First intros! Here we go
Virgillo Arroya, 17
District 11, a week before the Reapings
Things were heating up in District 11. The Victory Tour and the public executions following had created quite a stir. The Peacekeepers were harsher than ever. No one was allowed to congregate in public anymore. Everyone was scared of rebellion. Virgillo was not.
His stylish boots clopped around the uneven road. There wasn't much activity at this hour, but Virgillo knew that Peacekeepers would be looking for trouble. He grinned to himself. He was looking for trouble too, just of a different variety.
Even if he wasn't looking for trouble, it often found him. Although, he was the one who so readily sought it out. He enjoyed messing around with his friends and playing the occasional prank on a Peacekeeper, if he could get away it, and to his credit, he usually could.
These days though, jokes and laughter were few and far between. Virgillo somewhat resented that Katniss and Peeta. He figured that their story was bullshit and all it did was end up escalating things. Their stunt on the Victory Tour cost D11 far too much if he had anything to say about it.
Things were fine before. Things weren't great, but they were fine, and Virgillo was fine with that. The Capitol and Games weren't much a concern to him. He was living it up and he wasn't gonna let any political bullshit stop him.
But here he was, sneaking around in the dead of night, risking his life, just to live a little.
He rounded the back end of building and nearly plowed right into the back of a Peacekeeper. He stopped dead in his tracks and quickly spun back around the corner of the building. He held his hand up to his mouth and held his breath.
The Peacekeeper's boots turned around then clomped towards the small alley Virgillo had turned in to. Rapid thoughts popped into his head. Was this really how he was going to go out? In some street corner in the dead of night? No, he thought. This could not be the end for Virgillo Arroya.
Just as he prepared to break into a full-on sprint, the Peacekeeper's enormous footfalls suddenly stopped, and then went away into the distance.
Virgillo breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't the end. He shook his head and laughed to himself, his long hair drifting in the soft breeze.
With the obstacle vanquished, he continued his little trek without incident. Then, he finally came upon his desired destination. A medium-sized warehouse loomed before him. It hadn't been used for any actual production in a long time, and that was fine with Virgillo. It was more than fine. It was great.
He tugged his leather jacket taught around his shoulders and headed stealthily towards the warehouse. He walked around the side and came upon some neatly placed crates. With ease, he scaled them like a staircase and entered the building throw an open window.
"There he is!"
Virgillo smiled at the voice coming from a boy sitting in the center of the warehouse.
"Hit a little snag on the way here, no problems though. I was a pro. Those Peacekeepers pack a punch, but boy are they stupid."
"Peacekeepers! Dude, you've got to be more- "
"Yeah, yeah I know. Be more careful. Whoopee."
The other boy's face crinkled with worry.
"Not funny man, they will seriously kill you. Like for real. Dead."
"Ain't gonna happen."
"That is unbelievably naïve of you."
Virgillo split into a massive grin at this comment.
"I've gotten this far haven't I? I mean hey, you came out here too didn't you."
The boy rolled his eyes.
"You're insufferable."
"You love me."
The boy rolled his eyes once again at this, blushing slightly.
"I think loving you is reserved for all your suitors. But then again, they don't really love you do they…"
"Wow man, a little below the belt there."
"I-"
"I mean, I know you'd like it below the belt, but come on."
At this innuendo, the boy flushed again.
"Why you gotta be like that?"
Virgillo shrugged in response.
"It's in my nature."
"That's a bullshit excuse and you know it."
"Maybe, maybe not."
The boy threw his hands up, exasperated. He then pulled out something from his pocket.
"You wanna smoke or not?"
"Amaris, I thought you'd never ask."
Soon the embers were lit and puffs of smoke began to fill the little warehouse.
"So did you ever hook up with Elli?"
"Naw, not really, I'm kinda just…"
"The Quell?"
Virgillo slightly stiffened at this.
"Well, uh, sort of."
Amaris nodded in agreement.
