86Chapter 1: Everyone's Favorite
District One Reaping
Silver Chase - District One Male
"Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters,"
-Stephan King, The Shining
The Game's are our tradition. They are a part of life. Many in District One know's this as a fact, and the other career district's as well.
District One is respected. Feared. Number one out of all any district in Panem. It makes me feel grateful to be born here, in Luxury. The training program's here help's us turn into warriors. Turned into victors. Men and women of mass prestige. Career's win the most. I'll be a career.
I'll be a career this year. Not one or two later, I decided stubbornly.
My older brother, Golden Chase, won the 168th Hunger Games. A famed man, a good career. Killed over six tributes, most of them poor outliners. Then his fought his district partner in the final of the games. A glorious event, everyone agreed. After all, they were both dating. In love as the Capatolites agreed. I snorted, love is for the weak. It only looked good on TV.
Ever since Gold won, he changed. He drinks now. He ignores me, like mother and father. I suppose I'm not worth his time anymore.
I'll make them all regret ever setting me aside. My parents, those fuck's from the academy. Golden.
All of them, starting with that dumb brute that's suppose to be our district's volunteer this year.
"WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK!" the dumbass screamed in pain
I scoffed, "What's the matter? Didn't the academy ever teach you to hold to handle pain?"
"You broke my fucking legs!" he shouted, and I know. I did that. My assessment is correct. He is a dumb brute, pointing out the obvious as he laid there on the ground. Holding on his to his bleeding leg, it was a humorous sight to behold. The plan was to lure in a false sense of security, catching the slightly taller teenager off his game. He believed I wanted to celebrate that he's going to volunteer and have a nice drink of alcohol before the Reaping. He deserves this for being so dumb.
I laughed at him, couldn't have held it back.
He noticed it, "What the laughing at?"
"You," I snickered.
His cry of anger and pain made me laugh even harder. This day will be one of the best. Starting with this idiot's broken leg, and then volunteer for the reaping.
I looked at the once handsome blonde, now bruised and beaten by me. "How do you like me now? All those time's you laughed at me, did you honestly think I would allow you to volunteer? No. No, that's never going to happen."
Taking out a knife from my pocket, I spun it expertly. The once volunteer's eyes widen in fear.
"You can't kill me. That's not going to help anyone," my victim spat.
I chuckled, "Who said I was going to kill you?" I bent my knee's down to his level, aiming my knife above his broken leg. "I just don't want to give you a chance to volunteer next year."
He shook his head, lips quickening in fear, "No, no, no, NO! No-"
Thank god I took him in the poor alleyway of District One. His scream's only reached deaf ears as I left his leg useless for the rest of his life. Genius on my part, it's the reaping, so most everyone is at the town square and most of the peacekeepers.
Once said and done, I went towards my destiny.
My plan was perfect. A one of a kind. I beat(perhaps too far, but I don't give much of a damn) up the one who was supposed to volunteer, take his place, shout my name in front of Panem. Impress the Capital, become the leader of the Career's, and kill almost every tribute. I aim to beat Brutus's fifteen kill score. It's going to my time to shine soon.
At the town hall, all the people age's 12 through 18 are getting ready for the escort to come in their separate lines.
I walked up to the Peacemaker to get process, and the man in the white police suit raised his brow when he saw my bloodied knuckles and a nice white business suit.
When I went to the sixteen-year-old section, other's next to noticed the blood on me and took a step back. I grinned at the fear I see, high on the excitement of what I'm about to do next.
For the most part, I'm happy to make it just in time for the escort to make it. The fancy dressed blue haired capitolite was sitting next to Golden. My dear brother, he's going to a surprise of a lifetime.
The mayor of District One was up, starting the reaping finally. Already talking about the Treaty of Treason, showing everyone in the crowd the same video every year, and finally calling the escort up.
"-And we of District One, welcome Jewels Howard!"
"Thank you, Mayor! Thank you, District One! I hope everyone here is looking forward to the Reaping!" the blue man riled up the crowd. Practically everyone cheered, I made sure to make my voice the loudest.
Jewels(I'm not sure if he's a boy or girl, the capitolite is so blue) walked up to the girl's glass ball, waiting to pick out a name(pointless, but it's a tradition). "Emery Smith," he called out.
"I VOLUNTEER!" the expected came. A tall ginger-haired girl shouted that and walked to the podium with her nice, but practical red blouse.
She went next to Jewels and moved to the microphone, "Bliss Lustra."
My future tribute partner, not sure what to make of her yet. But, I'm sure that the academy picked her for a reason.
"Bliss Lustra everyone!" he cheered, making everyone else cheer along with him.
Then, he moved to the boy's glass ball, taking out a small piece of paper, "Daniel Twix."
Everyone was waiting, waiting, and then everyone grew concerned about where the district volunteer is. Now is my moment.
"I VOLUNTEER!" I shouted, grinning my ass off.
Walking calmly, other's look at me and wonder 'who is this guy?'
Walking up to Jewels, and leaned to the microphone, I announced my name proudly to everyone, "Silver Chase."
Jewels squirmed a little while looking that the drops of blood I have on me, but managed to calm himself.
I put my hand's forward to my slightly taller partner in the games. Bliss took my hand a shook it, not even flinching at the blood on it. Alright, just for that, I'll say that she earned her place in the games.
"To the District One tributes! Bliss Lustra and Silver Chase! May the odd's ever be in their favor," Jewels shouted and once more, everyone cheered. I smirked and waved, while Gliss was looking coldly with those brown eyes at them.
Onward to the goodbye room, as I like to call it. An empty room, only possessing one chair.
I sat on that chair and waited...
and waited.
One person showed up. I saw my older brother, Golden. He looked disappointed.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
That question made my blood boil. I glared at Golden, my parent's favorite son. Golden Jr. Chase, the one every talks about when they here my name. His unkempt face that's somehow still handsome, tan skin, long blonde hair stretched to a ponytail. I look similar to him, as much as I hate to admit it. Expect my blonde hair is short and slick. Also, I'm slightly smaller.
"Getting out of your shadow," I spat, standing up. "You had your time. Now it's my turn."
"Your turn? Do you any idea what you've done?" he shook his head. "You don't even go to the academy! You don't have the skill's for it!"
"I asked mom and dad to buy trainers for the past four years. I know how to throw shurikens. I know swordplay. I'm strong enough."
"Why wasn't I aware of this?"
"Didn't think you care. You were more than happy to ignore me and drink."
At that, he had the decency to wince.
"You're not mentoring for me. Mentor for that redhead Gliss," I harshly told him.
"I am going to mentor for you and-," he began before I cut him off.
"No! I don't need you. I will win this without you," my older brother was about to say something else, but I didn't give him a chance. "Did you dad and mom didn't even visit? They don't give a shit about me. Only you. Only you! I have to win this without you. So get the fuck out. Besides, none of your tributes ever came back."
Golden looked as defeated as the day he came back from the Hunger Games. Looking at me bitterly one last time, he went out. How is the favorite of my parents?! He didn't even try to win me over that argument! He's pathetic!
It doesn't matter. After I come back, I'll have my fame and rub it in everyone's faces.
I grinned not unlike a feral animal. If everyone thought my brother was good, wait until they get a load of me.
Bliss Lustra - District One Female
In my head, I pictured the Games in multiple different ways. With Patricia Lovemunch, it should be something cutesy as her character describes her. She might make a giant playground for the arena. It sound's like her to be that childish. I'll be a career for until final eight and kill everyone left is the basics of ideas for victory. Then again, I should save my prediction's, and the plan's when the game's start. Anything can change, and I shouldn't hold on to my plan's with much confidence.
The Hunger Games are unpredictable, after all.
The Reaping is going to start soon and I this year's volunteer. I worked hard, I fought hard, I bribed hard, and I got it out of my other female student's in the academy. I'll admit, it was fun beating up arrogant boy's to prove myself and outthinking some of the spoiled rich girls who thought they should be the ones volunteering, but none of them had the smarts for it. Nor the ambition.
I was ruthless. I am ruthless when it comes down to what I want. One girl thought she could bribe her way to take my place. The arrogant bitch didn't expect me to find out, and I let everyone know that she's sleeping with one of the instructors. She became a laughing stock of the academy and got my revenge. It was a simple message to everyone not to fuck with me, and perhaps my ruthlessness impressed my instructors, some claiming I'm the best bet for this year's victor. Of course, I didn't let my ego get the better of me, many careers have fallen because of their hubris, and I don't intend to join them.
Perhaps, I'm not a normal girl. But I am career material, and career's don't have friends. If I wanted to be some ditzy girl who giggles and talks about boy's, I wouldn't try so hard to train to go to the Hunger Games, now would I?
Once I win the Hunger Games, and I will win. I'll go to the Victor's Village. Living life I alway's dreamed about and get my mother to stop working at the factory.
"Bliss! Bliss! Where *hic* are you? Time for the *hic* Reaping!" a drunken voice called to me. My mother was outside my door, most possible laying on the couch, enjoying her day off from the factory.
Already dressed in my red blouse and nice white jeans, I walked outside my room and saw my prediction correct. My ginger mother had to lay on the couch, staring at our cheap television, smiling numbly.
She looks much like me, with the red hair and slim form. Only I happen to be taller. Also, I like to let my hair down freely while she braids her's.
"There you are? *his* Did you eat breakfast yet?" my mother asked, mostly out of habit.
I nodded, "I made some for you as well."
"You're such *hic* a sweetheart," she commented.
Opal Lustra is a good mother, not the best in the world, but a decent person. She took responsibility and took care of me after I was born. She work's hard in the factory to pay for my tuition in the academy. She's helpful. Not completely neglectful. I wish I can praise her more, but I raised myself in these poor hard streets of District One, I also do the cooking around here. I fought all the gangster's who thought they could take me down, using every trick in the book expect the sexual one. I was the one who made myself a natural in hand to hand combat, swordplay, and athletics. No one else helped me.
"I'm going," I announced to Opal.
She laughed, "Bliss. I'm so proud of you. Did I ever tell you that?"
