Second to last intros...soon

Mirren Frasier, 16

District 11, eleven months before the Reaping

Sometimes Mirren Frasier felt like a sunflower, turned towards its golden radiance and allowing its vitality to cause her to bloom. But sometimes she felt like a wallflower, trapped against a cold, concrete wall where only the shadows of the sun could reach.

She glanced up to the sky, watching clouds saunter by as a soft breeze gently rippled around her. It was only early evening, but the sky had already turned a stunning gold. Getting lost in the sky was easy to do when so much of District 11 was cinderblocks, walls, fences, and the watchful eyes of Peacekeepers.

August, the end of summer. Harvest season was still in full swing, but the focus would shift from summer crops to fall ones. There would be no more long days and nights of blueberry picking through endless rows of greenery, no more peaches to pick from the trees.

Summer was arduous, but fall would be too. It always was. Mirren just hoped that her family could make it through the season and have enough to last them the winter.

Around this time of year, morale among the people tended to get low. There wasn't much time for celebration or socialization during the Harvest months. The citizens of District 11 were expected to give themselves to the Capitol, laboring for their sake.

Despite the crushing overtones of oppression, the end of summer and the start of fall was marked by a small festival. Due to restrictions on large gatherings, the festivals were largely neighborhood affairs, but that was just fine with everyone involved. It made for a more intimate and connected experience. Mirren appreciated this socialization, but she was never overtly involved. She was too scared of making herself look like an idiot, too scared to open up to people. Understanding social cues was one thing, but actually participating in socialization was another thing entirely.

Mirren was sitting just outside their small wooden home. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to keep them sheltered. Besides, as long as her family was with her, anywhere could be home. She appreciated the comfort of her family and small circle of friends more than anything. The festival was sometimes a bit stressful, but she always had her siblings there with her.

She turned to look back through the open door to see her younger sister, Mallory, just sitting on the dirt floor and tracing her hand through it. Mallory was three years younger than her, and she was a bit of an enigma. Mirren was a bit socially awkward, but Mallory tended to avoid people more often than not. She loved to draw and would draw anything on everything. Even when they were unable to afford pens, paper, and pencils, Mallory managed to find creative solutions.

Mallory didn't notice Mirren looking at her. She just kept tracing her fingers in some sort of intricate pattern. It was going to be a bit difficult to get her to come to the festival, but they would manage to drag her there. Inevitably though, she would wander off and start drawing whatever she felt like. Mirren had no idea what was going on in her head most of the time, but she loved her sister all the same.

Just then, her nine-year-old brother, Darcel, came up to Mallory, coming dangerous close to stepping all over whatever she had created. She audibly hissed at Darcel and tried to shield her drawing.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry," Darcel chittered as he stepped by her. Mirren had to stifle a laugh. Business as usual.

She turned back towards the sky, which was now melting from gold into a gradient of pinks and oranges, not unlike the peaches that were perfectly ripe just a few weeks ago.

As she expected, Darcel plopped down next to her. She felt his gaze on her without even having to see. Mirren also knew that he would immediately follow the object of her gaze and join her in getting lost in the sky.

"What-cha doing?" he asked.

"Just taking in the summer sunset."

He nodded and squinted his eyes. "It looks like a peach."

"It does doesn't it?" she laughed.

Mirren looked at Darcel and, with a pang, was once again reminded of just how much he looked like her father.

Before he died, he would tell her stories, fairytales, words whispered on clouds that melted into dreams. As a child, she was caught up in the whimsy of storytelling and the places it could take her, the places far far away from District 11.

But reality had the tendency to break through the stained glass world of storybooks, and for Mirren, it came in the form of a bullet that shattered her family and her world.

Even though he was gone, Mirren was grateful that she still had memories of her father. Mallory was only 3 and Darcel was just a few weeks from being born. They didn't have the memories that she and her older sister, Deirdre, did.

From her memory, Mirren recalled her father as one of the most loving people she had ever met. Even with money virtually nonexistent, he found a way bring his family small gifts now and then. He was a good man, a great one even. But, she learned all too well that life was cruel to those least deserving of it.

Four days after her seventh birthday, an incident occurred in the blueberry field where he worked. One of the workers had been accused of stealing something. The man ran from Peacekeepers and it caused chaos. They opened fire on a crowd as people scrambled. There were around a dozen people gunned down, one of which was her father.

