Jem Piper, 17

District Nine, He/Him

April 3rd, 97 ADD

7:30 AM


A warm breeze brushed against his cheek. He opened his eyes and found himself on horseback, astride a beautiful palomino. Before him laid rolling hills, healthy and green; a herd of cattle dotted the horizon. He held the reins with one hand and patted the horse's neck with the other, marveling at how soft and warm he was. Jem prodded the horse's side with his heel gently, and he began to move forward- first at a walk, then picking up pace to a trot, then a canter, and the breeze on his cheek became wind in his hair. He started to laugh, awestruck by how lovely it all was, like a painting in his head come to life, as his horse took him farther and farther-

-but then Jem opened his eyes, and he was back on the rooftop, and he remembered District Ten was nothing more than a dream.

What was not a dream, however- and what was returning to him now- were the events of yesterday. Jem squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to process the reality crashing back down on him. The rooftop was supposed to be his safe place, but this was something he couldn't escape even here.

The newsie's strike had failed. He had failed. Jem had led them into battle, culminating in yesterday's big protest, and all he had to show for it were battered and bruised and deserted troops. No one believed in him anymore, and he couldn't blame them. He'd let them down.

Especially Sparrow.

God, Sparrow… he'd visit her today. It was the least he could do.

So, bruised and bloodied, Jem roused himself for a new day.


District Nine had three main parts. The first was farmland. The second was the mill towns that scattered the countryside. The third, where Jem lived, was the larger industrial centers, where machine parts were made and businesses operated and transportation was funneled through. Jem knew the streets of his city- Nine's largest- better than the back of his hand, and he navigated them with ease, keeping his head down as he traveled.

(On the way, he occasionally spotted a newsie on a street corner. More than a few were nursing an injury. Every time he saw one, he turned and chose an alternate route. This extended his trip by more than a few minutes.)

Eventually, he found himself outside a large, square, concrete building with iron bars over the windows.

The District Nine Penitentiary.

Jem clenched his fists at the sight of it. So much injustice in one place… but he forced that down for now, and he drew toward the closest cell window.

"Sparrow?" he whispered.

A man's voice, low and scratchy, answered. "I ain't no birdie, boy."

Jem gritted his teeth and went to the other side of the building, avoiding some Peacekeepers on the way. They weren't too attentive, which didn't surprise Jem, who'd never held a high opinion of them anyway.

He crept up to another window. "Sparrow?"

A woman's voice answered. "Who?"

"Lookin' for Sparrow," he replied. "She woulda got here yesterday, got arrested at the picket lines. Blonde hair, blue eyes, kinda small, carries a cane?"

"Oh, her."

Jem exhaled, relieved. "She's here? Could you tell her to come to the window?"

The woman clicked her tongue. "Anything in it for me?"

Jem passed her his last coin.

"Who should I say is calling?"

"Jem. Thank you, ma'am."

The woman clicked her tongue again and pulled away. After a few moments- during which, thankfully, no Peacekeepers came 'round the corner- she returned. "She won't."

"What?" Jem snapped, struggling to keep his voice down.

"Or- well, she can't."

His heart sank. "What do you mean, she can't? It's just the window, yeah?"

"She can't come to the window right now," the female inmate said. She sounded apologetic. "Something about her leg?"

"She should have her cane," Jem said desperately.

"I don't see any cane."

"Shit!" Jem swore. "She needs her cane- goddammit-"

"Hold on, she's saying something," the woman interrupted. She disappeared again, this time for longer, putting Jem even more on edge.

(This was worse than he'd thought. It would be harder to break Sparrow out without her cane. He'd have to find her a new one, somehow, which was something he didn't even know how to start working towards.

But he'd said it himself, at that fateful rally. No man- or woman- left behind. And he'd be damned if he left Sparrow of all people behind. He couldn't abandon his best friend.)

Finally, the woman returned to the window. "She wrote you this," she said, shoving a piece of paper through the bars. Jem snatched at it eagerly just as a Peacekeeper rounded the corner.

"Hey!"

