Districts Four and Nine Reapings

Soren Cantarell, District 4 male, 18

Sinfonian Legend

Reaping Day couldn't have had nicer weather anywhere else than it did in District Four. The sun was out, bright against a cloudless sky, and the waves were as calm as the ocean would allow. Children froliced on the beach, building sand castles and squealing in glee as they splashed each other in the waves.

Soren hated it.

Well, not all of it, of course. He was actually quite fond of kids, and despite the fact that his own parents were shitty examples, he could even see himself becoming a father someday. He simply hated how mainstream it all felt. The stereotypical surfer dudes, the sand, the warm weather, the ocean, all of it. People from other districts seemed to assume that every day in Four was sunny and that life was always good. It wasn't. Although Four may have been one of the wealthiest districts, it wasn't perfect. It was still in Panem, after all.

It wasn't that Soren was a pessimist. He was simply a realist that liked to be as salty as the ocean, and yes, he was proud of that cheesy comparison. At the same time, Soren had decided to just deal with the cards he had been handed and just float along wherever life took him. That was easier than being a bitter grouch all the time, and anyway, nothing could stop Soren from throwing in some sass now and again. Life was better with a side of sass.

Soren's thoughts were interrupted when beach ball hit him in the back. He turned around to find a giggling little boy, who couldn't have been more than three stumbling after it.

"Whoops," said Soren. He reached down to pick up the ball and bent down to the little boy's level. "Hi, there. Is this yours?"

The boy nodded proudly as he took the ball from Soren, a huge grin on his face. "Uh huh!"

"Dune!" called a boy around Soren's age as he ran up to them. "Be more careful where you throw your ball, okay? You could have hurt him."

"I sorry," mumbled little Dune, hanging his head.

Soren ruffled his hair, making the little boy smile again. "It's okay, buddy." He then turned to Dune's guardian. "Don't worry about it. Let's be thankful it wasn't a bowling ball. That would have knocked the wind out of me for sure."

The other boy gave a small, nervous laugh. "I don't think Dune is strong enough to lift a bowling ball, but good point."

Dune gave his ball a good kick, and started giggling again as he chased after it. The two older boys couldn't help but smile watching him. "Little brother?"

The other boy blushed slightly, "No, uh, son actually."

Soren nodded. "Sorry to assume."

"It's alright. A lot of people do," the boy said with a sigh. "Hey, it was nice talking to you, but I should get the little guy home and get him ready for the Reapings. Come on, Dune!"

"Commin' Papa!"

Soren watched father and son depart before continuing on his way. Already dressed in the best clothes he owned, Soren had no need to prepare for the reapings. His dark, mostly reddish brown hair was combed back, and his dark tan skin was relatively clean besides the various scars and scratches that were scattered around his body, although he couldn't exactly get rid them with the limited resources he had.

Even if he wasn't prepared, Soren didn't actually have a true home he could go to anymore. The outskirts of the district had been Soren's home since he was fourteen, ever since his parents decided his low grades in school meant he was a complete failure, therefore making him unworthy of living in their home. He had been on his own since then, and had learned how to survive by finding his own food and trading in town.

Screw his parents. He didn't need them, and besides, this was the year he was going to prove them wrong. He wasn't a worthless deadbeat. Worthless deadbeats didn't volunteer, and they certainly didn't win the Games. Soren was about to do just that, and he couldn't help but grin at the thought of the look that would be on his parents' faces once he had more money than they could ever earn in their lives.

Soren made his way to the Justice Building early, not only because of his eagerness to volunteer, but also because he had agreed to meet his best friend, Dandy Gray, there to chat before the reapings. He arrived first, but it wasn't long before he saw Dandy jogging towards him, her untamable sandy curls bouncing in the ponytail behind her.

"Hey!"

Soren grinned. "About time you showed up."

"Hey, I'm right on time," replied Dandy, "and anyway, you know how long it takes to get this mess on top of my head to not look like a rat's nest."

"True," Soren said, laughing.

"So you're really doing this? You'd rather face the Games then face your parents?"

Soren sighed. "Yes. You know that, Dandy. They kicked me out of my own home. What kind of parents do that?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to just talk it out with them?"

Talk it out. That was Dandy's solution for everything, it seemed. "No way. That's not going to work for me."

Dandy raised an eyebrow. "Is it really not going to work, or are you just too stubborn to do it?"

