24 Years, 24 Tributes

Chapter 15

"Good morning, Panem!"

"I'm Polyphemus Ignotus, and this is the annual Hunger Games Tribute Parade! It's a day of style, of drama, of action, intrigue and celebration! Let's see some tributes!"

"There's the drums! The gates are opening! Here they come! District 1 leads the way. Royal is dressed in a dazzling suit just covered in shining blue gems. Next to him is Valencia, heating up the runway in a daring sheer red dress with a plunging neckline. It's absolutely drenched in brilliant rubies, except a few key areas to show the sponsors she's worth their time! Royal is raising a fist, daring anyone to challenge him. Valencia is blowing sultry kisses to the adoring crowd."

"District 2 won't be outdone. Venus is wearing a fierce-looking suit of smooth black stone. Thompson matches her. He holds a bow, and she a clutch of arrows. They both have dramatic black eyeliner and spiked sleeves. They hold the bow and arrow together overhead, showing everyone they're ready to fight."

"District 3 never fails to light up the Parade, am I right, folks? Spencer's wearing… oh, it's a bunch of twisting wires. That's original. I don't know what his stylist was thinking. Obviously she wasn't thinking at all. His hair looks great, though. How did they manage to make it light up like that? He waves at the crowd, owning his ridiculous outfit. Somehow he makes it shine. Hailey's more of the same. The stylists must have collaborated, unfortunately for us. Let's move on."

"District 4's obviously a different story. Dane is wearing a woven green shirt and blue pants that seem to flow like the water from his home. What is… what is Celestial wearing? It's some sort of brown fur suit with a wide, rounded tail. Is she a beaver? She seems to love her outfit. She's wagging her tail and running her hands over her furry belly. I guess beavers do live in 4… Maybe this is the start of a new trend. I, for one, hope not."

"Next we have the brother and sister from 5. Daniel's dressed in a flaming orange suit lined with lights that make him blaze like the sun. Oh, he must be solar power! His little sister Sarla is wearing a green jumpsuit that glows with an unearthly light. She must be nuclear power! Oh, that's clever!" It's a little hard to tell, since she's hiding behind Daniel.

"District 6 is… oh, Panem preserve us. Astra is wearing an odd caftan-like wrap dripping with silver glitter. Her head is crowned in a retro headband decorated with shapes in primary colors. What does that have to do with transportation? I have no idea, folks. She doesn't, either- she's hiding her face behind her hands. Harvey is dressed as the caboose of a train. I have a feeling there are some very angry stylists backstage."

"District 7's been in a bit of a rut recently. Let's see what they have this time. Ever's dressed in a forest green dress with long sleeves and a bracelet made of leaves. The bottom of the dress swirls out into brown roots. Timber's dressed like… a lumberjack. Clever. He has his arm around her waist, which seems odd. Trees and lumberjacks don't tend to get along. It's an improvement, at least. I know thousands of Capitol ladies who would die for that dress."

"8's stylist have the easiest job. It's the textile district, after all. Alayzea's wearing a purple ball gown made of voluminous satin and tulle. I'm not sure about the connection, but it is made of fabric. She's waving at the crowd with a beaming smile. Caldwell is wearing some sort of spool hat, and he's wound up with yards and yards of red thread. Suddenly Alayzea doesn't look so bad. What is he doing? He's holding the end of the thread and running it through his fingers. He's just doing that over and over."

"All right, let's move on to District 9! This is what I'm talking about, folks! Heidi radiates in a goldenrod sundress accented with woven stalks of grain. A crown of the same woven stalks finishes the outfit beautifully. Looks like it doesn't feel quite as good as it looks. She's smiling and waving, but her other hand is itching constantly. Miller is… a loaf of bread. I did not expect that. The butter pat hat really makes the outfit."

"I know I can always depend on District 10. Let's not count them out, though. Maybe… nope, they're cows. Jean and Bree wear matching black-and-white spotted outfits. Jean's headpiece has long, curved horns, while Bree's has short, hooked ones. Do lady cows even have horns? The cow bell necklace she has is new. How have they never thought of that before?"

"District 11 is a picture of the idyllic farm life. Peppermint has on a blue checkered dress and darling black heels. Her hair is braided around her head just like the settlers in the old days. Apollo has khaki pants and a matching checkered shirt. There's trouble in paradise, though. Peppermint's arms are folded and she's scowling at the floor of the chariot. Apollo is pointedly looking away, but it's no use. We can all tell he's putting out a herculean effort not to laugh. That's brotherly love, right there."

"District 12 brings us a fresh twist on an old classic. Aspen's mining outfit is sleeveless and the pants are cut short. His hair is spiked straight up and sprinkled with gold dust. It must be a productive day in the mines! The whole getup shimmers with embroidered sequins. The boy's face is so clean in shines, except the parts smudged with coal dust. Valerie's mining gear is covered with sunny yellow canaries. They even flap! She seems nervous about this whole thing. She's looking at the ground and her arms are tucked behind her back. Oh, goodness! Aspen just made a ridiculous face. Oh, goodness. He's keeping it up. They've reached the end of the parade, and he's still keeping that face. I can't make this stuff up."

The chariots are gathered around the podium, waiting for President Galba. Oh, there she is! She's a portrait of regal magnificence. The crowd falls silent, and she begins to speak."

"Tributes of Panem, we salute you," she began. "To the Victor, we salute his or her triumph. To those who fall, we salute your valor and sacrifice. All of Panem supports you, and we know you will not let us down. Go in strength, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

"She's a lady of few words, ladies and gents. President Gable prefers to speak softly and carry a big stick. There's really nothing I can add to that, so that's a wrap. It's been a great day here at the Parade, and I can't wait to see what the Games have in store."

Notes:

1. I forgot that in my last fanfic I said all the girls from 10 wore cowgirl outfits. Just... pretend you never heard that.

2. Celeste is dressed as an otter. Polyphemus doesn't know what he's talking about.

3. I decided to write this from the POV of the announcer since it would shake things up. Polyphemus' job is basically just to describe the Parade for people who for some reason can't see it. Maybe they're in the mines and have to listen to a radio or something.