A/N: Slight trigger warning for strong language throughout.
Sequoia Clearwater, age 18
District 2 Female
"Sequoia!"
The voice belongs to Monika Mendoza, one of the head Trainers at the Academy. I groan as I stab my sword through the training dummy and turn around to glare at the woman, who waves at me as she makes her way to me. I don't know what business the mentor has with me, but considering Monika's stupid smile it can't be good.
God, can't that woman leave me alone for once? She's always so bubbly and invested in everything, even in times of hardship. Apparently her friend, a Victor from Four, committed suicide a month ago so why the hell is she still acting so irritatingly peppy?
"Do you even know how to frown?" I ask Monika, withdrawing my sword and holding it in front of me in a menacing way. "What are you on, happy drugs?"
"Hey, I just wanted to see how you were doing, with the Reaping being in a few hours," Monika says, frowning for just a little bit before going right back to her irritating smile.
"Well it's none of your business," I growl, stabbing the sword through the dummy again. "You aren't even my mentor, Archer is, and he's leaving me alone like I want."
"I thought you might appreciate some company because Archer's with Jae," Monika says, still smiling.
"Yeah, you can hang out with Mr. Cool Guy too," I snap, grabbing my sword again and focusing on my training. My District Partner is the most irritating loser in the world, and I don't need another reminder of how everyone likes him. "Stop talking to me Monika, I've got a Games to win."
"Alright," the Victor relents. I'm not looking at her face, but her voice is still annoyingly upbeat. "I'll just tell Anna and Addison that you don't want to be bothered."
"Where are they?" I ask, putting my sword down. "If they're throwing knives I wanna be there too."
"Hey Sequoia!" another voice calls, and this one actually makes me smile because it belongs to Anna, the older Hadley twin. I look up to see Anna hurrying over to me as Addison grabs a rack of knives at the knife throwing station on the other side of the room.
"Addison and I just got here," Anna explains, thankfully ignoring Monika. "Wanna have a knife throwing party?"
"Heck yeah," I say with a smirk, following Anna to the knives. I don't know what Monika does after that, but I hope she leaves me alone.
Anna, Addison, and I practice our knife throwing for a while, with me being the best because I'm the chosen volunteer. Just when I think I've had a peaceful session, I hear annoying dudebro voices behind me.
"Oh look, it's the girl tribute with those weird twins. Don't you two do anything away from each other?"
I whip around with a knife still in my hand and shoot a death glare at the source of the voice, which I know belongs to one of Jae's friends. Ugh, Jae, what a dumb name.
"You wanna repeat that little comment?" I ask, my voice dropping dangerously.
"Whoa girl, chill," another one of the guys says, holding up his hands. "You'll never win the Hunger Games with an attitude like that."
"Nobody insults my friends and gets away with it," I growl, taking a step towards the boys. "Now beat it or I'll shove this knife handle so far up your ass you'll be shitting bricks till District 12 gets another Victor."
"Come on, guys," a third boy says, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Let's leave her. There's no point working her up."
The four boys look at each other before looking at Anna, Addison, and I. Then they turn and walk away, one of the boys muttering something that sounds vaguely like "bitch".
"You're a bitch," I yell at the retreating boys before turning angrily back to the target. I take a deep breath before letting my knife fly, imagining the bullseye as the heart of a person who gets in the way of me protecting my friends.
The knife sticks solidly into its target, and I smile.
Jason "Jae" Trynx, age 18
District 2 Male
"Ace Trynx, District 2 Female," I murmur to myself as I bench-press the weights. Several girls are admiring me from the other side of the room, and I smile at them before going back to my training. One of the girls whispers something, but I don't hear what it is as I continue my exercise.
"Victor of the 29th Hunger Games at age eighteen," I murmur as I release the weights, feeling proud of my mother for conquering the Games.
"Digit Keyes, District 3 Female," I continue reciting as I lift the weights again. As I release the weights, I say, "Victor of the 30th Hunger Games at age eighteen."
I continue reciting the Victors of the Hunger Games as I bench-press, testing my memory and knowledge while exercising my muscles. There are forty-three Victors which equals to forty-three reps, but that has never stopped me.