"I'm not changing my mind?"

"I know," Dandy sighed. "I just thought I'd try anyway."

Soren put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I know you don't like this, but I'll be fine. I wouldn't do this if I didn't think I could win."

"I hope you're right, Soren," she said, her gray eyes serious.

"Anyway, enough of that. What's new?"

Soren listened as Dandy gave him the juiciest news of the district, a bit of a routine for them. As more people flooded the Square, they both joined the line to check in. After having his finger pricked, Soren waved to Dandy and headed to his section, while she joined the crowd of eighteen-year-old girls. He took his place and took a few seconds to realize the boy next to him had been the same one from earlier, the father of little Dune.

"Hello, again."

The boy turned, startled. "Oh, hey. I didn't think I'd see you again."

"What are the odds?"

The other boy smiled, but didn't reply as the mayor had just taken his place at the podium. The mayor gave the same speech as he had been giving every year since taking office, rambling on about the great about of pride he had for District Four, and his faith that they would produce strong, competitive tributes, just like every other year. Soren barely listened. He wasn't volunteering to bring pride to the district. Rather, he was doing this for himself and of course, to spit in his parents' faces without physically doing so. That would be impolite, and frankly, disgusting.

Finally, after the playing of the annual video, the mayor called the escort to the stage and stepped aside. Cobra Richie, an agender individual with tan skin, black spiky hair tipped red, and eyes altered to look like they belonged to a cat rather than a human, came to the podium, holding their head high in a haughty display of arrogance. Cobra had been escorting in Four for a little over a decade after transferring from District Seven, but Soren still wasn't quite sure what to make of them.

"Welcome District Four, to the reaping of the Ninety-sixth Annual Hunger Games!" They paused to allow the crowd to cheer a little. "Now, before we begin, I'd like to remind you that my pronouns are they and them, so don't use anything else when referring to me. Let's start with the girls. Cove Blanchard!"

Whoever Cove was, she didn't bother to leave her section, or maybe she just didn't have the chance, because the shout of "I volunteer!" came quickly afterward, strong and eager. A girl emerged from the cluster of eighteen-year olds, her brown hair tied back in a short braid. She didn't run, but her pace was still brisk, and she was grinning from ear to ear. She climbed the stairs of the stage in just a few steps and took the microphone from Cobra so quickly after they asked for her name that Soren wondered if she was going to scream her name and burst his eardrums.

"I'm Tay Fairingdale, and I'm proud to be your next Victor!" Tay's voice was loud and excited, but thankfully, it didn't reach the volume of unbearable.

"It's an honor to have you Tay!" said Cobra. "Next up, we'll meet your district partner. Douglas Sanford!"

The boy next to Soren tensed, but there was no time to ask if it was his name that had been called, or a loved one's. This was Soren's moment, and he had to act fast.

"I volunteer!"

With no competition in sight, Soren took his time walking to the stage, taking the opportunity to smile at the cameras. "Welcome!" Cobra greeted as he took his place next to Tay. "What's your name?"

"Soren Cantarell," he said, giving the crowd a smile.

"Wonderful, Soren! District Four, I give you your tributes, Soren Cantarell and Tay Fairingdale! Tributes, shake hands!"

Tay took his hand in hers and gave it a firm shake, still grinning. Soren gave her a nod before following the peacekeepers into the Justice Building. He didn't have to wait long before Dandy showed up.

"So clearly I still didn't change your mind, huh?"

Soren shook his head. "Nope. Sorry Dandy, but I having to do this."

Dandy sighed. "I know. I know that when you put your mind to something, you're not likely to change directions on it. But please, Soren, know that your parents' opinions mean nothing. You're not a deadbeat. Don't win to impress them, win to make yourself proud."

"Fine," Soren agreed, "but I'm willing to bet they'll be begging for me to take me back by the time I get back. At the very least, they'll be sorry they kicked me out in the first place."

His best friend wrapped her arms around him. "Just be careful, Soren. Come back to me."

Soren nodded. "I will. I promise."

After Dandy left, Sammy Wheeler entered. At seventeen, Wheeler hoped to volunteer the following year. As workout partners, the pair had developed a strong bond, and thanks to the one year age difference, felt no hostility towards each other.

"Good job, man!" Wheeler said, clapping Soren on the back. "I know always knew you could do it."

"Come on, Wheeler. Now you're just getting cheesy."

