Hall Of Fame Part Two.
And the world's gonna know your name.
Lost - The 120th Hunger Games.
Head of Communications Chandelier Sussan.
Walking through the restaurant, everyone stares. I smile, lapping up the attention, waving lightly to one man with bright green hair that reminds me of Liole.
Being Angelo Sussan's daughter, I'm well-known in and out of my job. Unlike the other losers, I was in the limelight before taking the job. I had a social life; money, parties and power. I attended all the events. I sponsored many upon many tributes, even from a tender age. I remember one year in particular, I asked my Daddy for a bunch of money which I sent to the District Two female to pay for an injection of poison. She was my favourite and Daddy said that me and I were similar in personalities. She didn't win, though, and I remember crying because she died.
Now, I'm the one pulling the strings. I'm not ruthless or cruel, but I like my job. I chose the communications because I didn't want to be seen as ruthless. Unlike Liole or Lenore or Hugo, for that matter, I don't go out of my way to destroy the tributes' lives. Instead, I do all I can to help them; I don't really care for the peasants that much, but it's nice to know that my job is both important and yet not seen as inhumane. Over the years, not all Capitolites enjoy the Hunger Games - many started to switch views after the failed rebellion many years ago, and generations rooted up with similar views - so it's sometimes a touchy subject.
"Daddy!" I shout, waving across the tables of people. Daddy looks up, smiling between his wispy brown beard. I look at the woman. "As you can, my father is waiting and his name is Angelo Sussan," she freezes immediately, stepping aside. "Thank you."
I cross the distance in a few steps, holding up one end of my frilly, lavender dress. Daddy stands up, pulling out my seat for me.
"Here you go, my angel," he says and I giggle, my father being one for compliments. Mother always said that was how he won her over. "It's been too long."
"Of course it has, you've been on a business trip," I take a pause and play with the fork on the table. "H-How, how was District Eight?"
"Poor. Very, extremely poor," he smiles sadly. "I didn't expect it to be so bad, but it's as worse as the lower districts."
My eyes widen. "As poor? As in, just as bad conditions?"
"I wasn't exactly there to see the sights, but yes, just as bad conditions. It was a long trip, I'm just glad to be back to my luxuries and seeing my daughter's first Hunger Games!" he beams and I feel my heart swell in excitement, the older sensation about the district people evaporating quickly. "I heard from a little birdy that you have a large task on your shoulders?"
"Indeed," I grin with pride. "If everyone goes to plan, my task will make the entire Games. Honestly Daddy, it's nothing I've ever seen before and even Fiyero believes that Esmeralda will be astonished!"
Daddy smirks. "That must make you the envy of all the others."
"Definitely," I roll my eyes. "But, I'll give Lenore and Hugo a run for their money. They've had this job for years and whilst I might be new, I have my Daddy's competitive streak." I add with a wink.
He just laughs, and we fall into mindless conversation as we order. We clink glasses, catching up and enjoying the company that we rarely get anyone. With Mother dead and no siblings, we only have each other and no-one else. That's hard to balance when the only person in your life has to take constant business trips on behalf of the President.
That's why everyone knows my Daddy; he is the President's hand, so to speak. She trusts him the most, and often sends him out on tasks and trips to the districts. His latest trip is the constant thought in my mind. Everyone secretly knows why he was sent out, what with last year's Victor being from District Eight and being a very controversial year. Part of me wants to know how it all went, whilst the other part of me wants to avoid it as much as possible.
But it's Daddy's job; he asked me about mine, it's only polite.
As Daddy forks a piece of tender meat into his mouth, I cough. "H-How was it? How is he?" I bite down on my lip gently as he swallows. "Did everything go to plan or?"
He smiles sadly again. "Young Pippin is coping. He knows the rules, the deals, and he's promised to abide by them. I had Chiffon's word on it and Chiffon has always been more than rule-abiding for her district."
"Has he stopped the suicide attempts?" I can't help but blurt out.
Daddy sighs. "He isn't suicidal. It was a rash moment and nothing more, Pippin has assured me that. The emotions got to him and he reacted very poorly."
