Hi, everyone! In this chapter, I will finally introduce sponsors, who are the great novelty of this story (in the sense that you usually submit tributes and not sponsors). This chapter is, however, meant as a simple introduction to set the scene, and I'd like to know your opinion about it. I won't present all the sponsors you submitted here (actually, I'll present only one just to give you an idea of how things work), but I'll do it later on. If you want to submit other sponsors or change the preferences of those you submitted, feel free to do it, you just need to PM me.
Enjoy your reading :)
Second day in the Capitol
Selena Wellington (23)- Mentor of District 10
I feel a twinge in my stomach. I'm getting ready to meet sponsors, but a part of me refuses to dress up. Today, tributes are beginning with training, but mentors have definitely a worse job to do: they have to ingratiate sponsors, they have to convince sponsors to support their protégés… in other words, mentors are just a bunch of toadies, and I hate it! But I have no choice. The only satisfaction in all this is seeing silly Capitolites throw their silly money away.
I snort and choose my outfit from my closet: a short, tight, black dress, with which I match a pair of silver court shoes with high heels. The dress I chose is really sexy: it is short to bring out my long legs, sleeveless, and its top part- corresponding to the upper chest- is made of a mesh like that of fishnet tights. As for my curly, blonde hair, I'll wear it down. My makeup is another important detail to consider: I'll choose ash-coloured eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and red lipstick.
I cross the dining room, where Timothy and Estrella are having breakfast. They're both staring at me, gaping.
"No need to gape," I tell them, annoyed.
"We're just… well, we're not used to seeing you… yeah, I mean… you don't usually dress like that," he stammers.
"What I wear is not your business! You have to focus only on training and, mind you, don't arrive late! The two of last year were really lazy, and this didn't make a good impression! We all know how they ended."
I'm about to take the lift, when the escort takes me aside.
"What's up?" I ask him.
"I was just wondering if I could accompany you to the limousine," he answers.
His tone reveals a certain uneasiness, but I cannot put my finger on it.
"If you must," I say with a shrug.
"Oh, thank you!" he squeals.
We both get on the lift. I press the ground floor button.
"Are you okay?" asks the escort at a certain point.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I reply.
"I mean… are you okay with all this?"
"All this what?" I ask.
Now, I'm really annoyed. I don't like people who talk in riddles!
"It must be hard for you… I mean, dealing with sponsors the way you do. As a matter of fact, our president forbade such things; they belong to the past…"
Now, I see what he's getting at.
"Prostitution! Let's call things by their name!" I blurt out.
President Smith may have forbidden it, but prostitution still exists, otherwise I wouldn't sell my body to a man who's thirty years older than me in exchange for support to my tributes and top-quality chewing tobacco.
"I don't mean to criticize. I'm just saying that there might be other solutions and, if any, you could take them into consideration," rebuts the escort, unperturbed.
In the meantime, the lift has reached the ground floor.
When its doors open, I immediately get off, but, before leaving the centre, I turn again to the escort. "If you've got any suggestions, let me know later."
But that's just a sarcastic comment.
…...
Amanda Thunder (16)- Mentor of District 5
I'm in the limousine along with Leroy. There's an unnatural silence between us. We usually converse quite easily, but I don't feel at ease right now, so I decide to keep quiet, while I'm looking out of the window, at the shining skyscrapers and the broad streets of the Capitol that are darting before my eyes.
"Nervous?" asks Leroy, breaking the silence.
"A bit," I admit, without turning to him.
He sighs. "It's normal. This is your first year as a mentor and, on top of that, you knew one of your tributes before the Reaping. I know it's cruel, but you have to make an effort to be as professional and neutral as possible. I'll do my best to help you, but you need to do your part as well, okay?" he goes on.
Despite myself, a slight smile forms on my lips. I like Leroy because he's straightforward, he doesn't even try to sugar the pill. That's what I need, maybe. The fact that Rhonda is in the Games scares me, but it's not only that. I don't know how Leroy has managed to be a mentor for so long and without freaking out. I mean… knowing that the life of two kids is in your hands and that you won't be able to save both... it's unbearable! I want Rhonda to survive, of course, but doesn't this mean by extension that I want Cliff to die? Does this mean that I'm not a good mentor, then?
