Hey!
Third chapter took a while (sorry) but I still need D2 and D3 tributes for the next chapters. In other news, I have decided to vary the tributes' first chapters, so they could be a reaping or a train ride or goodbyes.. If you have a specific preference just pm me :D
Okay, here is the District 1 Reaping! These tributes were submitted by Flintlightning and Katsparkle13!
The 174th Hunger Games: Pandora
Dimity Boudica grasped the microphone and wet her lips, slightly nervous, very excited. She smoothed her deep red Tinkerbell-style hair, reflected in the sparkling light of her sleeveless gold frock, and looked down into the faces of District One, so different from the thin, scrawny children she once had to escort from District Eleven. Ugh. Disgusting little ghouls, no manners, gawping at the Capitol like eight-year-olds, and not even trying in the Games. A complete disappointment. Even their mentors were few and far between, and not one of them even tried to help, they just sat around clutching bottles of wine. Failures, even though they were victors. Dimity preferred District One way better.
The mayor and his family were welcoming, offering her warm hospitality in a place far from her home. This year's mentors, Scarlett and Julius, treated her like a true friend, and were always planning on how to get the Victor's crowns on their tributes. Scarlett Sinistra and Julius Horn were the Victors of the 171st and 170th Games: they had won in both won in a brutal showdown against the District Two tributes, and were required today to give their good luck to the Tributes. The tributes themselves were shining stars; funny, beautiful teens with determination and strength. There hadn't been an actual reaped tribute for at least ten years, they were so eager to compete. The crowd she observed today were dressed like the shining jewellery they manufactured, covered in gold, silver and bronze fabric with splashes of gemstone coloured dresses dotted around the crowd. The younger ones looked coolly up at the stage. They knew there was no chance of them being thrown into the Games. The older ones were eager, excitement in their eyes. A group of boys were grinning. Dimity found the tallest, buffest boy. She knew he was destined to be the alpha of this year's Career pack. Bubbly with excitement as a flute of pink champagne, she began.
"Welcome, District One, to the Reaping of the One Hundred and Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games!" she trilled, flinging her free hand up in the air on the last word. The crowd beneath roared with applause. Here, she got real appreciation.
"Before we pick our amazing tributes for this year, we must uphold the tradition of sorrow, in remembrance of the Dark Days' war, the Uprising." She walked in her gold sequined platform heels to her seat beside Scarlett Sinistra, while the obligatory tape of war remembrance played. Although the teens below had learned their whole lives of the crimes their forefathers committed against the Capitol, she saw most of the eyes in the square glaze over. Dimity understood. She found no fun at all in watching some dusty old tape; not when the most thrilling celebration of the year was approaching. After a while, the tape stopped and the Mayor stepped forward to address the crowd.
"Thank you, Ms Boudica, for opening the Reaping ceremony." Dimity smiled. The mayor turned back to the crowd in the square.
"As is customary, this year two tributes will be brought into the Capitol to compete in the Hunger Games. My wish for these young people is that…"
He continued, wishing luck to the volunteers waiting somewhere out there. Dimity stifled a yawn. What use were words of the Mayor, when weapons would soon be in their skilful hands? She leaned back in her chair. She caught Scarlett's eye – obviously she was as bored as herself. Then she looked towards the Mayor and smiled, brushing her black hair with a single blood red streak hair behind her ear. Showtime. Scarlett and Julius walked up to the microphone.
It was Julius who began first.
"Future tributes of District One, I am honoured to be your mentor in the One Hundred and Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games." Dimity could see the spark in his eye, and knew he was reliving his own Reaping. "I swear by the Mentor's Code to assist the Tributes of District One in any and every way," he finished, stepping back so Scarlett could firmly grasp the microphone.
"I also swear by the Mentor's Code to assist the Tributes this year." She gave the hopeful tributes a smirk. "Now, who's ready to win this thing?"
The crowd of teens roared, applauding and cheering. Scarlett was definitely good at presenting herself. She was even dressed in her normal black training clothes, but somehow she still managed to pull off looking sophisticated. And that, of course, rubbed off on Julius, in his plain black shirt. He was muscular and intimidating, so Scarlett's charisma lightened him, making him somewhat similar to an old combat trainer, ready to show everyone the best of his students. One of the three 'Sinister Sisters' she was deadly nonetheless.
Dimity click-clacked up to the hollow glass sphere holding the names of all the girls in the district. She lazily reached into the bowl and plucked out a name, while she searched the older girls' section with her purple Capitol eyes for the volunteer. Dimity was becoming something of an expert at spotting Career volunteers in a crowd. She spied a tanned, black haired girl in a short blue dress smiling to her friends. Dimity beamed. This girl would make an excellent Victor.
"Kath-"
"I volunteer!"
Dimity looked out into the crowd expectantly. Instead of the girl in the eighteen-year-olds section, a girl in a blouse and flowing green skirt stepped out from the fifteen-year-olds section. Wavy honey-coloured hair and dull green eyes like pine needles. She wasn't as pretty as the girl in blue, but she had a certain… Confidence about her. Like she knew what she was doing.
The girl in blue's distaste was obvious. She called out in a sugared voice.
"Willis? What are you doing?"
This made the girl in the blouse turn around.
"What do you think I'm doing? I have every right to volunteer, Sydna," she replied coolly. Sydna smirked.
"What, with some stupid training from home? Let me volunteer instead, Chessie. You'd die before you even make it to the arena. " Sydna and her friends giggled. She didn't even see Chessie coming.
