Revolt 13 | Y.Jw

| 2.4 |

The whole procedure of getting of the train and into my clothes for the opening ceremony was already routine to me, despite only having done it once before. The whole routine of washing and shaving was almost habit to me once I actually got to it.

Carda was quiet as she adjusted the ribbons down my arms and up around my neck. I had already questioned the symbolism of it, to which she simply replied I was no longer tied down into Thirteen by the Capitol I was instead tied up as their small puppet to direct around as they wished. 

"I just found Jungwon," Venus announced as he rushed into my changing room where I sat on the stretcher while Carda carefully painted on the varnish from last year's opening ceremony - drawing small lines from my eyes.

"Jungwon?" I questioned and he nodded immediately.

"He's on with the plan," Venus nodded at Carda before looking to me as I slowly knit my eyebrows together.

"Plan?" I whispered and Venus immediately nodded and quickly turned to lock his door behind him.

"Marianne came up with it," he excused with a small sigh and folded his hands in front of him, "multiple of the former victors are of course mad at having to go back into the games. We're trying to get it called off at any possible event. Today at the opeing ceremony, at the training evaluations, at the Augustus interview. Each of them."

"But what will we do?" I questioned as Carda turned to wash off her brush.

"You're already dressed for the first one," Venus pointed out while Carda around a white cloth, "a silent demonstration if you will. All tributes who are against the games will start the opening ceremony by wearing the cloths over the mouths, symbolizing how they're silenced... at the training center you either have to provoke the game masters, not show up, or simply do nothing for the ten minutes you have. At Augustus' interview we've come up with various lies that's supposed to stop the games. We got one of the female tributes to say she's pregnant, another older tribute to say he's the only caregiver for his toddler grandchild. You need to come up with something as well."

"Such as?" I questioned with a small shrug.

"Jungwon," Venus sighed heavily, "you have to mention something about him."

"Why?"

"The people in the Capitol are already torn enough about both of you having to go back into the arena," Venus slowly admitted and my eyes eventually widened, "I'm sorry Jiyeon, but he was reaped again and it's not like any of the older male victors from District Twelve dare volunteer again. They've already been punished enough by the Capitol."

"What will Jungwon say?" I questioned and Venus sucked in a deep breath.

"He's gonna use his Sepsis from the previous games to his advantage," Venus simply replied as Carda sucked in a sharp breath, "you need to use something about those games to your advantage as well. And it needs to be some sweet lovey dovey thing."

"Why wo-"

"They need to see a softer side of you. All they've seen so far is you running around and taking care of a weak boy in that arena."

"What about my family?" I murmured.

"Your uncle agrees that at any point you and Jungwon are the priorities. You two need to get out somehow, if they don't cancel the games, and we're working on that," Venus nodded quietly befor sighing heavily, "I can't believe I am doing this."

By the time Carda showed me out to the chariots majority of the other tributes were there as well, casually wandering about and talking with their other victor friends and introducing their family members. A few of them standing around with white cloth in their hands.

"Ji," a voice fo relief called out, giving me a few seconds to turn around and react before Jungwon had engulfed me in a tight hug, "oh my god..."

"You didn't volunteer, did you?" I whispered and he quickly shook his head against the side of my own as I decided that it was only proper to hug him back.

"Reaped, fair and square," he whispered and eventually pulled away from me, "or well... I'm sure it was planned somewhere that we had to go back in, both of us."

"They're creating the uprising themselves," I whispered with a small nod, fiddling with the white cloth in my hand, "how have you been sleeping?" I looked up at him again and he smiled slightly.

"Not as good as I did when we were on the train together," he nudged my shoulder gently, "I already asked Venus. I can go to District Thirteen suite and sleep with you, if you're alright with that."

"It would be nice," I whispered with a small nod and glanced down to his left hand, where he twirled his own piece of white cloth between his fingers.

"I uhm... I'm liking the idea of the uprising more," he admitted in a small whisper and I nodded quietly, "I know I was against it at first, but now it's alright.... I sort of realized that if it went alright we would be able to spend more time together."

"Jungwon we can't keep thinking we'll ever be able to be together," I whispered and he nodded immediately.

"I have my right to dream, don't I?" he whispered quietly, "and I foresee that in a few years we can live peacefully and see each other regularly... if we do this right."

"Tributes in their carriages. Former victors together in front, brought family members in carriage behind."

I let out a small sigh, looking around as the others with white cloths started tying them over their mouths. I quickly did the same as I wandered over to my chariot and stepped up beside Jason as I double knotted the white cloth. 

My palms were clammy and sweaty when I grabbed onto the railing of the carriage. I didn't know what I was most scared of during the parade. The constant glare the president let slide over each of the tributes wearing the white cloths or the possibility that Jason just decided to push me off of the carriage - he looked insane enough to actually do so.