"I cannot do this," I state, watching him right in the eye.
"I think the same thing every year, but then here I am," he rebuts with a resigned smile on his lips.
That said, he closes his eyes and lays his head on the seatback, as if he was trying to sleep.
"I'm not talking in general, Leroy. I cannot be a mentor, I cannot talk about strategy and teamwork after what I did," I rebut.
"If you refer to what happened in the arena, no one can blame you."
"I killed my district partner, Leroy! How can I be considered a reliable mentor!?"
This is the seventh day in the arena. A week spent in this frozen inferno. More than half of the tributes died, but not Kevin and I. District 5 has still both its tributes. I know this is a temporary situation, but we will work together for as long as possible. We've done pretty well so far thanks to our determination and to the gifts our mentor sent us. If I manage to make it out alive, I'll express all my gratitude to Leroy. We even found a hiding place that is safe enough, relatively speaking: a mountainous area full of crevices that few would dare to explore, but where you can find some little wooded spots- pine trees mainly. The ideal place to collect wood. At the plant identification station in the Training Center, I even found out that certain types of pinecones have edible seeds called pinenuts. In addition, Kevin managed to catch some little rodents with a snare. As for water, you just need to melt ice. Not a rich meal like those we ate in the Capitol, but better than nothing.
Kevin and I have parted to gather supplies. We're going to meet again to our base camp before sunset. It is located at the bottom of a crevice. Actually, we've discovered that some crevices in this area are linked together, forming a sort of narrow maze. We've found an access that was easy enough and established our base here for two reasons. First of all, narrow place means less heat loss. Secondly, even if we light a fire, the smoke is barely visible at a distance, because it dissipates while rising.
I'm about to reach the top to look at the valley below- better safe than sorry- when I hear someone talk, and it's not Kevin's voice. I immediately hide among the rocks scattered around me and peek out from them: I can see two Careers- the girl from One and the girl from Two. They're standing on the edge of a crevice, looking down.
"I told you someone was hiding out here!" says One.
"But you shouldn't have pushed him off with all his supplies!" replies the other, clearly angry.
"It was an accident," One justifies herself with a shrug.
"You lost some precious supplies!" insists Two.
"If you really want them, why don't you go get them? And you could also finish him off while you're in there. His cannon hasn't fired yet."
"I'm sick of you!"
That said, the girl from Two stabs her ex-ally in the stomach with her sword. The girl from One, taken by surprise, is not able to dodge. The blade penetrates her belly as if it was made of butter. Her garments are now colouring in red, and blood starts flooding from her mouth. The girl keels over on the ground, face-up, her whole body shaking like a leaf.
"I'll do better on my own," continues the girl from Two.
Then, she retrieves her sword from One's body, wiping the blade on One's garments. A cannon fires. The female tribute of District 1 has just died. Her murderer walks away, as if nothing has happened. Only when I don't hear her steps any longer, I come out of my hiding place and approach the crevice where the Career girl made her victim fall. I fear it's Kevin. I cannot see the bottom of the crevice from where I stand and I cannot scream his name neither, the girl from Two could hear me. So, I tie the rope I've got in my backpack to a solid rock and start climbing down into the crevice. There are little toeholds, the walls are slippery and creak in a sinister way, but I make it. I approach the fallen boy and… it's really Kevin! His backpack must have cushioned his fall, since he's still alive.
"Kevin!" I shout- to hell with carefulness!
"A-amanda," he whispers back.
He must be suffering a lot.
"Don't worry, the girls are gone. I'll help you to climb up," I say.
This crevice is isolated, so we have no choice.
"I… I can't… I can't feel my legs."
In fact, he tries to move but in vain. I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to hold back my tears. His back must be broken. He must have understood it as well, since he tells me: "I'm as good as dead, am I not?"