"Thanks," he muttered. He didn't stick around for the woman's response- he took off, zigzagging through the streets of Nine until the thundering of the Peacekeeper's boots on concrete were nothing but echoes in his ears.


Dear Jem,

How are you? I lost my crutch yesterday- the Peacekeepers kept hitting me with it. They got my leg real good. I'll be okay, but the rooftop is much nicer. I miss sleeping out in the open, in our penthouse in the sky, like you always say. As soon as my leg is all better and I've got a new cane, I'll run. I was thinking, too, that maybe it's time to try for Ten. We could make it if we tried, I think.

Anyways. Say hi to the fellas for me. Hope you guys are taking care of each other. Miss you.

Sparrow

Jem threw the letter aside, rubbing his eyes with his palms.

In that moment, there was nothing more Jem wanted than to go. To run. To get away to District Ten with Sparrow and be free, just him and his best friend and those rolling green hills. If only he could get Sparrow a new cane, and get her out of jail, then they could run forever, leave this life behind…

But he was a nobody with no money.

Unless…

(A plan started to form. A rash one, no doubt, but a plan nonetheless.)

(Maybe there was a way, after all… and Jem was desperate enough to take it.)


Bryony Kantor, 18

District 11, She/Her

April 10th, 97 ADD

11:45 AM


Bryony tapped her knuckles against the door, smiling to herself as her knock was met with pounding footsteps. A few seconds later, the door swung open, and Bryony looked down to see a little girl missing her two front teeth staring up at her.

"Hello!" Bryony said. "May I come in!"

Liana- Ana for short- nodded bashfully and pulled the door open enough for Bryony to step inside the small house, situated in the middle of Eleven's slums.

"Have you guys eaten lunch yet?" Bryony asked.

Ana shook her head. Her older brother Chai, who was nearly six, bounced up behind her. "Mom left food in the kitchen for sandwiches!"

"That sounds perfect!" Bryony replied. "I'll check on your sister, and then do you guys want to help me make lunch?"

Ana nodded. Chai took off, shouting behind him, "I'll get the bread out!"

"Sounds good!" Bryony laughed. She turned her attention to Ana. "Make sure your brother doesn't get up to too much trouble while I'm gone, okay?"

Ana nodded again and took off after Chai. Bryony, instead of following her, made her way to the parents' bedroom and opened the door, finding the third sibling, Autumn, just waking up from her morning nap.

"Hello!" Bryony cooed. "How are you today, Miss Autumn?"

Autumn yawned in response.

"I see," Bryony nodded. "Well, let's get you cleaned up and then make sure your brother and sister aren't making a mess, okay?"

Autumn blinked.

"Perfect!"

Bryony quickly set about changing Autumn's diaper- she was an expert by now- while Autumn reached up, trying to play with her hair. Bryony smiled, ducking out of the way. Autumn's grip was not to be messed with. She'd learned that the hard way. Once she was all cleaned up, Bryony lifted her up, making the baby smile.

"There should be a bottle for you in the kitchen, okay?" Bryony said, carrying her out of the bedroom. "Come say good morning to your siblings!"

"We got the bread out!" Chai announced as soon as she turned the corner.

"Great! If you could put it on the table for me, that would be perfect."

Bryony made her way to the counter, where a bottle had been left out for her to use. Ideally, it would have been refrigerated, but this family- like most- couldn't afford a refrigerator. They'd stayed home with the baby as long as they could, but Autumn was nearly six months old now, and they did the best they could with what they had. Bryony ran the outside of the bottle under warm water before handing it to Autumn, who immediately went to work.

She glanced back at the older siblings. "Okay. There should be enough jelly from yesterday for two jelly sandwiches. How does that sound?"

Chai responded with a fist pump. Bryony laughed and took the jar of homemade berry jam off the shelf, passing it to Ana. Then she pulled a dull spreading knife out of the drawer, along with two plates.

She considered. "Ana, could you put two pieces of bread on each plate, please? Chai, you'll put the jam on the bread. Make sure it's the same amount for both sandwiches, okay?"

