District 2
Lepolio Huang's POV – District 2 Male
After getting dressed in my peacekeeper uniform costume for the tribute parade, I was escorted out of the building towards the large, stadium-like room with the chariots. The tribute parade was going to occur in thirty minutes, so all twenty-four tributes must be ready and prepared for the festivities.
I never understood what the appeal of the tribute parade was. It was supposed to be some sign of unity and district pride for everyone viewing, but I don't recall ever watching one and thinking anything other than indifference. No one would remember what the tributes looked like in their costumes. They would only remember who wins and who would die once the fighting started in the arena. Then again, maybe there was some appeal that I did not understand. Maybe the other people in the districts watched the parade and felt some variation of pride. I didn't really know. I was told that I didn't understand complex emotions like that very easily.
According to my parents before they died, back when I was a newborn infant, my umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck multiple times and cut off my flow of oxygen mere seconds after birth. It was considered a miracle that I survived considering how long I went without breathing. However, I learned that as a result of this, I developed some variation of brain damage and that my ability to register pain and the ability to process emotions were damaged severely. I still felt emotions, but according to the doctors, I felt very loose versions of the ones the average person felt. Perhaps this 'district pride' was just another thing on a long list of feelings that I was unable of comprehending.
However, it was not like I needed to understand it. All that really mattered right now was to stand out to get sponsors, enter the Games after training, and then slaughter the rest of the tributes and return back home to my family. Unlike most tributes from District Two, I was reaped. I had no intentions of volunteering for the Games. I was very content with my life. I had a wife, a girl named Kianna, and my two year-old twins, a boy named Miall and a girl named Lilicon. I didn't appreciate being taken away from them, so I was going to do everything to return back to them.
With that thought in my mind, I climbed onto the chariot and waited for the tribute parade to start.
A minute passed before I saw a few more tributes come out from other districts. I saw the boy from District Seven walk out wearing a tree costume, looking very irritated about his costume. I saw the girl from District Ten feeling very comfortable in her cattle rancher costume. I saw a few other tributes, but most of them did not concern me. The girl from District Five, the boy from District Three, and the two tributes from Districts Eight and Eleven: they all seemed like bloodbath deaths to me. There was no need to focus on them.
Eventually, one of the tributes that walked out was my district partner, Victoire McBlock. She was heading towards our chariot with a large smile on her face.
While the both of us were in costumes that represented the peacekeeper force, Victoire was wearing one that was significantly more revealing. It suited her body's natural curves and her muscles well. She was also, unlike me, wearing no helmet. This allowed her black, straight hair to fall down past her upper back.
Perhaps a normal man would feel some variation of attraction towards her, but I was already married. With that in my mind, I looked at her and saw nothing but an ally early in the Games in the career pack and a potential threat in the Games once the careers split apart.
"Hey! Lepolio! How are you doing?" She called out to me cheerfully after reaching the chariot. She jumped on the chariot and turned to face me.
"Alright. I want to get this over with already however." I answered honestly.
"Ugh, I hear you. I'm pretty nervous about this. But this is how things work. This is tradition after all. Who are we to question it?" She responded with a shrug. "Hopefully it won't be too bad though. It might actually be a little fun to just ride around on the chariots. Maybe we'll actually enjoy it!"
If there was one thing I learned about Victoire in our short time together, it was that she seemed happy nearly every second of the day. She was a very friendly, funny, polite girl who charmed our district escort and our mentors within seconds of meeting them. I could tell she was not putting on an act at all and that she was being sincere. As pleasant as it made her, I was very concerned about the amount of sponsorships she would probably receive after her interview before the Games started.
"Heh, maybe." I answered with a light chuckle, trying to appear amicable. Growing up, I used to watch other kids interact with each other and I picked up on how they talked to each other. I may not feel emotions strongly, but I tried to talk and act in a way that made people think I had those capabilities. People tended to work with others who they had a good relationship with, and it was difficult for other people to make a relationship with someone who was considered emotionless.
Victoire giggled in agreement. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she turned her head. Something appeared in her peripheral vision. I turned my head and saw the District One boy approaching us. He was a boy slightly shorter and smaller than most of the careers from his district, but he still walked forward us with the same arrogance that the boys from District One had. He was wearing a costume made entirely out of gold to represent the luxury goods his district produced. It was also skintight and revealed his body, which I could assume would be attractive to anyone interested.
"Hello District Two tributes. Nice to finally get a chance to meet you both." He spoke to us with a wide smile on his face.
I knew his smile was fake the second I saw it. As adept as I was at faking my own emotions, I knew the signs of someone else faking their own emotions. His cordial smile and demeanor were entirely fake and were masking some more complex emotion.
"District One." I called him in acknowledgment.
"Call me Ariail. In case you weren't paying attention during the reaping preview on the train, that is my name." He informed us smugly.
"Well, nice to meet you Ariail! I'm Victoire and this is Lepolio." Victoire introduced ourselves.
"Yes, I remembered both of your names. I remembered how you, Victoire, rushed up to the front of the stage with a smile on your face. You seemed legitimately excited to volunteer for the Games." Ariail commented. Victoire opened her mouth to respond, but then he turned to face me. "And I remember how you were reaped, Lepolio. As big as you are, you are no volunteer. Looking at you on the tape and looking at you now, I wonder just how strong of a competitor you really are. I mean, how tough can a reaped tribute actually be?"
I made a conscious effort to frown after hearing the insult. Ariail appeared to be an overly condescending person. I still could not read any other hint of emotions under his fake demeanor. It was something I was starting to dislike and I wanted him to leave.
