What's this? A double update month!?
Claodis Omicron, 15
District 8 Female
Two weeks before the Reaping
"Hurry up, Claodis!" Norcimo scolded her. "You're so slow!"
"You're just fast!" Claodis told him, but she picked up her pace a little until she reached her typical spot. They were in the middle of District 8's marketplace as the Sun rose up behind them. The marketplace was always a good spot to attract people.
Claodis sat down next to a stall. Her friends all gathered around her. There was Norcimo, Coco, and her best friend Omi. She decided to start by picking up Omi and Norcimo first. There were a few people walking by; they simply ignored her.
"What should we do today, Claodis?" Omi asked her. "It gets boring just sitting here."
"It's still early," Claodis reminded him. "The shops aren't open yet. We can just talk to each other! Tell me about your dreams last night!"
Omi did as he was asked, then Coco, then Norcimo. By now, more and more people had arrived, doing their usual shopping rounds. But they paid no heed to Claodis. Some were used to her presence and simply ignored her. Others turned their noses up at the little girl in front of them. A few scowled at her; she did have an unconventional way of making money after all.
After a few minutes, in which Omi was reliving the boredom by singing a lullaby Claodis remembered from her childhood, they were approached a by a little girl in a fancy pink dress. That dress probably cost a fortune. Clearly, this girl was way more well-off.
"Why are you talking to a doll?"
"He's not a doll," Claodis said. She held up Omi. "This is my best friend, Omi. Say hello, Omi."
"Hello Omi!" Omi gave a salute and the little girl laughed. "I like him, he's funny!"
Omi laughed as well in his low, scratchy voice. "Thanks, kid! I like you too!" Omi's voice broke slightly as Claodis put him down and picked up her other two dolls, which were in the form of a bunny rabbit and a dog. "These are my other friends. This is Coco, she likes carrots and she's really nice! And this mutt here is Norcimo. He always shows off how fast he is, but he's super loyal. If you let him, he'll sniff your hand."
The girl held her hand out, until her mother approached. "My goodness, what is going on here!? Get up! Let's go, and leave this dirty street rat alone!"
Claodis's heart sank slightly; the girl waved goodbye as her mother dragged her away. She hadn't done anything nefarious. It was rare that people would actually approach her to talk with her, rather than get scared away by her friends.
She felt Coco's ears against her cheek. "Aw, don't cry! You still have us!"
Claodis nodded. "Yeah, I do. Thanks guys."
"No problem! Remember Claodis, we'll always be here for you, alright?"
Coco's soft, high-pitched voice relieved Claodis a bit and she felt a lot better. The day wore on and the marketplace got busy. This crowd was more generous than usual. Coins came flying down to her feet; Claodis swept them up and shoved them into her pocket. It wasn't a lot, by District 8 standards, but every little bit counted.
During the afternoon, well Claodis played a game of "Never Have I Ever" with Norcimo, she was approached by a well-dressed man with blond hair. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. Of course, Claodis recognized who he was. He was the most famous face in the entire district.
She opened her mouth to say something; Norcimo beat her to it. "Hey, is that Sliver Wirth?"
"I think it is," Claodis whispered back. "Hello, Mr. Wirth!"
"Hey. What are you up to?"
"Not much," Claodis said honestly. "I've just been hanging out here with my friends."
Sliver glanced around the marketplace. "Your friends?"
"They're right here, actually! Wanna see? This is Omi, Coco and Norcimo."
Claodis expected Sliver to be turned off by her friends all piled at her feet, like most adults, but he just seemed intrigued. "Ah, I see."
"You can talk to them, if you want."
"Do they want to talk to me?"
"I would!" Coco piped up. "Sorry, that was a bit rude, wasn't it? I've always wanted to meet you!"
The Victor just chuckled as Coco shyly pressed her paws together. "It's always nice to have chats with people, isn't it? Can't say I've ever spoken to a rabbit before."
"You get used to it. Well, not really. But I don't get why people think talking animals are strange," Claodis rambled. "And Coco will never admit it out loud, but she's a big fan."
"Hey!" Coco pressed her paw against Claodis's lips. "You weren't supposed to say that!"
Sliver just nodded. "You're a very talented ventriloquist. Really, you've got a thing for entertaining people. Keep it up, kid!"
With that, the Victor of the first hunger Games handed Claodis a small pouch before walking off.
"Wow!" Coco gasped as Claodis used her free hand to open up the bag. "He's really nice, isn't he?"
"Yeah, he is." Claodis held up a coin. "Look at all the money he gave us!"
"You guys did great!" Omi said. "Let's keep it up. We have to return to the community home in two hours."
Claodis nodded, moving Omi's head up and down as she was soon lost in her own little world of ventriloquism.
Twill Chintz, 16
District 8 Male
Two weeks before the Reaping
Twill just watched the teenager sitting against the stall, who was playing around with some wooden dummies. A sharp tug at his arm had him turning his attention back onto the task at hand.
