"It's mandatory in the Districts. We used to watch the highlight reels in school assembly. The Capitol doesn't think sending the same message every year has the right impact if people stop watching." She tilts her head backwards, exposing her neck, and drums her fingers along the edge of her glass. Her gaze is far off, looking beyond the weapons racks and at memories only she can see, but there's something firm and proud in her stature.
"You don't have the same context, being an abductee. In the Districts, the Victor is a hero. You bring in enough food and wealth to keep your people from starving for the year. I had a baby to keep fed."
In a way, it seems better to her to have them be from the Districts, rather than bringing in strangers, and to have the Victor stand for and represent something more than just their own skin. The way things are now are just glitzy, shallow entertainment, whereas the way it was done before, for all the abhorrence of using teenagers, had a sort of patriotism to it. An ability to lend yourself over to the idea that you weren't doing this for yourself, you were doing it for the people and the District you loved, and that made it all okay.
She looks back at him with dead eyes. "There's nothing else worth watching on TV." And to clarify, in case he thinks she's being completely serious, she adds in, "I have to, for my Tributes. I was indisposed during the last Arena and I think that that might have put mine at something of a disadvantage."
Granted, she hasn't had a winner in a little while now, and last game she ended up sending her gifts to people from 10 and 12. They needed it more. Maybe if she was supporting her home District's economy again, the calculus would be different, and she wouldn't be picking favorites instead of keeping an allegiance to the ones she's responsible for.
Re: No problem!
"You don't have the same context, being an abductee. In the Districts, the Victor is a hero. You bring in enough food and wealth to keep your people from starving for the year. I had a baby to keep fed."
In a way, it seems better to her to have them be from the Districts, rather than bringing in strangers, and to have the Victor stand for and represent something more than just their own skin. The way things are now are just glitzy, shallow entertainment, whereas the way it was done before, for all the abhorrence of using teenagers, had a sort of patriotism to it. An ability to lend yourself over to the idea that you weren't doing this for yourself, you were doing it for the people and the District you loved, and that made it all okay.
She looks back at him with dead eyes. "There's nothing else worth watching on TV." And to clarify, in case he thinks she's being completely serious, she adds in, "I have to, for my Tributes. I was indisposed during the last Arena and I think that that might have put mine at something of a disadvantage."
Granted, she hasn't had a winner in a little while now, and last game she ended up sending her gifts to people from 10 and 12. They needed it more. Maybe if she was supporting her home District's economy again, the calculus would be different, and she wouldn't be picking favorites instead of keeping an allegiance to the ones she's responsible for.