Okay, Hi! I know I said I'd start with District One? WELL I LIED MUAHAHA. Sorry, I haven't had any D1 character submissions yet, So keep on submitting. I'll go about it a District at a time, and as I have both characters for District 8, that is where I am starting. I will let you know which characters are still available at the end of the chapter. Oh and I think I might end up with using the last 5 characters that dont get any submissions and make up a quick story for them then using them in the blood bath, yay or nay to that idea?
Also once the games have started sponsor points will start, i'll think of some form of method for them before that.
I hate to plead, but if you could review that would be great! Constructive criticism always welcome!
OH AND DISCLAIMER THINGY: ALL SUZANNE COLLINS WORK, JUST SOME FORM OF TAKE FROM IT ^_^
Meet Thalia and Seth!
Thalia Lucas POV
"Clocked off! See you in a few days, I hope, Thalia, good luck tomorrow." Jerome says, then tips his hat at me and returns to his office. I peer out over the crowd of workers, sat at sewing machines or lifting heavy boxes around, all in there ugly grey uniforms. I'm one of the few lucky enough to be finished early today, although, less lucky to be finishing early due to having the reaping tomorrow.
Walking out of the factory I take the familiar route home, except when I reach the bakery I go in, heading straight to the counter where there was a collection of iced buns, cupcakes and more luxury I shouldn't waste money on. I see my reflection in the glass and pull a few loose strands of my ice blonde hair back into my signature ponytail.
"Thalia! What are you doing out from work so early?" A voice chirped from behind me, I turned to see Moana, my best friend, standing behind me, and clung on to her was her younger sister, Mogali, who was the spitting image of her sister, they both had long brown hair that was left straight down, and they were tanned and tall. The only different was that Moana was seventeen whilst Mogali was twelve, but even so, they were my closest friends.
"Me? Oh just drooling over the bakery I can't get" I say rolling my eyes. "No I came to see Thomas, I'm taking part in the bets this year…" Even if the Hunger games is a sad, sad occasion, some people did try to see the brighter side of it, for one, some boys that me and Moana know take bets every year, I mean serious bets, well, they don't bet much but a lot of people participate in them, last year Thomas Puck won so much that he overtook the bakery, at eighteen! And the winner has to take all the next years bets. The bets are on who you think are going to be picked in the reaping this year, so I was pretty up for giving it a shot, even if it is like wishing for someone to die.
"The bets? Oh Thalia, what has this world come to?" Moana says dramatically,
"Well it may be worth a shot, are you in?" As I say this Thomas appears at the counter,
"I heard bets from the kitchen, Thalia what a surprise, I swear you were against this kind of thing." He snickers, before grabbing a puff pastry out and eating it in front of my eyes, making my stomach rumble.
"Shut up Puck, I've changed my mind ok?" So maybe I can be a little highly strung around people… "I want to make a bet on Shirla Terral, for girls, and Rusty, for boys."
"How much are you willing to bet? And why them?"
"Fifty, that's all I have on me. And well, Shirla has had to put in her name a lot this year, from what I've heard around 6 times, due to her dad's accident last month, they need all the tesserae they can get. Rusty, well, he's eighteen now and has put his name in at least twice each year, he can't stand much of a chance, surely his names over half the bowls worth!"
"I see," Thomas says smugly, then taking a piece of paper from his back pocket, along with the pen that's tucked behind his left ear, and writes down the names and the price.
"Here, I'll be back tomorrow evening to collect my winnings." I chuckle, handing him the money and heading off home, leaving Moana and Mogali behind to get what they needed.
"I'm home!" I shout, closing the door behind me, looking around I see the familiar wooden floor and ugly peach walls that form our hallway, with family portraits lined up the walls. I head into our lounge which has a giant cosy fire already going, despite that it was only afternoon, beside it on a stool sat my mother, weaving baskets for the factories. People say that I get my looks from her, she has icy blonde hair just like mine, except hers is wavy, but I have her high cheekbones which people often relate to Norse people from our history books in school.
"How was work?" Mother, Hemera, asks,
"It was okay," I say, plopping myself down by the fire. "A couple of idiots thought it would be funny to buy me a reaping card. So I tore it up and threw it at them."
"As long as you have faith, you have nothing to worry about." This was mums favourite line, used every year for the reaping, she used it every year after saying it to her best friend, who had been reaped, and then went on to win the games, as a good luck blessing, I believed it worked, I haven't been picked yet and I only have a year after these games. I do have faith.
Seth Parker POV
I wander down the road, trying to make myself look innocent. Of course that can never be the case in my line of work, but I make my best impression of it. I occasionally stop and look at the markets stools, pretending to be interested in the items being sold there.
"Good morning, Seth!" Caw's Mrs Glenn, smiling. I smile back and nod, trying not to draw to much attention to myself, and head over to her stool which is full of colourful trinkets, a small piece of colour for this dull, dreadful district.
"Good morning mam, how's business?" I reply,
"Oh not too bad, having a good turnout considering it's not the most… pleasant time of year, more importantly, how's business for you, not getting into too much trouble I hope!" She winks at me and we both laugh half-heartedly.
"Well, I'm actually waiting for a customer now, he should be round any time soon."
Mr Greene is one of my best customers, I sold him a number of weapons monthly, he was part of the rebels, not that that made much difference. I tried to sell to anyone and everyone, whether peacekeeper or rebel or even just a housewife like Mrs Glenn, who I often sell the occasional knife for kitchen needs. Today's the first Monday of the month, which means I have to meet Mr. Greene at exactly 1 pm of any place of his choosing.
"Ah I see, well, don't get caught, I'll be seeing you at the reaping tomorrow!" Mrs Glenn sounds a bit grim at this. I would have thought that it is because of her only son, Felix, is going to have his name with everyone else's for the first time. I walk away from the stand looking around, waiting for the signal.
After ten minutes I finally see him, Augustus Greene, creeping amongst the shadows of the alleyway between the bakery and the butchers. I immediately start heading in that direction with my head down, avoiding being called over again. I lug the briefcase that I have with me and follow Greene around corners and behind buildings, through alleyways until we have finally reached his destination, a small warehouse on the west side of the district.
Inside the warehouse is dusty and dark, a dim light is radiating from the candle in the centre of the room. All around us is empty cargo boxes which by the end of the year will be full to the brim with peacekeeper uniforms and other fabrics and clothes, ready to be shipped off to the Capitol and also other districts.
"Tell me," Greene say's, turning to look at me, he's a fairly broad man who is surprisingly sneaky, an uncommon combination, he has golden wavy hair that was far darker than my own, and was a lot younger than he acts, he was a wise, wise man. "How old are you?"
"17, Sir."
"Young to be dealing in the weapons business eh?" he grins, whilst taking the briefcase off of me and opening it,
" Same could be said for you, Sir"
He chortles, a surprisingly soft tone to it that you can't imagine coming from a grown man. "Touché, what made you get into the trade?" I realise he is talking a lot more than usual, we have been in business for 15 months and he has only come himself 4 times, other times just sending others to do the dirty work, but when he comes himself he just checks everything's there and walks off, I'm starting to feel a bit wary.
"Well, my father was a blacksmith…" I start
"The mayor?" He interrupts
"Yes, the mayor… I learnt my works from him, and he's probably the reason I'm so dedicated to it." I shrug as I say it, I don't like talking about my family, nor my business.
"I see, lovely. Nice family story…" He replies distantly, examining each weapon slowly, slower than usual.
Suddenly I'm aware of all my surroundings, from behind the boxes are men, bigger and stronger than Augustus, and there slowly making their way towards me. I subtly reach under my cloak for my katana's.
"The usual I see…" Augustus pipes, obviously unaware of my sudden awareness.
"The usual, two rapiers, two broadswords, thirty throwing knives, three crossbows and one hundred bolts." I say, slowly backing out from the warehouse.
"I see, the same that you have been dealing to the peace keepers?, the same that you have stolen from three of our boats to other districts?"
Ah, that. Okay occasionally I steal when I'm low on supplies, occasionally… Maybe a little more than occasionally…
"I'm afraid sir, I can't divulge who I sell to, that is strictly business." My grip tightening on my katanas, and becoming more and more wary of the men approaching me, six men, and Augustus. "And I have never stolen for my business, I simply borrow, see, look, I'm giving them back right now. And hey! It's on the house!"
At that moment the first man, I recognise him as the butchers assistant, Ferby Janway, runs at me, bearing a broad sword, and so the swordfight begins.
A mad clinking of metal on metal resounds through the small building and I receive a light slice on my shoulder, which is meant to put me off. But I have had years of practise, I know how to tell weaknesses in people and know never to be distracted, ever. Ferby was older than both I and Augustus, maybe mid-thirties, and from his stance I can tell that he has poor posture, and therefore poor balance, a bit heavy footed as well.
Taking this into my advantage I start moving around him, fast. I duck one of his blows meant for my chest and with my left katana swipe upwards to meet his sword and whilst he's distracted, bring the right katana to his neck, making a deep clean cut. Ferby's eyes widen and he drops to his knees.
Wasting no time at all while the other men are watching Ferby as he starts to scream I sprint out of the warehouse, without my weapons, and also without my lovely briefcase. I look back to see that none of the men are following me, they never expected a boy so young and skinny, with scruffy blonde hair and light blue eyes, could kill a man. But they underestimate me, what I lack in strength I make up for in agility and experience.
I walk around town a bit before returning to my home, but I do this every day, I have to make sure I'm not being followed, I can't ever have people knowing where I live with my business, far too risky.
When I get in I hang up my jacket, which is now torn, but, I don't moan about it. In a district full of textile makers it's not hard to get a tear sewn up. I'm about to go put on some dinner when I suddenly get the realisation.
