Lucent Saccharyn POV:
President Gilbert Mikhail curls up on a velvety red sofa across from me and the matching chair I'm sitting on. We're in his presidential quarters, just five minutes prior to this year's Quarter Quell announcement ceremony. He sips nonchalantly from a porcelain teacup, grunting in dissatisfaction and setting it down to stir in another splash of milk. He picks it up, cupping it against his chest with both hands. Perched atop an identical armchair to mine is Head Peacekeeper Jessiah Marius, who has donned a tailored suit for the occasion rather than his usual paramilitary garb. "So, Ms. Head Gamemaker, can I have a preview of this year's twist?" President Mikhail raises the cup to his lips. A drop of very diluted tea drips down the side of the cup and saucer, landing on the President's starched white collar in a bead that he quickly dabs away with a heavy linen napkin.
"Well sir, I understand the need to impress. The people have high expectations, and I fully intend to deliver." Wordlessly, I hand him a cream-colored index card. Under no circumstances must anyone else find out prior to the ceremony, not even the servants silently gliding in and out of the room. The President's sharp hazel eyes skim across the bold black script. His normally solemn face curls upward, cheekbones heightening into a smile that displays his straight white teeth.
"Head Gamemaker Saccharyn," he says. "This is perfect. It's exactly the right caliber for the job. Irrelevant to Districts One, Two, and Four, not enough to alienate the neutral folks in the poorer sectors, but sufficient to quash any early rebellion. Nobody could have come up with a better concept." I have the grace to blush at the praise, bowing my head respectfully as he passes the envelope to a nearby servant to replace in the ceremonial box of cards it is stored in for the ceremony.
"I would produce nothing less than the best for you, sir. May Panem continue to prosper under your government." President Mikhail nods appreciatively. A servant tentatively speaks up.
"Sirs, madam, your presence is requested on the Presidential balcony in one minute." Head Peacekeeper Marius dismisses her with a flick of his hand. He and I rise from our seats, smooth the wrinkles from our clothes, and walk in tandem around the corner towards the balcony. Two avoxes open the double doors with a flourish and we walk through, waving to the Capitolites gathered below before taking our places on chairs at opposite ends of the balcony. President Mikhail prances through the doors once we've settled into our seats. He gestures grandly at the crowd, making all the usual statements about glory and patriotism. He settles into a meandering speech, talking about the history of the country, from the Dark Days to the failed Katniss Rebellion. While he speaks, I study the crowd. One woman sweats under a thick layer of foundation and a voluminous green wig. A young boy tugs listlessly at his father's hand as he studies the tricolored cobblestones, fidgeting with a toy he smuggled in his pocket. A tall, slim man smiles vacantly, rocking his baby from side to side and gazing up at the balcony. A squat, stocky lady dabs at her mouth with a handkerchief, trying to conceal the macaroon she's eating.
President Mikhail may be a great man, but he tends to ramble when speaking. At long last he turns the microphone over to Head Peacekeeper Marius. "Head Peacekeeper Marius will now describe the unique decisions our new team of Gamemakers has been making that will set this year's Hunger Games apart." The Head Gamemaker puts on a winning expression and rises from his chair, taking his place in front of the microphones concealed in the decorative bunting and garlands.
"It's so good to be with you all today," he begins. "Our new Head Gamemaker, Ms. Lucent Saccharyn—" I wave. "—has already cemented her place in our country's history by arranging a beautiful new event to add to the splendor of the festivities. Each District Escort will arrive in exactly fourteen days. They will then tour their respective districts all week, then return to the Capitol directly following the Reaping ceremonies, where they will be interviewed about the new cultures they have been exposed to. Isn't that exciting?" The people in the crowd clap loudly, eagerly anticipating the new pre-Games entertainment. I smile, but humbly. It was mostly to improve morale in the districts, and lead potential rebels towards the Capitol because we're working to preserve their culture. We plan on handpicking the very best parts to highlight during the interviews.
