Even though there weren't any good parts to the Hunger Games, the most useless part of it, in Haymitch's opinion, was the parade. There was no sense in adding insult to injury and dressing up the tributes for even more entrainment when they were already being sent to die was just another way for the Capitol to show its strength against the citizens of Panem. It was always such a large affair, the real kick off of a new season of brutality, and Haymitch had absolutely loathed it the first time around. He clearly remembered trying to bite one of the stylists when they came near his hair with shears, and he had heavily protested the miner outfits, and the coal dust that had been rubbed on his face. This time around it was sure to be different, especially with Cinna in charge of their district look, but that didn't make the former Victor anymore eager to participate in such a spectacle.

Portia lead he and Gale back to the prep area, and that was where Haymitch lost sight of his fellow tribute. He knew the routine from years ago and he grudgingly stripped down and slid on the gown that was provided for him. Then of course there was the bath, and the magical serum that took away any blemishes or scars from the skin, something that made each person look their very best. Haymitch thought it was degrading and continued to pull away from a woman with a bright yellow wig and matching fingernails as she tried to rub away a scar above his eyebrow that he had gotten during one of his many drunken episodes. “That stays,” he snapped at her, but she didn't listen.

When he had been a mentor, Haymitch had often stressed that the tributes minded their manners and didn't give anyone a reason not to like them until they were actually in the arena. Although, now that he was back in the spot he had once left, he wasn't going to take his own advice. There was nothing that the Capitol or President Snow could do to him anymore, and he knew that his place would be to die in the arena and that gave him the go ahead to be as angry as possible with anyone who wasn't in his alliance. 

“Portia wants your hair cut,” said another member of the prep team. He was a man with purple-tinted skin, and jewels embedded around his eyes, and his hair was an unnaturally beautiful shade of blue. 

Haymitch shook his head, “no way.”

The two went back and forth for a few minutes before the would-be stylist relented. Haymitch wasn't going to change who he was, or how he looked just because he had been forced back into the arena. He knew that his refusal wasn't going to make Peeta happy, but Haymitch couldn't find it in himself to care. If Peeta was going to continue to be a mentor after this years games came to an end, he would have to learn that not every tribute was going to take his advice. Besides, Haymitch wasn't entirely ready to leave his former position just yet.

Somewhere in a different part of the prep area, Prim was suffering through having her legs waxed. For the first time in her entire life she found herself being envious of the opposite sex, because at least they didn't have to endure hot wax being poured onto their bodies and having their hair yanked out. “We're going to need to do your eyebrows too,” one of Cinna's assistants informed her, and Prim made a face. She couldn't think of anything more unpleasant than having her eyebrows waxed when her legs had hurt enough. “Sorry, they're just...bad. Too big, too much. They simply don't fit your face!”

Until now, Prim had never been made to feel bad about herself and she really didn't think her eyebrows were terrible. She stayed silent, though, having seen the look that Peeta had given Katniss earlier and she didn't want to upset him. Apparently, there was a certain way to act and Prim didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to herself, or have a reputation for being difficult. 

After all of the plucking, trimming, polishing and prepping, Prim was finally deemed ready to go. Her hair was down around her shoulders, slightly curled and she wore one small braid which was supposed to accent her sister's. She hadn't seen Katniss yet, but she had been told that they were dress similarly. She wore a long, silvery dress that didn't look like her at all and tall high heels that she had trouble walking in, although the prep team assured her that if she twisted her ankle, it could be fixed in half a second. Somehow, that wasn't very reassuring.

“I feel weird,” Prim said, taking very small steps as she walked along with Katniss toward their designated chariots. She reached up to rub at her eye but quickly pulled her hand back when she remembered how much work the team had done on her make up. The parade hadn't even started yet, and already Prim couldn't wait to get it over with and get back to who she really was. “But you look nice,” she noted and then joked, “I forgot you had legs.”

Prim had been so busy trying to stay on her feet that she hadn't even noticed that Gale and Haymitch were already out and waiting for them by their chariots. She didn't look up until Katniss said something, and she finally saw Gale. He looked amazing, so much different than he did back home, but it wasn't a bad thing. “Thank you,” Prim said, looking toward her feet to hide her blush. “So do you.” 

Gale had been such a distraction that Prim hadn't even noticed a shirtless Finnick Odair coming their way. He looked like a merman, or rather, what she imagined they would look like if they were real. He was getting more stares than anyone else, but his presence was slightly uncomfortable and a little bit unwelcome. Haymitch had said to make friends, though, because 12 could possibly need him for something when it came time to get into the arena. The same went for Johanna Mason, but Prim couldn't see her anywhere. She would hold her tongue and be friendly if Finnick would be the difference between life and death.

“Aren't these for the horses?” she asked and reached out to take a sugar cube from him, but Haymitch quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Don't eat that,” Haymitch said, sounding annoyed before he let go of Prim. “You'll rot your teeth,” he warned the shirtless career, but the blond didn't seem to mind and simply popped the sugar cube into his mouth instead.

The parade was starting soon, and there were plenty of Capitol officials running around and trying to get things in order. There wasn't much time to talk now, and Finnick seemed to know that as well. When it came time to train, or perhaps before then, Haymitch would talk to Finnick about the alliance and see about getting him on their side. They had always gotten along fairly well, even if Haymitch did think the other man reveled a bit too much in his fame and good looks. Regardless, he was still good with the trident and that made him useful to the cause.

An official came over to corral them to their chariots, and Finnick had left in order to take his place. It was then that Haymitch finally got to look at Katniss, and he saw that her hair was down. It had been that way earlier on the train, loose and wavy and it made her look less severe, a little more approachable. “You look nice,” he said, feeling uncomfortable by comparison in his shiny, ridiculous suit. At the very least, none of them were coal miners and Cinna had done a fine job for the second year in a row.

Stepping onto the chariot platform, Haymitch and Gale were the last in line with Katniss and Prim in front of them. He looked toward the other man beside him, “don't expect me to hold your hand.” It was his attempt at a joke, to lighten the tension between them and because for some reason, the Capitol loved to see tributes getting along before slaughtering each other. He kept the remote that Portia had give him in his hand, figuring that he would use it when Katniss did. The fire thing was a little bit predictable, but at least Cinna thought to continue with a theme and this would definitely get them noticed in a good way which would make Peeta's job easier.

Soon enough the parade was underway and Caesar Flickerman was announcing each name and commenting on each outfit in living rooms and village squares all across Panem. There were good designed, bad, and down right ugly, but each tribute was talked about as if they were special and the real stars of the show were the favorites from the past. Career victors, Cashmere and Gloss, boy wonder Finnick Odair, Johanna Mason, and of course, Katniss Everdeen: The Girl On Fire. And she quite literally was once again, with the press of a button district 12 lit up like a Christmas tree, harmless but impressive flames engulfing their bodies as the horses ran them toward their destination. At the end, President Snow made his annual speech and toasted the sacrifices that were about to be made. Although he seemed to be speaking directly to Katniss, a warning in face of her insolence that said this year, she wouldn't be so lucky.

As the parties began, the tributes were taken back to the area they had left a short time before. The parade was over, the flames on district 12's outfits had been extinguished, and both Effie and Peeta were making their way toward them.

“You looked marvelous!” Effie praised, excited as ever about the most superficial things. “[i]And[/i] you get the top floor suite again. We'll have dinner, we'll relax, you've all had [i]such[/i] a long day! The real work is just about to begin!”