District 4: Diego Barbel
"Diego!" Leila's voice echoed up the stairs, the high pitch of it making him cringe.
"Comin." Diego called back.
Diego was already dressed and ready. He had been for the last few hours. Per usual he had gone through some exercises, all the slow breathing ones that the Academy didn't approve of. Diego hated doing the exercises but he knew that if he didn't go through them every day his lungs would fail miserably fast.
Diego slouched out of his room, lanky legs bounding quickly down the stairs. Jack was already at the table sipping quietly on large mug of coffee. He was reading a section of The Daily Hook, staring at the stats on the latest mussel hauls.
"Hey Dad." Diego sat down at the table as Leila positioned a plate of flake before him. Diego reached out for a piece but his hand was slapped away as his mother pressed a fork into his grip. Diego scowled but went with it. He did what he could to please these people, they had taken him in after he had been orphaned at four, growing to consider Diego has their son.
Leila had tried and failed several times to produce a baby before they had adopted Diego. She was an absolute neat freak with her carefully folded sheets and scrubbed floors. But as much as Diego hated her neat ways, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her as she sat down on her bed, staring wistfully at the unused baby sized pajamas.
But as much as Diego loved Leila, he had always felt closer to Jack. It had been him who had laughed and tickled his stomach in the early days. Jack had always been there as someone to lean on or someone to hold your hand. Diego hadn't held anyones hand for a very long time, but Jack still offered out his, not because he thought Diego was going to take it in his grasp, but because he wanted Diego to know that he was there.
Diego shovelled down the flake with quick, measured bites, eager to get out the door. He slung his satchel over his shoulder and waved his parents goodbye as he ran out the door.
It was Sunday, so the Academy was closed. For the first few years Sunday had been a day to rest from the intensity of the training, but then Jack had signed Diego up to a fishing squad, knowing Diego would love it. Mostly Diego did, though there were sometimes he would love to push his supervisor overboard.
He loped down the pier to the boat at the very end. He swung himself onto the the ladder, hearing movements onboard as the ladder swung with a crack against the hull. Sirene was already there, staring off to the distance, leaving Diego staring at the back of her blonde head.
Diego was older than Sirene by a year, a fact that made having her as a supervisor even worse. Diego took forever to warm up to people, but a only a few minutes to distrust them entirely, and it had barely taken a moment for him to immediately dislike Sirene. He set down his satchel on his bench and waited slowly for the other members to trickle in, ready to get the trip over with.
But something in Sirene's posture didn't seem quite right. It wasn't the leering, commanding stature he was used to. There was something - defeated - about her stance. Diego brushed the thought aside as more members came up the rope. It was nothing.
District 4: Sirene Hook
Her alarm blared bright red, lighting up the room in a faint glow. Sirene reached out a slender arm to switch it off as she hopped out of bed. Outside her window, dawn was just breaking, slender wisps of sunshine curling up from the horizon.
Sirene tugged on an a tight fitting singlet and donned some pants as she readied herself for training. She pushed her feet into combat boots and padded down the hall.
The kitchen was already lit when she walked in, the table set with a ready made meal of eggs and bacon. Sirene slumped down in the seat and dug in, scarfing down the the eggs in a rush. Piper and Sandy Hook were seated at the opposite end of the table, black rings circling tired eyes.
"Did you like it?" Sandy leaned forward across the table, gesturing to the empty platter.
"Going to training." Sirene darted off down the hall, not even pausing to wave as she left the house.
The street outside was deserted, everyone still sleeping. A mess of houses and shelters lined the street, the simple design common to this poorer area of the city.
Sirene started with a light jog through the dim streets, slowing up as she reached started to see the buildings start to rise in size. She tugged a hood over her head, obscuring her face from view as she resumed her journey at a brisk walk.
Sirene followed the pavement upwards to a towering mansion, the pillars licked with golden designs of fish leaping. A valet was stationed by the door, straightening up quickly as he saw Sirene approach.
"Upstairs, ma'am." The valet pointed towards the familiar staircase to the side of the mansion's entrance. Sirene pushed her hood back and flattened her hair as she made her way up the stairs to the training room.
She didn't hesitate as she pushed the door inwards on its hinges, stepping nimbly into a circular room, the walls adorned with an extensive assortment of weapons and weights.
Reed lay sprawled on top of the vault, listening lazily to Sebastian's lecture on balance points.
Ah, good." Sebastian nodded curtly to Sirene. "You're here. Normal warm up please."
Sirene started on her laps, bounding easily on muscled legs. Reed trailed a few metres behind her, breathing heavily as he tried to catch up.