It devasted the Frasier household. Their mother completely shut down, not leaving her bed for days. Mallory was so young and Deirdre was only eleven and was forced to take care of her siblings and shoulder the heavy burden left by her mother and father.

Soon after, their mother gave birth to a baby boy, Darcel. This sign of new life and hope was just what the family needed as they tried to pull themselves together in the wake of tragedy.

So, as Mirren looked at Darcel's face, she saw her loving father as well as a reminder of just how much good Darcel had done for the family just by existing. She reached out and put an arm around Darcel. In turn, he rested his head on her shoulder as the evening went on.

Before she knew it, Mirren was scrambling to get her family together to the festival down the street. These festivals weren't very big, but everyone always had their spirits lifted by being together. It was a time for kinship and connection. As such, it was custom for each family to bring some sort of dish. It didn't matter how fancy it was or whether it was bread or wine. Anything and everything was appreciated. The only way to survive in a place such as District 11 was through other people. And, perhaps that is what makes it so meaningful to survive and be alive despite the harshness and cruelty of the world.

It wasn't a long walk to the festival, but things were a bit slowed by Mallory's dragging feet. Her mother had to coax her along and make her keep pace. Mirren and Darcel walked just ahead. Deirdre wasn't with them; she was busy helping set up the festival, and she took it upon herself to scramble together a dish to bring. Everyone offered to help, but Deirdre refused, shouldering so much work that Mirren knew she was exhausted from.

She just hoped that her sister could try to have a good time at the festival.

Finally, they arrived at a decently sized clearing that was squeezed in between and behind some houses. Since it was a common gathering place, Peacekeepers often patrolled the area. Mirren was sure there would be some in the area, watching…waiting. But, the people of District 11 never let that stop them.

A series of tables and chairs had been cobbled together, and there was even a small bonfire in the center of the clearing. Most of their neighbors had already arrived and were chatting loudly. Mirren was nervous, but the sounds of animation and laughter made her feel a bit comforted.

The food had been lined up on a long table, and it looked amazing. There was even some meat! It had to have been months since she had eaten cooked meat with the kind of quality this was. If there was one thing District 11 knew how to do, it was cook a nice meal.

Shouts of greeting filled the air as the family entered. Her mother waved and Darcel beamed. Mirren forced a smile and waved before awkwardly letting it fall to her side. Mallory was already slinking over to one of the empty tables.

Greetings and pleasantries were exchanged, but Mirren was far from feeling pleasant. Large groups of people were always a bit stressful to her. Before long, she found herself drifting off to the outskirts of the festival, pressed up against a wall with a plate of food in hand.

"Hey! I thought I'd find you here."

Mirren turned to see Deirdre making her way over. She smiled. "Am I so predictable?"

"I would find it a little embarrassing for me if I didn't know my sister so well," Deirdre laughed.

She was happy to see her sister, but Mirren knew Deirdre too well. She could see the stress and tiredness in her eyes. Deirdre was the closest to Mirren and she felt like she knew Deirdre's thoughts just as well as she knew her's.

"Are you doing ok?"

Deirdre smiled. "Of course!"

"D-"

But it was too late. Deirdre had looked over Mirren's shoulder and noticed some newcomers to the festival.

"I'll leave you to it." She patted her on the shoulder. "It'll be ok, I promise. We can talk later ok?"

"Ok," Mirren replied. Who were the newcomers that had arrived fashionably late? None other than Vidal Roe and Delphine Driscoll. They were holding hands, as usual.

The two of them were greeting the others by the bonfire, and Mirren just looked on, a wallflower turned away from the sun.

After their father died, the youngest three siblings had to spend the days with a nanny since their mother worked the whole day and Deirdre had many of the other housekeeping and general duties to attend to. They picked this nanny because it was the same one that Vidal went to.

Mirren met Vidal when they were just 5 years old, right when they started school. Even at that age, Mirren was always on the more introverted side. Vidal was not. He loved talking to people and making friends. Often, he would drag Mirren along with him, hoping to make her make new friends.

Despite their differences, they got along splendidly and bonded over their active imaginations. They would read books, playact, and even create their own little stories to tell. The two of them would get lost in far away places, but they would get lost together. To this day, Mirren considered Vidal her best friend outside of her family.

