My depth of headcanon is ridiculous at this point. ;)
I was discussing Career mentality with someone else last night. If you don't mind a cut and paste job...(with lots of my headcanon and some thoughts on Peacekeepers besides...)
"In terms of how selection works, in Four I have basically every child using "gym class" from a young age to physically prepare for the Games, and at twelve they start training in a weapon. That way every child is prepared to some degree for the arena, and if they're not seventeen or eighteen and their name is called, there's probably a generally acknowledged top boy and top girl ready to stand by to volunteer. If they're old enough and have basically passed expectations in training, they won't be replaced.
In One, they're selected at six and started in intense training. I imagine it's largely the likes of the middling-to-poor, actually, the less successful craftsmen, the metal miners, etc. looking for a chance to advance their lives a bit since having a child in the training school means certain privileges and better status for the family so long as they're in there. And ten, twelve years of social advancement, even if your kid isn't selected as the eventual tribute, means you're pretty well entrenched there with new ties to that higher class, so assuming your kid doesn't fail out young, it's a definite leg up. Orphans are also likely to be entered, if they're attractive, intelligent, and on the whole look like they can be polished up to standard.
In Two, they're also selected at a young age. Someone like Enobaria came from the quarrying class so again, it was a huge social boost to her family to have a kid in the Academy. But she's a rare lower class victor. Most of them come from the established Peacekeeper bloodlines because that way they're already raised in a mindset towards combat, duty, and loyalty. A few exemplary Peacehome orphans probably ended up in the mix but by and large I imagine they preferred to promote the "native" Twos.
Although how "native" those bloodlines are by this point is debatable. Granted, some Two-born Peacekeepers must be marrying fellow Peacekeepers that were former Peacehome orphans, given how low the birthrate is among Peacekeeper families on the whole due to that very late start on childbearing. There just aren't enough kids to maintain the Corps, let alone keep "pure" bloodlines. Ergo also why I see female Peacekeepers not being punished for getting pregnant, so it's not unusual for a kid to have a Peacekeeper mother, or even both parents, and grow up at the Peacehome. The woman would have to go on the likes of desk duty for a while so the natives don't see her belly and gossip, and they immediately have to surrender the baby to the Peacehome, but any child guaranteed to the Corps would be considered a welcome addition.
I've always seen Two as more clan-driven, centered around each training camp, than bloodline driven, though. If you're a Peacekeeper and you marry into a clan, no problem, you belong there regardless of your actual birthplace. The trouble with the orphan Peacekeepers is that they'd have to marry a Two native for that to happen. Someone like Ash and Rhee, both being district orphans, probably wouldn't happen often; the two of them would likely just be lifers in the Corps because neither of them have a home to retire to by virtue of family, and the jobs in Two are preferentially given to those who already have blood ties to that clan to promote keeping those ties strong."
I was discussing Career mentality with someone else last night. If you don't mind a cut and paste job...(with lots of my headcanon and some thoughts on Peacekeepers besides...)
"In terms of how selection works, in Four I have basically every child using "gym class" from a young age to physically prepare for the Games, and at twelve they start training in a weapon. That way every child is prepared to some degree for the arena, and if they're not seventeen or eighteen and their name is called, there's probably a generally acknowledged top boy and top girl ready to stand by to volunteer. If they're old enough and have basically passed expectations in training, they won't be replaced.
In One, they're selected at six and started in intense training. I imagine it's largely the likes of the middling-to-poor, actually, the less successful craftsmen, the metal miners, etc. looking for a chance to advance their lives a bit since having a child in the training school means certain privileges and better status for the family so long as they're in there. And ten, twelve years of social advancement, even if your kid isn't selected as the eventual tribute, means you're pretty well entrenched there with new ties to that higher class, so assuming your kid doesn't fail out young, it's a definite leg up. Orphans are also likely to be entered, if they're attractive, intelligent, and on the whole look like they can be polished up to standard.
In Two, they're also selected at a young age. Someone like Enobaria came from the quarrying class so again, it was a huge social boost to her family to have a kid in the Academy. But she's a rare lower class victor. Most of them come from the established Peacekeeper bloodlines because that way they're already raised in a mindset towards combat, duty, and loyalty. A few exemplary Peacehome orphans probably ended up in the mix but by and large I imagine they preferred to promote the "native" Twos.
Although how "native" those bloodlines are by this point is debatable. Granted, some Two-born Peacekeepers must be marrying fellow Peacekeepers that were former Peacehome orphans, given how low the birthrate is among Peacekeeper families on the whole due to that very late start on childbearing. There just aren't enough kids to maintain the Corps, let alone keep "pure" bloodlines. Ergo also why I see female Peacekeepers not being punished for getting pregnant, so it's not unusual for a kid to have a Peacekeeper mother, or even both parents, and grow up at the Peacehome. The woman would have to go on the likes of desk duty for a while so the natives don't see her belly and gossip, and they immediately have to surrender the baby to the Peacehome, but any child guaranteed to the Corps would be considered a welcome addition.
I've always seen Two as more clan-driven, centered around each training camp, than bloodline driven, though. If you're a Peacekeeper and you marry into a clan, no problem, you belong there regardless of your actual birthplace. The trouble with the orphan Peacekeepers is that they'd have to marry a Two native for that to happen. Someone like Ash and Rhee, both being district orphans, probably wouldn't happen often; the two of them would likely just be lifers in the Corps because neither of them have a home to retire to by virtue of family, and the jobs in Two are preferentially given to those who already have blood ties to that clan to promote keeping those ties strong."
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