The Remake Centre was the closest I'd felt to home in a long time. Much like the spas I used to visit in the Capitol, it had an almost clinical smell and was clean and sparse. It was calming after the hustle and bustle of trying to make it through the crowds once our train arrived. I even recognized one of my stylists from a networking event I'd attended, and her eyes widened as she saw me waiting for her in the Remake Centre. She was sporting a pink fringe tunic over a zebra print dress and black heel so high that she had two Avoxes helping her to walk. I suspected the Avoxes themselves were part of the fashion statement and I didn't approve one bit, but it was nice to see a familiar face. Her cheeks were defined with fuschia powder to match the tunic, but she'd let her silky black hair be natural; the only sensible fashion choice she'd managed to make.

"I knew it was you," she said with a gasp. "I saw your reaping and I swore I knew your face...no District girl has eyebrows as good as yours. It's Aurelia, right?"

"Yeah, that's me...I can't believe you remembered me!"

"It's good to see you again. I'm Gaia, in case you forgot!" She offered up her fruity Capitol laugh. "What's a Capitol girl doing in the Games?"

I struggled for an answer. "It's complicated."

Gaia tutted. "Well, we don't do complicated here, do we, darling? What's the point in Capitol living if we go on and make it hard." She shrugged with a sweet smile. "Well, finally, an easy job, at least! I'll just do your makeup directly before the Opening Ceremony and sort your hair out a little...I do have some bad news for you though..."

I put my hand to my heart. "Please don't say what I think you're going to say..."

Gaia looked at me sympathetically. "You'll definitely have heard about this earlier...the design team for District 10 have been out of action for weeks! Their designs are half finished. It's looking as though you'll have to wear something from a previous Hunger Games..."

I gritted my teeth. If Decimus and I showed up wearing old clothes, Venus would be sure to comment on it. It would like a social suidice. I didn't want that for Decimus, and I certainly didn't want that for myself. I had to do something about it. I took a deep breath.

"Give me the outfit they started on. I'll see what I can do with the time I have left."

Gaia's eyes widened. "But...but you only have a few hours before the Opening Ceremonies! You'll never finish it on time!"

"If I don't finish then at least we have the old outfits as a backup...but you know as well as I do that if I don't create something spectacular, then we'll be forgotten about." I grabbed Gaia's hand. "I know that you must be confused about why I'm here...but there are some things better left unsaid. If you want me to get out alive, I'm going to have to be the perfect tribute...starting now with the outfits. Do you think you can help me?"

Gaia hesitated for a moment. Then she nodded fervently.

"Like I said...you don't need much of a makeover. Let me take you to the costume department. There's some things in there you can use..."

Gaia disappeared for a while and when she returned, she had a black bag that seemed to be bursting with material. She had one of her Avoxes carry it and lay it all out in front of me. Deciumus had been given a shirt that was half finished with scraps of cowhide hanging from it with pins. I looked despairingly at the materials in front of me while Gaia stood close by, watching me. I threw my hands in the air.

"Cowhide? Really? It's so...crude! Why does no one ever think to use leather...it's such a classy material!"

"The budget for District 10 costumes is always low, Aurelia...it's an outlying District. No one expects anything good from them. Up until a few years ago, all they had were people from District 8 making shoddy costumes for them..."

I tut. "Well, that changes today. Do you remember the silk shirts that District 1 wore five years ago? The ones with the bows at the collar?"

"Well, of course...they were the height of Capitol fashion for two winters..."

"I need them. I'm going to use them in my design."

Gaia seemed flushed. "I'm not supposed to-"

I flashed her a winning smile and she stopped herself mid sentence. She pressed her lips together as though to hold in her thoughts, and then smiled back. She glanced at the two Avoxes.

"Let's go. We have work to do."

I got to work. I needed to wait for the shirts to arrive before I could do the bulk of Decimus' costume and I was working with only an idea of his measurements, but I made do.

