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The plates had been sitting empty on the table, but the Avox assigned to the table had been instructed to leave the customers be, and when the customers were the Host of the Life Games and the Escort for District 11, you let them hog the table for as long as they wanted.
“I’m sorry Pix, you want to what?”
“Make a documentary, or a reality, for the training days. Confessionals and everything!”
“Why?”
“Because no one gets to ever see it! It’s been more than one hundred years that we’ve had training for the Games, and I get why it was private before but it's been almost our whole life that they’ve extended it to over a week. I am so tired of rehashing all we see in the Reaping everyday until the night of the interviews.”
“You want to formally change the centenary process of the Games because you're bored?”
FWhip sighed. It was not unlike Pix to come up to him with some crazy new idea, asking for help to make it reality. He had decided some years ago that he was friends with the Head Gamemaker. He wasn’t, he just managed his anxiety when talking to her better than his colleagues, so she tolerated him more, which was saying a lot considering the woman is best described terrifying.
“Because it's time for change, my friend! It's time we get to know the Tributes. They deserve it and so do we! You and I, we are privileged since we get to really meet them, and how has that changed your perspective of them?”
He wasn't exactly sure if the perspective shift he and Pix had because of the Games were the same, but he wasn't wrong. Knowing the Tribute is what had lead him to the rebellion, had he just been a spectator, FWhip knew he wouldn't have broken out of the Capitol programming.
“Let's say I don't entirely think this is a stupid idea. What am I to do about it?”
“Help me pitch it to Amethyst. I can't talk to her.”
“And I can?”
“Better than anyone else I can think about. Including the few Gamemakers I actually know. Please!”
How a thirty year old man was pulling off giving him puppy eyes was beyond FWhip’s understanding. Still, it worked.
“I’ll make some calls…”
Pix lit up at the words.
“But I can't guarantee anything! Don't get your hopes up, they aren't big fans of change.”
“Oh! Thanks! Thank you so much!”
Pix left the table to go pay for their lunch, he hugged him, as FWhip was already dialling Jevin’s number to check if the idea would not hinder the plans of the People of the Hog. The call immediately went to voicemail and he remember that this was the week Jev was supposed to be meeting with Hypno in District 6. There was no way his phone was working underground.
“Wels it is then…”
He dialled again. After a couple of rings, the rebellion's second in command picked up.
“Hey! FWhip, how are you doing, how can I help?”
“Wels, hi! Look I got an idea to run by you, before I start working on it. So I was talking with Pix just now, actually we’re at that place you suggested me last week-”
“Have a nice date?”
“Worry about your own situatioships.”
“Uhm, you were saying…”
“He wants to make a documentary about the training days. Like this year. For the Games starting next month. Obviously it's on me to bring the concept up to the Gamemakers.”
“Go on…”
“I just want to check it's not gonna make trouble for your plans. I thought it was a really good idea, getting to see the Tributes up close, build some empathy with the audience without the bloodlust.”
“You know what; not only it's not a problem, it actually helps us out a whole bunch! We really need the Capitol to get attached to this years Tributes.”
“Why is it this year, why aren't we using the hype around the Quarter Quell next year?”
“Oh we will be, don’t you worry. It's a peculiar one next year for sure!”
“You already know it? Isn't it supposed to be revealed this coming December?”
“And how are the plans for the arena gonna be made so quickly? They know the theme of the Quell years in advance. The reading is just ceremonial at this point. I think they haven been actually revealed during the winter before since the 50th Games.”
“Makes sense, I’d wondered about that actually. So what is it going to be?”
“Let me just say that the previous ones pale in horror compared to this one. Another reason why we’re trying get things stirred up during this year’s Games.”
“You're really not gonna tell me.”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Wels’ smirk was audible over the phone, and FWhip was left wondering for now.