Prologue Part One: Behind Closed Doors
Ophelia Price of District 2, Victor of the 98th Hunger Games
Train: Dining Room, Outskirts of District 1 | 7:14 PM
Ophelia was on the verge of collapsing. Their train has just departed from District 1, which was the last District she had to visit for her Victory Tour; night has fallen and snow has begun to fall. Ophelia, accompanied by her team, has been shuttling from one District to another for over the past few days. It was all beginning to take a toll on Ophelia; the combined stress of not being able to get enough sleep on the train and travelling throughout Panem to give speeches to the bitter crowds and angry families of the Tributes she slaughtered was very taxing. So far, District 1 has been the worst. The crowds stared at her resentfully, and the families of the Tributes spat on the ground when she concluded her speech. Ophelia, however, brushed it off. She understood why they behaved this way.
She recounted last year's Games. When there were only a handful of Tributes left, she betrayed her allies from District 1. She poisoned their food supply. The Tributes from District 1, unsuspecting and hungry, devoured their food. Within seconds, Ophelia was the only Career left. In the subsequent Finale that followed, Ophelia made quick work of the remaining weak Tributes and was ultimately crowned as the winner of the 98th Hunger Games. Ophelia wrapped up her Game with a total of seven kills; the highest number of kills for a single Tribute for the past decade of the Games.
It was easy to understand why most of the Districts she visited harbored resentment towards her. Her performance in the Games has made her very unpopular in their eyes. Now, she was glad that she was finally nearing the end of her Victory Tour. She has just ticked off the last District she had to visit and all that was left was the Capitol and then she would be back home in District 2, where a warm welcome awaits her.
"Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!" exclaimed Iona Florence, District 2's Escort, her voice getting shriller with each word. "I would say that the Victory Tour was a success, wouldn't you all think so?" she asked as she took the glass of champagne which was handed out to her by an Avox. Ophelia and her team were seated around an opulent, mahogany table which was heaping with the lavish feast Iona had asked to be prepared. Iona sat beside her mentor, Sylvia Harp and opposite of them sat Iona.
Unsure whether or not Florence's remark about the success of the Victory Tour was genuine or sarcastic, Ophelia couldn't help but look at her incredulously. In Ophelia's mind, her Victory Tour didn't amount to any success at all. If anything, seeing her in the flesh and listening to her hollow speeches about the glory of the Capitol which Iona had written for her has made the Districts hate her now more than before.
"A success? I'm afraid I don't see it as much of a success as you do," said Ophelia. "I think it could've gone better. The people from the Districts practically wanted my head on a spike."
"What were you expecting? That they'd welcome you with open arms?" said Sylvia sharply, staring Ophelia down. Ophelia stared at her mentor, taken aback by her sudden and harsh response. She was hoping that perhaps Sylvia, being a Victor herself, would sympathize with her and take her side but, as always, she was unpredictable. Sylvia was a cold woman; from the moment they met on the train to the Capitol a year ago, Sylvia has always made Ophelia uneasy. Although Sylvia has gone through great lengths to ensure that Ophelia emerged from her Game victorious, Ophelia couldn't help but think that she had done something to make Sylvia despise her.
Sylvia had a knack for turning every situation into a lecture, even during the days when Ophelia was training for the Games; she would relentlessly chew Ophelia out for every mistake and every flaw. Iona has reassured her that it was nothing but "tough love" although Ophelia was quite unsure what to make of it; Ophelia felt as if Sylvia took pleasure in berating her. In time, however, it became clear to Ophelia that Sylvia's unforgiving approach to mentorship had one goal: to hone her into a Victor. Although Ophelia would never admit it, she knew that what Sylvia has done for her was invaluable; she would have never gotten out of that arena if it weren't for Sylvia's mentorship.
After Sylvia's sharp remark, her words hung in the air. There was silence in the room as tension began to rise. Sensing the sudden tension in the air, Iona signaled the Avox to refill her glass and turned her attention to eating her food. Knowing both of the women very well, Iona wanted little to do with the situation that was beginning to unfold before her. All she wanted to do was start a conversation but even she was surprised at how poorly her remark has been received by those seated around the table. She fought the urge to roll her eyes, desperately trying to hold back words. She was not about to add any more fuel to the fire; these women were on edge from the strain of a very demanding Victory Tour.
The entire Victory Tour has been a strenuous challenge for them all. The day in particular has been one of the worst. Even before the day has come, Iona has expected their visit to District 1 to be poorly received and by all accounts, she was right. The people of District 1 were proud people; next to District 2, they have the highest number of Victors. Their hopes of adding another Victor in their roster was dashed when Ophelia poisoned their Tributes from last year.
