Welcome to the fifth chapter of the Untold Hunger Games.
This chapter is going to continue the chariot ride and shows District Thirteen's designs which I once again took from artwork done by Tryaki-chan on Deviantart. Thank you so much for creating this costumes specifically for this story. I also hope you like District Thirteen's team, especially Jerikan. He was a lot of fun to write.
The stylists names for the District Thirteen team are based on Tryaki-chan and another Deviantartist by the name of ElizaLento (who I have met in person).
Alright enough gushing about new characters let's begin Chapter Five of the Untold Hunger Games.
As the mauve horses pulled the chariot carrying Thresh and Rue away, I saw Cinna appear behind me with a lighted torch. With a smooth motion he set our capes on fire. "It works," he sighed. That made me nervous. Did he think it wouldn't work? I swallowed hard, trying to fight my nerves. I could feel a tingle on the back of my neck. "Remember heads high, they'll love you."
Right before he climbed down I caught his ear and whispered in it. I hope I was doing the right thing by telling him my secret. He smiled as we pulled out and shouted something I couldn't hear. I saw him leave to join the others who were being brought through a different route to the Tribute Centre.
"What did he say?" I asked, turning to Peeta, whose ears were far sharper than mine. A strange fact considering I was the one who needed sharp ears for hunting. I gasped at how amazing he looked with the fake flames. The glow made his skin look luminescent and his eyes appeared more blue than I had ever seen them before. If there was a way to love him more, this sight would be it.
"He said to hold hands," Peeta whispered.
I smiled. "Who wouldn't say no to that?" I took his left hand in my right just as our coal-furred horses pulled us through the tunnel and into the screaming crowds of Capitol citizens.
The world seemed to blur from the blinding lights of the cameras as they all pointed towards us. I was amazed by how much the Capitol seemed to be mesmerized by the flames blazing behind our coal black chariot. I could hear them all shouting out, "District Twelve! District Twelve!"
When I looked up at the screens plastered with the faces of Peeta and I, I understood why they were so captivated by us. My skin almost seemed to glow in the light of the flames, with the help of the light silver dust Flavius had lightly dusted all over my skin. Peeta obviously had the same treatment done to his skin, as it glowed almost as brightly as mine did. We looked like the world was lit by just the power of our flames, and in my eyes, our love. Yes I knew how thoroughly cheesy that thought was.
I quickly dropped the startled look on my face and changed it to one of pride in the costume I wore. I raised up my hand, entwined with Peeta's, into the air between us. The crowd wouldn't see it as a sign of our attraction to each other, but as a sign of unity. We were a team until the Games. The boy and girl on fire! It was something I hoped they never forgot. I sure wouldn't.
The act of raising my hand made the entire crowd of gullible Capitol citizens cry out, "Katniss! Peeta! Katniss! Peeta!"
I watched as someone threw me a healthy red rose. I caught it, breathed in its scent and blew a kiss to the unknown thrower. The very action sent the crowd into a state of comical chaos as hands from the crowd reached up to try and grab my blown kiss. The shouting of my name grew louder and more audible, "KATNISS! KATNISS!"
I let myself blush a vibrant red at their cries, I had had practice from all the time Peeta had made me blush on purpose. Every man in the crowd, and even some of the women, wanted my kisses. It was so odd for me because I knew these people would soon be screaming for my blood, death, or even me killing someone else. I looked at Peeta who was having fun blowing his own kisses to the squealing Capitol women in the stands and balconies around us. When he looked at me, squeezing our connected hands tightly, I knew that he thought the same as I did. It was all for show. I wondered what would happen if our relationship was discovered. What the Capitol would think? Butterflies flooded my stomach as I felt a little nervous at the idea. It was only him squeezing my hand tighter that kept me calm.
"Don't let go," he whispered to me, eyes on mine, as we lowered our hands back down to our sides. "Never let go."
I looked into his blue eyes as the fake flames glistened off of them. "Never," I replied just as our horses pulled into their spot in the City Circle, right in front of President Snow's own mansion.
