Azalea Portsmith
District One; Female Tribute
Chapter Two;
"Azalea darling when are you going to marry me?" he grinned up at her, all cocky bravado, hands behind his head as he leaned back leisurely in the hospital bed.
Along the ward a few of the younger patients sniggered, clearly having egged him on to tease the young Capitol nurse.
Inwardly Azalea rolled her eyes, outwardly her perfect smile never faltered as she stood tall, flicking her red hair over her shoulder, "oh Darrell," Azalea sighed whimsically, her green-eyed gaze for a moment looking dreamy.
A ripple of louder sniggers sounded throughout the ward as the young soldier sat up in bed suddenly alert with a lecherous grin and a hopeful light in his eyes as he suddenly forgot to be self-conscious about the burns that mottled his chest.
"Yea?" he prompted her, winking to his friend in the bed beside him who nodded encouragingly with a wide grin.
Azalea had to contain the smirk then as she turned to him, her angelic smile never slipping, "as soon as you can make it through the night without waking up and screaming and wailing like a baby about your bad nightmares like the infantile that you are, of course I'll marry you."
Not only did the smirk fall from Darrell's lips but his entire face turned ashen as he sunk back into the bed and a hushed horrified silence fell along the ward.
Azalea did roll her eyes then as she scoffed before turning on her heel sharply, her crimson hair trailing out behind her for a brief moment as she strode from the ward her head held high, ignoring the scathing glares she was receiving.
Azalea didn't bother going to the nurse's station where she was sure to only be bombarded with more rounds by that whining Head Nurse.
Wards of injured Capitol soldiers who thought that fighting against the Rebels made them automatic heroes and entitled to any woman they wanted.
Azalea had just turned 17 last month but unlike most of the ditsy Capitol girls here she had something between her ears other than glitter.
Sliding into the storage room Azalea slumped into one of the flimsy canvas chairs there as she picked irritably at the ridiculous pleats in the dress of this Capitol nurses' uniform.
And there she let the smile slip and her brows drew down fiercely over her emerald eyes as she scowled darkly; her thoughts returning once more to that topic.
The War was over and now it was only the ever dwindling numbers of Capitol soldiers with more serious injuries that lingered here.
More and more nurses were being let go everyday as there was less and less need for them.
Azalea drummed her nails against her pearly white teeth – courtesy of her great service to the Capitol – as she considered the real problem.
What was she to do?
All these ditsy Capitol girls with their ridiculous hair and faces would flit back to the protected Capitol and return to their lives of luxury.
But Azalea…?
Azalea's frown deepened; she couldn't stay in the Capitol – she had already asked, even with the service she as a Capitol Nurse and her father as a Capitol soldier had done, it was made clear the Capitol was for Capitolites only.
Azalea tugged more at the annoying pleats; but what kind of life was there for her back in District One?
She grimaced slightly; it wasn't that she feared going back though she was far from naïve, she knew what they would say about her, about her father.
Azalea didn't care, her father had taught her one lesson and that one lesson had stood by her.
Make sure you are on the winning side.
She had been; the Capitol had won not the Districts and while her friends in the Districts who had stood with the rebels had been trying to piece together their lives after the War, Azalea had a warm bed and rich food here in the Capitol.
And that was what Azalea feared.
How could she expect to go back to the District after living so long in the Capitol?
The more Azalea saw of the Capitol the more something grew in her – a hunger.
Why couldn't she have a life of luxury, of bliss and riches here in the Capitol?
She deserved to be here more than that stupid soldier Darrell who lay in his hospital bed, jumping at shadows and shying away from every little flicker of light as though it were an inferno.
Azalea scoffed irascibly, getting up to pace the narrow space the room provided, think Azalea! Think!
She couldn't go back to the Districts after life in the Capitol; it would be like to go from being full to being starving – in fact that's exactly what it would be like, Azalea realised grimacing.
Azalea almost jumped a foot in the air when the man appeared before her – a feat in itself because Azalea was a hard person to sneak up on.
He smiled thinly and with one glance Azalea could tell three things about him; one – he was no common Capitol foot soldier, two – he was most definitely a Capitolite and three – she could use him.
Azalea plastered on a charming smile, "can I help you?"
The man's pale blue eyes flitted to her name tag, "Azalea Portsmith," he read in a lilting accent and Azalea pretended to laugh demurely as she nodded, tucking a strand of crimson hair behind her ear.
He grinned up at her given Azalea was a few inches taller than him.
"Now Azalea you seem like a pretty smart girl – do you think you could help me get a big box and fill it with bandages?" he raised his eyebrows expectantly.
I'm in a damn nurses' uniform of course I can get bandages you imbecile!
Azalea smiled sweetly as she turned and procuring a box from one of the lower shelves in the storage room she began to fill it with rolls of sterile white bandage.
"What's all these bandages for?" Azalea's green eyes grew round and she looked to him, innocently curious.
He was captivated, and Azalea nearly bit her tongue of trying to stop from laughing.
"Now I couldn't possibly tell you that…" he trailed off with a chuckle.
