cloves games - a hunger games spin-off

Welcome to the Capitol

Me Cato, Enobaria, Wane, and Plato all discuss possible ally's.

They all thought pretty much the same as me.

District 1, the girl from 4, and boy from 11. Then Wane reminds us not to base everything off of the Reaping's, and they might seem different in training.

I'm about to say that's unlikely, when they windows black out, and Plato walks to the window.

"Welcome to the Capitol" he says loudly.

"What?"

"This is the tunnel that leads us through the mountains and into the Capitol of Panem, home for me, and your home for the next few weeks!" He says as if it's obvious.

Me and Cato go to the window, after a few minutes, light floods in. There's a minute of calm outside, then someone spots the Tribute Train and they all go mad.

There are cameras flashing, people shouting, kids waving. I half want to wave back, flash a smile, but that's not my image. I put on a straight face and lean on the windowsill.

We pull into the station, and i expect to be able to get off in peace, but the photographers are here too.

Plato gets of first, and we follow him.

I walk out with Enobaria, and we talk about nothing, but make it seem like something important. She says this makes the reporters go crazy, they're so nosey.

Cato and Wane walk out the same way just behind us.

We eventually arrive at the Training Centre, our new place of residence until we are thrown headfirst into the arena.

There's 14 floors in the building. One for each district, the Lobby, and the Training Room.

The Lobby is on the Ground Floor, and we're on level 2. Just above District 1, and just below where District 3 are staying.

We walk through the Lobby towards the back, and a woman with bright green hair and eyes, with a matching dress greets us. She's a little overwhelming but it'll do.

She takes our names and photos, as well as our mentors and escorts, then directs us through a door.

I'm rushed through the door, then some curtains. There's a bed and a bathrobe on a hook, a sink, and a counter full of tiny little tools.

2 Girls and a boy walk in after I've sat down, tell me to undress myself and put on the robe. I wait for them to turn around, but they don't, so I just do what they say.

I sit back down and they tell me they're names, which I forget right away, then they say that they're my prep team.

Right. From now on I don't dress myself. How could I forget.

The boy one starts to talk about how uneven my brows are, which I never noticed before. He plucks away at a few stray hairs with some tweezers. It doesn't hurt too bad. Then he waxes off some more hairs. That stings.

They take off my robe and I lie down, they wax my whole body. The only hairs I'm left with are the ones on my head, and the few remaining eyebrow hairs I have left. I wonder how Catos holding up.

Halfway through my waxing, the door opens again and a woman walks in. She introduces herself as Fauna, she will be my stylist for the time between now and the games.

The other 3 leave, and she instructs me to put my robe back on.

She sits next to me and we talk, and eat. She's not too bad. Apart from her accent. I have to try my best not to laugh.

She keeps tapping on the table. It's getting quite annoying now. And she breaths really loud. But if she can help me get sponsors, I won't complain.

She tells me how her and her partner are going to put me and Cato in army outfits for the Parade tonight.

Every year, each tribute gets in a chariot and we parade around the Capitol, until we end up outside President Snows home. It's so the citizens get to see us in real life for the first time. They can buy programs, and start to think about sponsoring us.

An hour later, she's just finished off my makeup, and I'm putting on a golden army outfit, it's supposed to reflect the fact that District 2 is the District of masonry.

Me and Cato are taken through to the town square of the Capitol, and we're standing next to our chariots.

Fauna adjusts my headpiece, and I feel ready.