Chai's eyes lit up. "I can do it?"

"Sure! I think you've got this."

Chai nodded, a solemn expression coming over his face as he watched Ana set out the bread. Bryony sat at the table next to him, balancing Autumn in her lap, and opened the jar for him. With a focus Bryony had never seen from him before, he set to work, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth.

"Very good!" Bryony encouraged him. "That looks great!"

"Really?"

"Of course."

When he was finished, Bryony gave the last set of instructions. "Now we put the bread together, and we've got a sandwich!"

The kids very carefully placed the open faces of their sandwiches together, Chai beaming with pride as he did so. Bryony leaned forward, checking on Autumn- she was taking her time, but making steady progress.

"Can we eat now?" Ana asked shyly.

"Of course."

Both children dove into their lunches. Bryony leaned back, making a few mental calculations.

(She'd spend at least another hour here with these three- for Autumn, more than anything else- before she had to check in on Nutmeg a few doors down. She'd seen Lavender and Acantha for a while yesterday, so that could be a briefer visit, but she hadn't seen Mac yesterday, so she'd definitely need to spend more time at his house this afternoon. Saffron was fine on her own for a few days- she was older, not far off from working in the fields alongside her parents- but Bryony liked to stop by at least twice a week, so she would have to see if she could make that visit today or have to wait for tomorrow. And Saffron's mom was having a baby soon, too. Saffron was old enough to be a help, but Bryony suspected it wouldn't be long before she was making longer visits there, too-)

"Bryony, I'm done," Chai announced, wiping his mouth.

"Could you wash your hands for me, please?"

"Why?"

Bryony grinned. "Because I'm seeing a lot of jam on your fingers, and I think they might be a little sticky right now. And let's put your plate in the sink too, please."

"Okayyyyy."

"How's your sandwich, Ana?"

Ana nodded her approval. "Not done yet."

"Good! Take your time."

Once Ana had finished her lunch and Autumn was fed, Bryony set up the three siblings in their tiny living room for playtime. Both Chai and Ana adored Autumn, and there wasn't much Bryony had to do to get them set. While they played, Bryony put away the bread and did the dishes, scrubbing the jam and bread crumbs away and drying them off before putting them back in the cabinet. When she was done with that, she joined the kids in playing, spending the next few hours with the children of this family before checking in on the next.

(It took a village to raise a child, and Bryony was happy to do her part.)


Rumi Valmorida, 18

District 10, They/He/She

April 18th, 97 ADD

9:20 PM


"If I ever meet the inventor of assless chaps, I'll give them a free striptease," Rumi declared, examining himself in the mirror.

From behind them, Auberon nodded, leaning casually up against the employee lockers. "You look great."

Rumi turned around. "Really? You mean it?"

"Of course," Auberon replied. "You'll be great out there. You always are."

Rumi pressed the back of one hand up against their forehead, looking away dramatically. "What would Triple E be without me?"

Auberon smiled. "Much less interesting, for one."

"You flatter me," Rumi replied, batting her eyelashes at him. "Wait. Fuck, I still need my falsies- where did I put those-"

They started reaching toward their bag. Auberon turned towards their locker, peering at the mess Rumi never made an effort to tidy. While Rumi rifled through his purse, Auberon reached into her employee locker and pulled out a small, rectangular plastic case. He brought it over for Rumi. "This?"

"You're the best," Rumi grinned, taking it from him. "You know… I haven't put on lipstick yet."

"Oh?"

Rumi tossed the case of fake eyelashes onto a wooden bench that ran along the locker room, his hands now free to grab Auberon's face and kiss him. Auberon let Rumi lean into him, sturdy as always, as Rumi ran their hands along the flimsy fabric of Auberon's tearaway button-down shirt.

Far too soon, Auberon broke away. Rumi ran her thumb along his cheek. "We could just stay here," they murmured.

Auberon's smile was sad. "If only."

"We could skip this shift," they said, picking up pace. "Just this once, we could-"

"Rumi," Auberon interrupted gently. "You love Triple E. And we need the money."