"Grey Achilles, District 2 Male," I say with a grimace. Not only am I getting winded, it's also that Grey won the Games my brother missed out on, and after that happened I was pushed harder than ever. Not that I mind, though, because I like the tough training.
"Victor of the 42nd Hunger Games at age seventeen," I growl as I release the weights. I still can't believe that a seventeen-year-old beat out my then-eighteen-year-old brother.
This last one is the hardest.
"Natsuki Barkley, District 7 Female," I hiss, lifting the weights and ignoring the pain in my muscles. "Victor of the 43rd Hunger Games at age seventeen, but that should've been my cousin, if only that dick from One didn't backstab her, dammit."
I release the weights for the last time, a little harder than normal. I huff, using a nearby towel to wipe off my sweat, which gets the girls to whisper louder among each other. I smile at them wearily, but I'm not really thinking about girls, not when I'm wishing that Agrippa was the one to win last year's Games.
Whatever. I know that I have what it takes to not be like her and die.
I get up, squirt some water into my mouth, and approach the javelins on the other side of the gym. As I pick one up and get ready to throw it, I turn to the group of girls watching me.
"How are things?" I ask with a smile.
"W-well, Sequoia was at the knives and being bitchy as usual," one of the girls, Sparta, says, her face visibly red. "Shit, um, I meant to say, I'm doing good and you look great Jae!"
"Well, I guess not everyone is friendly," I say with a good-natured laugh as I hurl the javelin towards its target. It sticks in the bullseye, and I smile.
"We'll talk later, okay?" I say, picking up another javelin. "I'd love to hang out but I'm going into the Games today and I should train."
"No problem, go ahead and do your thing," Sparta says with a smile, visibly relaxing. "And, uh, we weren't watching or anything, we'll just be going now."
"Are you going to Paris's party?" I ask.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Sparta answers as her friends nod.
"Well, he invited me over earlier but I told him that I wanted to train for another half an hour," I say, tossing the javelin between my hands. "I'll be there in a bit, though. I don't want to end up a party pooper like Sequoia."
"Hey, you probably don't want to get on her bad side in the Arena," Sparta's friend, Ashley, cautions.
"But everyone's on her bad side," I say, half-joking. This gets the girls to laugh, and I laugh along with them before throwing the javelin at the target. It doesn't hit the bullseye, but I'm pretty close, which is good enough considering I wasn't even that focused.
"Anyways, have fun," I say with a smile. "I'm going to train for about…" I glance at the clock. "Fifteen more minutes before I'm packing up and heading over to Paris's."
"Awesome," Ashley and Sparta say together, which gets everyone to laugh again. I say goodbye to the girls as I throw one last javelin before heading over to where I know the swords are.
I pass Sequoia at the knife throwing station on the way there, but I pay her no mind as I grab a sword and start training with it. After a few minutes, my watch beeps, and I put the sword down with a smile.
That's enough training for today. The Reaping is in just a few hours, so I might as well have some fun with my friends before I go home to get ready for my big moment.
I take a quick shower at the Academy before throwing on a casual outfit and make my way to my friend Paris's house. It doesn't take long to get there, but when I reach it the place is oddly quiet. That's strange. Normally I'd expect the yard to be full of people, or at least for music to be blasting from inside the house.
I ring the doorbell, and the door seems to open on its own. What greets me makes me grin.
"Congratulations!"
A lot of my friends, and a lot of people who I know but don't really consider my friends yet, are crowded in Paris's front room and throwing confetti into the air. A large cake decorated with the words "To Jae Trynx, Future Victor" sits in the center.
"Hey, thanks guys!" I say loudly as I rush into the room and close the door behind me. "I promise I'll see you all again, but for now, let's just turn it up!"
Lavish "Lav" Golden, age 57
District 2 Escort
"How are you feeling, Monika?" I ask the female Victor sitting next to me on the stage. "Are you okay with spending a few weeks at the Capitol?"
Monika Mendoza sighs, giving me a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine," she says, nodding at me. "I've already told you, Sayori's death has only made me mentor more. I need a distraction, you see?"
"I get you," I say, giving a small smile back. "I just wanted to see how you were feeling."
"Hey," the other mentor says from the other side of Monika, his eyes betraying his joking mood. "That's my job."
