Iris hadn't slept a wink.
It was time for her first reaping as a victor - as a mentor - and she was terrified. She didn't know what she would do if her brother's name was called. How was she supposed to mentor Jordie? There was no way he would win. She'd taught him how to fight, and taught him what little she knew about plants and camouflage just in case - but there was only so much preparation they could do. At least now he had the advantage of being well-fed.
She searched for him in the crowd, and found him eventually, crammed in with the other fourteen year olds. The Justice Square was far too small for the sheer number of people in their district. For that reason, only reaping-age kids were allowed in the square. Their families and the rest of the district had to watch from the surrounding streets.
Jordie caught her eye, and gave her a small smile. She smiled back. At least he wasn't crying. It would be so bad, if he were crying. She held his gaze all through the treaty of treason, and hardly noticed Pomponia stepping up to the bowls. She was so busy looking at her brother that she didn't notice the first name being read out and, as such, had no idea what her first tribute's name was.
Godammit, Iris! She cursed at herself. The girl standing on stage was slight in build and pale, with brown hair in two pigtails. She was sobbing so loudly that Pomponia had to tilt the microphone away from her so she could read out the second name.
Please not Jordie. Please not Jordie, Iris begged. She wasn't sure who she was begging to - the sun and the moon and the Great Lakes, perhaps - but it worked. "Muffle Meyers!"
A tall, shocked-looking boy emerged from the crowd, but Iris hardly paid attention to him. She had found Jordie in the crowd again, and delighted at the relief on his face when the name had been called. Another reaping, and he was safe. Only four more to go.
/
Iris sat nervously next to Haylee on the train. She itched to pour herself a drink, but resisted the urge. She didn't want the tributes to think they had another alcoholic for a mentor - she wanted to do the best she could for them. She wanted to prove that she cared more than Haylee. She stood up, and began to walk around the carriage.
Lili Wheeler was the girl's name. She was fifteen, slightly grimy, and certainly a slumkid, based on her hollow cheeks and ratty clothes. She had cried the whole time she was onstage and all the way into the Justice Building. Iris felt deeply sorry for her, but the kid certainly had a reason to cry. At least she wasn't a zombie. Muffle Meyer, the boy, was seventeen and looked remarkably well-fed. She hadn't seen him before, but Iris wouldn't have been surprised if he was an Uptown kid. That, or he was a slumkid who'd found some way to make money.
She had no idea what to say to them. How she was supposed to help them. She didn't know how to arrange sponsors, or alliances, or if she was supposed to speak to the press. She felt completely out of her depth and had no idea how she was supposed to help the two kids who were now in her care.
"Would you stop that?" Haylee snapped irritably. "Your pacing is making me dizzy."
"Shut up, Haylee," Iris retorted. Haylee had been completely unhelpful so far, and she didn't expect that to change. Hell, she was already on her second glass of whiskey and the kids hadn't even got to the train yet!
Iris walked around the carriage four more times, ignoring Haylee's profanity, before taking a seat near the window. She looked at the clock on the wall. They would be here soon. The hour they were given in the Justice Building was nearly up.
So far, Iris hated the other side of things. She'd hated it as a tribute, too, of course, but sitting in wait for an hour was hard to do, especially knowing their destination. A few more minutes passed, and Iris caught sight of Pomponia. Two miserable teenagers trailed after her. At least Pomponia was here. She would be far more helpful than Haylee.
Iris leapt away from the window. She didn't want them to see her staring. She hastily sat back down next to Haylee, trying to breathe through her nerves. She didn't know what to say to them. She didn't even know how to greet them!
Pomponia's voice carried into the carriage as they made their way inside. "-and here are your mentors, Iris and Haylee. Now, children -"
"I'm not a child!" Muffle snapped, shrugging Pomponia's arm off him. He stomped away from her, before catching sight of Iris and Haylee.
"Um," Iris said, feeling like a deer in headlights. "Hi."
"Look," Muffle said. "I don't want to hear it. Neither of you can tell me anything helpful. I just want to go to my room."
"I think we should talk first."
