TW for brief mentions of emotional abuse in the second POV.
"Cuz what if everyone saw?
What if everyone knew?
Would they like what they saw?
Or would they hate it, too?"
Dria Isatis, 13, District Six Tribute
Dria doesn't need anyone else. They have learned that other people—outside of family, of course—are unnecessary for living. And if a twinge of loneliness ever snakes into their chest, Dria doesn't notice. All they need is their family and their garden. They have isolated themself from the world deliberately and mercilessly, because the world is cruel and so are the people living within it.
They wander among their mother's garden, watering and trimming each plant with careful precision. They feel peaceful among the quiet vegetation, the wind sighing through the trees and the hedge clippers and watering can in their hand. They don't mind being alone—in fact, one could say that they relish it. They brought this upon themself, the solitude. Dria doesn't exactly know how their isolation began; they just know that it exists, and they know that they enjoy it.
Reaping Day is in just under two weeks. Dria gets a chill when they think about all those children, stolen away to the Capitol. It's not right, forcing someone to go where they do not wish to. Dria hates the Capitol for it, hates them more than anything else.
Dria spots her cousin, Azalea Burn, approaching. Being around family their whole life, Dria has gotten quite close with most of their relatives. They have many cousins around their age who are kind and accepting and who they enjoy being with... As much as they enjoy being with anyone.
"Dria!" Azalea bounds through the garden and stops beside the bed of roses Dria is tending. "Ms. Salazar's science test today was so hard. I totally bombed it."
Dria smiles faintly. They've always been good at memorizing things, so tests and school have been somewhat of a breeze. "I didn't," they remark, stating the obvious.
Azalea laughs. "Of course you didn't."
Azalea and Dria are in the same year of school, and they've been friends since they were children. Dria sighs. Sometimes they think that it's only a matter of time before their cousins abandon them, before all their relationships crumble to dust. And is that Dria's fault? Or is it everyone else's?
This is why they try not to form close relationships. And yet here they are, surrounded by cousins and family who love and accept them—well, mostly. Ever since they came out as agender at twelve, relationships with their older extended family have been tenuous. But Dria is grateful for the few relationships they do have, even if sometimes it feels like they could simply disappear if Dria looks away.
"Dria?" Azalea's voice is hesitant.
Dria opens their eyes. "I was just thinking," they say softly. About what, Azalea doesn't need to know.
Azalea grins. "Not very uncommon for you."
"No."
Azalea waits a beat, a slight grimace crossing her face, before changing the subject. "You wanna come with me to dinner? My mom made pasta."
Dria feels a profound sense of disconnect wash over them. What would be the point?
"No," they murmur. "I'm fine."
Azalea smiles, a fleeting thing, and turns away, leaving Dria alone. As they like it.
...
Jacqueline "Jack" Baylor, 17, District Ten Female
And they're done. Jack sighs, mopping sweat from her forehead. She tosses her spear aside and bounces on her toes as her brother approaches her.
She grins at him as he nears. "We're practically professionals," she says as Rivel sets his spear down beside hers.
"Absolutely." His expression sobers quickly. "You okay, Jack? You look a little... flustered."
Jack realizes she's crying. She let a boar get away toward the end of her workday, and it had reminded her... "I-I don't wanna talk about it," she says.
"Alright." He reaches out his arms and Jack hugs him, feeling an overwhelming love for her brother. She hopes that she'll always be there to protect him.
Rivel breaks the hug and waves, beginning to rush back home before it gets too dark. Jack smiles after him. She'll join him in a moment.
The District Ten sun droops below the horizon, and Jack is exhausted from her day of work. It's not that she doesn't enjoy hunting boars—in fact, it's nice to be with her brother and the other citizens who work with her—but sometimes after a long day of work, she just needs to take a walk.
And so she does. Breathes in the cool air and feels her worry wash away. A soft peace settles over her, and Jack feels her breathing calm as she spots a wildflower, like a ray of hope, poking up out of the grass. She smiles, bending down to pick it up, and tucks it behind her ear.
In moments like this, she is so grateful for nature. She never had anything like this in Two; no rolling pastures or fresh air or singing birds. It was always her father's chastisement looming over her, and the fear of doing something—anything—to draw his ire. Her father's wrath was frequent and brutal in those days. It lurked where she least expected. A single misstep, and he could be screaming at her, telling her to do better.
Jack exhales long, counting until all the air in her lungs is out—and with it, the memories. They creep up on her these days. Anything can trigger them. She'll do something wrong at work and begin to prepare herself for retribution, before realizing that she is surrounded by friends, by those who love her.
But sometimes, she wonders how long that will last. She wonders when her peace will come to an end.
But she can't think like that. They've escaped him, her siblings and Jack, and they have new lives now in Ten. The District is no longer an unfamiliar beast ready to trap her in its jaws, but a harbinger of peace and prosperity. Yet still, she finds herself flinching at shadows sometimes.
She has to look beyond her past now. What use would it be to dwell on the unchangeable when she can focus on making others' lives better, on ensuring nobody's life is as miserable as hers has been? Nobody should have to live with ghosts. And yet, Jack faces them every day, and she tries her best to conquer them.
"One step at a time," she murmurs, brushing the last tears from her cheeks. She lowers herself down on a log, pulls out her sketchbook, and begins to draw.
Her dream is to show her art to the world, to see it displayed at the biggest museums. She hopes to protect all her friends and loved ones. But for now, all she can do is try to keep her momentum, keep her feet beneath her, and pray that life doesn't pull the rug from under her as it has so cruelly done before.
...
Are there enough Broadway songs that fit the vibes of this story for me to quote for every chapter? Probably not. Will that stop me from trying? No, no it will not.
Hellooooo everyone, and welcome to intros I! I'm pleased to introduce you to the first two kids of this fabulous cast, Dria and Jacqueline! Their intros ended up being pretty short, but you will certainly see more of them in Pre-games. What are your initial impressions? How do you think they will fare in the Capitol and the Games?
Speaking of the cast, the list is on my profile if you missed it! I may sound like a broken record, but thank you so so much to all who submitted; I am so touched by all the support. Thank you for your reviews as well, I really appreciated everyone's thoughts on the Capitol characters, who we will see again halfway through intros for a little interlude! Next chapter is the second half of pre-reapings, where we will meet our next two kids, and I am beyond excited. I hope you are having an amazing day and that you enjoyed this chapter. See you soon!
Miri