After a few minutes of waiting, that very man himself walked out onto the balcony, his ghostly white hair and thick beard glistening in the moonlight. He was old, almost seventy-five, which was hinted in his voice as he spoke strong and clearly, "Tributes! We welcome you to the Capitol!" The cameras flashed quickly through the other tributes, but stopped on us as he spoke. "For the next three days you will live in this shining city! The building to my right," he said as he motioned to the thirteen story high Tribute Centre. The cameras all took a moment to show more of Peeta and I before showing shots of the Center. He continued, "Will be your home for those days! Good luck during the Games and may the odds be ever in your favour!" He finished and the horses pulled the chariots into the tall doors of the Training Center.
As I stepped off the chariot I could see and feel the glares of the other tributes while we were flooded with praise from our prep teams. Cinna quickly removed our capes holding them with black gloves whilst Portia extinguished them with some kind of clear foam from a spray can. My hand hadn't let go of Peeta's hand the entire time we stood in the large high ceilinged room until we were ushered towards the elevator by Effie Trinket. She told us happily that it would transport us to our floor; the twelfth, if you didn't count the ground floor.
I slowly relaxed my hand as Effie Trinket, Haymitch, Cinna, and Portia walked into the elevator with us. Peeta still held onto my hand, massaging it secretly and calmly with his thumb.
"You should wear flames more often," he whispered into my ear so no one would hear. "They suit you." His comment and warm hand soothed me as the elevator climbed its way up.
"You two are lucky." Effie Trinket told us as she fixed her askewed wig. "You'll be staying in the penthouse suite. With perfect access to the roof." Her sudden sigh made me think that we actually weren't all that lucky. "Sadly, you'll have to share the floor with District Thirteen, though their victors are not too dull to talk to." I think she was trying to praise them, 'course I wasn't all that sure.
"Effie?" I looked out at the city below as I asked Effie Trinket a question that had just entered my thoughts. "Why do Districts Twelve and Thirteen share a floor?"
Effie Trinket turned around and said with an overly bright smile, could her teeth get any whiter? "Well when District Thirteen was first founded it was three years before the second Quarter Quell, and as you know each Quarter Quell has had a new tribute center built specially for that year." I nodded blankly, the Quarter Quell happened every 25 years each with a twist to the Games written on cards by President Johan Glass, the founder of the Hunger Games. A card would be pulled out of a small box three years before the Games and they would be planned for accordingly. And of course they kept the twist in the dark until four months before the Games were to begin.
During the Quarter Quell Effie Trinket spoke about, all the tributes were brothers and sisters. That year if your name was called your brother, since girls were always chosen first during the Reaping, would automatically be reaped with you and only another sister and brother could volunteer for you. It was horrible since some of the families lost both children. I looked out the window again to see where the newest Quarter Quell Tribute Center stood, almost complete for next year, the Fourth Quarter Quell and 100th annual Hunger Games. It stood beside the other three Quarter Quell Tribute Centers which were now hotels and tourist attractions for any Capitol Citizen that wanted to live like a tribute for a week.
Effie Trinket's next words knocked me out of my thoughts. "Well we had put a lot of the money we used for the Hunger Games into building the Tribute Center, leaving just enough to build new arenas, chariots and costumes for the next three years. So we had no money left to renovate this building to make room for District Thirteen."
I thought it was odd that that was the case, the Capitol almost worshipped the Games, they were the highlight of each citizen's year. "So how were they able to renovate the top floor?"
"Well," Effie Trinket looked me in the eyes, "They used money given to them from District Thirteen's Overseers. Under the condition that they not touch the first or second floors. This was a problem because no other district wanted their floor to be ruined by renovations, except for-"
"Except for Victoria Lexington. She was the one who suggested District Thirteen's rooms be built on the twelfth floor," Haymitch said, interrupting Effie Trinket's bubbling voice. My escort gave him a glare and hissed a "Yes," before letting him finish the story. "She thought it would be a good idea as the Capitol decided that the victors, or victor in this case, of the renovated floor would mentor the District Thirteen tributes until their own victor was crowned. Victoria was actually one of the best mentors back then, almost every tribute from District Twelve survived until the last day. 'Course no one won until me but it's still an achievement. She probably believed she could help District Thirteen get a victor sooner than any other Districts, excluding one, two and four. A pretty upsetting thought when you think about the fact that she had to lose her own tributes for one of District Thirteen's to win." The elevator soon slowed. "So the floor was renovated and never changed even after District Thirteen got its first victor only two years after the Quarter Quell took place."