"Are you here to talk to us about something in particular, or are you just wasting our time?" I questioned in irritation. I assumed it was an appropriate emotional response to get Ariail to leave if he had no purpose conversing with me.
Instantly, the fake smile dropped and a scowl developed on the boy's face. It seemed much more natural on his face. I would assume he didn't enjoy being talked back to in any fashion.
"Careers." He said the word with a hiss. "I've already talked to the District Four tributes and I'm making sure with you two. There are too many reaped 'careers', so I need to make sure if you all are going to work with us! I'm assuming you are in Victoire. Are you in Lepolio?"
There was an intensity and hostility in his voice that I did not understand. It seemed a lot stronger than the standard anger or temper I had seen in other people. He was something I didn't understand, and I did not like not knowing the variables I was working with.
"I'm in. There is no reason to worry about me not joining." I answered, making my voice colder than usual.
"Hmph. Good." He grumbled as he immediately turned away and started to walk off. "We'll talk more during the training days. Just remember this Lepolio: you didn't volunteer. You aren't here for the same reason we are here. You don't have our determination nor our strength. You better not hold us back in the arena."
With those words, the District One boy walked off towards his chariot to meet up with his district partner. He was most likely going to relay news to her that the careers were intact despite the multiple reaped tributes.
Ariail was correct: I did not volunteer and I was not here for the same reason. He and other career volunteers came to the Games to earn fame and money. They were here for their pride, a concept I could barely understand. On the other hand, I was taken away from Kianna and our children.
I had met my wife when we were fourteen. She was an intellect who studied psychology and took an interest in me, which soon developed into love. When my family died in a house fire when I was fifteen, she was who I turned for to properly mourn. Soon, she was pregnant and gave birth to our twins. We married shortly after and spent all of our time together. I had no intentions of leaving her. She was my rock.
Kianna and our children were the only people I felt true, genuine feelings for. I wasn't completely certain what exact emotion I felt, but I could assume it was love. Nevertheless, I cared for them and needed them in my life. They were everything to me. I was not going to let myself get separated from them.
I may have not been a volunteer, but I was trained and I was going to win. I would crush the skulls of anyone that got in my way.
"What's his problem?" Victoire commented with a sigh, interrupting my thoughts. I could tell she was still bothered by our brief interaction with Ariail. "We're all careers and he should know that. There was no reason to antagonize you like that."
"I don't pretend to understand him." I replied with a shrug. "We'll worry about him later though. For now, he's an ally. There's no reason to try and go against him right away."
"True, true." She nodded in agreement. She then let out another sigh. "Let's just focus on this little parade of ours. I'm still kinda nervous actually… Hopefully I don't embarrass myself in front of my family on live television!"
"You'll do fine." I told her. I did not want her to feel nervous: it could potentially ruin my chances for sponsors if even one part of District Two looked weak.
"Hopefully. We'll see in a little bit I guess." She commented as she ran her hand through her hair. "What about you? I know you said you wanted to get this out of the way a little bit ago. You nervous about this?"
"I just want to get this out of way so I can get to sleep. I don't particularly care about embarrassing myself." I answered, forcing out a believable laugh.
"That's probably the attitude to have for this thing." Victoire noted with a giggle. "I really probably should act like you for now. I don't seem very career-like right now, do I?"
"Not really." I shook my head.
To be completely honest, we seemed like a strange pair of tributes for a career district. Sure I was physically intimidating, but I was not a volunteer. Victoire, despite being a volunteer, didn't seem to have the personality suited to being a career. We made a weird pair. In the end, though, any initial opinions on us didn't matter. I'll prove myself as a career tribute with a high training score and Victoire, most likely, will show off with an equally high score. Our only really task was making sure we stood out more than the other career tributes.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." She nodded her head in understanding. "I'll have to fix that before we go out."
"Again, don't stress yourself out. You'll do fine." I stated, repeating what I told her earlier.
"You're right, you're right." She giggled slightly. "You're really sweet Lepolio. I'm a little envious of your wife. I wish I had a boyfriend who was as polite as you."
I forced out another amicable life, accepting her compliment. I could tell Victoire was starting to view me as a friend. She probably assumed I felt similarly to her. However, I felt nothing for the girl. I didn't dislike her, but all I saw when I looked at her was competition. Eventually she was going to have to die. I'd be friendly and polite to her at the moment, but there was no reason for me to want to be friends with someone that I was most likely going to have to kill.
We remained silent for a few seconds until we noticed a few Capitol animal trainers coming into the room, leading horses. They connected the horses to our chariots. Once all the chariots were attached to the horses, a large door in the center of the room opened up.
"Looks like it's time. Good luck!" Victoire said to me, giving me a thumbs up gesture.
"You too." I replied, mimicking her gesture.
Immediately the chariot started to move and the loud, booming voice of President Verich Draven could be heard throughout the area.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the tribute parade for the one hundred fiftieth Hunger Games." He proclaimed. "Here are your tributes for the Sixth Quarter Quell! May the odds be in their favor!"
Victoire McBlock's POV – District 2 Female
After President Draven introduced us, the Capitol audience let out a deafening applause that took me by surprise. I had to make a conscious effort to bottle down my nerves. This wasn't the time to be nervous at all. It was time to stand out to the crowds of people and make sponsors! Besides, I wouldn't want to embarrass my family and the people of District Two after all?
I knew my family would be watching and they, most likely, were throwing a party to celebrate the Hunger Games like they do each year. My parents would invite all their co-workers and my siblings would bring over all of their friends from school and training. Considering that I had five other siblings, I had to assume that there would be many people watching, rooting for me back home. I had to impress them all! I was here to make them, and all the other people of District Two, proud.
The chariot in front of us marched out the door towards the central room. Both District One tributes were clad in skintight clothes made entirely of gold. They waved to the crowd of Capitol citizens, wearing very cocky grins on their faces. Immediately, I heard the crowd starting to cheer louder. District One was always a fan-favorite of the Capitol after all.
A few seconds had passed as our chariot was now going through the door. I gave a glance over to Lepolio before I turned my head forward and took a deep breath in. Be the career tribute you trained to be.
When we passed through the door, we entered a larger stadium-like room. Unlike the previous room, this one was filled with bright lights and the seats were completely filled with Capitol citizens. All of them seemed to cheer even louder the second we arrived.
"District Two! District Two!" I heard members of the audience chanting loudly.
Upon hearing their support, I let a grin develop on my face as I raised my hand to wave to everyone. I tried to find a comfortable balance between friendly and confident. I didn't want to come as too friendly, or I might be perceived as weak. At the same time, I didn't want to appear overconfident, as that was definitely a turn-off in tributes!
Judging by the applause seeming to increase in noise, I assumed that I had reached that balance.
It did feel exhilarating to be here. The Hunger Games were everything to the people of District Two. We were the district that produced the most victors for a reason! Our people lived and breathed for the Games similar to the Capitol citizens. To be standing here on the chariots was an honor that I was proud to have.
I was not like most tributes from my district in the sense that I was some bloodthirsty killing machine. The overly gory deaths were probably my least favorite part about the Hunger Games! I had always told myself that once I entered the Games, I would make my kills as quick, painless, and bloodless as I could. However, like my bloodthirsty peers, I had trained for this all my life and it was my dream to be a victor.
I had many plans for the money and the status. My family wasn't poor at all, but I had a large family. Therefore, my parents had to spend more than normal to take care of me and my other five siblings. Even if my oldest brother, Trent, left and lived on his own, they still had to take care of the rest of us! We cost them a lot of money, so now it was my time to pay them back. I needed to earn the money and help make finances easier for them! And after that, I had a few more intentions to use leftover money for. Starting up my own yoga institute and making sure I had money to buy nice gifts for my friends and family were high priorities on my list of plans.
The longer I stood on the chariot, the more comfortable and excited I was feeling. I was so close to making my dream come true. It all felt so surreal to me!
I turned my head to my left and looked at Lepolio. The boy was waving to everyone with a smile on his face. The peacekeeper uniform on him wasn't loose at all, but it did little to cover the muscles that he had. He was completely ripped! He was definitely earning a lot of support from the Capitol women and anyone who valued strength. I assumed that he would be bringing in many sponsorship gifts for the career pack this year.
He was a very kind, polite guy and he was going to be a dependable ally for the first half of the Games. I was slightly anxious to meet him on first glance but after getting to know him, I was glad to have him as my district partner.
I realized that, in the back of my head, that there was a strong chance that I was going to have to personally kill him to win the Games but I pushed that thought away. I would concern myself later once I was in the arena. There was even a chance that someone else would do the deed instead of me! For now, I was just going to look at him and think of him as my ally.
A few more seconds before the bright lights started to focus in on a different chariot. The attention moved on to the next set of tributes. With the attention off of us for a second, I turned to face my partner.
"We did good Lepolio." I told him happily.
"What did I tell you? You were fine." He stated, reminding me about the brief bout of nerves I had before the parade started.
I giggled in response. "Yeah, yeah, you were right. Don't rub it in my face too much please!"
"I wouldn't dream about it." He replied with a light chuckle.
After our little conversation, my eyes wandered to a giant screen in the center of the stadium, showing off the tributes on camera for everybody to see. Currently, the District Three tributes were on the screen. My eyes widened at the sight.
District Three was usually dressed in random computer wires and assorted mechanical parts that never flattered them. This year, however, they were dressed to resemble robots. Both the girl and boy were wearing suits made of pure metal with matching helmets.
The District Three girl stood out the most between the two. She made a few attempts to wave, but she seemed to exhibit more of a tough-girl attitude. The robotic suit really helped make her more memorable.
Even the District Three boy a boy who I had assumed would not last long in the Games, appeared to stand out. He appeared rather awkward, but the metal suit fit him well and he seemed to carry a certain confidence that was missing in him during the reaping.
With their costumes, they looked like a serious threat. I was already dreading how many sponsors they were going to have.
"Wish our stylists were that good." I mumbled aloud, more to myself than anyone else.
Somehow amidst the loud cheering, Lepolio heard me. He scoffed in response. "It doesn't matter how they look now. They'll be a corpse sometime soon once the Games started: both of them."
"Maybe." I sighed in response. He was most likely right. It was a saddening thought, to be honest. Neither of them, nor most of the tributes, were volunteers and neither of them appeared to be trained. They were just unlucky. It was rather unfair, but there was nothing I could do about that. The deaths in the Hunger Games were a part of life and everyone had to accept that. They were a necessary evil to keep the peace, it seemed.
Honestly, I hoped that I would be the one to kill them. It's not that I wanted to add a lot of kills to my record. I would just try to make their death as quick and painless as possible. In my mind, if a tribute didn't volunteer to this and accepted the risks of being here, then they deserved to have as soft of an end as possible. I doubt some of the other careers, especially that Ariail guy from District One, would give them that luxury.
Soon, the spotlight faded from them and was directed towards the next chariot. On board were the two tributes from District Four. They were dressed up as fishermen, clad in yellow holding fishing rods. The boy from there even had a basket full of fish. He held up the basket proudly and was trying to show off to the Capitol citizens, as if the basket had a human head in it instead. He was cheering loudly and the Capitol was cheering with him.
The District Four girl, too, appeared to be cheering and waving to the Capitol citizens. Unlike her district partner, however, she seemed uncomfortable. It was barely noticeable, but it was apparent in her eyes. At first glance, it looked like she was nervous. However, after a further look, it was much more than that. She seemed very upset up on the chariot in her fisherwoman costume.
I wonder if something happened to her. We were going to have to work together in the careers later, so maybe I could talk to her and help her out if she needed any…
"I am surprised that District Four had no volunteers." Lepolio spoke up again, breaking me away my thoughts on the District Four girl. "I thought I was going to be the only reaped career."
Oh. I frowned in response. Due to how strong and intimidating he appeared to be, I sometimes forgot that Lepolio did not volunteer. He was reaped and did not consensually enter the Hunger Games. That was going to make it difficult for me to kill him. If I had to kill off either of the District One tributes, I would shrug and remember that they entered the Games willingly and knew the risks. Lepolio and the four tributes did not. They were just like most of the outer district tributes.
If I am the one to kill you, I won't prolong it Lepolio. I'll make sure your wife and your kids don't see you suffer.
"Is there a reason you're staring at me like that?" Lepolio questioned me.
"Huh?" I blinked in surprise before shaking my head. "No, no. I'm so sorry about that!"
"… don't be?" He mumbled in confusion.
I turned my head away from him and the awkward situation I had created. I focused my attention back to the television screen. The tributes from District Four were no longer the main attention. Instead, the audience was focused on the two from District Five.
Both tributes from District Five were dressed up in white lab coats to represent the research aspect of their district. To be honest, their costumes were kinda bad. Therefore, they didn't receive that much of a reaction from the people. Still, the two tributes were trying. The girl was waving shyly to anyone she thought was looking at her.
The District Five boy, on the other hand, seemed much more confident waving to the crowds. The lab coat suited him well and it appeared that the Capitol audience thought the same. Wearing it, he clearly looked like the smartest tribute here. Even if his outfit didn't stand out, I assumed the boy was going to have plenty of sponsors after this was all over.
It didn't take horribly long before the camera changed focused on the District Six chariot. Both tributes were wearing an outfit that appeared to be made out of train tracks. Another awful idea. What were the Capitol stylists thinking when they designed tribute costumes?
The two tributes from District Six didn't need a good costume to stand out, however. Both of them looked extremely uncomfortable and angry around each other. The District Six girl pointed towards him and brought a finger to her neck and slid it across her skin. She signaled her attention well and the Capitol cheered very loud at the aggression. In response, the District Six boy glared at her and pounded his fists together, eliciting a similar reaction.
I remembered them from the reaping. Both tributes got into a very heated argument that made me feel uncomfortable after the District Six boy volunteered. On the screen, both then and now, they looked as if they were going to kill each other any second. They were both probably not aware of it, but their resentment for each other was benefiting each other a lot. I could already tell that the Capitol citizens were debating about which one to sponsor and trying to figure out which District Six tribute would survive their little 'civil war'. I was actually curious myself. I wondered who would kill who first.
In the end, I guess it didn't matter. One of them may kill the other, but the 'survivor' was going to die eventually. Maybe even by hands.
I would be focused on getting myself out of the arena and winning the Hunger Games. I had been dreaming of this moment for years now and coming back a victor to my family and being able to give back to my parents for everything they have done for me. I had a lot of plans for my life after the Games and how I wanted to spend any excess money.
I was going to make my family, my friends, and District Two proud. That was a promise, and I made a habit of not breaking any of my promises!
District 11
Bane Darnell's POV – District 11 Male
I watched the chariots go out one by one, paying very close attention to when it was going to be my turn to be seen by the Capitol public. My eyes studied them intently, trying to anticipate how they are being perceived by the Capitol and whether or not they are going to make a strong impression. I needed to learn who was going to be late-game threats in the Games. I needed to be aware of which tributes were going to get sponsorships. Everything was a variable that I needed to take note of. It was a part of my personality: I needed to know every aspect of something before committing to it, and I was committed to winning.
Not that anyone else would know any true information about me. I resisted the urge to smirk and, instead, let loose a few more tears from my eyes. Everything was fake and calculated, starting from my tearful reaping. I'm sure that, because I burst into tears after getting reaped, I was perceived as weak and pathetic. The other tributes would count me out. I wouldn't be on anyone's potential 'threat' list.
They were not aware that I had already received training by my father and uncle in case I was ever reaped and they certainly had no way of knowing that I was knowledgeable in a variety of natural medicines and poisons.
With a few tears and depressed looks, I could effectively control any and all information they had on me. These tears and looks weren't completely unwarranted and forced, I had to admit. I did actually panicked when I was reaped and I was still very nervous about the idea of fighting to the death in the arena. However, these real fears and nerves I felt deep in my mind helped make my act more convincing. I just accentuated them further and made them overcome any other emotion I showed. In doing so, I controlled their perception of me. It was a powerful feeling that I enjoyed.
