Two more tributes down B)

Sugar York, 18

Nobody ever had anything bad to say about the York family of District Nine. Nobody alive, that was. Running the most prominent - and only worthwhile - candy store in District Nine's main square gave them an enviable immunity to suspicion. Many cited them as serving the community well, making District Nine a little less dreary of a place one bonbon at a time. They would agree too - however, they'd also add they made District Nine a safer place, one undesirable at a time.

For generations, the York Family had not only run the beloved candy store with meticulous care but also operated as a means for the district to easily rid of those it'd rather not give public executions too. Members of a cult whose name had long since been lost to the annals of Panem's history, the Yorks struck up a beneficial relationship with the local authority.

The Peacekeepers never interfered with the York family project, not less for the amount of fear they harboured alongside the mutual benefits. For the right price, the York family would 'stumble' across some of the undesirables of District Nine - the criminals that were too slippery to apprehend, the killers too dangerous to risk Peacekeeper numbers to or those who needed to be removed without giving fame to their cause. Then, instead of the quick release of death that the execution gifted the people of Nine, the York family would torture them. The Peacekeepers had little knowledge of why the family was in need of people to remove, nor did they pry too much. In a district like Nine, even the Peacekeepers avoided unnecessary, extra work.

"We'll make them repent, don't worry," Honey York, the cheerful and sweet matriarch of the family would say. "It's gruesome work, but honest."

Whether or not it was her sweet, almost sincere smile or the teeming undercurrents of fear that flowed through every conversation, the Peackeepers offered her their gratitude and would leave.

Sugar's role in the great game wherein the York family played the parts of dutiful citizens was simple. It was her who fetched the next victims. From the smallest of children to the elders of Nine - some of whom had lived to feel the effects of the Dark Days from their own parents - Sugar invited them all cheerfully into the family home. She watched as her parents worked their magic on the victims, knowing one day she too would join in. The whole ordeal, for her, was a rush of adrenaline. There was relief at helping the community rid itself of undesirables, but equally the love for seeing another human writhe in pain.

...

Even on Reaping Day, the work of the York Family continued. Every year, Sugar had fetched someone on reaping day - someone to be locked away as the family attended all of the reaping proceedings, in before they returned and the fun began. Sugar's parents sometimes got ideas from what happened in the arena and would test it on their captured victim. This year, her final year of being eligible for reaping, Sugar was given an easier target.

Corbin Hepston was as evasive as he was instrumental in District Nine's participation in the Second Rebellion. For years, Peacekeepers had hunted him to little avail, always missing him by mere minutes or being led in the complete wrong direction. A reliable tip just days before the reaping, however, changed all of that. Nestled away in one of the back alleys of Foxtail, Corbin had made his new home where, allegedly, he planned for a new revolution. Gaining his trust had not been easy in the few days prior - Sugar had spent more nights focusing on the old man than she'd like to admit - but, eventually, he responded with little qualms. Once a headstrong man, time had made him weak, allowing Sugar easy access into his hiding spot.

Transporting him back to the family home with nobody noticing had been easier than Sugar had expected; the cabmen said little and the Peacekeepers knowingly turned blind eyes.

As the door closed to the home and her mother took on the role of a dutiful housewife, Sugar smiled, for she knew the fun would begin as soon as she got home from the reaping.

Jasper Haskell, 17

Work in District Nine was always reluctant to slow down or indeed stop. It was why, before the period of the Hunger Games, the harvest of the greenhouse fields would be cultivated and why the regular harvest was worked to the bone after the Games. The month or so lull that the Games forced upon the work of District Nine was often met with annoyance; from those who wished for regular quota and from those of Nine, just wanting money to feed the mouths at home.

Jasper, like many of Nine's teens who held full or part time jobs, had been called to some of the glass fields to help cultivate the waves of golden grain during the reaping morning. The greenhouses were never the nicest to work in - some of the jaded calling them glass cages - but there was some compensation to be found in the pay. Certainly not enough to make working there more permanently worth it, but a nice little extra pocket of cash typically given at the end of the reaping.

Having given up high school to work in the fields, Jasper took this year with a grain of salt. In only a few short months, he would be back at school for his senior year, ready to graduate with something better and perhaps work in the governance side of the district. The harvest work was easy to focus on, however, and even more so to stay in line. "Never rock the boat," As his mother would often say. Jasper liked to think he embodied that, perhaps even going so far as to believe President Augur's words that those who obey will reap the best rewards.