"Probably because we were so used to it." Effie Trinket added and smiled at us, "In fact you'll see exactly what it looked like back then."
As if hearing her words the elevator stopped and opened its second doors to a large, high ceilinged room with grey marbled walls and polished, marble blue floors. It was all amazing to look at and almost took my breath away in awe. In front of us was a large, curved black couch with soft pillows on each side sitting atop a soft shag purple rug. A table made of hexagons of different heights were placed in front of the couch with two smaller hexagonal tables on the sides. Odd lamps, that looked like the eyes of a fly, were placed atop the side tables. In front of the couch was a ceiling high, black stone feature. I found it odd that there was no tv screen or projector anywhere in sight.
To the sides of this stone feature were large windows with seats of soft light blue. In the corners were reversed shaped lamps that let light shine into the dark corners. Three odd marble columns on each side of the living room separated the living room from the rest of the two identical dining rooms. Between the columns were glass walls and a square fountain of vertical lights.
Effie Trinket led us to the dining room on our right and stopped. I took in the open area, letting my eyes scan it slowly so as to not miss anything. There seemed to be twenty different lamps hanging down from long silver rods to light up the long glass table. There were eight seats that were green and reminded me of yellowish-green caterpillars. They were shaped funny and even looked like they could get up and walk away from the table. I smirked at that, imagining it happening. I'd enjoy the look of horror on Effie Trinket's face if it did, that's for sure.
I noticed next that the table was set for eight people, each set with a plate, a bowl sitting on top of it, and three odd shaped glasses. A napkin lay to the right and had silverware on it. I moved past the dining room table and the blue marbled floor to look at the glass behind it. There was a long section of lavender stained glass that covered the back top of the wall, leaving only a small section to the left that was stained blue. I walked over and touched the glass, finding that water ran down it and ended up in a built-in stone area. The water in the bottom was then transferred up the side and then spread out to run down the glass again. It was amazing. The wall to the far left was made up of the same blue glass and I was sure it had water running down it also.
Effie Trinket's smile still blinded me as she stated, "Everything from these columns on is all yours. You'll have to share the living room with the people from District Thirteen but don't worry," she leaned in and said in a hushed voice, "They usually have wonderful manners."
I wondered why she spoke so quietly, but soon I discovered why just as the elevator on the other side of the living room could be heard opening. Effie Trinket smiled and in a sing-song voice said, "Time to meet the neighbors." She hurried to greet the District Thirteen team, her hands fluttering at her sides as she walked. I followed with Peeta and Haymitch as Portia and Cinna went to their rooms.
Just as we turned the corner Effie Trinket was kissing cheeks with a tall blonde man. At least I think he was a man. His whole look and the way he stood were kind of misleading. His blonde hair was flipped up and shaved at the sides to give his hair a fuller look. His ears were each pierced with three shimmering gold hooped earrings and dangling magenta pink ones. His eyebrows were either dyed or fake as they were longer than any eyebrow I'd seen before and were as magenta pink as his earrings.
His lavender eyeshadow and long black eyelashes, overpowering his light brown eyes, didn't help with making him look anymore like a guy. The lavender purple lipstick that covered his top lip was almost distracting in its intensity.
He wore the most outrageous outfit. A buttoned, short-sleeved shirt of multi-colours opened to show his midriff. He had a collar of gold on one side and striped gold and white on the other. Magenta buttons with golden trimmed holes trailed down his top while the main colours, with one half light red-violet and the other half striped with more light red-violet and dark purple made the buttons stand out. His pants were a normal dark purple, at least they would be normal without the sash hanging over his hip that faded from lavender to light red-violet to magenta and was tucked into the shimmering gold 6 inch platform heels he wore.
To top his whole look off he had an arm band inlaid with gold with more gold diamonds on a piece of dark purple fabric that covered his lower arm. On his right was a band of six differently sized golden bands. The gold belt with a magenta pink buckle and long magenta pink fingernails finished off his outrageous look.
"Wonderful to see you again, Jerikan," Effie Trinket said in her usual cheerful voice.
