Chapter Six:
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE LATEST CHAPTER, IT'S ON CHAPTER FOUR
A/N: This is NOT the Capitol Appearance. I know I said I'd write that first, but I completely forgot and moved onto this chapter. I have finally started that one though, and it will be the next update, I promise! I've gotten a few awesome ideas from a follower for another way to fail an interview.
You can judge the whole world by the sparkle that you think it lacks
Yes, you can stare into the abyss,
But it's staring right back
"Welcome, everyone, to the eighty-first annual Hunger Games!" Emberlynn announces. "Now is the time to pick a boy and a girl to compete for the prize of glory!" The citizens roar in excitement, not wanting to wait any longer for a chance to see the new tributes. They're all riled up because of how two of their tributes won last year. I would know.
I'm standing behind the rows of the possible tributes with my nineteen year old, waiting to see who we'll end up mentoring. I already am pretty sure it'll end up being Dodger and the girl, Vesta, but that could always change.
"First we will pick the boy tribute!" yells Emberlynn. She places her hand into the jar and takes out one of the first slips she touches, realizing that it didn't matter who she chose, as someone would volunteer for them anyways. "Styx Terran!" At this point, a bunch of boys start leaping towards the stage. I see Dodger near the front of the line of all of them. But too bad for him that he had to start in the very back with his age group. In front of him is a boy black-haired boy from the sixteen year old section. The run is short, but Dodger looks determined to outrun the boy. But sadly, he doesn't get to the stage in time.
When the sixteen year old meets Emberlynn, I can see her smile start to turn a bit down, as I'm sure she was hoping for Dodger to get their first. "What's your name?"
"Fletcher Byrde!" he answers confidently. I can already tell that this boy will be much more easy to mentor than Dodger. He looks a lot more excited, instead of only wanting to win for the money and fame, he wants to experience the Games. He wants to be able to breathe in the smell of spilt blood on grass, wants to live through a near-death experience perhaps.
"And now for the girls," Emberlynn announces. She opens another slip of paper. "Lana Pearle!" Next to me I see my friend Peri take in a short breath.
"Your sister?" I whisper. She nods. Peri doesn't have to worry though, a bunch of girls are trying to volunteer for Lana. The first one up is eighteen, tall, lithe, red-haired, and much too serious looking.
"What is your name?" Emberlynn asks the girl on the stage.
"Vesta Reddira," she answers. At least one of the people she chose became a tribute.
"Here you are District Two, your new tributes: Fletcher Byrde and Vesta Reddira!" The two shake hands, and we all cheer loudly for them. Emberlynn escorts them to the Justice Building where their friends and family would see them off.
A feel a tap on my shoulder, and I turn around and see Scarlett and Hestia heading towards to my left. "We're gonna go see Vesta," Scarlett tells me. "We trained together last year." I guess Vesta's pretty good if she was training with people a year older than her.
"We'll see you soon though," Hestia says.
"Actually, I have to go with them. I'm a mentor this year, remember?" I inform them.
Hestia sighs. "Right… I guess we'll see you in a few weeks then."
I leave my friends and walk to the train. The Peacekeepers there open one of the doors for me, and I find myself in another compartment, much like the one I was in exactly a year ago. I have no need to stay in there, so I go directly to the dining compartment. This time, I go to a wooden table set for five. Emberlynn enters shortly after, followed by Parker. After a minute or so of silence, the male tribute, Fletcher Byrde, comes in, staring at everything intently, clearly in awe of the luxury. While looking at the curtains, he almost falls over the chair he is trying to sit in. Vesta, however, walks straight in and takes a seat next to Fletcher and I.
"We're gonna watch the Reaping now," Emberlynn says. She turns on the screen and we see President Snow making a speech about the Reapings, then it flashes to District One. The boy, Garnet Shynes, is the one Emberlynn wanted to volunteer. I can understand why, he seems strong and well-muscled. The girl, however, wasn't who Emberlynn wanted. I don't know who 'Goldie' is, but this girl's name is Crystal Shimmers. If I had to guess, I'd say she was a wannabe, or at least someone who wasn't as good as they thought they were. She looks a little too skinny to be skilled with short distance weapons.
Next it goes to District Two's Reaping. Nothing I didn't already see, just Fletcher and Vesta volunteering.
From District Three, there is first a girl named Kiyoko Mori. She's about fourteen, has pitch black hair tied back in a side ponytail, and has thin black glasses. She looks terrified when she's up on the stage. After her is a thirteen year old boy, Andrew Darwin. He looks more angry than terrified, like one of those people who is annoyed by this kind of thing. I can tell he's richer than most, as he has kind of a stomach. These two would be no help to the Career alliance, and I think we've learned the hard way that you shouldn't trust anyone from Three.
