🅴🆂🆃🅴🅻🅻🅰 guides a white with fear Susan through the crowd. There's a grim buzz in the air, a shared tension. Peacekeepers in white uniforms herd everyone along, "All candidates stand with the others in their age group! Twelve-year-old here! Thirteen here!"
Susan realizes that the only people in this Square are children, 12 to 18. Adults stand outside the ropes, Mrs. Williams and Mr. William are one of them, staring blankly in worry at them. Estella squeezed Susan with their intertwined hand, guiding her through but a peacekeeper stepped in and tugged the little sister away after seeing the age difference.
Susan calls out for her in a desperate voice, Estella can't do anything but give the sister a reassuring smile, it helps. Estella turns away, passing one tense teenage face after another, as the mayor of District 5 spoke into the microphone on the podium: "My Friends of District Five, in anticipation of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games, I welcome you to Reaping Day..." As the speech goes on, she lets her eyes wander through the seas of children, finding Susan who was listening thoroughly but with a concerned look.
Somehow it landed on the other workers also, seeing them fold pieces of paper with the children's names on them. With her heightened sight, she spotted the woman who had taken Susan's blood. She watched carefully as the lady folded each of the papers with the children's names she took. Estella retailed something, the woman had a somewhat unique folding method, putting them in a square shape, unlike the others' rectangular.
Her eyes then fall on the male she had met yesterday. Their eyes encounter each other and Estella quickly looks away and finds her place in the herd of sixteens' years old. Plenty of posturing around her, all of it hiding terror.
"This Day, like The Games themselves, provides us a chance to reflect on the costs of our violent rebellion all those years ago, and to be grateful for the kindness now shown to us by the Capitol. It's a time for both repentance and for thanks."
On the stage stood Iphigenia Moss, her suit lime green, her hair vibrant pink, and beside her was Dennis Fling who is a clean neat male with heavy bread and mustache. But everyone knew about his alcohol issues.
Estella sees them every year, they are the mentors for District 5. Her eyes yet again met with another, this time with the famous mentor, Dennis, he had somehow a look of determination with a grin aimed towards her as the mayor continued the speech: creep, she thought.
"By law, each District is required to send one boy and one girl into the Games each year. 24 young people, fighting to the death until one emerges victorious... bringing great pride, and great material reward, to his or her District. Joining me now on stage is the only Tribute from our fair District to have ever done so. Please welcome Dennis Fling."
The mentor stood up and raised his hand. No one cheered or smiled at the male but Estella can tell it didn't affect the man as he has gotten used to the treatment by now. The mayor awkwardly coughed out before continuing as Dennis sat back down, "I'm sure whoever's chosen today will... under Dennis's steady guidance... represent our District well."
Estella let out a sigh, this was going to be a long bothersome talk. Looking around carefully at the peacemaker, she leans down to her boot to take out a small journal she keeps around. Taking this as a chance, she continues her reading and note-taking, ignoring the sense of eyes on her as the mayor introduces the other mentor.
After 10 minutes of boasting and sugar-coating words about the capitol, it was finally time to announce the tributes. Estella had put down her journal, now giving her focus on the stage as Iphigenia will be choosing the candidates, "Let's change things up! Boys first this year!" Nobody breathes.
Hardened labor families scan for their children in fear. Iphigenia squeezes her eyes shut, sticks her hand in the ball on the boys' side, and plucks a name out. Estella watches in full focus, her eyes somehow giving glancing at the male she had met yesterday in the forest as something uneasily played in the pit of her stomach. "The boy tribute from District Five is..."
"Aries White!"
And just like everyone, Estella's eyes fell on the now-named male, Aries. She took note of the reaction, with no howls or cries from the adults nor a look of sympathy at the group's age of teenagers around the male. Surprisingly even, Aries held an enormous grin and let out a scoff before he stepped out of the crowd towards Iphigenia. The two peacekeepers didn't have to do much and merely followed after the confident male. Dennis and Iphigenia felt energized and how fearless the first tribute was already.
Aries stood beside Iphigenia with his hands behind his back, eyes held nowhere pacifically but no panic. "I'm sure Aries will do a wonderful job for us. Now, the ladies!" Aries caught Estella's eye, he was expecting some empathy look like his friends did despite feeling glad he was elected, but she was solely more interested in his lack of reaction as she tilted her head, almost as if glaring at him, Aries chuckled that.
Dennis noticed all this and comprehended how a great pair the two would be in-game. Iphigenia went back to another glass ball containing the folded white paper with the girl's name written on it. She gave a short scan before closing her eyes and letting her instinct choose the pair.
Estella's facial expression imminently squinted into a frown, the paper in Iphigenia's hand was square, it was subtle but obvious to Estella's eyes. Her mind started moving gears, calculating the chances of Susan's name being called. She started recalling everyone's name in Susan's age group.
Going back to the mic, Aries even dared to peak in which earned him Iphigenia's warning eyes. "The Girl Tribute from District Five will be Sus-"
There was no one's name that started with 'Sus' other than Susan herself in her age group. Shit: imminently Estella thought.
"I volunteer. As tribute!" The world simply stops at that, everyone stares at Estella who had her hand ascended, as if she was crazy for choosing a death path. Iphigenia was in shock, gaping her mouth and turning to Dennis, but the male had a huge grin on.
"NO! NO!" As Estella stepped out from the crowd, Susan did too, but she was in tears and had a begging look as the two gatekeepers held her from coming close to Estella. "No, please! Estella!" Mr. William had somehow gotten out from the adult tape line and captured her daughter from the gatekeeper. Estella gave a simple look at her family, showing her willingness. With heavy steps and hesitation, Mr. William walks away with Susan on hold back to his wife.
"Well, bravo! Brava! Quite a gesture! And there's nothing in the rules forbidding it, is there Dennis?" Dennis didn't respond but did shake his head, standing up to greet Estella at the bottom of the stage with his hand out, waiting for hers. She glanced at it before at the face, Dennis noticed how she, similar to Aries wasn't in fear or crying like any normal tribute. She did seem slightly more nervous although.
Dennis guided her up the stage together, Estella met eyes with Aries who muttered: Welcome aboard the train to death! She rolled her eyes at him, not pleased with his joke as it was not suitable for the time. Iphigenia encouraged her up the mic and whispered to her to introduce herself, "I'm Estella Perez and I volunteer in place of Susan William."
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