A/N: Chapter 4 is here! Hope you guys enjoy :)
loustories: I'm glad to hear you like my ideas for the Quarter Quell, and I do hope I can change your mind about Jade. She certainly does have a couple traits that haven't been revealed yet :)
Chapter 4: To Parade
It's already been hours and I still haven't seen my stylist. Instead, I'm alone, practically naked, in front of a trio of what must be the most typical Capitol citizens in all of Panem. I'll admit, being from District 1, I enjoy looking pretty. More than I should, considering my view on the usual District 1 girls. But this is just taking it too far. My skin feels raw from the complete scrubbing and waxing, and my hair's still wet from the shower they'd immediately shoved me into. I feel clean in a way that means at least couple layers of skin went with the dirt. I hadn't really thought I was that dirty, but apparently, according to Capitol standards, I was only just above District 11. The prep team, who I've nicknamed Purple, Blue, and Yellow, for pretty obvious reasons, are nodding approvingly now though. Purple runs off to tell my stylist, whose name I still don't know, that I'm ready. Blue and Yellow start cleaning up. I just stare at their outfits like I've been doing for the past couple hours. It's slightly more entertaining than staring at the wall, and way more entertaining than trying to hold a conversation with them. I can barely understand their Capitol accents, and even so they mostly just giggle. I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered by that.
In any case, their outfits are among the strangest I've seen. It's almost as if they're physically incapable of wearing more than one color, hence the nicknames. Blue's even got blue tattoos all the way down his arms and legs.
I'm just hoping that my costume won't be so permanent. Usually District 1 gets good costumes, since we produce luxury items, it's easy to just pour sparkles all over a dress and pass us off as beautiful as always. And of course, since most District 1 tributes go through the Academy, they've had training in how to appeal to the audience too. This year will be different though. Only two of us have had that training, and there's going to be six of us rather than two. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like putting all of us in the same costume would get boring quickly. It's also going to be much harder to be noticed, I realize, with so many tributes.
By now Blue and Yellow have left as well, and I'm completely alone in the room, covered only with a thin robe. Thankfully I'm small enough that it mostly covers me, I get the feeling it's a one size fits all kind of deal. I'm just trying to make it cover me better when a women who must be my stylist walks in. I instantly recognize her. Who wouldn't recognize those gemstones anywhere? It's Papiria, the long time District 1 stylist. It's rumored that she loves the district and it's tributes so much that it's the reason she had real gemstones implanted into her skin. Up close, I personally think it looks disgusting. I vaguely wonder how they got the gems to stick there. I recognize rubies, sapphires, pearls, even what appear to be real diamonds. Thankfully I don't see any jade, I don't know if I could stand that.
She looks me all over, having me hop off the table and stand in certain ways, until she appears satisfied and tells me to put my robe back on and come with her to discuss my costume.
We sit down in plush chairs, and Papiria pushes a button that extends a table with lunch out in front of us.
"Now, first of all, I need to tell you that this won't be your only parade. With the allies part of the Quarter Quell, it has been decided that you will have another parade after you know your ally, to show off the various pairings. You'll wear the same costume though, so we need to get it right". She pauses, and she must sense all the questions I want to ask. "Sorry, but I can't tell you anything more about the allies than what you already know. I don't know anything either, they just told us to warn you that there'd be another parade" she looks almost apologetic, before continuing. "Now, it was actually you that gave me inspiration for this year's outfits. My partner, Corin, the stylist for the male tributes, has agreed, and I hope you too will love it" she says dramatically. I hope she doesn't plan on having me wear it just yet, since I've grabbed a plate and started helping myself to chicken that seems to have been covered in some kind of mango sauce. It's delicious, but the sauce is all over my fingers and I'd feel bad if I got it on her design.
