Claudius Templesmith, 46

Hunger Games Announcer

"Ladies, gentlemen, and those who have transcended the concept of gender… I am thrilled to announce that the Tribute Parade is about to begin! Our brave cast of characters are as unique and diverse as their costumes, and I can't wait to see what our skilled stylists have come up with. Can you?"

The crowd roared in approval as I quickly took a sip of water. The parade was always harsh on my throat, as I had to speak loudly to be heard over the eager parade-goers. But it was my favorite part of the Hunger Games, apart from announcing the Victor.

"Here comes District 1, and oh my goodness, they look fierce! Vignette, who had an almost fey-like appearance at the reaping, is a sexy, sassy queen. Her tight white catsuit sparkles with thousands of tiny diamonds and her luscious brown locks are curled up in an intricate and bedazzled bun. Her sparkling heeled boots reach up to her knees and a diamond choker glints around her neck."

"But Christopher is not going to be outdone by his partner! His last name is Jewel, and we can see why! His catsuit is just as form-fitting as Vignette's, and let me tell you, he's got some muscles! There are also diamond studs in his ears and his eyelids are lined with the precious gems in place of makeup. I'm sure these two will shine bright in the arena."

"District 2 always impresses, and this year is no different! Anahira is painted like gray stone and is as still as the statue she's supposed to be, but she's still alive. Bursts of pink and white flowers cover her - trailing down her arms, curling around her neck, and resting in her hair. Her dress is a pale pink color to match, and the flowers even reach her painted pink toes. Blue is less floral, but much sharper. Thorny vines grasp his arms and chest. He looks regal and intimidating next to his district partner."

"This year, District 3's stylists are playing up the cuteness factor, and let me tell you, it's working! The audience seems to love Louise and CT. Louise's green dress is patterned to look like a computer motherboard, complete with the blinking lights. Her tulle skirt poofs out around her and she has a hair clip shaped like a flashdrive pinning back her black locks. CT's outfit matches Louise's in pattern, but he's wearing a suit. He looks very handsome in green, and his bowtie is absolutely adorable."

"There is so much potential with District 4, and our stylists did not disappoint! Mississippi, or Missy, as she likes to be called, is a dark, seductive mermaid tonight. Black scales cover her stomach and chest and a long, flowing black tail that catches the light hangs off the chariot. Her black hair is wild and braided with fish hooks, and her lipstick is blood-red. She's a true siren. And Harold is wearing navy blue shorts and a cropped white shirt that shows off his strong stomach. A blue bandana is tied around his neck and he has a sailor hat on, which his brown locks curl around cutely. He is waving shyly to the crowd with a small smile on his face."

"Dahlia and Ivan are dressed in dark gray jumpsuits made of the same synthetic plastic material of a solar panel. The wires are lighting up with faintly-gleaming electric pulses. It's a clever costume, but I feel like there could be more to it…"

"Wow! There is! As they reach the main promenade, a solar burst of blues and yellows and oranges flare to life. And the crowd loves it! That's a spectacular display. Hats off to their stylists."

The audience was still in awe of District 5's display of lights as District 6's chariot began to make its way down the promenade. The big black horses tossed their heads and snorted, seemingly annoyed by the lack of attention their charioteers were getting. There was only so much that could be done with District 6.

"Adera and Diesel are looking proper and professional in their pilot outfits. They even have the wings pinned to their lapels! Diesel is tipping his hat and waving, and Adera is just as into it. She's blowing kisses and the audience is going crazy! Oh look! She caught a rose. I'm sure whoever threw that is feeling very lucky."

"Last year, District 7's tributes were dressed as trees. Not very original, but Johanna Mason was our Victor! Maybe there's some luck in the tree costumes. Well, we're about to find out because here they come!"

"Tea looks beautiful in her pale green gossamer slip, but the standout is her wings! Iridescent golden-green fairy wings flutter in the air behind her, catching the light and our attention! She also has a crown of laurel leaves in her hair and forest-green makeup. Paul is also a fairy, but he has armor made of bark. A necklace of acorns hangs around his neck and his wings are the same shimmering shade as Tea's."

