POV District 1 Silver Velvet
The pain in my body was finally starting to numb away, but it was taking everything in me to keep from scratching the outfit off. I shifted, standing beside Ludacris while we headed down the elevators towards the city level. Himons, Glory, Exquisite, and our two stylists - Redyn and Galla. I clenched my jaw for a moment, thinking of my stylist. Redyn had red-orange tinted skin and bright, red-orange, curly hair. She had bright blue - obviously also fake - eyes, and tattoos around her eyes. I still had paranoia that she would try to do that to me. Though I remained rather untouched, I was sore from everything my pep team had put me through. If Ludacris felt the same, he wasn't showing it, and he wasn't looking at me. I wondered how the tributes that didn't take as good care of themselves, like District 7, 9, 11, or 12, were faring.
I had to question what Redyn and Galla's idea was. District 1 was luxury. Somehow they had translated that into dressing us up in clothes that were even ridiculous to Capitol standards - I hoped as much. I was wearing a skin-tight lace dress, and I still had my arms crossed over my chest incase the white undershirt I was wearing was see-through. The skirt thankfully wasn't as tight, made of a couple layers of sheer fabric. My blond hair had been brushed for almost an hour, then curled, and finally pulled back in a ponytail high enough so the end of my hair barely tickled my shoulders.
Ludacris simply had a suit, though it was the same color scheme with diamond buttons. His blond hair was slicked back, and he refused to meet my eyes. Every time I would look at him, I would almost have a heart attack when I caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were a bright, artificial gold, and though he had those at the Reaping, I now kept thinking that he had allowed his prep team to change his eyes for the Opening Ceremony.
The color scheme was all the gems and stones they could think of. The base was white, for diamonds. A deep red for garnet, a dark purple for amethyst, a pale blue for aquamarine, a teal for emerald, a silver for pearls, a hot pink for ruby, a yellow-green for peridot, a dark blue for sapphire, a pink for tourmaline, an orange for topaz, and a silver-blue for turquoise. It wasn't made like a rainbow - the colors were randomly wrapped around on my dress, like they were pooled on the brim and spilled over causing undefined lines down the fabric. For Ludacris's suit, it looked like someone had randomly spilled and splattered all the colors onto the white. I bit my lip, wondering what my family back home would think of this.
What all the sponsors would think about this.
POV District 2 Luipos Ulstrad
I ran my fingers through Arale's black hair, which had been brushed, straightened, and curled around her left shoulder. I could see her eyes were wide, reflecting in the metal doors of the elevator. I didn't look at myself, keeping my eyes down on her. I already knew what I looked like. I was wearing a dark grey suit with black flecks, and a grey shirt underneath. There was a pickaxe outlined on the back of the jacket, and blocks of stone all the way down my sleeves. My own black hair was slicked back, though there were strands that had been moved to curl over the right half of my face, resting beside my eye and the ends pricking my cheek.
I was still muttering to myself about Arale's ears being pierced. She said it hadn't hurt any more than pricking her finger at the Reaping, but I wasn't concerned about that. I was concerned about the new wounds being exposed to the radioactive and natural elements of District 13 within a week. She had a black dress, with white flecks to look like marble. District 2 was Masonry, but marble wasn't one of the more commons things to be found. Her eyes glittered with black and grey make-up, and Arale had been making jokes that my blue eyes were outlined just the same.
The elevator slid to a stop, and I finally forced myself to look up from my little sister to the door. I glared at myself in the door, though my expression faded just a bit as my reflection slid away with the metal as it opened. I put my arm over Arale's shoulders, and I had to push her a bit as I ushered out of the elevator. The Hunger Games was supposed to be my opportunity. Not for my father to change all my knowledge and then tell me to die for my little sister.
"Hello," my stylist, Thertin, greeted me, with Arale's stylist Issi beside him. I gave her a glare, and she instantly looked back to Arale, bent down to fiddle with her hair again.
