ALL CAPS Reaping Recap with Astrid Dèmander and Turing Ayres
Feb 3, 2018 13:33:40 GMT -5
Post by alex 🐺 on Feb 3, 2018 13:33:40 GMT -5
see, we were never about butterflies.
we’ve always been about burning stars.
astrid dèmanderall about us is unearthly and radiant.
"You’ve got a war in your head and it’s tearing you up inside."
Today was the day - it was the first chance for collaboration between herself and Turing and the first Reaping that she was overseeing. The chaos of the Reaping had settled like a mist over the nation and this was their chance to give their listeners a first look at the tributes. The studio was large and bright, with massive microphones for the two of them. Glass walls made her feel like she was in a fishbowl, with technicians and producers running every which way to ensure that this ran smoothly. Xena was standing with her arms crossed, an eyebrow raised. The windows allowed Astrid to look out on the Capitol - the citizens bustling as they moved about their days. She thrived in the chaos and the motion. Turing needed peace and calculation. That was how they had worked for so long.
They would be broadcasting all over the Capitol, pairing Astrid’s analysis of the intentions of the tributes and hopefully some volunteers, with Turing’s hard facts and figures regarding previous reapings and the new crop of sacrifices. She cleared her throat a few times, washing her nerves down with water as Turing sat across from her, scribbling furiously. Their tentative peace and desires for collaboration was still a minefield to navigate. One wrong step or misguided touch and she could be torn asunder and fall into him once again. She could not and would not allow herself to be that girl, that weak and self-loathing part of her reliving the aftermath of everything. The war that she fought with herself to reassemble her heart and her soul and grow once again.
The producer gave her the cue that it was a minute until broadcast so she placed a calm hand on Turing’s pen, willing him to stop. ”Hey, are you ready? It’s going to go by super fast, but we can do this. We've been studying it for days and know these tributes inside and out.” She breathed out a sigh, running a hand through her blonde hair - it was far too long at the moment - and organized her papers once more.
The producer got her attention, counting down with his fingers before the segment was to begin and they were going to be live. No fuck ups allowed.
Ten. You can do this. You know how to do this. Just imagine that you’re back in Turing’s apartment - wait, don’t imagine that. Just remember the years of games you have watched. You can do this.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Inhale, exhale, you got this.
”Good morning, Panem! My name is Astrid Dèmander and this is ALL CAPS’ special episode giving you a recap of the Reaping for the Seventy-Eighth Annual Hunger Games. I’m here with my master of statistics and your numbers guru, Turing Ayres. We all sat and watched as our twelve districts offered up their crop of tributes, with some surprises thrown in there as we have eight volunteers this year.
I’m just gonna jump right into it because we have a lot to cover today. So let's start! From District One, we had Amelina Fournié and Argentum Pretiosum. Now, District One was absolutely wild. Argentum’s name was called, and before Aurum, his twin brother could volunteer in his place, Isaac Jacobi silenced him with a look and took his place as District One’s male tribute. One could argue that Aurum was acting to shield his brother from the Games, but the moment was ripped away from him by Isaac, an eighteen-year-old career who has no doubt trained for this moment from the minute he could crawl. For the female tribute from District One, we have Amelina, also eighteen-years-old whose skills with a knife could rival the deadliest of Careers.
For District Two, we had Alejandra De La Fuente and Cesare Crocetti, but two volunteers stepped up to claim their place as tributes. For the males, Cesare was replaced yet again, but this time by Exar Shan, a Career with a hot temper and a short fuse. For the females, Alejandra was replaced by Euley Sarasin. Rumor has it that she will be especially suited to this year’s arena, so we cannot wait to see what tricks she has up her sleeves.
District Three offered no surprises - Cade Riene and Maisie Lennox had no saviors as their names were called. We all here at ALL CAPS were shocked that no one stepped up but cannot wait to see what these two have to offer. District Four was business as usual - no volunteers for Eva Tidestone and Dymas Nyx. We were sure we could see some sort of display from the Perch family but they stayed silent as Eva and Dymas took their place as tributes.
District Five gave us Demelza Shim and Johannes “J.J.” Zedler. The dichotomy between the two tributes was certainly telling for anyone who witnessed it splashed across our screens - J.J. seemed set on his place in the Games, striding forward with measured steps, while Demelza took her time getting to the stage, the shock written all across her face.
District Six also gave us some surprises, didn’t it, Turing? The tributes were set as Annemie Yille and Shadow Svenin, but fortune favors the bold and we saw not one, but two volunteers from this middle district. Annemie was replaced by Vesper Daisy, twelve-years-old and showing courage and bravery beyond her years. That was bold.
Shadow was replaced by Aeson Kight, an eighteen-year-old orphan who seems set on proving himself in the Games. A lot of these tributes, not only the Careers, may have some special skills that will no doubt help them in the Games. It’s definitely not all about training, but strategy, coordination with allies, quick-thinking, and ability to respond to external stimuli that helps you get far, no matter which District you’re from. We’ve recently seen a push from the middle districts with their tributes, so it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top this year.
So, twelve tributes down, twelve to go. Any initial thoughts on our first crop of tributes, Tur?”
Astrid turns off her microphone for the moment, sighing and taking another sip of water as she runs her hand through her hair, careful not to disturb her headphones. Her mouth is dry but her bones and her skin are tingling. She never realized the simple rush that she could get from sharing her thoughts with the nation, broadcast for any and all to hear. And she could not wait for what Turing had to say on the subject.
