Hi! Lots to talk about.
So, you liked the sound of my Ask the Author thing, eh? thelastofdavid asked me a question:
thelastofdavid: What is/are your favourite pairings in the Hunger Games fandom?
ElementalEvolution: Well, truthfully I support practically any pairing that isn't weird or paedophilic e.g. President Snow and Prim. YUCK!
So technically I don't have a favourite. I'm happy with any romance as long as it works and it's not too disgusting. I don't like incest pairings, and to those Buttercup x Katniss shippers, WHAT ARE YOU ON? Seriously, just no. A ship that I do want to exist however, is Mrs Everdeen x Cinna. It may seem weird, but what if Mr Everdeen survived the explosion but was whisked away to the Capitol? He had plastic surgery for his injuries, and he dyed his skin brown and became a stylist. He changed his name as well. It kind of explains how Cinna is so protective of Katniss. I dunno, it was just a thought, and I think it's fairly legit. Meh. XD
I hope I answered your question!
Thank you to 212degrees, thelastofdavid, BamItsTyler, TheGlitchOnFire, HawkwardDolphin, Mayasha-chan, The Koala Of Doom, Titanic X, OceaneBreeze13 and SpaceAgeDino for the reviews. Yay!
Thank you to EllipticDART and OceaneBreeze13 for the District Nine tributes! I understand that a lot of you really can't wait for the Capitol chapters. Well, I'm going to be mean and build tension for you by updating normally. I know, I'm a meanie XD
Sorry for this chapter being late…I'm beta reading someone's work, and then I realised I needed to do this. I really need to learn to juggle everything… :-/
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games in any way, shape or form. I also do not own Pepsi or Coca-Cola (just to be safe!). I only own the arena and my ridiculously long authors note. I also own ten new reviews. Thanks!
Derek Schutze, District Nine Male POV
Forwards. Backwards. Forwards. Backwards. Forwards. Backwards.
The sickle in my hand moves with my arm as I cut the grain in the wheat fields. All of my senses have gone numb with boredom, moving continuously and mechanically. My slices never change. They never vary. The sickle makes the same slicing sound each time I swing it into the wheat. Even the wheat itself is identical, the long stalks falling down as if in slow motion, the heads of the wheat waving about as it topples to the ground. The golden head of the plant sprouts whiskers of its own, as long as cat's whiskers, which jostle as the wheat falls. Forwards. Backwards. Forwards. Backwards. It seems like time is a drawn out second, and no matter how many slices my arm makes, nothing happens. Just the fall of more wheat; brothers in arms that contrast with the darkness of the earth they were raised from. At this moment in time, this is my only purpose. Since I was eleven, I have worked in this very field. I've cut. I've collected. I've replanted. And then I've repeated the cycle again, hoping that I don't get reaped for the Hunger Games. I haven't been reaped yet.
We are called back in, for the day's work finishes early. I leave my sickle with the Peacekeepers, and I file my way out of the field and into the District. As usual, my 7-year-old sister, Sarah, waits outside for me to come out. Sarah is always following me around. I'm not sure why, but it must be out of some kind of interest or admiration. I don't know. Maybe she'll grow out of it.
"Hi Sarah," I say.
"Hi!" she smiles.
That's basically how our conversation goes. It's not that I don't like her, it's just that I don't talk much. I tend to be quite the loner, but I'm loyal to what few friends I have. Well, that's what I've been told.
We make our way home, and walk in through the door.
"It's time to get ready," I tell Sarah with a smile, and she leaves me to go up to my room to get dressed for the reapings. My outfit has been laid out for me on my bed; my Dad's red dress shirt, his work jeans, and his work boots.
I get washed and dressed, pulling the red dress shirt over my scarred arms, and the jeans over my marked legs. The scars from years of hard work have been written onto my body, and they stand out like tattoos, forever present on my skin.
I hear the door shut downstairs, meaning that Mom and Dad must be home.
I'm fairly presentable, so I walk downstairs to meet Mom and Dad. Dad works as an operator at the mill, so he makes sure that everything runs smoothly. Mom works at the mills quality control, so that only the best grain goes to the Capitol.
"Hi Mom, Dad," I say.
"Hi Derek," Mom says, and she gives me a hug and a kiss. Dad shakes my hand, and is about to say something when Sarah bounds down the stairs. She leaps into Dad's arms, and Mom gives her a small hug.
Dad puts Sarah down, and turns to me.
"Good luck at the reapings, son," he says with an encouraging smile.
"Thanks Dad." I reply, and I return his smile before waving goodbye and leaving the house. I walk to the reapings alone and without my sister following me. Mom and Dad keep her back and let me go early so that I'm not late. They'll probably get changed and come down in a few minutes.
"Hey Derek,"
I jump, and my mind focuses on my surroundings once more. My friend, Josh Langsam, is standing next to me. Josh is my best friend, and we're pretty much brothers. He's sixteen; the same age as I am.
"Where were you in the field today?" I ask him. "I didn't see you. You're usually near me."
Josh makes a face.