I decided to keep it simple and I quickly measured myself up for a simple cowhide tube dress. My hands were shaking as I sewed by hand. I was used to my fancy sewing machine back home, but fortunately, my hands were made for dress making. It was once my dream to have my designs end up on the tributes of the Hunger Games. Then, with only a few hours on the clock before the Opening Ceremony, my dream was sort of coming true.

But maybe I didn't want it so much anymore. The dress was about to decide my fate. It's sole purpose was to help the audience in the Capitol decide whether they want to like me or not. If I didn't get sponsors, I'd die. If they decided not to like me, I'd die. It was simple as that.

A lot rested on one outfit.

Gaia returned some time later, breathless as the Avoxes gave me what I'd asked for. She kicked off her shoes with a grunt, almost falling over as she remembered what it was like to have her feet flat on the ground.

"Perhaps you should be my stylist as well, Aurelia. I need someone who is going to give me more sensible shoes...have you got everything you need?"

"Yes, I think so," I said, trying to sound confident. I laid the shirts out on the table for me to examine. I chewed my lip.

"Alright...I'm going to add some shoulder pads...that should help distract from it being last season..."

"Aurelia, honey, it was out of season three years ago..."

"I know. I'm working with what I have, alright? The shoulder pads will distract from the bow. Then all I need to do is sew a fake waistcoat to Decimus' shirt...what do you think, Gaia? Do you think it'll look okay?"

Gaia offered me a charming Capitol smile. "Aurelia...I think you're doing a better job than the stylists ever could've. Chop chop! Finishing touches!"

I immersed myself in the work. It felt good to be using my skills again. As much as the Capitol was beginning to feel like a strange land to me, I knew I'd never be able to let my love of dressmaking go. I think even if I'd lived in the Districts my heart would've led me to be a seamstress of some sort. It came so easily to me, my quick and nimble fingers never faltering as I allowed a masterpiece to form beneath me.

Okay, perhaps this project wasn't quite a masterpiece. My stitching was a little rough. The design was bold, but still evidently out of season. We weren't going to have the best costumes in the pack, but I'd taken us a step up from whatever Gaia was going to give to us. I'd saved my own skin, and Decimus'.

As we got closer to the time of the Opening Ceremony, I asked Gaia to fetch him and this time she went without her Avoxes, padding barefoot through the Remake Centre to find him. He was already dressed in some monstrosity that looked like a ragged cowhide skirt and a bare torso aside from a brown suede waistcoat. I wrinkled my nose at him. He sniffed his armpit delicately.

"Do I still smell? Claudia said I smell like District..."

"No, no, it's not that...but I made you a new costume. A better one."

His eyes lit up. "You did?"

"Come on...let me show you."

I led him to my worktable and showed him his new shirt. I'd ordered for a black pair of trousers to be sent for him too. He looked at the shirt in awe.

"Aurelia, this is so cool! How did you do it?"

I smiled at him sadly. "Oh, it's a skill I learned somewhere else...in a different lifetime."

He grinned and grabbed the shirt. "Thanks, Aurelia. I owe you one."

I shook my head to myself as he rushed off to get changed. What sort of favour did he hope to return to me? That he'd let me off if he was inches from killing me in the arena? The whole thing was ludicrous. Still, it felt good to be of use and to make him smile. It was the small pleasures in life.

I dressed myself too, pulling on my silk shirt and tying the bow at the neck. My shoulder pads were a bit askew, but I didn't think anyone would notice, especially not from the crowd. It was just the perfectionist in me looking for faults. The tube dress was tight, but that was exactly my intention. I'd secured a zip on the back of it, but it was still a squeeze to pull on over the shirt.

Looking in the mirror, I knew I'd achieved my goal. I looked incredible. Even with my short hair and my makeupless face, I still felt like a force to be reckoned with. I donned the knee high cowboy boots that the stylist had issued for me. They were a little big, but it wouldn't matter once I was on the carriage. All in all, my outfit was good. I might not stand out entirely, but I wouldn't be forgotten either.

I was about to show the Capitol that they shouldn't give up on me yet.