Rosemary

A few hours later, Rosemary was exhausted, but made up and ready for the Tribute Parade. The costume that Vina had designed for her was jaw dropping and she knew that putting her trust in him was the right choice.

The outfit was a two piece. The bottom skirt was covered in shiny black fabric that was very structured and ended at mid-thigh. It swayed a little bit as she walked, but still held firm like Vina wanted. Her top was made of the same material, but it was much tighter, conforming to the curves of her body and the sleeves covered her whole arms, looping around her thumbs. The showstopper part of the costume was the cape that flowed down to the back of her calves, which were covered by high-heeled combat boots. The fabric making up the cape was covered in the softest sequins and had accents of jewels, colors ranging from dark yellow, light orange, burgundy, a dark purple, blue, and gray. It looked like a fire had come to life on the cape and when she walked by the mirror at Vina's request, it looked like fire had attached itself to her.

Cinna didn't do an extravagant makeup look, for which she was thankful. The corner of her eyes were covered in smokey eyeshadow which was blended into a shiny metallic bronze that reached the middle of her eyelids. She wore bronze eyeliner and contour that made her face look like it was sculpted by the Capitol's finest artist. Windy had done her hair into a tight ponytail that hung in waves and wrapped around a bronze metal band that circled her head like a halo. A matching band encircled her neck, almost a little too tightly.

All in all, Rosemary was confident that it was the best outfit to ever come out of District 12 for the Tribute Parade and Opening Ceremony. She felt truly beautiful and confident, and it came down to Vina, Cinna, and Rye's stylist, Larkin.

Once Vina was satisfied with Rosemary's look, he guided her to the bottom floor of the Remake Center, where the horses for the chariots were stored in their stables. There were a lot of Tributes already out and ready to take their places on their chariots and they were intimidating.

Rosemary gulped and looked toward the end of the queue of horses, sighing in relief when she spotted her brother. Rye was dressed almost identically to her, but instead of the skirt, he wore tight pants and his shirt sleeves were cut off at the shoulder to show off his muscles. He also had bronze bands on his forearms and one on his head like Rosemary. Even he had his makeup done, and Rosemary had to say that he really rocked eyeliner.

"You look amazing," Rye said to her as she and Vina approached him. "You look like a little spark in a pile of shiny coals."

Vina smirked. "That was kind of the idea."

"You look great, too, Rye," Rosemary stood on her tiptoes to get a better look at his makeup. "That eyeliner really brings out the blue of your eyes."

"I know right? I kinda dig it."

Larkin, Rye's stylist, joined them then. She was a short woman, at least three inches shorter than Rosemary, and had platinum white hair that was put up into an intricate updo. Her dress had all sorts of weird angles on it and her shoes were almost as tall as she was, but she was a very beautiful woman. She gushed over Rye and then Rosemary, sharing her glee with Vina, who had a smug look on his face.

There was a warning bell that Larkin told them meant that there were five minutes until showtime. She and Vina circled them for one last look-over to make sure that everything was in place. Once they were satisfied, they helped the siblings climb into their chariot, which was pulled by four huge horses, all of them pure black, and so well trained that no one had to guide them at all. They were so smart that Rosemary wondered if they were some sort of muttation that the Capitol created.

Vina and Larkin pulled out Rosemary and Rye's capes, respectfully, so they would fly freely once the horses got moving. They each gave Rosemary and Rye a promise of good luck and assured them that they, along with their prep teams, Haymitch, and Effie, would be watching them and cheering them on.  Then they stepped back and left as District 1's chariot pulled out of the stables to make the mile journey to the City Square.

Panem's Anthem played loudly as the chariots slowly pulled away from the stables one by one. Rosemary inhaled deeply and gripped Rye's hand for dear life as their horses started trotting out and they exchanged a look of pure anxiety before Rye smoothed his face into a smile and Rosemary tried her best to follow his lead.

Put on a show, Rosemary.

They were greeted with massive cheers as they finally appeared to the thousands of people in the audience. The Capitolites were screaming their names, gasping in awe at their costumes, and waving frantically. Rye was a natural charmer, waving and grinning at them in ways that had both men and women alike squealing.

Rosemary waved and smiled, too, but she could tell she wasn't giving it her best shot when Rye squeezed her hand and got her attention.

"It's just me and you, okay?" it was so loud that he was mouthing the words rather than speaking aloud. "Act like you're waving to Dad, Kline, Peeta, and Delly. They're your audience."