"I overslept and I got in a little later than usual," he explains. "I was put on the other side of the field, and I couldn't find you. I was lucky that I wasn't late. Y'know how the Peacekeepers are with lateness."
I nod, understanding what he means. If you were late to your work on the fields, you were publicly whipped in the town square. Both Josh and I have never been whipped, and we're not planning on ending up in the town square just for being late. It looked excruciating, and I didn't want the experience.
I feel a sudden weight on my back, and someone latches their arms around my neck, and their legs around my waist. I stumble, but manage to stay upright.
"Hi!" someone says in my ear.
"Hey Alexis," Josh answers causally.
"Hi. How are you?" I say to the giggling girl on my back.
Alexis is a hyperactive, nature-loving girl who works with my Mom in the mill. Josh and I are used to Alexis' free spirited personality. She is a good friend of ours, although I have a crush on her. I don't know when I first felt it, but I know that I love almost everything about her. I just don't have the courage to ask her out, because I'm afraid that she'll turn me down.
My heart soars when she answers my question in a cheery tone.
"I'm feeling on top of the world!" she cries, and then she laughs and gets off of my back. "How about you?"
"I'm alright," I answer. "Just a little worried about the reapings,"
Josh smiles.
"Don't worry about it Derek. You'll be fine," he says.
"I know, I just get irrationally scared over the fact that I might get picked." I reply.
I've been worried about whether or not I'll get reaped for a long time. I'm scared of the slips of paper in that glass bowl, because any one of them could be a one-way ticket to my death. Compounding my worries, if Josh got reaped, I know that I'd have to volunteer. How else would he be able to support his family? He has two brothers, a sister, his parents and himself to feed, whereas I only have four in my family. That increases my chances of being reaped by almost double, because I know that I'd have to step in for my friend.
We all line up for the reapings, one by one, and I start to shake uncontrollably. I can't help it, I just get really scared when it comes to these things. In a few minutes, my life could be thrown away. I could lose everything in just an hour. I could be dead within a couple of weeks.
Alexis and Josh try to calm me down, but their efforts don't change how I feel. By the time I arrive at the desk, I am told by Josh that my face is deathly pale.
The Peacekeeper at the desk silently pricks my finger, and I catch my reflection in their mask. This Peacekeeper is still wearing their mask for some reason, which I take to be unusual. But it gives me five seconds to take a look at myself.
I tower over the seated Peacekeeper, seen as I'm six foot two. My green eyes stare back at me in fear of what the next few minutes of my life could bring. My dark brown hair flutters nervously in the breeze that flies through the town square.
I'm not ready for this. But have I ever been ready? Have I ever been prepared for the reapings?
I walk to the sixteen year old section with Josh, nodding and waving to Alexis as she walks off to her section. The escort this year is the same as usual; a cheerful woman dressed up in a massive bear suit. I wait until she picks the name from the glass bowl, hoping that it is not me who is about to be reaped. But, isn't everyone thinking that? Doesn't everyone want to be safe from the wrath of the Capitol?
"Adelaide Plum!" the woman in the bear suit cries, her voice muffled. The woman up on stage wrestles with the microphone due to the constricting suit that she is wearing. A couple of people snigger.
"Fuck this," the woman mutters, and she rips of the bulbous head of the bear, and chucks it off stage.
"That's better," she smiles. "Now, where is Adelaide?"
A sobbing girl walks up to the front, and goes up to the stage. She looks young, and I recognise her from somewhere…Oh yes! She's the Mayor's daughter. I look over to him, seeing his face drain of colour as he watches his distressed daughter cry out her despair in front of the whole of Panem.
The mascot walks over to the boy's reaping bowl and takes out a slip. She drops the slip, and swears so loudly, that I see some of the parents cover their children's ears.
The woman clears her throat and talks into the microphone sweetly and clearly, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Josh Langsam!"
Josh and I look at each other in horror. Josh has been picked. He starts to move out into the aisle, but I pull him back. There's no way he's going into that arena.
"I volunteer!" I call, and I walk up to the stage, giving the escort my name.
Josh stares at me. Alexis stares at me. My parents stare at me. Even Sarah has a scared look on her face; as if the stage is the first step I'll be taking to my deathbed. Then I realise that I am taking a step towards my deathbed. The chances of my return are slim. What have I done? I may have saved my friend from a horrible fate, but if I don't come home, many people's lives will still be torn apart. How am I supposed to die when I'm meant to be here, safe and warm at home? Why do I need to die when my family needs the money I earn so much?
It looks like I'm going to have to try and win.
Adelaide "Addie" Plum, District Nine Female POV
I prance around the kitchen, humming away senselessly. The reapings are today, but I don't need to worry, because I won't get picked. My name is only in there once, so there's practically no chance that I'll get picked!
Mom is washing the dishes, swaying to my beautiful voice, as I sing and hum random songs. Dad left early this morning to go to the reapings, but I'll be seeing him later, and we can have some marshmallows around the fire. My Dad is the Mayor of District Nine, and marshmallows are a luxury that we can afford. Although…we only ever have them after the reapings. I've never asked Dad why.