I nod slowly, seeing the wrinkles and lines tighten on his older face. Pippin Halland is only fifteen years old now, but he stirred up a ton of problems with his Hunger Games last year. Just as he poisoned the girl from District Eleven in the finale, he poised the knife over his chest and pushed it in. Felidae Glass had held on for as long as possible, waiting for him to either bleed out or for the girl to succumb to the poisons flooding her system, but just as her cannon crashed through the air, his was about to follow. All the tributes were about to die without a winner. The scene cut away and the hovercraft tried to save him. Hours they spent on his surgery, rumours say. He almost died a few times on the table.
I remember because Emulet was my boss at the time and he struggled to close the television from filming alive, and then he had to address Hermes Abbatone - the interviewer - and tell him to keep his mouth shut. Everything could've falled apart, and needing someone to blame, Esmeralda chose Pippin for trying to take his own life, for trying to be a martyr.
Daddy was to go out to District Eight and view Pippin, ensure that he was no threat and that he had no plans on starting a rebellion, much like what happened a few decades ago.
"But he's living okay then, yeah?" I ask, suddenly more aware. I felt bad for the little guy, I have to admit. The only tribute so far I yearned for besides that District Two female who failed me.
"He'll be fine. I'll report to Esmeralda tomorrow and tell her that Pippin has no plans on fighting the Capitol and in turn her." he confirms for me, and I release a held breath I never knew I was containing.
I lean closer, forcing my voice into a whisper. "Didn't they want to kill him in his sleep, cause of everything?" I ask.
Daddy gives me a wary eye but nods. "Yes, but let's not speak about it. They changed their minds after I broadcasted from District Eight, giving Esmeralda an update on his status and how he had no plans to rebel. Tomorrow, I'll confirm everything and we can brush the entire incident underneath the carpet."
I nod again. They wanted to kill him, to take his life and identity when the Hunger Games tries to do that already. They allow a Victor to show the districts their control, but even after that, even after Esmeralda didn't want both tributes dead, she was willing to kill him off. Hypocritical as she is, she wanted no Victor when he threatened to leave them with no Victor.
Pippin is under her control now. He has no identity anymore, because he simply was the District Eight male, and now, he's the District Eight Victor, Pippin Halland, the boy who almost broke tradition. Because, well, the last time they broke tradition, it definitely didn't go down so well.
"I'm nervous." I suddenly admit.
Daddy hums, looking up at me. "Why ever so?"
"Expectations," I bite down on my lower lip again, a sort of twisted comfort blanket. "Everyone will be wanting more and more from me after this. Lenore and Hugo will practically have the silver platter for my head ready," I pause. "Not to mention my status around here. People will know I failed."
"There's nothing to worry about, pudding. Everything will go smooth. As for your reputation, well," he laughs and my eyes instantly narrow. "Well it'll be exactly the same as before."
"Reassuring, Father."
"Pleasure," he smirks. "Anyway, if anything goes wrong, Esmeralda will want Fiyero's head, not your more magnificent one. With me as her hand, I hardly doubt she'd kill you off, otherwise she'd lose a trusted ally in myself."
"Awfully calm over the prospect that your daughter could die because of her job," I spit. The words leave my tongue hot and I instantly regret it. "I didn't mean it like that, you know."
He sighs. "I know. I am worried. I didn't even want you to get the promotion."
My heart suddenly clenches and it's almost like the air has been sucked out of the room, leaving it bone dry. "Y-You didn't have anything to do with my promotion to Head?" I ask, holding the strength in my voice.
"No?" he seems puzzled; that doesn't make me feel anymore at ease. "Esmeralda said that you deserved the position, because of all your hard work. When Fiyero took the job, and Emulet got promoted, she said there was pretty much only you capable of doing it to Emulet's standards. Didn't you know this?"
"No, I assumed you had something to do with it," I feign a smile. Inside, though, I'm screaming. "W-When did Esmeralda t-tell you?" I can't even control the stuttering now.
