Ch. 6
We are shoved into an elevator inside the Training Center, a building designed solely for the use of the tributes. Our chambers are here, as well as our training areas. Each district's rooms are on the floor number of their district. I push the button for 12 and the elevator, a spacey, glass contraption, shoots skyward. It is a complete thrill; I have never ridden in an elevator before today. Saddened by our leaving this first bit of fun I've experienced since we arrived, I follow the group of stylists, prep teams, and Effie out of the elevator and into the hall. Haymitch has long since disappeared. No doubt he's somewhere drinking himself to oblivion.
Effie Trinket is prattling on about something about us being amazing and having superb manners. Apparently District 12 doesn't always do so well. Last years tributes were dressed up in coal miner's outfits. She continues to babble, complimenting Portia and Cinna on their marvelous costumes and designs. She says she can't wait to see what our interview clothes will be like. I swallow the urge to vomit; I think I could bear the wait. I doubt we will win any sponsors by continuing our "dark fairy" look. Maybe next time we'll have wings!
"Don't worry, I have already been talking to sponsors!" Effie beams. "They simply adore you. I'll have to get Haymitch's opinion though…he's the final decision maker…" She trails off, absentmindedly fingering a pearl necklace that matches her gleaming white dress of feathers. She looks like a white peacock. She leads us down the hall, strutting, and shows each of us to our separate rooms. Like on the train, Poppy and I are on opposite sides of the hall. Effie wiggles her fingers in goodbye after reminding us that dinner is in exactly half an hour, and we are left to our own devices. Good, I can't wait to get this ridiculous outfit off. I quickly say "see you soon" to Poppy and enter my rooms, sighing in relief and then having my mouth drop open in shock.
The chambers are about the size of my house and twice as ornate. When you first walk in you are in a sitting room with a plush red sofa and a giant TV, nothing compared to the fuzzy old one at home. The bedroom is behind it. A giant king-sized bed takes up one wall of the room, covered in silken sheets and fluffy ivory blankets. A wardrobe with a panel instead of a handle is opposite, and a writing desk is pushed up close to the window that looks out on all of the Capitol. A remote on the desk lets you zoom in on almost anything you could want to see in the Capitol. The bathroom is a huge tiled thing, complete with a washing basin and not only a shower, but a large bathtub, too.
Immediately, I peel of the offending clothes and hop into the shower, too tired to deal with running a bath. There is a panel with at least a hundred different unlabeled buttons, so I run my hand along it and hope that whatever is chosen works enough. First a thick shampoo is rubbed into my scalp and then bubbles rain down on me from the ceiling. The water pressure keeps changing from extremely hard to way too soft and a gentle purple light pulses from the showerhead. Lastly, I am sprayed with a vial of liquid labeled Eau de Rose until I stink of roses. The Capitol and their innovations never ceases to amaze me.
When I step out of the shower I am assaulted by powerful fans that blow me dry almost instantaneously. There are innumerable bottles of hair, skin, and everything else products, but I decide not to trifle with these for now and let my hair air-dry. I push a couple of buttons on the wardrobe panel and it deposits a pair of brown shorts and a pressed blue shirt into my waiting hands. They'll have to do. There is a huge menu with a microphone attached, presumably to order any delicacies you could want, but it's been nearly a half an hour, so I'll have to try it out later.
Effie, Poppy, Portia, Cinna, and an ill-looking Haymitch are already gathered around the food-laden tabled when I appear. Effie raises one pink eyebrow and stares at me pointedly. I sigh and respond in my head. I know, I know. I'm late.
Young men and women dressed in identical white uniforms serve us our supper. They offer us creamy red broth with fluffy bread, which was good, but made me secretly wish for the stale bread of my home. There was rosemary-wrapped veal, a small dish of arugula and beans, and small salty rolls filled with sweet sauce. I barely have the time to listen in on the conversation as I am stuffing myself with food, though I probably should since it's all about Poppy and me and what our next steps will be.
We eat dessert, a gooey, dark chocolate cake topped with creamy butterscotch icing, rapidly and gather around the huge television in the lounge to watch a replay of the night's events. I am immediately struck by how radiant the District 1 and 2 tributes appear. The crowd cheers boisterously for them, raining them with kisses and roses. The rest of us are nothing compared to them. Even then, Poppy and I make a pretty good impression, although, many Capitol inhabitants do not seem to enjoy our getup. Overall, our stylists and Haymitch and Effie seem to like the commotion we raised, and congratulate us magnificently. Hopefully we made just the right amount of splash.
Haymitch sees Poppy yawning from exhaustion and gathers that it is time for bed. Us tributes need to be bright and shiny for tomorrow.
"Tomorrow your training begins," he says, his voice gruff. "I'll discuss everything you need to know about anything at breakfast. Now, shoo. Off to bed with you." We do as he says and meander down the hall to our adjacent rooms, deliberately taking our time. I know I definitely cannot bear to be alone right now, but it's obvious that we do need our rest. So I whisper my goodnight and disappear into my room, barely catching her reply as my door shuts softly.
Later, in bed, the quiet goodnight bestowed upon me by Poppy morphs into the softly caressing tone of Katniss's lovely voice and lulls me into a contented slumber.
"Goodnight."