"Talk?" said Muffle. He laughed. "I'm not going to talk to you. Or her," he said, jabbing his thumb at Haylee, who was unperturbed. "I'm going to go have a nap."
Iris looked at Haylee for some sort of clue. Haylee just shrugged. "Okay," said Iris. She pointed to the door leading to the next carriage. "Your quarters are in there."
Muffle gave her a dirty look, before striding from the room. Pomponia sighed, and guided Lili over to the two of them. "I suppose I had better make sure he doesn't get lost," she muttered, nudging Lili towards the couch. She followed Muffle out of the room.
Iris smiled at Lili. "Why don't you sit down?"
Lili's lower lip trembled, and she burst into tears.
/
It had taken Iris and Pomponia two hours to calm Lili down. Even now, as she sat at the dinner table, she was sniffling. At least the food seemed to perk her up a bit.
Dinner passed without a fuss. Both kids loaded up their plates, even Muffle, who was stocky and seemed well-fed. But neither of them seemed open to talking about the Games. Muffle shot down any and all attempts at talking about strengths and strategy, and referred to Pomponia only as Capitol-bitch, which rubbed Iris the wrong way. Lili was jumpy and timid, and seemed far more content to wolf down food than make conversation, which Iris couldn't quite blame her for.
After dinner, they sat down to watch the reapings. One and Two were the typical Careers - strong and ruthless. Iris was half-glad that the girl from One looked nothing like Agata - instead of being blonde and lithe she had mousy hair and a short stature.
District Three was a surprise. The female tribute reaped was none other than Ada Rhee, the plucky chatterbox of a girl Iris had met on her Victory Tour. The camera cut to the Victors after Ada's name was pulled. Calcula clapped a hand over her mouth, a strangled "No!" bursting from her lips.
Iris felt that something fishy was going on. It couldn't be a coincidence, how District Three had been treated the past couple of years… the deaths of Wiress' parents, and now Calcula's daughter being reaped. Were the Victors up to something?
Lili frowned. "Why'd Calcula react like that?" She hadn't cried since dinner. Iris had expected her to start crying at the sight of the Careers, but she had seemed to calm down and steel herself since eating.
Iris cleared her throat. "Ada is her daughter."
"Oh," said Lili. "Bad luck."
Iris strongly doubted that luck had anything to do with it. She met Pomponia's eyes, and could tell that she wasn't the only one with doubts. "Yeah," she said. "Bad luck."
None of the other tributes seemed to stand out - they were typical. Strong careers, weak outliers. Apart from Ada, nothing was out of the ordinary. Of course Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith gushed over Ada for longer than necessary - no doubt this would make the Careers jealous, and would make Ada a target.
Iris felt sorry for the kid. If she was reaped, it was for a reason. There was no doubt in Iris' mind that someone intended for her to die in the arena.
After sending the kids to bed - although, calling them kids was perhaps unfair, considering that Iris was only two years older than Muffle and certainly hadn't considered herself a kid at that age - Iris sat with Haylee and Pomponia in the living room.
She looked at the other two women. "Well?" she said, hesitantly.
"Well what?" Haylee said. She gestured for an avox to bring another bottle of wine, and poured Iris a glass without asking.
Iris took the glass from her. She had promised herself she wouldn't drink during the Games - but a glass or two wouldn't hurt. "What do you think of the tributes?"
"Oh," Haylee said. "This year's a write off."
"What makes you say that?" Iris asked, frowning.
Haylee had a sip of wine. "You'll be able to tell too, one day."
Iris didn't ask her to elaborate.
/
If it hadn't been for her win last year, Iris was certain that there wouldn't have been as much fanfare at the train station. There had been some last time - but it was nothing compared to this. Masses of people, pressing towards them, held back only by a flimsy-looking barrier and a line of Peacekeepers. Lili trembled. If it hadn't been for the tributes, Iris knew she would have broken down.
It was so… claustrophobic. She hoped that in a year or two, the fuss would die down. She had no idea how to deal with it. The hundreds of screaming Capitolites, reaching towards her - the bright flashes of the cameras - the fear of the tributes she couldn't protect. She gulped down the lump in her throat, and she and Pomponia shepherded the kids away.
