Chapter One - Growing Weary
Hey guys! I'm Dagger, a long time Hunger Games fan, although I never have ventured into the fanfiction writing realm before. Since this is my first time writing here, I hope you guys will show me a little leniency if my writing isn't the best or if there are some errors. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy my writing! This will be a Submit Your Own Tribute, however there will be more info about that at the end. Anyways, enough of my rambling and onto the story!
Clio's Point of View
As I stare at the blueprints in front of me, I can't help but feel drained in every single way possible. For the past eight years, I have been designing the same thing, try to find ways to vary the system. This will be the ninth one, and it seems like an impossibly daunting chance. How am I supposed to continue to make each one different and unique? How can I make each one memorable?
I stand up, slamming my fists off the table. "I hate all of these. Get them out of my sight!"
"Of course, Lilt." I inwardly cringe at the use of my last name as a young, blonde girl comes scrambling up, scooping the papers into her arms and hurrying off with them.
Lilt is such a capital last name. I despise it, even though I know why it has been chosen for me. It is supposed to allow for me to fit in better here, to disguise my background and make sure that I'm accepted, at least by those physically around me. An entire new identity was formed for me, and while my friend has good intentions, I despite it and my inability to put my foot down and tell her no. I never asked for this job. I don't even want it, yet I do it anyways, year after year without fail.
It started out as what seemed like an honest cause. I was told that the goal was to make people pay whenever our government failed to. No innocent blood would be shed. The guilty would be punished. To a gullible eighteen year old, this all sounded perfect to me. Plans were made as different positions were breached, until suddenly I was aware of the death that had begun. She claimed that the people who died were guilty, but I couldn't believe that as she continued to climb the ranks. She grew to be power hungry, but I was in too deep. It felt like I was drowning in blood, even though I hadn't even been personally involved. However, just by knowing, I couldn't help but feel like I was one of the people responsible because I did nothing to stop her. I stood back and watched as she utterly destroyed my trust in her by killing President Paylor. In the chaos that ensued, she became our new president: President Willow Mellark.
Oh gosh, what are her parents thinking as they see what her daughter has become? She has no contact with them anymore, and I'm not surprised. They were hunger games survivors. How must they feel, knowing that her daughter is the one to bring them back? Perhaps her intentions were at first slightly noble, despite being plans that I should never have agreed with. However, now she is just desperate for power and control, just like the old creators were. How did I ever manage to get myself wrapped up in this?
She tried to be generous to me after the war. A new name, a home in the newly reinstated Capital, and a job as Head Gamekeeper. I didn't ask for it. I didn't want any of it. I wanted the innocence back that I felt had shattered the moment I agreed to help her on her quest, but that was impossible. Instead, I smiled and nodded. I pretended to be okay with everything she did and hid the guilt that plagued my heart every time I looked someone in the eyes. I told her that I was thankful for everything she had done. I acted as if I was forever in her debt, a fact that she seemed to have no problem with. Yet with the atrocities she has committed, all I could think was that I wanted to bring her down. My best friend was gone, and so I didn't care what happened to the empty shell that remained. However, I was a coward, and so I still did nothing.
After the first few years, I hardened. I had to steel myself against the atrocities I watched occur because of me. Some of the deaths were practically at my own hand. The job kills me every day, yet I pretend that it's something that I actually enjoy. I put on my persona for the audiences, to pretend that I am the faithful Head Gamekeeper who enjoys planning out the death of twenty three innocent children. The Capital citizens love me. The District members hate me. Yet I continue with the facade.
I have become very good at pretending that I am someone else.
"Lilt?" I'm jerked out of reminiscing as a man walks into the room. His green hair and gold eyes seem almost normal compared to some of the fashion styles I have been forced to get used to, something I never thought I would say. "I know you rejected the latest plans for the arena, so I thought I would put forth my own idea."
"Can't be any worse than I've already seen." I mumble under my breath before gesturing to the table for him to set it down. "Well? Let me have a look at it?"
He scrambles forward, looking excited. Despite what I try to tell myself, the thought makes me sick to my stomach after all those memories. How can he be excited to plot out the deaths of children? I push the thoughts away, examining the paper as he lays it out before me. What I see almost makes my blood run cold. It's brilliant, yet worse than any of the others in the way that Willow loves. The idea that has been laid out before me is a carnival and amusement park mesh. The only ones I've ever heard of were the ones referenced in our history text books, and the only ones I've seen our images from our text books. Even those are old and decrepit. It would offer so many possibilities and deaths, and I hate it. However, it's something unique. Willow will love it, and I must continue to please her, at least I can do something to stop her.