Being able to spend more time with him while their parents worked was exciting. There were so many stories to tell, and yet so little time.

What Mirren didn't account for was meeting their babysitter's daughter. Delphine Driscoll came into her life that first day and since then, she never left.

From the moment she met Delphine, Mirren knew there was something ethereal about her. She had read about fairies, beings of light and perfect in every way. Quickly, she became convinced that Delphine was one. Delphine was charismatic, outgoing, warm, and had a magnetic quality to her.

Delphine became part of her and Vidal's storytelling, and the three of them spent a lot of time together. While Delphine seemed so perfect, Mirren started to worry if there was enough space for the three of them to be friends. She and Vidal were best friends, but over time it was clear that he and Delphine were getting close.

Anxiety set in. Could she have been replaced by the babysitter's kid? Surely, not. Right?

Time went on, and Mirren eventually came to a startling conclusion. What she was feeling wasn't entirely insecurity over her friendship. It was also…desire. Delphine was the first girl that Mirren ever had a crush on. As she matured, she realized that she liked girls the way that other girls liked boys.

The only person she confided in about her crush was Deirdre, but she didn't make a big deal of her sexuality more broadly. There were other crushes here and there, but it always came back to Delphine. She was like some force of nature, pulling her in with her gravity.

It was this force that caused her to follow Delphine and Vidal to hang out after school, even though they weren't being babysat anymore. In this situation, she became a bit of a third wheel, but she had made peace with it. Mostly. But she got to see her best friend and see Delphine smile, so it was worth it.

Things got a little bit more complicated when she around 14 years old. Delphine and Vidal starting dating, and they had been together ever since. At the time, she briefly shut down and tried distancing herself from the two of them to try to cope with the complicated feelings of seeing her crush and her best friend hold hands and gaze into each other's eyes while Mirren sat there…waiting for it to be over.

This distance didn't help much, and eventually things went back to normal. She never told Vidal about her feelings and of course didn't dare tell Delphine. It wasn't worth creating such a horrible state of conflict. It would ruin the precarious dynamic between the three of them, so if preserving that meant that Mirren had to suffer…so be it.

But, as Mirren leaned up against the wall, she felt drawn to Delphine's light. Her smile was like sunlight, her laugh was like a warm breeze, her eyes were a glittering paradise. Mirren Frasier supposed that was the curse of being a wallflower, desperately trying to reach the sun, but trapped against a wall in shadow.

Delphine Driscoll, 17

District 11, two months before the Reaping

May. It was the start of the summer harvest, with peaches, blueberries, and the fields and orchards of seasonal produce that the citizens of District 11 would work tirelessly to prepare for the Capitol. The labor was hard, and tensions in the district were high, but Delphine Driscoll was perfectly happy where she was.

What could cause someone to be so happy working late into the night with their arms virtually falling off from soreness? What else, but love.

The sun was in its last stages of beautiful decay, letting out its last exhale of a warm spectrum of color before sinking beneath and horizon and giving way to the stars. Delphine finished delicately picking off the steams and leaves of the handful of peaches she was holding and placed them in a nearby crate. The sound of chirping insects and the gentle rustle of the orchard trees on a hot summer night kept her company.

She held out her hand to the person next to her, who was picking peaches in the dying light of dusk. He turned to her, smiling, and gently took her hand and kissed it.

Delphine laughed, but hurriedly looked around, scanning for Peacekeepers.

"Vidal!" she hissed, but she couldn't get the smile off her face.

"M'lady," he grinned. "It's all right, they're observing the next row. Besides, how could I resist such a lovely creature like yourself?"

He turned back and reached up to pick more peaches from the upper branches. Vidal was taller than most workers, which made him perfect for picking peaches from the taller trees in the orchard. Delphine certainly didn't mind, because even in the blueish hue of the birth of night, she could still see the bottom of his shirt slightly rise as he reached up to grab the next couple peaches. It was a sight she never got tired of.

She first met Vidal Roe when they were just kids. Her mother had started a bit of a babysitting business to watch kids for parents who had to spend the majority of their days and nights working in the fields. Well, it wasn't a business more than it was just helping out some neighbors for an extra bit of money. In hindsight, Delphine couldn't be more thankful that her mother had opted for this gig, because otherwise her path might have never crossed with Vidal's.

