The Reaping Day had concluded, and each of the tributes arrived to the Capitol in pairs. The tribute from One and Two arrived a mere hour after their selection, but the tributes from the farther districts took longer. Eleven and Twelve got there in two days.
Upon a tribute's arrival, they were immediately examined and beautified by their prep tram. Some of them required little work; Chase, for example, had an immaculate body, and prepping him took nothing more than a hot bath. Others needed a lot more.
January's hair, which swayed at her hips in long, black tendrils, was cut in half and bleached blonde. She cried when saw her haircut, but her head stylist, Cassius, marveled at his work. He sought to bring out the drama her face could evoke, and this her tears only brought him delight.
Yi's hair was cut as well. Though hers was already relatively short for a girl, the head stylist for District 3, Tatiana, wanted her to look androgynous. When the final strand was snipped, however, Yi's blood boiled.
"Why are you Capitol pigs so hellbent on erasing my gender?!" she cried. She realized that her volunteering in the name of trans visibility was pointless. She would die being recognized as a boy.
"Excuse me?" Tatiana replied. "This isn't a boy's haircut. It's a pixie cut. I swear, you people from Three claim to be so intelligent, but you all are utterly clueless about fashion."
Tatiana ate her words when she worked with Jemms. Jemms already had an exact blueprint of the procedures she wanted, and after her makeover was complete, she had completely transformed. Once a meek and quiet girl, she was now a beautiful young starlet. It was like there was a diva hidden away inside of her all along.
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It was only a few minutes until the Tribute Parade began. A sea of excited Capitolites filled the stands, craning to get a glimpse of the cast. For those at home, they tuned into the Parade broadcast hosted by the spirited Zeus LaKay.
Meanwhile, the tributes stood beside their district partner adorned in eccentric outfits designed by their stylists. One by one, each chariot moved forward and the glittering crowds erupted in cheer.
The first chariot, of course, was District One. Their outfits were made with red sequins that sparkled as they moved. Christian even had a pear-shaped ruby fastened to his eye, which was once covered by an eye patch. He and Angela both waved to the crowd as they rode along.
The brother and sister from Two were wearing outfits crafted out of white porcelain, with still lifes of District folk painted in cornflower around their bodies. January's anxiety heightened as she struggled to breathe in her costume. Julius somehow managed to suck it up and play crowdpleaser just like the tributes from One.
As for the tributes from Three, they were dressed to resemble silvery insects, with springy antennae that glew green on the ends. The crowd was shocked by Jemms' makeover, and she revelled in the attention. Yi pouted indignantly.
The tributes from Four wore exceptional white and pink bodysuits, with yellow spikes protruding from their backs. Halfway through the parade, they both inflated into human-sized balloons, squeezing against each other in the chariot. Sana realized they were supposed to resemble blowfish or something. She giggled at how ridiculous they looked, but the crowd was gagged by their reveal, so she sold it.
Up next was Five. Each of them were roped in powerlines that hung from metal crowns on their heads. The crowns themselves looked like bent forks. Layla blew kisses to the crowd. Klepto followed her lead, but he couldn't muster the same charisma.
The tributes from Six were dressed like train conductors. They wore overalls and hats with hypnotic black and white stripes. Shea pumped his arm and said "Choo choo." Sys was taken aback to see him have fun. Until that point, he hadn't even heard him speak. Or smile. Did their escort instruct him to show some personality?
The tributes from Seven resembled origami swans. Both wore paper wings that brushed against their arms as they moved. Both Peachie and Oakley were awestruck by the countless rows of people who came to see them. They both just wanted to hide inside their papery plumes until the Parade ended.
As for District Eight, they wore togas made with linen and golden frills. Flix looked so small next to Tryphosa, even while standing on a crate. Tryphosa lifted Flix's hand high to show their unity. She was one of the few who didn't care to upstage the others, much less her district partner.
The tributes from Nine were dressed like autumnal nutcrackers. Each of them wore a wreath of barley stems around their necks that looked like lion's mane. Lorencio's goatee had been waxed off, and Kami felt unusually drawn to him. She hoped after this Parade was over, he'd go back to looking like his drunken and disheveled self so her feelings would fade. How embarrassing would it be if everyone knew she found such a sleaze like him attractive?
The whoops and cheers from the crowd quieted when the tributes from Ten materialized. Their outfits were the most costumey of them all; Reather was dressed like a cow, and Cyan like a pig. That wasn't what caught their attention, though. The collars in their outfits had been slit, and from it seeped dark, red blood made of tomato paste and cornstarch. Their outfits were undeniably a statement piece.
Reather and Cyan exchanged mischievious grins. Their stylist, Metis, wanted them to really stand out. As the old adage goes, all publicity is good publicity. Reather scoffed seeing the audience stunned by the gore. Yet children killing each other is just a fun pastime? Cyan was simply happy to be noticed. He was at one point the forgotten child of his twelve siblings, and now he was seen by all of Panem.
The pair from Eleven was covered up to their nose in tall grass. They also wore straw hats with rims so wide that the rest of their faces were eclipsed. Looking from the stands, no one could even tell which of the grass-concealed bodies was Allyx or Cassidy.
Last marched out Twelve. They looked just like the grizzled miners that went underground every single day to provide coal for the Capitol. Their faces were caked in patchy grey makeup that resembled soot. They wore flickering headlights taped to faded grey hardhats.
The chariots took position at the end of the avenue and faced the balcony three stories above them. President Lycus Hunt appeared and his voice boomed from the speakers:
"Welcome, tributes, to the most grueling and competitive event in known history. Welcome to the Hunger Games!
"This pageant serves as a reminder to you and to all of the Districts of the costly rebellion that nearly tore Panem apart. This is the price that must be paid for that rebellion. You are only the first of many tributes to come, all of who, will die as pennance for the betrayal of their forefathers. All but one lone victor.
"Make no mistake, dear tributes. From this point forward, each of your fellow tributes is your enemy. It is not by force that you all must kill one another. Rather, it is the fate that awaits anyone who betrays their brother..."
President Hunt paused, and the clopping of chariot hooves echoed through the stadium. Everyone's attention turned to the other chariot. Cameras zoomed in on the boy and the girl who rode stoicly toward the tributes. In that moment, the biggest secret in Panem was revealed.
District Thirteen was alive.
"For those of you who still look to your former brothers-in-arms as allies: what ally would leave you all to suffer the consequences of his mistakes? District Thirteen still stands, and they planned to duck their heads while the rest of Panem willingly offers tribute to the Capitol. I could not allow that. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the tributes from District Thirteen."
Zoe and Oswald were dressed just like rebels. Despite their frailty, their appearance was still intimidating. Lycus Hunt himself gave pause seeing how confident they seemed. It was as if they were prepared for this all along.
"And so the Games begin! Best of luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
