Jaesa Briton, 18
District One Quell Female
THWACK!
THWACK!
THWACK!
Jaesa Briton lowered the bow in her hand, surveying the target across from her. To her surprise, every arrow had at least hit the target. She never expected to do well at archery as the bow was far from her primary weapon; Jaesa far preferred to fight hand-to-hand, whether that be with a staff, a sword, or her preferred weapon, a rapier. But for someone who practiced with range weapons maybe one-sixth of the time that she spent on melee skills, she was more than satisfied with her performance.
Even an arrow in the calf would slow another tribute down.
Jaesa placed her bow on its stand and trapsed over to the target to retrieve her arrows. This was part of the reason she preferred hand-to-hand; she spent just as much time shooting projectiles as she spent retrieving them. But as it was the morning of the Reaping, the archery station was one of two or three weapons stations at which Jaesa was actually allowed to train. All of the others were "too dangerous" and "might cause her to hurt herself." In another year, Jaesa might have argued. For one thing, she wanted every second she could to train, to make sure she was as ready as possible for the Games. For another, she knew that she knew how to train safely, and it was quite frankly an insult that the trainers didn't trust her to handle herself leading up to the most important day of her life. If she had her way, she'd be able to do whatever she wanted leading up to the Reaping, so that she could be in the best shape possible.
But Jaesa also understood that, this year of all years, they needed to be careful with her, as even in a worst-case scenario, there was no backup who could volunteer for Jaesa. The districts who were electing tributes had been specifically informed that volunteers were not allowed in those slots, and her name had been publicized as the elected female tribute for at least a month by this point. If anything happened to Jaesa before the Reaping – even if she was as careful as she could be, accidents could still happen – she would have to go into the Arena in whatever condition she was in. If she got hurt, One lost its best chance at victory – and given the situation with her fellow volunteers, possibly its only chance.
Having retrieved the arrows, Jaesa returned to her mark, dropping her arrows in their quiver as she picked up her bow. She pulled an arrow out and notched it into the bow, but before she could pull back to aim, she felt a pair of hands cover her eyes. "Guess who!"
"Hi, Lydia," replied Jaesa, trying and failing to not let her exasperation show in her tone.
"What's wrong? Are you not happy to see me?"
"I'm always happy to see you, my dear. Just… not while I'm training. I don't want you to get hurt if I have a quick reaction. And I can't waste time this close to the Games."
"But you're always training! You've got your spot in the Games locked down because nobody can volunteer in your stead. Have a little fun."
"We can have fun when we win."
Lydia wrapped their arms around Jaesa's waist, pushing the still-notched bow so it was pointing towards the floor, and planted a kiss on their girlfriend's cheek. "Think about it. The first couple to win the Games together."
"It's not a guarantee until it happens, Lydia."
Lydia sighed, a hint of dejection on her tone. "I'm gonna go get ready for the Reaping. I'll see you there." They paused. "I love you."
"I love you too."
As Lydia left, Jaesa turned back towards the target, swiftly firing off her arrow and grabbing another with one fluid motion. She had… mixed feelings, to say the least, about Lydia going into the Arena with her, and not just because it meant that she and her partner would be thrust together into a fight to the death. The whole situation she and Lydia had found themselves in was a bit skeevy at best, and a sign that District One really was not nearly as progressive as it claimed to be. While Lydia didn't mind much – after all, if she disapproved, she wouldn't get to go into the Games – Jaesa could only imagine the impact this decision would have on other gender non-conforming trainees in the district.
Of all the years for a Career district to have a lackluster crop of trainees, the year of a Quarter Quell was without question the worst, but it was especially bad for District One. All eyes in Panem were on the luxury district, as they had produced two of the three previous Quell Victors; the only reason that they were not three for three was because of that boy from Twelve in the 50th Games who cheated with the forcefield. But despite the wide array of Academies across the district, training students in all sorts of specialties, the crop of eighteen-year-olds, and especially the crop of boys, was shockingly lackluster thanks to a combination of illnesses, injuries, incarcerations, and general ineptitude. Perhaps worst of all, there was no one person or Academy to blame for the shortage, no way to find the root of the issue; it was just bad luck.
In a normal year, the lack of strong trainees would not be a problem. One at least had Jaesa, who was the best girl in her year by leaps and bounds, and they were more than willing to send in a seventeen-year-old into the Games if they were skilled enough. But this year, One had to send in four tributes, not just two. If three of those four were seventeen, One ran the risk of burning through all their reserves for the next year as well, which could have consequences for years, especially given that the group of seventeen-year-old boys were equally as bad. The… heavy encouragement by the Peacekeepers to select Khada as the elected male tribute had helped the Victors who were selecting tributes kick that can down the road; meanwhile, the race for the standard female tribute had been tight between a trio of seventeen-year-old girls, Tyranny Bomber had nailed down the slot. But with a month to go until the Reaping, a final decision on the standard male tribute had not yet been made.