"Next up is District 8! Does anyone else think they have a bit of an advantage, being the textile district? Their stylists have so many options! Wow! They definitely went with something unique this year. Kyle and Jersey are wearing togas made of quilts! The patches are all sorts of different colors and materials, creating a kaleidoscope of an outfit. Kyle is waving and flexing, but poor Jersey seems frightened. She was a volunteer though, so I'm sure there is more to her than meets the eye."

"District 9 is hit-or-miss, and this year is a hit! Annoa is wearing a shimmering golden sleeveless dress with a texture mimicking interwoven wheat fields. It is sleek and fitted to allow movement, with a statement necklace and crown made from woven wheat. Small lights are woven into the wheat accessories, made to look like sun glowing in the fields. And Vikram has on a cream-colored dress shirt and golden dress pants with suspenders made of woven wheat. A woven wheat necklace and crown add to the look. And just like Annoa, the lights woven into the wheat accessories mimic a sunny day.

"Yeehaw! Here comes District 10! Edam is wearing a red shirt and a patterned black vest under a dark brown leather jacket. A pink bandana is tied around her neck and she has thick leather chaps over her jeans. She also has on black cowboy boots and a black cowboy hat. A - hopefully - fake pistol is holstered on her side. And oh boy, her pistol is not fake! She's pulling it out and firing it into the air. But the crowd is loving it! Be careful Edam!"

"Her district partner Robert is wearing a dusty brown vest over his white button-up and has a long navy coat over it. A black bandana helps hide his face, as does a brown cowboy hat. The spurs on his brown cowboy boots shine brightly and he has a lasso in his hands. He looks tough, but he's smiling warmly and waving to the kids in the stands. How sweet!"

"District 11's tributes are quite the specimens, and their stylists knew it! Logan and Clementine have clustered apples covering their nethers, and Clementine's chest, but everything else is out for display! Logan is staring straight ahead, a fierce look on his face, but Clementine is playing up the sexy look and blowing lots of kisses. She'll definitely be getting sponsors!"

"And last, but certainly not least, we have District 12! They're usually coal miners, and this year is only halfway different. Dustin is dressed in 12's traditional costume of coal-covered overalls, heavy boots, a helmet with a light, and a pickaxe. But Robin Violet is a pop of color! The sleeves of her bright yellow dress are feathered and there are golden feathers woven into her hair. There are even feathers painted onto her face. Her puffy skirt is also feathered… Oh! She's a canary. A canary in a coal mine. How clever!"

"And that's all for now folks! Stay tuned for a costume breakdown, and Happy Hunger Games!"

I took a deep breath as I finished my spiel. The costumes this year were fabulous! District 6 wasn't the most impressive, but they weren't bad at all! Districts 9 and 12 were clever, and the Career districts were as stunning as always.

These Games were going to be a hit. I could feel it.

Here it is! The tribute parade and all the outfits I spent way too much time on. I know I said I'd be doing a parade prep chapter, but I started writing it and it was super boring. So I put those tributes in different POV slots and went straight to the parade! Thank you to everyone who suggested a costume and if I didn't use your idea, I'm sorry. Some of these I already had planned. Hopefully you enjoyed them anyway!

The next chapter will be the first day of training, so we're really starting to get into the pre-Games. I'm really excited to dive deeper into this story and I hope you are too! As always, please leave a review if you can. And if you have the time, please check out Never Forget. I'm pretty proud of it and I'm having fun writing it.

QUESTIONS

1) Which parade costume was your favorite?

2) Which parade costume was your least favorite?

3) If you could save one tribute (besides your own) from the bloodbath, who would it be? Why?

THE COSTUMES
*Silver always says she can't remember the costumes so I'm adding them here for her sake, and for anyone else who finds it helpful

D1: Diamond-Encrusted Catsuits

D2: Flower-Covered Stone Statues

D3: Motherboard-Themed Formal Wear

D4: Seductive Siren & Sexy Sailor

D5: Solar Jumpsuits

D6: Pilots

D7: Forest Fairies

D8: Quilted Togas

D9: Wheat-Themed Formal Wear

D10: Wild West Cowboys

D11: Bushels of Apples

D12: Canary & Coal Miner

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona