Pluto Valence, 18.
District 5 Male.


Pluto had never been the smartest, but he did know one thing; he was late for work.

"C'mon, do you have to go?" Edwaerd called from the nearby bed, sprawled out across the mattress and half beneath the sheets. Admittedly, Pluto didn't want to go, didn't want to leave Eddie's side, but he had somewhere to be.

"Yeah, I do, but I'll be back later," Pluto replied as he carefully buttoned his shirt with one hand.

Edwaerd groaned, rolling over in the bed and muttering something under his breath as Pluto grabbed his bag, which he had left on the floor near the door. "Are you sure?" Eddie called, sitting up and sending Pluto a pouty look across the room as he secured his bag with his left arm. Pluto carefully pulled the strap over what remained of his right arm, having been cut off just above his elbow, clipping the small clip across his chest to hold his bag in place.

"Yes, I promise," Pluto replied, sending a large grin back. He stepped out the door, careful to close it behind himself as he made his way through the house, trying and failing to be as quiet as he could. Pluto didn't think Eddie's parents were home, but on the off chance they were, they would've heard him coming from a mile away as he bumbled down the stairs and through the front hall, nearly knocking a coat hanger over as he attempted to get through the door.

Eventually, Pluto made his way to the street, just barely catching one of the many streetcars which ran throughout the city that made up the majority of District 5. Most of the people on the streetcar seemed to be heading to much the same place he was, either going to the electrical plants or coming home from them. District 5 was powered by the plants, both providing electricity for themselves and most of the nation, as well as jobs for the majority of their population. Pluto of all people had managed to land himself a job (albeit a somewhat unimportant one, but it was a paying job nonetheless) through his father, who also worked at the same power plant. While all Pluto had to do was sort and deliver various parts throughout the building, he wasn't overly good at his job, but he at least had the charm to make up for it. Pluto was well-liked by his coworkers, which was something at least.

Pluto disembarked at his usual stop, the surrounding buildings towering far above his head. There were giant factories and power plants, the generators that could power a nation turning the sky into a bleak grey. No matter where Pluto looked, there was nothing but steel and glass and stone.

He found himself being swept up in the rush of people heading toward the various buildings in the arena. Pluto didn't mind the grey of the area though, as at least the job provided him with a sense of routine. It was better than where he was two years before after losing his arm, stuck at home with nothing to do, spending each day doing the same nothing as the day before and the next day to come, the weeks blending together into an amalgamation of despair and bitterness and anger.

But that was not how it was now. Things were better, or at the very least getting better, and even if it was slow progress, it was progress. That was all that mattered to Pluto.

Pluto made his way through the lobby of the building, clocking in at his usual station. As he walked, he made idle chatter, greeting his coworkers as they all went about their jobs. He continued onwards to the stairs, careful to keep his grip on the railing with his hand as he climbed the steps. Pluto had always been quite clumsy, and it'd never caused him any problems until it cost him an arm. He'd tried to be more careful about it following the accident but he was just clumsy by nature. Pluto just couldn't help it.

The District 5 boy soon found himself in his usual workspace, a quiet corner in the distribution center. They were the ones who sorted and moved needed parts around the compound, and Pluto had always been quite good at sorting all of the orders, the job to which he'd been relegated after his accident, though Pluto was occasionally sent with smaller items to deliver around. The methodical repetition of picking up new order forms, sorting the needed parts into boxes and then sending them down the line to the delivery crew was brain-numbingly the same. But Pluto didn't mind, as time often passed quickly during shifts like this, especially if there were people to talk to.

Soon enough, the dinner bell rang and Pluto made his way to the cafeteria, looking for one person in particular as he went. He soon found who he was looking for, speeding up to catch up to the friend in question just as they entered the cafeteria.

"Hey, Robin! Wait up," Pluto called out, mocking exhaustion as the two fell into step next to each other.

"Usually you're the one waiting. What took so long?" Robin replied, shooting him a grin as the two got in line to pick up their trays.

"Nothin', I was just a little behind tonight," Pluto replied as the line continued advancing in front of them.

"That's cause you talk too much and don't do enough work. You know you'd be more efficient if you were quiet."

"Hey, but where's the fun in that?"

"It's a job, it's not supposed to be fun."

"Well, then I'll just make it fun," Pluto said as they picked up their trays. Turning to look around the cafeteria, there didn't appear to be many options for seating. Curiously, the table where they usually sat was crowded with strange, white-clad figures, most of them having discarded their helmets. Pluto had noticed an increase in Peacekeepers in the area, but he hadn't thought anything of it, as there were usually many around to protect District 5's battery sector.

"Well fuck, seems like our usual table is taken, eh?" Robin said, nodding towards the Peacekeeper table. Pluto nodded, squinting as he looked for another spot to sit.

"What about that back corner?" Pluto replied, gesturing to an empty table behind the Peacekeepers. Pluto didn't know why it was abandoned when most of the other tables were half full, or full entirely, but he figured it might have to do with the presence of the authorities in the cafeteria. Robin shrugged, and the pair began making their way through the crowded room, Pluto keeping a firm grip on his tray as the last thing he wanted to do was trip and fall with his precious dinner. As they grew closer to their destination, Pluto caught a glimpse of somebody who looked very out of place amongst the white sea of armour. A teenager, not looking any older than Pluto himself, was sitting off to one side, away from the rest of the group. He wasn't in armour, rather sporting a rather large black leather jacket. He was quite handsome looking by Pluto's standards, with long dark hair and dark eyes which were scanning the room around him, tracking the movements of everyone around him. The man looked somewhat familiar (had Pluto slept with him before? Maybe that's where he knew him from) although Pluto couldn't place where he knew his face from exactly.

And before Pluto knew it he came crashing down to the floor, landing hard. All of the air left his lungs in a rush, and Pluto quickly scrambled to right himself.

"Pluto, what the fuck-" Robin called, turning to see his friend who was now splayed out on the floor.

"It's fine, I'm fine," Pluto groaned, attempting to drag himself to his feet. Most of the Peacekeepers' table was looking at him, and a few were laughing at him, not even trying to conceal their amusement with his clumsiness. But the man was looking at him, his dark eyes staring through Pluto's soul. He didn't know if he should be afraid or intimidated or maybe something else, but whatever the case, Pluto's interest was more than piqued.

"C'mon, get your ass up, thankfully your food didn't go everywhere so that's good at least," Robin said, gripping Pluto's arm firmly and hauling him to his feet. Pluto collected his tray which had managed to fall flat on the ground without anything but his cup of water falling over. He continued making his way towards the empty table, the two sliding into the benches, facing each other as they began eating.

"What the hell was that?" Robin asked, his voice low so they wouldn't be overheard by the table near them.

"I dunno, I got distracted," Pluto muttered, shoving an apple slice into his mouth.

"That doesn't surprise me one bit."

"I know, I'm smooth as hell aren't I?"

"Yes, smooth is definitely a word I'd use to describe you."

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night," Pluto said, cracking up at his own joke. Robin rolled his eyes, seemingly unamused by his antics as the pair continued eating, eventually lapsing into silence. Pluto didn't mind this, as it gave him more time to stuff more food into his mouth faster. He was done eating in no more than five minutes, as was the norm. If there was one thing Pluto liked, it was food; admittedly, the stuff the factory provided left something to be desired, but it wasn't all that bad.

"So what do you think they're doing here?" Robin asked, gesturing to the Peacekeepers who sat nearby as Pluto collected his tray.

"I dunno, there's always Peacekeepers around here."

"Yeah but there's so many of them. They're practically swarming the place."

"Yeah, I guess. I doubt it's anything important," Pluto said with a shrug.

"I guess, yeah," Robin agreed, turning his attention back to his food.

"Alright, I'm gonna get going. I wanna get out of here at a decent time. I'll see you tomorrow!" Pluto said, standing up and picking up his tray. This is what most often happened at dinner; Robin would take far longer than Pluto to eat, and so Pluto would end up returning to work before his friend.

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow," Robin replied, muffled through a mouthful of food. Pluto took his now empty tray and walked to where they were meant to return them. As he stood, clearing what was left on the tray into the garbage, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Pluto turned and was met with the curious man who'd been looking at him earlier. He was surprisingly small, barely coming up to Pluto's shoulder, but he still inexplicably unnerved Pluto. The fact he looked so familiar and yet Pluto was still unable to place who exactly he was certainly didn't help.

"You dropped this," The man said, holding out a strip of cloth which Pluto carried. It was an old strip of his favourite blanket, and he carried it as a sort of comfort object; despite it being quite childish it still brought him a sense of security. He usually tied it around the stump of his right arm, underneath his shirt, but in his haste leaving Eddie's he must've forgotten to tie it on where he usually did.

"Oh- er. Thanks? I didn't even realize I dropped it," Pluto said, taking it back quickly and shoving it in his pocket.

"Yeah, I figured," The man replied with an indifferent tone, turning and walking back to his group of Peacekeepers who, in the time it had taken Pluto to eat, had collected their things. The group walked out of the cafeteria as Pluto watched, the strange man who'd he'd exchanged words with seeming to be leading the group. But Pluto didn't think much of it. Instead, he returned to his workstation as he always did. When the end of the work day came, he left for home on the same streetcar he always did, then returned to Eddie's side as he always did, drifting off to sleep in his arms.

Pluto Valence was content with his life, content with his routine which wouldn't change any time soon. All he had to do was take each day at a time.


Terra Kiana Quinones, 15.
District 5 Female.


Terra ducked through the old, broken window frame, the damp air of the old factory surrounding her as she moved deeper into the decrepit building. Terra would occasionally come and spend her afternoons here, just to take a break from the overwhelming hustle and bustle of the world. It wasn't anything special, just an old abandoned factory building, but it was still special in its own way to her.

After all, it wasn't easy to escape the world. There was guaranteed to always be somebody watching her or following her. But here was not a place where she could be watched.

Nobody would find her here, not even if they tried.

Terra carefully made her way across the factory, making sure to avoid the larger, noticeable gaps in the floor. She soon found herself climbing up an old set of steps to a wide open second floor. Here there were more gaps in the walls and floor, as well as holes in the ceiling where bright sun rays spilled through, bringing some light into the old, damp factory. Terra edged along carefully towards a nearby shaft of sunlight, making sure to only step on the floor where it looked solid. As she stepped into the ray of sunlight, she thought of brighter days, sitting out in the sun, the sounds of her family's voices echoing across the meadow.

Three deafening gunshots were all she could hear before she ran from their home.

Terra sat in the beam of sunlight, feeling its warmth as she pulled her things out of her bag. She had a bit of homework to do, and she'd left her favourite kind to last- math. She'd always been fascinated by how numbers worked, how they were put together and pulled apart to form complex intertwining equations that were seemingly written in another language. But Terra didn't mind math's complexity; untangling and decoding each problem was soothing, the repetitive steps inducing a state of focus where the rest of the world dropped away and nothing else mattered.

Before she knew it, Terra was out of questions to untangle, and the warmth of the sunbeams in which she sat was beginning to wane. She collected her things, placing her books and papers into her bag, and then began to make her way back through the old building. It creaked and groaned as she made her way to the window through which she came in. It was like the structure had a life of its own; the noises had startled her when she first began exploring the place, but over time they became familiar, comforting almost.

The District 5 girl continued onwards, through the window and out onto the dry dirt below. There were a few sprigs of grass poking through the dead dirt, barely clinging on to life amongst the dust. Terra made an effort to not step on them as she made her way back towards the street. They hadn't done anything, after all, so why step on them?

The street was relatively empty - it seemed that most people were either at home or at work - so Terra had it all to herself. A cool breeze blew between the buildings, causing dead, dried leaves from the fall before to scratch against the asphalt. The sudden scraping sound caused Terra to jump and look back over her shoulder. There was nothing behind her, nobody anywhere near her, and yet Terra couldn't help but feel like there was somebody watching her.

Terra quickened her pace as she continued to walk, turning onto another street that ran alongside a set of railroad tracks. She didn't usually go through this part of town, but due to the fact that there were more Peacekeeper patrols on her usual route, she had started walking home a different way to avoid them. As she walked past the train station, it reminded her of what was coming soon. Every year for the reapings, Leah, who had gotten Terra to District 5 in the first place, would return. Attendance at the reapings was mandatory after all, and not even the train hopping kids could escape it, escape the Capitol's iron grip on them. All they had was the concept of freedom, and all they could do was grasp at the fleeting wisps of what they aspired for. No matter how hard they tried, no matter how much they thought they were free, they never truly were, nor would they ever be.

Especially not Terra.

At the very least, Terra had resigned herself to the fact she would never live a normal life. She would never be a normal person; no, she would always be looking over her shoulder, ready for when the Peacekeepers would find her and kill her just like they did to her family all those years before.

Terra was running on borrowed time, and she always would be.

As she passed the train station, something caught her eye. Approaching her, seemingly just having turned onto the street, was a small group of Peacekeepers. It was strange, as Peacekeepers didn't usually patrol this area at this time. Terra spun on her heel, looking around her frantically, managing to spot a side street branching off the main one she was on. She darted off the sidewalk into the alleyway and crouched behind a stack of wooden pallets.

The group of Peacekeepers laughed with each other as they marched, wrapped in their trademark armor which reflected the light of the sun aggressively. Terra watched, squinting at their bright armour as they passed. They seemed to be led by a shorter man in a leather jacket which seemed far too large for him. The group was heading towards the train station, so Terra figured once they went by, she could continue on her regular route. As soon as they passed out of sight, Terra counted to five on her fingers, waiting a few tense moments before straightening up and quickly walking back to the sidewalk. The group of Peacekeepers were gone now - Terra figured they'd disappeared into the train station - and Terra didn't waste any time getting out of there.

As she continued her walk, the same thoughts only cycled through her mind; what if they were there for her? Or looking for her? Could they have gone into the train station just to fake her out? What if they were still tailing her now? Terra didn't take her usual route home that night, instead returning to the back streets, side roads and alleyways to get her where she needed to go. She'd memorized most of the ways she could get home from any given place in that sector of the District, and that knowledge paid off, as she eventually arrived back to the community home without a single Peacekeeper in sight. This change of routine was somewhat unnerving, even upsetting to Terra, but she knew in her heart that it was a necessary change to be made, and tomorrow she would be right back to her usual schedule.

Terra stepped through the door of the home she shared with at least a dozen other children. She didn't mind the others much, although she preferred to stick to herself, especially after Clement's reaping and subsequent death. Terra had nobody, nobody in the world - but in some way, that was better than having people. All she did was endanger those who got close to her, and she refused to let her friends die because of her existence.

"Terra, is that you?" A voice called from deeper within the house as the door clattered shut behind Terra.

"Yes, Misty, it's me," Terra replied, removing her shoes and picking them up so she could put them away where she preferred to keep them: next to her bed, so she could get away at a moment's notice.

"Good, good, you're just in time for dinner. Are you hungry?" Misty continued, standing at the counter with a number of plates spread out around her, having seemingly just finished plating all of the food for the kids. Terra nodded as she approached, picking up one of the plates from the counter. Misty flitted off to elsewhere in the house, likely to call the others to dinner, as Terra found a secluded corner in which to eat her food and read a book which she'd picked up from the library.

Terra Kiana Quinones was nearly at peace, but that peace could not last.

After all, it never did.