Devolchy Redtail:
"Yeah because the Hunger Games are the best thing ever!" He said with a role of his eyes.
"Oh shut up! You know what I mean. At least our District didn't go the same way as 13!" Chachi replied back to her boyfriend.
Devolchy made a disbelieving sound. "Come on 13 wasn't real. I heard those rebels from last year just used 13 as an alias to inspire those dumb enough to believe it."
Chachi glared shrewdly back. "I heard it was real just underground. Now it's just a shell or so Taft told me the other day." Devolchy spun around at the name Taft.
"Taft's head is shoved so far up his ass he couldn't tell you about the current news in District 8, let alone in District 13."
"Well how would you know if what anyone says is true of not, you're not exactly Mr. Social." She teasingly said.
Devolchy unwrapped his girlfriends arms from around his neck and stood up frustrated. "Why should I be friends with people who made my life for hell for years," he said darkly.
"Oh stop being dramatic."
"Yeah I got bullied everyday at school and felt tortured by my classmates and I'm the dramatic one?"
"You're the one who died you hair black, Aka dramatic." She shook her hands on the word dramatic and said it teasingly.
"Whatever…" Devolchy turned away from her and started walking away from her with his back to her. "I'm going to go home Chachi. Meet me before the reaping?"
"Sure Devolchy, We'll meet up before the reaping."
Devolchy put his hands in his pockets and begin to walk home. Sure they had argued over the accuracy of Taft's claims but Devolchy did wonder if District 13 existed. Who knew though in a place like District 8. They had been one of the first districts to independently rebel against the Capitol.
During the week it took for the Capitol to put down the District rebellions District 8 fought hard. They were after all one of the first to rebel and so when the call came many instantly took up arms. They were also one of the toughest Districts to put down, it took all 7 days before they finally captured the District 8 leaders and were able to subdue many of the rebelling citizens. There were many fewer factories in the District now.
These thoughts about how the district used to be took Devolchy all the way home where he walked straight into his twin, Isabelle, absentmindedly.
"Woah there what are you thinking about so deeply bud?" Isabelle asked, ever the cheerful girl.
"Just something that Chachi and I argued over today." Devolchy was quiet for a moment but the look on Isabelle's face made him say what was bothering him, she had always known how to draw information out of him. "We were arguing about the rebellion and I was just thinking about it and District 8 is all."
Isabelle gave Devolchy a half shrug and a grimace, "Why would you think about that? It happened, our district got destroyed, thank god no one in our family died! What's the point of dwelling on it at all."
"Oh, I don't know Isabelle, maybe because those rebellions that are," he used air quotes with his hands to emphasize his point, ""in the past", are what may kill someone we know with a reaping coming up in the next few days."
"Yeah well no one that we know will get reaped, I mean the odds of that are-." Devolchy cut her off quickly.
"Much higher now that there have so many deaths in the past year! Honestly between us, Edward, Chachi, and any of our friends, we'll be lucky if we don't have two people we know in this years Hunger Games!"
Isabelle looked as though she was going to cry, but the look vanished just as quickly with a smile that was almost mocking Devolchy. "Devolchy, you're just being a worry wart, come on inside, Mom said lunch would be ready by now."
"Sure." Devolchy mumbled. He followed his twin inside still letting his mind wander into his darkest thoughts and fears about the upcoming reaping.
Violet Telemar:
The two girls walked side by side out of her house frolicking as they moved towards the garden in the front yard. Upon reaching it they sat down and begin playing with the flowers and herbs that were growing. Picking some, pulling weeds, or just picking bugs off the plants.
Those walking by waved at them with happy expressions, as the two were known to be very sweet girls. Those that didn't know them gave curious looks. It was apparent by the way that they were dressed that they were from the same household. And that's why they got odd stares. One of the girls had dark brown skin, very similar to chocolate. The other girl had pale white skin, which looked similar to cream.
"You know, it's rude to stare!" One of the girls shouted as a women walked by their house. She squeaked and collected herself with a shudder then bustled off.
Her friend, Violet looked at her with a grin. "You know Kayla you don't have to yell at everyone who looks at us, they might just think we're cute, or that they like watching us play."
"Nah hah! They're totally looking at us because we look so different!"
Violet didn't want to argue with her friend, after all nothing bad had happened to the girls even if people thought they were odd. Every time Kayla saw what she thought was someone staring she yelled at him or her like she did earlier to the women that walked by the house. No one had yet to reply to the driven, arguing girl when she had tried to ask him or her what they were staring out.
Kayla's mom and Violet's step-mom came out of house, "Alright girls, lunch is ready! Come inside now, don't dawdle." After the two girls trouped into the house Mrs. Thornbrush followed after them. She sat down at the table well the girls were eating their sandwiches and immediately adopted a somewhat brisker, yet no less friendly tone.
"Now then girls, tomorrow will be our first reaping with Violet living with us." She stopped for a minute to let her words sink in and wait for two pairs of eyes to rise to her face. "Now then, Violet at a reaping we have a way that we want our family to conduct themselves at the reaping. Other than being respectful, as I know you can be and are we will walk together as a family and walk home as a family. My husband and I have found it best, that seeming as if we are an obedient family and going to and from the reaping is the best way to appease the officials in the District. And especially in this district…."
