faces staring back at her. Somewhere off to the side they heard Felix shout again. "Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you!" And then they entered the city.
The crowd's initial gasp of astonishment at their appearance quickly changed to cheers and shouts of "District 4!" Every head was turned their way, pulling the focus from the three chariots ahead of them. At first, Tansy was confused by the gasps she heard, but then she caught sight of them on a large television screen and was floored by how breathtaking they looked. In the deepening twilight, she and Sean were glowing as if they really were divine beings. The pearlescent powder was reflecting the light from the streetlamps and spotlights, making it appear as though their bodies were radiating a soft, white light like the moon. Because Vita had kept her makeup minimal, she looked more attractive and a little otherworldly but utterly recognizable.
Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you! She heard Vita and Felix's voices in her head. Tansy lifted her chin a bit higher, put on her most winning smile, and waved with a hand as if she were greeting old friends and loved ones, pretending the audience was filled with only Mags, Finnick, Annie, her father, Mari, and even Dylan. She was very glad learning to stay steady in rocking boats had prepared her well enough for balancing on a moving chariot. While a few of the other tributes were clutching the sides of theirs to keep from falling, she was perfectly steady, solid as a rock. As Tansy gained confidence, she actually blew a few kisses to the crowd. The people of the Capitol were going nuts, showering her and Sean with flowers, shouting their names, their first names, which they had bothered to find on the program.
The pounding music, the cheers, the admiration worked their way into her blood, and she couldn't suppress her excitement. Vita had given her a real advantage. No one would forget her. Not her look, not her name. Tansy. The girl dressed as a goddess.
For the first time, she felt a flicker of hope rising up in her. Surely, there must be one sponsor willing to take her on! And with a little extra help, some food, the right weapon, why should she count herself out of the Games?
Someone threw Tansy a pink rose. She caught it, gave it a delicate sniff, and blew a kiss back in the general direction of the giver. A hundred hands reached up to catch her kiss, as if it were a real and tangible thing.
"Tansy! Tansy!" She could hear her name being called from all sides. Everyone wanted her kisses.
The twelve chariots filled the loop of the City Circle. On the buildings that surrounded the Circle, every window was packed with the most prestigious citizens of the Capitol. Their horses pulled their chariot right up to President Snow's mansion, and they came to a halt. The music ended with a flourish.
The president, a small, thin man with paper-white hair, gave the official welcome from a balcony above them. It was traditional to cut away to the faces of the tributes during the speech. But Tansy could see on the screen that she and Sean were getting way more than their share of airtime. The darker it became, the more difficult it was to take your eyes off their glow. When the national anthem played, they did make an effort to do a quick cut around to each pair of tributes, but the camera returned and held onto the District 4 chariot as it paraded around the circle one final time and disappeared into the Training Center.
The doors had only just shut behind them when they were engulfed by the prep teams, who were nearly unintelligible as they babbled out praise. As she glanced around, Tansy noticed a lot of the other tributes were shooting them dirty looks, which confirmed what she'd suspected, they had literally outshone them all. Tansy turned to smile at Sean, only to find that he was also shooting her an extremely unfriendly look.
Before she could ask what his problem was, Vita and Felix were there, helping them down from the chariot.
"Oh, you were brilliant!" Vita cheered excitedly, clasping Tansy's hands in her own. "You certainly have your mother's charisma!"
The next thing Tansy knew, she was being whisked out of Vita's grasp.
"That's our girl!" Finnick said, grinning, holding her up as he spun her around. He and Mags had watched the whole thing from start to finish. The sponsors would come pouring in!
Tansy blushed, a little embarrassed. Even without looking she could feel the number of people glaring daggers at her multiplying by the second. "Uh, thanks… but could you stop?" she asked. "Apparently you've got a lot of fans here, because I'm pretty sure the bloodlust of all the girls and one guy just increased by 100%." The last thing she need was everyone trying to claw her eyes out.
Finnick smiled wryly and set her down after a quick glance around. "Point taken."
