D3 M: Linus Yarrow

Age: 16

. . .

Linus was startled when his timer went off. It was time to go to the dome for the reaping. His parents trusted him to handle himself on reaping day; they were busy, and there was a tremendous demand for fireworks whenever the Hunger Games rolled around. As an Apprentice Pyrotechnic Engineer, he would usually be helping his parents, but for the entire District, it was illegal for anyone of reaping age to work on reaping day.

Linus felt himself twitch in annoyance as he fixed his hair and started getting dressed. The reaping day was always trying, dressing his best, sitting with thousands of kids in the Quarter 1 dome, and watching the reaping until some poor kid from the Quarter 4 or Quarter 3 domes was selected.

Linus knew he wouldn't be reaped. He was Quarter 1, for Snow's sake. He was too useful to be reaped. It was too hard and took too long for a replacement to be trained. Reaping day was just a big time waster when he could be in the lab or reading.

Linus would have been nervous if he had been from the lower quarters, but he would have been fine even if he had been from Quarter 2. Quarter 2 has only had three kids reaped in the last 74 years. Furthermore, Quater 1 kids have never been reaped before. So, in general, it was a complete waste of time when he could be in the lab helping prepare fireworks for the capitol. But, no, he had to go to a loud, packed, and hot dome to watch some poor sod be sent to their death.

But, he wouldn't disappoint his parents by not looking his best and behaving how a Yarrow is expected. Still, it was frustrating; he wondered what dome the Escort Lucian Rosmarke would be at this year. He liked to switch what domes he was at in person and the domes where he was a hologram.

Linus sighed, left his apartment, and started walking to the dome. The narrow street was crowded, but Linus knew his quarter would be the least busy; because of the population, only children and adults were allowed inside the domes and adults and children under 12 were directed to find a screen.

Still, there were far too many people in his space. There were about 15 hundred children in Quarter 1 eligible for the reaping, and even though he arrived half an hour before the start, the line to get their blood drawn and assigned their seats was down the street.

Still, he waited patiently and didn't make a scene. Unlike his classmate Oxyi Dean, who was sobbing uncontrollably after getting his finger pricked, much to the annoyance of the Peacekeeper. But Linus kept his thoughts to himself; after all, a Yarrow doesn't disparage his future coworkers.

Once he reached the front of the line, the Peacekeeper grabbed his hand and pricked it harshly before smearing his finger on the scanner. Fucking Oxyi is making a scene and pissing him off. The Peacekeeper then waited for his blood to process and his info to pop up before calling out for the next person.

Linus entered the dome and found his place in the sixteen-year-old boy's section. About 15 minutes later, the stage in the dome lit up, and a holographic Mayor and the District 3 Escort, Lucian Rosmarke, with Bolts and Wires following behind them, appeared; there was a moment of silence before Lucian started talking, "Welcome all to the most glorious reaping day! A day of wonder and excitement, and I know," Lucian made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "you are all bursting with inpatients to find out who has the honour of representing District 3 in the exquisite Thrid Quater Quell, but first, we will hear from our most enchanting President!"

Linus found himself frowning that he could get the Hunger Games being objectively fascinating, but he always found Lucian's speech out of touch. After all three never won, he was just picking out children to die.

President Snow's speech and video were the same as always, but for the fact that he went into the history of the Quells and repeated Quell's twist. Quells were usually the most brutal years to be selected for the games, but everything was proceeding as normal.

Lucian cheered after the president's speech before continuing, "Now, I am a lover of tradition, so ladies first, Mirellia Shimada, Mirellia Shimada, where are you dear," The projection didn't flicker to another dome, so the girl must have been where District 3 Escort was. Then, the cameras focused on a girl in the 16-year-old section; she had light tan skin, brown hair, almond-shaped brown eyes and was blinking slowly with wide eyes.

"There you are, dear girl!" Lucian announced with a smile, and as if everything was coming into focus for the girl, she collapsed, dead faint in the crowd. There was a commotion around her as the cameras suddenly returned to Lucain.

Lucian gasped. "Oh, the poor dear was so overcome with excitement she fainted! If there is one thing District 3 provides, it is exictment."

Around him, people were murmuring that it looked like District 3 was going to be a bloodbath this year. Shame, but not unexpected, a minute or two later, the girl appeared on the stage slung over the shoulder of a peacekeeper. For a second, it looked like the girl woke up, but she fainted as again as soon as she lifted her head and realized a peacekeeper was holding her.

Lucian smiled before saying, " A round of applause for our female tribute Mirellia Shimada," absolute silence before shouting started over the speakers and all sound and the feed cut out.

Panic started in the dome over what the fuck was happening, but before a riot could break out, the peacekeepers yelled, "Shut up, and stay still, or we will shoot."

Not a soul moved or even breathed, and then holographic Lucain appeared smiling, though smiling more stiffly. "So sorry there were some technological difficulties, on to the gentlemen," The cameras focused on Lucian's hand as he grabbed the slip. "Linus Yarrow."

Linus felt the world spin and his vision go black.