A.N. Sorry for the long, long while since the last chapter! I had some things to work out, such as exams, a funeral and just the general existential crisis. I hope to stay on relative schedule from now on, though.
Please let me know what you think of this sort of in-between chapter!
Chapter 5: Set aflame
When we get off the train, we are immediately escorted through a thick crowd. Gale and I both have wide smiles plastered to our faces, and our hands are locked together.
It feels so very strange to have my hand in his. Gale once complained that I had such cold hands. I had been sowing shut a wound on his thigh after a boar had decided to go out with a fight. Now my hand was warm and clammy, and I could swear that Gale would be able to feel my heartbeat in every little vein under my skin.
The oddly coloured sea of people roars and cheers when we are escorted from the train. I try to focus on the faces, to see if the citizens of the Capitol look as monstrous as we had always made them look, but it's the complete opposite. I see normal faces, cheering and screaming, with odd colours for hair, make-up and clothing. The sea of people is like a fractured rainbow with dozens of new colours that I never could have imagined.
We are escorted into a tunnel guarded by black dressed men. The tunnel leads down to a series of large rooms, seemingly consisting of solid metal. The roar of the crowd diminishes and after what seems to be an eternity, the black garbed men leave us.
Haymitch and Effie wait with us in a large chamber with a set of couches and low tables.
"Well, that wasn't so bad." Haymitch says as he takes a swig of his liquor bottle. I raise my eyebrows at him. Effie had made sure that he did not have any alcohol while we would be in public, but it seems he has magic pockets.
Effie suddenly appears behind us and locks her arms around our necks, which is quite a feat, considering how tall Gale is, and pulls us close.
"That was magnificent," Effie chirps. "The crowd already loves District 12's tragic lovers!"
Gale and I manage to exchange an awkward glance while in Effie's grasp, and I release my hand from Gale's, suddenly aware that they had still been locked together.
While Gale and I try to escape from Effie's grasp without hurting her feelings, three strangely clothed people hasten towards us.
"My dears, this is your prep team!" Effie chirps again.
She continues to introduce Venia, who wears a wig and clothes in shades of aqua and gold, and has striking golden tattoos above her eyebrows. Next up is a man she calls Flavius, who seems to favour the combination of purple and orange. Last to be introduced is Octavia, whose skin is a pale shade of green.
After having been introduced the prep team starts to chirp in the same accent as Effie, albeit even faster and higher. They shake our hands, kiss our cheeks and then drag us off, leaving Effie and Haymitch behind.
Flavius soon starts to drag Gale in a different hallway as I am heading and before he disappears from view he manages to shoot me a sympathetic look that promises to meet up as soon as possible.
Venia and Octavia guide me to a room with what seem to be metal surgery tables. Curtains can be drawn in between the tables, and metal drawers line the sides of the metal beds. I am urged to strip down and put on some kind of plastic hospital gown. Venia gasps dramatically as soon as she sees my unshaved legs and soon Octavia joins her with a gasp of her own. I roll my eyes at them and take place on the metal table, bracing for what I don't think will be a pleasurable experience.
Venia immediately starts to rub some sort of warm liquid onto my legs. I shudder as I feel it harden onto my skin, locking my leg hairs into its embrace. Venia waits for a few moments longer, then, without warning, grabs the edge of the now hardened goo and yanks it from my leg. I allow a long and loud shriek to come over my lips as I dig my hands into the sides of the metal table. Venia smiles apologetically at me.
"Sorry, I should have given you something to bite on. Here." She hands me a wooden slate and I reluctantly press it in between my lips while I glare at her.
"What, don't glare at me, darling! I'm only doing my job! Besides you will be gorgeous by the time we are done with you." With those words, Venia starts working on the rest of my leg.
Strip after strip she pulls from my leg, and by the time the last is done I bite through the thin wooden slate as I hold in my scream.
"You are doing so very well," Venia complements me. I feel my spine relax and my muscles lose their tension. I breath out heavily and spit out the pieces of wood.
"All done?" I ask her nervously.