Jasper certainly hoped so.

...

Jess smiled easily, something that came naturally to her yet in the moment felt more genuine. An outgoing girl, she could captivate the room, so much so that Jasper had never seen her smile with a hint of shyness.

"Who do you think it's going to be this year?" It was a question that Jess asked every year, though the answer never got any easier. Most in District Nine asked it to their friends as a means of convincing themselves they'd be spared for another round of reapings.

Jasper, like he did every year, shrugged. Although he knew it amused the Peacekeepers who came from the Career Districts to hear the youth of Nine try and swing fate in a classmate's way, it wasn't necessarily a question he enjoyed answering. "Maybe one of the Kincaid twins?," He offered, nodding over to where Jackson and Edison worked in the next glass-field over. "I heard they took out more tesserae."

Jess pursed her lips in thought, glancing over at them and giving it careful consideration. "Perhaps," She said after a few seconds. "I hope it's not us, in any case."

He hummed in agreement, bending over to cut some of the wheat with his sickle. We do what we're told to do. It can't be use - we obey.

They went back to their work after the question, small pleasantries being exchanged as Peacekeepers moved to stand next to them. Clearly we spoke too much.

...

Jasper breathed in the fresher air as he walked out of the glass-field. One to appreciate the finer parts of life - 'Keepers knew he needed to, living in Nine - the cooler summer air was welcomed. He and Jess trailed behind the main bulk of teens walking back to their homes, talking about whatever came into their heads. She had an uncanny ability to make talking about anything seem easy, even when he would never speak of it otherwise. Together, the two had deep, thoughtful conversations about the many complexities of life in District Nine.

"Hey, so... um, er... I was thinking..." Jess' voice trailed away almost as quickly as it had broken the momentary silence. "After the reaping... you wanna spend this money and go to the ice cream parlour?"

Jasper didn't need to look forward Travis raise an eyebrow knowingly with a grin to catch the hopefulness in Jess' voice.

Turning to her, Jasper returned what was her shy smile. "Yeah, we could. I'd like that."

His companion let out a happy sigh, linking her arm around his. Again, Jasper smiled for the finer things in life truly deserved to be appreciated and remembered for what they were.

Better yet, maybe this year wouldn't be so bad of a reaping.

Sugar York, 18

The annual reaping was one of the only events in District Nine that Sugar found particularly interesting. She, as one of the richest in the district, scarcely had to worry about being reaped. She could name more than enough girls in her class who had taken out enough tesserae to fill the bowls with their names alone. She, with her seven names, had little to worry about. What she found particularly interesting was guessing how close the reaped girl was to one of her family's victims. Was the girl a sister? A cousin? An acquaintance? Call her sadistic, but Sugar enjoyed the thought of certain families feeling pain after pain.

They deserved it, after all, for her family wouldn't chase after innocents.

A tenseness in the air was the only downside about the reaping. If she were a little more compassionate, Sugar was sure she could empathise with how many felt. Even in such a melancholy district like Nine, nobody wanted to be another pig sent to the Capitol to be slaughtered. Mostly, she found it irritating; it was harder to fool people when they were tenser.

Apollon had been the escort for District Nine for three years. A younger Capitolite, he withheld his real name in purposes of using some sort of stage name. The youth of Nine often scoffed at how he tried to replicate some of the well known Capitol pop stars like THALIA and Aphro-Dite; if the way he insisted on a sign that said APOLLON being shown before every time he went on stage was any indication. Still, he was young and his looks were the only saving grace for his insufferableness.

As if did every year, Apollon wore a suit of gold with white accents. 'Jewelled encrusted grain' He had once called it when talking to Thyone, the Master of Ceremonies. In truth, he looked like one of those dumb trophies the Capitol gave out during the television awards season.

Much like she did every year, Sugar paid little attention to the way the reaping's proceedings progressed, only tuning in here and there to gauge how long it'd be before she could go back home and work in tandem with her parents for their next victim.

"- Of course we have District Nine's only Victor, Ceres Walton!"

