166Mozu Striker, 18
District 2 Victor of the 56th Hunger Games
Mozu barely remembered leaving the arena. There was cold steel all around her, and a few sharp jabs, and lots of blood. But that was all she could recall. Everything else was gray and fuzzy. She drifted in and out of sleep for what felt like ages, but could have easily been minutes. Nothing was normal.
Finally, when she next opened her eyes, things felt clearer. She still had a pounding headache, but things weren't blurry or marred. She could see she was in a white hospital room filled with blinking machines. Tubes and wires were stuck to her and in her, and it hurt to move. So she lay there, flat on her back, trying to process.
After the Games, she must have been rushed into surgery. It was a miracle the Capitol doctors were able to patch up her leg, but then again, their technology was far superior, even to District 2's.
District 2. Were they proud of her? Did they want her back, or would they have preferred a victor like Blitz, who fit the District 2 Career stereotype? She knew Corinna would be proud, but would the rest of the Academy be?
The door opened, pulling Mozu from her thoughts. A tall nurse with a shaved head came in, looking at a clipboard. When they looked up and saw Mozu, their eyes widened.
"You're awake!" they gasped. "That's wonderful. I'll fetch Lyme." Then they dashed off before she could ask them anything.
About a minute later, Lyme came in, followed by a woman in a doctor's coat who looked vaguely familiar, though Mozu could not place why. Lyme sat down on the end of the bed.
"Welcome back Mozu," she said. Mozu nodded, a little awkwardly.
"Thanks."
"Dr. Lohan has deemed you fit for your interview," Lyme said, gesturing to the woman in a doctor's coat. She came a little closer, a frown on her face.
"I still don't see why you didn't let us make the planned adjustments," the doctor griped.
"What adjustments?" Mozu asked nervously. She'd heard of victors getting body modifications, but weren't they something the victors had a say in? Cold realization washed over Mozu as Dr. Lohan's eyes ran down her body.
"I told you," Lyme said, her voice harsh. "Mozu isn't going for that angle."
"Well, she should," the doctor huffed. "But fine. I'll send the technicians in and we'll get you up."
A few minutes later, all the wires and tubes were gone and the machines had been tucked away. Mozu carefully got up, testing her stability. But her leg held, and there was no pain. Lyme smiled, but it seemed forced.
"Thank you," Mozu said quietly. "For not letting them… change me." Lyme nodded.
"You're welcome. But Mozu, things are going to change. You're going to have much less autonomy. There will be eyes on you constantly. There will be certain… expectations you have to live up to."
Mozu's chest tightened at Lyme's words and she felt her breath coming faster. She tried to take a step back, but her knees hit the hospital bed and she swayed. Lyme put her hands on her shoulders.
"But you'll have me by your side, and all the other victors," she said. "As well as your friends, and Corrina. You won't have to face anything alone." The conviction in her voice was enough to calm Mozu down, and she felt the sudden urge to hug Lyme, which she did.
"It's okay to be scared," Lyme said. "You just have to use that fear."
The door opened again and her stylist Apollo skipped inside, a blinding smile on his face. He wrapped Mozu in a hug almost immediately.
"There's my girl!" he sang. "We've got to get you ready. I have the most perfect dress for you!" Mozu smiled.
"I can't wait to see it," she told him. Truthfully, she needed a distraction. And something as simple as clothes could be it.
Apollo and Lyme led Mozu to an elevator, which went down, then sideways, then up. It opened in the top floors of the Remake Center; the very same floor where she first met Apollo and her prep team. They were waiting for her, and bombarded her with hugs and cheers as she entered the room.
"Alright, alright, let her breathe," Apollo instructed. The three of them pulled back, and Mozu was directed to a chair in the middle of the room. Apparently her body was already in good condition - which made her shiver - so they didn't need to shave or bathe her. Instead, her prep team set about brushing her hair and doing her nails while Apollo fiddled with something in the corner of the room.
Finally, he declared the dress ready to be seen. Mozu's nails had been painted a soft gray color, and her hair was up in an intricately braided bun. She let her prep team swivel her chair around so she could see her outfit. And it was beautiful.
It was a pale sage green dress with a tulle skirt that would puff out around her. The back was low and she would wear it with gray ballet slippers. Apollo finished off her smoky makeup before helping her into it. It was silky and felt soft on her smooth skin. Mozu looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like an ancient nature goddess made from stone and moss.
"I love it," she told Apollo. He grinned.
Waiting under the stage before her interview was almost as torturous as waiting for her pedestal to rise into the arena. Almost. Mozu's hands were sweaty and her whole body was shaking. Crowds were not her favorite; she barely managed during her interview, and now the focus would be solely on her. Veridie and Apollo had already been introduced and applauded, and now it was just her and Lyme.
