Five Knives

[prettyknives]

[of the "bad guys" she's met so far, these two are the ones who have impressed her the most]

This castle seems to like my world. Someone else from Panem just showed up: a victor named Johanna Mason. I don't know how much you've heard about Panem, but a victor is someone who's won the Hunger Games. She's unpredictable so I would definitely keep an eye on her.

I'm not sure if the castle would ever bring him, but Cato is my district partner. He would be a good ally. Our mentor is a man named Brutus. Enobaria is another victor from my district. Either of them would be helpful for us if they arrive.

Comments

forever

[prettyknives]

She won her Games by pretending to be weak, and when it was down to the final few tributes she killed them all mercilessly.

So, in that way. You can't take her behavior at face value.

[cheerupemoborg]

Fooling them into thinking she was weak. Smart of her, not revealing her hand until the end.

[prettyknives]

She's definitely clever.

There are two other victors already here in Paradisa. One is Haymitch Abernathy, the mentor of Katniss and Peeta. I don't know what his strategy was, but he won during a Quarter Quell. He had to face twice the number of tributes that are reaped during normal years. These days he's a drunk but he's still someone to watch.

The other is Finnick Odair. He won when he was fourteen. The sponsors really liked him and gave him a trident. Being from a fishing district, it was a perfect weapon for him and he won easily after getting it.

[cheerupemoborg]

Slow down. What are these tributes? Some kind of battle?

[prettyknives]

[ah, she just assumed her castmates already explained all this]

The Hunger Games is a yearly contest my country presents where they take twenty-four children between the ages of twelve and eighteen, one male and one female from each of the twelve districts, and put them in an arena. The last one left alive is crowned the victor.

"Tributes" are what we call the chosen twenty-four.

[cheerupemoborg]

[They probably did but... Hank doesn't pay attention. :b]

Strange. What purpose does this serve?

[prettyknives]

It keeps the districts in their place. It reminds them of the price we all pay for peace.

[cheerupemoborg]

'Keep them in their place', hm? Sounds inefficient.

Is manpower so low they can't police those areas properly?

[prettyknives]

It's been working for seventy-four years. I think it helps that watching the Hunger Games is mandatory.

There are Peacekeepers assigned to every district.

[cheerupemoborg]

Then they must have gotten good at it. So, what does the winner get in return?

[prettyknives]

Fame, money, the glory of being a champion, and extra food for their district.

[cheerupemoborg]

[Food is a keyword there.]

Are supplies usually low?

[prettyknives]

In most districts, yes. That's why it's called the Hunger Games.

[cheerupemoborg]

Figures.

If food is such a problem, why not simply practice some form of population control?

[prettyknives]

The Games are also to keep the districts from rebelling. It's not just about food.

[cheerupemoborg]

That's an odd way of doing it.

[prettyknives]

Works for us.