A/N: I have a confession to make. I screwed up. I was re-reading the forms as research for this chapter and I realised I've screwed up. Evangeline was supposed to volunteer to get her brother to recognise her. I've incorporated this into the chapter and can we all just collectively pretend she volunteered? Thanks.
Two updates in two(?) days, you lucky duckies!
Anyways, we have a great chapter up so... enjoy!
Chapter 14: Reaping Recap
Hyacinth Grebes, Head Gamemaker
The president walks down the corridor, followed by Cadence, Gossamer and lastly, me. We arrive in the viewing room, where two people are waiting. A short, round lady draped in a long pink dress, and a tall young man wearing a dark red puffer jacket and pink heart-shaped sunglasses.
"Sir, this is Hepzibah Braun, Head Tribute Surveillance Manager, and her assistant, Silvester Middlesworth." Snow shakes Braun's hand and nods to Silvester.
"Shall we begin?" Hepzibah says, and Snow nods. Silvester leans forward and clicks the play button.
"District 1. It was... interesting." Cadence says.
On the tape, five girls begin duking it out, including the Reaped girl. Snow sits forward, interested. One girl is punched in the face and falls back, screaming. Another girl is brutally kicked until she rolls away. A third falls back, groaning and covered in bruises. The final two girls wrestle for a bit, until one gets the upper hand and stamps on her face. She crawls back, leaving the last girl to take the stage and smiles at the crowd.
"Almandine Chalcedony," Goss reports. "She's sixteen years old, born to Clandestine and Topaz Chalcedony. She has an older brother, Rhodium, and the interesting fact is that she's the great granddaughter of-"
"Iridescence, I know." Snow cuts him off. "I've been keeping tabs on their family."
Goss smiles tightly. "Anyways, Almandine started training at the ripe old age of seven, and she made a sort of- uh, altar? An altar to her great-grandmother a year later."
Snow looks at him sharply. "An altar?"
"Oh, nothing major, just a few pictures, a candle or two..."
Snow scribbles something on a pad of paper, and Goss falters. After a second, he raises his head and says, "Next."
Cadence takes over. "Marcus Licinius Waltney, Jr."
"How old is he?" Snow snaps.
I inspect the boy who has stepped forward to volunteer. He is definitely younger than usual. About a foot shorter than Almandine, too.
"He's- thirteen, sir."
Snow blinks once, twice. "Was he the chosen volunteer?"
"No, sir."
"Then why is he on a train to the Capitol right now?" Snow growls.
"He volunteered, and no-one else did," Goss says bluntly.
"Hmm. Show me District 2."
The tape cuts to District 2, where the volunteer girl has stuck her middle finger in the air. "Love you, bro!" she says.
Snow stops, his face frozen, and for a second I'm scared he's having a stroke, then he begins laughing. His laughing turns into coughing, and he stops after a few moments.
"Tell me about her."
"Oh," Cadence says. "Lyric Solace. Two parents, two siblings. One unimportant, a boy named Fury, but her other brother is Glory Solace. She's been training since-"
"Unimportant," Snow says, holding up a hand. "Tell me about her relationship with Glory. That may lead to something."
"Well, Glory left their family when he won to move in with his girlfriend, who he is planning to propose to. Lyric resents Glory for this, as she and her brother must withstand the brunt of their father's- uh, rages, without him as a protector figure."
"Rages?" Snow questions.
"We suspect abuse," Cadence says quietly. Snow's eyes narrow.
"Tell me about the boy now."
The tape cuts to a Reaped boy being dragged up the stage in tears. After a few moments, a boy volunteers, on the edge of tears himself. I inspect it further.
"Was he the chosen volunteer?" Snow asks, and Goss cringes.
"No, sir."
Snow sighs. "Who is he?"
"Justin Caddel. Sixteen, barely trained."
"Why did he volunteer?" Snow asks.
"The boy that was Reaped is Justin's best friend, Lachlan Hale. The chosen volunteer was a boy named Kronos Sage, who... did nothing."
"Show me 3," Snow says, a hand on his forehead.
"Alright, the boy is Samuel Xavier. Born to Lars and Wren Xavier." I groan at the name. Wren Xavier was a handful. After her death, a small assistant Gamemaker had to fill out the many forms because the damage control analyst had too much on his plate with the recent rebel attacks. The small assistant Gamemaker would grow to do big things, but I never forgot the Xaviers.