Mags came hobbling over with big smile on her face. "Look beautiful," she told Tansy, giving her a hug.
"You didn't do too bad either," Finnick told Sean, clapping him on the shoulder. The kid was still pouting over how the larger portion of the audience had been cheering for Tansy. Vita had done an excellent job bring out her charm.
The Training Center had a tower designed exclusively for the tributes and their teams. This would be their home until the actual Games began. Each district had an entire floor. You simply stepped onto an elevator and pressed the number of your district. Easy enough to remember.
Tansy had ridden the elevator in the Justice Building back in District 4, yesterday to say her final goodbyes to her friends and family. But that thing had been dimly lit and moved like a snail. The walls of this elevator were made of crystal so that you could watch the people on the ground floor shrink to ants as you shot up into the air. It was short but exhilarating, and she was tempted to ask the others if they could ride it again, but somehow that seemed childish. And she was certain Priscilla Lush would say "no".
Apparently, Priscilla Lush's duties did not conclude at the station. She, Mags, and Finnick would be overseeing them right into the arena. In a way, that was a plus because at least she could be counted upon to corral them around to places on time, whereas Finnick and Mags sometimes had trouble getting up early. Like everyone else in their group, Priscilla Lush seemed to be flying high. She was thrilled with Vita and Felix's work on the costumes and the crowd's reaction. She was complimentary about not just their costumes but how they conducted themselves. And, to hear her tell it, Priscilla knew everyone who was anyone in the Capitol and had been talking them up all day, trying to win them sponsors.
"I've been very mysterious, though," she says, her eyes squint half shut. "Because, of course, Mags and Finnick haven't told me your strategies yet. But I've done my best with what I had to work with. How Tansy sacrificed herself for her sister. How you both come from a winning district. Everyone has their reservations, naturally. Tansy isn't a Career, after all. But I said, and this was very clever of me, I said, 'If you want a pearl you have be willing to dive deep,' because our Tansy is a pearl diver! Get it?" Priscilla beamed at them so brilliantly that they had no choice but to respond enthusiastically to her cleverness even though they didn't quite understand her humor.
"All I've been hearing is 'Tansy this' and 'Tansy that'," Sean muttered moodily. "I hope you were talking me up, too."
"Yes, don't worry," Priscilla said dismissively, "you were mentioned."
Sean's frown deepened into a scowl. That didn't inspire much confidence.
"Unfortunately," Priscilla continued, "I can't seal the sponsor deals for you. That's where Finnick and Mags come in."
Tansy's quarters were pretty much the same size as her entire house back home. They were plush, like the train car, but also had so many automatic gadgets the she was sure she wouldn't have time to press all the buttons. The shower alone had a panel with more than a hundred options you could choose regulating water temperature, pressure, soaps, shampoos, scents, oils, and massaging sponges. When you stepped out on a mat, heaters came on that blow-dried your body. Instead of struggling with the knots in her wet hair, she merely placed her hand on a box that sent a current through her scalp, untangling, parting, and drying her hair almost instantly. It floated down around her hair in glossy, springy curls again.
She programed the closet for an outfit to her taste. The windows zoomed in and out on parts of the city at her command. She only needed to whisper a type of food from a gigantic menu into a mouthpiece and it appeared, hot and steamy, before you in less than a minute. It was the closest thing to magic Tansy had ever seen. She walked around the room eating something with a rich yet delicate flavor called foie gras and orange brie until there was a knock on the door. Priscilla was calling her to dinner.
Good. Tansy was starving.
Mags, Vita and Felix were standing out on a balcony that overlooked the Capitol when they entered the dining room. Tansy was glad to see the stylists, particularly after she found out Finnick wouldn't be joining them, because Sean was still sulking at his place at the table and glaring daggers at her. When she had asked, "Where's Finnick?" Mags shook her head and simply said, "Got called away." Something struck her about that statement as odd. Called away? By who? Was it someone who wanted to be a sponsor? Going by the tired, sad look in Mags' eyes, that wasn't it. Tansy wondered if she should be worried. It was clear something was going on, but what?
