Chapter 4

Lucius - (33) portrayed by Godfrey Gao

I've been in the Remake Center for more than three hours and I still haven't met my stylist. Apparently he had no interest in seeing me until Venia, a woman with aqua hair and gold tattoos over her eyebrows, and the other members of my prep team addressed some obvious problems. This included scrubbing down my body with a gritty loam that removed not only dirt but at least three layers of skin, turning my nails into uniform shapes, and primarily, ridding the small amounts of body hair that I had. My legs, arms, torso, underarms, and parts of my eyebrows had been stripped of the Muff, leaving me like a plucked bird, ready for roasting. I didn't like it. My skin felt sore and tingling and intensely vulnerable from the hair pulling they did on my skin. But I kept my side of the bargain with Finnick as I let them do their work without any resistance.

"You're doing very well," said some guy named Flavius. He gave his orange corkscrew locks a shake and applied a fresh coat of purple lipstick to his mouth. "If there's one thing we can't stand, it's a whiner. Grease her down!"

Venia and Octavia, a plump woman whose entire body had been dyed a pale shade of pea green, rubbed me down with a lotion that first stung but then soothed my raw skin. Then they pulled me from the table, removing the thin robe I've been allowed to wear off and on. I stood there, completely naked, as the three circled me, wielding tweezers to remove any last bits of hair. I know I should be embarrassed, but they're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet.

The three stepped back and admired their work. "At least we didn't have to do much work. Thank God for District Four for producing natural beauties!" said Flavius , and they all nodded their heads in agreement..

I forced myself to smile to show how grateful I was. "Thank you." I said sweetly. "I wish I was this privileged to be pampered like this all the time."

It looked like that won them over. "Of course! You're going to be the talk of The Capital very soon, dear." said Octavia snapping her fingers over her face.

"Lucius will make you look even more gorgeous." Venia said with an obnoxiously high pitched voice.

"Of course he will." Flavius said encouragingly. "Let's call him!"

They darted out of the room, and all I thought was how boisterous they were. They were very annoying and were total idiots. And yet, I knew they were sincerely trying to help me.

I looked at the cold white walls and floor and resisted the impulse to retrieve my robe. I'm sure Lucius, my stylist, would make me remove it at once. My eyes immediately went to the pin that Grandma Mags gave me. It shone brightly against the light, and all I thought about was my family. How I longed to go back to them. The pin reminded me to fight hard for them, but then my mind instantly thought about Aqua and the promise I made. I wanted to fight but at what cost? Do I sacrifice my life to keep her promise so that they could reunite, or do I just abandon Gill and go off on my own and lose my best friend.

The door opened and a young man who must be Lucius entered. I'm taken aback by how normal he looked. Most of the stylists they interviewed on television were so dyed, stenciled, and surgically altered. It made them grotesque. But Lucius's slicked back hair appeared to be its natural shade of black. He's in a simple black shirt and pants. The only concession to self-alteration seemed to be metallic gold eyeliner that had been applied with a light hand. It brought out the flecks of gold in his eyes. And, despite my disgust with The Capital and their hideous fashions, I couldn't help thinking how attractive it looked.

"Hello, Talia. I'm Lucius, your stylist," he said in a quiet voice somewhat lacking in the Capital's affectations.

"Hello." I ventured cautiously.

"Just give me a moment, all right?" he asked.

He walked around my naked body, not touching me, but taking in every inch of it with his eyes. I resisted the impulse to cross my arms over my chest. I expected someone flamboyant, someone older trying desperately to look young, someone who viewed me as a piece of meat to be prepared for a platter. Lucius met none of those expectations.

"You're new, aren't you? I don't think I've seen you before," I said. Most of the stylists were familiar, constants in the ever-changing pool of tributes. Some had been around my whole life.

"Yes, this is my first year in the Games,"

"So, they gave you District Four?" That's strange. Usually, the lesser known districts had newcomers.

"I asked for District Four," he said without further explanation. "Why don't you put on your robe and we'll have a chat."