Wheeler shrugged, smiling good-naturedly. "Too bad, because I mean it. You deserve this."

Soren smiled back. "Thanks. I do appreciate it."

The two carried on, as though today wasn't the biggest day of Soren's life. Soren enjoyed this time, because Wheeler allowed him to feel like this was just an ordinary day that he could simply float through, without making a big deal over him volunteering. He and Wheeler were alike in that way, which is probably how they connected so fast.

After Wheeler was asked to leave by the peacekeepers, the room grew silent. Tay must have had more visitors than him, but Soren was fine with that. He didn't expect his parents to come, and besides them, he had no other family. Dandy and Wheeler were his closest friends, so he didn't expect anyone else.

Soren leaned back on the plush couch and let out a content sigh. His time to shine had come. He was going to prove his parents were wrong about him, and he could hardly wait to get started.

Amaranth "Mar" Jane Smith, District 9 Female, 15

CrissKenobie-The-Numenorean

It didn't even take ten minutes for Mar to wonder if they would be dead by the end of the week. They hadn't exactly rested well, nor had they tried to sleep in. They knew that it was just going one of those days, and that'd be that. They could do nothing to magically cease being dysphoric, nor could they do anything to stop the reaping from happening. It was inevitable. It was one of those days.

Mar knew that those days wouldn't last forever, though sometimes it felt like they did. Going back and forth from neutral to masculine, neutral to masculine, was overwhelmingly depressing. But, Mar couldn't control how often they gravitated towards certain pronouns; it was really just a part of who Mar was and, though sometimes they wish they could shapeshift, they took pride in who they were. There weren't many people who would say the same.

Mar got out of bed, wishing that they could just slip into one of Farro's sweatshirts to hide their curves even a little bit, but that surely wouldn't do on reaping day. Instead, they wore a collared shirt and a pair of dress pants. Then, they combed their straight brown hair. As they were putting the brush down on the table, Mar noticed the dark black tattoo on their finger and smiled.

It wasn't debated that Mar was rebellious. Not in the way that the Capitol kept preaching against, but in the way that they just plain hated rules. Their parents weren't exactly jumping for joy when their child came home with a tattoo of all things, but then again, they weren't really thrilled about the nose ring either. They'd get over it, because they knew that deep down, Mar loved them and would ultimately never go too far. As long as their child was alive, healthy, and safe, their parents would get over whatever Mar did in time.

Mar slid their favorite red beanie on the back of their head, tucking some of their hair into it as best as they could. The beanie was worn out, but it had been made by Mar's mother, and therefore they would never stop wearing it.

Mar took one last look at themself in the mirror, glancing at their finger again before going downstairs to meet their parents for breakfast.

Mar's mother Rye was talking to their Papa about chores around the house, but was interrupted by Papa saying,"Good morning Mar!" He mocked a relieved expression at the temporary interruption to Rye's chore list, causing both Mar and their mother to laugh.

"Morning," Mar said, before Rye continued her list.

"Also, before we leave for that reaping, your shoes need picked up off the floor and put back in the closet where they belong. Are you listening, Emmer? " she said, only freezing in her list of chores to greet Mar. "Oh, yes, good morning, dear."

"Hey Mom." Mar said, sitting at the table.

"I hear you loud and clear, Babe," Emmer said.

"Why do you still call her Babe?" Mar asked, more playfully than anything.

Emmer grinned as he set breakfast out in front of Mar. "Just because we're not quite spring chickens doesn't mean I can't keep using pet-names. You should know."

Mar blushed now, momentarily silenced as they ate their breakfast.. Suddenly, they realized something was missing. "Where's Dad?" They had a lingering suspicion as to the answer to that question.

"Out working," Emmer sighed. "And yet, I'm the one that's going gray."

"Don't joke about this Honey," sighed Rye, but she smiled at how Mar laughed. There was a knock on the door just then, and she went to answer it.

"Hello there!" Mar perked up at hearing Farro's voice and quickly finished their breakfast.

"Oh yes, how good to see you, Farro," Rye said, smiling. Mar's eyes went to the matching tattoo on Farro's finger, and they grinned. It really was a brilliant idea.

"I bet you're here to learn how to treat a raging case of Montezuma's revenge, huh Farro?" Emmer joked.

"Papa," Mar said, crossing their arms.

