District 1-2 Reapings:
D1F Lace's POV:
Father was busy examining me with his black beady eyes. He was a man of average height, and a muscular build. He was bald as a newborn baby and had a thick grey beard. He said nothing only nodding approving and walking back and forth pacing with such speed you would think he was in the hospital expecting a newborn child..
"Leave her be we are going to be late" my mother says as she standing by the door impatiently. My older sister, Facet, who worked as a hair stylist in town simply rolled her eyes at our father.
"I was just checking dear would you rather we waste a decade of training to simply bring home a bag of bones dear" father replies in his monotone voice. I chuckle to myself mentally as I think that as if I would lose these games. Screw the odds my victory was almost assured I was the top female in my class at the Dollhouse with a bow and I was pretty proficient with a knives so that if I couldn't get a bow and arrow I was still probably more dangerous than most of my prey in the arena.
"It okay daddy with my looks, skills, and brains I'm practically already the winner." I say with a twirl of my simple, but beautiful white dress.
"Don't forget after the fodder been dealt with be prepared for the alliance to break and conserve your strength and strike when your allies are weak." my fathers says. My mother who senses a two hour lecture from my father gives a huff and my father looks at her and winks at me with a knowing smile.
My father was in his mid fifties a retired Peacekeeper who once trained for the Games, but fate hadn't ruled in his favor and wasn't selected at the private school, the Dollhouse, where you receive training for the Hunger Games. Since he wasn't selected he decided to enlist in Peacekeepers and spent twenty years in District 8 which he says was miserable, but insisted that he would've lost that year anyway due to winner that year was a nobody from District 10 named Rupert Freeworth being an insane lunatic who lured an entire pack of lizard/lion hybrid mutants to the Career pack at night where he almost got eaten, but he simply outlasted them to be crowned the 111th winner of the Hunger Games since the only other tribute a girl from District 11 died from a snake bite she received two days ago the exact moment the District 2 boy got his head bitten off.
As we walk towards the square I take my spot towards the other seventeen year old girls. I wait for our escort a silly young man named Mercury Jester with clown white skin and slicked green hair to get this farce over with so I can get my crown.
"It is such a pleasure to be back at District 1 my darlings!" Mercury shouts as he winks at the district. The district politely claps out of respect for him. While we serve the Capitol loyally and
devote ourselves to our duty it still weird to see people like him in real life. "Now ladies first!" he says in a seductive tone. Eww I think with a shudder I hope we get someone else less creepy after I win. He pretends to scuffle around the bowl for the longest for dramatic effect. The damn clown like everyone else here knows the Dollhouse instructors have already told the announce who may volunteer this year and that someone will volunteer to receive the honor to represent our district.
"Silver Blossom!" he screams his head off, but only six girls besides me this year had earn the chance to volunteer. I already blackmailed one of them to not volunteer this year or I tell her father how she "entertained" half the boys over fifteen at the Dollhouse and another one I flirted with and made promises I have no intention to keep so it really only four girls I'm worried about.
"I volunteer as tribute!" I scream confidently as I walked towards stage flipping my hair and smile at the country.
"Oh a volunteer!" Mercury says as I resist the urge to hit him we have volunteers every year you idiot. "Now for the boys!" he says with obvious less excitement, but still strangely peppy. "Da-" he says before being cutoff. "I volunteer as tribute " shouts a voice from the eighteen year old boys. A boy no a man emerges with piercing sky blue eyes, short close cropped blond hair, regal features, and a lean muscular build. " Royce Lightbourne" he says before anyone asks, not that he needed any introduction he was son and heir to the Lightbourne family one of the oldest and richest families in the district.
Shame I have to kill him I think as I watch with interest. I've noticed all the victors, thirteen to be exact, from previous Games watched him with interest as well. Fools no wonder we haven't had a victor in four years if you can't realize who the better tribute is now before you.
I smile at him though he kinda cute and allow him to shake his hand as Mercury announces the District 1 tributes for the 148th Hunger Games.
D1M Royce POV:
As I wait in the Justice Building for my goodbyes I think on my partner and think on whether or not I can trust her. She gonna be in the Pack, but the Pack needs direction a leader someone to keep the others in line and to give direction. I would prefer swallowing my pride and serving under someone competent to prevent someone like a District 12 savage from winning. I suppose I could do it myself, but it might put a target on my back from other tributes yet it could get my huge amounts of sponsors however...
My thoughts are broken as my father Augustus Lightbourne and my mother Glimmer Lightbourne enter the room. My father is a good man I suppose a son could do far worse I think. My mother hugs me at once and says I was her favorite her special boy blah blah which made me wince and look at my dad who I swear if looks could kill he would've killed my mother as she kept talking.
"Enough" dad says with a firm voice. You would think he and I could be brothers if you remove the beard and few wrinkles. "Your brother Jr. was what everything we could've wanted for a son and a tribute, but you excelled even beyond that my son" he says. I said nothing I knew Jr. death haunted him even thought it been over ten years. He wanted a victor in the family again so bad with the last one being his grandfather my great grandfather Caesar Lightbourne, but he tried to dissuade Jr. from volunteering and instead wanted him to join the family business. He and my mother told Jr. they would make another son who would do it instead and they struggled for years to make me. I was the second son I knew it from the moment I was born that it was my role but Jr. insisted that he as the eldest firstborn should train and volunteer and go would risk everything since it would take years before I was ready.
Jr was ten years older than me I barely remember him, but dad keeps a picture of him on the wall in his office. I was six when Jr. volunteered at sixteen but Junior insisted that he was ready in fact he almost made won the Games too, but he lost at final four. The District 2 and District 4 girls decided to team up and kill him and the District 2 boy.