I didn't even notice her leave, engrossed in the over the top chocolate milkshake that I hadn't seen before, but when Papiria returns holding a gorgeous pale green dress that reminds me far too much of my reaping dress, my jaw drops. Real jade stones are sown into the fabric, and Papiria's holding an equally stunning headdress that appears to be made entirely out of jade. Both pieces are accented with silver swirls and lace.
"Do you like it?" she asks, and I can barely respond in amazement. "We decided that making all of you wear the same costume would be boring, and when I saw your name the idea to theme you all after different gemstones just came to me. Of course you're jade, and I must say it fits you perfectly. Your eyes are just that perfect shade of green" I wipe my hands off so I can touch the fabric, and I find that it's actually several layers of light green silk, that overlap to create a stunning gradient of green that mimics real jade.
"It's beautiful. Thank you" I whisper.
"Of course, I had to add in some silver accents last minute to match that amazing necklace of yours, I could hardly believe it when I saw you wearing it earlier. Here it is by the way, I hope you don't mind that we held onto it while you were getting ready. Such a gorgeous piece of jewelry, made by your mother I would guess?" My gasp must give it away, because she immediately replies "Oh no, don't worry, I know you aren't technically allowed to keep jewelry made in the district, but you'd be surprised how few people follow that rule. It's far too stunning of a piece to be destroyed by those peacekeeper brutes anyways" she comments, sliding my pendant back to me across the table. "Anyone asks, and I'll tell them I made it" My opinion of Papiria does an immediate 180. Maybe not all Capitol citizens are so bad after all. I finish eating quickly while Papiria brings out the rest of my outfit. By the time I'm fully dressed and she's done with my makeup, I barely recognize myself in the mirror. I'm wearing my necklace again, the dress and headpiece, as well as soft green elbow length gloves, and tons of exquisite silver jewelry laced with jade stones. My makeup is light compared to some that I've seen in previous years though, just some jade colored eyeshadow and basic stuff so I look good for the cameras.
"We can't cover you up too much, there's so many tributes this year that we have to make everyone unique and recognizable, otherwise there's no point to the parade" Papiria explains.
I think it's the best outfit I've ever seen her design. I may be slightly biased, but it's stunning and it's perfect for me.
"That's not all. A while ago, I was trying to make my own gemstones stand out more, when I discovered a special polish, that when exposed to sunlight, shines and glows. Here, watch" she says, moving to turn on a brighter light, and once again I gasp. Every jade stone in my outfit seems to glow with an inner light, turning the walls and floor nearby green with reflected light.
"I've ordered special lights to be installed in your chariot as well, for when it gets darker out. You'll glow" she exclaims, and I couldn't ask for a better costume. I'd hug her if it wouldn't mess up my outfit, but my intent seems to get across to her. "You can thank me after the parade" she laughs. "For now, just go out there and look beautiful"
Soon I find myself in the stables, waiting for our chariot to arrive. As District 1, we will be the first to go out.
"So we have to make the best impression" I remember Papiria saying. My fellow District 1 tributes have all gathered here as well, and their outfits are as extraordinary as mine. Naomi is obviously themed after golden topaz, a match almost as perfect as mine. Glisten has rubies, and Valor is adorned in sapphires. The older boy got turquoise, and the young one, Marble, has diamonds. Together, we form a rainbow of hues, and I see several jealous glances from the other tributes. Let them be jealous, I think, for now, the spotlight is ours.
Since the chariots only hold two each, we are split into pairs with a girl and boy in each. I'm paired with the older boy, whose name I learn is Ezio. Naomi is paired with Marble, which leaves Glisten and Valor as the last pair. I can't help but wonder if that was deliberate, putting the two volunteers together.
Ezio and I will be going out second, after Valor and Glisten, which I'm thankful for. I'm not usually a very nervous person, but I really don't want to be the first to go out. Valor and Glisten seem fine, however, no doubt since they've been trained for this. For now, I pet one of our four snowy white horses, and wait.