"Not until Tuesday," Rye mused, an amused look in her eyes.

"As much as I love learning from you, Mrs. Smith, I'm here for Mar today. But I'll be here bright and early tomorrow to learn from you more."

"Of course," the woman said with a smile. "You two run off now." She kissed the top of Mar's head despite their protests. Mar even gave Emmer a hug goodbye.

"Tell Dad I said to stop breaking his back, 'kay?" Mar asked. They were concerned for their father.

"I'll pass on the message," Emmer said, kissing his child goodbye as they took Farro's hand and the couple walked out the door together.

"We're gonna be okay. You know that, don't you?"

"Mhm," Mar said nervously. Together, Farro and Mar walked up the street towards the mayor's house, swinging their hands slightly as they went.

"I bet you fifty bucks that Teff's already here."

Farro grinned at Mar. "Oh, you're so on! I bet she's still getting dressed and primping and such. You know how she is."

"I bet she came as soon as she was ready. I bet she got ready pretty fast."

"We'll see." Farro grinned as they knocked on the door.

Sure enough, the person to answer it wasn't the mayor's son. Instead it was the beaming fifteen-year-old, her green eyes alight with happiness at seeing them. When she waved, Mar saw the tattoo on her finger and smiled.

"Hey!" Teff said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss each of their cheeks.

"Hey," they both responded, grinning. Teff skipped inside, and the others followed, Mar giving Farro a nudge and a wink when nobody was looking.

"Did you see my new dress?" she asked.

"It's cute," Farro said, grinning.

"It suits you really well," Mar said, smiling affectionately as Teff twirled around.

"How're you holdin' up?" Farro asked, sitting next to Mill.

"I'm fine. Mayor's son. Not much of a chance." A chance still existed though.

"Eh. I'd volunteer for you."

"No you wouldn't," the scrawnier boy protested, snuggling into Farro's side when the chestnut-haired boy put an arm around him.

"I thought we weren't going to talk about it?" Teff asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I agree," Mar said, swallowing a nervous lump in their throat as they sunk next to Mill. The blond boy gave them a shy smile and sighed contently when they laid their head on his lap.

"Aw, you guys look so comfy!" Teff said, putting her hands on her hips.

"There's always room for one more," Farro said, and Teff found her way into the cuddle pile. The foursome stayed like that for a while before Mill's mother came downstairs.

"Shouldn't you all be on your way?" she asked, not wanting to break their moods but not wanting them to be late.

Wordlessly, the four teens stood up and linked hands, filing out the door together. Doors weren't a challenge for them anymore, they'd had so much experience getting all four of them through a doorway without letting go of each other. Silently, they walked to the Town Square, where many others were already in line.

As they were in line, Mar could feel eyes on them. People making confused or just plain disgusted faces at each other. Whispering. Mar wasn't sure if they were whispering about them or not. It felt like everyone was judging them in that moment. But Mar didn't care.

Farro bristled a little bit, but the others dragged him up to the registration tables before he could challenge anyone to a fight. Each of them got their fingers pricked, the Capitolites at registration intrigued at the matching black tattoos around each of their fingers. Mar realized that this was the point at which they had to separate. They hugged their boyfriends goodbye as they split based on sex. Mill gave them a gentle temple kiss, and Farro kissed their forehead. Together, still holding hands, Mar and Teff walked to the fifteen section together.

District Nine had a fresh new escort that year named Cerena Mai. The nineteen-year-old had inherited the position after her father, Romano Mai, retired the year previous. As far as escorts go, Cerena wasn't too bad to look at. Her skin was unpigmented, the only alterations being two tattoos, which were shown off by the garment she wore. She had silky black hair, only one streak of which was dyed, today a golden color. Her hair was kept simple today, in two buns close to her neck with golden butterfly decorations. She was wearing a red and black silk garment that was short sleeved and short enough that the red phoenix tattoo on her leg was visible, as well as the one on her right arm, which Mar couldn't really make out.

The video played as always, and soon it was time for the tributes to be selected. Just like her appearance, she's quiet and polite for a Capitolite. She picks the male tribute first, walking back to the microphone. Mar started to feel really afraid for the first time all day. Teff squeezed their hand, and they squeezed back as the name was read.

"Milo Redtail!" Mar let out a breath of relief as a boy came out of the sixteen section. He was standing close to Mill. At least both of their boys were safe another year.