Perhaps this enjoyment came from my own reputation back home in District Eleven. Back home, I was seen little more than a bastard. My father was the infamous Laurentum Overwhill, the younger brother of one of District Eleven's finest victors and also a well-known philander. It was expected that he had about twelve different children, each from different mothers. I was uncertain how many he had, but I did know I was one of them. I was the product of a one-night stand between him and my mother, who worked at an apothecary shop with her parents.
No matter how hard I would try, I could never fix my reputation. Sure, my neighbors and most people with common sense treated me politely despite my parentage, but others in the district seemed to look down on me. It was something that always infuriated me. I didn't choose to be a bastard. I didn't choose to have a father who decided to sleep with every damn girl he met. I had no say in any of this, so why the fuck was I being looked down on for the shit he did?
"Um, Bane? Are you okay?"
My mind quickly returned to reality and I faced my district partner, Florina Everett. She looked at with concerned eyes hidden behind her glasses.
"Yeah, I'm okay. As okay as I'll be here." I mumbled in response.
"You looked angry. Like really, really angry. Your fist was tightened and everything, like you were about to punch someone." She commented with a frown. "I don't think I've ever seen you look that made before! I mean, I know we just met a few days ago and all, but still. You were really mad!"
I blinked in surprise and confusion. I honestly didn't realize I was that angry. I guess I was more resentful about my treatment and reputation than I thought.
"S-Sorry for concerning you. I, um, was just thinking about well… this situation we're in." I answered with a stutter. I made a conscious effort to keep up a shy, nervous mask at all times to make sure I appeared as pathetic as possible to anyone, even to my own district partner.
"I understand. I agree with you completely. We're in a very, very awful situation." Florina exclaimed dramatically. "I mean, I have to admit that it could be worse for the two of us. We are both are related to victors, so I think we both have had a little bit of training before coming here compared to most other tributes that get reaped. But this really was awful. How many kids from District Eleven have died in the Hunger Games? Way too many! We don't get too many victors: we just get too many dead children. I really hope we don't get added to that list. This is just awful! I don't want to die and I don't want to see you die either!"
Florina continued to go on-and-on about the situation we were in. I listened intently, making sure not to laugh at how dramatic she was being. Knowing her, she would most likely take that the wrong way and would assume I was mocking her.
The girl talked a lot. More than anyone I had ever met. It was slightly annoying, but also amusing. I was actually legitimately amazed how long she could talk about trivial things and how many different topics of conversation she had in mind. I never considered myself an introvert in any manner, but after meeting her, I felt like a borderline mute.
Despite her talkative manner, the girl was actually rather fascinating. She was the daughter of a previous victor, Onyx Everett, who was our mentor this year. Florina actually seemed stronger and more capable than she appeared. Her father had apparently taught her to use a scythe at some point in her life, so she was skilled with weapon. She also had a notepad on hand at any moment and wrote down every detail of every person she had ever met, showing that she was clearly an analytical and perceptive girl. She could probably be a potential threat in the Games if it wasn't for the fact that she was so damn sensitive.
Our district escort, Leaf, made a comment about how she talked too much and Florina looked as if she saw a dead dog. She remained very quiet around him and has gone through great measures to avoid conversation with him. I talked to her about it and she mentioned that she believed the man hated her and that she didn't want to offend him anymore. The very idea was a complete joke, but I couldn't actually laugh outwardly. If I did, she would definitely take offense and give me a similar silent treatment.
She seemed like a rather sweet girl and, if we were back in District Eleven, I could have seen us becoming friends. Here, however, any friendship we could have was going to end painfully for the two of us. It was nice to know, though, that at least my district partner was most likely not going to be much of a threat in the Games.
"Bane? Hello? Are you there?" Florina spoke up.
I shook my head, putting the thoughts about her character and her chances away in the back of my head. "I'm here, sorry. I've just been thinking lately."
"I know." She giggled innocently. "You do that from time to time. A lot of people do actually. Sometimes even me! We just get so wrapped up in our inner monologues that we forget where we are and just think, completely unaware of what's going on around us."
"True, very true." I chuckled lightly. Again, she was an amusing girl.
My eyes turned to the television screen in our waiting room. The District Seven tributes had just been received and were about to be replaced. I could tell that they did not stand out well to the Capitol. They were wearing the standard District Seven tree costume and they both looked atrocious and awkward in them.
The little girl, Winnie Goldstein if I remembered correctly, looked extremely awkward on the stage and made no attempts to get any sponsors. She may get a few pity sponsors, assuming she makes it out of the bloodbath, but she was no long-term threat.
Her partner, Raegae Oak, also did not attempt to get any sponsors. From the look of him on the screen, he seemed to be pissed and uncomfortable with the clothes he was wearing to care about anything else. I remembered his face when he stormed forward on the reaping day. He was no threat: he had anger issues that were going to get him killed quickly.
District Eight's chariot came into view and the two tributes already looked better than the previous ones. They were both wearing colorful fabrics of red, blue, green, and purple as their clothes. Both tributes were waving to the crowd and the District Eight girl, Raven Bell, was blowing kisses to the audience. The audience ate it up and started to cheer even louder for her.
Her partner, Xander Lugar, was nothing notable in my mind. I did notice on screen that it seemed he was making a conscious effort to not throw up. Again. Still, he was most likely going to benefit from his partner earning sponsorships for their district.
"The girl's name is Raven, right?" Florina asked. I nodded. Just like me, she had gone out of her way to memorize the names of the other tributes. "She seems like a nice girl. Very friendly! I wonder what she is like?"
Probably someone who wants you dead. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and, instead, opted for nodding my head in meek agreement.