My lights on.
I never turned it on.
Reaching for my katana's I whirl round to a young boy with neatly cut blonde hair sitting in my arm chair, watching me with a bemused expression.
"Jesse," I sigh with relief and go to join him, sitting in the rocking chair with the ugly green and yellow patterned pillow on it. "You scared me,"
"That was the intention, I kind of guessed you wouldn't be in yet, but I needed to get out of the house, and before you give me a lecture, no one followed me, don't worry your little cotton socks about it!" He grinned as he said it trying to hold down laughter.
Jesse was my brother, and my best friend. He was a neater and younger me, only 14 but as wise as most adults. He still has times of acting like a child though, which was rare in this district, you tend to grow up fast here.
"Right, dad driving you crazy?" I ask, lying back in the seat.
"Meh, just wanted some fresh air and new scenery, I take it you had bad business today?" He says whilst eying the wound on my shoulder.
"Oh yeh, wasn't too much, Augustus Greene found out about me stealing from his ships, but I killed a man." I say lowering my head, this hadn't been my first kill, but the guilt never goes.
"Who?" Jesse asks, lowering his head too.
"Ferby Janway."
As I say the word Jesse stares at me in bewilderment, I knew why. In the past the people I had killed where strays and people who no one really knew or paid attention to, difficult people who thought it would be a laugh to challenge me, or steal from me. But Ferby was well known, and word will get round, people won't be surprised it was me but they will be angry, and I'm as good as dead.
"You're an idiot," Jesse says blankly. "How do you expect to get out of this one?"
"I'm volunteering for the games."
Thalia Lucas POV
Fighting my way through the crowd I make my way over to Mogali and Moana, both standing bolt upright, which although was usual for me, infact a lot of people thought I was about to snap at anything because of how straight I stood, and maybe how I insulted them… eh… But for those two it is particularly unnerving, to my right I see Thomas Puck, who winks at me before turning to face the stage, I scowl at him and then turn to the stage too. Our representative begins the speech he has been preparing a year to make, he's new to our district and had already introduced himself, wearing bright plaid golf shorts and a purple vest top, with scarily female make up on, so I have no clue what his name is but I'll call him Golfy.
"So here we are, the 37th Hunger Games, what an honour it is for all of us, participating or not, to witness such an event every year, which will pick out the weak from the strong, the heroes amongst us, and will also remind us of the grave mistake you made all those years ago. Now, I'm sure you're all extremely excited, so let me pick out the tributes. Ladies first!"
With a grin Golfy stuck his hand into the glass bowl in front of him, it seems that picking a piece of paper is a giant dilemma for him and takes over a minute before he withdraws his hand with a slip of folded paper in. Opening he shouts…
"Thalia Lucas!"
Instantly it feels as if time has stopped. All I can feel is Moana and Mogali instantly embracing me with tears in their eyes, all I feel I can do is stand up straight, look confident.
"Just so you know," Thomas chuckled from my side, whilst patting me on the shoulder, "I bet on you all along."
That's when it sinks in, I'm playing in the Hunger Games.
Scared? More terrified, still, I keep my head up as I wish my friends well and walk up to the wear Golfy is standing.
I stand up on the stage, nerves raging through me.
She puts her hand in the cascade of names, after wiggling her hand around a bit she withdraws a slip of paper, smiling out to the audience, as she reads the name.
"Felix Glenn"
Everyone is shocked, as a young, plump, crying boy approaches the stage slowly, scared out of his wits.
"Would anyone like to volunteer?"
"I would like to, mam!" cries a well-spoken voice from the audience. Which makes everyone more shocked, a volunteer hasn't happened in this district for over 10 years, and the boy who walks up to the stage is vaguely recognisable. He's tall and thin, with scruffy blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a long dark brown coat which almost touches the floor and has a slight tear on the right shoulder.
"Name?"
"I am Seth Parker."
That's where I recognised him, we were in the same class back in school, before his dad, the town blacksmith became mayor.
He's unrecognisable. But then again, everyone will be.
Happy Hunger Games…
Hope you enjoyed that! I'm really looking forward to writing for more characters, I'm writing them practically the day I get the submission for them!
Okay so the tribute list is as follows:
District 1:
Girl-
Boy-
District 2:
Girl-Saffra Fairborn
Boy-
District 3:
Girl-
Boy-
District 4:
Girl-Crystal Pierce
Boy-
District 5:
Girl-
Boy-
District 6:
Girl-
Boy-
District 7:
Girl-
Boy- Nathon Rowe
District 8:
Girl-Thalia Lucas
Boy-Seth Parker
District 9:
Girl-
Boy-
District 10:
Girl-
Boy-
District 11:
Girl-
Boy-
District 12:
Girl-Shannie Dilworth
Boy-
Please submit characters! Go go go! Thanks to ShinyShannie, Eserth, Phantasia515, ThisAwesomeKid and .Remember for submitting already! :)