My stylist, Crious, holds his gloved hand over my eyes as he shakes a certain can: hairspray. As I choke on the fumes, I stand and allow my hair to be styled into whatever wacky style I've gotten myself into.
My alliance consists of so many tributes, but my interests lay on the strong girl of District Seven: Winter. The two of us hit off right away, considering we have been next to each other in every order. With the way I am, I thought to introduce myself to the girl, and thankfully, she was sweet in return.
As the hand is removed from my eyes, the white is replaced with my reflection. My outfit, the traditional shirt-and-trouser combo, is accompanied by a velvet waistcoat and a green bowtie. My hair has been sprayed upwards, exposing the gradient of caramel coloured blondes my hair contains. It does often shock me that, naturally, there are brown tints in my hair.
"How do you feel?" Crious asks, tugging at the cuffs of his own formal attire. Crious, despite being the stereotypical Capitol citizen, is absolutely flawless in terms of appearance. His hair, a dark blue shade with white highlights dotted around, stands out from his porcelain skin and amber eyes. I wouldn't mind looking like him in the slightest.
Staring at my face once more, I crack a smile. "Absolutely stunning," I say, sucking in my breath as I admire the lime green bowtie, many shades lighter than the tree green velvet on the back of the luxurious waistcoat. "Thank you so much for this!"
Crious just smiles, his body almost frozen in the casual position he's in. "It's my job, no need to thank me, Aero." Despite saying this, I want to tank him more - he's blushing anyway, so he's obviously taken the thank you to heart.
He escorts me out of the room and to the line - a very broken line - of awaiting tributes. Within the bunch, I see the rest of my alliance: Caella, Clement, Flora, Nettie and Clara. The girls stand around, twiddling their hair and giggling as one cracks their idea of a joke, with Clement standing awkwardly on the side.
"Hey guys," I say, stepping between Clement and Clara. "How are you all on this fine evening?"
Caella fans herself with her hand, gasping slightly. "It's so hot out here, I can't even deal with it," she says her face flushed. "But I'm good, pretty excited to meet Ruby."
Clement just sighs. "I'm not sure I really want to do the interview," he mumbles, staring off into the distance. Clement is surprisingly nice for a Career, as are Flora, Clara and Nettie. Caella, Winter and I are the ones they recruited, wanted to have as allies. "How about you Aero?"
What for? I haven't figured out yet. They make me smile though, so I have zero problems with befriending them, learning to trust them. I doubt I'll let myself stay alone with Nettie or Flora, but if I'm with them in a big group, I see no problems.
You can never be too careful though, can you?
Smiling at the boy, I nod. "I'm pretty good thanks. I'm ready to show the world that I'm not afraid of entering this arena, that I am brave, strong." The girls just nod, looking me up and down. They haven't exactly made it discreet that they're into me, and that leaves me feeling slightly embarrassed. Then again, standing next to the likes of that lovely boy Collin, I can see why they're giving me the eye.
C'mon, Crious did an amazing job with my outfit. Even I'm happy with my appearance tonight. I do hate to sound arrogant, boastful, but tonight I think I look stunning.
"Hey guys!" The recognisable voice of Winter Harley from District Seven chimes around us as she squeezes next to me, blocking Clara from my view ever so slightly. Out of the entire alliance, I trust Winter the most and I'd love for her to make it home.
“Hey,” I chime, smiling at the petite blonde girl. “How you feeling today?” Her smile is beautiful, almost blinding. I remember seeing her on the television for the reaping and instantly falling in love with her.
Even though the question isn’t just directed at me, I’m the first to answer her. “I’m great,” I smile. “Thank you. How are you today?” It’s rude not to ask back, it’s just plain obnoxious. Then again, I don’t ask back if I genuinely don’t care.
“I’m doing pretty well tonight, thank you,” Winter smiles, resting her hand upon my arm, It feels as if District Three’s technology bolts are sparking through me, attracting the opposite force – the works of protons and electrons, I think.
Some men come out and start beckoning us towards our places in the line – most of the group is together, so it’s not like anyone’s going to feel super alone. Winter and I stand in our designated spots and watch Flora nervously walk up to the stage.
“Nervous?” Winter asks, placing her hand upon my shoulder delicately. All I want to do is scream with joy; I’ve never felt this way about a female before.
“Not really,” I reply, smiling at her with as much confidence as I can. It’s true, I’m not very nervous about going onto the stage and answering questions about my life. “How about you?”
She mumbles something before looking at the floor. It’s obvious that she doesn’t want to unravel her past to all of Panem, she deserves privacy and she knows she isn’t going to get it. “Can I have a hug quickly?” Of course, I don’t object as she wraps her arms around me.
