Disclaimer/ Author's Note: Hi all, sorry I've been mia. With summer and everything I know it's taken a while. I'm trying to be done with the reapings (tedious, I know) by the end of the month. I still do not own the Hunger Games or anything associated with it.
District 8 Reapings What Were You Expecting?
Cassius Shadi District 8 Mentor
Cassius was standing on the stage this year. It had been several years since he'd actually done that and he was ready to take people by surprise. Wolf would be completely thrown when he wasn't out in the audience spectating as he'd grown accustomed to. This year he would comply, at least to the best of his ability with what the Capitol was expecting. He was even here early, before the escorts, before the crowd, even before Wolfgang, who was famous for his punctuality.
That's what this year was about, though, throwing everyone for a loop. He knew for certain that hadn't ended last night with the votes in. Maybe everyone else in the districts was at ease, certain that was all the Capitol had planned for the twenty-fifth anniversary, but Cassius knew better. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The escort, Emalia arrived and gave him a glance, keeping her distance. He smiled at her, knowing even that would put her off. Everyone besides Wolf kept him at arms' length, which never bothered him. That was the price he paid for being a bit eccentric. The price he paid for being a victor.
"What's the occasion?" Wolfgang asked when he finally arrived, about half an hour before the crowds.
"Oh, I just wanted to surprise you," Cassius joked and Wolfgang rolled his eyes in disbelief.
"Who did you vote for?" Wolfgang asked, trying to make small talk.
"Two of the campaigners. What about you?"
"Same," Wolf said. "It's strange getting to choose."
"Let's see how much choice we really have," Cassius observed as the crowds filed in.
Not one of them suspected; no one had put two and two together. There was no way that the Capitol would give them more freedom with the twenty-fifth anniversary. After all, that would be a step backwards. Cassius realized that not everyone saw the ability to vote as a blessing, but really it was. The Game Makers had given the districts a voice, a choice, a decision. There was no way that was the only trick they had up their sleeves, not this year. The sense of something else on the horizon was palpable, but only to Cassius.
"Welcome," Emalia's voice lofted over the audience without a care in the world. "As you know, the adults of your district had the high responsibility yesterday of electing two tributes of the eligible age to participate in the Hunger Games this year. By popular vote, the winner of this honor for the ladies is Vienna Camlet."
Cassius wasn't surprised when the name was called and, clearly, neither was she. A skinny, dark skinned girl emerged from the seventeen-year-old section emerged, rolling her eyes. She tried to look dignified in her baggy, worn clothing and, at least there were no tears.
"For the boys, Gideon Avelard."
A dark haired, tan boy came forward from the sixteen-year old section, with a bit of a spring in his stride. There was a hint of a smile on the boy's face, which caused the girl already standing onstage to roll her eyes again, but Cassius couldn't help but smirk. That was the boy he had voted for yesterday. He'd been a campaigner, well, sort of.
Once he was onstage, Gideon extended his hand to Vienna. Though she looked like she would rather kiss a frog, she took it in order to make herself not look like a poor sport.
"Now, I thank you for your patience, all, but please do not leave yet." This was it, the other shoe. Cassius scanned the crowd, which was clearly impatient to leave, but held hostage by her words if not by the Peacekeepers. The faces became gradually angrier as Emalia continued talking. "In honor of these two tributes and those who have gone before them, we will hold a second reaping. Surely it would be wrong of us to only allow the districts to vote and not have a reaping. So this year, we will engage in a second round and all four tributes will be escorted to the Capitol. There will be no volunteers for this round."
Even as she spoke angry yells arose from the population. Seeing they weren't going to die down anytime soon, Emalia drew out the Reaping bowl.
"As usual, ladies first," Emalia drew a name from the bowl. "Our second young lady is Ryleigh Grenora."
All of a sudden, a small, dark haired girl from the twelve-year-old section took off. She sprinted in the opposite direction of the stage, tears of confusion and fear streaming down her face. She almost made it to the gates, but the Peacekeepers caught her. Among screams and her arms waving frantically, the Peacekeepers brought her by force to the stage, one of them slinging her over his shoulder.
Eager to get this over with, Emalia continued, "For the boys, Ichabod Gibbons."
Another young child, this time the boy came from the fourteen-year-old section. But this boy had more sense than to run, and was certainly a good actor. In an instant, his face went from impassivity to a brief second of fear, to a smile as he made his way to the stage. Cassius could almost read his thoughts frantically running behind his eyes, but to anyone less perceptive his confidence would have come across as well as it could. He even waved back to the crowd as he settled in. It looked like he was waving to a group of children not in the reaping section, but who looked very upset.
"This is ridiculous!" A scream came from the crowd, from around the section towards which Ichabod was waving. Many other yells followed that one and a tomato was hurled at the stage. Forgoing the final handshakes, the group was escorted to the Justice Building to bid their families farewell.
"Well, what were you expecting?"
Vienna Camlet District 8 Female First Round
"This is what I get," Vienna moped. Here in the corner of the Justice Building was the only place she would be able to be pissed off, to be able to feel sorry for herself. She didn't really, but it wasn't fair.
"When I come back I'm going to find every person he convinced to vote for me and make them pay for it," she threatened.
"Don't you hurt my business," Georgia reprimanded. "If you get back you'll have it made for the rest of your life, but there are still the rest of us who have to make it in the day to day."