"We'll find a solution, as we have done so far," I reply, trying to think positive… or, at least, trying to sound as if I was thinking positive, because, deeper down, I know there's nothing I can do, and I'd like so badly to scream and cry like a baby. Above all, I'm outraged; I want revenge, even if the girl from One is already dead. There's still the girl from Two who's an accomplice, after all.
Kevin shakes his head- or, at least- he tries- with a sad smile on his pale lips. "No… t-there… there's no hope… and you know it. But you can… you can do me a favour… one last favour…"
"What?" I ask, my voice as shrill as that of a mouse.
"Kill me."
"What!? No!"
"Please, Amanda. Put… put me… out of my misery. I prefer dying by you… than by… the Careers," he insists, watching me right in the eye.
I cannot hold his gaze any longer, so I look away, wiping away my tears.
"Amanda…"
I turn to him again. "Okay, I'll do it."
I take off my jacket and use it to suffocate him. He resists little. A cannon fires. Today, my district partner died, a boy who spent all his life in a community home like me, a boy who never knew the love of a true family.
"Amanda?"
I'm dragged back into reality. I cannot help but wince. Leroy is staring at me with a worried expression on his face.
"It was an act of mercy, Amanda," he says.
"Doesn't change the fact that I killed Kevin," I rebut.
…...
Jay Grayfogg (27)- Mentor of District 1
I've arrived at destination: the Rainbow End Hotel, namely the hotel where sponsors reunite. It is a building heptagonal in shape. Every side of the heptagon is painted a colour of the rainbow, starting from the entrance wall painted red. I get in the hotel hall, where the dominant colours are black and while, except for a tableau hung behind the reception desk. It represents a green landscape with a rainbow, which reaches the ground. There's also a strange creature holding a gold pot. I've heard that this tableau refers to a legend of the ancient times and that Mr. Shane Rainbow- the owner of the hotel- is very fond of it.
The receptionist- a woman with a bowl haircut who's wearing a black-and-white, plaid pantsuit and high heels- recognizes me.
"Good morning, Mr. Grayfogg. This way, please," she greets me in a cold tone.
She accompanies me to the appointed place: a large room whose floor has a chessboard pattern. The center of it is occupied by a circular lounge bar, where they serve any kind of drink. All around the lounge bar, you can find several black sofas and glass coffee tables. If you want to have a more private conversation, there are some smaller rooms called "niches" adjoining the main one. Otherwise, you may take a lift and withdraw in one of the hotel rooms, but I can imagine what kind of conversation could be held in a luxurious bedroom. That's not for me. All sponsors stay here during the Games season, but I've got no intention to deepen the knowledge of them more than is necessary. Anyway, as an experienced mentor, I know that the best place to start from is the lounge bar. My fellow Career mentors join me there: Hippolyta Arrowhead from District 2 and Thalas Marsh from District 4. Hippolyta is a formidable fighter, especially with bow and arrow. Not surprisingly, she's nicknamed "the queen of Amazons". On the other hand, Thalas was the last Career to win the Hunger Games- he won a year after me- and I respect him. He's just a bit obsessed with the colour blue, which makes him look like a Capitolite. Actually, my sole concession to Capitolite flamboyance is the lilac foulard that I always wear. Except for that, I don't like the bright colours of this city.
"Hi, Jay," Hippolyta greets me, sitting between me and Thalas.
"Please, let's skip all the formalities, we're here to talk about strategy, right?" I offer.
She smirks. "As you like."
"Do your tributes want to form an alliance?" I ask them.
"District 2 yes."
"Thalas?"
"My tributes are going to join the pack as well," he answers.
"Also the boy?" I enquire.
"Why not?"
"He didn't seem that convinced yesterday," comments Hippolyta.
"Just because he didn't talk to the others?"
"Well, my tributes saw it as an act of mistrust, and I agree with them," she says.
"Don't exaggerate, Hippolyta! Oliver is part of this alliance, that's all you need to know!" he rebuts, clearly annoyed.
"Why do you say that? Is there something I shouldn't know?"
