Something Worth Living For [THG] // Finnick Odair

IV

I know that if I wasn't scared, something's wrong, because the thrill is what's scary.

                                                      -  Richard Pryor

I wake up the next morning earlier than the rest. I walk out of my room still wearing my pyjama, breakfast was already served before I even woke up. All kind of food is on the table. I grab some fruit, yogurt and granola. I also pour some coffee in a cup.

"Good to see you." Enebry says. "In a few hours you and Ryle will be taken to your prep team. In no time every tribute will be here."

I only nod at her, chewing a piece of fruit slowly. She stares at my breakfast with a disapproving look, like if I should have eaten something different or something more. I choose to ignore it and enjoy my breakfast.

At 9:00 O'clock Ryle and I are ordered to follow Enebry out of our floor and what we are supposed to call 'home' for the following days. It's a luxury big apartment with several bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room, etc.

Seven districts' tributes have already arrived. And things have to start getting done, living close to the Capitol gives us the advantage to rest before getting ready, while other tributes are dragged to get ready as soon as they put a foot inside the Capitol. No rest, no time to get used to the idea of this completely different world, but luckily we do.

As we get to this different part of the Training Centre, these three weird-looking people drag me to a big room, and another three people drag Ryle. Now I'm on my own, with Capitol people. Great.

Two men and one woman. The two men have blue hair, but different shades. The both of them have several piercings and a few tattoos. Their clothes are even more extravagant than other people since they are stylists. These guys know everything about fashion, and they have to wear the best of the best. The woman wears lots of make-up and has also piercings. Her hair is a light shade of purple. It matches her eyes. She probably has contacts because her eyes can't be naturally purple, or maybe they have something here in the Capitol to make them purple, like a dye or something? Hmmm.

They make me lie down on this surface; it's like a hospital bed or so. As small and as uncomfortable, but before that, they make me take off every piece of clothing I am wearing. I hesitated at first but then I remembered Lyme telling me to not refuse, to only do as I'm told so I did. It was so embarrassing, especially when two out of the three people in the room are of the opposite sex.

"You are not that hairy." The man with the darkest green hair comments, his name was Polish, I think. "Still, we have some things to work on."

The next thing I know is that Polish and the woman, Viola, are putting this warm substance on my skin, then putting a piece of fabric on it, and finally pulling it hard. They do this on every part of my body. First my legs and when they were done with it I almost feel no pain anymore, maybe my body has become numb. They even do all that process on my face, which was a bit scary at first but I refused to whine or say anything.

Then I am put in this kind of huge bath, they start scrubbing every inch of my body, taking off all the dirt and anything else that it could be there, when they are done, my usual white skin is all red and a bit irritated. They unmake my braid and wash my hair and apply a treatment to it.

"You can stand up now." Viola tells me.

I do as I'm told, Viola wraps a towel around my body and put another on my head.  They dry my body and make me sit on a chair close by the bath. They do my nails and toenails, they clean, cut and paint them a silver shiny colour. And then Polish dries my hair and puts it in a nice, fancy high bun.