𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 - 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄

𝑽𝑰𝑰𝑰. 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒

"Woah. You look..."

"Ridiculous, I know."

"I was gonna say you looked pretty rad."

Calix and Nova have met up with the other tribute by now, and she takes a moment to stare at the outfit that Nico's been dressed in.

His shirt is made entirely out of fishnets, to resemble a sort of vest. Some of his bare skin shows, but not so much that it's considered scandalous. His pants shimmer in the same color to match her dress, and he's wearing rustic brown cowboy boots. And of course, a crown made of shells and cones, with a giant conch shell in the middle. Both of their hairs have been slicked back.

"You don't look too bad, Nico."

"Why thank you, m'lady."

"Don't you dare bow."

"Okay, I won't. Jeez."

It's not long until the chariots are to arrive, and Calix is checking everything over, making final touches to their looks, giving them advice on what to do and how to act.

"Smile, but not too much. Excessive smiling will make you look like an easy kill for the other tributes. But you need to engage with the crowd. Make them think you really care."

"I don't."

"It doesn't matter. They just need to believe it."

Nova and Nico nod. It isn't about what they think right now. It's about getting people to like them, earning sponsors for the games. Calix shoves a button into Nico's hand.

"When you're ready, press it."

Both tributes nod. This is the beginning of the end.

"Don't be frightened. They just want a good show, that's all." 

"I'm not frightened. I'm angry."

"And you have every right to be, Nova. What happened to you two isn't fair. But you can't focus on that, not right now. You have to be brave and look good."

One of Calix's assistants, Annalise, pokes her head in front of the wall.

"It's time."

Calix lays a reassuring hand on both their shoulders.

"See you after. You'll do great."

Both tributes step into the chariot, as Calix goes up to his place with Finnick, Mags, and his two assistants. Finnick and Mags haven't seen how the two are dressed, as they were escorted to the stadium earlier since they're mentors, although Mags is doing most of the mentoring. He sees Calix approaching with a somewhat nervous expression and addresses him directly.

"Everything alright?"

"Quite alright. I'd say your tributes look marvelous, if I do say so myself. Now I just hope they can pull it off."

Finnick hopes the same. District four's tributes may be fierce, but can they handle the Capitol? The crowd cheers around them, and it's almost like deja vu. He was here himself only a year ago.

The famous host, with an obnoxious yet charming voice, Caesar Flickerman, begins his yearly ritual for the chariot parade.

"Over 100,000 people straining their necks to catch a glimpse of this year's tributes. And our dedicated sponsors are getting to see the tributes for the first time tonight. The crucialness of this moment cannot be undermined."

It's easy to notice the head gamemaker head over to the side and speak into his earpiece. The parade is about to begin.

"So far so good. First chariot on my count in fifteen... fourteen... thirteen..."

The deafening music begins to play, and the first chariot begins to roll in. The crowd roars with excitement at the sight of the tributes from district one, they tend to produce victors most years, along with district two and district four. Finnick knows his tributes will be coming up very soon, and he anxiously awaits their arrival.

"There they are. There they are. This year's Tributes. It's the most exciting part. It just gives you goosebumps. And don't you love how the stylists, they so clearly are able to reflect the character of each district?"

Mags nudges him, and silently points further down the line. There they are. Nico and Nova. They do look marvelous, as Calix put in. Their look is a bit different from what district four typically is, but they still seem to represent it quite well.

They look pretty damn intimidating, and a few sponsors watch their chariot, their curiosity piqued. Nico isn't really all that nervous. He just focuses on looking pretty and fierce, and so does she.

Nova nudges him, giving him a glance that says it's time to press the button. He nods, and activates it fairly quickly, as they're about halfway down the stadium road by this point. A tall, glimmering fountain shoots off of their outfits, which seems impossible, but Calix did it.

The spectators grow mad with vigor, this isn't something they usually see from district four. Even Finnick is impressed. The citizens of the Capitol seem to be in love with them, which is good to get sponsors, but possibly not so great later.

"Welcome. Welcome. Tributes, we welcome you. We salute your courage and your sacrifice. And we wish you, Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor."

But right now, the spectators loving their charisma could be the thing to save their lives in the arena. The tribute parade ends after a few more moments, and the group of district four reconvenes.

"That was wonderful, you two. You certainly gave your best performance."

Mags signals graciously with her hands, and both tributes grin with pride. The tributes from the other districts are milling about the stadium floor, being congratulated by mentors and sponsors alike.

"The people love you. They were practically roaring for you."

"That was the appeal, wasn't it?"

"That it was, Nova. Now you'll surely-"

Calix cuts off, his eyes glancing at something behind the two. Nova and Nico quickly turn their heads to see another pair of tributes glaring at them. Before either of them can open their mouths to say anything, he beats them to it.

"Lucius and Gaelia. District five."

The district five tributes clearly don't enjoy the fact that attention was drawn away from them due to the fountain from Nico and Nova's chariot.

"Are they a threat?"

"Possibly. But only if you're not paying a lot of attention in the arena. They aren't careers, haven't been trained. Most likely one of the least big dangers to you two."

There's not much time for conversation after that, and they're led upstairs to district four's quarters. It's much fancier than anything they're used to, and that's clear to anyone else watching, if not from their slightly wide eyes, then from the utter lack of not knowing what to do.

"Tomorrow is the first day of training, it's a... relatively big deal. Get some rest. We'll see you both in the morning."