She ended silently, both girls knew what she was talking about, after all in was the swift counterattack of the Capitol that left Violet's parents dead and the reason Violet was living with Kayla.
Mrs. Thornbrush snapped out of her thoughts about their district and immediately looked back at the girls with a smile on her face. "Now then girls, don't worry about problems for adults though you're much too young for that, go outside and play."
And that's just what they did.
Devolchy Redtail:
The morning of the reaping found Devolchy walking with Isabelle to the reaping. He had said he would meet up with Chachi but she wasn't at their meeting place when he showed up and so he continued on with his sister. He didn't really care, after all she had lied to him somewhat and he was still a bit miffed over their disagreement from yesterday.
"I'm really nervous Devolchy." His sister was almost quaking; she had always been a mess at the reapings as opposed to the calmer Devolchy.
"Come on big sis, you shouldn't tell him about your feelings, you know he doesn't care. You should have told me." Devolchy's body tightened at that voice. He knew the voice of his younger brother but it still didn't prepare him for the dislike that he had for Edward. "After all we all know that Devolchy thinks that it's cool not to have feelings and pretend you're a badass." He looked at his brother and made kissy lips, "Isn't that right big brooo?"
Devolchy angrily turned away. Though he was the older brother he hated Edward. Edward was the type of kid that would have made fun of the old Devolchy, who would have mocked him and tortured him day in and out at school.
He got in line to have his finger pricked to register himself for the reaping. He heard his brother and sister get into line behind him though he pretended as though he didn't know them. His brother was making backhanded insults about him almost the entire time.
Finally, after getting his finger pricked in the line he moved into the crowd and tried to dissolve himself in the group. Those that know him kept away from him, those that didn't were too concerned with their own friends and family to care about the brooding boy.
"Good day all, I hope that today is going splendid for you all. If not, I hope that our reaping today makes it delightful for you!" Xavier's idea of dressing was stupid, Devolchy thought. He dressed in a way that made him seem much older than he actually was. He wore a grey suit complete with white gloves, and a coattail down to the back of his legs. He even had died his hair and mustache grey to make himself seem so much older than he actually was.
"Anyway time to find our lucky young man whose day will be made amazing by the reaping!" Devolchy looked at the ground, still determined not to look at Xavier or any other officials on stage. Looking at them would admit that the power they held over him would be real, and he didn't want to admit that.
"Our lucky young man is," he held out the s on is for an absurdly long amount of time, "Devolchy Redtail!"
What a way to go Devolchy thought, there was a part of him that felt special for some reason, after all how many kids actually got picked from the reaping bowl? Very few. Despite this curious feeling of almost pride that Devolchy had he still dreaded what would happen when he got there, and so he walked up on stage with his fears hidden deep inside him.
Xavier turned to him as he mounted the stage, happy that he had a tribute who had not cried or whined. "Good showing old sport."
Devolchy saw his brother in the crowd, dwarfing those his age. He always had been tall for a 14 year old. He was looking resolutely back at Devolchy, a mixture of anger and frustration on his face. Devolchy figured he didn't care about Devolchy anyway and must have been angry about something else.
He didn't care anyway, in a few days he'd have bigger worries that his younger brother.
Violet Telemar:
Violet and Kayla stood side-by-side, linking pinky fingers the entire time. The two girls had decided to hold hands as they watched the reapings commence. Kayla breathed a sigh of relief when Devolchy was reaped; it was a random boy she didn't know. Violet on the other hand didn't know enough people to feel relieved. She was the much less social of the friends.
"Ok now then as long as we don't get reaped." She turned to Violet and grabbed both her hands looking directly into her eyes.
Violet nodded, a bit nervous about the odds still. She had taken tesserae when she lived with her family before she moved in with Kayla. Her thoughts and fears went into overdrive when she saw Xavier picking a slip out of the reaping bowl.
"Now then the regal lady to be joining our gentleman Devolchy on stage will be Violet Telemar!"
Kayla's hands immediately let go of Violet. Kayla was staring with wonder as well as pity at Violet.
Violet looked back at Kayla and opened her mouth but words were unable to come to her mind. She opened her mouth and then closed it unsure of what to say.
"Come on sweetie, up on stage." A peacekeeper had approached the two girls and had pushed Violet lightly towards the stage. Violet walked on stage trying to hold in her emotions. When she got on stage she looked back at Kayla, still looking at her with a mixture of shock and awe.
It took her a while to find the Thornbrush's, her foster parents, but when she found them she begin to break. They were avoiding looking at her completely, looking around the square at anywhere but Violet.
Violet started to cry, later she wouldn't remember what Xavier said or what anyone did just that she cried as her family looked away.
Ok, were plowing through those Reapings and only a few more left until we get onto some of the more fun stuff!
If you haven't already drop me a line and let me know what you think of the story! Love it or hate it I wanna hear what you think!