"Twill, honey, give me your honest opinion." Mrs. Cross gestured to the grand variety of toys the woodcutter was selling. "Which do you think would suit my precious little nephew?"
"I'm not sure." Twill examined all the toys sitting on the counter. "I don't know your nephew that well."
"Well, your opinion matters to me, honey. Just point out what interests you."
Twill selected a small toy that consisted of wooden slabs that were held together by ribbon. He let go of one of the slabs and they all fell down one after another until they formed a straight line.
"That's one of our most popular toys," the woodcutter explained. "It's called Jacob's Ladder. A bit confusing when you first see them, no?"
"Fantastic!" Mrs. Cross clapped her hands together. "I'll take one for my nephew."
She handed the woodcutter a couple of coins in exchange for the toy. Twill and Mrs. Cross walked off together, arm in arm. "Thank you for your help, dearie."
"No problem!" Twill let Mrs. Cross kiss him on the cheek. They got a disapproving look from a passerby, but Twill couldn't be bothered. Maybe some people looked down on the idea of him being a sugar baby, but it was a decent gig that brought in good money.
They continued to walk; Twill was responsible for bringing Mrs. Cross safely back home. They talked as they did. Mrs. Cross could be overbearing at times, but she was a good companion. Finally, they reached her house. Twill gave Mrs. Cross's hand a quick kiss. "It was an honour spending the day with you."
"Would you like to come inside for dinner?"
"That would be lovely, but I'm afraid I have another engagement. I'll see you again soon, Mrs. Cross."
"Sure thing, baby."
Bidding goodbye, Twill headed off towards his own home. Along the way, he ran into a familiar face.
"Hey Fleece. What's up?"
"Hey Twill!" The younger boy reached up and jostled Twill's shoulder. "Rose and I lifted some loaves of bread from the baker today."
Theft was technically a punishable offense in District 8, but for street kids like Twill and Fleece, it was just part of such a life. Normally, Fleece made sure to steal enough to feed himself without ruining anyone's stocks, so Twill wasn't too worried about him. District 8 held their own.
"Okay. Have fun. Don't get in trouble."
"I won't. Catch ya later, Twill!"
Finally, Twill reached the slums of the district, and he approached a squat little house with a dented roof. Home. Inside, Velvet was loudly clanging a bunch of pots and pans together in an attempt to make a crude little meal. She barely looked up.
"Hey Velvet."
"You smell like lavender."
"I had an appointment today."
"Oh good." Velvet scraped some food residue off a pan as Twill prepared a pot of boiling water over their little stove. "They pay well."
"I guess they do. But that's besides the point. How was work? No overtime?"
"No, not today." Velvet sighed. "Which sucks, because you've got all his stuff that the bosses want you to do, you're working all this machinery and you could end up losing an arm. On top of that, how much do we get paid, really? It's unfair! And they actually expect to show up with a smile on our faces to work in that bullshit?"
Twill sighed in sympathy. "Ouch."
"It will all go to hell someday. Someone's going to snap and the next thing you know, the district is full of organized chaos. But we're not gonna starve if you keep smooching up to those rich old ladies like you always do. With money like that, we're eating like kings!"
"It's not as bad as it sounds if you don't describe it like that. I'm not in it just for the money."
Velvet raised an eyebrow and Twill sighed. "Okay, fine. The money is a nice bonus. But they're kinda lonely and I like spending time with them. I get to do a lot of stuff that I wouldn't have done if I worked in a factory like you. Mrs. Cross thinks I remind her of her son."
"Okay, baby!" Velvet patted him in the head. "Whatever floats your boat! I don't judge."
Twill knew she was teasing him. Velvet liked to rant and complain a lot, but his profession never bothered her like it did for other people. In a way, it repaid her a little. Twill knew she didn't have to offer up her tiny little house to him. It wasn't the most comfy, but it was a roof over his head and a meal on the table. It was a lot better than the streets.
Anything was better than the streets.
Because of that simple act of kindness, Twill was doing his best to pay it forward to his friends. He tried to help out Fleece and Rose as much as he could, providing them with old clothes, leftover meals, and the occasional coin he "accidentally" dropped in front of them.
But as the Reaping grew closer, things became more expensive. Dinner consisted of leeks floating in a pot of water, plus some overcooked meat. Velvet frowned and Twill patted her on the back. "Hey, it's okay. It's going to taste good. And you know what? On Reaping Day, let's have a big feast. We'll buy a big cut of meat for it and we'll invite everyone."
"Good idea," Velvet agreed. "Do you have anything tonight."
"Another date."
"Okay. Have fun."
Woohoo, two updates in one month!
Trying to recover my uploading schedule so it will be easier to swing into. Also, I'm making the most of the summer, since it's almost over.
What do you think of these two tributes? Do you like one more than the other? Next chapter, we'll be in District 11, so stay tuned for that!
-Vr