It was around that point that Lydia had begun to question their gender identity. Lydia had been a fairly solid candidate among the girls; their name had been thrown out for the female slot, but the Victors had decided that Lydia would have a better chance with a bit more training. But Lydia's exploration opened the door for One to take advantage of a (relatively new) policy that allowed transgender children in the districts to transfer Reaping bowls up until a week before the Reaping. With three weeks to go until the Games, the Victors approached Lydia and asked them to change their registration from the female bowl to the male bowl, not quite understanding that being non-binary and being transgender were different things. Given a few days to make a choice, Jaesa and Lydia had gone back and forth on what to do. Neither girl felt quite comfortable with the way that the Victors were tokenizing Lydia, reducing their gender identity to nothing more than a tool to fix their problems. But who knew if Lydia would get the opportunity to volunteer again?
Eventually, for reasons that Jaesa was not quite privy to, Lydia had made the decision to switch to the boys' bowl. She had a feeling that some of it came from Lydia's constant desire to be within six feet of Jaesa, but Lydia had elected to keep their reasoning to themself for the time being, with a promise to reveal more information "when the time was right." Jaesa, meanwhile, had mixed feelings on the matter; the last thing she needed in the Arena was a partner to distract her, especially one like Lydia who wanted to be around Jaesa all the time. But she had to admit that having someone she intrinsically trusted and loved in the Arena had its perks, especially because Jaesa did not trust either of her other partners as far as she could throw them.
Finishing her round of arrows, Jaesa gave the clock on the wall a quick glance as she placed the bow back on its stand. Lydia was right; she did have to go get ready for the Reaping. Jaesa returned the bow and arrows she was using to the storage areas on the side of the room, then took one last look around the room before she left.
It was only slightly an exaggeration to say that Jaesa had learned everything she knew in this room. She had always been a voracious learner, driven by a strong desire to be the best. And she'd finally achieved that; she was far and away the best in District One. Now, the time had come for her to prove that she was the best in Panem.
Jaesa Briton was going to come back home to One. And she was going to come back a Victor.
Empra Ichinose, 18
District Four Standard Female
Before the sun had even crested the horizon, Empra Ichinose was already hard at work.
Empra was used to waking up early. That was the way her life had been since she was born; it was the way of life for most of District Four, really. Fishermen awoke hours before the sun came up to prepare for long journeys out on the water. Bait and tackle shops opened even earlier, so the fishermen could pick up what they needed for their trips onto the water. And the fishmongers in the market woke up early to make sure their fish was fresh and in the best condition for their customers. So as Empra left her small apartment, making sure to lock the door behind her, she wasn't met with quiet, empty walkways nor with the comforting sound of crashing waves. No, the streets of Four were almost as busy and bustling as they were when the sun was high in the sky.
Empra wove through the streets, traversing the familiar path to her family's penguin sanctuary. She'd heard the story of how the sanctuary came to be numerous times, so many that Empra could tell it herself. Her mother, who came from a long line of marine biologists, had started the sanctuary long before Empra was born, when she found a penguin washed up on the shores of Four, its wings slick from oil and one of its feet broken. Karin Ichinose took in the penguin and cared for it, nursing it back to health until it was ready to return to the wild. But the day after she released the first penguin, she found another stranded on a different beach, then another the next day, and another the day after that. Realizing that there were more penguins that needed help than she could even imagine, Karin reached out to some of her marine biology friends, who helped her establish a penguin sanctuary, which she called Emperor's Emporium, after her favorite penguin species but one which she would never get to see in real life.
Emperor's Emporium was not a zoo, where the penguins would be stuck in small enclosures for their whole lives; no, the goal was for the penguins to return to the wild when they were safe. Karin took great pride in her sanctuary, in each and every penguin that she took in, rehabilitated, and released back to the wild. But word got around about the work Karin was doing. The combination of the adorable penguins and Karin's charm and charisma led Emperor's Emporium to become a near instantaneous hit among both Four's citizens and the Captolites. In fact, it was becoming so popular and so successful that the Capitol awarded the sanctuary a small amount of funding. Around the same time, Karin met her husband, Kadence; the two were married in a lovely outdoor wedding, and had their daughter, Empra, shortly after. Everything was going so well for Karin; she wasn't exaggerating when she called those days the peak of her life.
But what goes up… must come down.
When Empra was ten, her mother was diagnosed with leukemia. Then, not even two months later, her father filed for divorce. The plan had always been for Empra to take over for her mother, as in Four, the firstborn daughter traditionally took on her mother's job, as a firstborn son did for his father. But that usually happened when the daughter was old enough to actually work and run a business; in this case, the success of Emperor's Emporium rested in the hands of a ten-year-old girl. As Karin's condition worsened, she and Empra spent their days together, studying the species of penguins, the biomes they lived in, the food they ate, and the treatment they'd need to heal. She began to bond with her mother's coworkers and to care for the penguins, learning about each being's personality, likes, and dislikes. Finally, after months of work, Karin deemed Empra ready to take over Emperor's Emporium.
Karin Ichinose passed away in her sleep three days later.
