Hello everyone and welcome to the fifth Reaping chapter! We're officially just under halfway done introducing our tributes! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and please consider leaving a review, I would really appreciate it!

Oscar Gamero, 12

District Ten Male

The sun acted as a wake-up call in the mornings, signalling to Oscar that it was time for him to rise and do his chores around the farm before he had to depart. He was sure that the animals had missed him during the night, so it motivated him enough to get up and ready to see them again.

If only it was possible to not age, Oscar only had one year left before he would be assigned the more challenging tasks reserved for the older occupants of the orphanage. It would definitely be such a sad parting, the animals not wanting to separate from him even more than he didn't want to leave them.

Humming was one of those things that was a unique trait of Oscar, the other kids were either too afraid of the matron or just not wanting to act so jubilant and use their energy on something they thought was foolish. He continued the action as he made his bed, the task drilled into him since he could walk.

Continuing on with the rest of his routine that had to be performed before he went to visit the animals, Oscar smiled and moseyed his way on over to the bathroom, which he shared with half a dozen other boys around his age.

Each kid had their own little cubby for their few hygiene items that were provided to them upon arrival. Usually Oscar was the first into the bathroom, and today seemed to be no different from the thousands of days he had spent in the orphanage.

This particular morning, Oscar decided to make another attempt at multitasking, not considering what had happened during the previous several attempts he had already tried and failed. This attempt was slightly different, he had to factor that in, but he also should've just used his brain instead of his heart, which just wanted to see his animal friends sooner.

Yet another lesson learned for him, don't brush your teeth and try to comb out your hair at the same time. By god, he had nearly poked out an eye due to his foolishness mixed with excitement.

By the time he had splashed water on his face and declared it time to make a visit to the animals, he was almost dancing in place, his enthusiasm making it harder and harder to keep quiet so he didn't disturb any of the other kids who lived there.

Oscar crept down the hallway, as quickly as he could go without causing all of the floorboards to make those creaking noises that he heard all day once everyone was moving about.

He ignored the kitchen cabinets that were partially filled with food, knowing that if he ate something now, he wouldn't have anything until dinner. The matron only provided two meals a day to each child under her care, claiming that her excuse was valid, although everyone knew that it was because she preferred to be as cheap as possible so that she could afford things for herself.

Oscar exited the main house, turning the corner to grab the small bag of food for the animals and set off towards the small building that they were kept in. Soon they would be making all sorts of racket, their main priority to eat as much as they could out of what was provided for them.

It was simply just survival of the fittest, if you couldn't get past the animals who were already eating, tough luck finding food to eat once they had consumed their fill.

He hummed and skipped as he carried the small bag of animal feed to the barn, some of the animals already noticing what he carried and preparing themselves for the chaos that would commence once he poured their serving of food in their troughs. It was always the pigs who made the biggest mess, plus their food was a lot heavier, so one of the older kids always fed them.

Oscar felt bad for them, all the other animals being fed a lot sooner than them, but it was just how the farm worked around here. The older kids slept in late, their eagerness to finish their chores departing as they grew, whilst the younger ones whittled away at their energetic natures slowly as they aged.

He didn't really care, continuing to use his abundant energy to express his excitement at providing his animal friends with the nourishment they needed to stay alive. Pouring feed from the small drawstring bag he carried, the chickens stopped pecking at his feet as soon as he finished with the task and backed away, leaving them to fight over spots at the feeder.

After leaving the chickens to their own devices in the section of the barn where the feeder was, he headed to the half of the building that contained the hen house, intent on gathering the eggs now when it would be easiest for him. Oscar hated having to gather eggs when the chickens would watch, it made him feel like they hated him, and he didn't want any of his animal friends to feel threatened by him either.

He understood that they had worked hard to create these offspring, but he also didn't want to be punished because he didn't bring in the eggs with the excuse of "the chickens will hate me if I do that, Matron." Just because she had a soft spot for him didn't mean he wouldn't be punished for foolish actions like such just like the other children.

