Asteria Winteriel
District 1 Female
Age 18
3 weeks before the reaping
Asteria listens to the sharp, aching melody that drips from the instrument held tight in her hands. The violin's voice sings as she dances the bow across its strings. The song falling so gracefully from her hands, a mesmerizing tune that plays tricks on even her greatest senses.
All she can feel now is the ballad, flowing around her like soft silk as her bow slides up and down, softly pulling at the lines running lengthwise across the auburn instrument.
For, she is no longer in her pale ivory bedroom.
Music has a way of transporting her, taking Asteria deep into places of her own shattered mind. Away from the memories and thoughts- away from the paradox, beating its way at her soul. The melody whisks her away from the self-contradictory plaguing her world, ripping apart her reality. A reality that often enjoys overtaking her, daily.
But suddenly, amid her enchanting melody, she makes a mistake. She pulls the bow backwards too fast, the note rings too loud and instantly Asteria hears the voices piling inside of her head.
They scream at the top of their lungs, rapidly bringing Asteria back from her place in the clouds of her mind. Her features label themselves across her pale face as utterly emotionless, stealing the happiness and joy that playing the violin. Her eyes ice over, darkening with shadow.
One slight movement caused her to crash, brows furrowing as she studies the pale white wall before her. Asteria's room is pretty bland but she doesn't care, she spends most of her time training or sneaking outside to play her own vibrant melody anyway.
"Asteria?" she hears Ben croak, outside her door.
Ben. The only sibling that understands her, the single one able to figure out that something is messed up in her mind. Something plaguing her movements, far worse than any emotion. For there are two very different ideas beholding her identity.
"Asteria?" he asks again, and she hears a soft pitter-patter of in-place footsteps. His soft-spoken voice falls gently from his lips.
It painfully reminds Asteria of her oldest sister. Venus had the same reserved stature about her, but she's gone, for good. Asteria thinks back to that day, breath resting in her throat as he screams penetrate her thoughts.
The cold wind seeps into Asteria's bones, sending an eerie chill up her spine but she doesn't dare quit playing. Her fingers are red and raw but she's lost in her own mind, swirling between the memories as the bow of her violin dances its beat. She can't stop now.
She didn't mean to let her older sister find her. She never set out to kill the young girl, there might have been hatred, but killing her? Never exactly the intention Asteria had, or at least until the bloodlust took over. It controlled her mind, her actions- everything.
Asteria's face turns emotionless and icy as she just listens to her sister's teases and taunts. The threats spewing from Venus's pale rose pink lips.
But after she's run out of breath, Asteria attacks. As fast as she could, Asteria lashes out with her violin bow, slamming her own sister in the head. Blood bleeds from a small cut on her forehead but Asteria takes little notice.
She lungs a second time, and this time, her bow sings across Venus's throat. Her sister lets out a horrid choking sound but Asteria finds herself basking in the feeling of power. She makes sure to cut deep enough into Venus's flesh that if it isn't treated soon, she will bleed out at her feet. Asteria pins her own body against her older sister's, holding her still as the wound seeps into the snow beneath the pair.
"You had it coming." Asteria whispers in Venus's ears, getting up as the girl lays, gasping for air but only coughing blood.
She narrows her eyes, stomping on Venus's hands a few times to break her fingers and make sure she's not able to try and help herself. There's not much she could do but Asteria knows she can't take any chances.
Before stepping back and watching the life drain from her sister. Emerald eyes pleading with Asteria's own, electric blue ones. But Asteria doesn't listen, watching the light that was once her charming older sister, flicker and extinguish.
She turns to go but then, an idea courses through her brain. She kneels beside the girl, features dark and shadowed as she digs a small, shallow grave with her bare hands. She lets out a small, unamused sigh as she grabs her sister by the waist. She unceremoniously dumps the body of Venus Winteriel into the hole, smiling to herself as Venus just lays there, blood dripping from her wounds.
Then Asteria uses any snow with scarlet markings to fill the shallow hole. Pleasing the dark part of her mind for she is no longer the weak push-over sister. She has her own strength, a feeling of power rushing through her-
"Asteria?" Ben asks once more, dragging Asteria away from the flashback. He's now her in her room, waving a tan, sun-kissed hand in front of her vision.
"Yes?" she asks, her tone unamused and emotionless.