Suddenly Effie Trinket's own bubbly voice came out of Jerikan's mouth in a flamboyant but masculine tone, "Effie, darling. You look as fabulous as ever my dear. Is that a new wig? I didn't see it before. It looks perfectly stunning on you."
Effie Trinket blushed and waved her hand dramatically. "Oh Jerikan you are such a flatterer."
Jerikan laughed lightly and turned to Haymitch, "Mitchie!" He flounced over to where we were frozen in shock and gave Haymitch a hug, almost lifting him off the ground. "I missed you so." He kissed Haymitch's cheek, which Haymitch quickly wiped away with a look of disgust. "What have you been up to?" he asked him, with a look that made me really think this guy was not just feminine and flamboyant in looks alone.
"Jerikan," Haymitch grunted as he pulled himself out of the overly feminine man's clutches. "I've told you time and again, I don't do hugs."
Jerikan pouted his pristine lips and fixed his gaze on us, well Peeta to be exact. "And who is this gorgeous diamond?" he asked, strutting over to Peeta. "You are quite the stunning young man. Are you available?" he moved up close to Peeta, who was frozen and looked like he had no clue what to do or say. Jerikan whispered, well thought he whispered, "Because I am." Before he chuckled in a feminine way as he placed his manicured hand gracefully touching his own powdered cheek. "I'm just teasing, sweetheart."
Peeta's tension went away, but very slowly, as Jerikan extended his manicured hand to us, "Jerikan Dashton, escort of those wonderful tributes over there." He pointed his finger to Diane and Trevor who looked at us, still wearing their costumes like Peeta and I were.
Peeta took Jerikan Dashton's hand and introduced me and himself, "I'm Peeta Mellark, and this is Katniss Everdeen." His voice shook a bit as he spoke, "It's nice to meet you Jerikan." Honestly, I think Peeta was in shock, as I was still recovering from the looks alone of Jerikan Dashton.
Jerikan Dashton gave us a shimmering smile. "Charmed, Peeta darling. And Katniss," his eyes started to shine with tears, "I was so," he sniffed a bit, "moved by what you did for your sister. I hope you do well in the arena dear. Just not as good as my dear tributes here."
Speaking of his dear tributes, I took a moment to look over their beautiful costumes. Trevor, who was scowling at us, looked fairly handsome in his outfit. A long reverse tail coat of a shining black material was trimmed along the top half with a frilly light purple fabric that shone dark on the inlaid. A sash of the same material wrapped twice around his waist and a long piece of it hung from the top. Underneath the tail coat Trevor wore high pants of a lighter, brighter colour than the coat above. Wrapped around his wrists was a fabric similar to his sash, bunching up as the fabric came down to the top of his hand. Covering over his feet were a pair of shining light purple boots that pointed at the sides of his legs and in front of his toes.
I walked over to them and extended my hand to Diane, "Hi, I'm Katniss."
I smiled at Diane who was in a costume that was similar to Trevor's, but also different at the same time. The shining black material that made up the majority of Trevor's costume only made an appearance in an oval on her stomach. The rest of her dress was the light color of Trevor's pants. The dress itself looked like it was floating on a sea of bubbles. The bubbles made up the bottom and moved up toward Diane's thighs. I liked the gloves that were on her hands. They matched the exact color of the bubbles and seemed like they'd pop if she clapped her hands together. Another large bubble lay atop her long curled blonde hair. A black ribbon was tied to the bottom of the giant bubble and lay just above her ear. The ribbon was long enough to dangle over her shoulder and down her open back. Literally the whole back of the dress was gone except for where the fabric covered her butt. I had no idea how the front sleeves were staying up, but it was a miracle they were. Her shoes matched Trevor's except Diane had to have heels and only booties instead of full boots. Black ribbon was attached at the top of her foot and against her ankle, a good contrast to the purple boots.
Diane smiled and was about to reach for my hand when Trevor stopped her. "Don't be nice to us," he spat, his eyes glared at me. "Just because we have to live on the same floor doesn't mean we have to be nice. We're here to kill each other, not to get along like we're old pals."
"Trevor!" An older man's voice exclaimed, "That is no way to behave. Go and get yourself cleaned up in your room," he ordered. "And you can stay there until you've developed some manners."
