The most extraordinary thing about the children of this world is their talent of making even the grimmest situations normal. But even the Hunger Games shapes them in one way or another, and the way they are introduced to it is different in every District. Children are taught how to react to the Games, to mourn, to train, and to grow up differently in every District. From 1 to 12, however, one thing is consistently taught to the children: mourn the fallen. Mourn those who weren't able to survive this cruel world.

District 1

When a child is born in District One, the family of the child comes bearing gifts for the child's christening, three beautiful gemstones representing characteristics that they see in the newborn. Amethysts are presented if they see the new child is quick of intuition, citrine for the promise of wealth and prosperity and, the most common gemstone brought to a christening, diamonds are presented for the glimmer of true beauty. They never bring emeralds, though. One emerald is presented to the mother for every successful birth, and they are put onto a necklace that the mother was given at her wedding. She only puts it on when she is expecting once again, or when she has suffered the loss of a child.

When the infant received their three gems, the three are taken away and put into a ring for the child to wear when they are grown. Only when the child is given the three gemstones, the mother chooses the name for her beautiful child. Once she gives the name to her child, the family rejoices, partying long into the night. After all, nothing is more important for a child than the choice of their name, their defining feature, their first impression, their first identity. A good name can make a beautiful child noticeable, but a wonderful name can make a child stunning.

The mothers and fathers of District One never send their children to school until they are five years old. They believe that the child needs time to be nurtured, to grow into their own selves, to embrace their own personality. So, the parents take care of their small children at home, teaching them their own stories of life, love, and loss. The citizens of District One believe in the values of their own children knowing their heritage. That way, the new generation is able to learn from the mistakes of their past and turn them into success in the future.

When a child in District One first asks why the kids on TV are bathed with red, the parents show them every family member that had been killed in the Games, all memorialized on a bronze plaque, decorated with the gemstones that they were presented at their own christening. The children learn to remember those names. They are taught to learn from the fallen, just as they learned from their heritage.

Class plays a large role in the lives of citizens of District One. The highest of the classes are the noblemen and women of the District, living in their grand mansions and being honoured with riches and power. The de Luces, the de Bois, the Ardens, the Kingsburys, all are known as the highest of the high, the leaders of the District, or "blue bloods", as the lower classes prefer to call them. They are the ones to own the factories, run the District, and bear the greatest children. The lucky child born into one of these noble families will never have to worry about working in his or her life. Instead, they will spend their lives locked away from the lower classes, trapped in their castles of power. The higher classes are never allowed to associate with the lower classes. Both are very loyal to who they are and despise the lives the others live. So, towns are divided by these rifts in District One, both sides forever doomed to be separated from the other.

The lower classes are easy to tell apart from the higher by their accent. The lower classes have lower, flatter voices than the lilting accents of the higher classes, so often mistaken for Capitolite accents. The lower classes are the workers of the District. Their men work the mines, slaving away and practically breaking their backs in the hope that they can find the big "payload" that will put them into comfort and relaxation for the rest of their lives. They never do. Their women set gems into necklaces in tiny, dark rooms, often going blind before the age of 50. The children fight to survive, struggling to find a place in this cruel world of misleading beauty. Yet, they do, finding their place through sheer willpower and spirit. That is why there are twice as many victors in District One from the lower classes than the higher. The higher classes have more access to resources, but the lower know how to fight for survival when the hunger sets in and when the fear breaks out. The higher classes know how to play, but the lower classes know how to win.

The first victor in District One came from the lower classes. Ben Quick broke the drought of victory in the Hunger Games in the 13th Hunger Games when he shocked Panem by poisoning the careers and taking home District One's very first victory. When he came back to District One, however, he started the very first training centre in the District, following the lead of District's Two and Four. Ben quickly realized that he needed to bring something to the career table that the others wouldn't have. District Two had fierce leaders, District Four had loyal survivors, but District One needed something to put them aside. So, he took the concept of beauty and pushed it into the core of the academy. The District One career would be a cunning tempter or temptress, using their wits as well as their strength to win the Games. They would not only be good fighters, but they would play the Games with their minds as well.

The academy in District One is ruled by the victors. Started by Ben Quick, it is mandatory for eight-year-olds to attend it for a week. The children are tested for their stamina and strength, their ability with weapons, and their beauty. If the victors see a spark of promise in the child, they are accepted into the academy. When a child is accepted into the academy, they receive an extra gemstone, a ruby, for their ring. The ruby represents the passion, the blood that the child will have to spill to gain the ultimate victory. It represents the sorrow that will change them forever, but also the hope for the future. When a child receives a ruby, they know that they have grown up. They have become their own person and must now rely on themselves to achieve their goals. There are no more children's games for the eight-year-olds when they receive the ruby. They now are trying to be representatives for their district. They will fight for their honour, for their ancestors, for themselves.

The academy is run as a day school, one concealed by the cover of being a school for "intuitive minds". The Capitol lets it go on, knowing that District One is a loyal district, and will produce entertaining tributes to watch. At the very least, they will produce a, say desirable victor for the Capitol, if not an entertaining one. Ben rules the academy with an iron fist. The lucky few who are accepted are taught everything they would have learned in school, but the afternoons are reserved for the weapons training. Potential volunteers are schooled on all weapons, with aptitude tests each year helping them focus on singular weapons. Attendees are also schooled in the art of beauty and fashion. District One is always expected to be the most beautiful District, so the future volunteers are pressured to make sure that they look their best at all times. Flaws aren't tolerated in the potential volunteers, in either beauty or character. Flaws make even the strongest gemstones crack, and District One could never tolerate a crack in their gemstones.

When a child is reaped or volunteers in District One, they are given one more gemstone, put onto a ring by their parents. This one symbolizes the characteristic that the parents want their child to hold onto in the arena. When a District One tribute is covered in blood, forced to kill a tribute, or scared to make a difficult decision, they finger that gemstone and take a deep breath. They will remember to hold onto that piece of home. They will be true to themselves, through life and death.

Hello everyone, and welcome to my newest project! It's my take on the life of a child in each District, with the way they train or prepare for the Games and the way they are brought up. Did you like my take on District One? Let me know in a review! Until District Two, TheAmazingJAJ