From District Four I expect to see Aerwyna, the girl Emberlynn told me about. But when the girl tribute is picked, there are no volunteers. Four is different than One and Two with their Careers. They don't train as much there, and the only volunteers they get are the ones Emberlynn has picked out. I don't know if Aerwyna isn't there or really hates the girl, Coral Clear, but she doesn't show. The girl Reaped, Coral, doesn't look like Career material. I could be wrong, as Rosie was also thirteen and smaller than most, but this girl doesn't seem to have any strength whatsoever. The boy though, Oceanus Blue, will certainly be part of the alliance, definitely a contender for the crown.
First up from District Five is Rosaline Bishop. For sixteen, she's a bit shorter than most her age, but still has somewhat of an intimidating look, but that is covered up by her timid and innocent demeanor. The boy, Charlie Milfay, is nothing special though, typical Five citizen.
The next surprise is Wing Spherings from Six. She looks hateful and strong, someone the Careers could use. She's very tall and broad shouldered with short light brown hair. And again, the boy, Carr Gibson, won't last long. He's already a little bit too skinny without being in the arena.
I know I said Six was a surprise, but Seven tops it. First off, I'm pretty sure the girl is Chuck's sister, Mahogany Woods. Unlike her possible brother, she is average height and weight with auburn hair, but still looks somewhat tough. And the boy, Lumber Mason, I'm pretty sure is former victor Johanna Mason's relative. But yet again, he looks skinny and not as strong.
The pair from Eight aren't very skillful looking either. The curly bronze haired girl, Annaliese Mayer, keeps looking to her District partner, Thomas Weiss, with a frightened look in her eyes. He doesn't seem to have anything to do for her though, and stands there, startled as well.
The girl from Nine, Dominique Carase, looks like she may be a fighter as well. She's only thirteen, but when she's Reaped, she struts up to the stage, all smiles, dressed in thigh length black dress, bandages around her elbows, black boots tipped with a steel toe, black socks up to her knees, and a flowery headband, which gives her not only feminine, but a dangerous vibe. But after her is a short, chubby, boy named Jonah Willys, fifteen years old.
Next up is District Ten. The girl Reaped, Lilith Zink, has a few stares from boys her age, but quickly gets them to disregard her beauty, because she keeps talking to herself and finally yelling into the air with anger in some weird outburst. The boy though, Alisondro Tomas, looks about the same as Jonah from Nine, short and chubby. I can tell by the way he looks at the crowd that he's pretty arrogant and won't get anyone to like him, except maybe the Careers, but they sure don't need a weak person like him in the alliance.
In Eleven, the girl tribute is Jasmine Asantha. When she gets to the stage, she is clearly terrified, but tries to put on a smile and look okay. She's twelve, and looks pretty weak and skinny, so I'm pretty sure she won't make it very far in the Games. The boy though, Grayson Grane, might be able to fight his way through. He's eighteen and looks like he may actually have a chance.
I await some form of a surprise from Twelve, considering last year, and I am not disappointed. The escort doesn't have time to read the name before someone volunteers, Kaitriona Menosei. I expect some sort of announcement or something from her, but she doesn't say a word except her own name. She seems to be a tomboy, with her hair cut very short and her combat trousers and black strap top. Possibly a contender, possibly not. The thirteen year old boy, Calem Hav, doesn't look any more excited, but looks uncomfortable with all of the attention he's getting.
The Reapings are over, so Emberlynn turns off the television.
So I took want I wanted and put it out of my reach
I wanted to pay for my successes
With all my defeats
'When My Time Comes' by Dawes
First impressions of the tributes? How do you think Aqua and Parker will do with mentoring? Suggestions? Ideas for the Capitol Appearance? Review!
As for the magical collab I spoke of last chapter... It is going amazingly! I just need to fix up a few things, then I will post it! Read if you dare!
And here is the list of tributes:
District One:
Crystal Shimmers, 17 (gorrillaface345)
Garnet Shynes, 17 (gorrillaface345)
District Two:
Vesta Reddira, 18 (me)
Fletcher Byrde, 16 (me)
District Three:
Kiyoko Mori, 14 (phishfood03)
Andrew Darwin, 13 (2019rocheca)
District Four:
Coral Clear, 13 (gorrillaface345)
Oceanus Blue, 15 (gorrillaface345)
District Five:
Rosaline Bishop, 16 (xRuex)
Charlie Milfay, 17 (gorrillaface345)
District Six:
Wing Spherings, 18 (aprilgirl01)
Carr Gibson, 13 (gorrillaface345)
District Seven:
Mahogany Woods, 15 (gorrillaface345)
Lumber Mason, 18 (gorrillaface345)
District Eight:
Annaliese Mayer, 16 (gorrillaface345)
Thomas Weiss, 17 (gorrillaface345)
District Nine:
Dominique Carase, 13 (renoa-hime)
Jonah Willys, 15 (gorrillaface345)
District Ten:
Lilith Zink, 17 (Vaan Levy)
Alisondro Tomas, 15 (gorrillaface345)
District Eleven:
Jasmine Asantha, 12 (gorrillaface345)
Grayson Grane, 18 (gorrillaface345)
District Twelve:
Kaitriona Menosei, 15 (renoa-hime)
Calem Hav, 13 (Naynay101)