Deceived: The 500th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 7 - Tribute Parade

UNIVERSAL P.O.V

The Capitol were anticipated for the arrival of the tributes. Bright coloured people screaming their favourite tribute's names.

The first chariot pulled out. This year, the tributes were parading on their own and in the order they were reaped.

Majoris rolled out first. He wore a red tuxedo, studded with rubies. There were diamonds studded on his back in the shape of the number 1. District 1. He lifted his arms as if he'd just won a wrestling match; the crowd went wild at the sight of him.

Next out was Roxen. She wore a diamond studded dress similar to the one she wore on Reaping Day. The diamonds refracted around her, causing the crowd to roar. Beautiful, but it's the same every year. District 1 isn't just diamonds.

Velorum was next to roll out on the chariots. His stylist had taken a different approach - he had a diamond studded hammer and his outfit consisted of dungarees and a shirt that clung to his muscles - all made of luxury materials. He was a blacksmith. This was clever and the crowd was chanting his name and throwing roses at him.

Atlus came out in fluffy clothing - most of it bright coloured, similar to the Capitol's clothing - with fancy scarfs wrapped around his body. Basic, not too interesting. People still cheered for him, but the attention was still on the blacksmith ahead of him.

Zak's tuxedo was white and covered in white glitter. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck and he had a bunch of pure white pearls in his hand. He waved them above his head like a lasso, pretending to catch the crowd with it. It was easy to understand what his stylist had done - the outfit was white and so was his surname.

Topaz also had an outfit dedicated to her name. She wore a long, golden dress covered in topazes and ambers. She wore a crown similar to the Victor's crown, showing her determination to win. She favoured the crowd, but it isn't anything extremely unique.

Septimus had a white tuxedo on with a pair of diamond studded scissors in one hand and a magenta wig in the other hand. A hairdresser. His golden hair was brushed back to make it stand on edge, curling backwards. It defied all gravity laws with the help of a little hairspray. Another more original idea from the District 1 stylists.

Chester rolled out next and the crowd screamed with fascination. A rainbow of jewels studded into the white tuxedo ranging from red all the way down to purple. It was breathtaking. Chester caught a rose and put it in his pocket, blowing kisses in the general direction the kiss came from. He had stolen the show from all the other District 1 tributes.

District 5 next. The first tribute, Wade, glowed a faint green. He had been spray painted green by the Capitol to resemble a nuclear rod. As he moved around the chariot, the. Green glow followed him. It looked pretty cool. Poor district 5, it's hard to create a good outfit for the power District.

Next up was Pomeline. She wore brown trousers, a dark jacket and a backpack. She carried a rifle and started shooting at the crowd. Each shot had a capsule on it, bursting into roses. The crowd absolutely loved it.

Jaymes wore a big orange suit, hiding what little muscle he has. His brunette hair was swept under a white helmet and he held a walkie talkie. A power plant operator. Pretty effortless but a nice idea.

Haile wore khaki pants, a casual shirt and a bright orange jacket. She had a backpack attached to her and a helmet on her head. It looked really lazy, until she flicked a switch on her jacket. The jacket brightened up, creating a similar glow to Wade's skin, only a different colour. A nice little touch.

Tansy was dressed as...well, I have no idea. She was dressed entirely in grey clothing, being topped off with an entire ocean of glitter. She had a weird glittery circle around her head. This outfit has been done so many times yet no one can figure out what it is. Some kind of electrical device? Worse outfit of the night.

Alisma was wearing a box covered in tiles, imitating a solar panel. It looked absolutely ridiculous. The rest of her body glowed a light blue. She, like Haile, flicked a switch and the blocks started lighting up, the Capitol's flag forming on the tiles. Even though it looked so obscure, the Capitol loved it: it was rare for a tribute to honour the Capitol through their costume at the parade.

Nancee had one of those fancy headsets on that system analysts wear - it's a common job in District 5. Her outfit was pretty basic, consisting of a black dress and flat shoes. She started tapping some buttons on the chariot as if it was a computer and the entire chariot lighted up just like a call centre. Red and green lights lit up everywhere. The crowd started cheering as the lights formed the words "500th Hunger Games."

Geranium wore a construction hat, a yellow jacket similar to Haile's orange one, a blue shirt, jeans, big boots and large gloves. He carried a bunch of tools in his belt, but he kept the hammer in his hand. He punched the air, the hammer symbolising power and destruction. The crowd applauded his bravery and braced themselves for the District 9 tributes.

Yarrow was the first one up. She was dressed as a chef. This was a first. She wore a fancy chefs hat and carried a wooden spoon and a mixing bowl. District 9 may be grain, but they have cooks that help make the other ingredients that need to be sent away to machines all over Panem to make the bread. Basic, however, it was unique.

Keelan had an apron on and a straw hat on his head. He reached his hand into the pocket on the apron and started to throw seeds at the crowd. Grain trails were left behind his chariot, and the citizens who were lucky enough to catch the flying grain threw roses for the criminal in return.

Ovid stood with a rake in hand, wearing a similar outfit to Keelan, without the apron though. He wore a loose blue checked shirt and brown combat trousers. Ovid gestured a raking action. Raking in the crowd, raking in the sponsorships. For once, someone from District 9 didn't look stupid in a farmer's outfit. He was so small, it made the crowd coo over him.

Runyon wore a red checked shirt, green combat trousers and held a hoe. He copied Ovid, "hoeing" in the crowd, but it didn't quite have the same effect.

Jed was dressed in thick clothing and held a shovel in hand. He was a plower. In the winter, snow is such a big problem for the grain district. Jed grabbed his duffel hat and threw it far into the screaming crowd. A lady with bright green hair squealed as she caught it, putting it on and screaming his name.

Maxwell, Jed's brother, wore a leather waistcoat and jeans, holding a watering can. He poured the water outside the chariot, over where Keelan's grain seeds remained. The crowd cheered Keelan and Maxwell's name under the name of "kaxwell" in the hopes of seeing an alliance.

Lastly, Ivory's chariot pulled in led by a black horse. She was dressed a scarecrow. The crowd absolutely loved it. Her face was painted elegantly to look like straw was on her face. Her clothes were patched up and bright, attracting the Capitol's fashion addicts. It'll probably become fashionable to wear patched clothing after the Games.

They lapped the Training Centre a few times and then President Ammon left the huge mansion she lives in. The national anthem began to play, and once the music began to fade, the President started to speak. "Tributes, welcome to the 500th annual Hunger Games!" The chanting of the crowd hushed to listen to the President. "500 years ago, the thirteen districts rebelled against the high and mighty Capitol." The speech dragged on for about 5 minutes before the ever famous line was said. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour."

The crowd roared once again as the chariots pulled the tributes into the Training Centre for good.