Taking a quick glance behind him, he reassured himself that the chickens were still occupied and speedily gathered up the rest of the eggs, carefully laying them in the front of his shirt so he could bring them back to the house.

Oscar reentered the house through the same doorway in which he had exited, walking through the room that connected to the kitchen silently, although he was still humming that happy tune in his head instead of out loud.

It was still quiet and the room had only lit up with the sunrise, signalling that the Matron might have actually felt bad for the kids and let them sleep in just a bit more than normal to make up for the Reaping.

Oscar made his way towards the counter underneath the window in the kitchen, preparing to transfer the eggs he had sneakily gathered to the bowl where they were placed to either take to the market or be cooked as part of a meal for the wards of the orphanage. There weren't many in the bowl before Oscar moved his goods into it, but now it was almost full. His chicken friends must have been really uncomfortable whilst laying all of these eggs.

The thought reminded Oscar that he needed to pay them another visit when he came back from the market after the Reaping, he truly needed to show his appreciation to them for helping keep the inhabitants of the farm fed among many other things. He did think it was a bit strange that Betsy, who was the resident cat on the farm, hadn't come to visit him yet on this fine morning, but he was sure there was a perfectly good explanation for why she wasn't roaming around at the moment.

Finally, Oscar heard the rousing of other kids, taking their sweet time to get out of bed and ready for the Reaping. He still didn't get why they hadn't gotten up earlier, that way their chores would be done and over with and they wouldn't have to deal with them after the Reaping.

Oh well. It was their rather unfortunate choice after all. Oscar would not want to have to do some of the chores they did with a pricked finger. It sounded painful, especially if they got something in it.

Just barely catching a glimpse of the denim bag that he always carried the produce from the market in, Oscar stopped in his tracks and turned back to grab it before he forgot it. His chores were switched today, usually he went to fetch produce at the market in the early morning and fed the chickens once he had returned.

The Matron had informed him of the change last night, only wanting him to make one trip to and from the village circle to lessen chances of anything bad happening to him. Lord forbid she lose a free worker.

Wanting to steer free of the hustle and bustle of the house as all of its occupants were now awake, Oscar once again took the path outside that led to the barn, wanting to spend some time with the creatures that actually liked him and listened to him.

He walked along the stone path that wound around the side of the house and ended a few yards from the barn. Not even halfway there, he could already hear the chickens vocalizing with their clucks and squawks. It made him smile, he loved that the chickens got to voice themselves whenever they wanted. Oscar wished he could live such a life like that, but his involved either complying with what he was told to do or getting thrown out with nothing to his name but the clothes on his back.

Upon reaching the section of the barn that was basically just an uncovered pen for the animals to roam around in, he smiled and greeted each one of the chickens as they got as close as they could to him with the chicken wire in their way.

Stepping through the tiny space between the wall and the chicken wire, Oscar was now face to face with his favorite creatures. There was indeed a variety in their personality, some immediately rushing to him and some slowly walking behind the crowd of other feathered birds.

He laughed as his feet and ankles were surrounded by the animals, loving the positive attention. Oscar brushed his fingers through the feathers of several of the chickens, only causing them to want more and more of his attention and love.

Oscar led them to the back half of the barn, intent on playing around with them for a good bit there before he had to leave for town, but he was shocked by what he turned his eyes upon as he looked ahead.

That wretched bully of his, Jovan, had found his way into the barn. It wasn't a place that he normally was, that was for sure. Oscar was confused, why would he be in here at this time, especially on this day?

Now that Jovan had seen him, probably expecting him to have come in here because of his bond with the animals instead of other children, he finally revealed his cards. The horrible boy was holding Betsy by the scruff of her neck, laughing when she howled and hissed at him to let her go.

Such cruel actions for what purpose? Jovan had already done enough to torture him, why inflict that suffering on an innocent animal?

"Let her go! She hasn't done anything to you!"