District Eight's chariot left the spotlight and was soon replaced with District Nine. Both tributes were in unique attire: they looked as if they were attending a formal party or something.
The girl, Demetriana Walser, was wearing a golden-yellow dress with grain glued to the seams of the dress and she had golden, grain-shaped earrings to match. The dress was low-cut, leaving not much to the imagination. She seemed rather uncomfortable wearing the dress and seemed to cast sideways glances as if she was looking for something. There was something that was disturbing her: something probably from her past maybe. Despite her discomfort, she made an effort to wave and blow kisses to the audience, who appreciated and loved her for it.
Her partner, Jason Icarus, was themed rather similarly. He wore a black button-up shirt with the buttons being replaced by grains. He had matching black pants that had a line of grain going down the side. His clothes were tight to accentuate his muscles. He, too, seemed uncomfortable and really made no major attempts to gain sponsors with the exceptions with a few nervous waves to the crowd. Unlike his partner, his discomfort seemed the result of general shyness as opposed to some deeper reason. The more I saw him, the more he seemed like an atypical volunteer. Nevertheless, he entered the Games willingly and appeared capable. I would be paying close to attention to him during the training to learn as much as I could about him.
District Nine received a loud applause from the audience before the chariot was replaced with the chariot from District Ten. The tributes were wearing the attire of the most stereotypical cattle ranchers imaginable: brown cowboy boots, jeans, golden belt buckles, long-sleeved red shirts with a brown jacket over it, and brown cowboy hats.
The costume seemed to suit the girl, Maddison Holland, well. She was very comfortable as she rushed around the chariot, waving to everyone she could. At one point, she took off her hat and threw it out into the crowd. The audience erupted into applause as the people in the area where her hat was tossed nearly toppled each other for it. Maddison appeared to know how to work a crowd and was going to leave tonight as a fan favorite. She was definitely going to be a threat.
Her district partner, Logan Faber, acted the exact opposite to her. While she tried to cater to the audience, he remained motionless and didn't look at a single audience member. He had a scowl on his face the entire team and his eyes contained that same deranged quality in him that was evident when he volunteered. Logan scared me. Something about him seemed off. I was going to have to do some heavy planning and research before I tried to take him on.
Suddenly, our chariot was the one about to enter the door and head out to the Capitol. Florina tapped my shoulder and gave me a smile.
"Good luck out there Bane." She told me cheerfully.
"You too Florina." I replied truthfully with a smile. I did wish her well. If anything happened to me in the Games, I hoped she would win. However, I was hoping that situation was something that would never happen.
Our chariot marched forward and we were out in the spotlight of the Capitol. The Capitol was now seeing us: wearing our plain, generic farmhand costumes.
Florina, for a second, appeared to be nervous. The fear quickly disappeared and she was waving to everybody in her standard, cheerful manner. She was cheering too and was encouraging the audience to cheer louder. It worked and she received a roaring applause. She was a very friendly, outgoing girl. It seemed natural that the Capitol citizens would enjoy her.
I simply remained still and waved a little awkwardly to the audience, still maintaining my nervous, innocent boy angle for as long as I could. I wanted to maintain it until the arena and make sure that no other tribute had any inkling about me being a potential threat. I was going to work my ass to make sure I was not a target in the bloodbath or an immediate desired target!
Soon the spotlight faded and moved on to the next chariot.
"It's over." I mumbled a sigh of relief to Florina.
"It is, it is. Now, we just sit and wait for this parade to end." She responded with a smile.
The television screen focused on the District Twelve tributes, wearing the standard miner costumes. The costume seemed to fit the District Twelve boy, Yaro Hailstien, rather well. He seemed comfortable in it and was smiling very wide to the audience. His smile was extremely sincere and seemed to rival only Florina's and maybe the District Two girl, Victoire McBlock's, smile. I could tell he was a genuinely good, outgoing, friendly guy. As a result, I knew immediately that this whole experience was going to end very bad for him.
In contrast, his district partner, Emery Aspen, looked very uncomfortable wearing a miner's outfit and her smile and attitude seemed a lot more forced. It looked like she was containing herself from acting out towards the cheering Capitol citizens. She seemed to have a fight in her, which made me more wary of her than her partner. While Yaro may seem more likable, Emery looked like she would be willing to fight and maybe even kill. I would keep an eye on her as well during the training.
When the allotted time for District Twelve was up, the spotlight switched focus. It went to a platform in the stadium where President Verich Draven was standing. The man had a large smile on his face as he walked over to the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, those were the tributes for this year's Hunger Games! These are our Quarter Quell participants!" He cheered loudly.
The audience erupted into a loud applause. I noticed that the president was doing the job instead of Sapphire Taric, the usual announcer. It was probably due to the Quarter Quell. I didn't know the reason why President Draven was doing the speeches, but I had to admit one thing: he was a showman.
The president proceeded to start talking, delivering a speech about Panem and the Hunger Games. I only paid slight attention. Instead, my mind was replaying the images I had seen of the other tributes of the reaping. I made sure to remember how loud the audience was cheering for each tribute and which ones stood out the most.
I had little time to decipher the remaining variables. In a few days, I was going to get thrown into an arena and told to fight for my life. My father and my uncle gave me a training foundation and now it was my part to further improve my chances through study and analysis of the other tributes. I was going to do everything I could to make sure I was not going to die, no matter how many hours of study and planning it meant to ensure that!