As was the case in most districts, mention of the District's Victors were met with claps. Apparently it was to show them a sign of respect and gratitude for what they brought to the District. That was, at least, what the schools told them about the tradition. Sugar was sceptical; in her near forty years of mentoring, Ceres had failed to bring home a Victor. What did Nine have anything to be grateful for?

The bitter thought lingered with Sugar and occupied her thoughts long enough for Apollon to announce he was about to choose the female representative for this year's Games. Some jovial, hopeful comment was made about doing better than second place and it was met with some scoffs and gasps. Although District Nine had a general melancholy for life, they still valued the tributes they sent to the Capitol year after year. Though she was nothing special in Sugar's eyes, Chrysalis had done well in the arena and that, at least, was admirable.

Apollon walked across the stage to one of the two podiums, the large crystalline bowl sitting like a watchful bird. I wonder who has more power, the president or those bowls?

It was a sardonic thought, one that held little wonder. Everyone knew the answer; without the president, the need for the bowls wouldn't exist. Still, Sugar knew people in her grade who were terrified of their name being pulled out. Naturally, she was never one of them. Not only was she far too sensible for that, but her name was only in there a pale fraction of the amount of some of the other girls.

A lover of pageantry, Apollon took his time choosing a name. He swished his hand amongst the papers, batted some of them away before settling on a name that seemed to come from the left side of the bowl. The escort picked it up, holding it like some prized possession as he sauntered back to the microphone. District Nine waited on bated breath as he broke the seal, the sound of tearing paper echoing densely through the speakers around the square.

"District Nine's female tribute for the 115th Annual Hunger Games is - Sugar York!"

Sugar almost let out a spluttered cough. Almost. Her? Of all people? She who only had seven of her names is when Sally from homeroom stood right next to her with her fifty-six name slips? Or Grenelle and her sixty-six names?

It's fucking rigged. One of the Peackeepers must've squealed. Fuckin' pigs.

She allowed herself one second to look distraught, shocked or angry - whichever painted itself across her features first - as the cameras searched for her. It seemed the shock of one of the district's richest being reaped had captivated those around her; only after a few seconds did they begin to look at her and bring the dreaded attention along with their stares.

As she had done so many times before, both to the Peacekeepers that sat nervously in her house or to the victims she led unknowingly to their deaths, Sugar wore a sweet smile. She was eighteen, in good health and had some knowledge of how to kill. She could win, right?

Sugar supposed there was only one way to find out.

Peacekeepers flanked her as soon as she stepped into the centre aisle, uncharacteristically keeping their distance. If she wasn't so focused on making it to the stage with confidence, Sugar may have presumed her theory was correct. How better to punish a budding family of serial killers by taking their only chance of a legacy away?

Sugar's smile didn't falter as people around her flashed confused looks, nor did it wain as Apollon took her hand with a predatory grin.

She was confident she could show them all to respect her, to pay attention to her. Even if Apollon saw potential within her, she knew he equally saw her as the entertainment she was set to become.

When she was the crowned Victor, they'd all regret it.

Jasper Haskell, 17

It felt unnatural, for Jasper, to see someone from Nine approach being reaped with such... enthusiasm as Sugar displayed. Though he was sure when they broadcasted the reapings later the cameras would've caught some type of negativity when she was in the crowds, her smile shone brightly in what was otherwise a bleak moment for District Nine. Sugar's smile, however, seemed to excite Apollon who beamed in return.

Though Jasper thought it was strange one of the richer of District Nine had been reaped, he paid little mind to it. Though he knew he could think jadedly at how even the most secure of their district weren't safe from the Capitol's clutches, bracing himself for the annual reaping of the male tribute occupied much more of his mind. He fiddled with his fingers, hoping that the year would be like any other; he'd be safe and someone else would be sent to the Capitol. Last year it had been some kid from Foxtail that everyone found it easy to part with. In retrospect, he felt guilty for being so glad.

Apollon seemed smitten with the choice of female tribute for the year; he had spent a good amount of time gushing over Chrysalis' performance last year, imploring the awaiting tributes to punish District Five for 'their actions.' Having known Chrysalis, such words had hurt but Jasper ignored them. It was all part of the show, that was all. Still, Sugar smiled sweetly as if she were used to forcing a smile. Though he had no inclination on what the richest of Nine did, he wondered if they too had formal events like the Capitol did and fake, courteous smiles were part of the game.