"This is it." I say, looking back up at the man, who seems so afraid of my response. "This is the idea we will be using. Tell me, what's your name again?"
"Colsh." He supplies, his face lifting into a grin once more. "My name is Ajax Colsh."
"Well, Colsh, you are now in charge in the official construction of this arena. Of course I will be supervising over you, but I want you to be in charge of organizing everything. I will work with the trap team and have them work with you on what will be where, although I see that you have a basic idea. Congratulations."
He grabs my hand, giving it a firm shake before grabbing his paper and rushing out. As he goes to start working, he throws over his shoulder, "Thank you, Lilt! You won't be sorry!"
As the door shuts, I turn away with a sigh. "I already am."
I look into the mirror in front of me, trying to figure out where I have gone. What happened to me? What I see is no longer recognizable. My hair is an unnatural red, up in so may curls that I detest. While Gamemakers used to stay as close to normal as possible, I can't help but feel that Willow is trying to vouch for more and more attempts for us to get even more wild in style, which I hate. Somehow I've managed to avoid allowing her to get me to alter my eyes or face, and get away with minimal make up. But those small victories aren't enough to make up for everything else that I have allowed.
I brush off my white pant suit, glancing down at the red heels that are on my feet. If they were any more eye-blinding, they might just be a match for my hair. "Let the games begin."
That was a somewhat short chapter, but it was more to set up the story than anything else. Future updates will hopefully be longer, but I wanted to explain what the heck happened. Anyways, now onto the fun part. The Submit Your Own Tribute portion of this! If you could PM me forms, that would be fantastic, however I will allow guests to submit a form over reviews. Only guests though (but if you are a guest, please name yourself)! I have full rights to choose not to do your character, however I probably will not do that. I might change your character slightly, depending on what you do, but I will try to stay as true as possible to the character. If you stay consistent with reviewing, I am far more likely to feel compelled to keep your character alive, but you cannot be upset if they die. Characters will have to die in this story, after all, but if you stay active I might try to kill off characters of people who are no longer following the progress of the story instead.
You must fill out every aspect of the form unless it says optional. Also, please only submit up to 2 characters. I would like to allow for multiple people to get a shot, but this could change if not enough people are submitting characters. Please copy and paste the form when filling it out.
Form
Full Name: (try to stray away from cliched names. if you think of a great name that fit with the district you are hoping for your character to be in, I will be more compelled to let you have that district. Include a last name and first name though! Middle name is not necessary, but feel free to provide one!)
Nicknames or Aliases: (optional, they do not have to have this)
Gender: (are they male or female?)
Age: (12-18)
District: (give a few options, in case the one you want is already taken)
Appearance: (The more detailed you are, the more I am going to like you and your character. it also means less work for me. If you don't choose it, I will for you, and you don't want that)
Personality: (I want balance between strengths and weaknesses. your character cannot be perfect. I want you to try and be unique, and give me a 3 dimensional character to work with. No Mary-Sues, and at the same time, no characters with nothing redeeming about them. If you give me a Mary-Sue or someone who is just an awful human being, chances are they will die fast)
Brief History: (tell me a bit about your character and what their life has been like)
Family/Friends: (what relationships do they have? If you include a tiny description of these characters and their dynamics with your tributes, I will love you forever, as it makes my job 10 times easier)
Reaped or Volunteered: (please don't just pick volunteered because you can)
- Reaction: (what did they think about being reaped? If they volunteered, why? If there is not a legitimate reason for them volunteering, I will just make them be reaped as well)
Training Score: (make it reasonable, please)
- Why: (were they trying to aim for low or high? was this intentional and strategic or accidental? how do they feel about it? this is optional)
- How: (how did they get this score?)
- Training Strategy: (are they going for any certain angles in training? what are they hoping for other tributes to think? optional)
Alliances: (what is their stance on alliances? will they get in any? are they a loner? who would they be willing to ally with? are there any districts they would specifically like to ally with?)
Interview Angle: (how do they want to portray themselves to the viewers?)
Token: (what did they bring with them?)
Weapons: (what weapons do they prefer to use? please don't just say all of them or anything like that. be creative, and think through what they would have access to in their district)
Strengths: (what are they good at? be creative)
Weaknesses: (what are they bad at? what distracts them? what are they afraid of? what can't they ignore? be creative)
Other: (anything else you would like to include. optional)
And that's all I have for the form. Thank you for reading, and for submitting a tribute if you do! I'm hoping to make this interesting and spice stuff up, but we will have to see. Please keep reading! ^-^ I will try to update again soon.
Until next time!
~ Dagger