A silent young man dressed in a white tunic offered everyone stemmed glasses of wine. Tansy was curious about the taste since she had never had any before, but the smell brought back memories of her mother and her drinking problem, so she politely declined.
Vita and Felix seemed to have a civilizing effect on Sean, because they paid him just enough attention ease his slighted feelings and make him relatively pleasant again. Vita winked at her from across the table to let Tansy know she was still her favorite. Tansy smiled back. Priscilla had nothing but praise for the stylists' opening act. While they made small talk, Tansy noticed Mags was even quieter than usual. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but when Mags caught her staring, she just smiled and pretended to be fine. Obviously, whatever it was, she didn't want to talk about it there. Tansy decided to concentrate on the meal to keep herself from thinking about it and wondering where Finnick was. Carrot soup, bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas, rare roast beef sliced as thin as paper, noodles in a green sauce, cheese that melted on your tongue served with sweet purple plums. The servers, all young people dressed in white tunics like the one who gave them wine, moved wordlessly to and from the table, keeping the platters and glasses full.
Finnick showed up about halfway through the meal. His hair was a bit ruffled and Tansy could smell a strange perfume when he sat down in the empty chair next to hers. It was unsettling and it made Tansy's stomach turn. The only other person who seemed to notice the change in him was Mags, who discretely reached around under the corner of the table to give his hand a quick squeeze. Finnick chatted and laughed with the others, but something was off. Tansy thought it seemed a little forced.
When Finnick caught her staring, she quickly looked away and tried to focus more on the talk, which had turned to their interview costumes again, when a girl set a gorgeous tureen of some kind of dark cherry sauce on the table and deftly lit it. It blazed up and then the flames flickered around the edges awhile until it finally went out. It was quite the spectacle. "What makes it burn? Is it alcohol?" Tansy asked, looking up at the girl.
The girl silently nodded her head and one of the boys in white served them bowls of something sweet and cold the others called ice cream. The flambéed cherry sauce was poured on top. Vita assured Tansy the alcohol had been burned off by the fire. It was delicious.
They finished the cherries and ice cream and moved into a sitting room to watch the replay of the opening ceremonies that was being broadcasted. A few of the other couples made a nice impression, but none of them could hold a candle to Tansy and Sean. Even their own party let out an "Ah!" as they showed them coming out of the Remake Center.
"Just the perfect touch of coyness," said Priscilla, eying their posture. "Very nice."
Coyness? Tansy blinked and remembered she was supposed to be the goddess of love, so she supposed that would have made sense. But it felt strange to think of herself that way.
Finnick smiled as he watched. Sean looked very strong and heroic, but Tansy's natural charisma had kept him from overshadowing her. Vita had done an excellent job of drawing attention to her best traits without taking it too far. She was only fourteen. If they over sexualized her now, it could make her life as a victor more difficult in the future, if she had one. Finnick really didn't want to think about the alternative.
"Goodness, what is that?" Priscilla asked with a frown when District 11 rolled up.
Pepper was wearing a sleeveless dress that stopped above her knees. It was hot pink and had yellow beads the size of quail eggs sewn on at intervals. They guessed it was supposed to remind you of a strawberry. Her black hair had been twisted into pigtails that had life-sized corn ears dangling from the ends. A headdress of green cloth wrapped around basket of fruit was balanced precariously on her head. Root was wearing the male version with a strawberry shirt, green pants, and a belt of fruit. Their faces were covered in loud, garish makeup. It was horrendous. What were their stylists thinking? Tansy couldn't help but grimace with sympathy for her old friends.
"Well, those two are definitely dead," said Sean. "Hey!" he protested when Tansy threw a pillow at his head before anyone could stop her.
"All right, that's enough," Finnick said before it could escalate. "Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me and Mags for breakfast and we'll tell you how we want you to play it."
Mags patted Tansy on the hand. "Get some sleep," she said kindly.