Rosemary inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, picturing her family in her head. When she opened her eyes, she turned back to her side of the audience, spotting her people and waving enthusiastically at them. The audience cheered louder and so did her version of Peeta, Delly, Kline, and Sage.

Flowers were thrown at them as their chariot continued down the main street of the Capitol and their names were yelled and screamed as Rye blew kisses and Rosemary caught some of the flowers, bringing them up to her nose to act like they were the best smelling things she'd ever come across. The people ate it all up, some of them swooning into their companions beside them.

Rosemary tried not to think of how sick this whole ceremony was. Sure, they weren't murdering each other–yet–but they were put on for grown men and women to lust after them, teenagers. It was disturbing how much the Capitol and its people sexualized literal children and made it seem normal. At least in the districts, they knew better.

Rye needs sponsors, she reminded herself, hoping that her expression hadn't twisted into disgust at the direction her thoughts had gone.

The closer they got to the City Square, which was in front of President Snow's mansion, the more holograms were put up so more and more people could see what was going on. Some of them showed Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith commentating on the costumes of each district, while others showed each chariot, highlighting each Tribute.

When Rosemary and Rye were finally featured, she was happy to see that Vina's vision had come to life. Their capes were almost majestic, slowly waving in the wind and acting like fire was licking up their backs. The black fabric of their outfit served as a nice backdrop that shined in its own way, providing contrast between all of the colors. They looked utterly amazing, standing tall and confident while holding each others' hands and waving to the audience with the others.

President Snow's huge, white mansion finally appeared in their line of vision as District 1 entered their destination, the large circle in front of the balcony that each chariot would loop before coming to a stop to listen to President Snow's welcoming speech. Once they got closer, Rosemary could see Gamemakers and City Officials on the balcony, sitting importantly, and studying each chariot with sharp, hawk-like eyes.

As their chariot, the last of the lot, looped the circle and parked next to Eleven, President Snow stepped up to the podium equipped with its own teleprompter screen and multiple microphones. Panem's Anthem finished with a flourish, cueing President Snow to start his speech. He welcomed them in an aged and kind voice, and recalled the history of the Hunger Games. Finally he complimented and thanked the Tributes for their sacrifice that would keep peace prospering throughout Panem for years to come.

What a load of horse dung, Rosemary thought to herself. Other than the Tributes who volunteered, none of them wanted to be here. They weren't here to sacrifice themselves, they were here to be murdered by each other until only one was left.

The music started up again and then they were moving, their horses pulling their chariot around the circle one last time before following the other districts back through the city. They didn't take the exact way back to the Remake Center, but rather a few streets down where a tall building called the Training Center loomed over them.

No sooner had the horses stopped when their prep teams pounced on them, chattering excitedly about how the crowd reacted to them and the costumes that Vina, Larkin, and Cinna had designed.

Rosemary forced a smile on her face as they blubbered, her knees shaking as she climbed off the chariot with Rye's help. She felt flattered by their compliments, as it wasn't often that she was called beautiful by anyone other than her family, but there was a nasty part of her that reminded her that they truly didn't care about her and were just happy their Tributes shined during the Opening Ceremony. Still, she tried to ignore that part of her as Vina brought her into a tight hug, knowing that she hadn't misjudged him and he truly cared about her and Rye.

"You both did wonderful out there," Vina told her and Rye as he pulled away from the hug and clapped a hand on Rye's right shoulder. "I'm positive that you'll have sponsors from that display."

"Thanks, Vina," Rye nodded gratefully. Rosemary just smiled, hoping that Vina could feel her appreciation even if she didn't speak aloud.

While everyone started chatting, Rosemary took the time to look around at the other Tributes. The girl from District 1 glared at her immediately and beside her, so did her district partner. A chariot down, surrounded by their mentors, she caught the District 2 male, Kyler, staring pensively at her and Rye. Rosemary immediately looked away when he caught her staring and sent her a small smile.

What is that about?

"Come on, I think Haymitch and Effie are in the lobby." Vina grabbed her arm and started to escort her out of the stables. Once they went up a staircase, they entered a beautiful lobby surrounded by huge glass windows, marble floors, and pure white statues made of the same material. Begrudgingly, Rosemary had to admit that the architecture in the Capitol was amazing.

"There they are!" she heard Larkin exclaim by Rye's side.

