A/N: Ugh! It's finally here. I was planning to get this chapter up WAY earlier, but I'm... Me.
I loved all of the recipes that were sent. I couldn't decide because they were all so good! I turned to three of my good friends, two of which have read the trilogy and one who I'm still trying to convince. But because they all had their differences, it came down to a three way tie. Finally I walked up to the most talented cook I know- my mom. Sounds lame right? But if you're looking for fancy cooking, all eyes meet mom. After telling her the situation she read over the three chosen recipes and instantly picked one out.
But I still wasn't convinced, given how stubborn I was being, and decided- "What the hell, why not choose the other three as well and put them into the other POV's I have to draw out." (See Sponsor Points given below!)
Enjoy!
~Prepping~
Zane Galvin's PO.V.
I've never seen someone who gets as paranoid as Shamira. I think she's still freaking out about all my scars. I have to keep reminding her that no matter how much makeup she tries to put on it, it'll always show.
The waxing stage was the worst, but I can't really say I'm sore.
"Stings like a burn doesn't it?" Hanley says tossing me a robe. I don't know if he's trying to relevant this to my earlier damages. "Come sit." He says leading me to an open area.
Being in the Capitol's robes is one thing, but sitting on their plush couches is another piece of heaven. A giant window provides an overview of the City Circle which seems to be preparing for tonight. "Looks fun." I say with a small smirk.
"Oh it is." Says Hanley in an excited tone. I don't think he's noticed the sarcasm I put into my words. But I don't mind it. At least I didn't get a stylist that is uptight about everything I do or say. He's an outgoing type, and I like that about this man.
In the press of a button, our food is raised up to us on a thin platter made of shiny silver. I raise an eyebrow because it's certainly not something I would have expected from mom's cooking.
A large, tanned brown bowl holds leafy green salad. I can smell the sauce in seconds, the lemon juice giving it away. Beside it is a stack of small plates and another bowl, this one much smaller that the bowl with salad. The oval bowl is much like the other salad but has square chunks of meat and stronger, sweeter smell.
"We'll be working on your suit between courses. I hope you don't mind." Hanley says grabbing a plate and handing it to me. "This way we won't be working on full stomachs." He smiles in an overly excited way which forces the corners of my mouth to rise.
Even after having food on the trains, I am astounded by all the food. I try not to stuff my plate with the large appetizers because there is no way my stomach can already subside with heaven.
Ebony works on my hair after the quick snacking. My hair can barely hold the products he puts into it. "Stubborn splits," he calls it. Soon after, Jasper joins in and starts measuring me everywhere. First around my waist- a slim twenty-six inches earned a small gasp from Shamira. Then shoulder to shoulder- nineteen inches. And around the head- Twenty-two. These are the three at the least I can name.
By noon Hanley has seemed to finish because he calls me out of the small room that the crew are working on and brings me in front of a mirror. "You must be starving already."
Small stomach Hanley?
"How close are we to finishing?" I ask scooping a bit of soup onto my spoon. Like the salad it has small pieces of meat. But it is much more beef than chicken for sure.
"Don't get too eager now." He says already halfway down to the bottom of his bowl. I notice that I haven't made a dent in mine and shovel the spoonful into my mouth. There is a coughing noise, but I don't realize the sounds are coming from me until I get a look of reassurance from Hanley.
I say with a bit of a laugh, "it's warm."
Hanley starts to chuckle softly. "It's supposed to be. What did you expect? Its borscht soup for crying out loud."
When I was little my mom made this same soup. Or something similar at the least. With the cabbage and carrots piled high from the bottom so I'd stay healthy and strong. The soup here tastes so much sweeter though. Maybe it's just the heat warming up my taste buds though. I was young that's all. Memories grow bitter as you grow older.
The new platter has another soup also. From the looks of it, it seems to be some sort of cabbage or beef soup. But Hanley seems to be on a bit of a tight schedule so I skip it.
Shamira comes by soon after and applies a "fifty-pound" powder onto my face and cheekbones. The chalky feeling makes me look very tan compared to my regular skin tone. Ebony comes by and adds some foam to my hair. "It will add some texture" he tells me a small smile on his purple lips.
"Do you like it sweetie?" Shamira asks handing me a mirror. "Oh, Ebony. Doesn't he just look like…" Her words trail off but the admiration expression on her face stays.
"I think the word you're looking for is 'wow'" A tall woman who looks like she's in her twenties walks up to the chair I sit in. She tilts my head up to get a better look.
"I think she likes it." I whisper to Ebony the humor rubbing against my throat.
The woman smiles at me, her bleached, creamy blonde bangs swooping into her face as she turns back to Shamira and Ebony. "You don't happen to have that old piercing kit, do you?"
Ebony nods and skits off to a small closet where he clutters around. "How is district ten working with you?" Shamira asks the woman.
She shakes her head sadly. "That's why I'm here. Sandra had a nervous breakdown with Devon Vanazuales. So she had a last minute change to the sheep outfit. Ms. Dawson already ate her entire lunch. Can you believe it? A girl with that big of a stomach for Chicken and Dressing?"
Shamira sighs in a panicked tone. "But she's an O.K. kid right?"
"Oh definitely. She's delightful. I don't think there's anyone better." The woman says clasping her hands together.
"Oh you haven't met Zane." Ebony says handing the girl a small, plastic box. My hand rises as a quick wave.
There's not much conversation left between the three. I don't really mind though. I could go on listening to them all day. Especially with the plate of sushi and grilled salmon by my side.