POV District 3 Moria Kegariss
I trailed out of the elevator after Eagee, picking at my gold and black painted finger nails. I glanced around at the other tributes, trickling out of their own elevators, meeting with their stylists and mentors, and then down at myself. District 3 was technology, so this year I was glad to find there weren't any light bulbs that were directly placed on either of our clothes. My dress was dark grey, puffing out at the skirt which cut off just above my knees. Strands of yellow and gold were pained over it, looking like the designs in a circuit board. My rough, dark brown hair, had somehow been tamed and pulled back into a ponytail. There were gears dangling down from the bow in my hair, and on the left side of my head. I remembered the dark makeup around my brown eyes, and the tiny outlines of gears were painted around my eyes along with more gold lines.
Eagee had a tight black shirt, which had sprinkles of gold piled up on his shoulders and running down his back, densest at the top and spreading out at the bottom. The sleeves had been cut off, replaced by black - with specks of gold - lace. His strawberry blond hair was brushed and fluffed, and his clothes covered up his neck. When he turned back to glance at me, shoving me towards our two stylists, Mosmore and Chatkin, I noticed the District 3 seal on his shoulder, and the Capitol seal right below it.
"You look beautiful," Mosmore chirped, both her and Chatkin looking me over. I felt like a display or their dinner, and I looked at Eagee with pure panic. He just gave me a menacing smile and went back to scoping out the other tributes.
POV District 4 Poldra Umenvor
"You ready?" I asked, turning to look at Mekyl. His already broad smiled widened, and he nodded.
He had skin-tight clothes, that were different shades of blue. I was almost transported home when I looked at him, I had to admit, they had done a good job capturing the look of the ocean. When he pulled his hands out from behind his back, I was surprised. His sleeves thinned out, and the blue waves transferred to his arms, and I couldn't tell where the fabric ended. I looked up to his face, and I realized his eyes were a different color. I had remembered they were brown, but now they were a teal blue-green, and his eyes were painted to be fish of the same color. The sides of his head had the black hair cut short, forming a choppy black fin on his head. He had a cape draping down his back, which looked like fishnets when you start to pull them out of the water, loaded with fish that were barely visible as they pressed towards the bottom. "Are you?" He asked, his expression softening.
I nodded turning away. I had let my stylist, Fenux, make some permanent changes to my appearance, same as Zujevi had done to Mekyl. My long, light blond hair had been dyed white, the tips a light pink. My eyes had been left the same blue, but they had been turned into pink fish, just like Mekyl. My face, neck, shoulders, and arms had been tattooed heavily to look like the sunset. My dress was blue, looking exactly like the water. The end of the skirt was made to look like it was dripping off me, dancing around my sand-colored heels. I couldn't help myself but regret letting Fenux do whatever he liked. He had reasoned that almost every single victor had done something cosmetic to themselves after the won - and a few recent victors, before. It was like sending a message that I anticipated to win.
We were led over to our chariot, which was painted blue. The District 4 seal was printed straight on the front, and on the shoulders of the horses. They were both white with brown patches, and I was amazed to see their markings were exactly the same. I looked away, slowly realizing that they probably were born white back in District 10. I got up onto the chariot first, and Mekyl cleared his throat behind me. He had an expectant face, and he held his hand out. I clenched my jaw, grabbing it and pulling him up roughly. "I'll take it," He whispered, though it was meant specifically for me. I looked past him, at the chariots in front of us. District 3 had a gold chariot, with champagne-colored horses. District 2 had a dark grey chariot, with dark blue-grey, speckled horses. District 1 had a white chariot, with white horses.