Pulling on my robe, I followed him through a door into a sitting room. Two red couches faced off over a low table. Three walls were blank, the fourth was entirely glass, providing a window to the city. I could see by the light that it must be around noon, although the sunny sky turned into an overcast. Lucius invited me to sit on one of the couches and took his place across from me. He pressed a button on the side of the table. The top split and from below rose a second tabletop that held our lunch. Chicken and chunks of oranges cooked in a creamy sauce laid on a bed of pearly white grain, tiny green peas and onions, rolls shaped like flowers, and for dessert, a honey-colored pudding.

My mouth nearly watered when the aroma seeped through my nostrils, but I made sure to not get tempted in so easily as I wanted to make a good impression on my stylist. I then wondered what it must be like to live in a world where food appeared at the press of a button. How would I spend the hours I committed to diving in the ocean or trading with the locals for sustenance if it were so easy to come by? What do The Capital people do all day besides decorating their bodies and waiting around for a new shipment of tributes to roll in and die for their entertainment?

I looked up and found Lucius's eyes trained on mine. "How despicable we must seem to you,"

Had he seen this in my face or somehow read my thoughts? He's right, though. The whole rotten lot of them was despicable.

"No matter," said Lucius. "So, Talia, about your costume for the opening ceremonies. My partner, Portia, is the stylist for your fellow tribute, Gill. And our current thought is to dress you in complementary costumes. As you know, it's customary to reflect the flavor of the district."

For the opening ceremonies, tributes were supposed to wear something that suggested their district's principal industry. District Eleven, agriculture. District Six, transportation. District Three, factories. Since Gill and I were from District Four, we would be in some kind of fishermen getup. Our tributes usually ended up in skimpy outfits. One year, our tributes wore nothing but fish nets around their naked bodies. It's always dreadful, but we typically won favor with the crowd due to our attractiveness. I prepared myself for the worst.

"So I'm gonna dress up like a fisherman?"

"Not what I had in mind. You see, Portia and I think that fishermen are overdone. No one will remember you in that. And we both see it as our job to make District Four's tributes unforgettable. So, rather than having you both dress up as fishermen, we're going to focus on the ocean."

A few hours later, I was dressed in what was probably the most sensational outfits I've ever seen. I was in a dress that pooled to my ankles. It started white from my torso and stretched downward only to change to different shades of blue as it slowly got darker. There were embellishments of white beads creating circular patches that connected to one another to create rippling effects, and just inside those patches were pure gems that glistened against the light. He also gave me a matching headpiece that had the same blue ribbon tied against my right shoulder. As for the earrings, the blue gems dangled just above my shoulders and were attached to pearls against my ear lobes.

They stenciled under my eyes and over them to create thin blue lines and glossed my lips. Other than that, my face didn't have much else. My hair had been brushed out and then braided intricately in a bun with pins to hold them together, and the pearls on the pins looked like dew drops in my hair.

When Gill showed up, they dressed him up in a metallic dark blue jacket with matching pants and a white shirt. His stylist, Portia, and our prep team were absolutely giddy about what a splash we'd make except Lucius. He seemed a bit weary as he accepted congratulations.

We're whisked down to the bottom level of the Remake Center, which was essentially a gigantic stable. The opening ceremonies were going to start. Pairs of tributes were being loaded into chariots pulled by teams of four horses. Ours were pearl white. The animals were so well trained that no one needed to guide their reins. Lucius and Portia directed us into the chariot and carefully arranged our body positions, the draping of my dress, and fixing Gill's collar before moving off to consult with each other.

"Where's Finnick? I thought he'd want to see us before the ceremony." Gill whispered.

"I don't know," I whispered back. "Maybe trying to rally the crowd for us to gain sponsors."

The opening music began. It's easy to hear as it blasted around The Capital. Massive doors slid open revealing the crowd-lined streets. The ride lasted about twenty minutes and ended at the City Circle, where they welcomed us, played the anthem, and escorted us into the Training Center, which would be our home/prison until the Games begin.

The tributes from District One rode out in a chariot pulled by snow-white horses. They looked so beautiful, spray-painted silver, in tasteful tunics glittering with jewels. District One made luxury items for The Capitol. I could hear the roar of the crowd. It was expected since they were always favorites.

District Two got into position to follow them. In no time at all, we were approaching the door and I could see that between the overcast sky and evening hours the light was turning gray. The tributes from District Three were just rolling out when Lucius appeared. "Here we go then," he said, and before we could react our outfits shone and turned luminescent the darker our surroundings got. I gasped and looked at myself, completely taken aback by the bright surprise. Lucius let out a sigh of relief. "It worked." Then he gently tucked a hand under my chin. "Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you!"

