I have been reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins this week, as recommended to me by my pal, Bram Ellison. Set in the post apocalyptic world of the North America, a country called Panem, our heroine, Katniss, is a participant and survivor, with her District 12 associate, Peeta, of the Hunger Games, a televised survival game between children chosen from each of the 12 districts of Panem to fight to the death to prove that even children are not beyond the reach of the Capital, the existing power. Pressured by President Snow after a seeming act of defiance in surviving the Hunger Games, Katniss is coerced into pretending to love Peeta. This ensemble and reading the book inspired me to create a narrative from Katniss’ perspective. She is being dressed for the night before her wedding to Peeta; the intent is to bring romance to the Hunger Games for the television audience.
Effie wakes me from a nightmare-filled nap that afternoon. “Rise and shine!” she chirps cheerily. “Tonight Caesar Flickerman will be interviewing you and Peeta, and then they will be filming you in a romantic dance. You have to look your most alluring for Peeta.”
After Flavius, Venia and Octavius have done their usual magic of converting me from Seam denizen to glamorous victor (always an arduous task for all of us despite their careless gossip and chatter), Cinna eases my dress over my head. Blooming a deep burgundy into a glittering purple hem, the dress swooshes around me almost airlessly despite the heaviness and richness of the fabric. The bodice leaves my shoulders exposed above a blossom of fabric, and Cinna dusts them with a subtle glitter. “This deep purple is the color of royalty but also of passion,” he explains to me. “It represents your love for Peeta. He should not be able to resist nor will the audience.”
He smiles at me as he pushes feathers into my updo, dotting my hair with diamonds. “These feathers represent a bird in flight, Katniss.” I know he means the mockingjay, and I realize then that Cinna fully supports our dissent as well and that this is his very subtle message. I feel a renewed conviction about what we are about to do.
Cinna dabs his fingers into a jar of dark makeup. “I am going to do a different sort of look tonight,” he explains, as he applies the makeup in streaks around my eyes, covering the black eye Haymitch accidentally gave me in training. “We will say it’s a romantic mask.” I look in the mirror and what I see in the makeup are tears, the tears I want to shed for the other victors, who will die, the tears I want to shed for Gale and Prim and my mother, but mostly the tears I want to shed for Peeta and myself. He presses the mockingjay pin into my hand and I curl my fingers around it.
I put on a brave smile and walk through the tunnels to the arena.
“The bird, the pin, the song, the berries, the watch, the cracker, the dress that burst into flames. I am the mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol’s plans. The symbol of the rebellion.” ~ Katniss in “Catching Fire,” the second book in “The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins
Hair: Miamai_Lenoira_Black with Miamai_Lena Hairbase_Black (which includes the eye makeup seen) by Monica Outlander for Miamai, available at Hair Fair 2011 *
Skin: *YS & YS* Linda – June TDR by Monicuzza Babenco for *YS & YS*
Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Deep Eggplant (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *
Dress: -AZUL- Yolanda/Lavender (MMV2011finalist/MissVenezuela) by Mami Jewell for –AZUL- *
Earrings: {H} Caged Pearl Earring – Silver by Reghan Straaf for Hatpins *