Mom finishes washing as I twirl about, and she quickly prepares lunch. She gets a few slices of bread, and she makes sandwiches. She then proceeds to cut the sandwich in half. I frown.
"Mooooom," I say.
"What is it dear?" Mom asks me kindly.
"Why do we cut the sandwiches in half?" I ask. It's a strange idea to me.
"That's because it makes the sandwiches easier to eat, dear." Mom smiles, and she turns back to wipe down the side. She suddenly sneezes, shutting her eyes tight. Her short blonde hair jerks forward and rises again as her head comes back up.
I think hard.
"Mooooom," I say again.
"Yes honey?"
"Why do we shut our eyes when we sneeze?" I ask.
"I don't know, dear," replies Mom, frowning as she tries to answer my question.
"Would our eyes pop out if we didn't?"
"I don't know that either,"
"Ew! I don't want to think about it!" I cry, and I hop off of my seat, my mouth full of sandwich. I grab a glass of milk and I drink it quickly, gulping down the cold liquid with loud satisfied sounds.
"I'm gonna go and get ready Mom," I say.
"For what?" she asks. "Oh yes, the reapings. OK dear, make sure that you wear a pretty dress."
"Ohhh-Kay!" I squeal, and I run up the stairs with my half eaten sandwich still in my hand. I put it on the windowsill, and dance over to my wardrobe, singing.
"It's the reapings today! It's the reapings today! I'm gonna be safe! No tiiiiiiiiiiiime to delay!" I sing, and the birds outside my window join in with me for a little bit.
I spend half an hour taking apart my wardrobe, before I manage to find a dress that's good enough. Velvet, no…Satin, no…Aha! Here we are!
I slip on a pink sparkly dress. It looks pretty and very nice on me. Now I need to make sure that I look pretty as well. I go over to the mirror, and I brush my short blonde curls, letting them frame my pale face. My blue eyes look at my hands as I make myself perfect.
"Done!" I announce to nobody in particular, and I run down the stairs to show Mom.
"You look so pretty!" she coos. "Are you ready, dear?"
"Yep!" I tell her. I can't wait until marshmallows. "I'm just hungry!"
Mom smiles, and gets a pot of blueberries out of the cupboard.
"Have these." she says, and I follow her out of the door of our amazing house. We're not far from the town square, but Mom makes sure that we always visit my best friend in the Victors Village first. Her name is Calina Verez. She's the daughter of the woman who won the Hunger Games a while back. I finish off the blueberries and hand the pot to Mom. She takes it from me.
Calina comes out of her house, and we run up to each other, squealing.
"Calina!" I yell. "How are you?"
"Addie!" she screams. "I love your dress!"
"You ready?" I ask her.
"Yeah!" she says enthusiastically.
We both start to dance and sing together; a rhyme that we've both used for ages to show that we're best friends.
"I am the champion!" she cries.
"Oh no you're not!" I reply.
"Under, Over, Pepsi, Cola, One, Two, Three!"we both join in together on the last part, and we do a handstand. We can't judge whose handstand is the best, so we call it a draw.
We get up and brush ourselves off, while my Mom and Calina's Mom talk about grown-up stuff. They walk down to the square and we follow them. Eventually, we get there, and we have to stand in this really long line to get our fingers pricked really hard.
"Why does it draw blood?" I ask the person in the white armoured suit, but I am only pushed along roughly, and told not to ask such a stupid question. I shrug and carry on.
Calina and I walk to the twelve-year-old section, and the escort comes up in a bear suit. A video plays but Carlina and me are singing and playing pat a cake all the way through it, so I don't hear anything about it. What's the point of learning about the Hunger Games if I won't get reaped?
The woman in the bear suit says something rude and reaps the girl. It won't be me, so I'm alright.
"Adelaide Plum!"
My blood turns into ice at the woman's words. What? I've been reaped? The icy coldness seems to trickle into my muscles, willing them to move. The shock hits me so hard that I swear I might keel over from surprise and dread. I start to move up to the stage, crying and sobbing all the way. It's not fair! Why do I have to be sent to die? I'm the Mayor's daughter! I shouldn't be allowed to get reaped at all. Dad only looks at me with sadness as I stand there on the stage, but I can see barely anything through the fogginess in my eyes caused by my torrents of salty tears.
All of a sudden I'm very scared of what's going to happen to me. I could be dead in a little while…
I don't think I will get any marshmallows from my Dad tonight.
I am now a zombie...
I'm practically falling asleep on my laptop. Not a great combination. It makes me happier to say that there are no more annoying little girls for the next three chapters! Yay!
Please check out OceaneBreeze13's SYOT called "Standing Together – The 175th Hunger Games"; it has a very interesting Quell twist, and is certainly worth a look!
I hope that you're all having a wonderful day/night! I will update as soon as possible. Remember to Ask Any Questions that you want to know about me (not too personal) and I will answer them in my next update.
Bye for now,
~E.E.