There was quite a stir in Yunmeng this morning, wasn’t there, Commentator Yao?”

“Indeed - I don’t believe a District has ever sent two male Tributes.”

Beside him, his Uncle let out a disdainful huff and the girl muffled a laugh with her hand.

On the screen in front of him, he watched a wiry teen trip the other figure scrabbling for the stage, as the peacekeepers shifted in confusion, the young woman between them pressing a hand to her mouth. In a rather impressive display of athleticism, as the other boy stumbled down, the tripper dropped his hands against his companion’s shoulders and used the other boy as a vaulting beam, flipping onto the stage in favour of the stairs and landing proudly, hands stuck up in a gymnast’s ‘V’, turning to the audience and then bowing, his face completely overtaken with a beaming smile, eyes sparkling as the whole audience was torn between laughing and gaping.

“Wei Wuxian!” He declared, voice not needing the microphone to carry clearly, “ I volunteer!”

The handler coughed.

“Young Master . . . you can’t just volunteer for the female tribute.”

“Gender is a social construct!” the other declared happily, “so it’s totally fine, right?”