Trevor growled a bit before storming off with Diane and Jerikan Dashton following behind him, to the area to the left of the columns. I could hear Jerikan Dashton scolding him as they left. When he was gone the older man came into view. He was at least in his thirties, and was looking at me with apology in his dark brown eyes. "I'm so sorry for that, he really is a sweet boy. Wes Oiler," he extended his hand to me which I accepted, "I'm his mentor, but that doesn't mean he'll listen to me."
"Worry not Wes, I'm sure he means well." Effie Trinket stated, pursing her lips slightly, "I..." she trailed off a bit, almost losing her train of thought until it came back to her. "I think it would be a wonderful idea if you both go and freshen up in your rooms too. They're marked with your names as they were on the train."
Peeta and I didn't argue with Effie Trinket and headed to the right of the columns and down a hallway next to our raised dining room. The continuing marble of the hallway was lined with modern sculptures and art, making me feel like I was in a five-star hotel Madge would talk about staying in when she was younger. As a member of Mayor Undersee's family she would sometimes accompany him on week long business trips to the Capitol, at least until she turned twelve and was too old to come with her mother and father every time they'd leave. But she would always tell me and Gale of the places she stayed in, and this penthouse was a lot like the ones she talked about.
When I found my door I turned around to look at Peeta, but found that he had already gone inside. I felt almost disappointed but decided there was a good reason not to linger in the hallway with each other as Effie Trinket seemed like the kind of person who'd interrupt a romantic tryst.
I pressed the button to the side of the large sliding door, walking in once it opened for me. Once again I was in awe. I stood in a spacious brightly lit lounge area with a thick navy blue stripe running along the top and bottom edges of the floor and ceiling. A small, curved black sofa, much like the one in the living room, sat with its edge almost touching the walls. It was accented with two plush, cylinder pillows of navy blue on the farest corner from where I stood. A round navy blue and marble grey table sat in the center of the lounging area. In the corner, behind the sofa was an odd looking cactus, with three spokes forming it. I thought it looked strange, but the oddest thing was what I saw on the wall opposite the couch.
Installed into the wall was a roaring gas fireplace, only this fire was different than the one we had at home. Not only did the fire burn neon blue, but when I touched my hand to the glass I felt, not heat coming from it, but a chill. The fireplace was not warming me up, but keeping the whole room cool. It was a marvel I was sure the people in the Capitol took for granted.
I looked past this area and walked into a small hallway which led to the bedroom, a large closet, and a sliding bathroom door. I decided to wait until after a nice warm shower before exploring the rest of my chambers.
I pressed the button on the door to the bathroom and stepped in. It was almost three times the size of the bathroom on the train. The sink counter was a light white with an oblong shaped sink in the center. It had a small round glass bowl around the faucet that poured water into the sink. Below that was square shaped with curved edges. I ran my hand over the sweet lilies adorning the counter in clear vases filled half way up with different sized stones.
The toilet was something I've never seen before and almost made me want to stay clear from it. It gave off a smell of lavender and had a panel of buttons on the side. I was not planning on trying any of the buttons out while I was here.
The large shower, on the other hand, was something I would definitely not be afraid to try out. I was looking forward to getting in it. It was the size of my room back home, with more buttons than the one on the train. Each with a different options to regulate water temperature and pressure, dispense soaps, shampoos and oils, controlling robotic hands that massage sponges with your dispense selection and even buttons to change the smell of the water.
I took a few minutes to set a preferred a water temperature and pressure, the type of body wash, shampoo and conditioner I liked, what speed and size I'd prefer the massaging sponges to be at and the smell of the water I prefer; forest pine with a hint of fresh mint.
Once done I stepped into the shower to rid my hair and body of whatever my prep team had covered them with. After soaking in the shower for a good quarter of an hour, I stepped onto the mat on the floor to dry my body. Once dry I leaned my hands onto the sink to look at my reflection, and suddenly a current ran through my hands and into my hair. Drying and untangling it until the strands of my hair were perfectly dry and fell in small waves down my back. I looked down at the counter, stunned. Looking for what I had touched, I found that I had rested my hands on two sensor pads on opposite sides of the sink. It obviously was made to dry your hair with one hand while you did makeup with the other. If I even wore makeup, at least when I had the choice.
