Dinner is a tedious affair. Whilst Effie, Madge and I attempt our best at making civil conversation, both Katniss and Haymitch seem occupied with what can only be described as a game of "who can sulk the hardest?". I mean, I know this is all horrible, but there is some kind of plan, we know that much. Last year, there was only the Games and an almost certain death ahead of me and I was not being such miserable company.
"Shall we watch the recap of the reapings?" says Effie finally, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a white linen napkin.
I think we're all glad that that dinner is over, judging by how fast we move to the compartment with the television. I bring the notes I took of who's likely to go in, ready to add who's really in.
The recaps move much slower than last year. Caesar and Templesmith take their time with each newly called tribute, showing footage of the games of the relatives that got them into this in the first place.
District One has its usual volunteers, a redhead named Glamour, in the pool due to her victor uncle, and a blonde girl called Sapphire, her spot bought by her tribute cousin, but they also show footage of her grandfather, who won the eleventh Games and is one of the oldest victors still alive. Both girls are eighteen and as well trained as is One's custom.
District Two's first tribute is, unsurprisingly, Olive Kentwell. She looks so much like Clove, I have to blink a few times to be sure it isn't her. Equally unsurprising, no one volunteers to take her place. No one can be stupid enough to believe this to be an accident, so no one is stupid enough to make a move against Snow's plan.
I scribble into my notebook in an attempt to block out what's happening on the screen. Clove in the bloodbath. Olive being interviewed. Clove pinning me to the ground, her knife at my neck.
Katniss leans over my shoulder to check what I'm writing and her eyes widen in disbelieve."Seriously?"she demands and jabs her finger at a word scrawled next to Olive's face."Ally with her? Really?"
I shrug, biting my lip."I put a question mark. Anyways, why not?"
Katniss gives me a look as if I had suggested going for tea and biscuits with Snow."She's a career."
"In a pink dress,"Madge deadpans."C'mon, Katniss. Prim's just spitballing. We have to start somewhere. Don't make me kick you out of my alliance before there even is one."
"You better listen to your friend, sweetheart,"Haymitch drawls, smirking at my sister."You need an alliance and just lil' ol' District Twelve won't cut it. And Olive is sadly your best bet so far. Snow wants her almost as dead as he wants you, I bet."
"Whatever,"Katniss snaps, obviously realising she is hopelessly outnumbered. And probably that we're right, too.
Olive's fellow tribute, an eighteen year old volunteer called Diana whose brother made it into the final three four years ago, towers a good foot over Olive.
It's District Three that brings the first surprise of the day.
The first tribute, Curie, a girl my age, is shaking like a leaf as she stands on stage.
"Oh dear, not her,"Effie mumbles, and once the shots of her aunt, a woman called Wiress, and her Games are over, I learn why. Templesmith remarks with almost indecent joy that the poor sweet thing, as he calls her, lost her parents at a young age and was raised by her victor aunt who's not quite as sharp as she used to be.
"Lost,"Haymitch snorts."Lost them, did she? Wasn't careful, I take it?"
Effie shoots him a warning glare but he keeps talking, to no one in particular."Wiress pissed him off." No one needs to ask who he means. "Kept feeding the orphans with her victor money. So, very coincidentally, her sister's house came crashing down. Didn't find the girl until three days later, covered in blood and god knows what else and screaming her head off. Not right anymore, but who would be?"
"She was five,"Effie adds quietly. Haymitch opens another bottle.
Sadly, none of this comes as a surprise to me. News, yes, but not anything unexpected. It's what Snow does. What he's always been doing.
No, the surprise comes next. When the second tribute is called and a girl volunteers. She's fifteen and looks terrified but determined, wrapping a protective arm around Curie's shoulder as she states her name. Avalon.
I wonder why she didn't volunteer to go in instead of Curie but with her. Only one can win – unless she knows something I don't. I throw a quick glance at Haymitch. He gives a small nod.
Frowning, I stare back at the screen. Those two wiry girls are supposed to be our solution? Or atleast part of it?
Then again, I'm supposed to have started a rebellion by my mere excistence, so maybe I shouldn't really judge.
District Four breaks form by having only one volunteer, a very pretty girl with jetblack hair called Marina. The other tribute, who gets reaped, causes the commentators to almost have a meltdown.
Amphitrite Odair, cousin to the Finnick Odair.
I write the word ally down next to her face. No question mark.
"You should get her,"Effie says, as if reading my thoughts. She directs this at Madge rather than Katniss, possibly hoping not to set my sister's sour mood off again."She's your biggest contender for sponsors, the way I see it."
"We'll check her out,"Madge says, shooting my sister a smile."Right, Katniss?"
Katniss shrugs."Nothing to be said against seeing if she's okay. But I don't promise anything."
"Good enough,"I say, adding under my breath,"For now."
District Five is the usual, District Six almost gives Templesmith a stroke in his excitement. One of the girls, sixteen year old Jonsa, is actually in the pool because of her father who did, however, not win his Games. There's an abundance of footage of him aswell as of interviews with his extremly pregnant girlfriend. People in the districts usually wait to start a family until they're out of the reapings, but sometimes, like in this case, things happen and so Jonsa never met the dad who died at eighteen and doomed her to these Games.
Things proceed calmly until they hit our district. Then suddenly, Katniss is on stage and I'm on screen. Running from the cornucopia. Trying to keep Rue from bleeding out. Tending Peeta's wounds. Being crowned by Snow. Interviews with Katniss while I'm away.
She puts an arm around me and I snuggle into her embrace. They keep on and on, playing every scene they deem exciting. I can't help but wonder if this is some kind of sick joke on Snow's behalf or if it's just because I'm their newset victor, but the coverage on me is almost double what everyone else recieved.
Then it's Madge's turn and I almost wished they'd focussed on me longer when I see the look on Haymitch's face as the second Quarter Quell comes to life on the screen. He grabs a new bottle and leaves the room; Effie doesn't object, hovering for a moment but then staying with us, looking concerned.
Madge's face is unreadable as she stares straight ahead, her eyes, the bright blue eyes she shares with the dying girl on the screen, fixed on the gruesome scenes befor her.
We're all relieved when instead they start showing footage of Madge. There's even baby pictures; apparently the Capitol considers the District politicians as atleast somewhat interesting to them.
"You've always been on TV?"I ask. I'd never realised it was that bad for them. Madge shrugs."Just now and again, when nothing else was on. They have a segment called District Life."
By now, they've reached my Games again. But this time, it's merely me and Peeta joking about Madge and Gale, only to switch to a joined interview with the two of them.
"Look at him hogging my screen time,"Madge says with a fond smile as Gale's talking on screen. Effie sighs dramatically and winks at Madge."Seam boys. Nothing but trouble."
)o(
So, there you have it – the tributes are all packed up and ready to go!
Some of the names are picked for very obvious reasons, others maybe not quite so obvious. Any guesses?
Skylar (yea I stalked your profile whoops)– I read my own chapters again and was like "damn you're right this sounds madniss-y"
I was actually only going for Madniss friendship ha (you broke my brain now, but in a good way) (the problem of mulitshippinbg is I always accidentally reference all my ships)
this story is like 90% planned out to the end of Mockingjay but you seriously made me consider throwing it all down the drain and making it Madniss
but I'm gonna stick with the original – hope you're not too disappointed. But how about you give me a prompt and I'll write you some Madniss?
(putting this here instead of PMing you in case anyone else wnats to take me up on it)