"Yeah it's scary. And if you get reaped, you'll actually have to stay committed to someone. I wonder what that would be like for you…"
Virgillo laughed and playfully shoved Amaris.
"Another dig at my expense, got it."
"Well I can't help it if it comes so naturally."
"You're an ass."
"Right back at you," Amaris responded, smiling.
Silence. The two puffed, the embers fading slightly.
"It's hitting me now man," Virgillo exhaled.
"It's pretty good stuff, wasn't easy to get."
Virgillo looked around the barn. His vision was getting a little blurry, but he noticed a ladder in the far corner of the warehouse. Moonlight leaked in, sprinkling on the ladder and surrounding patches of grass, sprouting between the old floorboards.
"Hey, how bout we go up to the roof," he offered.
"Sounds dangerous."
"Of course."
"You're something else, you know that?"
The two made their way up the ladder and to the roof. They found themselves bathed in moonlight. The warehouse wasn't that tall, but they could still see a good amount of the district.
"It's something else isn't it."
"Well, it's home." Virgillo breathed, letting the luminous moonlight fill his lungs. There was so much more to life than rebellion and politics. Sure, things could be better, but things were fine. Things were fine.
Suddenly, Virgillo was pulled away from his gaze into the sky. He noticed something touching him. Amaris was looking up at the sky too, but his hand had wandered from the roof and up Virgillo's thigh.
"Uh," he grunted, confused.
Amaris turned to him. He moved his hand from Virgillo's thigh and instead clasped his hand.
"It's a nice isn't it?"
Uh oh. Virgillo knew exactly where this was going. His heart pounded violently, like a drum about to explode.
"I should go, it's late," he said, turning back to the ladder leading down from the opening in the roof.
"Virgillo…" Amaris whispered, his eyes beckoning.
"You're high. We're both really high, and we'd uh—really regret that."
"But—"
"Sorry man, I've gotta go."
With that, Virgillo was gone. He made his way down the ladder and out of the warehouse at an incredible pace.
"Shit," he muttered to himself. Everything was fine. Everything was just fine, right? He sighed to himself and looked up at the moon.
Everything wasn't fine.
Oisin Tudor, 18
District 11, the day of the 74th Annual Victory Tour
"Thanks anyway."
Another job declined. It wasn't like he really needed the work per say, but he felt like he owed it to parents at least. He wanted to repay them for the surgery. He felt like he needed to.
Oisin Tudor was too kind for his own good, but he didn't know that. Self-awareness was not his forte.
He walked down the road leading away from the custard store and tried to tell himself he didn't get the job because it was Victory Tour day. But he knew the reason. It was the same reason he got occasional stares from passersby.
Being transgender in District 11 was not easy. D11 was rather conservative in a lot of ways, one of which was discrimination against any sort of non cis or straight person. Oisin resented his district for it. All he really wanted was to be accepted, loved even. But all of those feelings had been buried deep inside him, and all he could really think of day to day was just getting through making sure he could be as much of a "man" he could be.
He was aware of the damage that the discrimination was doing to him, but he had, at this point, found it easier to just go along with it. Things were hard enough already; he didn't need to be fighting for his rights. Besides, there seemed to be a fight looming already.
Oisin tried to keep his mind off of some of the stares he was collecting. If anything, the stares hurt more than the words. To him, it meant he didn't "pass" yet. To him, it meant he wasn't enough of a "man" yet. He tried to let those thoughts go and tried to focus on the Victory Tour instead.
Everyone was talking about it, and how couldn't they? The first double Victors in Panem's history and D11 was their first stop. But Oisin didn't really care about that Victor couple. In fact, he didn't really have any strong feelings about the Games. He didn't love or hate them. Mostly, he just tuned in to look at the Capitol. He was envious of their forward-thinking and their acceptance of people like him. Sometimes he would imagine himself was a Capitol citizen. The stares he would get wouldn't be of confusion or distaste. He'd imagine they'd be of awe, just looking at what a man he was.
But those thoughts were childish, and reality lived here, in District 11. And with…
"Hey man, what's up."