I pulled on a light robe from the hanger near the shower and after setting my costume on the counter I left the bathroom to pick out an outfit to wear. I found this to be easier than I thought. The closet I had seen wasn't a walk in one like I had originally thought, but actually a computer operated one. I stood in front of the glass window which was slightly tilted with a screen. It asked simple questions about what I liked and soon sent a simple outfit rolling toward me.
It was perfect, as if I had picked it out myself. A loose sunset yellow shirt with simple, light brown pants that flowed loosely past my ankles. The footwear were flat dark brown shoes which I slipped on with the rest of the outfit before entering the bedroom.
I stepped in to find that the metal, chiffon yellow bed, covered with a plush blue comforter and pillows of golden yellow and blue, was sunken into the floor. I climbed down the three six inch steps and sat on the bed, running my hand over the soft covers. My eyes pulled away from the soft bed to look around the rest of the room, three metal statues spiralling up to the ceiling stood against the wall opposite a window that made up half of the wall. A window seat with a cylinder pillow of spotted black and yellow lay on the long, low window sill.
Two high tables with curving legs were covered with flower vases and trays of sweets. Above them were dozens of small mirrors glued together to make a larger one. I found the hanging black lamps above my new bed to be rather charming, in a gothic kind of way.
I was about to rise from my bed before I noticed a thin curved silver and black remote was sitting beside me. I picked it up and ran my finger over it. In front of me the Capitol night scene dissolved and a busy morning street appeared. I smirked at how ridiculous the people looked, their outfits were over the top and… was that a man with elongated ears? I rolled my eyes. Yes, definitely ridiculous.
I continued to roll my finger over the remote watching more scenes of the Capitol flash past until a new image appeared. A lake with fishing boats and the sounds of water flowing into my ears and seagulls cawing. I could even smell the salty tang of the ocean. I felt like I was there on the dock looking out at the water.
I realized where this scene was taken; District Four. I continued rolling my finger over the remote to see more scenes. The forests of District Seven, the fields of livestock from District Ten, the wheat and cotton fields District Nine was surrounded by and the sweet smelling orchards of District Eleven. I knew what these images were probably for. The Capitol must like watching weaker tributes break down and cry with scenes of home before them. And I didn't think it would work, until the next image appeared and made my own heart almost break.
In front of me was the forest just outside my District. I felt like falling to the ground, curling up into a ball, and letting the tears stream, but I knew that was just what the Capitol wanted. They wanted to see me break and I wouldn't let them. I suddenly heard a knock at the door and quickly pressed the off button on the remote, the forest soon dissolving back into the view of the night-touched Capitol.
"Yes," I called out in a loud, calm voice.
"Dinnertime." Effie Trinket's voice called back from the hallway. Good I'm starving. I thought to myself.
I left my room, making my way to the stairs of the dining area. Peeta was already there sitting in a chair beside Cinna. Portia, Effie Trinket and Haymitch were already seated as well. I guess they were waiting for me before they started dinner. I sat beside Peeta and watched as he fiddled with a simple chain locket around his neck. I smiled at this act.
I had given Peeta the locket after our first year of dating. It cost me three days of hunting twice as much as I usually got and gathering more than three times the amount of plants. But to me it was worth it seeing as he hadn't taken it off since. I knew he'd probably asked to wear it in the arena as a token from our District, just like the mockingjay pin that still clung to my shirt.
Once dinner started I was presented with a crystal glass of wine and, with Effie Trinket's approval, politely accepted it. I took a sip of the rich, bitter liquid and watched as five silent people in white tunics laid dinner out in front of us upon the table.
While the adults talked about the opening ceremonies I was more interested in the dinner of thick mushroom soup, with fresh mushrooms, garden salad covered with diced tomatoes and crunchy vegetables surrounded by a dozen bowls each housing a pool of a different dressing, pink roast beef sliced paper thin, cheese that melted in my mouth, and fruits so sweet my tongue still tasted their flavours even after I finished eating them.
