Reaping Recaps

RUBY ASHGROVE (26)

HEAD GAMEMAKER

The spotlight unnerved Ruby.

She was reluctant to admit it, but the thought of having cameras zeroed in on her as the entire nation's eyes were laid on her made her uncomfortable, sparking a chaotic ensemble of butterflies and imps within her stomach.

It is but a minute segment of the path to greatness, she told herself, clenching her fists tightly in a futile attempt to squeeze out the nerves in her body. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths, inhaling the fresh aroma of the flowers that blossomed in multicoloured vases around the room, a masquerade of colours and scents that soothed her senses.

"Ms Ashgrove, you have twenty minutes to get ready," a voice boomed over her earpiece.

Ruby brushed some dust off her leather pants. Adjusting her sleeves, she glanced at herself in the mirror and shrugged. Her look was far from perfect, in fact, it was utterly imperfect but alas, Ruby had no control over the genetics that decided how she looked. The stylists had tried to make her look impeccable, or at the very least remotely good, however, in Ruby's family, all of the good looks went to her older sister Angelica, leaving her with the shorter end of the stick when it came to physical appearance.

Ruby gritted her teeth. Jealousy truly was the menacing ogre of life. All her childhood, she'd never been able to evade the constant mockery at the hands of Angelica. Her sister never let her forget who was the prettier of the two, never let her forget who hogged all the school popularity and their parents' love. Which was why Ruby tried so hard to swallow up knowledge like a madwoman, tried so hard to appear sophisticated, intelligent, cunning. All in an attempt to claw herself a societal footing.

I cannot fathom it. Twelve years have gone by since her demise, and I cannot escape the perception that it was merely yesterday that it all occurred, Ruby thought to herself.

She could still remember the crash that had killed Angelica and her parents like the back of her hand. After all those years, the memories had constantly hooked onto her, never quite being able to fade away. She could remember the day Snow, her uncle, took her in and gave her some tea and scones. She could remember all of it, down to the minute details such as which shirt Snow was wearing when she'd come over to his house to seek refuge.

It was an album of clear pictures in that mind-boggling head of hers.

She heard knocking on the door, a distinct pattern of three knocks followed by a pause, then another four in quick, rapid-fire succession, and then the cycle repeated. A look of satisfaction dwelled in Ruby's stormy eyes. "Enter," she commanded, straightening her hair and giving the mirror a final, distasteful glance. The brick-red door swung open and in sauntered Coriolanus Snow, her uncle, styled in an outfit of pomp and glamour that Ruby knew he absolutely hated. His snake-like eyes instantly lit up the instant he saw her and a wide, sly grin broke upon his pale face.

"Ah, Ruby, my favourite niece!" he exclaimed in his usual low voice that brimmed with mystery, ruthlessness, wisdom, before gesturing her to follow him out of the room.

Ruby raised her chin and heeded his instruction. Trying not to trip on her high heels, she exited the room and into the main corridors. Chaos was reigning supreme. Stylists, journalists, stage attendants, cameramen, avoxes, everyone was running around in a frenzied panic, yelping and howling as they bumped and tumbled over one another in a desperate bid to get ready in time for the show to begin. Ruby rolled her eyes. She could've done a much better job at organising this unruly lot, she was sure of it. If only those potted plants near the room on her right hadn't been there, it wouldn't have obstructed the path of the avoxes rushing from that side, and thus those filthy little creatures wouldn't have collided with the prep team members rushing from that other side to get supplies from the main storage room, which was placed at an inconveniently-

"Don't pay them much attention, they're just little rascals that are merely here to elevate you. You should by no means care about them or what they have to do. Simply take advantage of their efforts and rise to the top," Uncle Corio, as he insisted Ruby call her, told her, waving his hand dismissively at a junior prep team member screeching as she tried to balance a large stack of boxes.

Ruby snapped out of her thoughts, the thoughts that she knew the average shallow Capitolite could never comprehend. She and Uncle Corio rounded a corner, slowly edging closer to the backstage. Her heart began to thump and beat against her chest like the footsteps of a charging mutt horde. Clearing her throat, she tried to converse to distract herself from this weakly nervousness.