Eventually, everything is in place and we're given orders to get in our chariots. Ezio has to help me in, and I'm grateful that he doesn't say anything about it. Now that I think about it, we're pretty much in the same position. District 1, but not a career. Strong, but not enough to have a chance at winning. He seems to know Valor, but I wonder if that friendship will be enough to get him career status. Even if it does, should he prove weak enough, they won't hesitate to kill him in his sleep. I've seen it happen before, when the careers decide one of them just isn't good enough. At least it usually isn't as brutal as what they do to other tributes.
The doors opening in front of me breaks my train of thought, and I'm stunned by the bright sunlight that pours in. I can barely look at Glisten and Valor, who appear as bright as the sun itself. They glow red and blue, and now I understand why they gave us white horses. Even they reflect the light, appearing red and blue themselves. We truly will look like a rainbow.
A flood of nervousness rushes through me as the first chariot starts to move, our own horses following them. I glance over at Ezio, who looks calm, glowing a soft cyan. As more of the sunlight hits us, we glow brighter, and my nervousness fades away. I smirk a bit. Turquoise and jade is a much better combination than ruby and sapphire. Our colors blend, creating a bluish green that I think almost looks like waves.
Any trace of nerves is gone, replaced by confidence. A good thing too, since we're now passing through the giant doors and out into the roaring crowd.
The noise is deafening, and it grows even louder as we appear. The sunlight now makes us glow our brightest, scattering waves of blue and green everywhere around us. The crowd loves it, and I hesitantly wave back. Just like on the train, the response is immediate. They shower us with flowers, and I even hear someone shout my name. I wonder vaguely if they're reading my name or my gemstone from the program everyone seems to be holding.
I chance a quick glance behind us, and see Naomi radiating a beautiful amber glow. She smiles at me, and it's as if the sun itself has dropped out of the sky and made itself into her clothes. She turns to the audience, and they go nuts over her. Marble, however, doesn't even look at the audience. His head is down, and I can't tell if he's glaring or crying. I can't blame him. His diamonds are being completely outshined by Naomi's topaz.
Ezio pulls me back forward, and I realize I was about to fall out of the chariot. I thank him quickly, barely hearing his reply of "No problem" before returning to smiling at the crowd. I'm pretty sure Naomi is stealing the show, but there's certainly no harm in trying, and Ezio appears to be doing the same. I still hear a couple shouts of our names, so at least we aren't being completely overlooked.
The parade doesn't last too long, but by the time we pull into the City Center the sun has set and the lights in our chariot have turned on. Papiria was right. We shine just as brightly in the darkness, and once again I catch a couple jealous looks from other tributes as they follow us into the Circle. Thankfully even with three times as many chariots, everyone still fits in the Circle, and as our horses stop we turn to look at the president's balcony. President Corvehn stands, and the screens surrounding the Circle cut to his face. I hope he'll mention something about the Quarter Quell in his speech, but as he begins to speak it seems to be just the same speech as every other year.
You wouldn't think you could get bored when standing in front of thousands of Capitol citizens ready to watch you die on live television, but Corvehn's annual speech that hasn't changed since I can remember is enough to make me long for the parade to be over. Instead I watch as the screens flash back and forth between the different tributes. For the first time I notice just how lucky I was to get a good costume. Lots of districts have all of their tributes wearing the same thing, even some of the wealthier districts. They'll have to work harder to be noticed, giving us the advantage for now.
I'm still watching the screen when it cuts back to President Corvehn, who's now saying something I don't recognize from earlier years. "-and now, as I'm sure you've all been waiting for, Head Gamemaker Lucretius will now explain the alliance rules for this Quarter Quell" he says calmly, handing the microphone to a man who I hadn't even noticed was standing behind him.