"Dad wants to talk to you." He utters softly.
"Fuck." Asteria groans, trying to keep the panic out of her voice as her mind flutters to the scars that lined both her and Ben's skin. "Tell him I went to the market." She says, leaping from her bed- violin in hand. She quickly runs her hands along her thick windowsill, finding the latch and flipping it up.
Ben nods as Asteria ducks through her window, bringing her instrument and delicate bow with her. Her pace starts off as a brisk walk but slowly builds into a run as she tears through the district.
Ironically, she knows exactly where her feet are taking her. Through the district, towards a small deserted ally and a pillar of new snow.
It only had been two years since her sister's death but she still came to her grave daily to escape. Playing her soulful melody as she drowns out the hurt and pain she's suffered.
Talyn 'Tal' Yao
District 6 Male
Age 18
3 weeks before the reaping
Talyn lets a beaming smile overtake his lightly sun-kissed features. He runs a hand through his dark, messy hair. With his other hand, he seizes the screwdriver from the little table beside his left leg and hands it to his little sister. He grins widely as she takes it and tightens the last shining bolt onto the Carburetor. A proud expression labels her eyes as she turns back towards him.
She wipes her oil-stained hands on the towel hooked to the pocket of Talyn's light grey jumpsuit.
"That's perfect Aeliyah." He compliments, and his sister shoots him two thumbs up.
"That was so fun!" she says, bouncing on her heels for a second before floating around Talyn's shop, her bright, childish optimism radiating throughout. Aeliyah's fingers trace the tools he has laid around the few benches. The seats-turned-workstation decorating the pale beige walls. She dances delicately across his shop, eyes beaming at her mile-wide smile.
"I know!" Talyn bubbles, taking a few strides towards his younger sister before grabbing her waist and hoisting her up on his shoulders with ease. Aeliyah squeals with excitement, extending her arms out as if she were flying. Talyn lets out a chuckle, holding tight to his sister as they swing around the motorcycle taking up a good half of Tal's shop.
Aeliyah folds her torso over her older brother's head, hanging upside down to look him in the eyes. Her irises light up with creative sparks, ones lined with greyish blue pinpricks of beaming golden light. For a moment neither Tal or Aeliyah say anything before she buries her right hand in his hair.
"I love you." Aeliyah whispers softly, hugging tight to Tal's chin with her left.
He shoots her a smile, "love you more." To his words, her eyes burst with happiness and she plants a light kiss on his forehead. He lets out a small sigh, holding her tiny hands in his. Lightly, he turns and sets her back down onto the cement floor, giving her a fistbump before breathing softly to himself. "Time to close up the front, why don't you go find Laera?"
"Sounds good." Aeliyah beams, her feet jumping into action as she flies up the steps leading to their small little apartment.
Talyn smiles, watching her leave. He can't even begin to explain how much he loves that kid, she's his world. He'd do anything for her-
Suddenly, there's a firm knock at the backdoor, and Talyn's face reddens. He takes a deep breath, composing himself before striding over to the back entrance. Talyn's happiness from his sister vanishes as he opens the door swiftly.
"Yao." Varis greets, leaning casually against Talyn's door frame.
"Hey Varis." Talyn sighs.
"You look scared silly, what up with that?" Varis questions, walking past Talyn into his shop.
"I was expecting someone else," Talyn admits.
"What? All these years of hiding shit, and you're scared of peacekeepers now?"
"I'm sorry, this is the biggest shipment you've asked me to hide." Talyn says, rolling his eyes at the gang leader. Varis's dark hair resembles Tal's own, but the man's eyes behold a blinding emerald-green color.
"Oh come on, loosen up." Varis mocks.
"I am loose you bitch, just a tad nervous." Talyn jokes, "if the peacekeepers found out they'd take away my sister." His words etch from his tongue effortlessly in an attempt at trying not to let Varis see how much losing his sisters would affect him.
"Pish-posh, I stabbed my sister."
"I don't fucking care Varis, you know my allegiance to the Typhoon Devils, just take your morphine and leave." Talyn croaks, tugging on his sweatshirt sleeve as he leads Varis around the shop, to the very left corner. Varis grabs up a hidden crate, smiling smugly to himself as he nods at Talyn.