His wonders were short lived, however.

"And now, for our gentlemen."

Jasper felt a breath bubble in his throat, not daring to exhale out of fear it'd put too much of a spotlight on him to tempt fate. Sure he had taken out tesserae but he'd also put in so many hours in the fields. Survive this, and he could go back to school and get an education that'd hopefully pull him and his family out of the slump they had found themselves in. There were much poorer people around him, he knew that. Over there was Keverell who somehow how taken three extra assignments of tesserae just this year. To his left stood Uriah who boasted to everyone that he'd volunteer and give Nine another Victor, mostly because he had no life otherwise in Nine.

As Apollon walked across the stage to the bowl full of names for the boys, Jasper continued to think of the boys in his grade who could be reaped instead of him. It was never wishful nor hopeful, simply helping him to calm himself down. It seemed to work every year.

There was Wheatley, Elijah, that poor boy named after President Snow, the twins Jackson and Edison. There was also -

"Jasper Haskell."

There's also Jasper Haskell.

A numbness welcomed itself into Jasper's body, freezing his limbs in place. He could feel the stares of those around him turn, facing him like a thousand spotlights. Most were clouded with pity - it was always harder to say goodbye to someone older. Twelve-year-olds, though a sad death, hadn't made their mark on the District. Some, however, were envious; as if they were angry that Jasper got the chance of a guaranteed, quick death whilst unleashing his anger at the Capitol.

If that's the case, volunteer for me.

"Jasper. Haskell," Apollon repeated, changing his pronunciation as if whomever the name belonged to hadn't recognised it because of his accent.

Oh.

Jasper realised he hadn't moved, hadn't acknowledged that it was he who would go to the Capitol as Nine's representative. He smoothed his hands over his shirt, willing his mind to settle. It made sense - taking tesserae had it's consequences, right?

Willing one foot to move after the other, Jasper made his way slowly to the middle of the reapee zone. No sooner had he isolated himself, declaring that he was indeed Jasper, Peacekeepers flanked either side of him and ushered him to the stage. In a matter of seconds - no doubt his autopilot taking over, remembering everything he had seen years prior - he was on stage and shaking Apollon's hand. Much like he had given Sugar, Apollon presented Jasper with an excited smile.

There's promise... Could I win?

Jasper breathed in and out slowly as he looked to the crowd. However easily his mind settled, a dull pounding of adrenaline and fear off-centred him. Eyes taking in those who looked up at him trying to decipher where he'd place, Jasper found Carrie and Jess instantly.

Carrie, with all of her friends in the thirteen-year-old's section, staring at him with wide eyes. Bewilderment, no doubt, and Jasper was sure if he was closer he might find the trace of tears. Those around her put their arms around her, trying to comfort her. A similar sight was met with Jess; hands knotted at her waist as she blinked away whatever was in her eyes.

He chewed the inside of his cheek before looking beyond them. He was a tribute now, best not to cry and be targeted early on.

"Well, well, well! District Nine you are full of surprises! Two years in a row with competent tributes? We might just improve on last year!"

Jasper scarcely heard Apollon's words, not registering the subtle jabs made at Chrysalis and the boy, Davik. He might've been angry, had it not been for the dull numbness that continued to take hold within his body.

"District Nine, your tributes for the 115th Annual Hunger Games! Sugar York and Jasper Haskell!"

Jasper's mind worked methodically, doing all that was now expected of him. He turned to face Sugar, staring the unnerving smile head on. She, unlike him, seemed more content with the doomed route her life had just taken. She's probably one of the ones who sees this as a quick death, Jasper thought to himself, trying to seek comfort in the thought. Maybe she'll leave me alone.

He shook her hand, forcing a mirthful smile of his own before letting himself get escorted into the Justice Building.

For the first time in a long time, Jasper felt what Carrie and Jess felt; unchecked anger.

After a long while, I bring you District Nine! I love both of these tributes and I can't wait to see how they slip into the story.

I changed part of Sugar's backstory to fit the narrative of the story a little better; I think it works nicely!

The introduction of these tributes is by no means the only part of them - I have a feeling both will show more of themselves in the coming chapters... foreshadowing... yup.

I hope you all enjoyed meeting Sugar and Jasper as much as I did writing them.

Next up on our list will probably be a Career district again!

- Oli