Tansy and Sean walked together down the corridor to their rooms. When she got to her door, he leaned against the frame, not blocking her entrance exactly but insisting she paid attention to him. "So, what was the deal with the pillow? Why do you keep overreacting every time they show the tributes from 11?"
Tansy didn't want to talk about it. But maybe if she explained he would stop acting like a such a jerk. How could it hurt, really? Even if he repeated the story, it couldn't do her much harm. Everyone already knew she was originally from 11. "They're old friends," she said, staring straight at her door.
He frowned. "There are no friends in the arena."
Tansy frowned and clenched her hands. "I know that. But I can't just flip a switch and forget everything we've been through together."
"There's no way you can win like that. You're underestimating the Games."
Tansy whipped around. "You're the one who's underestimating them!" she told him. "There are no winners. Just survivors. If you treat it like a game, you're gonna lose!"
She stomped into her room and shut the door behind her before he could say another word. She kicked off her shoes, ripped off her clothes and sat huddled in the shower, letting her tears mingle with the water. She cried over how helpless she was.
Eventually, when she realized she had run out of tears, Tansy made herself stand and finish her shower. When she was dry, she pulled on a simple nightgown and climbed under the covers. She thought of her mother and wondered if that was how she was going to end up. She shivered and pulled the covers up over her head as if that would protect her from all her fears. She used to do this when she was little and thought the echoes in the victor's mansion at night were a monster hiding in the dark. Trouble was, the monsters she had in her head were far more frightening. And you couldn't stay hidden from them.
Tansy's slumber was filled with disturbing dreams. The faces of Pepper and Root intertwined with gory images from earlier Hunger Games, with her mother screaming like a mad woman and thrashing around violently, with Annie and her father lying on the ground in a pool of blood, with her eight-year-old self terrified and holding a bloody knife. She bolted upright screaming for help. Screaming for the others to run.
It was still dark outside aside from the lights of the other buildings. Dawn hadn't quite broken yet. The Capitol had a misty, haunted air. Her head ached and she must have bitten into the side of her cheek in the night. Her tongue probed the ragged flesh and she tasted blood.
Slowly, Tansy dragged herself out of bed, grabbed a robe, and spoke an order for hot chocolate into the mouthpiece. Then she shuffled out of her room, cradling the warm mug in her hands. She couldn't stay in that room. It felt like the walls were closing in on her. When she reached the sitting room, Finnick was already up and lounging in a window seat, staring off into the distance. He looked tired. But she knew from experience that it wasn't the kind of weariness that could be cured by sleep.
"Nightmare?" She asked.
Finnick looked up at her in alarm but quickly masked his anxiety. "Just thinking over some strategies."
"It's all right. You don't have to make excuses," She said softly, sitting across from him on the other end of the window seat. "I know that look. My mother used to have them, too."
Finnick's expression softened and he reached out to move a stray curl out of her face. He paused with his hand still in her hair. "And now you're having them, too?"
Tansy stared down into her cup of hot chocolate. The rich aroma was soothing, but she could still feel a slight tremor in her hands. "Yes." She paused. "I'm scared of what I might become."
Finnick took the cup from her and pulled her into a hug with his free hand. His arms were strong and warm. He didn't smell like that strange perfume anymore. Tansy felt calm as she rested her head against his shoulder. She felt safe. "Why did you volunteer?"
His question surprised her. But her answer surprised him more.
"You know why," she said. "It's because I'm selfish."
Finnick looked at her, confused. "Selfish?"
Tansy wouldn't look at him. "The Games destroyed my mother," she explained quietly. "I wasn't about to sit back and watch that happen to Annie. She's too kind. So I volunteered to protect her, because I couldn't stand the thought of losing her, too. But now Annie has to watch it happen to me, knowing I took her place. Live or die, no matter what I do, I'm going to end up hurting her."
They sat in silence for a moment. "I don't think you're selfish," he said. "You said Annie was too kind for the Games, and I think you're right. But you're kind, too. That's why you're suffering so much right now." He leaned away from Tansy and held her face in his hands. "But you're also strong. Because you understand what the Games do to people better than anyone should have to, and you still volunteered. Annie isn't weak, and neither are you. So stop worrying about her so much and focus on winning so you can see each other again."
