Under The Hanging Tree

The Reaping

"Get up, today is a very big day!"
Mikasa was jolted awake by the sound of rapid knocking against her door. She groggily retreated further into the warmth of her wooly blanket, only grunting in response to her prep team's exuberant calls at her front door. For a brief moment, Mikasa was blissfully unaware of what day it was and the fate that awaited her. As she began to fully come to life, the dread seeped into her veins like venom. It was the day of the reaping.
Begrudgingly, Mikasa dragged herself out of bed and to her front door. Her prep team immediately bombarded her with greetings and compliments. Normally, Mikasa loathed Capital folk. They were always so loud, so harsh to look at. Her prep team was just as much of a spectacle, but they somehow managed to be endearing to her. She could tell that they actually cared about her as a person, and it was always entertaining to watch them peck at her and squawk like two brightly colored birds.

"Oh Mikasa, my dear mockingjay, how have you been!? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" Nina's voice piped up as she kissed each of Mikasa's cheeks, leaving aqua colored lipstick stains on her skin. Nina was a lanky woman with near flawless olive skin and shoulder length hair that was dyed the most striking shade of purple Mikasa had ever seen.
A gasp rang out from Darius, one of his perfectly manicured and tattooed hands coming to fix her bed hair. "You look dreadful!" He cried, running his fingers through her hair in an attempt to detangle it. "When was the last time you brushed this lion's mane!?"
"Last night?" Mikasa answered sheepishly, trying to stifle a laugh.
Darius was a short and plump man. Beautiful red lily tattoos covered his body, the striking crimson hue almost glowing against his milky pale skin. His thick black hair was neatly braided back into an intricate pattern that swayed with every movement the man made.
Both Darius and Nina were a sight to behold. Their technicolor bodies and theatrical mannerisms made them stick out like sore thumbs in District 12. Mikasa wished she could've seen the two of them getting off at the train station.

The two flamboyant birds ushered Mikasa into the shower, immediately getting to work as soon as she got out. Darius worked wonders with his hands, turning Mikasa's wild mess of hair into luxuriously prepped locks of shiny black tresses that rested in a silky pixie cut. Her hair used to be longer but with a lot of convincing from Darius before the victory tour, she decided that maybe change was good. Though Mikasa normally didn't like for anyone other than herself to mess with her hair but she had to admit, Darius knew what he was doing.
"What are you guys doing here anyways?" Mikasa realized that she never really saw them unless they were prepping her for big events, and the reaping wasn't exactly something that called for both of them to show up. She hadn't even seen them in person since her victory tour.
"We heard about the rule change," Nina's normally over the top preppy voice was now more serious. She continued to file and paint Mikasa's nails with a glossy clear coat, not once looking up at her.  "It's...unfortunate that you have to go, but we wanted you to know that we have your back no matter what. You're our girl after all!" She smiled brightly, her jade green eyes finally meeting Mikasa's own. Before Mikasa could respond, Darius chimed in. "On the bright side, at least you get to experience the wonderful pageantry of the games one last time! Right, Nina?" Though his voice was unwavering in how ardent it was, there was the ever so slight touch of urgency to it as if to warn Nina to bite her tongue.
It was apparent that Nina had more to say on the matter but she was hesitant, seemingly almost fearful to speak her mind. "Right," she cleared her throat, finishing up with Mikasa's right hand and going to work on her left. "Well anyways, Varis sent us with the perfect outfit for today!" Mikasa's brows knitted into concern. "My stylist isn't coming?"
Darius shook his head, his response almost dismissive of her concern. "Varis got caught up in some business matters back in the Capital, but don't worry, he'll surely meet us at the tribute center when we arrive."

After the two of them were done pecking at Mikasa's appearance, she was given some privacy to get dressed. The dress laid out on her bed looked simple at first. It was made of a soft black fabric that she didn't recognize, the texture feeling somewhere between cotton and satin. The dress had a simple bodice with a v-necked collar, and an embroidered trim around the waist. The long, flowing sleeves of the dress were sheer with black embroidered vines of ivy. The same ivies covered her waistline. A pair of matching minimalistic chunky heels sat beside her bed on the floor.
Mikasa was immediately skeptical.
Although beautiful, it was far too basic for someone like Varis to design. It wasn't until she put the actual dress on and stepped into the sunlight streaming through her window that her suspicions wore away. The fabric of the dress had an iridescence to it, brilliant purples and seafoam glistening in the light. She couldn't put her finger on it at first, but the gorgeous display reminded her of something familiar that just struck a chord in her chest. The pride welled in Mikasa as she finally understood what it emulated.