After laps it was stretches, Sirene resisting the urge to laugh loudly as Reed strained his fingers towards his toes. Sebastian guided them through the exercises, calling out instructions as he set up practice dummies along the back wall.
"Are you volunteering?" Sirene maneuvered herself into middle splits, twisting her body towards Reed as she waited for an answer.
Her friend looked uncomfortable with the question, his limbs tensing up and his cheeks tinted with red.
"Reed." Sirene demanded, "Answer me."
Reed looked away.
"Get out, just-" His voice shook, "Get out!"
"Reed!" Sirene gasped as she felt Sebastian's hand weigh down onto her shoulder.
"You heard the master," Sebastian ordered, "Leave now or I'll call the guards in."
Sirene's legs buckled as she got to her feet.
She felt a pain in her chest unlike anything she had ever previously experienced, a cracked sensation echoing from somewhere in her ribs.
She ran from the room, stumbling forward with her hands covering red rimmed eyes.
"Do you need help with anything ma'am?" The valet stepped forward to intercept Sirene, but she darted past with quick steps.
When she arrived at the at the pier it was still mostly empty. Only a few boys were running around the docks, trying to get off on the first wave. They were cutting it very close, the tide already starting retreat.
Sirene found the ship she commanded at the very edge of the row, she had organized all the equipment last night, as per usual. Her parents couldn't afford a boat, just another way they failed, so Sirene was forced to take out a District boat. Her parents couldn't afford the rent either, but with Sirene's reputation as a fisherman she was allocated a fishing group to supervise and take out daily.
She climbed up the ladder and hauled herself up onto the deck drunkenly. Under a loose board she withdrew a packet of biscuits, pulling at the wrapper and piling them into her mouth.
It was there, as she sat alone on the deck, that she finally let her tears fall.
Cleo Rivera - District 4 Female
"Blake's here!" Kai called.
"Coming!" Cleo tucked her bookmark in and set the book beside her on the rafter. She braced her hands against the woods and dropped down.
"Dad would kill you if he saw you do that." Kai was lounging on the living room chair, his muscled arms draped across the armrests. Kai and Cleo could very well be twins, with their black hair and brown hair. The only real difference was Kai's hulking height, at 5'11 he had outgrown his father little way past his 15th birthday.
"Yeah, he would if he was here. But he is always out on his fishing trips." Cleo scowled. "And Kai - I'm 17. You don't need to look after me. You can go home to Victor Village. You know Mai is expecting your first baby soon."
"That's not why I come Cleo. Ever since Mai won her game and we moved into the house I never see you anymore. Anyway, Blake's waiting."
"You're right." Cleo shrugged on her jacket. "I should be going. But tonight I'll come and visit you. The baby is expected any day now. Mai won the Games - I'm pretty sure she can do some serious damage if you were to miss the birth."
"You're right." Kai chuckled and got up from his seat. "But you will come? You can get ready for the Reaping at our place and then we can walk down together. Mai's coming in a wheelchair."
"I promise, but Blake's probably already fallen asleep waiting for me out there." Cleo hurried to the door and slipped out.
"What took you so long?" Blake was leaning against the fence, tousled blonde hair blowing softly in the wind.
"It doesn't matter." Cleo led Blake out onto the street, retracing the the familiar track down to the Academy.
"Were you doing your hair?" Blake teased. "For me? You didn't have too." Cleo didn't laugh but she didn't slap him either, something she would've done to any other idiot who could've made that comment. Blake was Cleo's only friend, and no one was more surprised than Cleo herself. Blake was just like Kai. Which meant bubbly, loveable, trusting. Basically everything Cleo wasn't. But Cleo was still glad for his company. At the very start she and Blake had despised each other. Cleo would work never ending hours in the gym, but still fall second behind the district's Golden Boy. But if the coaches were blind, the students sure weren't. Blake was the image of the perfect warrior, but Cleo was the one with skills. Sure Blake was great at the trident, but over the years even Blake had developed a grudging respect. And over time that respect had developed into a friendship.
Cleo had never had a real friend before Blake. She was lucky to even have one with her highly antisocial personality. At least that was what she told herself each time she found herself wondering if Blake and her could ever be something more…
Cleo rubbed her eyes.
"C'mon Blake. Practice starts in five." She tugged Blake forward.
"Cleo, what is with the rush? We don't have to run to get there on time." Blake pulled Cleo back.
"I-I can't be late." Cleo's hand slipped out of Blake's. Her legs wobbled as she climbed the stairs. She had to get away from Blake. He couldn't know what thoughts were running through her head. No. Feelings like that would only slow her down.
I'm not going to write much but I can't stress this enough, reviews are what makes your tribute(s) last longer. Thanks FHR for the chapter and finishing all 4 districts quickly