this was one of the parts of being a tribute he was not looking forward to. being paraded around like a spectacle was truly something he wanted to avoid at all costs, and yet there was no way for him to get out of it. so instead, he sat in his stylist’s chair, trying to not pick at his fingers, as his hair was messed with and his face was poked and prodded.
by the time they got to the eyelashes, he was almost on the verge of a panic attack, but his stylist had such a calming voice, such a soothing presence, that he managed to sit through the process and not have his eyeballs poked out. he was surprised at how weird it felt to have something so heavy on his face and how often he had to fight the urge to rub his eyes.
by the time he was on the chariot, he was exhausted and squinting at the bright lights that covered both him and his district partner. so focused on not falling off, he could barely lift his head to look at the crowd. however, after the motion became constant, he felt more confident, smiling and waving at the people in the crowd clamoring to get a look at them.
for the rest time in his life, he felt completely comfortable with people staring at him. and then the cheering got louder, and he wasn’t sure why, until he saw royce skating beside them. what was that feeling in his chest? did his heart skip a beat? for the boy he met in the hallway the day before?
and then, just as fast as he had caught up with them he was gone, and ember risked a look back at him. the two made eye contact for a moment, until he removed his gaze and focused back forward for the rest of the parade. he could not let a boy distract him from making his district proud.
after the parade was over, he was quick to try and find royce, and he did within a few minutes of searching. he smiled as he approached the other. “you’re really good on roller skates.” // starter for @vxctxrx