"Have you witnessed the Reapings of this current year?" she asked. Ruby herself hadn't, in order to keep her reaction to the recaps later on as fresh and genuine as possible.

Uncle Corio nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, but at the end of the day, they're all the same, just little pawns in the grand scheme of things," he said, his voice calm yet condescending. Ruby hoped she could emulate his tone and method of speech someday, the charisma, the cunningness, the devilish wit, all of it. Sure, she was told she sounded perfectly sly, but a voice within her told her that she simply lacked that final knack that she needed to elevate herself to a similar level as her Uncle Corio.

"They are truly a group of little vermins, are they not? Essential vermins, yes, but vermins nonetheless," Ruby commented.

Uncle Corio nodded. "Ah yes, but do keep an eye on that pair from Four," he cautioned. "Especially after what happened with the Juniper, we need to pay special attention to anyone that District coughs up. Fire is catching, and there is cause for concern."

Ruby had read the news on the Juniper. Two hours after the Reapings, a Capitolite cruise ship hosting numerous wealthy guests and tourists, had been torpedoed and sunk by a pirate ship rumoured to be the elusive, phantom-like Stefania. The news had sent shockwaves throughout the Capitol. After all, District Four were a popular District within the great city, garnering significant media attention and a sizeable fanbase amongst fans of the seafaring District, one known to be rather cooperative for the most part.

This, in the immediate aftermath of the murder of a journalist, stung them to the core.

But Ruby had always known. Always known that Four could be dangerous, if given too much power and free will. They were the mighty seafarers, blessed with incredible wit and skill. If there was anyone who could topple the Capitol, they stood the most chance.

Which was why their threat had to be quelled.

"Am I required to set an example in these Games?" Ruby enquired.

Uncle Corio shook his head. "No. The female seems loyal to our cause, keep her around. As for the boy, I'm not sure, but we cannot move so swiftly yet. We must bide our time and observe." He glanced at his watch and smiled. "Ah, but it's almost showtime, dear Ruby. Get out there and show them who has the greatest mind in Panem is."

Ruby pasted a smirk on her face, one that masked her tension.

She was indeed in possession of the greatest mind in Panem, after all.

The lights dimmed. A spotlight flickered. The cameras began to roll.

Showtime.

Ruby took a deep breath, her right hand, concealed by the angle of the cameras, gripping the velvet couch she sat upon tightly. From within the audience, she caught a glimpse of Uncle Corio giving her an affirmative nod, a small hint of a smile flickering on his face.

She'd done this before, she could do it again.

Beside her, Caesar Flickermann had his typical flashy grin smothered all over his face. His hair was dyed a cool shade of blue, and it almost seemed to shimmer like water underneath the spotlight. Dressed in a navy blue tuxedo, he looked sharp as ever. His professionalism was displayed proudly like a mantelpiece over his entire being. If he was even nervous at all, he had an excellent poker face. Ruby examined his eyes, pinpointing the intimidated flecks that glittered throughout his eyes, scouring down the jittery half-glances that evaded his control every now and then.

No one was without fear.

The pair chatted for a while, the same, usual conversation and questionnaire that they had every year. It was all scripted, really. Caesar couldn't simply come up to the stage and spout whatever he wanted, no, due to the nature of his relationship with Iris Fisher, a Victor who was under high surveillance from the Capitol for exhibiting rebellious traits in the past, the Capitol simply had to put a muzzle over him. His speech was restricted, his dialogue controlled, his every line created beforehand.

This was the only way to keep Uncle Corio in power over a unified Panem.

Once their typical exchange; hyped up with Caesar's impeccable charisma and variations in tone, as well as a couple of side jokes he was permitted to sneak in; it was at long last time to watch the Reapings. Ruby turned to face a large screen that had popped up on the stage. Leaning forward, she kept her eyes peeled as she awaited the reveal of this year's tribute cast, one she hoped was better than the last.

Right off the bat, Ruby felt rather annoyed by the childish, peppy attitude of the girl from One. She was an insufferable brat, although Ruby had seen worse from the Montgomery family. As for the boy, he was a shock, rogue volunteer, and upon hearing his story, Ruby's eyes widened, a sudden interest flashing through her mind.

The incredulous look the girl shot at the boy was also a little detail she noted down.