Tal nods back, trying his best not to appear uncomfortable. Varis looks over towards the door leading to their house, raising a bushy eyebrow as he sets down his box on Tal's table. Instinctively and subconsciously, Tal moves his body to block the door from the gang leader.
Out of some terrible luck, Talyn had found himself allied with Varis a few years ago. His shop became instantly protected from other gangs, by Varis and the other Typhoon Devils. Tal enjoys chuckling to himself about the irony he's found himself trapped in, completely without meaning to.
It's not like Tal is anti-gang, he is most definitely for the Typhoon Devils. It's what the District's fallen too. He just doesn't like to put either of his sisters in danger. Which, he already has with his allegiance to the rebels- instead of the Capital.
"Don't think about that," Talyn mumbles to himself to shake off the negative feelings. He enjoys remaining a glass-half-full kinda guy, never quite letting the bad feelings get to him.
"So Tal, you never told me, how's the new pricing going?" Varis asks, trying to make decent conversation.
"You know I'm too honest to charge that much." He chuckles.
"Don't you care about your family? You gotta provide for them."
"But I'm not going to scam people." Tal says lightly, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere floating between the two. The nerves that had attacked his stomach were almost all gone, it's Varis for crying out loud. He wouldn't hurt Tal- never in a million years.
"It's not necessarily scamming people though. This is a kill or get killed world."
Talyn chuckles lightly, grabbing up the wrench from the floor beside the motorcycle he and Aeliyah had been working on. He jokingly points it at Varis, "I'm not doing that."
"Wow pulling out the real weapons right there."
"I know right, it's the greatest weapon of all time."
"Imagine fighting someone with that."
"That would be an epic fight." Talyn laughs, slowly cleaning up the other tools scattered around the shop from a day's work.
"O'course." Varis drawls, picking back up his crate, "I better get going, see you later Yao."
"See you later, don't get yourself killed in the meantime."Talyn chuckles, tracing the red paint on Mr. Lawrence's motorcycle. He'd been working on it since yesterday morning and it should be done tomorrow. Then he'll take Aeliyah and possibly Laera out for a little and maybe stop at the market depending on how much extra he might get, Lawrence often tipped well.
Calista 'Cal' Calliope
District 1o Female
Age 15
3 weeks before the reaping
It could be the thought of her parents' death that somehow draws Calista to the night sky's deep depths. Its sparkling and shimmering colors much unknown to the rest of the universe. A set pattern detailed across the dark canvas of sheer midnight ink. An eerie color of black is filling the vast sheet above her.
Or, perhaps, it is the peacefulness they bring her. A feeling of freedom she seldom gets the chance to relish. A feeling that always broke the chains from around her heart as her hair dances in the night's thick breeze.
Either way, Calista feels an emotional attachment to the objects shining bright against the black background of the night sky. Something that pulls her, enchanting her- they keep calling out to her of their brilliance.
The whole District looks so peaceful at night, underneath all the shining stars. If all the souls dreaming across the District become lights in the blackness, they would be as awe-striking as the stars at beam down from up above. Calista takes a small breath in, the smoke from a far-off flame arising into her lungs.
She lets out a small, wiry sigh as she tears her gaze away from the sky and back towards the horse she straddles. The saddle beneath her, worn and harshly frayed but still able to hold her frame upright as she slowly glides by.
The horse's name is Virgo, thriving from one of Cal's favorite zodiacs. Ever since her father pointed out a few constellations, she's been obsessed with them. The moon, the stars, the sun-all of it.
They make her feel better after a taxing day on the ranch, surrounding her in a weird achy comfort. A feeling she takes in, riding across the abandoned cow fields. Virgo's coat shines a thick midnight black underneath the moonlight, her mane flying wildly in the icy wind. She enjoys going on midnight rides and spending time with Calista.
Cal makes a sharp clicking sound with her tongue, pressing her tongue to the roof of her mouth. To the command, Virgo quickly gains speed from a slow trot to a gallop and Calista smiles lightly to herself.
Wind pushes Cal's frame backwards but she holds tight, remaining sitting straight on Virgo's back. Her blonde hair flies recklessly in the wind, tracing the inky sky with wisps of cherishing, almost-white waves.
She takes a deep breath of night air, hands loosely gripping the rains. But suddenly there's a loud, ear-splitting scream-like noise to the left of her body.
