Scarred | The Hunger Games

2.

We made to the Capitol a few hours before we were required to arrive, so we were allowed to explore our level a bit. Level 8, our floor was pretty far up, you could see a lot from here. Otto went to explore the space, but I chose to spend my time differently. By watching the reapings.

We never had access to videos of the Hunger Games back home, or the reapings. We didn't even know when the reapings were. I was just unlucky. This was my first time actually watching a full reaping. I knew how they worked, my time in the central of District Eight told me everything I needed to know. Districts One and Two were Careers, volunteers, and District Four sometimes joined in on the 'fun'. 

As predicted, District One and Two volunteered. The boys from One and Two were actually shorter, and seemed less buff than the girls from One and Two, so I guess if I die, I die knowing feminism is real after what, 500 years?

District Three's tributes actually looked determined, assuming they're very intelligent as the district of technology, I make a note to be weary of them.

The boy from District Four was 15, and unwilling, whilst the girl was 17, and volunteered. Feminism is not coming at a good time for me. 

The male from Seven looked like he had strength, but not enough for me to be super cautious. 

Eleven and Twelve, they looked like they had reason to come home. All the tributes from Eleven and Twelve had family members screaming, reaching out to them. They looked like they wanted to get back to them, but I could tell from their frames that they weren't cut out for it.

"Nova! Time to get ready for the tribute parade!" Who's Nova? Oh, wait. 

*** 

"Can you maybe not tug on the strip before you pull it?!" I snapped at her. 

"This attitude on you? Yeah it's not pretty." The woman with a high bun that pulled her entire face back, sassed with a horrible fake accent, before she ripped off the wax strip. 

My entire styling team are narcissistic skanks. Little miss bun face lift girlie here, tore all the hair off my body, along with the upper most layer of my skin, and is still being bitchy. 

They scrubbed me naked, more naked than I was in the first place, before placing me in a robe for the most royal pain in the ass to dress me. 

"I'm Rena, your stylist. And I promise I will do your gorgeous face justice. Oh to be young and beautiful!" She's perky. Rena pulls out a pair of matching grey, lacy underwear and bra. "Ok change into this whilst I get the rest of your costume!" She claps.

Cute, my undergarments are laced and sexy, what am I? A prostitute? I put on the undergarments, hoping for the best with the rest of the costume. 

"Here you are." Rena hands me a matte gold cape, lined with fur near the top. 

"Where's the rest of it?" 

"Of what?"

"Uh, the costume?!" 

"What? No darling, this is it!" 

"You're sending me, a 14 year old, out there in laced panties and bra, only having a cape to cover me?" 

"No, don't cover yourself with the cape silly! The cape is just to catch the wind. The other districts are showing off their industries, but you produce the fabrics they make their costumes from. So, why not show you off! Your costume is meant to show your appeal as a young woman, as an exotic woman." Does this woman think she's smart?!

"Oh my goodness, what about Otto? You're going to send a 12 year old out in his underwear?!" 

"Heavens no, he will be in briefs!" 

"That's so much worse. No. If you want me out there, you are going to put Otto in pants."

"Underwear."

"Pants."

"Trunks underwear."

"Shorts!"

"Fine! Ugh." She rolls her eyes at me, before leaving.

***

"Nova!" I turn to see Otto. Guess I'm getting used to my new identity, my new name.

He's in shorts!

"Oh good, they actually put you in shorts, I had to fight for you to wear those you know?" He throws his arms around my waist. 

"That fucking hurt, a lot." 

"I know buddy, I know." I rubbed his back. "You know, for the district of textiles, we're certainly not wearing a lot of textile." He laughed. 

We get in our chariots, awaiting for the ceremony to begin. Cecelia walks up to us, "remember, you're the protective sister, and you're the caring brother." 

And we're off.

Our carriage is closer to the end of the line, so whilst I saw the first carriages rolling out, I could hear how much the Capitol liked each district.

There were loud cheers for Districts One and Two, before it quieted down a little for Three, before it picks up again for Four. It kind of settles for Five and Six, getting louder for Seven, before we head on out. Otto's head rests on my shoulder, my arm wrapped around his shoulder. 

We both wave, the crowds roaring in excitement. I felt exposed. My body a decorative ornament to the national celebration that is the Hunger Games. The panties and bra didn't do anything but invite the hungry eyes of the capitol to guess what was underneath.

We come to a stop, before Snow gives some speech that I don't care enough to listen to. 

"And may the odds be ever in your favour." Well, they're not. 

*** 

We get off the chariots, I drag Otto, ready to go back to our floor, getting us into the closest elevator possible, not even caring that there is a man and woman already in there, assuming they're mentors who won't care about us. 

The man is tall, so I would guess he his games were quite a few years back since he's definitely out of his teens. The woman looks younger, so I would say her games were pretty recent.

She breaks the silence, "Ah so now the Capitol's advertising prostitutes?" The woman smirks. I feel Otto freeze in my arms.

"That's Johanna Mason and Finnick Odair!" He whispers to me, fear evident in his voice. I don't even know who they are, not having the time to watch any past hunger games yet.

"Yeah apparently. Not much textile for a textile district." I repeat the same joke I said to Otto earlier. 

"Hah, I like her, she's funny." The man, Finnick, laughs. "What District?" 

The elevator door opens, the woman, Johanna not moving. Assuming this is Finnick's floor, I give him a little nudge out the door, "Whelp, looks like its your stop, chop chop, blondie.", Johanna chuckling at my actions.

He leaves, rolling his eyes playfully, and the door shuts again. I didn't exactly want him to tell his tribute to target us. "Finnick hasn't been pushed around like that in ages, much less by a tribute." Johanna laughs. Fuck, should I have not done that?

She gets off at level seven, "See you in training tomorrow." She winks at me. I roll my eyes at her. 

Otto turns to me, after being quiet the entire time, a mixture of horror and shock across his face. "I can't believe you just spoke like that to Johanna Mason and Finnick Odair!"

"Why? Are they important?"

"You don't know who they are?" I shake my head. "Finnick is the youngest ever victor, won at 14 in the 65th Hunger Games. He got the most expensive sponsor gift in history, a golden trident!" Otto stretched his arms to mimic the length of a trident. "And Johanna won the Hunger Games last year, pretending to be weak for the majority of the games before killing the last few off with an axe, she's brutal."

Well fuck.