"No, don't worry."
Their argument is interrupted by the arrival of an avox, who gives me an orange note.
NICHE 3
"Oh, looks like someone wants to date you, Jay," comments Hippolyta with an amused smirk on her lips.
I decide to ignore her and head straight to the appointed niche. A niche is a completely white room that contains only two couches in front of a coffee table, which has a sort of tablet incorporated into it. The sponsor who sent for me is already there. It's a young woman with tanned skin, dark hair combed in a high ponytail, big, orange eyes, a nose piercing, and a bright red lipstick. Her outfit is definitely eye-catching: she's wearing a sparkly, orange and yellow pantsuit, huge hoop earrings, a gold necklace, several gold bracelets, and orange high heels. She's almost blinding, but I have to admit that she possesses a certain charm that attracts me.
She stands up from her seat to welcome me: "Oh, here you are! My name is Happy Haller! Nice to meet you!" she says, squeezing my hand with great enthusiasm.
We sit down. Then, she bends over the tablet.
"I don't know if you know… ops, sorry for the wordplay…"- she giggles- "… anyway, this hotel is also a wellness centre specialized in chromotherapy. Do you know what chromotherapy is?" she continues.
"Of course," I reply, even though I haven't got the foggiest idea of what she's talking about.
"What's your favourite colour, dear?"
"I have no favourite colour."
We're just wasting time! Did she send for me just to talk about nonsense?
"Oh, come on! Everyone has a favourite colour!" she rebuts, but then, since I keep silent, she goes on herself: "Okay, I'll choose for you! Well, your foulard is lilac, so be it!"
She touches the tablet with one of her long, orange nails, and this produces a creepy, grinding sound. A colour wheel appears on the screen and Happy selects the colour lilac. Suddenly, the whole room colours in lilac. I wince on my seat. It's my first time in a niche. I've never seen anything like that before.
"You selected: lilac. This colour is traditionally associated with the homonymous flower. From a mental point of view, it supports your fantasy," says a robotic voice coming from the tablet.
Wonderful! I really needed to listen to a documentary!
"Excellent choice! We'll need a bit of fantasy to talk about sponsorship!" she comments, winking at me.
Finally!
"Yes. In this regard, I think that Kyle…" I begin, but she interrupts me by placing her finger on my lips, basically asking me to shut up.
I've never felt so embarrassed before! Embarrassed? I should feel at least annoyed! What's happening to me?
"Oh, please let me speak, honey! I've already chosen who I want to support!" she says, getting even closer to me.
Is she flirting with me?
"W-who?"
She moves back a little. "Well, this is my first year as a sponsor, so I thought that District 1 would be a safe bet to start with. But I want to risk too, and your Kyle is given by favourite basically by everyone, so I'll focus on Excelsa, instead. I like her determination!"
I could say that Career districts haven't been lucky recently, but I'll keep this comment to myself. I'm glad I found a sponsor at least for Excelsa. And what a sponsor! When I finish with Happy, I'm still embarrassed. No one has ever had this effect on me! I need to calm down! I rush to the lounge bar.
"A gin, please, a with lots of ice!" I order.
So, as I said, this was just an introduction. The next chapters about sponsors (I plan to write another before the interviews) will be more focused on the actual sponsorship of tributes. The sponsor I presented here is Happy Haller, who was submitted by Hawkmaid. If you're interested, Hawkmaid has recently started a SYOT titled Phenomenon: the 85th Annual Hunger Games, and it still needs tributes.
What do you think of this chapter?
Below, you can find some specific questions about the mentors who have a POV here:
Jay: how should he deal with a sponsor like Happy?
Amanda: will she manage to be a good mentor?
Selena: what do you think of this character?
As for submitters, since tributes don't have any POV in this chapter, 20 points can be assigned to the tributes whose mentors have a POV here, namely: Kyle (D1M), Excelsa (D1F), Cliff (D5M), Rhonda (D5F), Timothy (D10M), Estrella (D10F).
Thank you a lot for reading and reviewing :)