One second Calista is riding, and the next her head is being slammed into the ground, a breath strained from her lungs. Her heartbeat pounds in her ears, the world around her fuzzy.
It's not a cry that pierces her pursed lips, but a startled gasp. Her chest burns and she can feel a small stream of delicate crimson drip from a small cut on her temple. She clambers to her knees, vision starting to return to normal as she looks at the horse who bucked her off into the dirt. Virgo seems anxious, prancing this way and that as Calista shakily gets to her feet. She's extremely lucky, being thrown off a horse like that could have very much killed her.
"Woah, easy girl." Calista soothes, slowly making her way to the dark horse, led only by a sliver of moonlight. "Let's go home, just calm down." She whispers, but remembers horses can't understand people and chuckles to herself.
At the sight of her, Virgo calms down a little- still on edge but still enough for Calista to climb back onto her saddle, ignoring the bruises and cuts from the fall. She'll worry about those when she gets home, for now, she needs to get away. It's very likely whatever spooked Virgo could hurt Cal and she really doesn't want to stay here and find out. Ten has been known for having quite a few wolf attacks.
Once she settles in, she clicks her tongue again and Virgo takes off. She turns, heading back the way they had come from, the stars leading them home.
The wind pounding at Calista's back as her sweatshirt flies tight against her skinny frame, its dark red fabric now caked in dirt. She lets out a deep breath, letting the feeling of being free last just a little longer. The sense of being a small child, the enchantment of having her parents back- even if it's not real, it still comforts her.
For her mind flashes back to the night sky, her soul dancing across the stars like a ballerina. Silky midnights of the richest blues that have faded to the purest black, a hug to the pale moon's eyes so sweetly. The ones that shine so bright, alluring a shimmering hope of future possibilities...
"Calista?" Sealiha asks when Calista pulls up to the ranch's back pen. ""What happened to you?"
Calista slides off of Virgo's back, leading her by her thick harness into the stable. The grass feels rough under the soles of her feet as she trudges alongside her horse.
"Had a little incident." Calista shrugs, the pain not really getting to her. She's always had a high pain tolerance, and besides- it's not like a little blood ever hurt anyone.
"You alright? I'll take her, you go in and get yourself cleaned up." Sealiha says as her hands seize the ropes from Cal's grip. The moon shines bright against her dreamy, navy blue irises.
"I'm fine I swear," Cal tries to resist, but Sealiha is already walking away with Virgo.
"Can't hear you!" Sealiha calls, her smile wide as she strolls into the west-wing stables. "La la!"
Vivia Weston
District 4 Female
Age 14
3 weeks before the reaping
Ya'know It's not that hard just to keep your head down and not cause trouble." Nessa hisses as the two girls walk through the crowded halls of District Four's training academy.
"I don't cause trouble." Vivia laughs, her voice excited for very little reason.
"Ha." Nessa rolls her eyes, "What do you call your feud with Ekaterina then?"
"Bringing down the queen." She says, wavering to the left as a group of girls giggle. They watch her and Nessa pass, whispering to one another but Vivia could care less.
"This is just an endless war." Nessa whispers, "you think you can win?"
Vivia shoots her girlfriend a shimmering grin, "Just gotta come up with a way to keep her from volunteering."
"Don't tell me you're thinking about poisoning her."
"No no, I don't wanna kill her." Vivia says, her voice quiet but light and airy as she lets out a chuckle. She fidgets with the strings on her school bag, eyes falling past the faces that blare together around her. She and Nissa weave through the crowded mass of bodies strolling this way and that.
"HA, I would never have guessed." Nissa exasperates.
"Oh shut it,"
"You going soft Vivia?" Nissa jokes, a grin pins itself on her face, as well as, Vivia's dark tan features.
"Am not, excuse me for not wanting to kill her," Vivia chuckles, pondering the thought for a second before turning back to Nessa, "though, I could get away with hiding a body."
"You'd leave such a messy trail, run outta patience and do something stupid."
Vivia lightly punches her in the arm, "Would not."
"But the peacekeepers could find you. Easily." Nissa chuckles, shoving her hands in her pockets as Vivia shoots the girl a beaming smile, bouncing through the hall doors.
"Oh com'on, they would not."
"You might be trained in killing but you'd need me to hide the body."
"Then I'll come and get you." Vivia says, taking her dark brown hair out of its usual tight ponytail. It flies widely in the salty sea breeze, shimmering against the rays of patchy, winter sunlight.