Rosemary's eyes had just landed on Haymitch and Effie, who were whispering amongst themselves, when she bumped into someone. She immediately apologized and looked up into the face of Annie Cresta, the Victor from the year before, the 69th Hunger Games.

Annie Cresta had been very interesting to watch become the Victor of the Games. At first, Rosemary hadn't thought anything of her and predicted that the District 2 male would win. Annie fought as hard as she could, which was pretty impressive due to her unassuming appearance. However, once her district partner, who she had allied with, was beheaded in front of her, she went a little crazy, rightfully so in Rosemary's opinion. She killed the Tribute that killed her district partner, hid out in a cave for a few days, and then won when the dam broke because, coming from District 4, she was the only one who could swim.

"Hey, watch where you're going," a handsome voice snapped at her from Annie's side.

It was Finnick Odair, Annie's Mentor and the Victor of the 65th Hunger Games. He had made history when he won at the age of fourteen with an expensive trident that had been provided by sponsors.

"Oh, I-I am so sorry!" her second apology spilled from her lips before she could even think. "A-Are you okay? I am so sorry!"

Annie Cresta was at least half a foot taller than her and clearly worked out, so Rosemary suspected that she wasn't hurt in the slightest.

"I'm fine," Annie smiled kindly at her. "Ignore Finnick, he's grouchy because he missed his nap today."

Finnick scowled down at her. "Funny, Annie," he looked at Rosemary then. "Try not to plow everyone over, there, Twelve."

"O-Okay..." Rosemary nervously glanced at Vina for help, but he stood back amused by the situation. She almost felt betrayed by it, but then she spotted Haymitch walking their way and audibly sighed in relief.

"Odair, are you terrorizing my Tribute?" Haymitch stopped at her side, narrowing his blue eyes at the younger man.

"It was all just a misunderstanding," Annie declared. She smiled at Rosemary and then at Haymitch. "You guys have a good night."

Annie grabbed Finnick's hand and dragged him away from their group. To his credit, Finnick did not look angry anymore and it made Rosemary feel better. She couldn't imagine accidentally acquiring the most popular Victor's wrath before the Games.

"I thought Finnick Odair was supposed to be charming," Rye, who had been with Effie, but witnessed the end of the little misunderstanding, stated, folding his arms over his chest.

"He's protective over Cresta, that's all," Haymitch dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Come on, let's head to our floor."

"Come, come, the elevator's over here!" Effie chirped, leading the way to one of the glass elevators.

As everyone climbed on, Rosemary hesitated, wondering if it would be easier for her to just climb the twelve floors. Already anxious from her run-in with Annie Cresta and Finnick Odair, the thought of getting into such an enclosed space with six other people made her actually sweat.

Rye immediately noticed and gently took one of her hands, unclenching it from the tight fist it had curled up into. "Hey, I know it's scary, but I think the glass walls will help. Just look at them, focus on something in the distance, and we'll be on Twelve before you know it, okay?"

Rosemary inhaled deeply and tried not to look at the others, knowing that they were probably judging her and her phobia. "Okay."

She allowed Rye to help her into the elevator and immediately faced one of the walls, staring out at the bright lights coming from the building next to them. Rye was right, the elevator was very quick and before she could even think about panicking, they were at the twelfth floor where they'd live for the next week.

Their group piled out of the elevator and Rosemary was immediately swept into a group hug by Effie and Rye. Effie cooed her congratulations in their ears and complimented them endlessly on their performance and outfits. As she let the siblings go, she babbled about how she and Haymitch had spent most of the Parade and Opening Ceremony chatting them up with the sponsors they knew. Only Haymitch could confirm any sponsorships in the end, but Effie was optimistic about their chances of being sponsored by at least one person.

I hope so, Rosemary thought.

The twelfth floor was huge and decorated sparsely but expensively. Rosemary, again, wasn't a big fan of the furniture and decor, silently assuming that just because one had money didn't mean they had taste. Her room was just as big, with a huge mattress covered in golden silk sheets and plush carpet that was soft under her feet once she kicked off her boots. All around her were gadgets that she had never seen before, with so many buttons she had no idea where to start to try to figure them out.

The bathroom was just as luxurious as the bedroom, and even more so than the one on the train. The shower was huge and had a large panel that determined the temperature of the water and its pressure. There were many different scents of shampoos, soaps, and oils offered by the panel as well that she took advantage of whilst she showered, combining different scents until she reached that comforting scent of baked goods and vanilla. When she stepped out of the shower, there was a mat that she stood on that blow-dried her body until completely dry, and instead of having to brush her hair, all Rosemary had to do was place her hand on a box next to the shower panel that sent a current through her scalp that untangled, parted, and dried her hair. Her blonde locks had never looked healthier.