Jovan's smile widened, and he taunted, "Why? Is the whiny wittle baby going to come save his only friend?"

Tears began to well up in Oscar's eyes and it just fueled Jovan's teasing even more.

"Poor crybaby, too sissy to save the only creature that'll listen to him."

As much as Oscar hated to appear so vulnerable in front of his bully, he just couldn't help it and the tears began to fall down his cheeks as he started to cry.

Like he predicted, it just egged Jovan on even more. The other boy raised Betsy even higher into the air and she tried to claw herself away from his grip, not succeeding in the slightest. Oscar saw what the bully did just before he heard it, just noticing the tightening of the muscles in Jovan's wrist and hand before he heard the howls and hisses fade away as the other boy robbed his animal friend of her breath.

The other boy's actions caused the sobs to come on in full onslaught, Oscar barely able to blubber out words to try and stop him. His vision was starting to blur, the tears were just so heavy and they were leaving salty trails down his cheeks.

His head jolted up at the sound of laughter, watery eyes straining to stay open and he was barely able to see the cause for Jovan's amusement, but he had a sneaking suspicion about the reason.

That cruel boy, somehow only two years older than him, yet acting so much bigger and badder than him, dropped Betsy onto the ground and smirked as he walked backwards so that he could simply just see the look that he had inflicted on Oscar's face. Upon seeing it, he strutted back to the main house, seemingly satisfied with what he had just made the twelve year old suffer.

Still letting the streaming tears roll down his face, Oscar dropped to his knees on the floor of the barn, which was nothing more than dirt and hay. He scooped Betsy's limp body into his arms and cradled her to his chest, not wanting to accept the fact that his dear friend was gone.

He must have stayed in that same position for ages, only readjusting after he was startled by the Matron's call.

"Children! Get in here! It's almost time for you all to leave for the Reaping! I will not be punished by one of you fools being late!"

It was a difficult choice for him to get up, especially considering that he always followed the directions he was given, but at the same time, he could hardly bare to do anything except for grieving his dearly departed animal friend.

The thought of not even having the time to give her a proper burial made his partially dried up tears start running like a river again. Well, he could hide the body and return after the Reaping to bury her properly.

Nodding his head slowly at his idea, he carefully rose to his feet and walked to the side of the chicken houses. Oscar placed Betsy on top of the structure, knowing nobody would go look up there and the animals couldn't get to her very easily. Even if someone did happen to wander into the barn and spot her, it would probably just look like she was sleeping.

He hurried outside, following just a few feet behind the last group of kids on their way to the square for the Reaping. Oscar kept his head tilted down during the entire journey, watching as he scuffed up the dirt from the road with every step.

His feet moved mindlessly underneath him as the only thing running through his mind was his realization that he wouldn't ever spend another moment with his best friend. Oscar got so caught up in those terrible thoughts that he didn't realize how long he had been walking for, he was only about two blocks away from the square now.

Checking in was another awkward ordeal, knowing that the mean lady on duty could see the dried tear tracks on his face. She probably thought that he was an absolute baby and he would start crying again after he got his finger pricked. It did hurt, but not nearly as much as the loss of Betsy.

Yet again walking with his head down so he wouldn't be as embarrassed by his current appearance, Oscar trudged his way to the back section where all of the youngest kids eligible stood waiting, hoping that fate would let them live another day.

Shuffling into the spot he would be in for at least the next hour, Oscar remembered with a sigh that he would have to go grab some of the groceries that they needed before he could head back to the farm and put Betsy to rest like she deserved.

His time spent moping distracted him from most of the actual ceremony, although nobody actually respected it that much since it pretty much sent two kids to their deaths annually. Oscar finally snapped out of his depressed thoughts when the girl that had just been reaped was walking up the stairs attached to the stage, still looking shocked and like she hadn't fully realized what had just happened.

She looked close to eighteen, so even though she probably had no experience with training or anything like that, she would have better chances than younger tributes with circumstances like hers.