Vivia turns back to Nessa, the pair walking towards a local seafood market. The prices of the district's own labor are way too expensive, even for a highly ranked trainee. In turn, they rarely ever get anything from the market.
Still, it's fine to endlessly venture the vendors, taking in the woven baskets, beautiful dream catchers, and endless supplies of fish, crab, shrimp, and lobster.
"What if I refuse to help you?" Nessa giggles, throwing her arm around Vivia's muscular shoulders. "Then you'll get caught for sure."
"You dareith refuseith meith." Vivia smirks, bowing her head as she chuckles quietly to herself. "I shall beheadisth you."
"Oh no, not my head, I like my head."
"Last time I checked, physically losing your head is bad for your health."
"Wow, I would never have guessed." Nessa says as her blonde curls dance in the wind, framing her fair skin and beautiful forest green eyes. They shine like pools of emeralds, shimmering as the light reflects off her irises.
"I know right, you'd make a terrible Capital Gameshow host. Those bitches live off of making good guesses."
"Imagine what that would be like though," Nessa replies, pondering the idea for a split second.
"You'd definitely need some serious luck."
"You have good luck, who knows, maybe you'll become a host after you-know-what."
"The games? You mean the games?" Vivia asks, she hadn't really talked to Nessa about her plan to volunteer but they've been together enough that Nessa could read between the lines in Vivia's mind. Nessa knew Vivia didn't want Ekaterina to volunteer but Vivia would never have guessed that Nessa figured out how she planned to do it.
"Yeah, I can tell you want to volunteer, but I've told you- I don't like the games."
"Your family doesn't rely on you for money though."
"I guess, yeah, that's understandable. Can't Gavrielle do it? She's older than you."
"Gavrielle won't last a day in there. Besides, I have to get my revenge on Ekaterina- I'm not going to make my sister do the dirty work." Vivia replies, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice. Gavrielle might not be her sister by blood but they've been with each other for as long as Vivia could possibly remember.
"She's 16, that's two years and you have more life to live... with me. I don't wanna lose you Vivia." Nessa says and a pang of guilt stabs at Vivia's heart. Her words cut at Vivia like a sword, pain sputtering from the wound. She quickly wipes the sweat collecting on the back of her neck with the palm of her right hand, trying to lessen the impact.
Vivia attempts to not let Nessa see how hard her comment hit her, creating an emotional mask: Vivia remains smirking, holding tight onto Nessa's hand. "You know I'll make it home to you, then we can create a life for ourselves." She whispers, trying to act confident.
Nessa sighs, changing her attitude to a more positive one for Vivia's sake. "Yeah, I know, and I have a lot of faith in your skills, show them older peeps all you've got," Nessa says, her words cutting through the tension in the air like a knife. Vivia genuinely smiles, brushing off the comment and letting it fall to the floor.
"Yeah, fuck them older peeps."
"I mean, please don't fuck them, I'm still your girlfriend ya'know."
"That is not what I meant, you idiot." Vivia chuckles, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.
"Sure sounded like it, is there something you wanna tell me?" Nessa cackles, clutching to Vivia's shoulder to keep from toppling over with laughter.
"Not a chance." Vivia says, dying of laughter just as hard.
People pass by the two girls, shooting them mixed looks of concern and 'you guys are crazy', but Vivia could care less. Nessa is one of the only people Vivia feels she can actually be herself with- who cares what others think?
A/N: Annnd we're back with another Mariesday! STABOOM. (For my peeps not on discord, we've made every other Wednesday Mariesdays).
I'm also very sorry about not being able to post weekly like I originally planned. Due to some messed up adoption paperwork, I've just lost someone very close to me and am still trying to mentally recover. And honestly, things aren't the greatest at home. Please bear with me, I promise I won't ever abandon this story, I already love the characters too much. (I also would just like to say that this is not a pity me plea, I'm only telling you because I want you to know why updates might take a sec, the truth ig.)
With that being said, let's end on a good note- We're making progress! I have so many plans and this story will pick up AFTER I get past the fucking intros! I hate them with a burning passion but we're moving right along, you've already met half of the tributes! Onto the next half!
And yeah, that's all I got- As always, have a good day/night/afternoon.
Bye for now,
Marie