Chessie walked back to the eighteen year olds' section, fists clenched, like she was trying to control herself. She walked up to a hysterical Sydna, grabbed her wrist and her shoulder, and flipped her onto the ground. The mayor gasped. The parents around the square were muttering and shooting dirty looks at the girls. Sydna realised what had happened, but too late; Chessie had her pinned down.
"If you're so good, get out of this," said Chessie, in a voice she was struggling to keep calm. Only Chessie's eyes showed how angry she was.
Sydna struggled for a while, then punched Chessie in the cheek. Chessie jerked back, into the arms of a Peacekeeper. Another held Sydna.
"Go back to your family, Willis! Go back to your stupid little DIY training centre and leave this to the real fighters," she screamed, not even noticing she was in the spotlight of Panem.
"Ahem," interrupted Dimity. She had seen enough, and, more importantly, had read the rules on volunteering. She also hated any woman acting like an animal.
"I believe that once a volunteer has been picked, he or she may not be challenged over the title of Tribute. Miss Chessie Willis has come forth. She is now the rightful tribute for District One."
Dimity motioned for Chessie to come forward. Chessie walked up onto the stage with complete control over herself. She knew she must not get this wrong. She had to be better than Sydna, and, show the audience that. Dimity saw this, and decided she liked Chessie, even though she wasn't the usual Career.
Dimity walked over to the second glass bowl. She plucked out a slip of spotless white paper, and read the name printed on it.
"Lucius—"
"I volunteer!"
A tall, well-built seventeen-year-old with blond hair styled into a short fohawk stepped out into the aisle – the boy whom Dimity had seen earlier laughing with his friends. Scarlett and Julius obviously knew him from the training centre, as they were beaming at him, not at all surprised. He was even wearing black, mimicking the uniform of his Mentors – although he was in a buttoned shirt and dress pants, not informal training gear. When he walked onto the stage, Julius took his hand and clapped him in the back. Scarlett nodded in his direction, as it was his brother who had won the Games alongside her. Dimity smiled and handed him the microphone.
"Royal Richmond," he proclaimed "but you can call me Roy."
"I'm going to win this for my parents. Gem, Jewel, thank you so much for training me all these years. Now I will make you proud!"
Roy shouted out into the square. Everyone cheered. District One was very enthusiastic about the Games. Dimity could see Royal's parents, Gem and Jewel Richmond. Gem was cheering for his son with the rest of the crowd and Jewel had tears running down her face. Dimity recognised them as the Victors from when she was a kid, in the 151st Games. Roy handed her back the mic.
"Will you two please shake hands," she spoke over the roar of the crowd. Roy took Chessie's hand, shaking it firmly. He smiled at her. It seemed heartfelt, not like other tributes fabricating romance or friendship to win the favour of the crowds – strange, because normally other trained kids avoided her. Chessie smiled and lifted her hand in his high in the air, a team for all to see. This year, the odds were in their favor.
The polished marble handle turned and the door burst open. Lance and Kia both ran to the velvet couch Chessie was sitting on and jumped on her. Lance said nothing, just attempted to crack several of her ribs, while Kia, normally energetic and cheeky, had watery eyes. Chessie realised that they were afraid of being without her. Normally her family was always together, and now the prospect of her being away for weeks was making them anxious.
Her parents entered calmly, their faces only just showing concern, their breathing slow and deliberate. Chessie could see how worried they were, and how hard they tried to hide it. They had trained her so hard for the purpose of winning for the honour of their family name. Failure was not an option. A sudden fear overwhelmed her.
"What if I don't come back?" stated Chessie plainly. Kia burst into tears. Lance looked even more desperate and clung to Chessie tighter. Her mother turned white as a sheet, while her father looked ready to start smashing the china ornaments in a cabinet beside the couch. Instead he grabbed Chessie's shoulders, squeezing them so tight that she thought she would be bruised for weeks.
"Look at me, Chessie," he said, his voice on the verge of shouting. His arms were shaking. "You can do this. All the training we've done. All those hours practicing with knives, spears, swords, maces—"
"But how can I survive? In a place I know nothing about, with twenty two other people ready to kill me, ready to be killed? I can't. I should have let Sydna volunteer instead. At least One would have had Victors ." She broke off, sobbing. Her father looked away, releasing his grip on her. Her mother sat down on the couch, nudging Kia on to her lap. She took Chessie's chin in her soft warm hand.
"Chessie, your father is right. We trained you for years. Don't count it out. You can do this." Tears were threatening to spill over her eyes, although Chessie's mother kept a smile in her face. "You know how to climb, how to hunt, how to light a fire, how to gather roots and berries. You won't die, Chessie. Don't give up." Chessie clung to her mother, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.
Her mother pressed a small topaz pendant on a silver chain into Chessie's hands. She knew it had been her grandmother's, given to her mother on the day she died, as she lay on her deathbed in their old house. Her mother kissed her forehead.
"Next time you see us, it will be at the Victory banquet," her mother said with a smile. The peacekeepers opened the door again, but Kia and Lance squeezed her tighter. Chessie kissed both their heads and stood up, ready to go into the Hunger Games.
By the way, sorry for not including Royal as much as Chessie :( I promise he will have a longer chariot ride or something :)
Also, thanks for the non-stereotypical Career girls Katsparkle13, they are really fun to write about. I still need sme D2 tributes for the next chapter.
Thank you all for the feed-back so far! More Tributes would be appreciated, but don't forget that if you submit one the other has to be a bloodbath!