She decided she liked the closet as well, since there were so many outfits to choose from. It appealed to that hidden part of her that always longed to dress femininely but was unable to do so because of budget concerns. She dressed quickly in a skirt and blouse and went back to the main part of her room, where she noticed that one of the gadgets was connected to the kitchens. She whispered her desire for a chocolate-chip cookie and within seconds, the gadget's drawer was popping open with a plate of warm chocolate-chip cookies.

She picked one up and ate it, almost moaning from how delicious it was. It was one of the best cookies she had ever had, and she very dearly loved her father's snickerdoodles. She ate two cookies and told herself to save some for later, not wanting to spoil her appetite for dinner.

Before long, Rosemary was called back to the living area for dinner. The dining table was in the same large space as the sitting room; it was long and equipped with as many chairs as needed. Larkin, Cinna, and Vina were joining them for dinner each night, so they were dining as a party of seven.

The table was laden with heaping dishes of food that made Rosemary's mouth water and as the floor's avox, a tall young man who had to be only a few years older than Rye, served them wine. Rosemary tried it and almost gagged at the taste of the tart, dry liquid. It was horrible and she certainly wasn't missing out by her lack of experience with spirits. She rolled her eyes at Rye when he chuckled at the face she made and tucked into her food as he sipped from his own wine glass.

While she ate her meal of roast beef, mushroom ravioli, sweet ricotta and purple turnips, she listened to everyone's conversation. Effie was still gushing over their Parade outfits to Vina and Larkin and Haymitch made dry comments here and there while he sucked down glass after glass of wine. Rye spoke up now and then between bites of his own food, asking Effie and Haymitch about sponsors and if they thought that the siblings made a good impression.

"Definitely!" Effie exclaimed. "Oh, and they loved when you held hands. It was truly sweet. The two of you, so united! Very touching, of course."

"I think in any other situation, President Snow would see that as a rebellious gesture," Haymitch stated flatly, eyes flitting between Rosemary and Rye.

A rebellious gesture? Rosemary supposed that if district partners didn't really know each other and presented a united front, it could be considered spitting in the face of the Hunger Games and what they really represent to the Capitol. Maybe the fact that she and Rye were siblings was in their favor. The last thing she wanted was for President Snow to think she was rebelling. She wished she could, but she was backed into a corner with the Games and there was nowhere else to go from there.

She pondered on Haymitch's statement for a while as they finished up their main meal and continued onto dessert. They were served a light lemon chiffon cake that didn't seem sweet enough for Rosemary's taste but was still good nonetheless. Once they finished that, Haymitch addressed her and Rye.

"Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Rye, I want you training with the bystaff. Learn as much as you can from the instructor and don't worry about the other Tributes watching you. After training in the afternoon, I want you to teach Rosemary everything you've learned."

"Why does he have to teach me?" Rosemary wondered.

"Because I know what strategy to play with you," Haymitch told her. "Last night you said that your Reaping made you seem weak. Now, we know that you're not, but the other Tributes don't. I want it to stay that way. I want you to focus on the survival stations and if you're going to touch a weapon, I want it to be something small and nonchalant. Got it, Pipsqueak?"

Rosemary didn't question Haymitch's strategy. In fact, she found it smart. She would act weak in training to put on a show but when she and Rye came back to the floor, he would teach her everything he learned with the bystaff.

"Rye, I also want you to learn to start a fire and learn about edible plants, just in case you two get separated in the arena," Haymitch took a sip of his drink; he had switched to a different kind of spirit now, but Rosemary had no idea what kind it was. "Learning about snares would be beneficial to both of you as well."

Rosemary nodded and from the corner of her eye, she could see Rye doing the same.

"Why don't the two of you head to bed?" Effie suggested with a smile. "You have a long day tomorrow."

"Good idea, Effie," Rye stood from his seat; Rosemary followed his lead. "Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight," Rosemary echoed. "Sleep well."

She doubted she'd be getting good sleep, so she hoped they would, at least.

They received a chorus of responses as they headed down the hallway that led to their respective rooms. Before Rosemary could even open her door, Rye grabbed her arm, causing her to look back at him.

"Wanna see the roof?"