Three: Opening Ceremony
Morning comes and Demetrius briefs us on his vision for Horatio's parade outfit.
"Luckily he's a strapping young man so we can leave him shirtless; we'll add a leaf crown and leaf designs on his face and chest melting into the" trunk", which will be my patented micro-fabric brown pants and matching boots. Helena has conjured up something equally divine for the girl so you need not worry about the extravagance of your make-up and hai designs. Make sure to pluck his eyebrows to perfection and spray his hair-" He lets out a disappointed groan "He doesn't want any permanent alterations ."
Cimorene jots everything down on a small electronic note pad as he speaks and Frain begins to draw representations that we will choose from once Horatio is brought to the tower. Each Tribute has their own tower where their teams can work on them in peace, then their designers will dress them there and brief them on how to wear each garment correctly. One might think that it's simple enough to wear an outfit, but these designers have a very specific vision for each of their creations.
That's what Marina always tells me. She's never happy about trying to come up with something new for her district, but once she gets it she's thrilled. The intrerview clothes are her favorites to design though. She says there's more freedom since she doesn't have to go along with district pride and can actaully create something for the person not an industry. I don't know if Demetrius and Helena feel the same considering they've been doing this much longer than Marina. I remember watching them come out during the tenth Hunger Games as one of the new "distirct specialty" designers. Before the ten year anniversary there was a team of six designers who designed for every district before the tributes were even reaped.
When Horatio arrives we start on him immediately. It only takes an hour before we send him off to Demetrius to get ready. Fianlly we are told to come to the parade grounds for final touch ups. Lennox and Horatio are quite a sight. Compared to the other tributes they stand out, but only becuse of how naturally stunning they are to start. Lennox's beautiful golden hair is woven with flowers, twigs and leaves, strands of it braided and others flying around her head in dizzy curls. Her dress is fitted to her pre-pubescent body and makes her look like a sappling in springtime. Her brother is stark in cotrast; I remember sweeping his dak hair up in the air and spraying the sparkling green into it, and Cimorene and Reynaldo painting his skin wth leafy greens, but I hadn't imagined it so stunning when finished. I have to admitt this might be Demetrius' finest work yet. The two of them look like perfect wood nymphs straight from some magical forest no one has ever personally seen.
Demetrius circles Horatio with a scrutinizing glare. "Trim the top please, Cim, and Frain would you blend the sides a little more...Reynaldo I need some red in the lip and Nessie-" He looks up at me with a far away gaze, "Get me something...mossy, and tie it 'round his midesection, would you?"
I nod and run back to the building, up to our work room in search of something " mossy". Demetrius and Helena's collection of strange fabrics is quite extensive so it doesn't take me very long to find what's been requested. I kneel on the ground and begin fastening the fabric along the waist of his pants. Normally I'm blissfully unaware of how intrusive I might seem to the tribute I'm working on, but somehow this time it's different. I'm incredibly aware of how close I am to his nether reigions, and how fidgety he's bceome since I began. I take a deep breath once I'm finished standing so quickly that when I'm up I begin to see stars and feel myself stumble forward.
Horatio sets a hand on my shoulder to settle me. "Up too quick." He mumbles. I nod keeping my eyes averted and glad once again for the Capitol's silly pigmentation fad, since otherwise my face would be red as a cherry.
"Oh fabulous!" Demetrius beams as he circles Horatio once again. "Good lord team, I think we've done it!"
I must say Demetrius is good at remembering his team, noting that it wasn't all him. I used to work on District Two's team and their designer - Eudora Pheobus- was positively awful, and took credit for all of her teams work.
Benedict and Desdemona move forward then. Benedict speaks with them about how to act during these opening ceremonies, how to stand, smile and to watch the President as if he were a god. "He may be new, and he may be young, but President Snow is still the president. You have to prove to the entirety of the Capitol that you respect him. The people in district seven don't matter anymore. But those feathered, dyed and pierced people out there? They do. They're your life source for this competetition, so treat them like you would your father or mother back at home- whoever took care of you. And, try not to seem too uptight." He says the last sentence looking directly at Horatio.
Benedict kneels down to speak to Lennox personally then. I can't hear him from where I'm standing, which doesn't surprise me since he's naturally soft spoken. I think he might have wanted to address Horatio alone too, but the anthem starts before he can. Desdemona claps her hands and smiles. "Chins up children! It's your official Capitol debut!"
District one's chariot rolls out, followed by two and three and so on until it's seven's turn. I watch as the chariot rolls out and the crowd roars for Demetrius and Helena's design's. We can hear Ceasar' s commentary coming from the small screen Desdemona is holding. He's pleased with the complete look of our tributes and the endearing smile on the little girls face. Another voice chimes in then, that of Claudius Templesmith, commenting on the boys charm and swarthyness.
"I wonder if he can kill more than just the ladies," Caesar remarks laughing. I look up and away from the chriots to the screens above the audience and see Horatio's face twisted into a dashing smile, his eyes twinkling at the crowd.
Benedict chuckles beside me.
"You think he knows what he's doing?" I ask.
"I doubt it, but it seems to be working. Maybe he'll win them over- maybe he'll piss them off, you never know with this crowd."
The rest of the opening ceremonies go by quickly and soon enough we're headed back up to the eighth floor.
"Oh that was simply wonderful! I think they really liked you two." Desdemona says almsot dancing with excitement.
They certainly are different from the pair we had last year, but Benedict's comment about never knowing how the Capitol will respond is bumping around in my head. But this isn't the first time I've been worried for my tributes.