Illusions (A Hunger Games AU)

•SIX•

Carefully walking as to not damage my dress, I stepped onto the chariots we had to ride out to make our first impression on the city. The grand entrance to our deaths, basically. Sounds so elegant and fun, doesn't it? At least rich people might like me now, which gives me a chance of having sponsors. Being honest, most sponsors stay away from people who have committed crimes though.

I had quite a bit of time until I had to leave the station and actually make my impression, so I looked ahead at what the others were doing. It was basically impossible to guess anyone's Overseer status from these outfits, but I could clearly see the personalities they were portraying. Some shy, some bold, some just powerful in terms of magic, some more edgy. Nobody was really making a huge impact on the audience, but you can tell who was liked most and who was mainly ignored.

Let's hope I'm not ignored straight away when I go up there. My outfit's probably too unique for that anyway, a cliche turned into something a lot more notable, contrasting between the cuter and darker style. I should probably try to show off some of my magic when I'm making my entrance, to really add to the vibe of my outfit.

Still staring at the tributes in front of me, I realised it was finally my time to shine - quite literally, with the amount of glitter and fake gems on this outfit. I decided to add to the dream theme by leaning down, one hand against my head, looking like I was in a daydream. I made sure not to smile or actually look happy for a subtle way of rebellion against this whole system. I'm not theirs, and they can't force me to enjoy myself when I could be dying soon in the Games due to their rules.

The cameras focused on me. I realised I'd have to do something to stand out to really get me sponsors. So, it was time to use my magic. My idea was probably quite predictable, but it fitted with my outfit's aesthetic. I made a butterfly float towards my hand, which was now held out. Cute, right? Suddenly, I shut my hand and raised it to the air, making glitter in all different warm shades spread around me. I then did a spin in the dust, ending with leaning over my chariot, similar to how I started this but looking a lot more excited. Still making sure not to smile though (even though I actually enjoyed that quite a bit) but keeping that dream-like look in my eyes.

The crowd almost exploded from my display of magic, giving me a kind of warm feeling inside. I could hear chants of my name, which they most likely got from the programs that were being sold. Maybe this wasn't too bad. No Penny, don't give in to this, they're planning to watch people's deaths purely for their own enjoyment. Now, that is how you get sponsors... I hope so, anyway.

The commentator was having a bit of fun, which didn't exactly make me feel much better. He started giving out bad theories about everyone's appearances, even attempting to make puns. Realise that I said "attempt". "And here comes Penelope, showing us that she's proud of her magic and isn't afraid to use it!" Honestly, shut up.

I don't want to sound stuck up, but I doubt any of the other entrances compared to that much. I literally saw someone wearing only jeans and a crop top, very creative. Some of these outfit designers must have forgot these were supposed to represent what a tribute was the Overseer of, and just gave the costumes a "trendy" appearance. There was a few of the designs I liked, but some were just stupid, sorry to say.

Of course, Control and Death had to give their welcoming speech after us tributes had officially entered the city, and it was far from friendly towards us. They talked about how the rebellion 50 years ago caused the children of the Overseerian society to be trapped in this game, some deserving of it due to their support of the famous rebels. Wow, well done on making this happy. It doesn't exactly take a genius to see why someone would support rebels over them, desperate to stay in power even though they don't know how to treat people fairly.

At least people clapped for me. They went wild, screaming my name and everything. At least I might have sponsors now. At least my costume was good. At least I have a very slight chance of not dying a painful death in the arena. I need to try and look at the brighter side of this.