In an effort to lift the mood and to boost the group's morale, Iona had the dinner arranged for her team. She had hoped that it would help diffuse all of the negative energy which has begun to build up over the past few days. Unfortunately, it was not going as well as she had hoped. She pursed her lips, inconspicuously observing the interaction between Ophelia and Sylvia.
"I wasn't expecting the Districts to blow kisses up my ass, Sylvia but a little appreciation would have been nice!" snapped Ophelia. She felt heat rise up in her face and she gripped the cutlery in her hands tighter. How could her own Mentor not understand what she was feeling? Sylvia should have had an idea of the frustration she was going through.
The whole ordeal of the Victory Tour has been incredibly demoralizing on Ophelia's part; it was a rude awakening to how others outside of her own District felt about her. When she won her games six months prior, she was greeted with a warm and jovial welcome in District 2. In the months that followed her Victory, District 2 has made its appreciation very apparent; extravagant and exclusive parties were thrown in her honor, she was showered with luxurious gifts, and anybody who was anybody wanted to get to know her. In Ophelia's mind, this was the proper way Victors were supposed to be treated: with respect and adoration. She has expected that this treatment would carry over to her Victory Tour. She was wrong. Most of the Districts she has visited were resentful towards her while the remaining few were entirely indifferent to her Victory.
Sylvia's cold laughter filled the room, making Ophelia even angrier. "A little appreciation?" she asked. "For what? For volunteering to murder children from impoverished Districts in cold blood?"
Ophelia felt as if she was slapped across the face. Volunteered to murder children. The way Sylvia phrased it sent a chill down her spine. it was a cruel statement and yet, every word of it was hauntingly true. Ophelia, too shocked to come up with something to say, stared daggers at Sylvia who looked at her amusingly. Sylvia took a long drag of the cigarette she was smoking and blew the smoke in Ophelia's direction. Then, Sylvia spoke again.
"I don't know why this fazes you. This was nothing compared to the resentment I got from the Districts when I went on my Victory Tour," she said coldly as she extinguished her cigarette on a nearby ashtray. Ophelia knew that what her mentor has said was true. In one of the most horrific moments in the Games, Sylvia Harp won her Game by bludgeoning the last surviving Tribute, a terrified 14-year-old girl, to death. Unsurprisingly, Sylvia's Victory Tour was met with bitter resentment and she went on to become one of the most infamous Victors.
"Every single Career who manages to survive and crawl out of whatever Arena they competed in is met with the same level of hostility on these damn Victory Tours," Sylvia continued, her voice stern and icy. "Your Victory Tour wasn't going to be any different. You should have known better than to think it would be."
An uncomfortable silence began to fill the air. Ophelia turned away from Sylvia, unable to look her in the eyes. Ophelia knew that it was time to back down; she has never won an argument against Sylvia and that wasn't going to change tonight. As always, Sylvia has lambasted in her into utter silence. She averted her gaze to Iona who had a disappointed expression on her face.
Ophelia didn't want to stick around in the dining room any longer. "I think it's time that I retire for the evening. We arrive at the Capitol tomorrow and I want to get as much rest as I can before then," she said, her voice expressionless.
"But you barely ate!" Iona protested, the glass of champagne in her hands sloshing its contents onto the floor. "I had all of your favorites prepared for tonight's dinner! Look, we have savory roast beef with mashed potatoes, that creamy pumpkin soup you liked so much, here's that delightful lemon cake you absolutely adored, and over here – "
"Let her go, Iona," commanded Sylvia as she stared at Ophelia disapprovingly. "She's right. We do have a big day tomorrow. Let her rest."
Ophelia didn't need to hear much more. She grabbed the table napkin on her lap and set it down on the table. She stood up and walked out of the room as Sylvia looked on reproachfully.
Sylvia Harp of District 2, Mentor | Victor of the 87th Hunger Games
Train, En Route to Capitol | 8:43 PM
"Dinner went well, wouldn't you think so?" said Sylvia, her voice tinged with sarcasm. After dinner, Iona and Sylvia found themselves in the train's drawing room. As District Escort and Mentor, they were going over the plans for their Capitol Appearance with an even finer comb to make sure that everything was in order. The task involved reviewing paperwork which mostly contained protocol and schedules. Sylvia has chosen the drawing room as their venue.
For good reason, the drawing room was Sylvia's favorite car in the whole train. It was the most handsomely decorated room in the train, exuding an aura of elegance and comfort. The room was tastefully furnished with antique, wooden furniture. Luxuriously plush sofas and armchairs can be found in the room and beautiful ornaments decorated the space. The room was bathed in a warm, golden light which casted a homey glow in the room.
