Liberosis - The Hunger Games

42

"Tighter!" Gaia exclaimed as my prep team pulled at the corset of my dress, breaking what felt like my entire left ribcage. I wasn't sure what Gaia was planning for this outfit, all I knew what that she was trying to morph me into an entirely different shape. Sure, I had some gentle curvature, but nothing in comparison to the freakishly unnatural shapes that the Capitol women fit themselves into. Tighter, tighter, and tighter still, soon my ability to breathe had been restricted, but at least my breasts had been pushed up high enough to touch my chin, apparently, that's what all the Capitol women wanted.

My eyes had remained closed the whole time, soon, enough the finishing touches of my outfit were being applied, and Finnick had already left to socialize with those tributes already prepared for their interviews. I twisted my ring around my finger, biting my tongue and wondering how I should be presenting myself for the stupid interview. Surely Finnick already had his entire performance lined up from start to finish, compared to him, I'm sure I would look surprisingly underwhelming.

My eyes were still closed as Gaia started to speak, "On the last night of your tour," She began, a gentle hand resting on my shoulder, "We walked to a beach together, the beach from which you were named, Aurora Bay. It was dark, but the waves- oh those waves, how beautiful they were," She sighed.

I remembered them well, Aurora Bay was well known for the unusual species of algae that could only be seen by night. They were characterized by a beautiful bright blue glow that rippled with every movement of the wave, the glowing colour lighting up the rest of the bay like magic. "It was the perfect way to end what had been such an awful experience, I remember just sitting there, like all the problems of the world were just taken under by those waters. I wanted to encapsulate that in this dress,"

My eye blinked open, freezing on the beautiful dress in the mirror, "Oh Gaia," I sighed, pursing my lips.

The colour of the dress was a deep velvety blue, like the night sky, the corset on the bodice had pulled my waist thinner than I thought was physically possible. Out from the waistband puffed a ballgown style skirt, layers upon layers of fabric with a long train on the floor. But the magical patterning of the skirt was the star of the show, bright blue crystalised spots glowing like embers were dispersed over the fabric, standing out against the dark blue, sparser up the top than near the hem. The dress had off the shoulder sleeves, draped loosely around the top of my shoulders.

A small silver tiara sat atop my styled updo, both the crown and my hair were decorated with pearls and sapphires. My eye makeup was greatly detailed, adorned with smaller pearls and glittery flecks of silver and blue. The same flecks of silver were scattered along the bridge of my nose and cheeks, like the constellations visible back home. "Four constellations," Venus giggled as she noticed the focus on my eyes, "Aquarius, Delphinus, Andromeda and Pisces- all water-themed," She explained.

"Ingenious," I gushed, examining my reflection one more, "Truly, Gaia, it's beautiful,"

"Good," Gaia acknowledged, "Because it's my last one,"

I blinked at her in shock, "What?"

"There is no place, not even one in the world, that is safe for the children of Panem. I realise now, that perhaps the most dangerous place is the place where they are supposed to be the safest, a Victor. I cannot bring myself to be an accomplice to this brutality any longer, not after you, not after Finnick," Her voice broke.

"We're all resigning," Venus added, Titan nodded beside her.

"We won't be able to stay here anymore, not after such a public declaration- people have been exiled for less," Gaia added, kissing my temple, "Perhaps we'll be in District Four in a year's time, begging for leftover food,"