District 4 Reaping

Emerald Starlight (15) D4F:

Emerald awoke on the day of the reaping completely exhausted. She had just gotten back from a fishing voyage that took her away from the district for three months. Emerald were supposed to be getting back over a week earlier but scheduling issues and a supposed "really big fish" kept them there as long as possible. They had just gotten back several hours before she had to be awake to get ready for the reaping. Plus, it was her first fishing voyage, so she discovered that a few weeks at sea can make you a little nauseous. She was practically gagging from the moment they left.

Either way she was up and ready in her reaping outfit when her only friend and confidant Juliet walked in. Juliet studied Emerald up and down before speaking.

"You know you look like crap right?" Typical Juliet blatantly honest to everyone no matter how they may take it. That's what made Emerald like her so much. She didn't have to pretend to be anything with her. Juliet let her know when she was there to listen and made it perfectly clear when she wasn't.

"You know I don't care how I look after being at sea for 3 months." Emerald replied. Emerald and Juliet laughed and made their way to the reaping.

The two girls had a lot in common. Their biggest bond lies in the fact that they're both orphans. When Emerald was 2 her house burnt down and her parents along with it. She was rescued by the peacekeepers who brought her straight to the orphanage. Juliet never liked to talk about her story,the way her parents went out was tragic, more tragic than Emerald's. The only thing Juliet has left of her parents is a silver bracelet.

They make their way to the reaping and stand together in the 15-year-old section. They aren't nervous, someone always volunteers so even if they are reaped someone will take their spot before they can even get to the stage. The escort arrives in dreads and flashy clothes as he does every year, reaches into the bowl and calls out the name.

"Juliet Brigenwal!" The girls look at each other. Juliet just stands there. Looks slightly shocked but begins to slowly make her way up to the stage. Something is odd though. No one is volunteering. Not a single shout from the girls not even the 18 year olds. Emerald looks over at the 18-year-old girls and they all seem relieved. Not a single one looks like they're about to shout out "I volunteer!". Emerald begins to panic. Juliet can't go into the games, she'll never make it out. Emerald begins to run toward the stage. She surpasses Juliet, who is still walking slowly towards the stage herself. She begins shouting "I volunteer!"

Juliet stops dead in her tracks. Emerald reached the stage and announces her name with a feigned confidence that could fool anyone. She is then escorted into the Justice Building.

Some time passes before Juliet is brought into the Justice Building. It took them some time to figure out that Emerald has no family and that Juliet is the closest thing family she had. Juliet looks her friend up and down like she did that morning.

"You know you still look like crap right?" Emerald laughs faintly. "Why did you do that? I would have been fine, someone would have volunteered-"

"No! No one was volunteering!" Emerald cut her off. "I didn't know what to do. They were gonna take you away and I was never going to see you again."

"So you thought a better option would be to commit suicide?! Really that's just genius!" The girls realized they were getting angrier at each other the more they spoke. Finally after a few silent moments of tension Juliet broke the silence. "Here take this."

Juliet extends her arm and places her silver bracelet in Emerald's hands. "If you're gonna die, you should at least be wearing something not crappy." With that their time had elapsed. They hugged briefly and Juliet was taken out of the room.

Merlin Oswen (18) D4M:

Merlin awoke with a pain in his shoulder. Most days he awoke with pains, he had reached a point where he finds it strange to wake up without one. He enjoys the aches and pains that he has, he feels that they are signs that he is getting stronger. The more pain the better the gain, that's what his father always says. Merlin looks at the mirror and tries for the thousandth time to fit his bed head into something presentable, but as always he can't and gives up on his black mop head. He ops for the leather hair tie that he wears every day that his mom made him for his 12th birthday. It is encrusted with beautiful sea shells. She told him he was to wear it everyday so that when it came time to volunteer he had a signature. Every image of him will have him wearing that hair tie. That's what she told him but he knows why she really did it. She just wants her handiwork to be seen by the nation and that way the people of the capital will finally start to buy her stuff.

His mother owns a trinket shop in the district. She makes a bunch of stuff with things she finds on the beaches of District 4. If he is in the games she has this fantasy of the capital people falling in love with him hair tie and needing to know where he got it. At that point citizens from all over Panem will flock to her store to but her trinkets. It's a fools dream really but Merlin lets her have it.

His father on the other hand has only one dream. To get into the victors village. The pure honor of having a victor in his family. Once again Merlin allows his father his dream because he shares it.

Merlin got ready and headed out early to meet his closest friend Anenome. They met at training when Merlin was 12 and have been close ever since. They are practically considered dating although they never made it official or anything. She is 17 so she is planning on volunteering next year. It seemed kinda silly to start dating when you could be dead before you get a chance to actually start your life. Either way they've been friends since they were kids so they get each other.

When they were kids the older boys would make fun of Merlin for hanging out with a girl. It was juvenile but he took it to heart. Due to that he trained harder and harder every day. This lead to him being in the perfect shape he is in today.

The two of them don't speak much as they make their way down to the reaping. They both know whats about to happen and they know its dangerous but that's what they've lived to be, winners. Before the name is even called out for the boys Merlin is already on stage. He makes his way back into the Justice Building and says his goodbyes to his family without much longing. They knew what was happening and his parent are more excited than he is. After they leave Anenome walks in.

"Hey there." She says.

"Hello my dear."

"So, its time. Y'know this could be the last time I ever see you. Well, alive that is?" She says in a seductive tone.

"Yeah so what?" Merlin retorts. Without even bothering with a response Anenome kisses him. They continue to make out until the peacekeepers tell them that they're time is up.

"So, I'll see you when you get back?" Anenome asks.

"Don't miss me too much." Merlin says as she walks out the door.