Chapter 15
1248 Words
I forgot about Rhoda so I made her appear twice in this chapter. Then I thought I might as well show Careen too. In hindsight, I should have had Sky as well. I'll be sure to add her more later.
Rhoda Hamilton
I was glad to rescue Jeanie and Nassor from Chimera. He was a nice guy, but... his IQ was the same as his temperature. He told our Tributes the same thing every year, and I rescued then just after he gave his speech.
"He just told you it would be a good idea to win, didn't he?" I asked.
"Yep," Nassor said.
"To be fair, he's right, I guess," I said. "But it might be a good idea to tell you how to win. I would know that... sort of." Nassor smiled briefly and quickly hid it, afraid he'd offended me.
"Whatever keeps me alive," I said with a shrug. "Now, about the parade. If there's anything I know about, it's fashion."
Careen Ellis
I was training a mini-me. Eren liked beaches and surfing and all the stuff I liked. But then, just about everyone in Four liked those things. It wasn't like she was copying me. It was surreal to be training her, though. We would have been friends if neither of us had volunteered. She was only a few years younger than me.
"Whatever happens, don't let it weight on you," I said to her. "We didn't start the Games. We're only finishing what they started. People are going to die no matter what. We can only make the best of it."
Hollan Makhpiya
I know this one! I mostly read fashion books and mysteries, but I had heard of Attila the Hun. That made my job with Attila a lot easier. There were no great warriors named Jayden, so I would have to be creative. If Attila was the harsh-looking one, I'd make Jayden the gorgeous-looking one. She could be gorgeous and still strong, though. People from One usually were.
Tigris Chatte
Chrome was as spare and fathomless as the stone from her District. It worked perfectly for an idea I'd been waiting to use until the right Tribute came along. It wouldn't work at all for Hero, who saw my uncertainty and chimed in.
"Just take my shirt off and it can't get any better," he said, flexing. My eyebrows went up and a feline grin crossed my face.
"Oh no. I wasn't serious..."
Cilantro Pestle
"You want to be an EMP?" I asked Shinju, who nodded.
"They suck the life out of electricity," she said. That was... odd. And now I had to look up what an EMP was.
"How about you?" I asked Jack. I always had a few spare ideas, but I liked to get suggestions from the Tributes.
"Can I just have a separate chariot?"
Rouge Twain
"Miss? I think I need a doctor," Gator said as he walked in the door, holding his arm out to show me it wasn't there.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" I shrieked, backing into the room and tripping over a table. Gator laughed guiltily and pulled his sleeve back to show his stump.
"Don't worry, it's just a stump," he said. That did not make it better.
"You're horrible," Eren scolded as she helped me up.
"Thank you," I said. "Let's make you look beautiful."
Puff Auri
"Can I have a yellow outfit? I like yellow," Ally asked.
"Ooh, I like it. Six is a very yellow sort of District," I said. "How do you make a costume based on movement?" I asked.
"Make something move?" Ally suggested.
"Something yellow that moves," I said. "Sounds like you're either a bumblebee or a tennis player."
"I'm too skinny to be a bumblebee," she said.
"Tennis player it is."
Flora Kettle
This was unfortunate. I couldn't ogle my Tribute if he was thirteen.
"I want to be a superhero doctor firefighter," Marcus said.
"Do they have those in Seven?" I asked. I thought Seven was lumberjacks.
"They have firefighters," he said. Oh, I suppose so. Wood burns like really well.
"You'd be an adorable little firefighter! I should see if we can hook a hose up to the chariot," I said. This would be a welcome change. Lumberjacks were cute, but I also liked firefighters.
Baste Marinade
I had a most wonderful idea. I'd been waiting months for the Games to come just so I could show it.
"I have a most wonderful idea," I said to Niko, and went on eagerly before he answered.
"Thread," I said. I paused expectantly.
"What about it?" Niko asked.
"Thread is the base of all textiles. It is the blood that holds Eight together. It is the heart of fashion," I said.
"I guess so," Niko said. "So the costume has a lot of thread?"
"The costume is thread," I said. Niko was not impressed. Philistines.
Mint Goblet
"Seeds are very in this year. I made you this," I said, holding up a scant miniskirt and belly shirt crusted with seeds.
"It's very... small," Jeanie said.
"It's very chic," I said.
"I've never worn so little in public before," Jeanie said. Rhoda, who was supervising everyone and giving advice, moved closer to her.
"There's going to be a lot of things you don't want to do. Everyone who wins lets go of at least some of them. Some of us more than others," she said. "It's okay if you don't want to. The best of us don't win." Jeanie took the dress, but her face made me sick.
"Don't worry! I can add some more seeds," I said. I didn't want Jeanie to be sad. "More seeds is more chic!"
Phoebe Vane
It was time to make a statement. For too long, Ten had been associated with nothing but cows. I was going to take that and add a postmodern twist. I was better than Filay. I was above him, just like a bullrider was above a bull. And that was what I would make. A bullrider, but one that illustrated the spirituality of the ritual- the clash between man and nature and the will to dominate a beast. No more would people laugh at Ten. They would feel only awe.
Creme Brulee
"What's growing right now in Eleven?" I asked. I used to think food just grew there all the time, but I'd recently learned there were seasons and different plants grew at different times.
"It's still rainy weather. Mostly there's just mud," Maren said.
"Mud? I like it! The soil of the land. It's perfect," I said.
"You're going to dress me as mud?" Maren asked.
"No, with mud," I said.
"You've got to be kidding," Maren said.
"No, it's the best idea ever!" I said.
"Oh, have mercy. Just use a lot, okay?"
Cuisine Martinique
"What's the deal with your partner? I hear he's nuts," I said to Yara as I worked on her makeup.
"I only see him once a year. They always have to drag him to the Reaping," she said.
"Oh, he's a rebel?" I asked. People weren't supposed to resist Peacekeepers.
"I don't think so. I think he's just not quite right," she said.
"Ooh, I wonder what happened. Maybe he got dropped on his head, or maybe his parents were a little close, if you get me," I said.
"He lives in the mines," Yara said.
"Like a rat? I bet he was raised by rats," I said. This kept getting better.
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