He was one of the first kids that came to their home. They started spending a lot of time together because, well, they shared the same space for a good majority of the day. Vidal also decided to spend time hanging out with Delphine while most of the other kids would run around outside. It wasn't that Delphine didn't like the outside, she just wanted to keep one of her brothers company.

Her two younger brothers were twins: Dolan and Devon. They were born when she was around 5, and it was after their mother had a slew of miscarriages, four to be exact. It was considered a miracle that their mother gave birth to two kids after the four consecutive miscarriages. Delphine was the first born, so she was somewhat glad her memoires of anything before the twins were fuzzy. She couldn't imagine the pain her mother must have gone through.

Dolan and Devon were both quite different. Dolan was quiet, wore glasses, and preferred the solitude of reading rather than the rambunctious playing that his twin enjoyed. Devon was quite hyperactive, and he loved running around, rolling around, basically just doing any sort of activity he could. He was the one who spent the days outside running around with other kids while Delphine, Vidal, and Dolan stayed inside.

That was part of why she liked Vidal so much right away. He was more than happy to keep her brother company than spend time running or throwing around a ball. Those days were always nice.

At one point, a girl named Mirren started hanging around Vidal a lot more because she joined the usual babysitting crew. Mirren was fine, but Delphine didn't feel too strongly about her either way. She was just kinda there, and Delphine was glad that she never really had to hang out with just her. Besides, she always preferred the days where Mirren wasn't there. Any day of just her and Vidal was bound to be a good one.

By the time they were 13, life demanded they get a job. Delphine and Vidal started working in the peach orchard together, and they had been ever since. Before they started working, they made a pact to pretend not to know each other at work. The Peacekeepers overseeing the orchards were known to be strict and would crack down on anything that would decrease productivity. Delphine wanted to be with Vidal more than anything, but she wasn't stupid. She knew that playing the long game would benefit her.

And benefit her it did. After 2 years, they were assigned to be partners. It was like something out of a fairytale. Fate brought them together after 2 years of being apart, and they had stayed together ever since.

They started to date not long after, and everyone around them expected them to marry after they became adults. Delphine and Vidal planned to comply with expectations. They were in love after all. She was so happy to have someone who loved her as much as Vidal did. It made her feel warm and powerful, like the world was hers. It was just a nice feeling, to be loved.

For a while, things were good. But then the events of the 74th Annual Victory Tour changed everything. Ever since that day a few months ago, the Peacekeepers had enacted serious crackdowns on the district. There were regulations on mass gatherings, much more strict rules, and escorts from place to place. The already staggering number of Peacekeepers grew, and it became suffocating seeing their eerily pristine white armor virtually blocking out the sun.

Delphine actually liked the romance between Katniss and Peeta. She was a little embarrassed to admit it, but she did. It was shocking for her to learn that some saw the berries as an act of rebellion. All she saw it as was an act of love. Why wouldn't they want to die together instead of live apart? Perhaps it was because she was reminded so much of her and Vidal.

Regardless, the rumblings of rebellion in the district had made things difficult. Like most others, Delphine despised the Games and happily supported a rebellion, but didn't want to be directly involved. It was too dangerous, and her instincts told her that openly rebelling right now was suicide. She was happy to keep her head down as long as she and Vidal were ok.

Tensions were still high, but things had died down a little since the announcement of the Third Quarter Quell. The twist was a little scary because the age range made her chances of being picked a lot more likely. But, it also wasn't random chance. Some Capitolite would be handpicking the tributes. It was almost funny to think about a person trying to sort though the large population of District 11, trying to find someone suitable for the twist. Delphine supposed that she and Vidal could be candidates, but as terrifying as the Games were, she and Vidal would be together. And that was a comfort more than anything else.

The night went on, and they switched to night-vision goggles as the light finally died. It was probably going to be a few more hours of hard work before they could finally go home.

Despite the work, time always went faster with Vidal by her side. He was an eternal comfort, a constant in her life. Knowing that he would always be there for her, loving her, made everything worth it.

When it was finally time to leave, the end of the day was signaled by a loud ringing bell. Depending on your zone in the orchard, you were to report to a certain exit and wait for Peacekeeper escort. That was the new policy since winter, and Delphine despised it.

As the bell rang, she made a face of annoyance at Vidal. He met her gaze and gave her a smile.