Lili and Muffle were quickly whisked off to remake, and Iris was allowed a moment to catch her breath once they were at the Penthouse. It felt horrible to be back there again, but she was so tired it was easy to ignore the anxiety she felt. "I don't remember it being like that last year," she said to Pomponia.
Pomponia nodded. "The crowds are always enthusiastic about the most recent victor. It should die down in a year or two."
"I hope so."
"Now, Iris," Pomponia said, in the tone she used when she wanted to talk about something serious. "There is something we must discuss."
Iris nodded grimly. She had a feeling it had something to do with Lucan, and her new career as the Capitol's whore. She felt sick to her stomach, and Pomponia hadn't even started talking yet.
They sat at the dining room table, and Pomponia patted one of Iris' hands before looking at her seriously. "It is your first year as a mentor."
"Yes."
"It is often referred to as your 'training' year, as you are not only learning how to be a mentor, you are also learning the intricacies of the Capitol, and the way you must now present yourself to the world." Pomponia looked at her sadly. "You will not, however, be doing much mentoring until next year. As you are new, there will be many people wanting to meet you."
"To fuck me, you mean," Iris said glumly.
Pomponia didn't answer her. She looked down at the table for a moment, before meeting Iris' eyes again. "Haylee will take on all mentoring responsibilities this year while you learn how to be a Victor."
"Will she now?" Iris asked, scoffing. It was certain, now - Lili and Muffle were as good as dead with Haylee in charge.
"Yes, Iris, she will," Pomponia said firmly. "I will assist her."
"So I have to figure this out by myself?" Iris said in dismay. The Capitol suddenly felt far bigger than it had last year.
"No. Do you know Belle Dreyfus, from District One?"
A face popped into her head - a beautiful woman from District One. Iris had been born the year she won, but her Games were rerun often, as Belle was an extremely popular Victor. "Yeah. I didn't meet her on the tour, though."
"Well, Belle takes new Victors under her wing. She will teach you everything you need to know about the Capitol, and about your duties."
"Great."
"You are to meet with her after the parade."
"But shouldn't I be helping the kids?" Iris asked, before remembering. "Oh, right. Haylee is helping them."
"What am I doing?" Haylee slurred, sauntering into the room.
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
Iris felt horrible. There was certainly nothing she could do about the situation, but dooming the tributes to Haylee after she'd sworn to herself she would be better than her sorry excuse for a mentor? Haylee was already drunk, for crying out loud. There was no way that Muffle would listen to her advice - not that she was capable of giving any. And Lili would only retreat more into her shell with Haylee's brusque attitude. Iris sighed. She had already abandoned them to their death, and there was nothing she could do about it.
/
The kids looked… awful. Not as terrible as she and Axel had looked last year, but not too much better, either. Hopefully this time nobody would get vomited on. They were dressed as old-timey train conductors, and, for some bizarre reason, had on aviation goggles. At least they didn't have headlights on their nipples.
She hadn't met the new stylists yet - after seeing the costumes, she didn't really think she needed to. Obviously, they weren't much better than Ulysses had been. She wondered which poor district he had been moved to.
Muffle crossed his arms. "We look stupid."
Iris frowned. "Just get through it. Wave to the crowd, blow them kisses, get their attention as best you can." She wasn't sure she was the best person to be giving them advice, after the debacle of her parade. But at least neither of them were zombies.
Pomponia nodded. "Smile, stand up straight, try not to frown." She offered an arm to help Lili up into the chariot.
Muffle scowled at Pomponia, pushing in front of her. He climbed up onto the chariot and helped Lili up himself. Pomponia stepped back without a word. It was clear what Muffle thought of her.
The chariots lurched forward. Iris stepped back, trying to get a better view of the television showing the start of the procession. Someone cleared their throat behind her, and Iris turned around.
A tall, blonde woman stood behind her, and offered a hand, which Iris shook. "I am Belle Dreyfus. Are you ready to talk?"