"Sam is a pretty normal boy, with several good friends. He gets good grades, and... yeah, that's it, really."
Snow looks at the screen intently, then waves a hand. "And his partner?"
"Twila Hyrulea. Sixteen years old. Parents are Kwartz and Minerva Hyrulea. Another fairly normal girl, she has a good few friends and... a boyfriend."
Snow locks eyes with Cadence. "Why the pause? What's special about him?"
"He aged out of the Reaping this year. He planned to propose to her afterwards."
Snow blinks at Twila's trembling figure, and I notice that she isn't crying, she's laughing. Both tributes are laughing, in fact, and they're rolling on the floor when both pass out and lay there in a pool of tears.
"Is she deranged?" Snow asks sharply.
"No sir, not that we know of. Just a... curious reaction to stress." Cadence smiles.
"Next," Snow says.
The Escort calls Dacob Dreader, and in a few seconds, a boy is stepping up to volunteer. "Havilard Irving, eighteen years old. Raised to volunteer his whole life, trained in Scylus from the moment he was of age, trained before that in secret."
Snow blinks. "Anything notable about him?"
"He hates the Games. Hates them with all his heart."
"A rebel?" Snow snaps.
"No," Goss says simply. "Just a coward." And indeed, the hulking boy looks terrified up on the stage.
"Poor kid," Hepzibah whispers.
"The female is Tethys De La Fuente."
"Tell me about her," Snow says.
"She didn't start training until a few years ago. Her school put on a performance of Swan Lake, and Tethys received the role of Odette's understudy. The girl who actually got the role broke her arms and left leg the day before the performance, so Tethys performed instead. People accused her of deliberately injuring the girl, so to release her anger, Tethys began training at Scylus. When people found out she wasn't really trying to volunteer, they bullied her more, she she was partially coerced into working harder. Her main competitor, Scylla Fontaine, was the girl she volunteered for."
"That girl?" Snow says incredulously, and I understand why. The girl in question is hideously injured, hobbling about on crutches.
"Yes. No doubt this is a repeat of Swan Lake, as the girl who was intended to play Odette was none other than Scylla Fontaine."
Snow blinks once, twice. "Interesting. Show me 5."
"Clovis Lanis, seventeen years old. Engaged to Flasha Holland, whose family ownes several successful power plants. Clovis got engaged to her after his now-deceased aunt and uncle gambled his family fortune away, and the Lanises needed money. He lives with his parents and three cousins, Sadie, Wheatley and Faith. Clovis is known to be arrogant and patriotic, but caring towards his family and extremely charismatic." Goss rattles off.
"Hmmph," Snow says. Clovis does look arrogant as he swaggers up to the stage.
"Any questions?" Goss asks tenderly, and Snow shakes his head. The girl that was Reaped, Avery Samson, is walking up to the stage when-
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
My jaw drops. 5 never has volunteers. The last volunteer from 5 was three years ago, a certain Rosie Matchday who volunteered to protect her brother Nico. The boy died on day 3 courtesy of the girl from 1 and a few days later, Rosie fell into electrified water after being stabbed in the chest by Victor Nemo. Before that, the only District 5 volunteer was in the 28th Games, a boy named Spencer who threw himself to the mines.
Snow looks equally confused. "Who is she?"
"Lida Minette, sir. Seventeen years old. Raised in Capitol's Mercy orphanage after her parents passed away. A few days ago, on her way home from her work, she was attacked by a man who happened to be the Head Peacekeeper's son. Lida fought him off, and in the process accidentally beat him to death. Note the Peacekeepers."
The tape rewinds, and everyone notices the several Pecekeepers weaving through the crowd towards her.
Snow humphs. "Is she dangerous?"
"No, sir." Cadence says. "She is a pacifist at heart and seemed distraught after the attack."
The girl is tearful, seemingly proving Cadence's point. The screen flicks to District 6 where...
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
My jaw drops lower, and even Snow raises his eyebrows. If 5 never has volunteers, 6 NEVER has volunteers.
The girl strides up to the stage and introduces herself as... "Evangeline Linase!" Goss reports. "Thirteen years old. She is known to be bubbly, kind and loving, if not overconfident and a bit attention-seeking. She's also an orphan, both her parents having died a few years back. She has a... shaky relationship with her brother, who our reports say she volunteered to... impress? Get him to accept her? Any questions?"
