🅳🆁🅴🆂🆂🅸🅽🅶 room, night. Estella had her eyes shut, as people applied eye shadow on her eyelids. "Head up high, your hands should never be off your lap. And posture, very important. Strength and femininity." Iphigenia is with her, alongside Poppy and her craftsmen.
Poppy sensed the dull mood Estella was in despite holding a smile for Iphigenia as the woman spoke proudly of her beauty. "Thank you, Iphigenia. Estella, you can open your eyes now."
Estella's eyes open now, and she is stunned by her reflection once more by Poppy's work. Arms stenciled, hair is woven in lovely curls down on one shoulder until her upper hips, make-up subtle and elegant, not to overshadow her bare beauty that everyone so loves.
A tight soft pink dress that reaches to her thigh, just enough to show her long legs to everyone, behind leads a trail that would drag as she walks, decorated with flowers and sparkles that could bewitch anyone's attention to her. Heels with strings going above to seduce more awareness on her legs.
Not pretty. Not beautiful. She was radiating, forcing everyone to have eyes on her and only her.
"Well, there you are. A diamond." Poppy is beaming at his creation. Her whole team squeals with delight as Estella still hasn't spoken. Just too floored at what is going to happen tomorrow, Poppy gets it. "Give us a moment, all right?" Her team exits. Iphigenia shrugs unhappily, wanting more moments to drool at Estella's figure once more, following them.
Now it's just Poppy and Estella who still haven't spoken. Estella kept her eyes on the reflection of herself while Poppy stared, trying to read her body language. "I look like..." / "Like the girl you were meant to be. Let me see a twirl." She softly chuckles, striving to shoo away the bad vibe as she twirls, almost allowing the thrill of it. "I hope the Sponsors see you tonight. Like this. The real you."
Carefully, Estella turns around to face Poppy. Her eyes held dullness but she attempted to put on a loving smile that almost made Poppy believe her act. "I'm scared." The same words and tone that she spoke to her in their first meeting, this time it's more hurtful because the day is ticking in hours now, no more day.
"I... I honestly don't know how to comfort you. I can't say you'll be fine, that would be a lie. I can't say be strong, it's scary in the arena. But I can guarantee you this..." Poppy went up to Estella, securing their hands together, and with a determined look, she spoke with all seriousness, "I'll help you as much as I can. Get you the things you need. You and Aries have to trust us, your crew, especially Dennis."
Estella softly sighed, and the words got around: she thought. Since the argument Dennis and Aries had, both haven't spoken or stayed in one room for more than an hour. Estella didn't have beef with Dennis it was Aries who did but somehow, she ended up following his side.
Fondly nodding her head and transferring a genuine smile at Poppy, Estella liked the crew, they have grown a soft spot on her, so yes, she'll trust them. After some more small talks with Poppy alone, she joins the other tributes, each made-over, backstage at an amphitheater where Aries has been standing there waiting for her.
Dress in a very formal yet showing suit to show his build, a few buttons were purposely not buttoned up. Upon mustering their eyes, Aries once more perceives himself as losing focus on his partner.
To Aries, Estella is a very appealing girl, her beauty can surface any. However, being all dolled up and dressed in the most stunning outfit, Estella always manages to catch his breath away. He kept his eyes on Estella as she benevolently walked up to him, mindful of her dress's train, halting twice for Peeta and Rue before she reached his side.
Every tribute seems to acknowledge her presence, District 5 could undoubtedly attain attention without asking. As Estella took the moment to retaliate unspecified crease or flaw on her dress, he caught a chance to gawk at her from head to toe.
At that moment, a man rushes past. He is Caesar Flickerman, one of the hosts that triggered Aries on the first day of being on here, his face painted white; his hair, lips, and eyelids powder blue. His suit is dotted with tiny light bulbs. We hear: "Ladies and gentlemen, your host for the evening, Caesar Flickerman!"
The pair both watch on the screen, whispering calm words into Aries to calm his anger even warning him to handle it when it's his turn. "If it's too much, change the subject about anything that cools you down. Promise me, Aries," he promises by squeezing their hands together, that enough please Estella.
As Flickerman bounces out, urging more applause from the crowd, "Thank you, and welcome to the show! I hope you've brought your appetite for fun because tonight I go one-on-one with the Tributes for the 74th Hunger Games! And here they are!"
More applause as the Tributes walk on stage, single file, filling those waiting chairs. Aries and Estella held hands tight, a way of encouraging one another once more, in the corner of Estella's eyes she locates Katniss being tugged by Haymitch, muttering something to her sternly.
Onto the stage, where applause echoes, cameras everywhere. In the Balconies are the Game makers. Estella and Aries brace themselves, all too aware that all of Panem is watching.
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First interviewer Marvel: "Marvel, we hear so much about alliances formed during The Games, tributes banding together in the early stages. Do you have a strategy in that regard?"
"Seems weird to me, joining up with people you're supposed to be competing with. I think I'd be better off just killing them." The crowd cheers to please his answer while Flickerman replies simply with a grin, "Oh, my."
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