La ballade d'une Ballerine : a Treech fanfiction

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Three la cérémonie de la récolte

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Delyth joined her peers in the 24 seats at the front of the hall, taking the end seat next to Coriolanus. Fidgeting with her fingers out of worry, a nervous habit, she realized the gravity of the situation. Her future hinged on this prize, her parents would surely disown her if she was to fail.

Coryo noticed her leg bouncing with anxiety and placed a gentle hand on her thigh out of comfort. The action scared Delyth as she jumped slightly and looked over to Coryo, he gave her a reassuring smile

"You're going to be fine, Del, no matter what happens" he reassured her, his warm breath sending goosebumps down her skin as he leaned in closer to her ear, speaking gently.

Confident in his own victory and foreseeing Delyth Bardott as his future First Lady, he believed it was only a matter of time before the girl tarnished her family's image. In his mind, she'd need someone like him, well-regarded and calculated to restore it. He knew that her parents would practically pay him to wed their daughter.

Before she had time to reply she noticed Sejanus' catch his attention as he looked woefully at him, he spoke something inaudible which made Coriolanus' shoulders drop and his lip form a thin line out of anger, he removed his hand from her thigh leaving a cold mark there.

She couldn't understand his words, but a sinking feeling told her it was related to the Plinth prize, further fueling the anxiety in her stomach.

Before she could add any more worry to her thoughts, a thrilling laugh echoed around the hall, people's conversations coming to a halt as everyone's eyes made there way towards one figure at the front of the auditorium.

"How tantalizing to see all your shining young faces on this auspicious day." Her voice held an excited tone, and she continued slowly "I'm Volunia Gaul, your humble head game-maker, in charge of the war department and all its affiliated concerns.. I've broken free of my laboratory today to examine you, the leaders of the next generation. I won't be around forever after all. And now to the end, I am honored to introduce to you the creator of the Hunger Games themselves, Dean Casca Highbottom".

Terrified of the woman was an understatement for Delyth; every sighting sent a shiver down her spine, the woman held a presence capable of filling the air with palpable tension with every word.

Everyone's eyes turned to the back of the room as a grunt was heard, she almost laughed at this, she couldn't help but find the man amusing, he was incredibly pathetic in her eyes.

"Select students, faculty, and of course Dr. Gaul. I have summoned you all here today for the 10th annual reaping ceremony. In which we choose two children from each district to throw into the Capitol Arena to fight to the death in the Hunger Games".

Delyth and a few others were taken aback by the boldness of his words, signaling to her that he had reached a point of complete indifference.

"Our own twenty-four top prospects, all waiting to hear the results of hard work in this prestigious institution, eager to learn who's won that Plinth Prize, no doubt. However, I am here to tell you that there has been a change this year. One final assignment to prove you're worth because the esteemed citizens of the Capitol have grown bored of the games and simply aren't watching anymore. And if the games are to continue at all, there must be an audience."

Her eyes widened, and her mouth slightly parted, rendering her momentarily speechless. She sensed Coryo's gaze on her in the side of her eye. A final assignment? This couldn't be! She had invested everything into this year, extensive hours of revision, only to discover this unexpected news. What would her parents say? The Plinth prize was imperative; she needed to make her parents proud.

"So head game-maker Dr. Gaul has stepped in to incentivize patriotic values with her own unique flair, starting with you. The Plinth Prize will no longer be determined by who has the best grades, but by who is the best mentor in the Hunger Games".

Delyth's mouth opened wider as she felt herself go pale. Gasps and outraged remarks echoed around her, mirroring her own thoughts. The intense disdain she harboured for the Games now escalated as she realized she was forced to participate, to mentor someone. The weight of being partially responsible for another's survival gripped her, overshadowing any thoughts of the Plinth prize. The prospect of having someone's blood on her hands consumed her thoughts.

"This is a brand new role. As the reaping progresses live, I will allocate each district tribute to a Capitol mentor behind the scenes, one who must persuade them to perform for a camera." How on earth is she supposed to do that? Make her tribute perform for people as though their a clown.

"Obviously the best mentor will be the one whose tribute wins the games." Festus claimed with a questioning tone and his question went unanswered as Arachne butted in.

"What if I get a pathetic runt girl from one of the poorer districts like 8 or 12? They're just gonna die like they did last year and the year before" she spat.

God was she intolerable

"Your role is to turn these children into spectacles Miss Crane. Not survivors. Victory in the games is only one of our considerations.
Your entire future rests on this last project.. Oh, and I must tell you that anyone caught cheating to give their tributes an unfair advantage.
They'll have no future at all."

Dean Highbottom ascended the steps beneath Sejanus and Arachne. She noticed Arachne's disapproving look and almost snickered, only as the situation dawned on her, grounding her in the reality of the moment.

The initial tributes received their mentors, and Delyth couldn't hide her disappointment when she wasn't assigned a tribute from districts 1, 2, or 4. Despite disliking the brashness of Arachne's remark, it held a hint of truth. Tributes from wealthier districts typically performed better. This realization left her feeling disadvantaged, anticipating her parents' outrage at the news.

"District 7 boy goes to Delyth Bardott"

She felt her heart drop as she gulped and looked up towards the large screen