Lucius jumped off the chariot and had one last idea. He shouted something up at us, but the music drowned him out. He shouted again and gestured to his hand. I then looked at Gill and wondered as I went to grab his hand and raised it in the air. We looked back to Lucius for confirmation, and he gave us a thumbs-up. It was the last thing we saw before we made it into the city.

The crowd's initial alarm at our appearance quickly changed to cheers and shouts of "District Four!" Every head turned our way, pulling the focus from the three chariots ahead of us. At first, I froze, because I was still stunned by the effects of my dress as they shone brighter from the moonlight, but then I caught sight of Gill and me on a large television screen. I was completely enamored at how breathtaking we looked. In the deepening twilight, the luminescent light illuminated our faces. The blue stencil highlighted my eyes as it turned bright too, highlighting my eyes. Cinna was right about the minimal makeup, we both looked more attractive but utterly recognizable.

I then heard Lucius's voice in my head. Heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you! I lifted my chin a bit higher, put on my most winning smile, and waved with my free hand. I actually blew a few kisses to the crowd. The people of The Capitol were going nuts, showering us with flowers and shouting our names.

The pounding music, the cheers, the admiration work their way into my blood, and I couldn't suppress my excitement. Lucius gave me a great advantage. No one would ever forget me. Not my look, let alone my name. I then felt a flicker of hope rising up in me. Surely, there must be one sponsor willing to take me on!

Someone threw me a red lily. I caught it, gave it a delicate sniff, and blew a kiss back in the general direction of the giver. A hundred hands reached up to catch my kiss, as if it were a real and tangible thing.

"Talia! Talia!" I heard my name being called from all sides. Everyone wanted my kisses.

The twelve chariots filled the loop of the City Circle. On the buildings that surrounded the Circle, every window was packed with the most prestigious citizens of The Capitol. Our horses pulled our chariot right up to President Snow's mansion, and we came to a halt. The music ended with a flourish. The president, a small, thin man with paper-white hair, gave the official welcome from a balcony above us. It was traditional to cut away to the faces of the tributes during the speech. But I saw on the screen that Gill and I were getting way more than our share of airtime. The darker it became, the more difficult it was to take your eyes off our luminescent outfits. When the national anthem played, they made an effort to do a quick cut around to each pair of tributes, but the camera held on the District Four chariot as it paraded around the circle one final time and disappeared into the Training Center.

As soon as we made it past the doors, we were engulfed by the prep team, who were nearly unintelligible as they babbled out praise. As I glanced around, I noticed a lot of the other tributes were shooting us dirty looks, which confirmed what I've suspected, we've literally outshone them all. Then Lucius and Portia were there, helping us down from the chariot, carefully removing my headdress.

When I heard a clap behind me, I looked to see Finnick heading our way with a satisfied grin on his face. "That couldn't have gone any better. You easily won the crowd." Finnick said.

"Think we'll get enough sponsors?" I asked.

"Slow your roll there. There's still other parts of the Games that you have to go through to win them over. But, if you keep doing what you did just now, I'd say you have a very good chance especially with my help."

His smile quickly faded when he looked over my shoulder. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, so I turned around to see District Two's male tribute staring at me. There was so much intensity in his eyes that it brought a chill to my spine. I knew if I was up against him in a one on one combat, he'd beat me with strength. There's no question in my mind that he intimidated me, but I tried not to show it. Finnick then led us away from prying eyes so that the District Two male tribute wouldn't eat us alive with one look anymore. But as I turned back, his eyes curved over my figure. He was like a dangerous predator stalking his prey. And when our eyes met, he smirked, telling me to be careful around him.

The Training Center had a tower designed exclusively for the tributes and their teams. It was going to be our home until the actual Games began. Each district had an entire floor. All we had to do was simply step onto an elevator and press the number of our district. Sounded easy enough to remember.

I've only ridden an elevator once in the Justice Building back in District Four. Yesterday when I said goodbye to my friends and family. But that's a dark and creaky thing that moved like a snail and smelled like rotten fish. The walls of this elevator were made of crystal. And Gill's face brightened for the first time when we shot from the ground floor as the people shrunk to ants.