Diego Ventura, a young rich, and popular boy. He had a tendency to collect people and recently, he had collected Oisin, but not of out respect. He had done it out of morbid curiosity. Oisin was more like a pet in cage to him, which was of course a feeling that Oisin had already felt most of his life.
"Nothing much, I was just gonna go work out for a bit," he replied.
"Oh right, you gotta make sure your boobs don't grow back or something, ha!"
Diego's comment hit Oisin hard, but he just shoved it deep down like always. He wasn't fazed. This was reality. This was normal.
"Yep, for sure." Oisin smiled. He offered up a small chortle.
"Oh come on Oisin, it was pretty funny," declared a shrill voice behind Diego.
Just then, a boy and a girl approached. The girl had a huge smile plastered on her face. She clutched Diego's arm lovingly. Zoella Thornton was just girl in love, except she really more obsessed.
At this affection, the other boy's face made a slight grimace that only Oisin caught. Dorian Flowers. Just like Zoella, he was in love with Diego too, only he was more closeted about it. Literally. Dorian was obviously gay, but wasn't out. Oisin figured that Diego collected him too, maybe for the fact he just liked to be surrounded by people who were in love with him. Having both a girl and a guy who are in love with you was quite the flex if you were to ask Oisin.
An awkward silence followed.
"Well, you guys and gals should come over after the Victory Tour thing, I've got something planned."
"Oooooooooh what, what!" Zoella squeaked.
"Maybe a game of strip poker…" Diego smirked. "I'm curious about a couple things." He looked from Zoella's chest to Oisin's.
Oisin felt his eye twitch.
"Yeah that sounds good, I'll see you guys then." With that, Oisin turned on his heel and headed for home.
The walk home went faster than it usually did. Before he knew it, he found himself home in no time at all. His calves were burning from the massive speed walk that he didn't even knew he did.
Oisin's home had a nice exterior. It looked pretty expensive compared to the majority of the houses in the district. It was a dark tan, with a couple windows and a clean façade. The roof was triangular, typical of the upper class in D11.
He stepped through the front door and into the kitchen. Something smelled good. It was a warm, slightly tangy scent. He figured his mother was cooking something up.
Sure enough, upon stepping farther inside, he found her working on the stove, her back to him.
At the sound of his footsteps, she turned to face him. Immediately her brow furrowed and her face almost seemed to darken.
"Ornella."
"Mom."
The two stared at each other with blank faces.
"You should get ready for the Victory Tour soon, I'd like you to look nice."
"When is Dad coming home?"
"I don't know for sure, hopefully soon."
Another pause.
"I'm gonna work out for a bit."
"You do that." She turned back to the stove without another word.
Oisin made it up to his room before the tears started to fall. Home wasn't easy either. Nothing was easy and nothing was simple. He just wanted to be loved, to be accepted. Was that so much to ask?
He felt a fire burning up through his chest, fueled by the hot tears dripping down from his face. He sniffled, wiped eyes, and suddenly dropped to floor.
He began to furiously do sit-ups, and then push-ups. He did them with incredible ferocity. The floorboards were shaking. He breathed in and out in heavy gasps, his thoughts hammering throughout his head with motion.
Oisin just wanted things to be ok, to be easy. Things weren't easy for anyone in District 11, especially for someone trans.
Nothing was ever easy, and all Oisin wanted was for something to be.
the first tributes! YAY! I hope you guys liked this chapter and our first Match!
Thanks to their respective submitters and I hope I did an ok job bringing them to life.
Btw, if anyone ever has an issue with the way I write a character, please PM me so I can fix it!
So, what did think of Oisin? Of Virgillo?
Did you like one more than the other?
Are you #teamVirsin? (any other pair names are welcome lol, I'm bad at this)
Also, is this a good length for intros? Like do y'all want more or less? or is this good? Please let me know. For this chapter I stuck to about 1,000 words per character.
Thanks guys and btw, I'm an absolute review whore, so please review if you have the time! I'd love the feedback.
