A/N: The last reserved spots are so far down, I decided to start reapings! So yay! Well, I hope you enjoy!
D1- 17- (Hunter Blackthorne)
I wake up in my nice home in District One to the sound of my stupid alarm clock, meaning it's time to get ready for the reaping. I'm just glad I can sleep in later than eight hours before the reaping this year. But I wonder why I can, considering that I'll probably have to volunteer this year.
I get out from under my sheets and slip out of my nightclothes and into a silver tunic—one-handed, of course, since Rika, my old friend, cut it off years ago—black tights, and black lace-up boots. Then I go to the bathroom and brush my wavy chestnut hair before the mirror.
To explain more about my arm: Rika, who is no longer my friend, and I were in a sword dual years ago—just for fun. And she cut my arm. I was rushed to a hospital and now have an artificial arm, which makes it harder to do certain things as it used to be. I've gotten used to it, but I haven't—and never will—forgive Rika.
I go to the kitchen where Ryo and my parents are eating. "You're up late," Ryo commented.
"I didn't set the clock," I tell him, sitting down and starting to eat. Once we're all done, Ryo puts his clothes on quickly and hurries back so we can be there in time for me to volunteer. I guess I will have to this year.
I stand in the seventeen-year-old section after having signed in. The reaping starts slow, with the mayor's speech and all. There is so much chatter around me, that even if I didn't want to listen—which I don't—it would be too loud.
"And, concluding my speech, let me read the list of past District One Hunger Games victors," the mayor roars so we hear. He reads the list after saying that twelve victors from our district are still alive. "And now, without further adieu, may I introduce…Toilia Marray!"
Our Capitol escort, who was previously neon blue last year, when Nick diLaurnetis and Therese O'Hannigan died, but is now horrid neon yellow, blinding my eyes almost. And worse. Every inch of her is yellow, even her contacts. But when she opens her mouth, I am glad to see her mouth is not yellow.
"Hello, hello!" she squeals. When there is a roar of applause, she smiles. "Thank you, thank you. Now, on to the reaping of one young, courageous man and one young, courageous woman to compete in the One-Hundred-Fifty-First Annual Hunger Games!" The screams are deafening, and I smile, though I could care less. I can't let anyone else know that, though—especially not my parents. "May the odds be ever in your favor!"
Toilia reaches her small yellow hand into the glass bowl rimmed with pink ribbon because it's the girls' and draws out a folded name. She snaps the slip open and carefully reads, "Laya Ellica!"
I step forward and raise my real arm, taking a breath before calling out, "I volunteer as tribute!"
D1- 16- (Kaiden Johnson)
I step up to the table so I can sign in. The Peacekeeper zaps my finger, sticks it on my square, and lets me go. I go to my age's section and stand there, waiting for everyone to file in so we can get this over with. Maybe I wouldn't mind filing into the square every year like this, if this weren't the reaping for the Hunger Games.
I wait and wait until everyone is here and the reapings start.
The mayor rambles on and I can't even hear him. Finally when the reaping starts, everyone gets dead-silent. And then they erupt in screams because of what the neon escort said.
"May the odds be ever in your favor!"
I roll my eyes at their deafening excitement until everything is silent again. Then the name "Laya Ellica" is read, and a girl from my section starts to make her way up, her head high, until a girl with chestnut brown hair that goes just below her shoulders volunteers. She is pretty with her intelligent green eyes, good height, and nice build.
"And now for the males!" screeches the escort. She reaches her name into the blue-ribbon bowl after click-clacking across the stage in those bright yellow heels of hers. "Kaiden Johnson!"
I stay back. I know it's me, but I might as well pretend I think it wasn't. Peacekeepers come and let me go up to the stage, but I stage put, and they drag me kicking and screaming.
"Shake hands, you two," the escort commands. We do so, and then we're taken to the Justice Building.
D1- 17- (Hunter Blackthorne)
I watch as the boy with short, shaggy dark brown hair, green eyes, and muscles comes up to the stage. I faintly recognize him as the loudmouth that picks fights with random people, and this is confirmed when I see one of his scars.
We shake hands and are taken to the Justice Building. There, my family enters. The little twelve-year-old brother of mine walks in smiling. I'm not sure if he means it, but he—Ryo—says, "You volunteered."
"Yeah, I did." My parents smile brightly, and I try to lighten my mood so they don't notice how much I regret this. "I did!"
"We're so proud of you, honey," my mother tells me with a grin.
"You can't disgrace us and lose," my father orders with a smile but cold eyes.
I nod to this, and then we all hug. Peacekeepers tell them it's time to leave for them. For a second, I think that's all the visitors I'll get, but then another Peacekeeper—a young one with large brown eyes—announces, "You have another visitor, Miss Blackthorne."
I wait until she enters. She looks into my eyes after running in here, puts the metal in my hands, and closes my hand over it. She looks in my eyes again, and then hurries out. When I look down into my hand and open the locket, I am looking at Rika and me when we were young. Her locket of her and I is now my token.
I really wish I wouldn't have volunteered, because now I may never see Rika again, and I've just come to the conclusion to forgive and forget.
D1- 16- (Kaiden Johnson)
No one comes to visit me or say goodbye. I am taken on to the train early where I see my mentor, Arthur Malcolm, welcomes me on the train and smiles joyfully.
"I'm sorry," he tells me. "I'll try to make this amazing."
"You sound like you're from the Capitol, not District One," I say truthfully. I look at the ridiculous colors and patterns on his regular clothes. "You look it, too."
He admits, "I've spent my fare share there. I just moved back so I could mentor."
He runs his hand through his brown hair and gives me a kind look with his blue eyes. He shakes my hand and the escort hurries in. She shakes my hand, too, and then purses her lips, wiping her right hand on her dress. "Yes, well. I'm Toilia Marray!" she exclaims.
"Your name sounds like 'toilet montage'," I tell her bluntly. Then I walk to the dining room and an Avox is right at my side. "Tea with sugar, please." She runs off and comes back a minute later with my drink. I sip it at the table until the girl tribute comes on the train.
"Congratulations, dear," her mentor chimes, coming out from the other car. She walks over to the girl and hugs her. "I'm Melrose McKinney, victor of the One-Hundred-Fortieth Hunger Games." Melrose goes to the sitting room, her blonde curls bouncing behind her.
The girl tribute comes and sits with me at the bar and orders coffee. I distinctly notice one of her arms is not real. I refrain from asking as she says, "You a Career, too?"
I shake my head. "I think I'll be alone," I tell her, since she is being kind. "You?"
"Oh. I'm a Career," she admits rather unhappily. "Hunter, if you didn't remember."
"Kaiden, if you didn't remember." We shake hands again.
If she weren't my enemy, she wouldn't be too bad.
A/N: How do you like? Did I capture your tributes nicely? Well, thank you to Rikachan101 and Fanohaymitchabernathy for submitting Hunter and Kaiden!
Also: IMPORTANT!- Please vote on arena ideas and send me your vote so it's anonymous. Sketch the girl who imagined came up with these great ideas, so let's thank her!:
A. The arena is giant and they shrunk the tributes
B. They are in a really big castle
C. They're in a no gravity vortex
D. They are in a huge circus
E. They're underwater and they are genetically enhanced so the are mermaids and mermen
F. They all see their district so it's different for everyone so they have different obstacles
Review now and I will figure out an official sponsor system—if I use one at all this time around—soon. Also, allies and stuff will be figured out and put in a chapter soon, too. Again: REVIEW OR MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!