We remain like that until my name is called out, signalling me to move towards the stage. “Please, give a round of applause for Aero Luzi of District Six!” It suddenly strikes me that I’m unsure of Ruby’s appearance up until now.
She looks like your average citizen, yet something about her seem tame, calm. Her hair, curled around her left shoulder – a fuchsia colour – sits lightly on her shoulders, tumbling to her belly button. Brown eyes and purple lipstick, she looks surprisingly pretty. Her outfit, a nebula patterned dress, gives her this spacey aura – probably what she was trying to achieve.
“Good evening Aero!” Ruby chimes, shaking my hand as I take a seat next to her. “How are you on such a fine day?” Her eyes sparkle with a lively glow, her health radiant. That makes me feel sorry for the malnourished tributes, unable to hide the illnesses they have behind layers of makeup.
“I’m fabulous,” I say, receiving a cheer from the crowd as I make myself comfortable next to her. “How are you, Ruby?” I ask, trying to be polite. I bet no one’s asked her how she’s doing today.
“Brilliant,” she coos, moving her fringe out of her eyes with rainbow nails. “Now, let’s cut to the chase. How do you like the Capitol?”
Staring into her eyes, I can't tell if they're contacts or not. "This place is pretty great, I'm not entirely sure why my family migrated from here. The people, the food, the facilities, all lovely," I state. Part of what I'm saying is the truth - this place is fascinating. Then again, too much of something is a bore. "I don't really want to leave this place!"
People aw and coo as I express my "love" for the Capitol and the citizens that inhabit this place. "Who stands out to you the most this year?" Ruby asks, her bright pink hair bouncing elegantly around her.
My mind wonders, remembering the tributes I've scanned into my memory. "My entire alliance are strong," I point out. "Then again, I feel like the guy from Three and the pair from Five have potential, they have the skills."
"I don't disagree," Ruby squeals, thinking of the intelligent tributes I've stated. Brains can be your biggest ally if you use them correctly. "Are your alliance your biggest threat?"
Yes, of course; four of the seven of us are Careers. "I guess so - but you can't judge a person until you've seen them at their best and worst," I point out. "I'm worried of the potential threats my alliance can provide, but I know that I'm also a threat to some people and that leaves me a little more relaxed."
Ruby nods, smiling sympathetically at me. Not that she'd fully understand - but I can tell she's trying her best to show her feelings towards us, that she isn't in it just for the murder. The entire stereotype of Capitol females sits within her - no Capitol woman like her can be deceptive.
"Who do you think the weakest tribute is?"
That's a little obnoxious; I don't want to answer that one, single a certain person out. "Everyone has at least one strength," I point out. "No one is flat out weak. In all honesty, the weak ones often get further than they deserve to."
It's not a direct answer, but I'm not sure how I feel about exploiting one person as worthless after I've talked about ten - nine, not including myself - people so highly.
"So, Aero," Ruby says, moving swiftly on. We have little time and so much to answer. "Do you have any loved ones? Family and friends? Maybe a lover?" She winks at me and the Capitol go crazy, wanting to know who I'm fighting for.
"My father," I say, thinking of the successful man back home in Six. Is he thinking of me, watching me on the television? "My mother isn't here anymore, but it doesn't matter. I wanna make it home for Dad, my friends."
"A lover?" Ruby persists, wanting all of the gossip she can get. I'm half tempted to blurt that I'm gay, just so she'll leave it alone, but I have a feeling that if I did, people would take it the wrong way, try to set me up with men...
"There's a girl I like here. I know, what a cliche story," I giggle. "She isn't aware, and I'm not willing to reveal her name yet, but I'm sure you'll figure out who she is." The hints are enough to send the crowd over the edge.
"What do you miss about home?"
Ruby stares at me, waiting for the generic answer of family and friends, hobbies and free time. What lies! Sure, I miss people, but I actually really enjoy the Capitol. "My father, our work together and the general life of Six," I say, not really sure what else to say. "But I love this place equally. I wish Dad was here to meet my alliance."
"Last question," Ruby smiles at me. "Do you think you have a chance of winning?"
Of course. "Yeah, I think my chances are pretty high," I state, sounding a little bit arrogant. "However, I wouldn't count anyone out of the race yet - anyone is capable at this stage. It isn't until the bloodbath that you can judge your chances."
"Thank you, Aero," Ruby smiles, her purple lips pursed as we stand up. I'm pointed in the general direction to leave, but I stay as close to the stage as possible just so I can support a Winter.