Rumi sagged, knowing he was right. Auberon leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then reached back, placing the falsies back in Rumi's hand. "You have to get ready now, okay?"

"I know," Rumi mumbled. "My shift isn't for another half hour, though. Don't you have to go?"

"Yes," Auberon admitted.

"I don't want you to be late."

Auberon reached for Rumi's free hand and squeezed it. "I'll see you after work, okay?"

Rumi lifted their joined hands to her mouth, pressing a kiss against his knuckles. "See you soon."

Auberon squeezed their hand again, and then he was out the door, disappearing into the chaos of Ezekiel's Euphonious Equestrians. After a moment, the door clicked shut again, muffling the burst of club music and horse hooves and patrons cheering that seemingly swallowed Auberon whole.

(Triple E was the best place in Ten- no, in Panem- to see someone do a strip tease while riding a horse, after all. You had to pay extra if you wanted to be lassoed, though.)

Rumi slumped against the lockers as he disappeared, glumly reaching for lash glue. Auberon was right- he did love Triple E. He loved the horses, and the outfits, and the way the crowds cheered for him. Triple E was the best home Rumi had since she was ten years old.

(What Rumi wouldn't give to go back to that life. Everything was... simpler. Their parents were still alive, and he still had Zakari. She hadn't known she was being lied to yet. Rumi had thrived in that blissful ignorance, and they missed it dearly.)

(But after hearing the words Your parents were arrested for assisting in an illegal cannibalism ring and will be executed tomorrow, there was no going back to the way things used to be.)

(Rumi hadn't seen their twin brother Zakari since. More than once, they'd thought they caught a glimpse of his face in the crowds at the club, but it was never him. She hoped he was still out there somewhere, that he was happy, that his foster family had been better than the Samarases, at the very least. Someday, he'd find him.

But today, he had work to do.)

So Rumi turned back to the mirror and glued the lashes into place, following up with a few swipes of red lipstick. Then was the setting spray, which he'd mixed glitter into just for fun. Next, they reached for a costume, rummaging through the contents of their locker as they chose their outfit. It didn't take him long to change into it, tying the tearaway flannel shirt at the bottom and undoing the top buttons to make room for more body glitter along his collarbones.

When they were finished, they yanked on a pair of cowboy boots and stepped back, sighing, to examine themself in the mirror.

He looked ready for work, that was for sure.

(Rumi loved Triple E. She did. It was home.)

(But… it didn't pay well, either, and with low wages it was impossible to love Auberon like they wanted to. It was impossible to make him really fall for Rumi, and really love them- the way Rumi desperately wanted them to, the way their foster family had told her that she could never be. It had been two years since Rumi ran from the Samaras's and made it to Triple E, and while the bruises had long faded and the blood long washed away, the words hadn't faded.

(Rumi Valmorida had never been loved, and Auberon was no different. Auberon only pretended, because he felt indebted after that time Rumi had rescued him from Ezekiel's wrath. But he ached to win Auberon over for real.

Rumi was exhausted with being unlovable.)

(But Triple E couldn't give them the funding. Triple E was a place for quick, temporary pleasure, not the romantic gesture Rumi needed. Not stability. Not security. Not a real, lasting life.

Rumi needed love, and they would get it from Auberon. She would win him over.

He just had to find a way to do that first.)

He pulled their shirt aside, placing more body glitter on their nipples, and then fixed their shirt to make it a nice reveal for later.

They took a deep breath in, closing their eyes.

They'll love you tonight, she told himself. You're a star. You're the best performer Triple E has.

Rumi exhaled and opened his eyes.

They smiled, big and bright, not a care in the world.

Then she left the locker room, ready for another shift doing stripteases while riding a horse.


yay for intros 7! thank you to auroramiri25 for jem, lancelotgriffin for bryony, and ladyqueerfoot for rumi! i had much fun with these three, thank you all for your patience as we're getting to the end of the intro order :heart: i hope it was worth the wait!

see you next time for our LAST SET OF INTROS (thank god) with brizo, tisiphone, and bastet!

rb