Intros, Pt. 1:
District 4's Training Academy was always busy. It bustled with trainers, students, Victors, the occasional Peacekeeper and parents. This atmosphere wasn't anything particularly new, but a strand of particular excitement still hung in the air. Something momentous was coming.
After today's trials, the volunteers for the Games in a few months were going to be announced. And many older hopefuls had their fingers crossed that it would be them who were selected to bring the fishing district glory and victory.
Conrad Jenkins was one such potential. And not that he wanted to get too cocky or anything, but there was no way he didn't have this in the bag. The many impressed nods and smiles sent his way by the trainers seemed to prove his point.
He took a break from some sparring to get a drink of water. His best friend was already waiting for him by the bags. Kimberly handed him the water bottle and wiped her sweaty face clean with a cloth as Conrad guzzled down half the drink. Nothing tasted better than cool water after a strenuous workout.
His confidence was at an all time high, but Conrad could tell Kimberly didn't share his same level of enthusiasm, plagued by worries and nerves instead of anticipation like she should've been. He gently rubbed her shoulder. "Hey. No need to be so worried. No way in a million years that they don't pick you."
"But what if they don't?" Kimberly asked. "It feels pretty stiff this year. They could pick Aurelia over me and then-"
"They won't. Don't get me wrong, that girl is plenty lethal with a spear, but put her in hand-to-hand and it's just a mess. She couldn't throw a decent punch if her life depended on it."
To demonstrate his point, Conrad gave Kimberly a playful shoulder punch himself. "Meanwhile, I have gotten my ass whooped enough times by you to know for a fact that you don't play around. And if the trainers fuck up, I'll go on strike. I won't volunteer unless they pick you."
Kimberly laughed. "No, don't throw your shot away because of me. But all I have to do is beat Aurelia in the trials. I can do it."
"Of course you can! You're the best damn Career I have ever seen."
A sharp whistle suddenly interrupted the conversation. The trials were about to begin. A trainer spoke into a megaphone to be heard over the commotion as he was surrounded by clamouring tributes.
"We are ready to begin with the first round of trials. Please wait until your name is called to approach the mats. Would Conrad Jenkins and Gavin Humboldt please report over here?"
"That's you," Kimberly told him. "Break a leg out there…well, don't actually break a leg. But you're gonna do great."
"Ditto. I'll see you later!"
Conrad strode off towards the trainer, ready to take on whatever was thrown at him. He had the chops to bring home the next win for District 4 and he was going to prove it no matter what.
"Miss Danse? Headmaster Filoh would like to see you in her office, please."
Kimberly Danse swallowed the lump in her throat. A meeting with the Headmaster of the Training Academy was either very good and a cause for celebration, or spelt disaster on the horizon. And with her rotten luck, it would likely lean towards the latter. But she couldn't recall doing anything that could land her in such trouble.
So she just followed the trainer to the Headmaster's office and silently hoped the consequences wouldn't be too dire. Not when she still had the results of the trials upcoming.
Inside the office, Headmaster Filoh was already waiting. Strangely enough, Conrad was there as well. And he was smiling. Was that a good sign? Did that mean that Kimberly wasn't about to get kicked out of the Academy or something?
Headmaster Filoh addressed her first. "Miss Danse, thank you for showing up to meet us. Allow me to extend my congratulations to you on being chosen as our female volunteer this year."
Kimberly blinked. "Me? Really!? I was chosen?"
"That you were. We believe you are the best choice to represent us. You've excelled well in multiple skills and impressed us greatly in the trials." The Headmaster smiled. "The competition wasn't close. Well done, dear."
Conrad beamed. "I told you, Kim! We're gonna get to volunteer together!"
"You got chosen too? Conrad, that's amazing!" Wow. The news just kept getting better and better. Kimberly couldn't help but laugh as Conrad squeezed her into a tight hug. She had achieved one of her greatest dreams, and she'd have her best friend at her side.
Headmaster Filoh clapped her hands back together. "Again, congrats. You are both dismissed. Now, back to training."
The pair left the office, Kimberly walking as if she was trapped in a daze. In a way, this didn't all feel one hundred percent real, even if she knew it was. She and Conrad held each other's hands tight as they headed through the hallway, laughing. A few passing trainees seemed annoyed by the noise, but the pair couldn't have cared less.
"We should go out tonight," Conrad suggested. "Let's celebrate. Conrad and Kimberly, the fiercest tributes District 4 has ever seen."
"I don't know about fiercest, but I like to think we are pretty up there." Kimberly sighed. "I'm proud of us, you know. We've worked so hard for so long and it's all finally paid off. I was so worried I wouldn't be able to make it."
"And you did, Kim! Come on, don't sell yourself short." Conrad squeezed her hand gently. "Don't worry. Whatever happens to us in the Games, we're gonna face it together. It's gonna be the adventure of a lifetime."
That made Kimberly feel much better, and more confident too. Her best friend was right. They were going to be volunteers, and soon about to be Careers. They made it this far, and they could take on anything the Gamemakers threw at them. They were ready for anything.
The Sun was rather high in the sky by now, its bright rays warming District 9's plenty wheat fields and filling up the room with blinding light. At that point, America Pickford knew she couldn't stay asleep any longer and finally forced herself out of bed.
She must've slept in for longer than she intended. From downstairs, she could faintly hear the sound of the breakfast dishes being cleaned and put away. After a few minutes, as America got dressed and splashed some water all over her face, she heard a knock at her bedroom door.
"Come in."
A young girl poked her head in. "Wake up, sleepyhead! Oh, you're already awake."
"Physically. Although that definitely got my eyes open for sure." America ruffled Canada's hair as her younger sister wrapped her arms around her waist. "What's up, Nia?"
"Mom and Dad saved some breakfast for you! They made cornmeal pancakes." Canada licked her lips as she picked up a book that had been strewn on America's pillow. Oh right. America forgot she had left that there. Canada picked it up and started flipping through it.
"I don't get how you understand anything in here. It makes no sense. They lost me after the whole 'end of the world when you bite the apple' thing."
"Okay, John doesn't end the world when he bites the apple. The whole point is that he needs it to escape the world before his home is destroyed by the meteors."
"Yeah, but that's dumb. That a video game ends the whole world when you play it."
"Well, good thing you and I don't ever have to worry about that." America lightly tapped her sister's nose. "Hey, if you want, you can borrow it. I won't mind."
"But I like the other ones better. Where they have those gray guys with the candy corn horns. They're more fun. With the names like Vriska and Karkat and-"
"You mean the trolls?"
"Is that what they're called? I just call them candy corn horn people."
"Nope. They're trolls." America thought of her cosplay materials that were currently sitting on her desk, and the pair of so-called candy corn horns that had been left out to dry last night. Maybe it would be nice to work on that today. It was a fun task and didn't feel as draining as some of her other chores. Someday, she'd work up the courage to take it out in public and show off her trollsona. Once she had the gray body paint, at least. Shit was near impossible to get in 9. She'd been saving up for weeks.
"You should read it to me, then. So I understand better." Canada went back to flipping through the book.
"Aren't you a little old for bedtime stories? Or…afternoon stories?"
"Me? Never! And you're my older sister, so that means it's your God given responsibility to read to me whenever I demand it." Canada stuck her tongue out. "Duh."
America just smiled. "Of course, kiddo. We can totally do that if you want. Once I finish my breakfast."
First round of tributes out! Thanks to Con for Conrad, Nat for Kimberly, and Pi for America. We're really building up a stacked cast here!
Remember, if you're interested in participating, feel free to shoot me a PM and we'll work things out from there. Again, you have until the final intro do so; I will make an announcement when the time approaches.
Hope you enjoyed our first trio so far, and I'll see you all in the next chapter,
-Vr
