[Slow flash warning] [also just for clarification- Twil is a nickname for Twilight] — [PART 1:] Deep breath in… And out. Okay. Let’s do this. A blue-gray she-cat was sitting cross-legged on her chariot floor, breathing heavily as she stared blankly at her paws. Naturally, she belonged to District 1, so she was first in line for the parade. Was she prepared…? Eh, somewhat. Would she impress everyone…? Maybe. Was she confident…? Absolutely not. As the velvety-red curtain flew aside, bright lights from every direction flashed in Twil’s eyes, and she winced, blinking to get the colors out of her stunned vision. It was quite dark outside, but the artificial lights were blinding, almost making up for the sun’s absence. Of course, Twil was somewhat used to glowsticks and bright neon lights- they were everywhere in District 1. But /this/? This was something entirely different, and Twil wasn’t so sure she liked it as much. To be honest, she didn’t like much of anything— she’d have to learn to be fine with a happy-medium sooner or later. Then, her chariot began to move again, and at a rather alarming pace. However, Twil was actually ready for this- this was the one part she had rehearsed time and time again in the training rooms. Athleticism. Beauty. Superiority. It was time for the queen to make her grand appearance- and hopefully, if everything went to plan, it would be just as impactful as she hoped. The gray she-cat stood up and gazed over the side of her chariot, blowing air k1sses to the wild crowd. She had a bright smile on her face, and was trying as hard as possible to seem as cheerful and friendly as possible. “Hello, hello, everyone!” she called, beaming like the sun. “Heh, you’re all too kind. Really.” Then, Twil made her move. Suddenly, the she-cat grabbed onto the edge of the ceiling of her chariot, swinging herself back and forth until she flipped onto the roof of the moving chariot, standing up shakily but somehow finding her footing. Then, she spread out her arms wide, jewels from her luxurious outfit glimmering in the neon lights. She was like a living disco ball- the neon lights shown onto her jewel-adorned outfit, and it reflected like a mirror, sending millions of colors flying out towards the screaming crowd. “Hello, lovely lovely people!!” she trilled, her high-pitched voice hopefully somewhat audible in the clamor. “My name is Twilight, but call me Twil— and remember that when I win!” Then, the flamboyant she-cat plucked a glittery and rather thin gem from her outfit and did the unthinkable- she suddenly threw the jewel on the platform beneath her and it shattered, sending shiny shards all around her like glitter. Those shards then reflected the light of the bright neon lights, completing the disco-ball look as they flew around her, sending lights flying as it scattered and shone on Twil. “L0ve you all!!” She called with a purr before her chariot disappeared behind the red curtains and everything fell silent. Thank Goodness. — [PART 2:] If only it were that easy. The loud noise started up just as quickly as before, but this time, there were no real people there. They were…holograms? Gosh, Twil wasn’t too fond of those…things. But, they all stared at her eagerly, practically begging for her attention, so how could a queen refuse her subjects. Twil put on a bright charming smile and grinned, twirling atop her golden District 1 chariot to show off the disco-ball-like outfit she wore, sending neon lights flashing around like a party. “Welcome, one and all!” she called with a smile as bright as the neon lights around her. “Ready to get this party started?” Oh, she knew what they wanted. She had already gathered that from the electric atmosphere. She needed to please the crowd, so…now it was time to improvise. Take some risks. Go wild. And that she did. Suddenly, Twil leaped off of her chariot as the holographic crowd screamed and gathered around her- but the she-cat didn’t need any help. She had seen a rather close light post coming up earlier and took advantage of it, grabbing on and spinning around and around, all while sending neon lights flying every which way. The crowd seemed quite pleased with that, as their raucous cheers and applause suddenly multiplied as the transparent figures of cats gathered around Twil’s light post, looking rather desperate. So, how could she refuse? Twil leaped off and landed gracefully on the Parade path again, and then started to run. Now, she may not be able to do anything in terms of weapons or self-defense, but she could run. /Fast/. She took off like a bird in flight, reaching out her hands and tagging the hologram cats’ hands as she went, dashing alongside her chariot. “You like that, don’t you?” she trilled, energized by the crowd’s enthusiasm. Peace came upon her, and she felt like she could run a mile. She was going to impress these people, but as the curtain drew ever closer, the queen knew that it was about time for her final act. + cont in N/C
