Originally written for and uploaded on Thirteen on Jakey121's, a 24 author collab that was unfortunately deleted due to being unfinished. A blog is available on my profile.

Azura is by far my most favourite character that I have created for the hunger games fandom. I find it strange how strongly I can identify with him at times, and others he feels like a completely unique person all of his own. When I wrote this chapter I never knew how much he would develop or how much people would like him in future. This chapter is his beginning as a depressed teenager, blind since the age of three with a dead twin brother and painful, locked away feelings for the only person that cares about him.

Speaking of which, Spritz is also one of my favourite creations, mainly due to how well he balances out with Azura and how much he cares for him.

By the way, Sprizura is my OTP for life.

Azura-Jay Dennis

2 hours before the reaping

Waking up was like any other dreary pointless day of the year.

Given the chance, I would have just lain in my bed alone again today. A change of scenery meant nothing to me; it was all the same. Pure darkness.

My whole world was dark, like hell frozen over and spiced with that choking salty sea air. It was disgusting. Out of every district and I had to have been brought into the miserable existence of this one. The sea air did no wonder for my lungs; the sea itself was wet cold and unfriendly and the children….

They were naïve simpletons who led a pointless life in search for glory in bloodshed and gore. Their glory is just false happiness; somehow I was never able to convince Conch Lark that, now his grave is ironically buried in water.

Unfortunately though, Spritz had decided to break into my room again today and drag me out, away from the cold atmosphere of the house into the blazing sun of the district that did not brighten anything for me, but simply burned my pale and scarred skin. He had some nerve to do this, though strangely I did not bother stopping him. It's just pointless after all. Under all his charm and wit and supposedly good looks, he is just another naïve district 4 career and on this bloody day he just wants to spend some meaningless time with me outside.

Might as well let the dog have his bone.

As we walked, my hand snaked up to his shoulder. He was quite a bit taller than myself. From what he tells me about his looks, he's also another blonde pretty boy. Myself, I'm rather short, average weight. Nothing special at all. Once, I remember asking for Spritz to dye my hair a dark blue. It's the only colour I can remember before my sight and my world vanished completely, and it certainly was sad one. How appropriate it was...

I let go of Spritz for a moment and step back. He doesn't seem to move so I shift round a bit and slowly sneak back-hopefully-behind his line of vision. Then, almost like an instinct, my hand reaches to my arm. I can feel the nails of that hand dig so strongly into the skin, breaking through and letting a little blood seep out. These nails drag themselves through the fragile skin, leaving long thick marks. It doesn't sting. After the first few times it stopped hurting. Well, that was after everything stopped hurting. Long ago, my pain faded along with Conch's. I stop scratching for a moment and gently let my aching hand clamp around the thick sticky substance coating my arm. Old memories flash back.

I may never have actually watched the games but I could sense what was going on simply from the screams, not the mention the sickly sound of blood slowly flowing from your veins. That sound kept rushing through his head, the blood flow from his arms, and Conch's chest…It all drained at once until there was nothing left. For me, this is the only solitude I can find in this disgusting world.

AH!

My trance is quickly broken by that idiot Spritz, and from the feel of his rough hands he's concerned. I wish he would stop that. Breath stops in my throat.

"Azura Jay, what did I tell you about this habit?" he scolds me.

I say nothing. It's not like he expects a reaction so he continues.

"Please, will you stop harming yourself. Just, try focusing on something else" he says. For some reason, he touches the smooth fabric of the cloth on my eyes. Everything tenses.

The pressure of his hands then suddenly fades as he lets go. Then, he lets out one of those annoying, cheeky chuckles of his.

"Hey, maybe you could focus on this!"

I can't see what he's referring to but knowing him he's making a shallow gesture and is pointing to his body.

"Shut up" I manage to mutter back. It irritates me to no end when he talks about himself. I have never seen him once and deeply hate his trying to save me in any form. It's useless.

Then why do I let him?

"Excuse me, get outta my way!"

There is only a split second after this reaches my ears as a sharp pain slams in my chest, knocking me back. The pain rushes out quickly and I'm just left confused, and not to mention seriously unhappy. Reaching out my pale hands, I search pointlessly for whoever this mysterious assailant is. If it's Spritz I will unwillingly forgive him, anyone else and they have given me one more reason to hate life.

"Sorry, but I warned you. Listen next time" a female voice seems to arrogantly speak in front of me.

Doing what I usually do to strangers I hiss and muster an angry look, but when I don't hear her scampering away any other pathetic child I speak up.

"I will, but only because you'll be screaming in agony" I eventually breathe out. Deep down I know I'm not even joking.

"No, it will be you" this girl somehow retaliates. She's feisty. I hate that.

"We'll see, it's not hard to cut someone right down the brittle sensitive core of their soul and shatter it without mercy" I hiss back. Even I can feel the ice of my tone of voice in this statement. Hopefully that broke her. Sometimes it takes true words to bring these oblivious beings into reality. A hand is placed on my shoulder, most likely my pretty boy friend.