"A day later, after I told her that Pippin was making progress and that he had no plans to rebel. Pudding, you look awfully pale. Is something up?" his face has contorted into worry now, but I quickly laugh the situation away, heartbeat in my ears, loud and clear.
"No, of course not. It's just... it's nice to know I was chosen for that, and not the last name."
I got promoted the day after Daddy had mentioned about Pippin Halland. There is no coincidence there; I'm like a hostage, used against my father. A bargaining chip. An object to be used. I didn't get the job for the sake of being good, I got the job to use against my father if Pippin ever did rebel. My father gave his word on Pippin's behalf - and Pippin could break that - and if so, I'm as good as dead as punishment for his inability to keep Pippin under the thumb.
I'm the collateral damage if things go wrong. I suddenly feel sick, bile swirling in my stomach.
I have no identity - I'm just Angelo Sussan's daughter, used against him and not for my supposed talent.
"Everything will be fine," Daddy reassures. "I'm sure that Esmeralda has big plans for you."
Indeed.
Expect the reapings between seven-ten days, and hopefully, one update a week should go to plan to get through pre-Games a lot quicker! Whichever day I update will be the weekly date.
Here, however, are your wonderful tributes for this story and underneath, information and such, like the blog and everything.
List Of Tributes.
District One - Luxury.
Male: Lancel Deimos, 17.
Female: Gloria Lavelle, 16.
District Two - Masonry.
Male: Cres Rhodes, 18.
Female: Andora Seville, 18.
District Three - Technology.
Male: Kristopher Midden, 15.
Female: Ampry Erfinder, 16.
District Four - Fishing.
Male: Austal Eridote, 16.
Female: Lakyn Vale, 18.
District Five - Power.
Male: Cliff Harlaw, 18.
Female: Ellery Haynes, 17.
District Six - Transportation.
Male: Rafe Corinthos, 16.
Female: Arietta Fenton, 17.
District Seven - Lumber.
Male: Jericho Castillo, 18.
Female: Rotem Everly, 17.
District Eight - Textiles.
Male: Joshua Kersey, 16.
Female: Bryony Dubois, 15.
District Nine - Grain.
Male: Stefan Rui, 18.
Female: Lyra Chambray, 12.
District Ten - Livestock.
Male: Wayne Fallows, 15.
Female: Asya Novik, 13.
District Eleven - Agriculture.
Male: Thorn Revan, 17.
Female: Caritta Husk, 16.
District Twelve - Coal.
Male: Micah Amaro, 17.
Female: Lucia Bailen, 18.
Hall Of Fame by The Script.
The blog for this story is lost hunger games . blogspot - all deaths will be notified here!
All deaths will be based on realism, story arcs and whether or not the submitter is reading the story. Obviously, reviews let me know this, and if said submitter chooses to not review, I have no idea if they're reading the story, and therefore, am more inclined to keep other tributes over said submitter's tribute. Each decision is painstakingly hard but must be done. Everyone knew the odds when they created a character. I would hope you stick around, but if not, I understand.
I would love for you to answer a specific question I have for each chapter!
Who are your favourite tributes from just a simple, first impression look at the blog? As in biased, judged impressions?
And, of course, a general review on my writing? It's invaluable!
Blog is up! Feel free to check the Victors blog to see who your tribute's mentor is.
If there is any detail that you don't remember doing, I'm sorry. I've only edited things as I've seen fit and if I'm positive, nearly everyone knows. If I forgot to tell you, I'm sorry for that.
This bit is important.
I may tweak certain things about your character; the background might be edited to suit a certain purpose/plot, whilst the personality might be slightly adjusted in order to make the character have their own voice and not seem like another. I've always done this, but I feel the need to actually address this to you this time everyone. Mainly because of a lot of my tributes suffer from some sort of social limitation, i.e. doesn't talk to others, finds it hard to approach or converse etc. and obviously, this is going to affect the story. Therefore, there's a slight possibility that if your tribute has this, it might be taken out to benefit the story. I will only edit things in your character if I believe it will fit and isn't a huge part of their overall personality.
I hope everyone understands this and has no problem. If no-one talked to each other, I'd have no alliances!