Tansy felt like someone was squeezing her heart again, but it was a little different this time. It wasn't as painful. She felt like she was in danger of crying again, so she hugged Finnick so he couldn't see her face. "Thank you…" she said, pausing for a moment to collect herself. "But don't ever come between me and my hot chocolate again," she finished with a straight face as she pulled away.
Finnick laughed and returned her mug, glad she was acting like her normal self again. Watching Tansy sip carefully at the warm liquid in the pale light of dawn, savoring each mouthful with a small smile on her face, he understood why Annie loved her so much.
"Come on," he said, getting up. "I think I smell breakfast."
And he was right. They headed into the dining room, hoping there would be food, and they were not disappointed. While the table was empty, a long board off to the side had been laid with at least twenty dishes. A young man in a white tunic stood at attention by the spread. When Tansy asked if they could serve themselves, he nodded in assent. She wondered why all the attendants were always so silent. She tried asking Finnick quietly while they loaded their plates with food, but he just said he would tell her later. Finnick didn't want to ruin her appetite. She was going to need her strength for training. Tansy raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. They loaded up their plates with eggs, sausages, batter cakes covered in thick strawberry preserves, slices of an orange melon. As he ate and she gorged herself, they watched the sun rise over the Capitol. Tansy had a second plate of hot grain smothered in beef stew. Finally, she filled a plate with rolls and sat at the table, breaking off bits and using them to wipe her plate clean, dipping some into hot chocolate.
Tansy's mind wandered to her father and Annie. They must be up. Annie cooking their breakfast of fish and bread. Their father scraping barnacles off the boat before work. What did they say last night about her glowing debut at the Games? Did it give them hope, or simply add to their terror when they saw the reality of twenty-four tributes circled together, knowing only one could live? Just two mornings ago she was home and avoiding all physical contact with Finnick. Now she was in the Capitol hugging him. Only two mornings? Could that be right? Yes, it was. Life was weird.
Mags and Sean came in, bid them good morning, filled their plates. Sean was wearing blue and black athletic gear, similar to the clothes they issued to Careers for local training back in 4. Tansy realized she should probably get dressed, too. She was just about to leave to do just that, when Sean, revived by his coffee, suddenly opened his eyes wide and laughed so hard it came back out through his nose.
"Ha-ha-ha! Have you seen your hair?" he howled, slapping the table.
Tansy reached up and felt it. Her curls were a lopsided, tangled mess. "Have you seen your face?"
"Huh?" Sean said dumbly. He was so busy laughing at her that he hadn't even noticed the coffee dribbling from his nose down the front of his face.
"Ugh," Priscilla groaned when she came in and saw what was going on. "It is far too early for this. Use a napkin, for heaven's sake! Thank goodness the sponsors can't see this. It's not funny!" she scolded Finnick and Mags when she noticed the amused expressions on their faces. "And you, young lady," she said, pointing at Tansy. "Go to your room at once, and don't come out until you look presentable. Vita should have left some training clothes for you in your room. Don't let me catch you out here like that again. A young lady shouldn't wear her nightclothes around men. It's too suggestive."
That surprised Tansy. Priscilla was more conservative than she appeared. "Since when is dressing like a cotton sack of potatoes suggestive?" Tansy asked dubiously.
"Don't worry," Finnick told her, "you're a very nice sack of potatoes."
Tansy's hand shot out and grabbed a roll. For a minute, Finnick thought she might actually throw it at him, but instead she bit into it ripped a piece off with her teeth. "I'd throw this at you if I had less respect for food," she threatened with narrow eyes before heading off to her room to get dressed, still holding the roll.
"And you, you're just as bad," Priscilla huffed, turning on Finnick next. "Don't encourage her. She's just a kid, she might take you seriously."
"Oh, she's too smart for that," he answered confidently.