As Empra arrived at the door of Emperor's Emporium, she couldn't help but notice that the E in Emperor was hanging off of the sign, swinging back and forth in the early morning breeze. Business had slowed since Karin had died, a byproduct of both the nature of Emperor's Emporium falling off-trend and Empra's inability to replicate her mother's innate magnetism. Most of the employees that were loyal to Karin had left since Empra took over, and she was struggling to make ends meet. But Empra would sooner die than stop trying; it was her duty to her mother, after all.
Empra unlocked the door of the sanctuary and slipped through, the squeaking hinges that announced her entrance soon answered by the squawks and chirps of the sanctuary's inhabitants. As she closed the door securely behind her, she flipped the light switch up, watching the lights above her head as they slowly flickered on. Every day, it seemed like fewer and fewer lights turned on right when she flipped the switch, and like more and more lights just didn't turn on at all.
Empra hung her bag up on a peg and slid off her sandals, replacing them with a pair of water shoes that waited for her by the door. Then, she opened the door across the hall which led to the kitchen, where the food for the penguins was waiting for her. As always, the late shift worker had prepared the morning's food for Empra, placing a labeled bucket beneath the name of each species of penguin that the Emporium was housing at that moment. In the past, the staff was able to tailor the food to each species, but as resources thinned out, the differences were becoming less and less noticeable. But better some food that wasn't quite right than no food at all – or, at least, that's what Empra was telling herself.
Empra scanned the buckets and selected five of them to start. She liked to feed the penguins in the same order every morning, and so usually started with the species of her favorite penguins. Empra really tried not to play favorites, but it was hard when they all had such different personalities. Who wouldn't love sweet, timid Phillip the fairy penguin, or dumb, clumsy Pedro the Galapagos penguin? Who wouldn't be drawn to the intelligence of Paisley the African penguin or the skill of Piper the Humboldt penguin? All of the penguins were special, but Empra's favorites were the most special to her; she made sure not to give them too much special treatment, but an extra scritch on the head or belly never hurt anybody.
As she finished feeding the Magellanic penguins, doing her best to keep the wild ball of energy that was Parker at least a little bit calm in the process, Empra heard the squealing of the door's hinges again. "Who is it?" she called out.
"Just me."
"Oh, hi, Danni. You're early today." Empra stacked up the buckets and brought them back to the kitchen, falling in step with Danni as she walked.
"Yeah, I know you have a lot to do today so I figured I'd come in a little early."
"You didn't have to do that."
"You're giving up so much to help this place. It's the least I could do." Danni placed a hand on Empra's shoulder. "Go get some last-minute training in. I can take it from here."
Empra placed her buckets down on the counter, then wrapped Danni in a strong hug. He'd been her biggest supporter since her mother passed, helping Empra on her darkest days and lifting her up in her best moments. She couldn't think of a better person to leave the penguin sanctuary to, and she hoped that, if she didn't make it home, Danni could find a way to build it back.
"Will you be there to say goodbye later?"
"I wouldn't miss it."
"So this is just goodbye for now."
"For now."
As Empra pulled back from Danni, the two shared a sad look. There wasn't much that either could say; Empra had made her decision long ago. But she'd long known that the Games were the only option, hence why she'd started training for them a few years prior. She needed the spotlight of the Games to get the word out that Emperor's Emporium was still alive and well, and she needed the money and resources of Victory to keep the sanctuary afloat. And yes, it was true that Empra might be able to get those things without going to fight to the death, but it was difficult enough for an average citizen of Four to gain the attention and wealth of the Capitol; it would be far, far harder for Empra, whose Emporium had already had and lost its time in the spotlight. She saw no other path forward. Empra had long said that she was willing to risk everything to keep Emperor's Emporium afloat; now, she had to practice what she preached.
Tearing herself away from Danni, Empra retrieved her bag, changed her shoes, and walked out the door of Emperor's Emporium, headed for the Academy of District Four. As she stepped onto the street, she turned around to give the run-down front of the building another look.
She could only hope that this wouldn't be the last time she saw the place she held so dear.
Disclaimer: the title of this chapter is subject to change depending on if I can figure out a chapter title scheme for the next section of the pre-Games.
Well, hello, everyone! I know it's been a hot minute since we updated over here but with IDIDE2 all written out, I'm finally back here! This chapter might be a little rusty, since it's been quite a while since I've written in this style, but I do hope you enjoyed it regardless. A huge thank you to david12341 for Jaesa and LordShiro for Empra! I hope I did both of these lovely ladies justice, and of course please DM me if you have any concerns.
I wish I could say that updates are gonna get more consistent from here, but that would be a big lie, as I'll be leaving for camp within the next few weeks! My goal is at least to update once a month from here on out, but I would definitely like to be moving a little faster than that, given that I want to post the bloodbath on October 30, my ten-year anniversary on the site! We will see if that happens but it's better to have some sort of a goal rather than no goal at all!
Anyway, I'll hopefully see y'all around the beginning of July, if not sooner!
xoxo, xxxi