Chapter 5: The Capitol
Allison Winters
I don't realize it's morning until there's a soft knock on my door, it's Sapphire calling me to breakfast. I tell her I'll be there in a few and jump into the shower, it takes me more than a few minutes to figure out the button panel in the shower though. One wrong press and I'm covered in strange purple goo that I assume is soap, once I've rinsed off I smell like I took a bath in floral perfume. Could have been worse. I think to myself as air shoots out of nowhere and dries me off. I put on my undergarments and slip on a warm blue sweater and black skirt that hits just above the knees, I don't trust the buttons on the closet.
Kevin Thorne
I wake up on the floor, tangled in the sheets of the bed. Untangling myself I head into the bathroom and go through my regular morning routine, until I get to the shower and have no idea how to work the thing.
It's probably been about an hour since I got in and I think I've pressed every button on the panel, I stumble out and a gust of air dries my body. I rush back into my room and pull on some clothes before heading to the dining car.
Allison Winters
The dining car is vacant with the exception of a few servers, I'm surprised to see that I'm the only one there considering how long it took me to figure out the shower. I walk up to one of the many carts positioned around the dining car, a tray of food is handed to me by a tall red-haired avox. "Thank you." I smile at him as I go back to the table and sit down. On the tray is a plate of eggs and bacon, pancakes with maple syrup and fresh blueberries, a bowl of oatmeal, a glass of orange juice and a mug of what seems like whipped cream. I pick up the mug causing some brown liquid to slosh out of the side when I immediately place it back on the tray, It's hot.
"It's called hot chocolate." Says Sapphire as she walks in, Andrew in tow. "Kevin will be here in a few more minutes." They are both handed trays containing food items identical to mine.
I pull my sleeves over my hands and try picking up the mug again, making the heat more bearable. I take a small sip and burn my tongue, not as prepared for the heat as I thought, but cautiously take another sip and immediately fall in love with the brown creamy liquid.
"What was this called again?" I ask before taking another sip. Sapphire smiles as she says.
"Hot chocolate." I drain every last drop of hot chocolate from my mug before I ask a blonde server for a refill with extra whipped cream. I'm a few sips in when Kevin enters.
"Sorry I'm la-" He starts laughing. "Don't remember you having a white mustache last time I saw you." I catch my reflection on a tin of fruit on the table and blush as I quickly wipe the cream off my face with a napkin. Kevin sits down as a tray is placed before him as I go back to my hot chocolate, everything else on my tray still untouched. I try taking slower sips trying to savour it but give in and am half way through the cup in less than a minute."Can I get some of what she's having?" Kevin says with a chuckle as I blush. A server hands him a mug of hot chocolate as I finish off my own mug. I'm about to ask for more when Andrew interrupts.
"You should eat something before we get to the Capitol, you won't be able to live off of hot chocolate." I nod and start to nibble on the pancakes. "We should be near the tunnel to the Capitol by now." Just as he finishes saying that, the train is engulfed in darkness proving his statement true. Kevin and I rush towards the windows waiting to catch a glimpse of the Capitol. As the darkness fades, brightly coloured buildings come into view, so tall you can't even tell where they end and the sky begins. One thing the Capitol hasn't lied about is how beautiful the city is.
Kevin Thorne
The buildings of the Capitol are ridiculously tall and even more ridiculously couloured, yet somehow the combination doesn't seem strange at all. It seems fitting in a way, especially with it's colourful residents roaming the streets. I tug on the collar of my shirt to try and conceal the heavy scent of vanilla, I pressed the wrong button in the shower and got sprayed in the face with a foamy mixture. I spent maybe a little over half an hour trying to get the scent off, which didn't work. The thick floral aroma coming from Allison and a small smear of purple goo on her neck tells me that I might not be the only one who had shower malfunctions.
"Shower troubles?" I wipe the goo off her with my index and middle finger and hold them up.
She nods, slightly pink as she trys to wipe off any remaining goo. She laughs a little.
"You too? Or do you always smell this girly?" She takes an exaggerated sniff.
"Shut up." I say turning a little pink myself.
"Looks like you had closet troubles too." She laughs pointing at the buttons on my shirt which are all in the wrong holes, after the whole shower incident I decided not to risk being put in a frilly dress and heels by pressing the wrong buttons on the closet.
"Nope, just didn't want to miss out on the food." I smile as I go to re-button my shirt. I finish buttoning and look up to see cheering Capitol citizens through the window. Allison shies away from them and asks for another cup of hot chocolate. It's probably about the fifth cup she's had in the last few minutes, I don't blame her though, it's pretty good stuff. I grab a roll from the bread basket in the middle of the table and sit back down at the table. I'm not interested in seeing the people of the Capitol if they look even half as ridiculous as Sapphire.
"Once this train stops you'll both be taken to the remake centre, remember not to object to anything they do, they are only doing their jobs after all, you will also meet with your stylists." Andrew says, we both nod.
"What happens after that?" Says Allison.
"Twenty-two other tributes are going to be put through the same thing and you will all be put on chariots for the tribute parade, this will be your first impression to the Capitol and potential sponsers." He replies as the train slows to a stop. "We're here."
Author's note: So what do you guys think? Leave a review if you have the chance and thanks for reading chapter 5!