"With your legs, yes. The rest of your body is up next." Venia mentions it so casually, but I feel the need to run away and scream grow. Instead, I grit my teeth and hang on to the edges of the metal table for dear life.
Three hours later, I am completely hairless except for my eyes, eyebrows and head. Every inch of me has been scrubbed down and harassed, but also greased down with some kind of cream that suits my sensitive skin. Venia, Octavia and Flavius have circled me time and time again, putting a cream here, removing a hair there until they were completely satisfied.
Even though they have caused every one of my muscles to spasm in pain, I vowed to myself to be nice to them, and they are surprisingly easy to keep happy. A compliment here, a sad comment about District 12 there and they are gushing over me with affection.
I find them idiotic, but hard to hate. They are like little puppies that constantly get in your way. Though I do realise that they try everything they can to help me, it is still so odd to me that appearance is so important in the Capitol.
"She's ready for Cinna, I reckon," Octavia mutters as she circles me one more time.
"Yes, let's call Cinna!" Flavius chimes. "You'll love Cinna," he tells me. "We just prepared you for his final touch, which will have you shining like a falling star."
"I thought you'd make me a rising star," I mutter softly, but the three preppers are already on their way. I silently watch the three oddly coloured birds depart, and wonder what Cinna will be compared to them.
Visions of a flamboyant man dressed in silver and red come to mind. The colours shift to blue and green, then to orange and purple. He really must be something if my prep team speak so highly of him.
My expectations are eluded and exceeded. Cinna's dark skin is something on its own. But the simplicity with which he dresses is stunning in comparison to the three birds that scrubbed me down moments ago. The only make-up Cinna wears is a line of gold on his eyelids, and once again the simplicity is refreshing.
Cinna walks towards me with a bright white smile and he dips his head slightly when he stops before me.
"I am Cinna, your stylist."
I nod cautiously. I like Cinna immediately, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious.
Cinna starts to circle me like my prep team did, but he does not touch me, he simply observes. He compliments my hairstyle, which is still in the braided fashion my mother put it in. He circles me a little longer, chatting idly here and there as he watches me with his sharp, green eyes.
Finally, after what seems to be an eternity, Cinna finishes observing my every crook and cranny and allows me to put on a thin robe of the softest material I have ever felt on my skin.
He motions me to follow him to a sitting room, which seems a lot more comfortable than the room with the metal tables. After he invites me to sit, Cinna watches me again for a long time.
"How you must hates us.." He says softly, and his expression turns almost sad. He has read my mind. I do not really hate them.. I just really despise them. Every one of them. Although Cinna seems.. special.
We sit in another long silence while I watch Cinna and he watches me. The gold on his eyelids shimmers slightly as his eyes narrow and widen ever so slightly.
"You two fit well together." says Cinna after a long, long while.
"Who?" I ask, although I can already think of his answer and my cheeks grow slightly red.
"You and Gale. I am aware of Haymitch's plan to present the two of you as a unity, not as two individual tributes."
"Yes. It's nothing more than that, though." I struggle to keep my voice level, but succeed pretty well.
"Perhaps it is not now. But it may well grow into something more. There is such potential between the two of you."
"I don't want that potential!" I suddenly snap. "I have to kill him if I want to survive!"
Cinna eyes me sadly. "But you won't, will you? You will try to save him."
I grit my teeth. He is right. If I am not able to kill Gale to ensure my own victory, I will do anything in my power to help his victory. Am I that transparent? Are my intentions so clear to those around me?
Cinna smiles sadly. "Don't worry, I am on your side. I am going to do everything within my power to get you all the help you can get."
I only nod.
"Now, you know that during the opening ceremony the tributes are to be dressed in such a way to reflect their Districts." Cinna's change of subject comes like a breath of fresh air and I nod again.
"Will you dress me in a coaler's outfit?" I ask with a slight hint of disgust.
"No, no. That will do nothing for you in order to gain sponsors. Portia, my partner, will be Gale's stylist. We figured, in accordance to Haymitch's plans, that we might as well present you as a unit, not as individuals."