But their conversation comes to end soon later. "Bye Jewel!" calls Shamira waving happily after. Ebony goes back to business and looks over all my changes and all the things left out. There is a short debate over keeping one of my visible scars on my knuckles. Ebony regards it will make me look hard-working in tough, Shamira wants me to be model perfect as always.
In the end they decide to keep it, but Shamira probably has a trick up her sleeves to change that.
Hanley lets the prep team and I have a small brake by the windows and couches. Jasper and I are able to exchange a short conversation. "These games are going to be perfect. I can just feel it. Better than all the years I've seen from these games."
"How long have you worked here?" I ask chewing on a small cut square of filet mignon. According to Ebony, it's a fancy steak that even some of the capitol people can't afford. Don't ask me, I just got here.
"Seven years." he says with a small happy sigh.
"Must be nice seeing all these district eight tributes that you helped create in the Opening Ceremonies." I say watching all of the little dots who are supposedly Capitol people working on chariots and decorating the entire City Circle. And even though all of these tributes, maybe even me, will die in the end, the Opening Ceremonies were my favorite.
It makes me feel like the tributes get a moment to feel like their more than just a person waiting in line for the gallows. To make them feel like there is something to keep living for. Or maybe it's just the red wine and kulebiaka putting words into my mouth and thoughts into my head.
"It is." Jasper says in a soft whisper, tilting his head at the City Circle. I at first think he's gotten into my mind, answering what I was thinking, but I realize I have already said what I've said.
Hanley comes out on cue and throws me a lump of magenta velvet fabric. "Sling it over your shoulder." He tells me in a rush. "Come on, we don't have all day now. There's two hours left until we have to meet everyone at the chariots."
I do as told and I'm given a small frown. "The fabric needs to be shorter. You can't be a worker with fabric unless you've actually worked with the fabric." Ebony says swooshing his wine around his glass.
"He has a point." Shamira adds smiling and finishing off the flaky pastries from off the platter.
So for what seems like more than Hanley's deadline, my prep team and stylist work on my outfit over and over until they finally approve themselves. I must say that it is a bit better than what us people from district eight usually wear in the games.
Hanley sits me down in one of the white couches again. It has been the fourth tiring time today. "We have just enough time for dessert." My stylist says as a person in white brings us two plates that hold chocolate cake piled in layers mountain high.
I am full from earlier food from the day but my mind says go for it. And it really is a treat. It's the sweetest thing I've ever tasted. Once I've made it through the cake halfway, I feel like groaning when an avox comes in with two oval bowls of ice cream toppled over each other and mug of some type of substance.
Hanley digs through the food like a pig, which quite surprises me. With the strength I build up I push myself to keep eating this way I don't look too impolite.
The mug seems to have a brown coloring like coffee my mother would line up for at the Town Square. "It's Hot Chocolate. It's very tasteful and refreshing. My goal was to make your outfit just like hot chocolate."
Tasteful and refreshing.
I take a giant sip and set down the mug, finally filling myself over the limit. "I swear you people are trying to fatten me up for the games." I say half joking. Hanley gives a laugh and drinks some of his hot chocolate.
While he finishes his dessert and waits for the avox to come and clean off the glass table, he requests me to go put on my chariot outfit because it's already time to go.
XxXxXxXxXx
As I get into my chariot with Sarah I notice a pattern between us. Are stylists have well thought out a plan and have worked everything out. We're one step closer to get sponsors.
It is only then that I realize how much these people may care about their tributes. That is- Only until our cannon goes off.
The strong and bold music of the Capitol Anthem play loudly upon the speakers. The woodwinds musical part is hushed against the brass and loud percussion.
And with a small rusty creak, you can see the patina gates open.
Let the Opening Ceremonies begin.
A/N: Yeah. This one's a bit shorter. I'm still kind of in that bored mood because there isn't much going on yet. Opening Ceremonies are almost here I just have to finish D5 and D6.
No news today really besides sponsor points below. But thanks for reading!
Sponsor Points:
District One:
Sponsor's name: Ali
Tribute's name: Lexi Miller
Tribute's district: 1
Current Money: $1000
Sponsor's name: Kathryn Rivera
Tribute's name: Julian Devereux
Tribute's district: 1
Current Money: $1000
District Two:
Sponsor's name: Alex Hawk
Tribute's name: Arabella Hathaway
Tribute's district: 2
Current money: $1100
(Given $100 for coming in 1st for recipes)
District Three:
Sponsor's name: Bibliophile1318
Tribute's name: Amelia Arthurs
Tribute's district: Three
Current Money: $1050
(Given $50 for coming in 2nd for Recipes)
District Four:
Female- Aurelia Loret
Tribute's name: Aurelia Loret
Tribute's district: 4
Current Money: $1000
District Five:
Sponsor's Name: Turq8
Tribute's name: Nan Weatherall
Tribute's District: 5
Current Money: $1000
(I had to make a sponsor form for Nan because she got sponsor points- Given $50 for coming in 2nd for recipes)
Sponsor's Name: Pezy
Tribute's name: Jeret Pillar
Tribute's District: 5
Current Money: $1000
District Seven:
Sponsor's name: Mary Kate
Tribute's name: Shay Auburn
Tribute's district: Seven
Current Money: $1050
(Sponsor points were given to Shay because she is the sponsor's main tribute- won $5o by coming in 2nd for recipes)
Sponsor's name: Mary Kate
Tribute's name: Ren Kirro
Tribute's district: Seven
Current Money: $1000
District Eleven:
Sponsor name: Ione Yearling
Tribute name: Rose
District: Eleven
Current Money: $1000
-Fifi