Iona didn't bother answering Sylvia's question. For all Iona knew, it might have been a trick question with no right answer. She wasn't about to fall for such a trap, fearing that she may end up in the very same difficult position that Ophelia found herself in during dinner. Instead, Iona kept herself busy by sorting through the paperwork laid out on the coffee table. Although it was supposed to be a team effort between them, Iona knew that, as always, she would end up doing most of the work.
Although Iona and Sylvia have worked together extensively over the course of a decade, the two women barely knew each other. Their whole relationship revolved around the Hunger Games; with Iona being District 2's Escort and with Sylvia being District 2's Female Mentor. Iona has always excelled in socializing and making friends; that's what made her into such an efficient Escort. It was easy for her to establish connections with all the right people; a skill which can be particularly useful in winning over sponsors for her Tributes. In fact, she played a pivotal role in Ophelia's victory; she was the one responsible for finding a sponsor who was rich and generous enough to send Ophelia the vials of poison which she used to turn the tides for her Game.
However, despite Iona's extraordinary social skills, she has never gotten through Sylvia's cold and hostile demeanor. She has long given up on the hope that perhaps the two of them can be friends. Their relationship with each other was civil at best.
"You disapprove of what happened," said Sylvia, her voice expressionless, as she watched Iona arrange the piles of paper on the table into neatly organized stacks.
"I work so hard for this team, Sylvia," said Iona, her voice serious and steady. "You have no idea how much work I put into this Tour. My work started long before yours and Ophelia's. It started even before we left District 2. It took months of careful and strategic planning to make sure that this Tour goes off without a hitch. When I asked the both of you during dinner whether or not you thought the Tour was successful, the least the both of you could've done was to show some sort of gratitude for the work that I did. Instead, you and Ophelia waged war against one another. Couldn't the both of you get along for once?"
"I appreciate how hard you work for this team, Iona. Don't think I don't," said Sylvia. "And I understand your concern with my approach to mentorship. You think I'm too harsh, don't you?"
"Yes," said Iona flatly, continuing with neatly organizing the paperwork on the table. Truth to be told, she has not quiet forgiven Sylvia and Ophelia for their lack of gratitude and their behavior during dinner. It was very off-putting and distasteful behavior. Iona could only hope that this evening's negative energy would not carry over their Capitol Appearance tomorrow. It was the most anticipated event of the whole Victory Tour and it had to be an absolute success.
"To be quite frank with you, I don't care about what you think at all," said Sylvia point-blank, mildly catching Iona off guard as she tried to regain her composure. "I might be harsh, but it pays off. Ever since I became a Mentor, all the Female Tributes from District 2 has consistently placed in the Top 8 of their respective Games. Time and time again, I have trained and pushed these Tributes to their limits, coming close to producing a Victor every single year."
Iona looked on, unsure of what to say. Admittedly, Sylvia was one of the best Mentors she has ever worked with. Sylvia motioned at a nearby Avox who immediately sprung to action. Sylvia waited for the Avox to finish pouring her a glass of whiskey before she continued to speak
"And now, we finally have a Victor again," she said. "But let me tell you a secret, Iona. Winning the Games is the easy part, what comes after is the real challenge."
Iona was puzzled, not quite realizing what Sylvia meant. She watched as Sylvia drank whiskey from her glass, nearly emptying it.
"The Games don't end when the President crowns you as the Victor. That's the time when it truly starts," Sylvia said. "As a mentor, the heavy responsibility of training Tributes falls on my shoulders. Mentors hold the fate of their Tributes in their hands and even if we don't compete in the Arena, we are always part of the Games. Say what you want about how I train Tributes, but you can't deny that I train them well."
"Well, there's no point denying that," said Iona flatly looking at Sylvia in the eye.
"But now, my time as a Mentor has come to an end," said Sylvia. "As you and I both know, Ophelia will be resuming my duties and obligations as the Female Mentor for District 2 in next year's Hunger Games. It's true that I've always been hard on Ophelia. But now that she's a Victor, I have to be even harder on her."
Iona listened to Sylvia intently. This was the first time that Sylvia has ever discussed the topic of Ophelia replacing her as Mentor. Although Iona has brought it up a few times, Sylvia was always quick to dismiss her. Iona has suspected that it was because Sylvia was not ready to give up being a Mentor but now, she had no other choice but to face the truth.
"Ophelia needs to just as good or even better than I ever was," said Sylvia. "That's why I incessantly push her so that she can reach her fullest potential. District 2 has always been seen as a strong District. Ophelia cannot afford to tarnish District 2's reputation in the Games. I've done everything that I can. I've thought Ophelia everything I know. And yet, there are still so many things she doesn't understand."