The boy that was on his way up looked pathetic. He was pale, short, and thin, with slightly long brown hair pushed to the side out of his eyes. He made it up the steps slowly, tears bubbling up in his eyes. Cerena gave him a light pat on the shoulder before going to the female bowl and choosing a name.

"Amaranth Jane Smith!" A chill crept up their back. Teff squeezed their hand tightly, refusing to let go until Mar gave her a look. Defeated, Teff slowly unlaced their fingers.

Mar wanted to scream, cry, or beat the shit out of a Peacekeeper, but knew that doing that would only put their family and partners in danger. Instead, they put on a brave face, though they felt slightly dizzy as they went up the stairs and saw all the people watching them.

"Everyone, your District Nine tributes. Mister Milo Redtail, and Miss Amaranth Smith. Mar tensed at the use of the label of "miss", squeezing Milo's hand firmly and holding back a scowl as they practically ran back into the Justice Building.

All three of Mar's parents were there to visit them. When Mar saw them, they jumped up and ran to them, longing to feel the embrace of their parents, their protectors, their loved ones. Mar didn't want to leave them. Sure, they'd been pretty rebellious, but that didn't mean anything anymore. Nothing meant anything anymore. They let out their tears without any regrets.

"Mar, honey…" Emmer held them close. He couldn't even think of a way to make them smile.

"We love you so much," Rye sobbed a bit as she threw her arms around her child, holding them close and trying to hold back the tears.

"I love you too," Mar choked out. It's all they could make themself say. They hugged their father next.

Barley was known for his ability to be a grump, and Mar was worried he wouldn't be able to handle this. Mar was already worried that he was putting himself in danger, working so much. He was so rarely around. Mar stayed in his arms just a touch longer than they did their other parents. Mar and their parents exchanged tearful goodbyes and last "I love you"s before the three of them were forced to leave.

The next three visitors were what Mar really needed to get them back up on their feet. Teff was already in tears, her face buried in Mill's shoulder.

"I'm going to get them! I'm going to end this before it begins, I'm going to make them pay, I'm going to make them sorry, this isn't happening you're going to be fine, I'm going to make them take me instead, I'll-"

"Farro!" Mar looked up at him and felt absolutely pathetic. "Please," their voice quivered.

Farro was still steaming mad. Mar knew they couldn't stop him now. Mill was the first to hug them. His steady breathing was calming, and Mar focused on that feeling, the warmth and the steady breaths, until their tears had mostly stopped. Then, they hugged Teff, and kissed her temple, and finally they approached Farro.

"Please. Don't do anything you'll regret." Mar was begging him. "You have to be there to heal the others if... " they swallowed hard.

"Don't say that!" Farro practically shouted. "Please."

"You have to be there." Mar's voice had taken on an edge as they stared up at him with harsh gray eyes. "Understand?"

Farro took them into a tight hug. "I promise I'll do everything to heal them," he said quietly. His voice was shaking. Soon, the other two joined the hug, and the four of them stayed huddled there for a long time.

"I love you," Mar said quietly. "I really really do."

"Love you too," they all repeated quietly.

"Time's up!" the Peacekeepers said. Mill put an arm around Teff and helped her out. Farro looked like he was about to start screaming, but Mill nudged his arm and took his hand.

They walked out together, and the tears came back to Mar's eyes when they realized they might never see them again.

Authors' note: Reaping number four is complete! Over halfway there! In fact, only two more reaping chapters left! Yay!

Alright, this is Celtic here! Do you like submitting to SYOTs? Because if you do, I've got a favor to ask from you! Edit: The poll I had on my profile has been replaced with a poll for the Victor of my other story. But, here are the choices, so if you haven't voted, you can let me know in your review which you'd submit to, if any: a second chance SYOT (with a limit on tributes from the same Games), another normal SYOT from 98-103 or so, or a Quarter Quell, probably 125, where the age gap is narrowed and the tributes are given hormones that will make them be highly susceptible to falling in love with other tributes. Thanks for the input! :)

Alright, I dunno if I mentioned this but I don't think so. But, every Sunday night starting at 7 Eastern Time (give or take) I've started streaming! And this Sunday I'll probably start drawing these two characters. From 9-10 I take requests, so feel free to pop on and say hello! Link's on my profile.

So, who'd you like better of these two and why?

Reviews are always appreciated, let us know what you think!