He whispers the words "Azura, chill" but as usual his words are useless.

With no feeling, I wait for her response. I don't get any but somehow I know she is certainly not happy with me; that makes two of us.

As the silence continues, something flops beside my feet. It continues to flop around desperately and as I listen carefully, I hear breathing. A fish most likely, Spritz taught me about them. If it came from her then she must be one of those fisherman.

"That fish struggling for air...reminds me of tributes in the arena, their desperate struggle when in a new and dangerous place that threatens them with a slow, painful death but their struggle is all in vain as their life is sapped from their lungs by mindless killers who don't realise their actions...from what I see that could be you" are my final words to her.

Spritz places a hand back on my shoulder after I say that. I guess he could notice a change in my tone.

There is silence for a moment, then the girl laughs nervously. Her footsteps crunch on the grass and faded until they are even out of range of my hearing.

And another one gone. They always walk away.

"Way to go Azura, you just scared off yet another person" Spritz scolds me. I shrug it off easily, until the girl yells back

"I'm not scared! I'm just needed to go and kick some butt!"

I sniffle, but then look down hoping Spritz didn't hear that. Emotions clog my mind, so I forcefully grab Spritz and drag the pain of an love away, all the while with him yelling

"Sorry! Please forgive him!"

I don't need forgiving. You can't even get forgiveness in this world.

"Maybe!"

…I stop.

She just shouted 'maybe'.

She didn't mean it.

Or did she?

As usual I just shrug it off and continue. I've said it before. I hate kindness.

Another year, another reaping.

After that little encounter with that unusual girl, Spritz had dragged me back to his house. I haven't spoken since then. He had simply dressed me in a silk blue shirt and trousers to match. He told me to look 'as cute as I always am' at the reaping today. I really wish he would stop giving me false optimism.

"Hey, Azura" he mumbles beside me. I don't bother speaking but I turn my face towards his face. I get confused when I don't hear a reply but then a pair of rough hands snake around my neck and leave something smooth behind. Hesitantly, snake my own hands up and feel something silky like my outfit.

I want to stab him. I hate it when he's so kind to me. Kindness is just another lie.

Shortly, we are both ushered toward the seventeen year old boy's area. Spritz stays beside me the whole time. Once I feel the noise and disruption settle down, heavy footsteps clomp along the stage to the front. A throaty cough is let out and then a male voice begins to speak. It must the mayor.

He starts off the usual monotonous routine with a false "good day", then continues on to read out the treaty of treason. None of that stands out for me

My attention is partially brought back as the actual reaping begins. I can hear the mayor step backwards and a lighter pair of footsteps takes his place.

"And now, the radiant Roxanne!"

Must be our escort.

"Wh-why thank y-you, h-how sw-sweet" she compliments him. She has quite a soft voice. Nothing like that girl from earlier.

"N-now for a-a v-video all the way from the C-c-c-capitol!"

She then lets out an annoying giggle, much like Spritz when he laughs, then plays the normal biased, exaggerated capitol video for us. For the most part, the words escape me and I lose myself in dark boredom.

Then something caught the attention of my ears.

Screaming. Familiar screaming of young sixteen year old male.

They are showing some clips of last year's games which could only mean…

Conch.

The video ends shortly but the screaming still echoes through my ears. In an instant I am lost again in my dark fantasy, just Conch and I.

The girls are first so I don't bother listening. Because this idiotic district thrives on bloodshed, she asks for volunteers. All at once I can feel and hear the rush of many girls eager and willing to participate.

Such a pointless struggle.

In the end, someone makes it up there and announces their name.

"Oceava Lac!" her voice rings out through the area. It's…familiar.

Wait, it's that arrogant girl from before.

I laugh under my breath. I guess I was right after all. She is just another mindless killer.

The boys are next.

Just as she finishes stuttering her sentence, Conch takes over my thoughts. Sprinting now that my impulsiveness has taken over, I reach the stage before any other boy can, and just to be safe I hiss at them. I can hear all of them step carefully back away from me. They're all just scared of me, the cowards, and they call themselves careers.

I don't hear the familiar breathing of Spritz. He must have been too confused to do anything about it. After all, he wouldn't understand; I have something that needs to put be to rest. I smile sadly, but keep my head low so no-one sees it. A strong hand grips tightly to my arm and I feel myself being dragged in the right direction next to the girl. A low growl indicates she is not happy to see me again.

She asks me my name. I just mumble "Azura Jay Dennis" to her and look away.

After the final statements, which seem to take ages due to the escort's stuttering, we finally shake hands. Blindly, I place mine out and wait her hand.

But it's not what I expect. Instead of a rough, sarcastic shake it's normal. Hissing, I pull away. The warmth of human contact is yet another false thing I hate.

Then why did I like it when Spritz touched me?