"I know. But we'll be alone again soon. Promise."

Delphine sighed and nodded. Vidal always kept his promises.

After the two of them dropped off their day's supply of peaches, they met up with the other workers from their zone and formed lines as Peacekeepers took role call. When the final name was read, the tall fence-gate was opened and they were all virtually marched out of the orchard.

Delphine tried to keep her head up, but this procession always made her depressed. It just reminded her of the way things used to be.

Before the crackdown, she and Vidal would walk home together every night. It was less than 2 years ago when, on this very same road on a very similar summer night, Vidal kissed her for the first time.

She remembered it so clearly in her head. It was a warm summer night, not unlike this one. They had finished dropping off their peaches before setting out into the night. The insects where chirping loudly in the night, the breeze whispered a romantic serenade, and the stars smiled down on them. It was a perfect summer night. There was something so comforting about all those familiar senses. It was what made District 11 home.

Earlier that evening, Delphine recalled how handsome Vidal looked. His tight curly hair, his glistening dark skin, the ever so slight rise of his shirt. She couldn't stop thinking about it. For some reason, that particular evening felt like the air was thick with tension. The tension broke when Vidal offered to walk her home. It was the first time he had done so.

On the walk home, they were both quiet, letting the breeze and the insects speak for them, letting the blue night guide them. Delphine's heart fluttered in her chest, and she felt it start to soar when Vidal slipped his hand into hers.

They continued walking in silence, letting the breeze whisk between them, gently pulling at their clothes.

When they finally reached Delphine's doorstep, no words were exchanged. They communicated without moving, with speaking, because for two people in love, there was no need. Then and there, they kissed for the first time, with only the stars as their witness. That kiss came with a promise, a promise to love each other until the end. They officially began dating and the rest was history.

Getting lost in the past was the only way Delphine could stomach the walks home, flanked by Peacekeepers. Oh how she wished things could go back to the way they were.

The troupe reached Delphine and Vidal's neighborhood, and they each went to their homes separately, under the watchful eye of a Peacekeeper. The only goodbye they could say was said with a glance. Any outward display of affection could get them split up, and neither of them wanted that. They had a promise to keep. A promise to be together until the sun turned cold.

Delphine entered her home, discouraged once more by the state of her walk home. Her spirits lifted when she saw Dolan standing shyly in front of her, glasses glinting in the candlelight of their home. He was holding a small bouquet of flowers, which Delphine knew were picked from the street. They could hardly afford buying more pristine flowers, and picking them from a field was utter suicide. It was a small gesture, but it made her heart melt every time.

She took the bouquet wordlessly and hugged him.

He hugged her back and whispered, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she smiled, adjusting his glasses which had gotten slightly tilted during their hug.

Dolan clasped his hands nervously. "While you were gone, I started to, s-started to write something and I wanted to know if-"

"Of course I want to read it! I always do."

Dolan's face lit up with a shy smile and led her over in their kitchen. On the table was a small notebook which Dolan had been using to write poetry. Delphine saved up to get it for his birthday, and he had been writing nonstop in it ever since.

She sat at the table and opened her mouth to read out loud from the most recent page.

"Wh-"

Dolan shushed her, "Please don't read it out loud." He had gone slightly pink in the face; Delphine could see it even in the dim light.

"Sure thing," she said with a smile and began reading.

It was a short poem, about a page long, that was a love story between the sun and the moon. The moon wanted to bask in the sun's light, but could never fully be enveloped by it. There was always going to be a part of it in shadow. The sun was bright, and loved the moon, but it was too oblivious to be able to love all of the moon. It struck Delphine as a bit tragically sad, but her brother's writing was as good as always.

After she finished reading, Delphine thought about herself and Vidal. She was so thankful, so lucky that she had someone who loved her as fully as she did him. But there was some part of her that asked a haunting question in a slight whisper.

Do you love him as much as he loves you?

Delphine Driscoll loved Vidal Roe more than the sun loved the moon, but sometimes her subconscious would wonder what she was truly in love with: Vidal, or perhaps love itself.

And with that, we have met the D11 Match! These two have an absolutely spicy hook to them, Eros decided to be a little messy.

Next up is the FINAL INTROS. At long last…it has been a hot second since I started this story but we are so close to making actual progress and I am so excited for the future of this story.