(+cont) “Are you ready for this?” she trilled, casting one fabulously-fake excited glance around the crowd before she got back onto her chariot and scrambled up the side to the roof once more. She could feel the crowd’s anticipation as all eyes fell on her, but she wasn’t worried. This was a good thing- she needed attention. She practically begged attention in her stunning dress. But now, she had one more trick up her sleeve…literally. “You all want a party?” she called, and thunderous applause and cheers of approval answered her from the crowd of holograms. “Then I’ll /give/ you a party!” Then, she pressed down on a gem specially fastened on her necklace-like piece, and her entire outfit glowed to life. Add that with the neon lights, and she looked like a living rainbow gem. Now, it wasn’t just the select jewels that had happened to be hit by the neon lights that were shining- every single one of them were aglow, and she practically demanded attention. Clearly, the holographic crowd thought it was good enough for them, because they shrieked even louder, their eyes practically glued to the glowing multi-colored masterpiece of an outfit. After all, Twil couldn’t take credit for it- it had been…weird, choosing it for the parade. It had been a gift from her family in District 1. Oh…that was a rough time. A time that Twil would much rather prefer to shove away in the darkest corners of her mind, but…not now. She was in a parade. /She/ was a star. So she only grinned brighter, expertly trying to mask her irritation. After all, who could see her expression through the bright lights and deafening music? Apparently, one cat could. He was furiously writing down on a notepad, the Capitol crest on his shirt gleaming in the bright lights. However, even he paused to look at her outfit through piercing blue eyes. A Capitol cat, huh? Guess she’d have to work even harder to impress him…but that was for later. In the interview. “L0ve you!!” she chirped loudly, spinning around and sending lights flying everywhere before the curtains swallowed her chariot and she fell into silence. She might have actually fallen too, because she collapsed onto the roof of her golden chariot, clutching her head as neon lights stained her stunned vision. She pressed her neck gem again, and the dress flickered out, and with it went Twil’s hope. Had she caught the Capitol’s eye, or… Was all of her work in vain? Because, now, her life practically depended on it. — End — === [IMPORTANT INFO:] - So…what is this, Midnight? Here is Twil(Twilight)’s parade project for THGRP. It’s also my very first, so :eyes: - What is the outfit and why? Twil’s outfit is a jewel-adorned dress-type outfit (also, the necklace-type wear is based off of the queen of hearts in cards!). It serves multiple purposes— one, it represents the luxury and jewel-centered economy of District 1, her home district. Also, like in the short text, it helps make her act as a sort of disco ball when the neon lights hit the jewels, creating an elegant and extravagant effect. It also represents Twil’s confidence and liking for fashion LOL- - Why did Twil shatter the jewel, and was it important? Twil throwing the gem down and breaking it serves an important role, as it was symbolic to her rebellious nature. She is very anti-tradition, as she grew up in a very strict household/society and never really liked being bound by rules, as she found them quite irritating and frustrating. Also, it represents her feisty, confident nature and vaguely- what she would do to her enemies as a sort of a way to make them nervous. - Why was she hesitant to wear the outfit in the parade? Twil has a bit of a strained relationship with her parents- but that’s lore for another time hehehe >:33 i have plans - If the gem shattering was symbolic, was the glowing outfit as well? Yes, it was! I enjoyed adding a bunch of hidden meanings behind what Twil did in the parade hehe- anyways, her dress glowing was an attempt to draw all eyes to her, as she is a very bossy and quite independent ‘star’. She wanted to impress the crowd (and mister clipboard, for that matter-) and show them that she was someone to acknowledge. FINAL RATING: 5/5 WHAT — [CREDITS:] - @MewtwoniteZ for story, Twil, + art - THGRP for THGRP - Kleki for existing - Scratch for making this possible! —