Vienna didn't even bother to respond to that. She couldn't afford to. Georgia, her boss, her friend, sort of, was undoubtedly the only person who would come to visit her and she couldn't afford to alienate her only friend, her only visitor. Her mother, if she had been alive, surely would have come, but a ghost was miserable company. No, Georgia might be the only real connection she would have for weeks, or for the rest of her life. Vienna simply sighed.
"I'm sorry this happened to you, girl. It's going to be lonely without you," Georgia said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Usually she was hollering at her to take the next man, reminding her not to piss him off. Her soft voice was reserved for her clientele, especially the higher paying ones.
"That's what I get for pissing off a victor's brother." Vienna said again. If she had known that Drex was Wolfgang's brother she would have watched her tongue, rather than making jokes about telling his wife. Of course she never really would have told, it would have put them all in peril, but Drex had apparently not been in a joking mood.
"At least Wolf's not the type to hold it against you. He's as fair as he can be," Georgia tried to stay positive.
"That's not possible. Nothing is impartial and you know it. I'm making a bid for Cassius as a mentor."
"Good luck with that one," Georgia said. "I'll be rooting for you, girl."
Ryleigh Grenora Age 12 Female Tribute Second Round
"I can't believe it," Carol growled, punching her fist against the wall as Ryleigh tried to calm herself. "It was supposed to be over. Why are they doing this?"
"Carol, they're the Capitol. They do what they want," Ryleigh's father consoled her as he held Ryleigh's hand. Carol was pacing around. It should have bothered Ryleigh, that her sister was over reacting. If it had been a normal year, yes she could have volunteered for her, but that didn't matter now. The reasons behind the reaping, behind her being here didn't matter at all.
"It's okay," Ryleigh tried to comfort all of them. She might as well try to put a brave face on now, despite the tears running down her face. She had basically ruined any reputation she might have had with that stunt and everyone knew it. Her parents, Carol, her brother, everyone. Hopefully she wouldn't be the only one who ran away at the reapings. After all, what was she supposed to do? There had been people screaming, so much chaos, she just wanted to be out of the insanity.
"Ryleigh, I'm so sorry," her mother crooned over her, her tears falling freely.
"You're going to come home," Edwin, her nine-year-old brother insisted with a fervor in his voice that no one had the heart to discourage. Ryleigh looked at him and smiled. He was almost as tall as she was now, and she could look him straight in the eyes.
"If I come back, you'll be taller than me," she managed. Finally, Carol came back for a group hug. One last hug before she went towards the unknown.
Ichabod Gibbons Age 14 Male Tribute Second Round
"I'm sure it won't be so bad," Ichabod managed, still smiling. It was hard with all of his family, including his grandparents, processing in and out of the room in groups. The Peacekeepers wouldn't let them all in together because there were so many of them, nine siblings, two parents and two grandparents, but they didn't have time to do one-on-ones.
Right now he was in the room with his siblings, all of them. His grandparents would come in next and then, finally his parents.
Ichabod tugged at the edge of his shirt, or rather, his older brother, Alex's shirt. It was just a tad too big for him, something his mother promised he would grow into, but it was the best they could do. He hadn't thought he would have to be in front of all of Panem today, not with the voting, but he was certainly going to make the best of it.
For once none of his siblings spoke. None of them knew what to say. Not the oldest, just out of Reaping age, or Angelica who always knew what to say. This was, he supposed, his time to make sure they were all as optimistic as they could be.
"I hear they let the tributes eat all the food they can, and that it's really good." Ichabod smiled. His youngest brother, John, held onto his leg.
"Will you wave to us when you go?" he asked, innocently. At the age of three he couldn't really be expected to have any idea what was going on. After all, how do you explain to someone that age that his brother might not be coming back. Ichabod decided not to.
"I will," was his only answer.
Gideon Avelard Male Tribute Round 1 Age 16
They had managed to cram all of Gideon's family in the room. His parents sat with the two youngest children, Melanie and Clive. Rebekah stood in a strategic position by the door. Esther stood right beside Gideon, keeping her eye on Reuben who sat at her feet. Edwin stood beside his parents, lending an extra hand in case anyone got out of hand. Even Chelsea, who had moved out last year was there.
"I hope you're ready and have a plan for this," Esther commented.
"It's just fate, Esther," Gideon encouraged her and his parents. Most of them would believe him. After all, it was. He may have told his friends that he wouldn't mind if their parents voted for him. After all, everyone had to vote for someone and it might as well be him, rather than someone else. He hadn't known until right when the called his name that his plan had been successful. He was trying to stay composed for the sake of his family, but he was really quite pleased with himself. If nothing else, he had saved someone else from being put into the Games. After all, if he hadn't started his little informal campaign, his name never might have ended up being called and some unfortunate other person's name would certainly have been called.
"Do you need anything?" his mother asked, helpfully. "We brought one of those old hats, an orange peel, a rock . . ." she was fumbling.
"I brought a book," Rebekah offered.
"I brought a frog," his little sister, Melanie, offered, shyly.
"I brought a pen," Esther offered.
That was the response Gideon had been waiting for, and he had known it all along.
"I'll take the pen," Gideon declared. "Thank you. It'll remind me that I'm writing my own story now."
"I thought fate was," Rebekah muttered, but Gideon heard her.
"You could totally stab someone with that!" Reuben smirked. Gideon rolled his eyes.
"Thank you all for being a part of this story," he said, in farewell.
What were you expecting?
Another lullaby?
Are you kidding?