"She has also replaced the former Gamemakers with an entirely new team of a much smaller size. A hard worker, she disapproved of her staff members napping on the clock, and so just yesterday conducted in-person interviews and handpicked each of the new technicians." Head Peacekeeper Marius is one of my closest friends but I know it pains him to heap praise on me alone. His job right now is to prop me up, but I can tell he's just itching to brag about a flashy new Peacekeeping statistic. I'll have to remember to buy him a drink later. "She has already begun construction of a new arena. We'll have more to tell you about that no sooner than three days from today, I'm afraid, but I am very excited to tell you all that Reapings will take place three weeks from today. It's my honor to now ask the Head Gamemaker herself to say a few words."
I stand up quickly, ignoring the stiffness in my legs. "First of all, Head Peacekeeper Marius, thank you for bringing that up. It's very important to mention that our escorts, designers, makeup artists, and journalists all have been preparing for this for such a long time. Let's have some applause for them!" The crowd erupts in cheers. Many of the people squeal excitedly, holding such jobs. "All I can tell you about the Hunger Games at this time is that it's going to be very exciting, although I would caution you against betting early this year. It will be essential to wait for the Reapings if you plan on winning money this year." That shuts up several people already speaking to betting agents in the crowd. Several put away portable tablets. "Things will be shaken up, I'm sure. Because this is not just any normal year. I will now pass the baton back to President Mikhail to reveal this year's exciting new quarter Quell announcement." I glide smoothly back to my seat. President Mikhail steps forward. A little girl in a pale blue dress steps forward, clip-clopping adorably in miniature white high heels. She passes him the traditional box of index-size cards printed on expensive ivory cardstock. He clears his throat into the microphone and deftly removes a freshly printed card from the box.
"Citizens of Panem, on the four-hundredth anniversary, as a reminder that the Capitol's benevolence and generosity is a privilege granted to you, all mentors will be selected from Victors from the district one quarter higher, the Cornucopia will have one quarter fewer supplies than normal, and all sponsor gifts will be made one quarter more expensive. This concludes today's Quarter Quell Announcement." He hands the card to the little girl before saying a few parting words and beckoning Head Peacekeeper Marius and me back into the building. We turned the corner and plopped down onto some soft cushions in President Mikhail's bedroom. He unbuttons his shirt collar.
"Ugh!" he grouses. "That heat was really getting to me!" Head Peacekeeper Marius groans, fanning himself with a docket he took off the President's desk. No servants or avoxes are allowed in here without express permission. In their presence we have to act all official and uptight, but once we're alone we're just a few twenty-five-year-olds who could really use a day off. We're all quite young for government positions, and we can now at last refer to each other using first names.
"Gil, I know exactly how to fix that headache caused by the heat. You two should go out drinking and replace it with a different kind of headache."
Jessiah sighs heavily. "I daresay you're right, Lucent. But I'll only go if you pay."
I smile. "I think that can be arranged."
Gilbert grunts heartily. "What about tomorrow's press release? I can't go on TV with a hangover. I'll be made a mockery of."
"I can handle the press release," I offer. "You'll be free to drink whatever you want."
"Then screw it. Vodka it is!" he whoops. I jokingly shove them into the hallway.
"You boys have fun. I'll hold down the fort here." It may seem strange to the untrained observer how close I am to the President, but we have a history. We were good friends during our schooling. Last year, when I was only a junior Gamemaker, he couldn't openly spend time with me. It would only spark rumors in the press. But now I can hang out with him and Jessiah just like the good old days. Being friends with him was probably what got me the job, but it doesn't mean I'm any less deserving of my position. I try to imagine being an eighteen-year-old who's taken out tesserae and is fearing the Hunger Games even more than usual, but I can't, because when I was that age, I was playing strip poker with the future President. Guess I just had good luck.
Hey y'all. You know what this means-time to get down to business and start thinking about tributes! Right now, only one tribute is reserved, so it's the perfect time to take your pick of all the slots. Reservations last one week, so you'll have plenty of time to craft the perfect character. Tribute forms and submission guidelines are posted on my bio. I plan on updating Wednesday evening, so stay tuned!
Love, LC
