Having been through prep wth Neem, Ace, Kai, and Ivy numerous times, it should just be an old routine to survive. But I haven't anticipated the emotional ordeal that awaits me. At some point during the prep, each of them bursts into tears at least twice, and Ivy pretty much keeps up a running whimper throughout the morning. It turns out they really have become attached to me and the idea of my returning to the arena has undone them. Combine that with the fact that by losing me they'll be losing their ticket to all kinds of big social events, and the whole thing becomes unbearable. The idea of being strong for anyone else having never entered their heads, I find myself in the position of having to console them. Since I'm the person going to be slaughtered, this is somewhat annoying.
It's interesting, though, when I think of what Nolan said about the attendant on the train being unhappy about the victors having to fight again. About the people in the Captiol not liking it. I still thinking all of that will be forgotten once the gong sounds, but it's something of a revelation that those in the Captiol feel anything at all about us. They certainly don't have a problem watching children be murdered every year. But maybe they know too mcuh about the victors, especially the ones who are celebrities in the eyes of the Captiol, to forget we're human beings. It's more like watching your own friends die. More like the Games are for those of us in the districts.
By the time Teak shows up, I am irritable and exhausted from comforting the prep team, especially because their constant tears are reminding me of the ones undoutabbly being shed at home. Standing there in my thin robe with my stinging skin and heat, I know I can't bear even one more look of regret.
He must have seen the look on my face as he puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me into lunch. "Don't worry, I always channel my emotions into my work. That way I don't hurt anyone but myself."
Lunch makes me feel a bit better. Pheasant with a selection of jewel-colored jellies, and tiny version of real vegetables swimming in butter, and potatoes mashed with parsley. For dessert we dip chunks of fruits in a pot of melted chocolate, and Teak has to order a second pot becuase I start just eating the stuff with a spoon.
"So what are we wearing for the opening ceremonies?" I finally ask as I scrape the second pot clean. "Wheat?" I know the chariot ride will require Nolan and me to be dressed in something grain related.
"Something along that line," he says.
During my first Games I loved Teak, I thought he was an amazing stylist, but after I won he seemed to have changed. Maybe he had orders but ever time I had to come to Captiol he had an outfit that was revealing and I hated it. Not just that but his entire attitude changed towards me. A part of me wondered if he wanted what my s got, but can't since he is apart of my team. There's no doubt that the outfit I am to wear is a very revealing dress lined with grain.
When it's time to get in costume for the opening ceremonies, my prep team shows up but Teak sends them away, saying they've done such a spectacular job in the morning, there's nothing left to do. They go off to recover thankfully leaving me. Teak puts up my hair first, in a braided style my mother once did, then he proceeds with my makeup. High arching eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, smoldering eyes, deep purple lips. The grain shawl that just covers my chest and skirt that flows down to my feet in the back but stops mid thigh in the front. He places a golden crown on my head then he adjusts the lighting in the room to mimic twilight and pressed a button just inside the fabric on my wrist. I look down, fascinated as my ensemble slowly transforms to the golden sea of grain that seems to glow. Just like how it did my first Games.
He turns me towards a mirror so that I can take in the entire effect. I do not see a girl, even a woman, but some unearthly being who looks like she might make her home in the clouds . The golden crown casts strange shadows on my drastically made up face.
Knowing I need to complement it even though I hate it. Sure it's pretty, it's cool how it appears to glow, but one wrong move and I'm afraid I might end up flashing everybody. I give Teak a small forced smile, "I think... this is just what I needed to face the others," I say.
"Yes, I think your days of pink lipstick and ribbons are behind you," says Teak. I don't bother to tell him that I haven't worn anything like that since my first Games nearly ten years ago. Now all I wear is whatever will please the citizens of the Capitol. He touch the button on my wrist again, extinguishing my light. "Let's not run down your power pack. When you're on the chariot this time, no waving, no smiling. I just want you to look straight ahead, the audience will love it."
"Finally something I'll be good at," I say.
Teak has a few more things to attend to, so I decide to head down to the ground floor of the Remake Center, which houses the huge gathering place for hte tributes and their chirots before the opening ceremonies. I'm hoping to find Nolan and Willow, but they haven't arrived yet. Unlike how it was when I went to my first Game, where everybody was practically guled to their chariots, the scene is very social. The victors, both this year's tributes and their mentors, are standing around in small groupd, talking. Of course, they all know one another, and I can't help as my eyes scan over them looking for my best friend.
I spot him making his way over to Katniss Everdeen, the victor from last year's Games. I head over there as well.
"Hello, Katniss," I hear him say as I approach and stand beside him. He looks over at me and smiles.
"Hello, Finnick," She says and then her eyes turn to me, "Ember," She says casually, although I can tell that she is uncomfortable at the closeness of Finnick, especially since he's got so much bare skin exposed.