I gasp in feigned surprise and dramatically place a hand on my chest, deciding to play along. "Well I didn't know that I could invest in Monika's well-being as well, Archer," I say to the Victor of the 32nd Games. I turn to Monika in concern. "Um. Are jokes not appropriate in this situation?"
"You know, Lav, Archer never quite grew out of his admiration of me," Monika says with a mischievous smile. "And don't worry. Today's a day to celebrate our volunteers."
"That's not true!" Archer Smith exclaims, though he's blushing slightly. "The first part, I mean. Not the second part. I'm seeing people."
"And when was your last date, Archie?" Monika asks, her mischievous expression not fading.
"Please don't call me that," Archer says quickly, "and alright, I know that four months is a long time to go without a date, but at least I'm trying."
"Hey, no pressure to find a partner or anything," Monika says, her gaze softening. "Don't force something to happen when you're not feeling it."
"Exactly," Archer says, relaxing and smiling.
I smile to myself as the Main Square of District 2 continues to fill with excited people and the Mentors next to me continue talking among themselves. Monika came out publicly as aromantic and asexual the year after Archer won his Games, and even though the younger Victor was visibly disappointed he has done a pretty good job in respecting Monika and being a good friend to her. Monika's my favorite Victor, considering that she was the first Victor I escorted for after getting transferred to District Two. She may get lost sometimes among the other female Victors of District 2, but that's to people who don't know what they're missing. Monika is one of the head Trainers at the District Two Career Academy, and I like working with her and the other Two Victors so much that the younger escorts can pry my position from my cold, dead hands.
The square quiets down as Mayor Stivers makes his way to the podium and begins his excited speech about the Hunger Games. It's the same every year, but I have to give credit to the guy for making the District excited for the Games nonetheless. By the time he's introducing this year's mentors, the crowd's excitement has bubbled over into happy murmurs.
"And now, presenting, the woman you all know and love, our wonderful escort, the forever loyal and lovely Lav Golden!"
I give a big smile as I get up from my seat, my bones cracking a little as I walk briskly to the microphone. The crowd's excitement has spilled over, and everyone's cheering loudly for me. I'm just happy that District 2 loves me as much as I love them. It took a few years in the beginning to adjust my style to suit the less extravagant District, but I've grown to really love the simple long dresses and matching winged helmets I wear every year to the Reaping.
This year, my outfit is black with green accents. I stop at the microphone and smile broadly at the roaring District.
"District 2!" I exclaim, addressing the crowd as it quiets down. "I'm so excited to be here once again, and I'm sure you share my excitement for the upcoming season. Thank you for being there for me as I've been there for you. Thank you!"
The crowd cheers again, and I wait for the noise to die down before continuing, "But now it's time to find out which brave young man and which valiant young woman will be representing our lovely District for the 44th Annual Hunger Games. Let's start with the boys, shall we?" I walk over to the boys' Reaping Bowl and pick out a name from the very top, knowing that it won't matter. I return to the microphone and exclaim, "Mason Augustus!"
"I volunteer as tribute!" a confident and excited voice calls immediately, and the crowd bursts into cheers of excitement and support as the volunteer steps proudly out of the section of eighteen-year-old boys. Some even call his name, "Jae!" as the tall, muscular volunteer walks briskly to the stage with his head held high and proud. Jae smiles and waves at the audience, even winking once as he mounts the steps of the stage.
"Someone's popular!" I exclaim with a grin as the volunteer walks up to me with a smile on his face. People start cheering again, and I patiently wait for the noise to die down before asking the young man, "What's your name?"
"My name is Jason Trynx," the volunteer says confidently, snatching the microphone from my hands, "and I'm going to be your next Victor!"
The crowd bursts into cheers and applause as I smile at Jason, taking the microphone back from him and shaking his hand while giving him encouraging words. I leave the male tribute standing at his spot as I walk back to the center of the stage, beaming.
"Well, I know you're all excited to meet our female tribute so let's get to it!" I exclaim as I place the microphone back into its stand, walk over to the female Reaping Bowl, and pull out a name. I return to the center of the stage, unfold the slip of paper, and call out, "Carlie Melton!"