The servers made sure our glasses were always full and there was plenty of food on our plates. My mind started to feel the effects of the wine after three glasses. When I was offered more I turned it down politely and asked for some water instead. The server returned to pour sparkling clear water into my empty wine glass. It was so cold I felt a shiver go down my spine.
You'd never find water that clear in District Twelve. It was hard to filter out everything that wound up in the wells of the Seam. Most of the time we would boil it, just to make sure it wasn't going to make us sick. Once again I was punched in the face by the differences of my District and the Capitol.
In front of me a female server set down a large cake and set it aflame. "How does it do that?" I asked politely, but the woman didn't answer; which I found was oddly strange, until Effie Trinket explained why.
"She can't answer you, dear," my escort said, taking a sip of her wine. "She's an Avox."
"What is an Avox?" I asked Effie Trinket curiously, causing her to give me a skeptical look. She did realize I wasn't from the Capitol right?
"An Avox is a criminal who has had their tongue cut out and you shouldn't talk to them unless you're giving an order!" Effie Trinket exclaimed promptly, before popping a particularly juicy blueberry into her mouth.
"Oh," I said calmly, feeling sorry for the woman. It must have hurt more than anything I had ever experienced. How the Capitol treated criminals was dark, then again these were the people who wanted to send 26 children into an enclosed space to fight to the death.
"Alcohol is what makes it flame up, but there's none left on the actual cake. It's used to caramelize the top and tastes quite good. I had it brought up to celebrate your fiery entrance," Cinna explained with a smile. I couldn't wait to taste it, my mouth watering at the thought of the delicious treat. They handed me a piece after cutting into the cake and I dug in. He was right about the cake tasting good; the caramelized top and creamy filling complemented each other so well.
After the cake was devoured, we headed into the sitting room with the District Thirteen team, who had just finished their own dinner. Three women I hadn't yet met came to introduce themselves.
The oldest of the three, a pleasant woman in her mid-60s introduced herself to Peeta and myself, "Twill Caldos, I'm a mentor and the only female victor here."
"At least you showed up, Twill." Haymitch commented, plopping down on the couch with a glass of spirits in his hand, "Victoria didn't even bother. She once again sends her regards. That woman loves making me do all the work." he grumbled, taking a swig from his glass.
Twill sighed and sat beside Haymitch, starting a conversation about how annoyed Haymitch was with Victoria. I wanted to listen in but I was polite enough to meet the other two women.
The older of the two, about late 30s with gorgeous bright auburn hair. Her short puffy dress was a simple moss green with an overtop of a flowing see-through fabric. On her collarbone was the tattoo of an eye outlined in black, "Marusia Tryaki, Trevor Kelly's stylist. This will be my second last year designing for District Thirteen." She said with a slight ego in her Capitol accent. She seemed like she had seen everything and would speak of nothing.
The younger woman, a sweet lady in her late 20s with long hair that faded from white to gold, striking blue eyes, and ears that had been modified to end in points, "Elizalyn Lento. This is my first year designing for the Hunger Games and I'm so happy to have Diane Boyle here as my muse." She seemed quite bubbly as she shook our hands. She had a much different style than her partners, she had a blue doublet with gold trimmings and black trousers with the same gold finish. She had a very masculine look to her which contrasted her bubbly personality.
Both women made themselves comfortable on the couch as we all got ready to watch the opening ceremonies on the large projection screen that came from nowhere to play upon the stone feature. The screen soon lit up with the faces of the tributes from the other Districts but none of them compared to Peeta and myself, not even Diane or Trevor. We lit up the night in our fiery costumes. I smiled at Cinna and Portia who were both, at the moment, quite proud with themselves, receiving a pat on the back from Elizalyn Lento. I heard Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith making remarks on the hand-holding and I blushed slightly as Haymitch asked whose idea it was.
"Cinna's," Peeta answered simply.
"Nice touch." He smiled as the screen faded to black with the Panem flag as the last image. Haymitch got up and tilted his head for us to follow him, which we did, stopping on our side of the floor.
"Alright, meet me here bright and early before Training starts," he told us before walking away. I'd expected for him to say more, so his abrupt disappearance left me scrambling to catch up. Effie Trinket followed him with Portia while Elizalyn Lento and Marusia Tryaki followed their tributes to their side of the suite but Cinna stayed behind.