Apparently, Phaedra Starling's duties did not conclude at the station. She and Finnick would be overseeing us right into the arena. In a way, that's a plus because at least they can be counted on to corral us around to places on time. Even though Finnick seemed calm and collected, he couldn't help but grin as he listened to Phaedra flying high. Apparently, we were the first team she's ever chaperoned that made a splash at the opening ceremonies. She's complimentary about not just our costumes but how we conducted ourselves. And, to hear her tell it, Phaedra knew everyone who's anyone in the Capital and had been talking to them all day, trying to win us sponsors.

"Finnick and I've done our best to get you both sponsors." Phaedra said. "How Talia sacrificed yourself for your sister, Gill. And how you've both struggled to overcome the barbarism of your district."

Barbarism? I wouldn't necessarily call it that as our district was comfortable enough since it's considered to be wealthy. Surely, The Capital people knew that, but then again, if they believed that killing children for sport was entertaining to them, then they were most likely idiots.

"They'll be fine so far." Finnick said. "I managed to sweet talk my way into a Capital woman already."

"Not surprising." I muttered, knowing what he was implying to.

It's no secret that everyone in District Four knew what Finnick was capable of. How he slept with nearly everyone from The Capital. He earned most of my earnings now just by giving them his pleasurable company all night, or at least, that's what I overheard from the people in my district, most particularly the men, while the women swooned and sighed hopelessly devoted to him with just one look.

Finnick, Phaedra, and Gill then turned to me, and the one who looked the most annoyed was Finnick as he stared me down. "Is there a problem?" Finnick asked. I couldn't ignore the slight edge in his tone. Even Phaedra gave me a dirty look. As for Gill, he looked at me like I was crazy or something since I spoke disrespectfully to my mentor.

"No." I finally managed to swallow the lump in my throat as I said, "There's no problem."

Finnick gave me a crooked grin as he took a step or two towards me until we were inches away from each other. "How about a little gratitude, Flanagan? If you don't value what I'm doing to help you or listen to any of my advice, then you won't last a day in the arena."

As soon as the elevator doors opened, he didn't take his eyes off me as if he wanted to make sure that I got the message through the intensity in his eyes. Even though I didn't like my mentor at all, I wasn't going to lie that he was at least determined to make sure that Gill and I got sponsors. However, I still haven't forgotten the train ride as he gave up on Gill. He probably tried to get Gill some sponsors to show that he actually cared, but I knew that I was his best bet on winning as he claimed it on the train. He finally exited the elevator as Phaedra, Gill, and I followed right behind him.

My quarters were larger than my entire house back home. They were plush, like the train car, but also had so many automatic gadgets that I'm sure I won't have time to press all the buttons. The shower alone had a panel with more than a hundred options. I could choose to regulate water temperature, pressure, soaps, shampoos, scents, oils, and massaging sponges. When I stepped out on a mat, heaters came on to blow-dry my body. Instead of struggling with the knots in my wet hair, I merely placed my hand on a box that sent a current through my scalp, untangling, parting, and drying my hair almost instantly. It floated down around my shoulders in a glossy curtain.

I programmed the closet for an outfit to my taste. The windows zoomed in and out on parts of the city at my command. I needed only to whisper a type of food from a gigantic menu into a mouthpiece and it appeared, hot and steamy, in less than a minute. I walked around the room eating goose liver and puffy bread until there's a knock on the door. Effie called me to dinner. About time. I'm starving.

Gill, Lucius, and Portia were standing out on a balcony that overlooked The Capital when we entered the dining room. I was glad to see the stylists, particularly after I heard that Finnick would be joining us. A meal presided over by just Effie and Finnick was bound to be a disaster. Besides, dinner wasn't really about food, it's about planning out our strategies, and Lucius and Portia already proved how valuable they were.

A silent young man dressed in a white tunic offered us all stemmed glasses of wine. I thought about turning it down, but I never had wine, and when will I get a chance to try it again?

I took a sip of the tart, dry liquid and secretly thought it could be improved by a few spoonfuls of honey. Gill, on the other hand, was much more reluctant to try it. He scrunched his nose after sniffing it before he brought it to his lips and took a sip. I noticed a smirk cross Finnick's face while Phaedra snickered to see a disgusted face on Gill's face as he coughed.