"I volunteer as tribute!" a girl yells right as I finish reading the Reaped tribute's name. The voice belongs to a tall blonde girl who looks just as confident and excited as Jae, but as the volunteer makes her way to the stage from the eighteen-year-old section I notice a look of cold, fierce determination in her eyes. The cheers and applause are noticeably quieter than the response given to Jason, but the girl pays this fact no mind as she confidently climbs onto the stage.
"Another volunteer!" I exclaim excitedly, looking up at the tribute as she comes to a stop next to me. "What's your name?"
"My name is Sequoia Clearwater," the girl says coolly as I hold the microphone up to her face. "Carlie, Mom, Anna, Addison, I promise I'll do everything I can to come home to you. This isn't the last you'll see of me."
I smile and wait for the cheers to quiet down before saying, "Oh, do you know the Reaped tribute?"
"It's none of your business, old lady," Sequoia says coldly as I hold the microphone to her again. She shoves the microphone back to me, and I pull back in surprise. The crowd is unusually silent, which means that the District probably expected something like this. Still, that hurt a little.
"Alright District Two!" I exclaim once I'm in the center of the stage again, trying to keep the crowd energized after what Sequoia said. "Let's give a huge round of applause for your tributes of the 44th Annual Hunger Games, Jason Trynx and Sequoia Clearwater!"
Sequoia Clearwater, age 18
District 2 Female
I pace around the Goodbye Room, stretching out my arms as I do so. Anna and Addison just left after wishing me luck and giving me advice to kill every tribute who stands in my way. They also told me that they can't wait to see me again as a Victor. I'm happy that they believe in me, and I know that I'm going to come home to them, but I'm expecting more visitors.
Sure enough, the door opens and my mother walks in with a smile. Before I can sit down and receive her properly, she has me in a tight embrace.
"I love you too, Mom," I say as I hug her back. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll come home so I can keep protecting you."
"You're so sweet, Sequoia, dear," Mom says, breaking the hug and kissing me on the cheek. "I'm sure you have what it takes to win the Games."
"Of course," I say, smiling. "You'd better enjoy my sweet side because this is the last you'll see of it until I come home."
"Yeah, about that," Mom says, her expression hardening. "Maybe you should show more of that sweet side in the Arena. It's good for sponsors, after all."
I laugh. "I know that, Mom," I say, grinning, "And I'll keep that in mind. But chances are I won't even need sponsors. I'll just kill everyone in my path, and you know I won't let anything stand in the way of my Victory."
"Ruthlessness can be a great angle too," my mom comments, smiling again. "Just be yourself, Sequoia, and I'll see you soon." She sits down onto the couch. "How's Carlie?"
"I think she wanted to visit last," I answer, sitting next to Mom. "Can you believe that she was actually Reaped? I'm so glad that I'm the chosen volunteer."
"I'm sure that you'll come home," Mom says confidently. "Do you have the ring with you?"
"What ring?" I ask.
"The engagement ring for Carlie," Mom answers with a broad smile.
"Mom!" I exclaim, my face reddening. "How did you know?"
"I've known for a while that you two were really something," Mom says, squeezing my hand. "So did you bring the ring as a token? You're going to propose to Carlie when you come home, right?"
"Yes, but I didn't bring the ring," I say slowly. Upon seeing Mom's disappointed expression, I add, "If I brought the ring and people found out about it I'm going to seem like a sissy."
"Maybe you can mention your relationship with Carlie during the Interviews, at least," Mom says thoughtfully.
"Hell no," I say loudly, crossing my arms. "That'll ruin my whole angle."
"Fair enough," Mom says with a smile, raising her arms playfully. "Sarcastic and sadistic works too."
"Yeah, I can't wait to kill all those wimps who think they can get in the way of me coming home to you guys," I say with a smirk.
"That's the spirit, Sequoia," Mom says encouragingly. She stands up and gives me one last hug. "Well, I think I'll be going so you can spend some time with Carlie. I'll see you soon, my soon-to-be Victor."
"Yeah, I'll see you soon too," I say with a smile as Mom waves to me one last time and leaves the room.
Just as the door closes, it opens again, and my girlfriend rushes into the room, tackling me into the sofa and giving me a passionate kiss.
We make out wildly for a few minutes, and part of me is wondering if we're going to have sex right here when Carlie breaks free of my embrace and smiles at me.
