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"We won't see you again until just before the parade." Explained Finnick, setting his glass of orange juice back down on the well garnished table.
"Not to worry though," Hannah piped up, her smile as wide -and in Cordelia's humble opinion unsettling- as ever, "you'll be in good hands. Just try to have fun with it."
"Oh, I'm sure it will be a blast!" Cordelia smiled over entusiastically.
Finnick sent his fellow mentor a pointed look before focusing on the tributes, mainly Cordelia, "Your stylists are there to help you look the part but, you need to remember that every thing you do in front of that crowd matters. Make the right moves, make people like you because even just one sponsor can be the difference of life or death."
Cordelia nodded, holding his gaze, her thoughts overflowing to fill both her mind and her stomach warranting her to set down her fork. When she looked back up to Finnick, he was focused on the food he was scooping into his mouth.
"Reno will probably join us in a couple minutes, and we should be arriving in the Capitol any moment," Hannah mentioned, "then he will escort you both to your prep teams, who are getting ready for you in the Remake center."
"So get what you want now," Cordelia could feel her mentor's eyes back on her, "because you won't be given the chance to eat again until we're sat for dinner."
She took his advice, working through the oversized portion of fruit on her plate by time Reno had sat with the rest of the group. The remainder of their meal time was spent with both Finnick and Hannah giving their own pointers on how to get through the parade. How to wave, certain looks they could give the crowd and just other information that could be of use when trying to get sponsors on their side. Then, it was time to leave. Reno escorted the two tributes all the way through the avenue and to where they'd be prepared for the ceremony.
"Is it just me or is Finnick rather...I don't know uptight," Cordelia raised her eyebrows, narrowing her eyes challenginly at her district partner, "oh it is just me? Got it, duly noted."
"You know, that's our mentor you're talking about." She smiled lightly to disguise the sincerity of her disapproval.
"He's your mentor," Christian bumped his shoulder into her's playfully as they walked, "and he's a snob."
"He's not a snob-"
The boy beside her let out a scoff, "He's a bit of a snob."
"Aren't you supposed to be the one turning out to be just like him?" She scoffed.
Christian fell silent, causing her to continue.
"Have you thought about the fact that maybe he's just taking this seriously," Cordelia chuckled in a partial disbelief, "I mean at the end of it all, at least one of us is going to..."
"Die?" Christian chuckled out the end of Cordelia's thought.
She nodded slowly.
The pair fell quiet for a couple of minutes, eyes widening at the crowds formed at the brief opening of space before they entered the Remake center. Christian imediately grew a large grin and started interacting with Capitol citizens by giving small waves and even a few winks. Cordelia followed suit slowly, neither stopping until they were closed away behind the huge set of doors. Reno then applauded their efforts, spewing how impressed he was at their ability to seize the opportunities being given to them.