"You'll do great," her mentor said, giving Mozu a smile. "And we'll all be in the front row, supporting you." Mozu nodded as Lyme's platform rose up. She could hear the cheering and stomping from above, pounding in time with her heart. And finally, she heard Caesar announce her.
"And now, the girl you've all been waiting for, Mozu Striker!"
The ground began to rise beneath her and Mozu forced a small smile onto her face.
"It's okay to be afraid," she whispered to herself. And then she was standing on stage in front of thousands of people, with millions more watching her on a television screen. Her breathing quickened, but she forced herself to wave to the audience before walking over to Caesar.
"Mozu!" he said with delight, offering his hand for a warm handshake. "So good to see you up here. You had a nasty injury, but you seem to be doing better, yes?"
"Oh yes," she said, sitting in the chair Caesar gestured to. "Dr. Lohan did wonders."
"Glad to hear it," he said. "So, five kills! That's quite an impressive count."
"I didn't even realize it was five," Mozu admitted honestly. "I just did what I was trained to do." What I had to do, she thought. But that wouldn't have gone over as well.
"Speaking of training, are you excited to go back home to your trainer?" Caesar asked.
"Very," Mozu said. "I missed Corrina and my friends so much, even though it's only been a week or two. Time in the arena feels like it passes very slowly."
"How interesting," Caesar commented. "Now, would you like to see your Games on the big screen?"
"I would love to," Mozu said, clasping her hands together. It was time.
Caesar pressed a button and a large screen came to life. It showed the 24 tributes standing in a circle around the Cornucopia, a light rain falling. Mozu could almost feel it. She was sick of the rain. The gong went off, and she watched herself throw her spear, killing Dieter. Adelind and her allies were featured heavily, since Mozu was the one to kill her, and one of the only Careers to survive the betrayal.
Alrik was electrocuted, and the battle began. Mozu watched herself be knocked down by Blitz, and then fight and kill Adelind. She saw Sam wander off, bleeding from the arm, but he wasn't shown again. She saw herself calm Noah down and cheekily ask for the money for Wyler's traps to be funded by Noah's sponsors.
She barely made it through Noah's brutal attack on Danse and Colette. Colette's death was the only one Mozu didn't feel bad about. She'd saved the girl from a far worse fate. Noah. She watched Theo be crushed by a tree, and Saoirse narrowly avoid the same fate. She watched all the tributes be chased to the Cornucopia, and saw Saoirse fire a crossbow bolt into Wyler's throat. Mozu remembered throwing her spear on instinct, not bothering to see if it struck Saoirse.
And then came her final fight with Lana. It was painful to watch, and Mozu's leg throbbed as she watched Lana slash into her skin. To her surprise, the finale had been edited to make it seem like Lana died quicker. She figured it was much less dramatic to watch two girls bleed out than it was to watch Mozu just spear her.
And then it was over. Caesar and the audience applauded, and Mozu ducked her head bashfully.
"What a spectacular show," Caesar said. Then he held out his hand to Mozu, which she took. He guided her to the center of the stage as President Snow appeared from a doorway off to the side. He was holding a crown made from the same dark metal as the Cornucopia. Mozu took a deep breath.
"Congratulations Ms. Striker," Snow said. He smelled strongly of roses and chemicals.
"Thank you sir," Mozu replied. "It is an honor." He nodded, and placed the crown on her head. Catching a glimpse of herself on a screen, Mozu almost gasped. The crown was beautiful, decorated with moss agate and dark jade. It matched her dress perfectly, and furthered the 'nature goddess' look. Another stunning piece from Apollo. The crowd cheered and roared, and Mozu curtseyed.
The next day, she was on the train home. Mozu spent most of the ride in her room, laying flat on the bed and trying to center herself. Things were going to be very different now. She'd have her own home, for the first time since she was a child. She would most likely take up a training position at the Academy.
And she would be subjected to "business" in the Capitol. Lyme sat her down the night before and explained everything, making Mozu's skin crawl. But she also reminded Mozu of a loophole. The Capitol loved victor relationships, and wouldn't break them up as often. Cheeks flushing, Mozu thought of Hayato, her crush. Maybe they could be something?
But as the train came to a stop in District 2, Mozu was just happy to be alive. She'd seen more death than she ever cared to, and yet, somehow, she knew she was going to be okay. She was home, and Corrina and her friends were at the train station. Effie and Hayato had big signs and Nyx had tears in their eyes. Mozu flew off the train and into their arms, where she was safe.
Hey everyone! Here it is; the final chapter of Open Arms. I cannot believe I wrote an entire SYOT, and I am so beyond excited to be working on another. I absolutely adore Miss Mozu here and I hope you all like her too. I don't have too much to say, other than please leave a review, and thank you SO much for being on this journey with me. I loved each and every one of your tributes and I am so grateful to everyone who read and submitted. Love you guys!
Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!
- Fiona