"Honestly, children shouldn't even be drinking alcohol." Phaedra said.

And yet sending us to our deaths was okay.

As Gill put his glass down, I concentrated on my meal. Mushroom soup, bitter greens with pint-sized tomatoes, rare roast beef sliced as thin as paper, noodles in a green sauce, cheese that melted on my tongue with sweet grapes on the side. The servers, who were all young, dressed in white tunics like the one who gave us the wine, moved silently to and from the table, keeping our glasses and our plates full.

About halfway through my glass of wine, my head started to feel foggy. I then drank some water, hoping it'll help. I was sure it was going to wear off soon. I just didn't like the feeling of it as it clouded my mind for a moment. And when I looked at Finnick, I noticed he was watching me as he took a sip of his glass with a playful grin.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said, taking another sip of his wine.

I rolled my eyes and got annoyed even more when his smirk grew. I didn't get why he found me hating him was amusing. I guess it was his sick twisted way of saying how he liked to watch me squirm.

Everyone then talked about our chariot costumes and what an impact we made to the crowd while Gill and I listened intently while a girl set a gorgeous looking cake on the table and deftly lit it. It blazed up and it flickered along the edges awhile before going out. I then thanked her for the slice she put on my plate. We then made eye contact for a brief moment and I was filled with anxiety when I looked into her eyes. They were like hollow shells as she simply nodded her head and hurried back to her spot. I then turned back to the adults staring at me like hawks.

"I wouldn't waste your breath. She's an Avox." Finnick said.

"What's an Avox?" I asked.

"Someone who committed a crime. They cut her tongue so that she can't speak." Finnick answered. "She's a traitor to The Capital in some way."

We ate the cake and moved into a sitting room to watch the replay of the opening ceremonies that's being broadcasted. A few of the other couples made a nice impression, but none of them could hold a candle to us. Even our own party let out an "Ahh!" as they showed us coming out of the Remake Center.

"Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it," said Finnick to Gill and me. "Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk."

Gill and I walked together down the corridor to our rooms. When we got to my door, he leaned against the frame, not blocking my entrance exactly but insisting I paid attention to him. "You know there's no way I'm gonna survive, right?"

"What?" I said. "What are you talking about? Just have a little more faith in yourself."

"C'mon, Talia. You know and I know that I won't make it. You heard Finnick on the train. I can't even throw a knife at that stupid Career school."

I didn't want to let him know of the promise I made to Aqua. I mean, how could I? There's no doubt in my mind that Gill would freak out. I'm sure he wanted to survive too, but Gill was right. He was going to get eaten alive at the Games since he just started his training in school. But I didn't want to scare him. I at least wanted him to think that he had a chance. Even though I wanted to live, I still hadn't forgotten my promise to Aqua, so I was willing to do what I could to help her brother survive.

"Don't worry. You're gonna be fine. I'm going to make sure of that." I said.

"How can you help me?" he asked. "You know there's only one of us coming out. Are you going to betray me?"

I shook my head and placed my hands on his shoulders to give them a reassuring squeeze. "I could never…ever…betray you. We're in this together." When he nodded his head, I let him go. "Now get some sleep. You're gonna need it for tomorrow."

He then moved out of the way and headed back to his room, which was across from mine, but he stopped as he turned back around with a small smile and said, "Talia. Thanks."

I smiled back at him before he shut the door. Right before I went into my room, I had a sick feeling in my stomach, so I turned my head at the end of the hall, and saw Finnick watching us from the corner. He didn't say anything. He just stood there. And when he shook his head, it made me feel worse about the whole situation as I knew what he didn't approve of. There was only going to be one victor, and Finnick knew that there was no way Gill was going to survive, but that didn't mean I should just give up on him. I didn't care that he's my district partner. I've known him for many years, and on top of that, he's my best friend's brother and my brother's best friend. There's no way I'm going to leave him alone for the wolves to pick on him.

Hi everyone! I'm so happy we finished the Opening Ceremony as the story advances between Talia and Cato. I promise there will be more interactions with them going forward. I hope you all are enjoying my story so far. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think. Stay tuned for more exciting chapters!