"Aw, you can tell me," Azalea encouraged, pouting her lips.
He glanced over his shoulder and Azalea made to paste on an overly excited expression as he leaned close – too close – to whisper in her ear.
"They're to be sent to the Districts," he told her, drawing back with an eager little nod.
Azalea's mask slipped for a moment, her voice hardening, "the Districts?" she repeated.
The man hushed her casting a panicked glance over his shoulder.
"Yes you see President Kravosk ordered it, bandages and other medical equipment to be sent out – to all the Districts," the man whispered.
Azalea felt a shudder race up her spine at the mention of the President.
She had only seen him once; when he had been rushed in, his left side a bloody pulp of pulsing red and black.
She couldn't precisely remember his face, nothing spectacular look-wise she recalled but clear as day she could hear it.
His laughter, echoing the whole way to the operating theatre.
Azalea's brows furrowed in confusion, why?
She turned to the man and she felt anger coil hot in her stomach though it never showed through the perfectly serene mask she wore.
The man before her knew – of course the man knew. But he was gazing at Azalea hungrily, waiting.
So that was his game was it?
Inwardly Azalea was repulsed, disgusted at this little fool of a man that could possibly think that he could ever be with someone like her.
But she didn't let any of it show as she leaned forward and gave him what he asked for silently; the same thing Darrell and half the other soldiers in this hospital asked for as they watched her work.
Never with words but Azalea could feel their eyes.
She would smirk thinking how they could never have her, not unless she let them.
Because this was her game and she controlled the rules.
Afterwards he smiled at her, toying with a strand of her crimson-red hair as she pretended to be interested elsewhere.
"So what does President Kravosk want with sending all these medical supplies to the Districts?" Azalea asked, her tone mildly curious.
"Oh that – well, the medical supplies are only to be used on children aged 12 – 18. Peacekeepers will ensure the Districts adhere to this rule," he said.
"Peacekeepers?" Azalea echoed.
"President Kravosk came up with it along with some high ranking lieutenants; an elite force to be hand-picked from the Capitol army to ensure Capitol Law is enforced in the Districts."
Already cogs in Azalea's head were tuning – peacekeepers – her father could do that – a high ranking position maintaining links with the Capitol.
Her thoughts focused back on his voice.
"Why only children aged 12-18?" Azalea asked.
For once since she had met this Capitolite his expression turned deadly serious and he swallowed thickly, glancing at her briefly, "it's dangerous."
You fool, all the more reason I should know, her thoughts snarled.
She smiled sweetly at him, "you can tell me," she wheedled and just like that he caved in like a house of cards.
Pathetic.
"It's for the Games you see, President Kravosk wants all the children to be fit to participate to make for a long show…"
Azalea listened in rapt attention as this small pathetic man told her about the Games – these grand, upcoming Games.
But it was more than that Azalea realised as she licked her lips hungrily – it was her chance!
"What would one get if they were to win something like these Games?" she asked, her voice hushed.
The man gave a short laugh, "everything they ever wanted."
Azalea didn't hear whatever else the man was saying because already plans were forming in her head – she wouldn't just be in the Capitol, not just a pathetic little nurse but a Victor; a status that would mean something grand even here in the Capitol.
"But a pretty little thing like you wouldn't want to have anything to do with dirty games like the Hunger Games," the man said flicking the end of her nose playfully.
And Azalea forgot for a moment that she was meant to be the ditsy little nurse as the genial slightly dazed look fell from her face to be replaced with eyes as cold as emeralds that were keen and focused.
Dirty games? You pathetic little fool – what do you think this is?
Azalea felt the calculating smile spread across her lips as she envisioned all the riches, the glory after she had been crowned Victor.
The Hunger Games, eh?
And inside Azalea Portsmith the hunger grew.
Anyways, I was thinking of doing this for a few characters (sort of the lead up to the Reapings/finding out about the Games), then a few characters for the actual Reapings, train rides etc? Rather than 24 different Reapings? Opinions? Agree/Disagree? I just thought given this is the First Hunger Games, to make sense of why some people may have wanted to go into them or whatever? But this is a SYOT so reviewer input is vital ~hinthint~ :P
Very eager to hear from 'Guest' reviewer a.k.a creator of Azalea Portsmith, did she live up to your expectations?
Anyways; still places left for anyone interested also;
District One Female; Azalea Portsmith
District One Male; Spakler 'Sparky' Sterling
District Two Female;
District Two Male;
District Three Female; Techna Pixel
District Three Male; Sebastian Lone
District Four Female; Nelly Serva
District Four Male; Samson Specif
District Five Female;
District Five Male;
District Six Female;
District Six Male;
District Seven Female; Ashni Took
District Seven Male; Woody Westbrook
District Eight Female;
District Eight Male;
District Nine Female; Collette McLellan
District Nine Male;
District Ten Female; Gwyneth Styles
District Ten Male;
District Eleven Female; Courtney Herzog
District Eleven Male;
District Twelve Female; Brook Fields
District Twelve Male;
District Thirteen Female;
District Thirteen Male; Chrome Ali