The escort's red heels clicked as she strutted towards the bowl containing a multitude of papers, only one of which had his name on it. He hadn't been required to take out tesserae because the Matron only made the kids who had two or three years left take out a few slips' worth.

She reached the microphone with the slip of paper she was holding and slowly ripped it open.

"The male tribute for this year's Games is Oscar Gamero!"

The tears just started pouring down his face for the second time today and he just couldn't quite process what had happened. Through his sobs, he managed to make his way to the stage and all he could think about was the fact that Betsy would never be laid to rest. Oscar just hoped that she would forgive him when they were reunited.

Kasai Westbrook, 18

District Four Male

Kasai mused to himself as the sun finally woke up, slowly lighting the dark waters of Four's harbor. He usually didn't come here that often, instead choosing to reminisce about his memories elsewhere. Today seemed somehow different though, almost as if he wanted to come back to the place that had haunted him since that dreaded day that his friend had betrayed him.

It truly was ironic, considering the date and what was to come in just a few hours. Now it was his turn to finally see the look on that traitor's face when Kasai was in the spotlight instead of him.

Nimbly getting up from where he was sitting, Kasai took in one last deep breath of the fresh, salty ocean air and then turned to head back home. He needed to get ready for the Reaping, which would require by the least a shower and some primping to get himself spotlight ready for the moment that he volunteered.

Kasai had walked from the Academy to the harbor, his intents unknown even to him until he arrived. He hadn't quite made sense of his decision, but it did inspire him slightly with the fact that it was his turn to be the bad person in the views ex-best friend.

Truly, he was prepared for any situation or reaction out of someone who wasn't happy with his status as the selected volunteer at the Reaping today. It was actually one of a few reasons why he had gone and done a light training session before the sun had even started to peek its head over the horizon. Well that and wanting to have some rest between events of the day as well.

The house was about a quarter mile from the edge of the harbor, which made sense because of his family's background in fishing. His parents had always thought it best to be close to their professions, so once their children were old enough, they could come help and go directly home without them once they were done with tasks suited for them specifically.

While being brought up, Kasai was mainly tasked with helping to haul in the nets, which he actually wasn't too great at. It was still a bit of a mystery why his parents asked their scrawny youngest son to do it when he was one of the smallest kids at the Academy for his age.

His silence filled walk was another good aspect of the morning, he found that the peace made for easier concentration on his early planning for how he was going to interact with the other Careers.

It was only about five minutes before he reached the familiar gathering of houses that his home was contained within, the pebble filled path yet another nostalgic aspect of his childhood. Per usual, the door was unlocked, with his parents probably downstairs getting ready to head out to sea to net their catch for the day.

Swinging the door closed behind him, Kasai tilted his head down slightly, not wanting to engage in any awkward or forced conversations with his parents. He hadn't really been on speaking terms with them, plus his siblings after they had believed his attacker over someone related to them by blood.

Quickly climbing the stairs, Kasai turned to the left and entered his room, grabbing the clothes he already had set out and making his way to the bathroom that was a door to the right.

He showered quickly, something that had been drilled into him since early childhood, a mixture of pressure to have more time to train and to have more time to spend on the boat with his parents. The outfit that he had chosen had multiple purposes, but his main intent with selecting such clothes was to impress the District and hopefully gain favor with the Capitol before he even got there.

Once he had toweled off and gotten dressed, Kasai turned his focus upon somewhat taming his hair. He really only did such when he knew that he was going to be in the public eye, and he was doing it now because he wasn't going to be doing anything to mess it up, unlike if he did it before his training session.

The task took about five minutes, thankfully, and Kasai could now get on his way to the Reaping without being too suspiciously early. He would still be earlier than most, but would instead be considered a punctual person who preferred to be on time than someone who was the first person there an hour early.

Quietly descending the stairs, Kasai was relieved at the absence of his parents, they must have already gone out to the harbor to get a start on their day. He indeed had gotten the same idea, ultimately earlier than them though.