POV District 5 Kaiadra Skeless
I shifted on the bright orange chariot, my arms clamped to my sides. I had my eyes focused on Aldmos's hands, which were clamped tightly onto the chariot. The orangish-gold horses, with blond-colored manes, were restless. I had no idea how they could stand this. I then looked at Aldmos's outfit again. His light brown hair was brushed, looking as soft as the horses' coats. He had a black and silver suit, with glowing spots like fireflies. My dress was similar, and it was toned down compared to the others. It stayed rather close to my shape, and stopped just above my ankles. It was dark grey, and the bottom looked like the Capitol that I had seen through the train windows only hours ago. Glowing power lines were displayed around my waste, and the top of my dress turned to a bright yellow. My face was highlighted with black, gold and orange. My blond-red hair was pulled back in a pony tail, though some curled stands had been pulled out, dangling down my cheeks. This was the first year I could remember where District 3, technology, and my home District 5, electricity, weren't dangling with light bulbs and power cords.
Aldmos's green eyes glanced towards me, and I quickly looked away, my eyes fixed straight forward. My hand drifted along my arm. I had bruises on my arm, left behind by Vetimy. Luckily my dress had sleeves, that draped down my arm, cutting apart at my elbows and continuing on to fall to the floor. The prep team had tried to mask it with make-up, but they couldn't - though it wasn't necessary anyway. My stylist, Atang, and Aldmos's stylist, Polny, were waving to us as the chariots in front began to move forward.
POV District 6 I'iem Perech
Suddenly the sleek white chariot, painted with black designs like the train cars, lurched forward. Arda - otherwise known as Kay's - hands flew to the edge, clamping down to keep her from falling. Since District 6 was transportation, we were dressed exactly like our chariot. I was wearing a tight white shirt, with a black jacket painted with white stripes. My brown hair had been died black at the tips, looking like a shark fin - just like the District 4 boy - more than ever. I had tight, tall black and white shoes, and I had to hold onto the chariot to keep from falling back before it had even began moving. My face was painted white, with a black stripe going straight down the middle of my forehead and nose.
Arda was wearing a very short, strapless white dress. Black stripes ran down her sides and wrapped around her waste, and her dark red hair was curled, and flipped over to her left shoulder. She was wobbling on black and white heels, and dark black make-up ringed around her dark blue eyes. I looked over my shoulder, watching as Veric and Celiji, our stylists, Orird Shatten and Delet Ghack, our mentors, and Dylin Perab started to move away from us. I then turned back to the horse-sized zebras, and beyond that, the wide opening slowly revealing the Capitol to us.
POV District 7 Cidet Shyn
I closed my eyes for a moment, the bright lights and colors blinding me. As I got used to it, my eyes swept around the crowded rows and rows of ridiculously dressed Capitol citizens - though Aleas and I weren't much better. Our chariot and horses were dark brown, and our clothes matched. I had a dark brown suit, pained like a tree. Though they stayed dark brown, I had prickles standing out on the edge like pine needles. The shirt beneath my jacket looked what the inside of a tree trunk appears as. Since my black hair was cut so short, Verenda - my stylist - worked with a lot of make-up instead.
Aleas's stylist, Fexolal, had desided to make her look like an aspen tree. Of all the District 7 tree outfits, I couldn't remember ever seeing an aspen one. Her dress was sheer white with small, vertical black dashes, though she had white fabric wrapped around her chest and a short white skirt underneath. Her face was brushed over pale, and she had lots of dark make-up around her dark green eyes. Her blond, curly hair had been brushed and tamed, then pulled back in a ponytail. I had never seen her with a ponytail. I had agreed with Belm Picker when he said that she looked pretty with her hair pulled back, but it killed me a little bit inside to agree.
POV District 8 Sulsay Honshye
I glanced up at the large video boards, each one show casing the faces of the tributes that were passing by. The screams of the thrilled citizens of the Capitol filled my ears, and I had to clutch the railing of the magenta chariot, pulled by black horses, to keep from covering my ears. I would've guessed the same for Miryp, but knowing her, she probably was more terrified that if she let go, she'd fall.