It finally dawned on Iona. Sylvia has always been hard on Ophelia; harder on her than any other Tribute Sylvia has ever mentored. Iona realized that it was because Sylvia recognized Ophelia's potential; Sylvia saw Ophelia as someone who was worthy of replacing her as Mentor. Although they didn't always see eye-to-eye, Iona has always respected Sylvia and now, she has respected her even more than before. Sylvia's dedication to bringing honor and glory to her District has always been apparent and commendable.
"I wouldn't worry too much, Sylvia," said Iona, her voice calm and soothing. Her realizations have made her frustrations over what happened during dinner dissipate. "You did well, but you can't teach Ophelia everything about the Games. Some things, she has to learn on her own. By experience."
Sylvia flashed Iona a faint smile. She knew that it was true. Sylvia's very own mentor has shown her the ropes, but most of what she knew about the Games and being a Mentor has come from her own experience.
"What plans do you have in mind after being a Mentor?" asked Iona.
"The Academy," said Sylvia plainly. "There's never a shortage of Victors coming from Career Districts. That's where all of the outgoing Mentors end up once a newer Victor is crowned to replace them. I'll still be mentoring, in a way. I suppose when your whole life has been dedicated for the Games, it's difficult to think of anything else."
"Yes, yes. I would suppose," said Iona. She felt glad for Sylvia. Iona has visited District 2's Academy quite a few times herself. It was a grand establishment and a fine institution. Past Victors and Mentors from District 2 taught in the Academy. Sylvia would be among her own crowd; she would fit right in.
"Anyway, I doubt that your life would change much once Ophelia replaces you as a Mentor, Sylvia," Iona chirped happily. "As you may know, there's always an open invitation for past Victors to visit the Capitol during The Games to take part in the festivities. Oh! This is why I love the Games so much! It brings people together!"
"Speaking of people being together, is Atlas on the way to the Capitol himself?" asked Sylvia.
Iona nodded fervently. "Yes! The Victors are on their way to the Capitol as we speak. Some Victors from further Districts left for the Capitol earlier today but with District 2 practically being the Capitol's neighbor, Atlas's train just left District 2 a few hours ago!"
By tradition, an invitation has been sent out to Victors from all across of Panem to attend the grand celebrations at the Capitol the following evening for Ophelia's Victory Tour. One of the attendees was Atlas, the Male Mentor for District 2.
"Well good," said Sylvia. "He can finally stop sulking."
"He's probably just upset he couldn't join us for the entirety of Ophelia's Victory Tour!" said Iona with a giggle.
"My Tribute won her games. Atlas's Tribute lost. That's why I'm accompanying Ophelia on this Tour while he was left to mope in District 2. He'll have his chance to go on a Victory Tour once he's capable of training a winner," said Sylvia flatly.
Iona recalled last year's games. The arena for The 98th Hunger Games was a swamp where danger lurked in every corner. Cassius Payne, Ophelia's District Partner, was torn to pieces by viciously terrifying alligator mutts when the Career Pack made the mistake of wandering into the alligators' territory. Much to Atlas' dismay and frustration, Cassius only placed 11th out of 24, three spots from making it into the Top 8.
"I'm sure Atlas is just warming up to being a Mentor himself. Don't forget that he just won four years ago!" reminded Iona.
"Well he better warm up fast. Games aren't going to win themselves and I hope we can have a back-to-back win for District 2," said Sylvia. Much to Sylvia's chagrin and annoyance, the only District to have a back-to-back win since the Rebirth of the Games was District 7 which wasn't even a Career District.
"I'm sure he'll warm up just fine, as will Ophelia," said Iona. She was almost done sorting the paperwork into neat stacks.
Sylvia smiled. She pressed her lips to the cold glass in her hands as she drank the remainder of the whiskey. She placed the empty glass down onto the table beside her.
Sylvia could not wait for tomorrow evening. Past Victors, Gamemakers, Stylists and practically anyone who she would deem important would be there. She could not wait to see all the familiar faces in the grand celebration tomorrow.
Author's Note:
Welcome, welcome, welcome! I am pleased to bring you the first part of the prologue for Of Triumphs and Horrors: The 99th Annual Hunger Games! I am immensely excited to write this story; this is the first story I have published in Fanfiction in years! I hope that you guys enjoyed this prologue as much as I enjoyed writing it and I hope that I can count on your support throughout the story!
As you may already know, this is an SYOT. The form is already up on my profile; please read through it carefully. I would highly encourage everyone to submit Tributes!
Ø What are your thoughts for the first part of the prologue? Did you like it?
Ø What are your first impressions of the District 2 Team? Of Ophelia Price, Sylvia Harp, and Iona Florence?
Ø What are you expecting to happen for their Capitol Appearance in the next chapter?