"What does that even mean?" I ask slightly irritated, having had my share of tactics for today.
"It means that instead of putting you in the usual coaler's outfit, we're going to focus on the coal itself. And set you aflame." Cinna speaks those last words with a glint in his eyes, that I both perceive as dangerous and admirable.
"Aflame? You're going to set me and Gale on fire? We're supposed to still be alive before we are thrown into the arena, Cinna. You can't just kill us off beforehand." Set aflame. I must have been mistaken concerning Cinna. He's just as nuts as the rest of the Capitol. Poor guy. He showed some real potential.
Cinna's smile widens, and I decide to let him have his way for now. A death by fire might even be preferable to a death in the Capitol arena. A few hours later I am dressed in a skin-tight suit of black, leathery material. Cinna has topped the outfit off with a shimmering cape of yellow and orange, leather boots that go up to my knees and a black crown that he places onto my head. My hairstyle is still in the braided fashion my mother had put it in, with a few touches here and there of Cinna's own hands.
Cinna has not allowed me to look into a mirror, but I can tell that I look pretty damn cool. The skin-tight suit, however, is making me feel uncomfortable, and gives me trouble breathing clearly.
I am guided down to the lowest level of the Remake Center, where the chariots and horses await to guide me and the other tributes into the long, long hallway where the opening ceremony will take place.
Gale is already waiting near our chariot, which is the last in the row, and I have to say, he is looking damn fine. He is wearing a similar skin-tight black suit like me, and the same orange cape billows around his shoulders. A slim, black crown is nestled in his dark hair, and his grey eyes stand as fierce and rebellious as ever. His stance is slightly awkward though, as he nervously plucks on the skin-tight suit, no doubt feeling as uncomfortable as I feel.
As I walk towards him, he flares his wide grin. "Well, well Catnip. Looking very fine, I dare say." He bows dramatically, flinging his cape to the side and holding his slim crown to his chest. Despite feeling uncomfortable in the suit, I have to laugh and feel slightly flattered.
"Shut up, Gale." I growl in order to hide my flattered blush, and gently hit his shoulder.
"What, I was talking about myself." Gale replies with a wink. Then his face darkens as he motions vaguely to where the roar of the crown is emanating from.
"Look at this parade. As if we are heroes for dying in that arena and not pigs ready for slaughter." His voice is bitter and angry, as are his eyes.
"I know." I simply state, then think for a moment and add: "Not all of them are bad, Gale. You know that right?"
He nods solemnly. "Portia is not so bad. Effie is bearable. They are only trying to help us." His jaw tightens as he adds: "But it doesn't change the fact that they are preparing us for death. And I will not accept that."
"For now, we don't have a choice." I say sternly as I grab his hand. "You better not suicide jump from that chariot, Gale, or I swear, you will regret it for eternity."
Gale's grin returns. "I won't regret it if you jump with me.." He gently squeezes my hand.
"Maybe when I am ensured a soft landing, I will." I tell him and answer his squeeze with one of my own.
Cinna approaches us with what seems to be a flamethrower of some kind. I immediately tense, and Gale does too, judging by the sudden pressure on my hand. Cinna order us to take place on the chariot as the opening music starts. The doors at the front of the hall open and the chariot of District 1 rides away as soon as the doors open. We take our places and Gale and I get to exchange one quick glance before we both feel the heat from the flames.
I gaze at Gale, with his cape and crown on fire, and watch the shadows dance across his face, knowing that he must see something similar. The heat from the flames is intense, but not unbearable. They seem to lick at Gale's temples and his shoulders, but they leave no scorches or marks.
I grab Gale's hand tighter in mine and hang on to it for dear life as our chariot shocks into motion and our horses jump to a quick trot.
I startle a little as Gale suddenly pokes my cheek and gaze up at him. He motions to his wide, wide smile, which is fake but wide anyway, then motions to me. I give him my best fake smile and he nods.
Tighter and tighter I hold onto his hand as we ride through the long tunnel, approaching the light beyond the doors. And when we reach it, I squint my eyes, and the roar of the crowd even drowns out the crackle of the fire.