Florina Everett's POV – District 11 Female
When the president finished his speech, the tribute parade was completed. As Capitol citizens in the audience started to leave, the chariots were brought back to the waiting room. Once we are all back in the room, Bane and I got off the chariot.
"Glad to be done with that again." Bane commented with a sigh of relief.
"Oh, yeah. It feels great!" I nodded in agreement. "I'm ready to just to go to our rooms, take off these ridiculous costumes, and just fall asleep."
As he said, I was so relieved to be done with the parade. Normally, I wasn't someone who was nervous around a lot of people. I actually enjoyed having a lot of people to talk to and be around! Tonight, however, was a very big deal and it was intimidating being in front of so many Capitol citizens who could change your fate in the Games with just some money. In addition to the intimidation factor, the farmhand costume I was wearing made me feel like someone I was not. It was way too tight and just not me at all. Despite all of this, I had to have made an impression to the people, and I really, really hoped I stood out.
After getting off the chariot, I could see my father walk towards us. I couldn't hide my smile as I saw the large grin on his face.
"How did we do Dad?" I asked him.
"Very good Florina. You looked amazing up there!" He stated proudly. After getting up to us, he pulled me into a hug: one that I was quick to return.
The Hunger Games would always be awful things, but if there was one thing I could be thankful about them, it was that they helped recreate a relationship with my father, Onyx Everett. He was reaped when he was seventeen in the one hundred twenty-fourth Hunger Games and managed to win in a big battle against the colossal District One boy that year.
After winning, my father developed an unhealthy obsession with watching Hunger Games reruns. He had told me that he could only truly forgot about the events of his Games when he was watching another year's Hunger Games and imagining them instead. He tried to convince mother and me to watch these reruns with him and he tried to train me. My mother, although very sweet and loving, was extremely against the Hunger Games and didn't want my father training me at all, even if it was in case I was reaped. She associated training with volunteering and did not want to see me encouraged to enter the Games! Nevertheless, my father trained me in secret and when she found out, she left him and dragged me along with her.
My father made many attempts to come back, but mother went out of her way to cut him out of both our lives. She didn't believe in second chances and, according to her, he broke her trust for good. Still, I knew that he was only training me to help me in the chance I was reaped. And here I was, a reaped tribute, and I was very grateful that my father had taught me a few things with a scythe before mother forced him away from us. More so than that, I was just grateful to be able to spend more time with my father. I had missed him so much and I was just so glad to be able to talk to him and hug him again!
"How did I look?" Bane asked quietly.
My father and I turned to face my district partner. I felt bad for him. He, too, had a former Hunger Games victor as a family member. It was his uncle, a guy named Leonis. Unfortunately, he was not assigned to mentor this year's Games. Therefore, he was left alone. I didn't really want to imagine what I would be like if my father wasn't here to comfort me. If he wasn't, I imagined that I would still be crying like I was after I found out I was going into the Hunger Games.
"You looked fine. You stood out as well, just not as much. You really didn't make much attempt to appeal to the crowds." My father noted. He let go of me, ending our hug, and turned to face him with a serious face. "But that's all fine in the end. You don't strike me as the type of guy who likes all the people and their attention. The parade and the interviewers were never going to be the source of your selling point. Where you are going to stand out is in the training. I have a feeling you're probably going to get a high score, and that is where your sponsors will come from."
I smiled at that. One of the things I was glad about was that my father wasn't favoring me. He had been devoting a lot of time to Bane as well. Although Bane was assigned to another mentor, he still tried to help the boy and give him a fighting chance to. Bane seemed like a nice guy and he deserved help too.
My district partner nodded in agreement before asking: "Where's Luisa?"
"Your mentor is knocked out in her bed from a hangover. Typical. She couldn't come over here."
I jumped at the sound of the voice. The District Eleven escort, Leaf, rushed over to us.
"What an awful woman. Can't even come to support her tributes. At least you aren't like her Onyx!" The man commented, patting my father on the shoulder. He then turned his attention to me and Bane. "You two looked absolutely amazing up there!"
Bane nodded in acceptance of the compliment. I, on the other hand, took a step back.
Whenever I met someone new, I made a habit of observing them and writing down a list of their traits, and figuring out exactly who they were. After a few hours after meeting him, I finished my analysis of Leaf and I realized that he was not a nice person. Through observation, I learned that he was selfish, picky, pretentious, over-confident, over-indulgent, and blunt. Sure, he could be funny at times, but the list of negative traits outnumbers his positive ones.
It also didn't help that he didn't like me. I was telling him about my life back home and rolled his eyes before commenting that I talked too much. He was mocking me. It really bothered me how much he disliked me.
"Are you still giving me the silent treatment?" He questioned with an eye roll.
I gave no verbal response. I didn't enjoy talking to people like him. I didn't want to say anything and offend him and make him like me even less and I also didn't want to have to hear him say something rude to me.
He scoffed in annoyance before he turned away. "Well, let's hurry up and get to our rooms. It's been a long day."
My father nodded. "Come on."
Bane and I nodded and we followed them quietly. Eventually, we reached the elevator. Inside the elevator, waiting to head up, was the tributes from District Five, Stephanie Volk and Icarus Bolt. They were standing in their white lab coats next to a brown-haired, slightly muscular man in his early thirties.
"Atticus, how are you doing? It's been a while since you've been a mentor, hasn't it?" My father exclaimed as he walked forward towards the man, holding out his hand.
The man, Atticus, smiled as he walked forward my father and shook his hand. "Onyx, it's been a while. How's life been?"