In truth it was his own fault the fool let pretty smiles and flirting decide his own fate instead of beheading them when he had the opportunity at the final 4. My brother, the pair from District 2, and the girl from 4 killed my brother partner the pretty girl from 1 early on in games out of fear because they all knew she was the favorite to win that year with a eleven on her training score. The foolish oafs actually believed they would go bed and fight it out in the morning. The two girls slit their throats while they cuddled with the boys the second they went to sleep. Perhaps I'll kill the entire career alliance after we deal with the fodder I could use a challenge I think with a smile.
"However you my boy are my last son so you will win and bring our family glory, take over the family business and care for your sisters and mother when I'm gone am I understood" he said, bringing me back to earth with his soft voice, he continued, "I am understood Royce."
I nodded my head and said, "Of course I would hate to see Jr. I don't think heaven is big enough for the both of us", I say while looking at him bored.
My father gave me a look with such anger I think actual steam was coming out his ears. My mother chuckled at my humor. Before we could continue our talk the Peacekeepers came in and told us our time was up. I smiled and waved at my mother who was crying for joy, and my father who blowing steam at a rapid rate you think he was boiling water. I don't hate my father, but I'm annoyed at how a man who wanted a victor in his family didn't volunteer himself. Now all they need to do is put me on the train so I get into the arena.
D2F Juno POV:
As I stood at attention with the rest of candidates from the Academy as we prepare to race to see who claim the honor to represent the district and fight for the glory of being a victor I thought about what it took to get me here and the damn sweat, blood, and tears. The tears, sweat and blood
I gave to get at this very moment made me grin. These other girls might be older by one or two years, but they lacked the drive I had and hunger I had to win.
Our escort a woman by the name of Twinkle Scratch who was a young woman with long purple hair and eyes with a weird purple dress smiled at us and gave us usual speech on the glory of the Games and the benevolence of the Capitol. I tried to keep it stoned face and maintained an aura of confidence so my rivals can't sense my unease. As the speech finish Twinkle gave our mentors and instructors a look because in District 2 we simply ignore the drawing and we took a running position. Girls went first of course and we waited for the signal to go. The oldest male victor Orion Heavenheart the victor of the 95th Hunger Games and the oldest female Ceres Gardner the winner of 111th Hunger Games walk before us and studied us for a few seconds. They went to the stage and nodded to a Peacekeeper who pointed his sidearm at the sky and fired.
I sprinted as if my life depending on it and ran like a deer getting chase by a pack of wolves. When I got to the stage and looked at my escort, victors, and mayor with a predatory smile. Our escort Twinkle looked and said "Look at the female tribute of District 2 of the 148th annual Hunger Games Juno Payne."
I smiled I did it I fucking it so close to joining the titans of District 2 the best of the best. To make the hard work I put in actually matter.
As I watch the boys take starting position I look at them expectantly. One of these brutes will be my greatest ally probably and my biggest rival. One of them, the least physically imposing of them, catches my eye as they prepare to run for the stage. Romulus Frost, dark and handsome young man who had a bored face as he prepared to run to the stage. Soon as the gunshot went off he fucking trips the guy next to him and the other dumb runners actually stop for a second and look in shock when the boy trying to get up and cursing. Romulus runs bolting to the stage and makes it nods to us and take his spot and extends his hands to me.
Twinkle screams, "Oh! So bold and a bad boy spicy welcome to your male tribute District 2 Romulus Frost!" Me and Romulus clasp our hands and thrust our hands in the air.
As we moved into Justice Building and I wait alone I think of my journey towards the this moment. At sixteen years old and 5'10 I was tallest among my fellow females and the youngest among the top 5 females selected by the Academy staff to volunteer for the chance to become a legend. I was brought into the Academy as a baby my earliest memories was the sound of sword clashing and the grunts of pain from warriors. The smell of sweat and blood every morning and sight of young warriors pushing themselves to the brink where my childhood and made me the person I am today. My mother apparently gave me up as a baby she was a young mother who got pregnant while enrolled in the Academy and before a Peacekeeper assignment at her finale year. The instructors decided to help her pass and decided to take me in as a warrior candidate for the Games. My family was the spear and the sword. My home was the battlefield and training halls of the Academy.
D2M Romulus POV:
As I sat waiting for my family to come do the routine visit and farewell in the Justice Building. Some in District 2 tells their families to not show up at Justice Building if they are going into Hunger Games, but I don't care if my family wishes to show up they have the freedom to do so.
I glanced at the door bored waiting and two Peacekeepers open the door let my father and mother come inside. My mother look unsure of what to say, but my father tells "Your stunt gave us a bunch of dirty looks several people think your actions was beneath an elite warrior from the Academy."
"Good I hope they was entertained."
"Take this seriously."
" I am."
"Your not."
"Stop" my mother says and gave us pointed looks. I shrugged and muttered an apology. I had to ensure my spot in Hunger Games it was my last eligible year it was necessary.
"You two are so alike it says a lot that you stay arguing."
"The boy lacks respect."
"I inherited it from you."
"Time up" The Peacekeepers come in and escort my parents out. I started laughing once my parents leave and I think about how these Hunger Games are gonna be glorious with me in the arena.
I didn't focused on Romulus as much as I liked, but I have plans for him in future. I think it was because Juno a character I enjoyed writing and spent days writing backstory and personality while Romulus I kinda just spent a half hour on and used several fictional characters as inspiration. Don't forget to REVIEW! Keep it civil I promised to finish District Reapings in like 5 chapters next week. I intend to let you sponsor tributes and even create side characters for some of the mentors. Be warned just because you sponsor doesn't mean I won't kill them I haven't decided on winner, but if you managed to keep a tribute alive long enough and fit for this story I want to tell they might win it really depends on their position in game.