"Do you mind if I talk to you both on the balcony?" he asked us calmly, his voice sounding a little serious as he looked at us. Peeta and I both nodded and followed with him toward the open terrace. He closed the glass doors behind us and looked around, as if not wanting to be overheard. After awhile he gave us both an expression of worry that became etched across his face. As his brow furrowed, less and less of the sparkling eyeliner showed. "So, has Katniss told you what she whispered to me before you left the Remake Center?" he asked Peeta.
Peeta looked at Cinna then to me and back to Cinna before shaking his head. Cinna sighed at his response. "I guess she hasn't had time. She told me that you're her boyfriend and to please tell no one about this fact. Now, I'm only going to say this once." Peeta grabbed my hand tightly as Cinna paused. A moment of doubt crept into me. Had I made a mistake confiding in him? Were Peeta and I about to pay the price? I held my breath as I waited for him to continue. "I want you both to try and act as friends. If you do this, I'll keep your secret, and the Capitol won't hear a thing from me."
Peeta was tense before Cinna said this, but I could feel his body relax now. "We will. Thank you," he said, squeezing my hand lightly.
"I have secrets of my own I'd like to keep hidden so you can trust me with yours. Now I know I speak for all three of us when I say that we need sleep. Go to your rooms and I'll see you tomorrow night at dinner." We both nodded and walked back towards our rooms; Cinna smiled at us as he entered his own room.
Once we were alone Peeta and I stopped, "He's right, we should get some sleep," Peeta whispered and glanced around to make sure no one could see us as he kissed me gently. I leaned into him, ready to deepen the kiss, but he pulled back.
"I love you," I said quietly. He only smiled. Pain lashed through me. That wasn't the Peeta I loved, that Peeta always said it back. What was happening? He was already pulling away from me. Was this an act? He started to leave, but I grabbed his arm. He turned, looking at my hand before his eyes met mine questioningly.
"Yes?" His voice had almost none of that light and warmth I adored so much.
"Are we okay?" I asked. I moved closer to him, cupping his face as I moved my hand from his wrist.
"Yeah?" he asked, seeming confused.
"I feel like you're pulling away from me." I pressed. "Did I do something?"
"This day has been a lot to take in. I'm just tired," Peeta smiled down at me. "You did nothing wrong." He leaned down and captured my lips, his hands sliding down my back to land on my hips. This kiss was much better than the first, but still I sensed something was happening between us. Something I didn't like. He pulled away again and this time I let him. I waved to his back as I watched him walk down the hallway. I moved backwards, leaning on my door. I sighed, spinning to twist the knob. I felt like an idiot as I realized the door didn't have a knob. I must have been more tired than I thought. I pressed the button to release the door and stepped into my room. I heard the whoosh as the door closed back behind me. I moved almost on autopilot as I went through the motions of getting ready for bed.
I was so tired, but not tired enough to take yet another shower. I took off my clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor as I walked toward the bathroom. The door moved as I approached and slid shut as I entered the luxurious bathroom.
I turned the shower on and I stepped under the spray, the day's events flooded into my mind. A morning of hunting with Gale, the peace and tranquility I felt made it all seem like a dream. I remembered the reaping, my sister's name being called and the action I took that brought me here in her place. My meeting with Cinna and the flaming chariot ride that almost stopped my heart. But the one that stuck out the most was when Peeta had said goodnight. What had happened today that had put this canyon between us? We'd always been so open with each other. But part of me wondered if maybe it was a good thing. The Games were going to rip us apart. And only one of us could live. Resolve stole through me. I'd get Peeta through till the end. Then I'd find a way to make him the winner. I couldn't bear to lose him. No matter what. Peeta had to win. I had to tell Haymitch. He had to promise me that Peeta would be the one to live.
My resolve soon escaped me as I felt sleep drift into my eyes. Later, I'd beg for Haymitch's promise to keep Peeta alive. Tonight I would sleep in the comfy bed. I stepped out of the shower to dry my body and hair before wrapping myself in the comfy house robe. I stepped out of the bathroom and skipped to the bed and jumped on it, feeling the satin covers as they settled over me and helped soothe me to sleep.