"Shit, like the usual. But what can you do?" Father laughed loudly before he put his hand on my shoulder. "This here is my little girl Florina. I know I've mentioned her a few times!" He then put his other hand on Bane's shoulder. "And this is Bane. He's Leonis's nephew."
"Two tributes reaped from the families of victors? Who would have expected that?" Atticus commented with a dark look in his eyes. The look faded though as he turned to face us. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I've heard great things about the two of you."
My father and the man, Atticus, quickly broke into conversation with Leaf and the District Five escort, a quiet, short man named Minos who I didn't even notice when I first entered the elevator. Bane and I stood next to the two tributes from District Five as the elevator started to make its ascent.
"You two looked good out there, you know?" I told the two with a smile. "Like really good. You both looked like geniuses!"
Icarus didn't really react. He simply shrugged, accepting the compliment. Stephanie, on the other hand, smiled in response. "Thank you. You looked good as well."
"You think so?" I asked in surprise. "I didn't really think that. I felt extremely uncomfortable in that farmer costume. It was actually too tight on me and I felt like I was supposed to show off my body. It made me feel really disgusted! I mean, I'm not attractive at all! Who would honestly want to take a look at me? But you really think I looked good up there?"
Stephanie blinked in surprise before she adjusted her glasses and studied my costume. "Um… it does look a little tight, yeah, but I thought you looked good at least."
"Well, thank you so much!" I told her happily. "I like your glasses by the way. They're so pretty! What are they made out of?"
Her eyes seemed to light up and a broad grin developed on it. "Thank you! I actually made them myself. I wrote the blueprints a while ago, but I think they were made with some plastic, metal-"
"Wait, you made your glasses? You can do things like that?" I questioned in surprise, interrupting her.
"Uh huh. I can make a lot of things if I have the right tools." Stephanie commented in an animated fashion. I could tell she was becoming more comfortable with talking to me. She took her glasses off and studied them a little with her plain eyes. "These weren't too difficult to make. The hardest part was just obtaining all the little details, but after that, it wasn't that hard to do."
"They look great honestly! I'd love it if I had a pair like those." I told her as I adjusted my own glasses. "Mine are kinda dorky. They make me look a little smarter than I actually am. Not that I'm dumb or anything! It's just, people see the glasses and assume a few things about me and they don't really apply. It's kinda frustrating actually! I'm not some super genius or something like you are most likely. I'm just, well, me!"
Stephanie giggled in response to my comment. "Well, if I have the opportunity, I'll look around the area and see if I can make you a pair of better glasses."
"Oh, you don't have to do that! I'm just teasing. I've had these glasses for a while. I can't just get rid of them!" I informed her as I put the glasses back on my head.
Stephanie opened her mouth to say something when the elevator stopped moving. The door opened up, revealing the floor for District Five.
"That's our stop! We have to be heading out now Onyx. It was a pleasure seeing you again. And it was nice to meet you, Florina and Bane." Atticus commented as he walked out.
The district escort, Minos, bid farewell to Leaf before following behind. Icarus walked out of the elevator without a single word. Stephanie, on the other hand, put her glasses back on and turned to face me.
"It was nice meeting you. I hope you have a good night!" She told me.
"You as well!" I replied happily.
Stephanie's smile remained on her face as she walked out of the elevator. When she left, the elevator door closed and we started our ascent again.
With the District Five people gone, the elevator was significantly quitter. My father and Leaf continued to chat with each other about plans. Bane, however, remained quiet in his corner. I noticed that he was in deep thought. During the ride up, he had been staring at Icarus the entire time. I had noticed that Icarus was doing the same to him. The two were studying each other intently.
He didn't seem to be in a mood to talk now, as he seemed too focused on his thoughts. Still, I was very interested in what he was thinking and if he noticed anything about the District Five boy that unnerved him. I made a mental note to ask him later.
A few seconds passed before the elevator finally stopped at the eleventh floor. The doors opened and the four of us walked out into the area for District Eleven tributes. My mouth immediately dropped.
Back at home, I guess I lived a luxurious life due to my father's income as a victor. Even after my mother and I left, he still sent money to support us. Nevertheless, everything that my family owned paled in comparison to the beautiful Capitol merchandise in our living quarters. The handcrafted wood, the beautiful ornaments and decorations that covered the room, the beautiful tapestries… it was all so much! I couldn't believe there was any place this luxurious!
"Well, here is where you all will stay. District Eleven has one of the best living quarters here." Leaf commented with a grin on his face. "Get some rest kids. You deserved it."
Bane and I didn't need to be told twice. I rushed over to my father and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before I walked down the hallway, looking for my room. Once I walked in, I jumped on the bed and simply laid on it. I had never felt something as comfy as it in my entire life!
The tribute parade was over and I was ready to take a small break and relax. However, in the back, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that this day was still not over…
Author's Note: Oh, Florina, you have no idea. The parade is over and, in a standard Games, the night would be over. However, this is a Quarter Quell and there was something else planned this year...something much more dark!
Ominous hints aside, that was the most recent chapter! I worked hard to get it out as fast as I could for you all. What do you think? :)
We are one chapter away from knowing all of the tributes. Next chapter, you will meet the tributes from District One and Twelve! Then the training begins. The actual Games are starting up soon and I'm so excited to start writing them!
So...what did you think of these four? Lepolio? Victoire? Bane? Florina?
I'll get to work on the next chapter right away. Thank you all so much for the great reviews and support I've received thus far! It all means so much to hear what you all say. Thank you guys so much again! :) I'll see you all when I finish the next chapter!