shall we rise? - the hunger games

(007) let the training begin

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SHALL WE RISE?

act one.

(chapter seven, let the training begin)

training centre, 2304.

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IF VALENCIA WAS AMAZED at her room on the train, she certainly was astonished by the quarters she had in the District Nine apartment. It was nearly as big as her room, Antares, and her mother's rooms back in Victors' Village. There was a king-sized bed that had deep green (the same colour that was seen on the train) soft silk covers, a closet that was filled to the brim with various outfits, and a doorway that led into a very high tech bathroom. 

Valencia sighed as she unzipped her dress and slipped out of it, wondering through her room and into the bathroom. She gaped when she saw the shower. There was a panel that had more than a hundred options, all based on water temperature, pressure, shampoos, soaps, scents, oils, and even massaging sponges. She looked down below and studied the mat, which had little holes for a heating system that blow-dried your body. 

She shook her head as she turned the shower on and stepped in. Valencia used nearly all of the buttons on the panel to get rid of the sparkles and glitter that were adorned on her face, body, and hair. And by the time they had all disappeared, she felt like herself again. There was a distinct difference between the girl Valencia was during the Parade and the girl Valencia is now. Now, she is bare as she watched the glitter go down the drain in circles. 

Once Valencia had dried off and picked out an outfit, which just consisted of a white, long sleeved shirt and a pair of green cargo pants, she walked out of her room. 

In the dining room, Commie and Ezra sat at the table as they waited for everyone else. At the sound of Valencia entering, Ezra immediately perked up and gave her a bright smile whilst Commie furrowed his eyebrows.

"Nearly didn't recognise you without any glitter and sparkles," he said as she sat down across from him. "You did a good job, Ezra."

The said man smiled, but was soon distracted when Delphine came bumbling in with Antares and Silas's stylist behind her. Her eyes were pat dry and she was now buzzing with excitement as she sat down beside Ezra. 

"Of course we are still waiting for Silas to come," mumbled Delphine as she took a sip from her tall, slender glass of wine. "Oh, there he is."

Free from sparkles and gems, Silas entered the room without a word and sat down at the table beside his stylist and Antares, who both shared a glance before back at their plates. 

Avoxes began to swarm around them with numerous dishes in their hands. Beef and mashed potatoes were served with a type of gravy poured all over. The silent people also filled up all the adults's glasses with wine whilst Valencia's and Silas's were filled up with water. They wanted them to keep a clear head. 

"So," Commie began to say as he burped into his hand once he finished his large portion of food. "Tomorrow is the first day of training."

Valencia nodded as she pushed her empty plate away and sipped on her water. She was nervous, of course, but intrigued to see the other tributes in action. She wanted to see the tributes as themselves and not some dolled up version for the Capitol to see.