Miryp and her stylist, Chaban, had gotten along very well, unlike me and my stylist Telapo. They had been going on and on about the fabric of her dress. Since District 8 was textiles, our tributes were always wearing vibrant colored clothes with not much of a theme. Miryp was wearing a strapless dress, that started as magenta and ended as purple, coming together in vibrant gradients and roots at her waist. Her blond hair was slicked back on the sides, and she had pale blue make-up on her face to match her eyes. The smile on her face was genuine - it had been on even as we were coming down the elevator.
I had a matching jacket and pants, though it was magenta and red, and my undershirt was white. My dusty brown hair was curled above my forehead, and my eyes and lips were outlined with black. I didn't like the idea of all the possible sponsors getting their first looks at us when we looked like their own peers and children, but Miryp's attitude was rubbing off on me. "I know it's stupid," Her voice came, leaning over to talk into my ear as she smiled and began to wave at the Capitol people. "But I actually think this part is fun."
POV District 9 Adshywor Tash
Our chariot was the most interesting. It was a pale golden brown, and it had wheat painted on the front, in the background of the District 9's seal. It made sense, since we were grains, but none of the others had any decorations pained on their chariots. The horses, matching the color of the chariots, pulled to a stop in the center of the city circle, and I craned my neck to look up at the podium towering over us. President Lotus stepped out, and I realized he also wasn't as dressed up as the other Capitol citizens - or all the tributes in the ring.
Our stylists, Truda and Botes, hadn't been very unique this year. We had been dressed in farmer's clothes, but they had been changed to be more appealing. Neassale was only thirteen, but they had dressed her up like she was sixteen. She was wearing big black boots, with thick heels to make her taller. She had a pale blue, plaid shirt, that was cut off at her ribs. She wore overalls that were strapped tight to her body, and her curly blond hair had been straightened. I wasn't much different, though I had no shirt on at all under the straps of my overalls. My scruffy brown hair had been straightened too, and then slicked back. It wasn't extremely warm in the evening either, and I kept having shivers run down my spine whenever a breeze would start blowing.
"Welcome everyone," President Lotus's voice boomed.
POV District 10 Foemshay Odane
"Tributes, we welcome you," My gaze drifted from President Lotus, back down to Aramdash and I sitting in our red chariot, pulled by dark brown horses. He had his hand clamped down on mine, and my free hand was holding onto the sides. Just like always, we were dressed like cows. But our stylists, Kaltai and Weum, had down a better job of it this year.
"So, Jemafy, what was your first impression of the Capitol?" My brown hair was parted to one side, revealing almost black roots. My left eye was outlined with dark black and brushed with black blush, the other with white, and faint sparkles and white blush was painted over the rest of my face. I had black gloves and boots, and a white dress with black patches. It was made with a thin fabric, and it draped an inch beyond my feet, part of it dripping off the back of the carriage.
"Well, it depends which 'first impression' you're talking about. My first look of the Capitol, or when I actually saw all the citizens while I was dressed as a cow." Aramdash had a black and white suit on, and he also had black gloves and shoes. His right eye, and just beneath his chin where brushed over black while the rest of his face was white. His black hair actually fit the theme, fluffed and brushed back from his forehead.
"Well, you and Skeltia weren't bad looking cows, am I right?" A small scream escaped my throat, and Aramdash turned his blue eyes on me. I didn't look at him, hiding behind my sheer of brown hair.
POV District 11 Delmosskelmer Nonyt
"We honor you're courage, and you're sacrifice," President Lotus's words were so old, you could tell they weren't his. The biggest sacrifice I had made was putting on these clothes. Samundirban was squeezing tight onto my hand, and I realized what she had done, what she had sacrificed. This year, instead of dressing us up like farmers - like the District 9 boy and girl were - our stylists, Urnest and Undia, had decided to dress us like the crops we grow instead.
Samundirban's golden hair was straightened, then curled again in bigger curls, wrapping around her arms and shoulders. Her face had been painted very pale, and her eyes and lips were painted orange. The top was like a basket of apples, and there were gaps in the lace that showed the skin on her stomach. At about her waste, gold started to mix into the red, and it turned to wheat fields at the bottom of her skirt, golden lace wrapping around her legs where the dress cut off.