Snow shakes his head. Cadence clicks the button and starts talking. "The next tribute is an interesting one. You remember the last three tributes from 6, correct? Carter, Kia and Dannica? This is the conclusion of that quad-ogy. Aero Turbo, sixteen years old. Orphan, no living friends or family, possibly suicidal. He's an open book."
Aero marches up to the stage, a deranged smile on his face. I shudder and feel a sense of intense relief when Snow murmurs "No questions," and the tape cuts to District 7. On the screen, a blonde, posh-looking twelve-year-old girl is screaming her lungs out at everyone on stage, tears and snot dripping from her face like a faucet. I cringe.
"Juniper Andis, twelve years old. Daughter of Mayor Andis, and a royal brat. She leads a group of girls nicknamed the 'Flowers of the Golden Afternoon.' They're like a cult, but not harmful except to a few bullying victims. Any questions?"
"No."
"Right!" Cadence chitters. "Rowan Leif, District 7 Male. Seventeen years old. A good few friends, a normal-ish family, and interestingly enough, his best friend's boyfriend is Victor Nemo. Questions?"
Snow shakes his head, and the clip cuts to District 8, where a blue-haired boy and a determined-looking girl. "The girl is Annamarie Grambell, seventeen. Another mayor's daughter, but much less annoying." Snow raises his eyebrow. "Sorry, sir. She lives with her father and brother, has a few good friends and the like, fairly normal girl. Questions?"
Snow looks at her. "She seems quite fit. Any training?"
"Just a basic exercise routine, nothing concerning. Anything else?" Once Snow shakes his head, Gossamer continues: "Jaston McAlderry, fifteen years old. His sixteenth birthday is day five of the Games, if he survives that long. Has several good friends, a cheating ex named Ragger, not important, who he got into a fight with this morning. Another fairly normal kid. Questions?"
"The hair."
Goss stifles a giggle. "A dye machine incident at a nearby factory."
Snow huffs. "Next."
"District 9." Cadence sighs. "The female is Lorena Cortez. Seventeen. Two jobs, works at a healthcare center for mentally disabled teenagers and a family-owned resteraunt called the Victor's Brunch. She's reported to be a very kind, caring girl, who gets deeply attatched to the kids she worked with. Questions?"
The girl on screen is stepping forward to volunteer for a young, shaking girl.
"Who is the girl? The one she volunteered for?" Snow asks sharply.
"Angelica Christina, fourteen. She's one of the kids under Lorena's care at the center."
"The boy?" Snow asks. The boy in question lets out a loud noisy poof of air, and the Escort begins to gag and choke.
"Juniper Sheath, fourteen years old. A bit of a musician, a bit of a prankster. See that girl covered in red paint? That was his doing. He lives with his parents, twin brother, and two friends who share his passion for both music and obnoxious jokes. Questions?"
Snow shakes his head, and the tape cuts to District 10. A fat, ugly boy is running desperately away from the stage, until he trips over a Peacekeeper's leg and falls flat on his face.
"Billion Gensler, thirteen. Lives on his parent's hyper-successful ranch with his parents and two siblings. He's known by everyone in the District as a disgusting, snotty brat."
"No questions. His partner?"
Cadence cringes, and presses on the tape. When "Ramonda Leland, please take the stage!" steps out of the fourteen-year-olds section, and a volunteer steps forward, everyone except Goss and Cadence gasps. The girl is horrendously deformed, with tight grey skin, a few wispy strands of hair and a hollow face. She lets out a hacking cough and stands tall. "I volunteer as tribute!" she says, her voice strong despite its weakness.
"Cheyenne Moreno, fourteen years old. Ill and malnourished, Cheyenne unfortunately comes from the manure part of the District. Her illness started off as a simple case of Jowsey Virus but with no treatment and poor living conditions..." she trails off, and Snow is silent for a few moments.
"Who is the girl she volunteered for?" he eventually says in a quiet voice.
"Ramonda Leland, also fourteen. She goes to the same school as Cheyenne, but they don't really interact. Cheyenne was planning to volunteer in a few years, but when a girl in her class was Reaped she just... went for it."
Snow sighs, and gestures 'next.' District 11 yields a tall, angry-looking girl and a quivering boy.
"Dandelion Crabgrass, seventeen years old. Lives with her parents and used to live with her brother until he and his fiancee moved in with Victor Harrow. Her family is deeply in debt. Have you heard of Ursula Seuss?"
