After the disaster that was the tenth the Hunger Games got funding for five more years, mainly thanks to Snow and Gauls efforts.
A few rules. Each district would be assigned an escort from the capital to pick the tributes to ensure no rigging took place. This might help to give the districts a fighting chance if they weren't limited to disabled tributes who couldn't work, or potentially dangerous tributes who no one wanted to be around. (And to prevent another Lucy Gray situation, but Snow obviously didn't say that)
Tesserae, each name entered (willingly) into the bowl would get enough food to feed one person for a year. (Or at least 6 months, depending on capital needs) This was a very popular decision and the main reason the districts had said yes. That and he and Gaul assured them there would be a victor, unlike the first and second games. The first had ended in sickness thanks to an ill girl from eleven. The second in a mutual kill thanks to two idiots from one.
They'd use the same arena this year, but work was in the pipeline for a different arena next year. This was following feedback from citizens. Watching the same arena every year was boring.
For now Snow hoped the changes were enough.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Snow watched the reapings with bated breath.
District 1: Graeme Gold and Heart Davidson. Both 16, both looking terrified. Two sets of mothers burst into tears. Snow had a quick look when the camera zoomed in on them and saw a few other children of similar looks near them. They'd be fine. They had others. More than two.
District 2: Zachary and Hope Richardson. Zachary looked promising, just turned 18 (literally the week before), he was well-built. Hope looked a lot weaker and grabbed onto her brother for support.
Snow smiled. That was adorable. Maybe they could play up the brother-sister angle?
District 3 was two thirteen year olds who looked scrawny and weak. Snow dismissed them both pretty much instantly.
District 4's boy was a fourteen year old who looked confused as he wondered up to the stage. The escort handled it well though, gently telling him where to stand and even letting him pull the girls name out the bowl when he asked.
"Magdalena Flanagan?"
A pause and then a shout. "How many times, River!? It's Mags!"
The camera zoomed in on a girl with red hair who looked perfectly exasperated and it made Snow and Gaul chuckle.
A lot of four also laughed - albeit nervously - as Mags stormed up to the stage and stood next to the escort. She jerked a finger at the boy and said. "He's only known me all his life!"
More laughter, including from Snow himself. He liked her. Witty. Red headed. Green eyes. Unlike Lucy Gray in nearly every way.
The rest of the reapings passed by in a kind of daze as Snow thought about how the girl from 4 could win. It wasn't an ocean arena, after all. Could she even fight? He'd have to look into that.
"Coriolanus?" Gauls voice brought him back to earth and he looked at her. "Twelve." She said, indicating the screen.
"Coal Thomas and Diamond Albu." Coal was a tall lad, solidly built from working in the mines. He looked wary as he stood one the stage and looked round. Diamond was small but rather pretty looking, if you ignored the fact she was rake thin.
Diamond. Snow snorted to himself. What a waste of a nice name.
xxxxxxxxxxx
The tributes were rounded up and put into the cage. Unlike last year Snow made sure there was food for them. Not much of course. Didn't want them to spoiled after all. But a packet of nuts and some cod from four was supplied.
The tributes gathered round and hungrily snatched the food from Flickermans hands. Snow frowned. Districts, honestly. Not even a thank you. Well, except from one.
"Thank you. Cod's our favourite." Mags said, with a soft smile. "Isn't it, River?"
He didn't seem to hear her, already eating his bit. She rolled her eyes. "You must excuse him." She said. "It's his first time visiting the zoo."
What Flickerman would have said, Snow would never know, because two things happened. One - the girl from 3 fell to the floor with a puffed up face and two) the boy from five clutched at his throat, coughing.
Mags swore and ran off. She grabbed the boy round the waist and started thrusting her fist into the bottom of his rib cage. He couldn't seem to dislodge whatever was in his throat and turned purple.
"I got him." Zachary said, plucking the small boy out of Mags's grasp. Rather than helping him though, the boy swiftly broke the young lads neck.
"Zachary!" Mags said, eyes wide.
He looked at her. "What? Don't like killing? You're not going to last long in the arena."
Mags frowned and shook her head. "Not that. We're not meant to kill till we're in the arena, remember?"
Zachary laughed. "He was dead anyway! I just spared him suffering. Hey-" he pointed at her. "Two down 20 left, right?"
Up in Doctor Gauls laboratory Sniw pondered his words. 20. Either he couldn't count or he was assuming both he and Mags would survive? That wasn't going to happen. Though - ah. He realised what the boy meant as soon as Snow saw him going back to his sister. He must have meant they'd be a double victory for him and his sister. How sweet.
That was never going to happen.