"I can't wait for you to win," she says, getting off me and sitting on the sofa. "Being your girlfriend is already amazing, but being the girlfriend of Sequoia Clearwater, Victor of the 44th Games? Wild."
"I won't let you down," I say fervently, pressing my forehead into Carlie's. "I'm going to come home and protect you, and always be there for you."
"It's so crazy that I was Reaped," Carlie says, smiling. "Can you imagine if we lived in Five or somewhere stupid like that? I'd actually be fearing for one of our lives."
"But we don't," I answer, grinning, "and you don't have to worry. I'm going to come home to you."
"Take out Jae for me, okay babe?" Carlie asks, a mischievous expression on her face. "That guy has got his head so far up his ass I don't know how he even functions."
"Of course," I say smoothly, "and I'll take out everyone else who's in my way as well. Just you wait, I'll be a Victor in no time."
Carlie and I continue chatting, touching, and kissing until a Peacekeeper opens the door and tells us that time is almost up in a somewhat annoyed tone. My girlfriend and I just laugh at his discomfort and make out right in front of him, which gets him to say that time is up far more quickly than he should. We smile, not really wanting or having to argue with him, as Carlie disentangles herself from me and wishes me luck one last time before skipping out the door.
I let myself feel giddy for a few more moments before steeling myself and reminding myself that I'll have to face Jae, Lav, Archie, and Monika soon. The smile is wiped off my face and replaced with my usual cold stare. Ugh, everyone's going to be fawning over that arrogant asshole and just being annoying in general.
Whatever, I don't need anyone's help to win the Hunger Games.
Jason "Jae" Trynx, age 18
District 2 Male
It takes a while for all my friends to find their way out the door, but eventually, after a lot of final goodbyes, I'm left alone. I'm not alone for long, however, because soon the door to the Goodbye Room opens again and my family walks in.
"You'd better win, Jason," my mother says immediately, fixing me with the cold stare I'm used to by this point. "I fully expected Octavian to follow in my footsteps, but he let me down so it's up to you to be a Victor like me."
My brother stands at the corner of the room, scowling because he's reminded of how he narrowly missed out on volunteering for the 42nd Games. I nod, giving a weak smile.
"Maybe you shouldn't be so pushy, Ace," my father says as he sits on the couch next to me and smiles at me. "How are you feeling, Jae?"
"Hey Dad," I say, grinning. "It's been a while."
"Yeah, work's rough, but I want to send off my future Victor," Dad says, putting an arm around me. "Just don't push yourself too hard, okay Jae? You don't want to burn out before the Games even begin."
"Bullshit, Jason is far too strong to burn out," Mom says proudly, her gaze not softening. "I fully expect him to win these Games, considering the strength he has."
"I won't let you down," I say sincerely, straightening my back and meeting my mother's gaze. "I'm going to kick off a generation of Trynx Victors."
Octavian scoffs from his corner of the room, and I smile at him.
"Hey," I say to my brother when I realize that he hasn't stopped scowling since getting in here. "No need to be salty. You'll be a great Victor's brother."
"I'd rather be a Victor, thanks," my older brother huffs, crossing his arms. "Anyways. You'd better not be like Agrippa."
"Too soon, Octavian," I say, my smile disappearing at the mention of my cousin. "But I know that unlike her, I won't die."
"You'd better not die," Mom says seriously. "And don't you dare show that softness you just showed us in the Arena."
"I won't," I reply with equal seriousness, knowing that now is not the time to joke. "I promise that I'm going to come home a Victor."
"Good," Mom says, turning to leave. "Come along now, AJ, we'll be seeing Jason soon."
Dad looks like he's about to say something, but he nods and stands up, leaving the room with the rest of my family. When the door closes behind them, I think about how I'm going to win the Games with my popularity and skill.
Jae Trynx, Victor of the 44th Annual Hunger Games. I can see it now.
A/N: Many thanks to simplynovaa for submitting Sequoia, our District 2 Female, and thank you to somerandomtom for submitting Jae, our District 2 Male. What do you think of Sequoia, Jae, and Lav? If I wrote your character, how did I do? Please let me know what you think of the characters and the chapter in the reviews! Next up will be the District 3 Reaping, which will introduce Caltryx Mortem and Andir Marx.
Thanks for reading, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