I cringe. Everyone in Snow's inner circle has heard of the Seusses. They're a notorious crime family that desperately needs to be shut down. Snow nods coldly.
"Ursula's son, Mulberry, is as sick as her, and seems to have come up with a concept called 'The Trials.' Basically, Mulberry puts Dandelion through a series of sick games that she must participate in or else her parents will be... you know. So far, she's been forced to rob a bank, hack into a goodwill fund, threaten another dept-holder's children, give her own infant child away, and today she was made to kill a little girl."
I raise my hand to my mouth. "Oh my."
"What happened?" Snow snaps.
"Peacekeepers showed up, including the girl's sister. The girl herself was shot twice but miraculously survived, and when Mulberry was cornered into a chase with the Peacekeepers, Dandelion made a run for it. Unfortunately, she was Reaped, and we suspect that this is but the latest Trial."
Snow rubs the bridge of his nose. "And the boy?"
"He's another piece in the puzzle, unfortunately. He witnessed the Trial with the girl, and was shot by Mulberry after the alleyway incident. Also a rigged Reaping, considering Mulberry's mother is the mayor's lead advisor."
"Show me Twelve," Snow sighs.
"Alright. The female is Bene Burns, fourteen. A few years ago, her parents were convicted of being rebels and tortured to the point of insanity."
"Were they rebels?" Snow asks.
"No, we just needed scapegoats and they seemed easy to pin it on." Snow nods and waves his hand to continue. "Bene was massively traumatised by this, as she has to be their full-time caretaker as well as work in the mines and school. She has two friends, Shazia and Jesse-Rosen, but her mental health still seems to be slipping."
The girl on the screen is shaking with fear. A few tears slide down her face but she still stands bravely.
"And the boy?" Snow asks. Goss grins, and flicks the volume up higher so everyone can hear the cry of "I VOLUNTEER!"
Hepzibah spits out her tea. Silvester's jaw drops. Goss looks proud of himself. Cadence grins. I gasp. Even Snow looks taken aback.
"Lot of odd volunteers this year, eh?" Silvester muses. "Girl from 5, girl from 6, girl from 9, girl from 10, and now the boy from 12."
"Graphite Glades!" Cadence interrupts. "Fifteen years old. A few years ago, his mother was really sick, so his father sold... himself to someone in exchange for a cure. The man's half-eaten body was found several weeks later. Graphite was, obviously, heavily impacted by this, and has developed severe depression and suicidal tendencies. One thing lead to another and... obviously this happened. Most likely he's going to throw himself to the mines in the Bloodbath. Not a problem."
Snow nods. "Thank you for this meeting. Grebes, stay back."
Goss and Cadence grin and file out, followed by Silvester and Hepzibah. I walk over to Snow. "Sir?"
"Is our... project... ready?"
"23RT, sir?" I ask.
"No, the other project." I know immediately what he means.
"Yes, sir. Being transported to the Capitol now."
"Good. Make sure it's ready."
"Yes, sir."
Silvester Middlesworth, Assistant Tribute Surveillance Manager
"Silvester!" Hepzibah, my boss calls. "Come over here!"
I oblige and trot over to her desk. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Head Gamemaker Grebes has asked for a full report on the tribute's behaviors."
"Oh," I say, taken aback. "Well, the girl from 8 is writing letters, the boy from 6 is laughing his head off and won't stop, the girl from 3 is crying and won't stop, but yeah. Nothing notable."
Hepzibah sighs. "We need notable, Middlesworth! Notable is what gets us paid! Tell me about 8."
I check the camera again. "She's writing letters, I assume to her friends and family, and won't talk to anyone."
Hepzibah pauses. "We can play that up in the report. If you were a citizen, what would you think of a sad, desperate girl trying to make sure her family remembers her?"
"I'd feel sorry for her. And I'd try and sponsor her to make sure she doesn't need them."
"Perfect. Write that down somewhere."
"Yes, ma'am."
A/N: Yay for subplot! Boo for recaps. I thought the Reapings were the most boring part of a story, but this is almost worse! Almost.
1. Do you understand certain backstories more?
2. Who is your favorite out of Hyacinth, Goss and Cadence?
3. Do you like Silvester?
4. Who are your top five favorite tributes?
Next up will be the Goodbyes, so in the spirit of Goodbyes, goodbye!
-Luke