Wednesday Diamante, District One Female, 17 years old
The long awaited fourth quarter quell was made for me. If you didn't know, I hail from a long line of victors and this year I'm eligible for reaping because of my mother, Carmela, and her victory. Everybody in District One knows about my family. We're royalty and I make sure everybody knows it.
The trainers in the academy toss me some bones; they like to bring the attention of the other tributes to me and I don't complain - I love being the centre of attention. Talk about me positively, talk about me negatively - I don't care! At least you're talking about me.
"You volunteering today?" One of the trainers, Alexandre, asks me, knowing full well I intend to.
"Of course!" I say as I spar with him, "I love the fact it makes the reaping more inclusive - makes volunteering easier!"
My loud and over the top voice draws some attention to me and I can see others rolling their eyes or tutting. I don't care, really; they'll change their tune as soon as I come home the victor.
"Careers?" He presses on, a smirk on his face. He likes to stir the pot - that's his trademark. He's good at that, too.
"The leader of them," I reply, holding my head high and for a moment I let myself imagine I'm on stage with Elbora Royal, the host of the Games.
What I do with my face causes a few snickers to arise round the training floor but I don't pay them any attention. As I said, I'll let my actions do the talking for me.
Alexandre and I spar for a few more minutes before the training is called off for the morning so those who are able to attend the reaping can go home and prepare. I make sure to wave all my trainers goodbye, telling them that I'll see them soon and, when I come back, if they need any help I'll be happy to oblige. They humour me and nod, laughing with me.
As I walk to my house in the Victor's Village I see that all the TVs set up around the district to show the reaping are currently playing back the victories of the current living victors. I seem to be lucky because as I watch the screen it shows my mother and her victory. I've seen the moment hundreds - no, thousands - of times and it still makes me as happy as it made me the very first time I watched it.
There my mother is, nursing her wounds, before running spontaneously and joining her partner, Orpheus, in the fight against the boy from Eight, Shadow. Then it happens. People think she goes in for the kill on Shadow but she betrays Orpheus, stabbing him in the heart and nearly decapitating Shadow in a single swing of her sword. As both bodies drop around her she looks regal, like a queen. No. Empress.
I can't feel prouder when other members of the public watch the same moment, some grimace and some cheer. This is the legacy I was chosen to carry on. Well, behind my siblings. After the clip of my mother is shown my sister's victory is shown. Serenity, Victor of the 96th Hunger Games. Technically she's also eligible for reaping as the child of a former victor, but I'm lucky that her own victory a few years back negates her from being able to be reaped. It makes my time to shine even brighter. Serenity looks just as beautiful and captivating as my mother did as she makes her own final kills.
I'll be there too, they'll see. I'll be the better version of Serenity - one closer to my mother's perfection. Mark my words.
Aluxor "Alux" Gleam, District One Male, 18 years old
My siblings and I train together often. We're all children of the infamous 'Brandius the Brute' and we like to show that we're able to keep that going.
Everyone in District One knows me. Everyone in the Capitol knows me and everyone knows this is my quell. This is the time I have to shine and promise to the Capitol that I'll forever be their golden boy.
I don't mean to brag, well, I do, but I'm the best District One has to offer. The most popular? Check. Got the legacy and the skills to back it up? Check. Going to get the most sponsors because I'm irresistible? I'm a triple threat baby. All the other tributes should fear my name.
"You better win," My sister, Chantelle, tells me as we engage in a mock sword fight, "Keep dad's legacy going strong. Think you'll be as brutal as him?"
Everyone knows how my father one. Brandius Gleam, Victor of the 79th Hunger Games. His Games lasted a mere six days and he racked up a total of nineteen kills. Never has there been such a killing machine like my father. He killed the final tribute, the girl from Eight, mercilessly and his humble dream of helping our his family economically came true. Brandius the Brute, yet with the best intentions of winning.
"Maybe not as directly brutal, that'll be predictable," I say as I disarm her with ease, kicking her sword back up so we can resume, "Maybe I'll be a little sneakier? Kill the other Careers in their sleep when they've done the dirty work."
Chantelle smiles at me and nods, "Definitely the way to go about it."
We continue to spar until our mother, a District Two native who's fit right in here in One, calls us for breakfast.
Being part of a family of Victors means you can have whatever you want for breakfast so, naturally, we go all out. The remnants of a party I threw a few days ago remain in the kitchen but my parents look past it, purely because they know they'll have the chance to scold me when I come home.