"Want a sugar cube?" he says, offering his hand, which is piled high. "They're supposed to be for the horses, but who cares? They've got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I... well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick."
Much like myself, Finnick is something of a living legend in Panem, although they all seem to like him better than me. Since he won the Sixty-fifth Hunger Games when he was only fourteen, he's still one of the youngest victors. Actually we both are, aside from Katniss and Peeta. Being from District 4, he was a Career, so the odds were already in his favor, but what no trainer could claim to given him was his extraordinary beauty. Tall, athletic, with golden skin and bronze-colored hair and those incredible eyes.
While other tributes that year were hard-pressed to get a handful of grain or some matches for a gift, Finnick never wanted anything, not food or medicine or weapons. It took about a week for his competitors to realize that he was the one to kill, but it was too late. He was already a good fighter with the spears and knives he had found in the Cornucopia. When he received a silver parachute with a trident which may be the most expensive gift I've ever seen given in the arena it was all over. District 4's industry is fishing. He'd been on boats his whole life. The trident was a natural, deadly extension of his arm. He wove a net out of some kind of vine he found, used it to entabgle his opponents so he could spear them with the trident, and within a matter of days the crown was his.
The citizens of the Captiol have been drooling over his ever since.
Because of his youth, they couldn't really touch him for the first year or two. But ever since he turned sixteen, he's spent his time at the Games being gadded by those desperately in love with him. That was how I had met him the first time, during my training. No one retained his favor for long.
"No thanks," Katniss says to the sugar. "I'd love to borrow your outfits sometime, though." She said looking between me and Finnick.
I immediately become self continuous that I am barely wearing anything. Looking over at Finnick I see that he is draped in a golden net that's strategically knotted at his groin so that he can't technically be called naked, but he's about as close as you can get. I'm sure his stylist thought the same as mine did, the more of us the audience sees the better.
"You're absolutely terrifying in that getup. What happened to the pretty little-girl dresses?" he asks. He wets his lips ever so slightly with his tongue. Probably this drives most people crazy.
"I outgrew them," she says.
Finnick takes the collar of Katniss' outfit and runs it between his fingers. "It's too bad about this Quell thing. You could have made out like a bandit in the Captiol. Jewels, money, anything you wanted."
"I don't like jewels, and I have more money than I need. What do you spend all yours on, anyway, Finnick?" she says.
"Oh, I haven't dealt with anything as common as money for years," says Finnick. I remember back in the early days, after my mother was killed Finnick had told me all of these things that his clients had told him instead of paying him. Ever since then I have used that same method, there are a lot of secrets out there.
"Then how do they pay you for the pleasure of your company?" she asks her eyes flickering over to me. She knows that I take just as many frequent trips to the Captiol as Finnick does.
"With secrets," I whisper softly.
"What about you, girl on fire? Do you have any secrets worth our time?" Finnick asks.
I see a small blush appear on her face before she answers, "No I'm an open book," she whispers back. "Everybody seems to know my secrets before I know them myself."
He smiles. "Unfirtunally, I think that's true." His eyes flicker to the side. "Peeta is coming. Sorry you have to cancel your wedding. I know how devastating that must be for you." He tosses another sugar cube in his mouth and saunters off.
I give her a small smile, "Well, it was nice meeting you."
By the time I make it back to my chariot I see Nolan there waiting for me just as the music begins to play. The wide doors open for the first chariot, and the crowd roars. "Shall we?" Nolan holds out his hand to help me into the chariot.
I climb up and pull him up after me. Finally geting a look at his outfit I see that even though he is not concidered desirable in the eyes of the Capitol he is wearing a similar outfit as mine. Pieces of wheat attaches to beads around his waist and a beaded necklace is all he is wearing. We are almost at the door and I crane my head around, but neither Teak or Willow are anywhere in sight.
The voice of the crowd rises into one universal scream as we roll into the fading evening lght, but neither one of us reacts. I simply fix my eyes on a point far in the distance and pretend there is no audience, no hysteria. I can't help catching glimpses of us on the huge screens along the route, which makes me hate my outfit even more.
As we curve around the loop of the City Circle, I can see a couple of the other sytlists have tried to steal Cinna's ideas of illuminating their tributes. He is katniss' stylist who had created an outfit last year for her that caught fire, capruting everyone attention. This year was no different.
The anthem plays, and we make out final trip around the circle. Nolan and I wait until the doors of the Training Center have closed behind us to relax. Teak and Nolan's stylist who is different than the one the Monty once had, are there, pleased with our performance, and Willow has made an appearance this year as well, only she's not at our chariot, she's over with the tributes of Districts 4. Her and Mags have been friends for a very long time, and I think that it pains Willow to see one of her best friends go back into the arena.
We go up to our floor, leaving Willow to catch up with her friends. I head straight to my room to get out of this outfit. I scrub off all of the makeup and put on a shirt and some lounge pants before heading back out for dinner.