I looked very different from her. The ruffled hair that always hung in my face had been slicked back, though even after everything they had used on my hair, it was beginning to prick back. My entire suit was made of balls of cotton on lace, and the under shirt was a painting of blue sky, green trees, with a tree sitting in the middle, its curling branches covered with cotton for every leaf. Our chariot was a mixture of all three. My side was white with cotton, the middle was red with apples, and Samundirban's side was gold with wheat and corn. The horses were a dark brown, with black hooves and white muzzles.
POV District 12 Adoss Drysay
"And we wish you a happy Hunger Games," I clenched my teeth, glaring up at President Lotus. "And may the odds be ever in your favor." Zalnys winced beside me, and my gaze softened as soon as I turned to him. His muscles were strained, and I realized my hand was going numb from how hard I was holding onto his. The chariots began to move, each District's chariot soon joining in the mass. District 12's black chariot and black horses joined in last, and we took one trip around before District 1's white chariot and horses began to lead the rest back, each one slowly filing into the correct order.
I had been slowly cutting off his circulation ever since the elevators. I hated what we were dressed in. My dark brown hair had been heavily worked over. It had evened with a longer-haired version of the District 4 and 6 boys, though I still had hair on the side of my head - it was just shorter. My dress was strapless, and it barely covered my chest. It was made out of the uniforms the miners always wore, though it was turned into a dress and stripped down. The shredded bits on my chest were burned black, and it was torn to shreds around my waist and stomach. Once it passed my hips, it was shredded again and turned black. The rest of it was tinted black, with what smelled like real coal dust, and my arms, neck, and upper chest were dusted over and painted with black lines, like I was slowly being consumed by coal.
Zalnys looked very smiliar, though his pants were completely black, and he only had shreds of the dusted-black uniform over his shoulders, leaving him mostly bare. The black lines began a spinning design around his chest, centering itself on the cover of his abs, which then appeared to set itself on fire. His black hair had been slicked back, and then he said his stylist when back and curled up the ends of every lock of hair upward, giving an almost singed look to him. Both of us had dark makeup on our eyes, and I had it on my lips too.
I was struggling to not give glares to every Capitol citizen. I had been shaking in my own fear the entire time, until they dressed me up like this. Our stylists, Jobuso and Jitusa, were the classic cliché stylists that also had showed their work in District 9 - bare skin. Once we finally got under the cover of where we had started, the chariots took another turn so they would end in the same order they had started in - 1 to 12. I ripped my hand away from Zalnys so I could cover my chest, and he put his arm over my shoulder to help me - and to shelter me from the cold winds that were starting to pick up and blow in through the gaping hole we had just entered through.
We finally came to a stop in front of Ranoy, Jobuso, Jitusa, Katniss, and Peeta again. Zalnys and I stepped off the chariot together, and I tried to hide behind him from the other tributes as they stepped off. While Jobuso and Jitusa started squaking, Katniss gave me a sympathetic look. "We need to get moving," Ranoy said, observing the rest of the tributes being hustled away.
Peeta offered me his jacket as we turned and followed after Ranoy, leaving Jobuso and Jitusa behind. "Thank you," I replied quietly, letting Ranoy continue on with whatever his lecture was of the rest of the night. I smiled a bit, pulling it tight over my shoulders.
"I'm sorry, I don't have anything for you," He joked, smiling at Zalnys, who was still close at my side. He made a face in return, and he just smiled back before returning to Katniss, who was the only one left with Ranoy and was clearly unhappy about it. Zalnys then glanced back to me as I gave him a playful smirk. His eyes softened, and I almost immediately guessed he was just glad I wasn't shivering out of fear. I pulled close to him, and he put his arm over my shoulder again. I could see the goosebumps running up his arms, and I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Yes, because the shark should be laughing at me right now," He ran his fingers through my hair and rolled his eyes, though I saw him crack a smile. out of the corner of my eye.