"I thought we were going to meet after the parade," Iris said.
"Well, I'm here now. Come along."
Iris glanced at Pomponia. She had wanted to watch the parade, get an idea of the crowd favourites. Pomponia nodded at her. "Off you go. Haylee and I will keep an eye on things."
Haylee, who was swaying from side to side like she was on a ship, nodded. Iris sighed. "Okay. Sure."
Belle gestured for Iris to follow her, and led her to the elevator. She pressed a button, and the elevator began to move down.
"Where are we going?" Iris asked.
"To the Mentor's Station."
"I thought I wasn't mentoring this year."
"Officially, you aren't. But it is the hub of all Victor communications, and where you will receive information about your appointments during the Games."
Iris nodded. She supposed that made sense. The elevator dinged, but before they could step out, Belle held up a pass to the door. A robotic voice came from the buttons panel. "Belle Dreyfus and guest. Welcome to the Mentor's Station." Belle glanced at Iris. "You'll be given your pass soon."
The Mentor's Station was far below the Training Centre. It was a large, open room about the size of the gymnasium used for training, the level below the gymnasium itself. There were twelve booths, one for each district, along one wall - the rest of the room seemed to be living space, with plenty of comfortable furniture and tables.
Belle led her to District Six's booth. Iris looked around, taking it all in. The wall was covered with monitors and screens, which were all currently blank.
"These screens will not only broadcast the Games, but will also provide you with detailed information and vitals on your tributes, as well as sponsor and parachute information." Belle tapped a small tube sticking out of the wall on the side. "Any information on appointments will be sent through here if you are in the Mentor's Station. If you are in your Penthouse, they will be delivered directly to you."
Iris nodded glumly. So there would be no way for her to avoid or ignore her duties. They would find her wherever she was. "Where am I meant to go, for the appointments?" she asked.
"It depends," Belle said. "Some will take place here in this building, in quarters specifically designed for the purpose. Others will take place wherever your patron chooses. They pay extra for the privilege to take you out of the Training Centre."
"I see," Iris said. She was reminded of how much of a prisoner she was. She wasn't a tribute anymore, but in some ways she was still just as trapped as they were. "How many… patrons will I have?"
"It depends." Belle frowned, and looked her up and down. "You're not as popular as some of the recent Victors have been, so you shouldn't have too many." She tapped on one of the screens, and pulled up a page. She showed it to Iris. It was a picture of herself as a tribute. "This is a record of all the donations you received. Seeing as Haylee didn't use any of the money, you don't owe as many people. So you should only have a few - those that bid the highest."
Iris felt sick. Knowing that, had Haylee done her job, she would have had more people to sleep with - more people she owed - was a horrifying thought. She'd had no idea that would be someone she'd have to consider when helping her tributes. She'd be willingly signing them up to become prostitutes. Maybe Haylee had actually done her a favour, by not helping.
Belle glanced at her. Iris realised that she had been quiet for too long, so she cleared her throat. "Okay. I understand."
Belle smiled at her, not cruelly. "I know this is all very overwhelming. But I'm here if you have any questions. I'll be checking in on you from time to time while you're here, and I've got advice if you want it."
Iris nodded at her. "Thank you."
Iris wasn't sure what to make of Belle. She seemed very professional, for lack of a better word - she seemed to approach it all the way a robot would, detached and without a hint of emotion. But she was obviously sympathetic, and didn't seem to look down on Iris, as some of the older Careers had. She wondered what had happened to Belle. How long she'd been introducing the new Victors to the more unsavoury parts of their jobs.
She did, at least, seem approachable. Iris quite appreciated how professional she was about the matter - she made it seem like a job and nothing more. Iris felt disgusted with herself for what she would have to do, but at least she knew that the other Victors wouldn't be disgusted by her too.
I'll be approaching the whole prostitution thing with some distance, I think - I don't feel entirely comfortable writing things like that.
I'm sorry if this chapter seems rush, I've had a lot of writer's block and I just wanted to get it done, hence why I skipped over some details. Next chapter should be a lot more detailed :)