Stepping outside of the house, Kasai yanked the door shut with a muted slam and started off on his journey in a new direction for the day. It was interesting how their house was positioned in the district, the harbor, town square, and the Academy were all in different directions, but they were the same distance away.

One thing that he was sure of was that he was glad the neighborhood of fishermen's houses was near the center of the District. It was definitely easier to access places than if they lived in a more remote spot just slightly closer to the coast.

The trip to the square was thankfully just as peaceful as his journey back home had been earlier, Kasai able to keep to himself and spare the strange little bits of conversation if, god forbid, he encounter someone on the road that he knew.

He recognized his surroundings as he drew nearer to the square, the noise of the crowd already starting to rise even if the registration lines had probably just opened up. Taking his spot at the back of the current line, Kasai knew that it was just a waiting game from now on. The only hope he truly had was that Aeron didn't spot him until he was standing on the stage, out of reach and adored by those who wanted another victory for Four this year.

Moving at what had often been considered an average pace, it was about ten minutes before Kasai had his turn with the finger-pricking pen to make sure that he was actually present and accounted for. As soon as he was done with that, he made his was to the front, left section and stood as close to the barrier as he possibly could.

A slow third of an hour passed by as Kasai stood there observing everyone who wandered around and finally got roped into their sections just as the introduction and video began. Four had chosen a new escort this year, likely tired of the appearance of the last one. This one was a woman with a rather strange looking blue wig and a green outfit that resembled a pile of seaweed. Again, this was another Capitolite that was just so enthused about the Games that it honestly made Kasai want to yawn simply out of boredom.

His feelings of boredom were soon amplified by that silly video, everyone knew how out of date it was, so what was the point of playing it anymore. Just make a new one or trash it altogether. It was making Kasai antsy, which wasn't a good thing if he wanted to keep up his facade. Even just letting one bit of an emotion loose could mean that the floodgates he contained his true emotions in would burst open, and it wasn't something that he wanted to happen right in his first moment of triumph over Aeron.

Finally, it was almost time for his moment in the spotlight as the woman pranced towards the bowl for the girls. Kasai understood why the girls went first, yes, it was a matter of courtesy. However, that just meant a longer time for him to wait, which he really didn't want to do anymore.

At last, she reached the microphone once more and called out a name, usually not important since Four had designated volunteers for both spots.

"I volunteer as tribute!" came resounding from the mouth of a girl who looked rather edgy to Kasai, but hey, he couldn't really judge by just someone's outward appearance.

His heart rate started to elevate, and he could hear the pounding of the organ in his head and feel it throughout his body as he anticipated the moment that he had been training for during most of his adolescence. Well, maybe he should have paid attention to the girl's name if they were likely to be allies in the Career pack, but that would be a matter to worry about later.

Kasai took a deep breath and swallowed his nerves and anticipation. No need to be too enthusiastic if his whole spiel was about staying emotionless.

"I volunteer as tribute," he loudly stated, voice void of any sort of emotion now.

While walking up to the stage, his mind roared back at him to be cocky, rub it in Aeron's face that he had lost. No, this wasn't the time to ruin his outer shell. Kasai just needed to stay calm and collected and act like it was nothing.

Turning to face the audience after mounting the stage, he finally spotted who he wanted to see him up here the most. Aeron looked like he was about to blow a fuse, and Kasai was here for it. The more emotional the reaction, the more revenge he got. Now, it was time to remember thinking about what Aeron's reaction to him becoming the victor would be and to make that scenario a reality. Karma would definitely pay Aeron back for what he did to Kasai, and he would make sure of it.

What do you guys think of Oscar and Kasai so far? Who is your favorite tribute that's been introduced by now? Thank you guys so much for reading and a special thanks to n3b and tyquavis for Oscar and Kasai respectfully! Hopefully I'll be back soon with another set of tributes, I'm super excited for everyone to meet all of the tributes I've gotten so far!