District Two came up next and two strong, imposing contenders took the stage as usual. Nothing else sparked her interest with the exception of a few drowned-out jeers as the boy climbed up the stage.

District Three's tributes were fairly unremarkable, although the girl did seem very angry, muttering a curse under her breath and giving everyone around a hard glare.

Anger is a double-edged sword, Ruby thought. It could drive her to victory or drive her to her end.

District Four's Reapings were heavily cut and edited, and for good reason too. The rebellious flame there simply had to be quelled at all costs, and the loud music the Capitolite editors blared over the Four clips drowned out the loud, rebellious chants that echoed through the sea breeze. As for the two tributes, she barely saw any footage of them at all, such was the impact of the heavy editing. The girl seemed to be a witty, confident volunteer while the boy seemed to be full of energy, although Ruby could hardly tell if it was one filled with fury or excitement.

The minute that boy from District Five opened his mouth and began trying to spout out a flurry of atrocious comedy, Ruby made a mental note to send a nice little mutt coming his way in the arena if he kept this up. She longed to be able to cover her ears and just block out his voice, alas, that was not an option. At least his District partner seemed to be rather strong.

District Six's pair seemed to be decent. The girl looked calm as ever as she climbed up the stage, and there was even a momentary flash of confidence in her eyes. Ruby raised an eyebrow. Could she be the one to win? Time would tell, but Ruby took a special interest in her. The boy, on the other hand, seemed to be quite tall and seemed somewhat promising, although the annoyed look on his face when the escort mentioned his age was admittedly a bit odd.

The girl from Seven was an interesting little vermin for Ruby. The girl had a decent physique about her and didn't seem to show much fear, merely sighing as she went up the stage. As for the boy, his strong appearance was wholly eclipsed by his panicked reaction and outburst of rage towards the escort. Ruby gave a slight eye roll as he growled with frustration.

He is unlikely to survive for a prolonged period of time.

The tributes from Eight, Nine and Ten were fairly underwhelming at first glance, with the only noteworthy highlight being the girl from Eight's flurry of cuss words that had to be censored. Ruby scowled. Such foul language, such a raw aspect of the Outer District savages. No wonder they were subject to such treatment, they couldn't even show restraint.

The girl from Eleven looked far from interesting, her apparent joy towards entering the jaws of death sapping away all hopes of her proving to be an entertaining tribute and Ruby ignored her right off the bat. Instead, she focused on her male counterpart, whose Reaping was met with a resounding noise from the crowd, one perforated with boos, jeers, snickers, insults, snide remarks, and a whole bunch of that sort. Ruby's interest was piqued and the wheels inside her brain began to turn. Who was he and what had he done to warrant such a negative response?

Perhaps he could prove to be a dark horse.

And last and certainly least of all, there was District Twelve. Ever since Axel Millar was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit after falling chronically ill, Twelve had been left with a single mentor, although to be fair, that didn't matter much since they were almost always utterly pathetic and fell flat on their faces in the Games. The boy was a prime example of a standard Twelve tribute, one Ruby was confident would be nothing more than cannon fodder. The girl, however, raised some eyebrows. She and the boy seemed to be close and judging by her stature and stoic aura, Ruby had a sinking feeling that she would not simply let either of them die without a good fight.

Maybe this Twelve pair could spark some interest from the audiences for a change.

The screen went dark and the seal of the Capitol flashed on the screen, signalling the end of the recaps.

That was an interesting mix, Ruby thought, swerving around to face Caesar once more.

"So, let's hear from our beloved dear Head Gamemaker, shall we?" Caesar boomed, pasting an almost believable smile on his face.

Do better, Caesar.

Caesar swivelled towards her, thrusting a microphone into her face. "What do you think Ruby?"

A cold sneer spread across her face.

"I am going to have so much fun with them."

A/N: What did you think about the recaps? What did you think about Ruby and 'Uncle Corio'? Let me know your thoughts in the reviews! Yea, this took way longer than expected, oops, sorry 'bout that. But hey, at least it's out now! Also, do vote in the poll in my profile, that could well aid in my final decisions for placements ehe. And that's all for now I suppose. Bedankt voor het lezen and see you next time! Cheers :)