"Make us proud Alux," My father says as he digs into the food in front of him, barely letting my mother place food on his plate, "Show them what we see."
"The best tribute District One's ever seen?" I say laughing, "Besides you, of course."
My father nods, a smile dominating his face, "Exactly."
"I'll make sure the Bloodbath is what it's meant to be - a bath."
My family laughs and we share a small toast of some extremely high-class, expensive champagne. When you're in the Victor's Village there's no restrictions.
I hope my female partner isn't one I've hooked up with - that'll make things messy and nobody wants drama attached to them before they enter the arena.
Magnesia Dollepart, District One Escort
The district square is as busy as it always is on the reapings but this time there's more on the outside of the square rather than on the inside. I can see the crowd stretching back into the streets and alleyways of District One. For a Career district, this quell is exhilarating, a chance for one district to rise above the others and claim dominance in producing lineages of victors.
"On the one hundredth anniversary," I announce, silencing the crowd from in front of me to the doors of people everywhere. We're the first impression of the Fourth Quarter Quell - let's be extravagant. "As a reminder to the rebels that even victories withhold horrors and difficulties, the male and female tributes will be reaped from the offspring of the district's victors within the eligible reaping ages."
The crowd before me bursts into a cheer and I make sure to move my long, purple hair strategically to show my face more.
We're allowed to skip over the infamous video which is both disappointing and exciting to me. Disappointing because I love that film, love it more than any Capitolian drama, but exciting because we get to see who District One's tributes are! There's a lot of brutal victors here and we're sure to get some strong contenders, though that's nothing new.
"As always, ladies first!"
I move to the bowl full of the female names with perfected precision. My hand moves daintily in the significantly fewer pieces of pearl white paper until I raise a single piece up. I look at it analytically before presenting it to the district. They're hushed as I return to in front of the microphone. I open the piece of paper slowly. Whatever happens I know there'll be a large amount of screams to volunteer. That's the fun part of being the One escort - you get to pick from that.
"Daughter of Glitter Bauble, Victor of the 69th Hunger Games," I read, "Merrigold Bauble!"
Glitter wasn't a popular victor and it's no surprise that her daughter receives a silent treatment. Even more so as she emerges from the twelve-year-old's section with a nervous look on her face. I glance back to Glitter who looks scared, though she doesn't need to be. Before Merrigold can move two feet there are screams of 'I volunteer!' from the girls at the back, the older girls. I choose the loudest one - a girl with long, brown hair who strides up to the stage as if it's her walk to the shops to get the daily essentials.
"What's your name dear?"
She smiles at me triumphantly before addressing the cameras, "Wednesday Diamante, daughter of Carmela, Victor of the 66th Annual Hunger Games!"
I smile as I hold up her hand, presenting her to the district. The daughter of one victor and sister of another. There'll be high expectations on Wednesday's shoulders.
The choosing of the male tributes is a lot less dramatic.
Like with the female names, I choose one name graciously and present it overbearingly to the audience who laugh a little at my shtick. They love me here and I love them. It's a great mutual relationship.
"Son of Brandius Gleam, Victor of the 79th Hunger Games," I read, feeling myself get excited because of of Brandius the Brute's children is entering the arena, hopefully, "Aluxor Gleam!"
Nobody dares challenge Aluxor's reaping and it becomes clear that he would've volunteered anyway. He's the next biggest thing in the Capitol, a place that'll be solidified if he wins. Brandius is loved and so is he. I raise his hand like I did Wednesday's and the district cheers.
I instruct the two tributes to shake hands and they do so, causing louder cheers to erupt.
District One has some strong contenders this year and I won't be surprised if one of them and I end up touring the districts on the Victory Tour.
So there we have the first pair, Aluxor and Wednesday!
I haven't forgotten about these Games! I've just been captivated with my other ones.
Thank you to gameshungerplayer and Apollostjames for submitting them respectively! I hope I did them justice.
For those reading and have submitted, please do opinion charts! I love seeing how people receive the tributes.
We still have some spots to fill, as indicated on my profile, so if you're just seeing this story for the first time please do submit!
Like my 70th HG, these chapters may contain spelling errors or grammatical errors because, simply, I'm in exam season and I don't have time to write as much, let alone check them. I'll make sure to return at a later date and change it but for now I hope you can all see why I'm doing it and won't mind!
As always, reviews make me happy~!
-Oli