"As you may be aware, if you've been following this year's games, it took us quite a while to decide how best to interpret this twist into our Hunger Games. However, our team has come to a conclusion, and we will now share our consensus with you all" Lucretius says, and if I'd been bored before, I'm not anymore. All of our lives will depend on how they've decided to do alliances. The Head Gamemaker pauses, as if to assess the response so far, before continuing. "Firstly, partnerships will be randomly selected after training scores have been assigned to each tribute. Tributes will then attend another parade, like this one, paired with their new ally. Then, tributes will be given another three days of training, to allow time to train with an ally, before final training scores are given. Final training scores will be decided in much the same way as the regular training scores, except for the fact that partners will be allowed to work together in their private sessions" he pauses again, letting that sink in. I'm not too surprised by this, and I'm actually a bit thankful. Three extra training days might mean the difference between life and death. And it makes sense to give us new training scores with our allies, since it might improve or lower a tribute's chances.
Lucretius coughs slightly before continuing. "During the actual games is where the alliance system will change most notably. Before, alliances have been informal and form at the will of the tributes. This time however, the alliances are required. Pairs may still make informal alliances among themselves, but pairs themselves may not split up. To enforce this, and follow the theme of interdependence, all tributes will undergo a procedure after the pairing announcements. This procedure will forever link the tributes together, and they will suffer any pains that their partner does. For example, should a tribute be shot with an arrow, their partner will feel the same pain. Should a tribute die, the same fate shall befall their ally. And lastly, allies will also share in their victory. The final tribute pair will both become victors of the 200th Hunger Games"
The Capitol audience goes wild, cheering and clapping. A couple tributes gasp, and I barely contain my shock. How is a procedure like that even possible? To go so far as to make it so that we'll even feel each other's pain… if I was scared before I'm terrified now. Getting a bad partner is now almost guaranteed death. Our fate is entirely up to chance.
Lucretius smiles unnervingly from the balcony, seemingly satisfied by our shock. He hands the microphone back to the president, who continues to wrap up the parade and reminds everyone to tune in later tonight for a full recap and commentary on the tributes and their mentors. Then the speeches are over and I nearly fall as our chariot begins to move again. Once again, I'm saved from the embarrassment by Ezio, who grabs my hand. This time he doesn't let go, and I'm glad for the support. My mind is still reeling from the gamemaker's announcement. I watch the screens as they pan about all of the tributes as we finish a final lap of the City Circle before heading into the Training Center. Not even the careers, including Glisten and Valor, can hide their shock, though they do their best, smiling and waving for the audience one last time. I do my best to follow their example, and Ezio and I manage a last wave before our chariot follows the others into the Training Center.
Once we're inside, we clamber out of the chariot to be swarmed by our prep teams and stylists. Well, I clamber, Ezio just gracefully jumps down. He's immediately surrounded by his prep team and a man who must be Corin, the male stylist, while Papiria drags me away, gushing about how wonderful we looked. I'd wanted to thank Ezio for helping me, especially at the end of the parade, but it doesn't look like I'll get a chance now. Now that I think about it, we haven't really talked at all. I make a mental note to at least thank him later.
Eventually we all make it up the elevator and to the floor for District 1's tributes. Elanora is there waiting for us, and she tells us to go to our rooms to get ready for dinner, which will be in an hour. As beautiful as my outfit is, it isn't the most comfortable, and I'm glad to get out of it. I'm careful to fold it neatly, and after a quick shower I select more casual clothes from the closet, which I select on a panel set into the wall. I notice that my parade outfit has disappeared, likely taken by a servant to be kept by Papiria until I need to wear it again. I still have a while until dinner, so I take the time to explore my room. This will be my home until the games begin after all. I find that the windows can show live scenery from almost anywhere, and though I'm tempted to leave it set to a scenic view of the Capitol, I find myself leaving it showing District 1. The familiar view of the buildings and shops is somehow calming, and I hope to see my family somehow. It's much too far away to see individual faces, but I still find myself glancing at it every once in awhile, just in case.
My room also features programmable bookshelves that seem as expansive as a library, a menu of food containing everything from breakfast to midnight snacks that can be ordered at the push of a button, and a card offering to provide almost any item you could want. Just for the fun of it, I call the provided number and ask for a violin. I barely know how to play, but Naomi does, and maybe I can convince her to play something for me.
