dychade | two [finished]

"Dychade!" My father says to me enthusiastically as I enter his study.

My father was an older man, almost 5 years older than my mother. He was 42 when he had me. An old age to have a child if you ask me. My father used to have a man of platinum blonde hair, seemingly white to most. Thankfully that genetic was passed down to me. But I ended up dying most of my hair a light gray when I was 16 and keeping a small portion of the bottom section of my hair blonde.

My father also has a lot of tattoo's covering his body, like me. He has more  tattoos than me with 27. I only have 10. He has a bunch of random tattoos that doesn’t mean anything to him, which is a difference between us. All of the tattoos that have been permanently inked onto my skin mean something to me. Whether it is something that I think is like more, or something major that has happened in my life. I would never get something inked onto my skin without a reason for it.

First tattoo, four-leaf clover on right hand index finger.

My father told me growing up that the four-leaf clover brought luck to the person that holds it. I believe in almost all superstitions that I happen to hear from someone, or come across. So naturally I believed my father. I decided to get it permanently on my skin so I could have luck for eternity. So far the clover has not failed me much. Let's hope that it gives me luck when the 78th games come around. I can already here Dychade Fotini being called out by the escort. 

Second tattoo, mermaid on left thigh.

My imaginary friend as a kid was a mermaid. It was a weird relationship with her, as when I was younger I only hated or loved her. We fought and we cried and we hugged, but that was all in my head. She was never real. I figured that out when I matured and aged, but the mermaid was always close to my heart. So I decided to have her tattooed on me.

Third tattoo, battle helmet and double swords on back of neck.

I let my father pick out my 3rd tattoo for my 16th birthday. The sword was my favorite weapon to use in combat, and my father has an old warrior helmet that he had someone make for him when he was younger. I almost cried when I saw it, as I heard the tale of him and the helmet. It was something that connects me and my father together and I love it. My father means everything to me and to have something like that permanently on my body makes me happy.

Fourth tattoo, geometric flower on right ankle.

The geometric flower is a tattoo dedicated to my mother. Even though I hate rules and authority, and she had a lot of that to give me, she is still my mother. When I was little me and mother used to pick flowers in the district, and I kept a pink one from a time me and my mother picked flowers for my father in hopes to surprise him. Even though me and my mother drifted apart before I got this tattoo, I don't want to forget her. So I got a geometric design of the same flower I picked with my mother. 

Fifth tattoo, snake going up left arm.

My father has called me his cold-blooded snake. Something that does not sound like a compliment, but is actually one. He knows snakes are my favorite animals. They might seem evil and nasty to most but they are misunderstood. Most snakes don't even attack you at first, if you provoke them or fail to leave them in peace then you will get attacked. They actually do good, the eat insects and animals that spread diseases. I personally am happy snakes are around. So the snake tattoo was a no-brainer when I wanted to get another tattoo. It reminds me that snakes are creatures that are painted as the bad guys.

Sixth tattoo, bird spreading wings on right hand wrist.

This tattoo represents me finally showing who I really was. Everyone saw the career girl with no heart on the exterior, but the interior was filled with emotions that have sat in the corner for years without be expressed. I was tired and not expressing the true me. I don't care about what people think about me anymore. Screw them! I might like the games, I might like to fight, but I also do have a side that cares for people. Many of the kids in district two have no hearts, and are not afraid of hurting other people. So I was adamant about showing the caring side of me. But I grew balls and did it. Thankfully, nobody kicked me in the nuts for it. Yes, I got weird looks when I helped people and was nice to people that were outcasts to most. But I didn't care anymore. I was going to be myself, or no one at all.

Seventh tattoo, "but without the dark we'd never see the stars " on left hand wrist.

This tattoo is based of something my friend said to me after I had a huge fight with my mother. My friend explained that it meant that without the blood and nasty words and the fights that we would never see the raw love and affection that is truly there. It changed my whole view on my relationship with my mother. It means a lot to me, and even though my relationship with my mother is still strained from the fight, it opened up my heart to forgive her and love her again. 

Eight tattoo, "i refuse to sink." on right shoulder.

This tattoo means a lot to me. I went into a brief state of depression for no reason at all. I did not know why I was feeling sad, I just was. I didn't want to be in this state, so I pulled myself up and swam back to shore. So I stopped myself from destroying myself with no good reason to be crying my eyes out all night, and not wanting to be around people. I wasn't going to let myself drown when I had no reason to be swimming. 

Ninth tattoo, crown jewels on right hip-thigh.

When I was really young I dreamed of being a princess, like almost every other girl in panem. I dreamed of living in the capitol in a huge house and getting married to a handsome prince. Now I think that those dreams were stupid and I laugh at them to this day. But regardless, I got a tattoo of the crown I pictured myself wearing on the intersection of my right thigh-hip. I got it to remind myself of how innocent I was. With my platinum blonde hair and hazel eyes and much smaller frame, nobody would recognize that girl to me. Now I look much more mature, still with the hazel eyes I dawned since birth. 

Tenth tattoo, a dancer on stomach (above bellybutton).

This tattoo is a dedication to my friend, Phoenix Miller. She is a dancer, and she helped me a lot throughout my troubles in life. She is the one who told me the quote that helped me see the love my mother truly gave me. I will forever be in her debt for that. 

"Hey father."

My father's current wife walks though the door and into the study. She smiles and says, "You two look so much alike. You have the same muscular frame, hazel eyes, you both have the little mole on your nose. Your lips are the same color, the light pink. God, you guys are so beautiful."

Of course she brings up the mole. That little mole is disgusting. I try my best to cover it up, but it is out and open to the public. I think it is time to leave now. 

Wind leaves goosebumps on my arms as the doors to my father's house close behind me. The sunset starts to fade as the light turns into the dark.