In true Capitol fashion, I'm alone for maybe thirty seconds before I hear someone call my name. I turn around to find Finnick and Amphitrite Odair striding towards me.

"Hey, Finnick,"I say, smiling at him. Then I offer my hand to his cousin."Primrose Everdeen, hi."

"Amphitrite Odair,"she says in return, smiling aswell as she shakes my outstretched hand. Amphitrite is an almost exact copy of her older cousin, tall, athletic, with golden skin and bronze-colored hair. Her eyes, unlike his sea green ones, are an almost-black blue, though. She's about as naked as the stylists can get away with, unsurprisingly. A fishing net is wound around her hips, knotted just enough that you can't actually say it's indecent. Upwards from the net, she's completely nude except for two palmsized seashells on her breasts. She doesn't seem to feel selfconcious about it or anything, though. She might as well be wearing full-body armour from the way she stands and smiles, as if she owns this place.

We talk for a bit before Madge, Katniss, Effie and the stylists come and join us.

Finnick and Effie greet eachother with kisses on the cheeks and introduced everyone to eachother before Effie looks around."Where did Haymitch get to?" Everyone shrugs in reply and she huffs in exasperation."If he is off drinking with Chaff, I swear I'll - well, never mind, I'll go find him."

As Effie stalks away, I take a proper look at Katniss and Madge now. They're in matching outifts, black jumpsuits that cover them from the neck down. Pretty simple, but knowing Cinna and Portia, there's more to it. Their faces are almost obscured by the dramatic highlights and dark shadows. High arching eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, smoldering eyes, deep purple lips. As the absolute provocation, they are both wearing crowns. They are made of a heavy, black metal, but are still clearly recognisable as Victor's crowns. Once again, I pray that Cinna knows what he's doing.

"Very nice,"I tell him,"But what happened to being recognisable in the arena?"

Cinna just smiles."Everyone already knows them, Prim. And just look at them, aren't they perfect?"

Perfect for what, I almost ask, but as I look at them, speaking to Amphitrite, surrounded by victors and tributes and with the Games ahead, I realise what he means. They look powerful, threatening, deadly.

"We should swap outfits sometime,"Amphitrite says, her eyes trailing over first Madge, then Katniss in a way that makes my sister fidget. I manage to surpress a giggle, and Madge luckily isn't fazed at all."We really should. I'd love to try yours on."

"Now?"the girl from Four asks, raising her hand to one of the sea shells and moving to peel it off. Her cousin slaps her hand playfully."You know Tia will have a fit if you rearrange her outfit."

Just then, Effie returns with a grumpy Haymitch in tow."Prim, dear, we have to get going. The parade will start soon."

I nod, and give Katniss a quick hug."Just do it the way Cinna said, okay? And keep being sociable, we're still feeling out which alliances could work. Good luck, you'll do great."

With that, I'm off. We find our spot in the ranks and I sit down between my mentor and escort. The tributes start rolling out, but I can't really bring myself to pay all too much attention, waiting for my sister and friend to come out. All I really register is that some distritcs tried to steal Cinna and Portia's idea of illumintaing the tributes, but it barely makes sense with most. I mean, District Three, where electronics are made, is understandable, but everything else? I have no clue.

But then our chariot comes out and everything is forgotten. The crowd errupts in wild screams, cheering and yelling and chanting Katniss and Madge's names.

Their suits are activated now and they look as if fire became human, as if glowing embers arranged themselves into the form of to young women. They barely look human, they look like fire and rage, they look like they're ancient and forever and not from this world.

They do not react to the crowd, they give them no smiles or kisses or waves. They are strong and unforgiving and will not play the capitol's games by any rules but their own. They are breathtaking, and dangerous.

)o(

short chappie but I'm so busy school is evil what do you mean I need to study ugh