I busy myself with trying as many different options on the programmable bed until Elanora's voice calls me to dinner. I reluctantly get up, having just found the perfect setting, and drag myself down to dinner.
Naomi's already there, and I sit next to her. Once again, the dinner is laid out in front of us, and there is little talk as everyone eats. It isn't long before the meal starts to slow down though, and Elanora and the stylists start to make small talk. Mostly praise for our outfits, which have apparently made quite the impression. That, along with our district's reputation, has apparently already had sponsors lining up. Of course, it's too early for them to sign up, but this is definitely a good sign according to Elanora. I have to wonder though, if any of those sponsors are there for anyone but Valor and Glisten. I wonder if the reputation of District 1 is enough for even the rest of us to get sponsors.
The discussion turns to interview outfits, and the stylists want to continue the gemstone theme, while Elanora seems to think it would be too repetitive. Glisten takes Elanora's side, while Valor and Ezio ally with the stylists. I'm about to join in, when suddenly the television springs to life, opening with the Capitol anthem. We fall silent as the opening ceremony recap begins, though our stylists can't help a couple hushed proud comments as the first three chariots appear. We really do look like a rainbow.
For once, no district has a truly terrible costume. However, most districts all wear the same outfit, and I know that if I were a sponsor watching, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Really though, none of the other outfits are very spectacular. Ours are, without a doubt, the best.
The rest of the recap is uneventful, and before long we're being told to go to our rooms and get some sleep before the first day of training tomorrow. I end up walking with Naomi, who looks as tired as I feel. She opens her mouth as if to say something, only to close it and shake her head. "Can we talk tomorrow?" she yawns. "I was going to tell you something, but it's been such a long day"
"Yeah, sure. Get some sleep, you look tired" I say.
"Thanks, and goodnight Jade" she says, and disappears into her room.
I can't help but wonder what it was she wanted to say, and I hope she's okay. I've just been pushing away any thoughts of the games, focusing on the present, but that's not how Naomi thinks. I know she'll have been thinking about the future, about the games, and that can't lead anywhere good. I'm worried about her. But it will have to wait until morning. For now I follow her example and head into my room.
I'm tempted to just collapse on the bed and fall asleep, but I remember that I was going to watch the recap of tributes and mentors. I turn on the television and I'm relieved to see that I haven't missed anything more than the introductions of the commentators, two well-known Hunger Games analysts. Once again, District 1 is shown first, and I wonder why Brilliance acted so strangely when this was mentioned. I don't have to wait long, as they start with the female tributes.
The two commentators spend quite a while discussing Glisten, who has apparently gained a bit of a reputation for volunteering for that young girl. They predict her chances to be fairly high, which isn't too surprising.
My own chances are rated at around average, and Naomi's just a bit underneath mine. The commentators don't have much to offer on either of us, and I get the feeling our scores are just because we're from District 1.
Then comes the part I'm most curious about. The female mentor.
"Brilliance. What do you make of her?"
"Well, her games certainly weren't forgettable, but as a mentor, I'd have to say she's a poor choice"
"I'm not disagreeing, but what exactly makes you say that? She obviously doesn't have any mentor training or previous experience, but I feel like you have a different reason"
"Indeed I do. Brilliance was a ruthless competitor, but I don't think she has what it takes to be a mentor. She lacks much of the necessary skill and knowledge. In the end, she's really just another District 1 victor"
I turn off the television. I've seen enough. Just another District 1 victor. So that's why Brilliance acted so weirdly. In their eyes, she's just one among many. Just another District 1 victor.
I'm still thinking about it as I fall asleep. Is that all any of us are? Are Naomi and I just more tributes, more names to be forgotten the moment we die in the arena? And even the strongest among us, the ones who will win, just to be forgotten as victors? For the first time, I wonder what point there really is to winning.