Olympus Sickle, age 41
Head Gamemaker of the Annual Hunger Games

Reaping Day

My living room is crowded with Gamemakers. It's an unfamiliar scene because this year is my first year as Head Gamemaker, and during previous years we all watched the Reapings from our homes. But now that I'm in charge, I'm running the show my way, and part of that is what's happening right now. I've invited the entire Gamemaking team over to my house to watch the Reapings live together in a get-together that's for both work and pleasure. We'll pay attention to the players of this year's Games and discuss them, but the atmosphere is pleasant and relaxed. This is an opportunity for all of us to have some fun before the Games.

There are around thirty of us, and my living room is rather cramped with some of my colleagues forced to stand, but I'm comfortable in my massage chair. I have my tablet out so I can take notes as the tributes are Reaped. My television is set to live Reapings, without commentary because that's the way I prefer things - I'd rather make my own first impressions on the tributes. I'm all set.

District 1, the first of the two Career Districts, produces two volunteers as tributes. The atmosphere is festive, with the crowd cheering. The tributes, Barbossa Diamond and Shinji Higa, are both seventeen years old, and they look friendly and confident as they volunteer themselves into the Hunger Games. I take notes on the tributes.

1F: Barbossa Diamond, 17 - smiling, generally confident
1M: Shinji Higa, 17 - mentioned the way of the ninja

District 2 is next, and it's just as enthusiastic for the Games as One. I watch as, once again, two volunteers take the stage, and I continue my note-taking.

2F: Ariadne White, 18 - mentioned completing a collection and a rabbit? interesting
2M: Scorpio Grayson, 16 - cool and refined, 16 years old

With District 3, we move into the non-Career Districts, and the escort here seems to desperately want to make things more interesting because he draws the boys' names first. Watson Ling, the Reaped tribute, is stone-faced. Then a second fifteen-year-old, Hikari Abe, is Reaped. She manages a smile as she gets on stage.

3F: Hikari Abe, 15 - small but smiled, could mean anything
3M: Watson Ling, 15 - serious, unremarkable

District 4 produces an average-looking boy and a dazed-looking girl, both on the older side. Once again, the boy is Reaped first.

4F: Delilah Aberforth, 16 - redhead. looks confused?
4M: Lamar Hunter, 17 - normal

With District 5, the girl is Reaped first, and the tribute, despite being sixteen years old, is a wreck. She's visibly shaking and crying as she takes trembling steps onto the stage. The other tribute, Sky, looks brave. They announce that they use they and he pronouns and actually say something, promising to put up a fight. I nod. I know who will be the stronger competitor in this District.

5F: Trisha Quinn, 16 - crying, seems terrified
5M: Sky Ramirez, 14 - they/he, actually said something about putting up a fight

Six is eventful. The girl, Hinoka, yells out for someone named Corrin to not volunteer before swiftly taking the stage and announcing that she will do anything to come home to Corrin. A prisoner named Velmire Hyeondae volunteers for the boys.

6F: Hinoka Nori, 15 - seems very very determined about coming home to Corrin
6M: Velmire Hyeondae, 18 - volunteer! really wonder why. prisoner.

To my surprise, District 7 produces another criminal as a tribute, though Mulberry Chun is Reaped. Her District Partner, Forest Oakley, gruffly announces that they use they and them pronouns.

7F: Mulberry Chun, 18 - another criminal! tread carefully, as with 6M
7M: Forest Oakley, 17 - says they/them pronouns, says nothing else

District 8 calls for a girl named Mishel Lavender. She's pregnant.

"Oh my god," someone says.

"Somebody's got to volunteer," someone else says as the Reaped tribute walks towards the stage. I stare at the television screen intently, hoping for a volunteer. But nobody wants to take Mishel Lavender's place in the Games.

"Mr. Sickle?" the Mutt Gamemaker, Amelia North, says. "What are we going to do?"

"I'll think of something by the end of the day if Ravinstill doesn't," I say, somewhat distracted because I still want to see the rest of the tributes.

"Holy shit," I mutter as the next tribute, Redmond Brown, is wheeled towards the stage in a wheelchair. The room is silent as, once again, nobody volunteers. How could this happen? Maybe everyone is confident that Mishel and Redmond will be dealt with. But how?

"I'll think of something by the end of the day if Ravinstill doesn't," I repeat as I write down notes in my tablet.

8F: Mishel Lavender, 18 - pregnant. do something.
8M: Redmond Brown, 13 - wheelchair. do something.

Nine and Ten's Reapings are thankfully uneventful, with Nine producing two older tributes and Ten producing two younger ones.

9F: Corneria Gold, 16 - asked to be called Ria
9M: Buckwheat Gonzalez, 18 - looks strong

10F: Lupe Oxford, 14 - normal
10M: Abraham Smith, 12 - normal, probably youngest this year

District 11 reaps an eighteen-year-old boy, then a thirteen-year-old girl, neither of whom shed a single tear.

11F: Bluebell Johnson, 13 - gave a smile and a peace sign, then frowned again
11M: George Daniels, 18 - normal, frowning

Finally, the District 12 tributes are equally stoic as they are Reaped.

12F: Marjorie Burnet, 17 - normal, stoic
12M: Coulson Stone, 18 - normal, stoic

I stare at my notes as some of my colleagues start moving around. There are twenty-four tributes, but the pair from Eight occupy my mind. What's going to happen with them? Who is going to decide that?

Surely Ravinstill is mobilizing right now. Our President is excellent at running everything, so I know that he's going to come up with a plan. I watch the post-Reaping commentary intently, not really wanting to talk to anyone, though some of my colleagues are talking amongst themselves.

This doesn't feel like a party anymore. I suddenly realize that I may have to mobilize at a moment's notice.

"Everyone," I call out, and the room slowly quiets down.

"Everyone, I may have to meet with the President at any moment now."

A/N: Chapter question: Do you have any first impressions on the non-POV tributes?

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all soon!