Against All Odds

The Capitol

A/N Sorry if you don't like time skips, but I didn't find it necessary to write about the rest of the train ride... Also, please note that this story will be similar to the book, but some parts will not be EXACTLY the same, so please don't kill me for that >.<

Finally, we arrive at the capitol, and we are immediately introduced to our prep teams. As I look around, I figure that people in the capitol are pretty big on fashion. In a bad way, considering that everyone I pass either sports a ridiculously fancy headpiece, an excessive amount of jewelry, brightly dyed hair, an insane amount of makeup, or a combination of all of them.

I cringe as a woman with a large pink feathery headpiece passes, with high heels that make her tower above everyone else around her.

The prep team circles around me during their 'examination', and mutter to themselves. All I catch is 'too much hair' and 'such ugly clothes'. I resist the sudden urge to slap them. They force me to take a shower, and scrub me down, as well as wax my legs, making me wince. Finally, they sigh, and seem to agree that I look "presentable enough" to send to Cinna.

Surprisingly, I like Cinna. He looks totally normal, besides for the gold eye-liner. He smiles, and introduces himself. "Hello Katniss, I'm your stylist." He proceeds to explain how he didn't want to go with the traditional approach of dressing district 12 tributes as coal miners. Oh no, please don't tell me I'll be naked...

"So, Katniss, I thought we would focus more on the 'coal' aspect of it, rather than the miner part," he says. Oh great... naked and covered in black dust....I think in horror.

I feel partially relieved that I happened to be wrong about the whole "naked and covered in coal dust" idea, but the other half of me is starting to think that this is even worse; I am dressed in the most sensational (and, might I say, deadly?) costume for the opening ceremonies. I am wearing a simple black unitard that covers me from ankle to neck. Shiny black boots lace up to my knees. But it's the fluttering cape made of streams of orange, yellow, and red that truly define the costume. Cinna explains that he plans to light them on fire, just before our chariot rolls onto the streets. He does say that it's only synthetic fire, so it won't burn us to death, but who am I to trust the capitol technology? Cinna also seems to be totally calm, not worried that I will burn to death. It makes me wonder whether or not he's out of his mind.

I grimace. Well, if you're gonna die, might as well do it with a flash and a bang..... I look at Cinna, and he simply smiles a reassuring smile. I take a deep breath, turn to Peeta, and say, "Ok let's do this... If I burn to death, try not to cry. At least hold your tears in until the ceremony is over!"

Peeta laughs, and says, "We won't die, Katniss. I trust Cinna, he wouldn't force us into something unsafe."

And that is the biggest flaw of Peeta. He trusts too much. But his greatest flaw can also be his greatest virtue. Isn't it good to be friendly?

Yeah, until all that friendliness comes to bite you in the ass... The more sensible part of me points out.

And then we board our chariot. We exit the prep area. The lights of the Capitol blind me, and the screams almost make me deaf. It really is just beginning.