Phaedra Fox, 24

Head Gamemaker

Phaedra crossed her legs, tapping her freshly manicured red nails on the back of her ePad. Snow was making her wait. It was part of his game, she knew. She spoke to him when he was ready, and not a moment before. But Phaedra did not like being treated as an inferior. She may not be the President, but she held an immense amount of power now. Snow should respect that.

Finally the double doors opened and Snow's aide, Artemisia, stepped out.

"He is ready to see you," she said smoothly. Phaedra nodded her thanks and stepped into the President's dim office.

Her heels clicked on the polished wooden floors as she made her way to his desk. The elderly man sat tall in his chair, his suit strikingly black against his white hair and the white rose pinned to his lapel.

"Ms. Fox," he said as she approached. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to the cushioned chairs across from his desk and Phaedra sat down.

"Good morning Mr. President," she said formally. Cold politeness was her specialty. It didn't pay to be emotional, and she wanted to appear calculated. She was calculated.

"How can I help you?" Snow asked. Phaedra adjusted her grip on her ePad and squared her shoulders.

"You requested an update on the next arena and I am here to deliver it."

"Ah. So I did. Well, what do you have in store?"

"Last year's arena was a tropical paradise. But it was too kind to the tributes. Plenty of food. Plenty of water. Plenty of places to hide. And while Games like these can highlight the drama of alliances and feature bloodier deaths, I feel as if the tributes are allowed to grow too comfortable. And so my arena idea was born."

Phaedra handed the ePad to Snow. He took it and flicked through the files and sketches she'd prepared, his expression unreadable. A bit of nervousness fluttered in her stomach but Phaedra forced it away. It was her first year as Head Gamemaker, but she knew she deserved the spot. There was no reason to worry.

"I want the tributes to feel at ease at first," she continued to explain. "I want them to feel safe. And then I want everything they know to be turned on its head. I want them to fear what they once trusted. I want them to doubt everything they believed in. Because aren't mind games just so fun?"

"I see," Snow said, handing the device back. Phaedra took it and waited for further response. Snow's face was still blank, but he gave a nod of approval.

"There is a lot of potential in this concept," he said. "Will you be able to pull it off?"

"Yes, sir," Phaedra said. "I am completely confident in my skills and the skills of my team."

"Good. I would like to continue to receive updates as construction progresses."

"Of course."

She tucked the ePad under her arm and stood. With a parting nod, she walked toward the door. She was just reaching for the brass handle when Snow spoke again.

"Ms. Fox?" he said. She turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"I like you. Do not disappoint me."

Phaedra smiled.

"I won't."

Hi all! Another short prologue from me, since I am still somewhat sick. Also, I'm bad at writing prologues. But here we meet our Head Gamemaker, Phaedra, and get a tiny bit of insight into the concept of the arena. If you have guesses let me know what they are!

Also, a note about the escort submissions: they will show up in future SYOTs, not just this story, so send 'em in! A few districts are already close to being full so I could potentially start tribute introductions soon. I'm really excited to dive into all your wonderful characters. Thanks for submitting, and thanks for reading!

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona