District 1 Reaping
Midnight Reticello
Age 17
District 1 Female
"Keep up!" I yell over my shoulder. My best friend, Janette, speeds up until she's running beside me.
"Fast enough for you?" she pants, delighted at the challenge. I roll my eyes and quicken my pace as we near the finish line: My family's jewelry shop. Janette and I slap the window at the exact same time.
"Exact same time again, you two. And this is your fifth race today! How are you not exhausted?!" Beam groans. I roll my eyes as Beam spins the stopwatch around on a string.
"You train at the academy too. You should be running with us, if anything!" Janette complains. I laugh and pat her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about Janette, Beam! She's just joking, I know it!" I giggle. Beam rolls his eyes.
"Oh yeah, Midnight, you're really going to volunteer this year?" Beam asks. His face shows how worried he is about me. I smile brightly and pump my fists in the air.
"Yeah! I mean, I've been training for five years! Of course I want to be in the Games! And I know I can win, too!" I cry enthusiastically. Janette looks like she doesn't quite believe me.
"... It's because of Infinity, isn't it?" she says slyly. My smile fades a little, but quickly springs back to life.
"No duh! By volunteering a bit early, Infinity will never be able to volunteer! That's karma for rubbing her victory over the volunteer slot in my face!" I laugh. Scarlet, my sister, pops her head out of the store door.
"You know that Infinity will be seriously pissed at you, right? I won't be surprised if she tries to kill you." she says worriedly. I smile brightly to show that I'm not worried.
"I can take Infinity on at any time! But one might say that she'll be… infinitely pissed!" I joke. Janette, Scarlet, and Beam all start laughing. Their smiles make me really happy.
"And I know, I can win these Games for sure!"
Talon Silvervine
Age 18
District 1 Male
I stand there in the eighteen year old section, staring up at the stage impatiently. I can't wait for the Reapings. This is it. The year that I'm going to volunteer. Or else I'll never see another chance.
It's also the year I'm going to win. I'm completely confident in my abilities. I can do this for sure. I hear the other eighteen year olds around me whispering. My reputation speaks for itself. No one wants to take my spot, because if they did, I would beat the cr*p out of them.
"Hellooooo, District one!" Daniella Takeyama, our Escort, twirls onto the stage. Dang, I've always thought Daniella was hot. She has fabulous legs. Daniella twirls over to the girl's bowl first.
"Alllright~! Arani Himagachi!"
"I volunteer as tribute!" someone cries from the seventeen-year-old section. A girl rushes up to stage as an enraged screech comes up from the eighteen-year-old section. But wasn't that Infinity girl the chosen volunteer? I take note of the volunteer. She looks tough: reasonably muscular, at that. The dress she's wearing is blinding me, though. Pure white gown, diamond necklace, and ring. My eyes hurt just looking at it.
"What's your name, dear~?" Daniella asks the girl. The girl flashes a bright smile at the crowd, which simultaneously looks determined.
"My name is Midnight Reticello, and I am proud to be the District One tribute!" She yells, emphasizing the last three words. There's a lot of commotion in the eighteen-year-old area, as if someone is trying to get up on stage.
"Nooowww, let's have a boyyy~!" Daniella twirls over to the boy's bowl.
"Kisan Hodora!" she yells.
"I volunteer as tribute!" I yell, rushing up on stage. I shove smaller people out of the way as I go.
"What's your name, dear~?" Daniella asks me. I try to look as handsome as possible for her. Next to Midnight's eyesore of a gown, my tank top and jeans look very plain.
"My name is Talon Silvervine, and I am the District One male tribute!" I yell. I hope I look both terrifying and handsome. Daniella hops onto the center stage with a ballerina like efficiency.
"District One, let's hear it for your tributes: Talon Silvervine and Midnight Reticello~!"
Midnight Reticello
Age 17
District 1 Female
I sit in the Goodbye room, smoothing down my dress. I wonder how much people liked it, and whether or not I should have chosen something happier, like yellow.
"Midnight! Oh, you're going to win, I just know it!" my mother embraces me and showers me with good-luck kisses, clearly emotional. My father follows closely, beaming with pride. Shine, Jade, Scarlet, Beam, and Amethyst, my siblings, pull me into a big group hug, showering me with good wishes and support.
"Good luck out there, Midnight. I know you'll do absolutely incredible!" Janette encourages, hugging me tightly.
"Thank you, everyone. I'll be sure to win and return home to you all!" I cry confidently. My family and Janette pull me into one last big hug, and leave, crying out their last good-lucks. I sit back down on the plush couch, ready to relax for a bit and plan, but then…
"MIDNIGHT YOU B****!"
The door flies open and there's Infinity, steaming mad. Her hands are clenched in tight fists, her eyes are like miniature suns, and I can practically see the smoke coming out of her ears.
In her defense, she looked quite… interesting. Purple dress, yellow gloves, and multicolored gems for a bracelet. Not the best of fashion choices.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE WAITED TO BE IN THESE GAMES?! THAT WAS MY SPOT! MY SPOT! AND YOU STOLE IT! SO I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IN A SNAP SO I CAN-" Before Infinity can finish her rant, some guards rush in a forcefully drag her out of the room. I can hear her screaming all the way down the hall.
"And may the odds be ever in your favor, Infinity!" I yell after her, laughing.
Talon Silvervine
Age 18
District 1 Male
I bounce around in the Goodbye Room, boxing with thin air. I don't really know what I'm going to do in the Games, just that I'm going to win. I barely notice the door opening.
"Whoa, calm down there, Little Macaroni. Don't want you wearing yourself out before the Games!" My brother, Falcon, slaps me on the back, hard. My father stands at the doorway, arms crossed, imposing. But the barest hint of a smile is crossing his face.
"I'm proud of you, son. Now you get out there, and you win, understood? Join the Career Pack if you want, but just don't get attached. They could kill you as soon as they look at you." he growls.
I barely take in his words of wisdom, just nodding to say that I heard. Father and Falcon start walking out of the room.
"Show 'em your moves, Talon! We'll be waiting for ya!" Falcon calls out as the door closes behind them. I stop bouncing around for a second.
I hope you're watching, Mom. Maybe you'll come back after I win. And I know that I will win. I think to myself. I shake the thoughts out of my head. Winning is the only thing that matters. And whoever stands in my way…
...They'll be dead where they stand.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! Midnight was super fun to write, so thank you to 2017tnt for submitting her! Talon is my character, and I really tried to have a little bit of fun with him! I kinda packed this story with plenty of references, so I hope you have a bit of a laugh when you spot them!
Chapter Question: What do you think of Midnight Reticello (D1F) and Talon Silvervine (D1M)?
So thank you guys so much for reading, and me, NyanToDaMax145, will see you guys next time! BOOOOOOOOOIIIII!