Indeed, she has. I don't think much of it. "Once or twice."
"Ok, smartass," Opal snorted, then turned thoughtful or as thoughtful as a half-drunk woman can be. "Do you think your father will be in Capitol?"
The question took me back a little, a rare occurrence. I haven't thought or asked about a father for years. Opal said he was a stout ginger peacekeeper who does his duty for his country. Well, he certainly didn't do his duty as a father as I've never even seen him before. I find it appalling that mother long's for him for whatever reason, and I have zero faith that I'll ever see him if he's even in the world of the living anymore.
"Maybe," I coldly replied, and I went outside. And to the Reaping, the moment I worked so hard on will appear.
I spotted a couple of students on the way. I smirked. Purposely going closer to them, I went to check my reputation one last time.
"You think next year I'll go volunteering," one girl asked the group.
"Nah, too scrawny," one tall blonde boy observed. "Beside's you didn't even make it a minute against the ice queen. What makes you think you'll ever get picked to go?"
"I can totally take the ice queen. She's just a huge cheater-"
"Is that right?" I interrupted behind the group. I know my reputation as an ice queen, and it's as I wanted it to be. I don't need friends, and those that try to be is given the cold shoulder by me, sometimes more than that. I made sure no one knows of my history, and I certainly don't want any like-minded classmates to threaten my mother against me as I do them(sometimes and most of the time it's just a bluff).
"Oh shit!" the blonde boy yelped and turned to the girl. "You're fucked."
The girl didn't even reply, she just cussed and ran away as much her leg's can. Wise of her.
I looked at everyone in the group. "Do we have any problems?"
Everyone shook their heads.
After that, I moved passed them, smirking sadistically.
Worth it. God, it's good to have a reputation like mine. I already beat them into submission in the one on one challenges and the terrifying rumors about me(sometime's I make it up) make's them think twice before messing with me.
Well, that was fun, and to the Reaping, I go.
Onward we went, I went to the front of the eighteen-year-old line where many moved out of the way like a queen. They know who's volunteering.
Didn't wait too long for the escort to show up, and the mayor already went on with his the yearly mundane speech, he mentioned the Treaty of Treason and yadda yadda.
The capitolite in weirdly all blue came up, "Thank you, Mayor! Thank you, District One! I hope everyone here is looking forward to the Reaping!"
His voice boomed, and the result came with a cheer. District One is indeed supportive of the Hunger Games. Jewels Howard went to the girl's bowl and picked up a piece of paper, "Emery Smith."
Now it's my moment.
"I VOLUNTEER!"
I walked up to Jewels, looking confident and calculation. Looking at the crowd, I leaned closer to the microphone, "Bliss Lustra."
And many cheered my name, I wasn't overly affected by them as I looked at the crowd with my brown eyes.
"And now for the boy's!" Jewel's announced. He moved to the boy's bowl and took a name from it. "Daniel Twix."
There was waiting there. A strange occurrence. Where in the hell is Gabriel? That dumb brute should make an appearance.
"I VOLUNTEER!"
The crowd showed to a smaller boy sixteen-year-old section. A slick blonde haired boy came with a white business suit covered in drops of blood. His confident smirk angering deep inside, and came up his way next to Jewels and me.
"Silver Chase," his voice irked of cockiness. But the last name surprises me. A Chase? There was another one? I looked at the mentor's who are sitting in the back of the podium and see Golden Junior's surprised face. Guess we're not the only ones in for a surprise.
The slick-haired blonde took out his hand to me, waiting for me. I saw the blood on it and took it as if it wasn't even there. Did Silver think a little blood was going to scare me? I've seen so much worse. His cocky blue eye's show more intelligence then Gabriel ever had. Damn, he's going to be hard to manipulate.
"To the District One tributes! Bliss Lustra and Silver Chase! May the odd's ever be in their favor," Jewels boomed. I left the stage as the crowd continued to roar.
To say my goodbyes.
The door's opened and out came my mother, who was now sober and dressed nicely. The only one who gives a lick about me and the only one I'll open my heart to, no one else but her.
"My little angel," my mother praised, even though I was anything but an angel. She cupped my face, "Let me get a good look at you."
I snorted amusingly, "Is now really the time?"
"Nevermind then. Your pretty enough for some sponsors. You'll do great," She hugged me once more. The compliments were unnecessary, but it was fine. "I'm so proud of you. I hope you know that. I'm sure your father would be proud of you too."
And how do you know that? The thought was vicious, but I didn't voice it. "Thank's mom," I said instead, I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be back soon."
"Of course you will. You're the strongest person on Panem," she beamed. That compliment was enough for me to hug her for one last time. Not that I need any compliments, but my mother need's to be reassured.
"It's time to go," the peacemaker called out, and lead me to train that lead's to the Capital.
And to the train, I went. I saw Jewels, Golden Jr, and my new district partner Silver. The last two were glaring at each other with distaste.
I smirked. Perhaps I could use that to my advantage.
A/N: District One everybody! The cruel Silver Chase by that one ace popsicle stick and the calculating Bliss Lustra by District5Ravenclaw! Both character's come's with daddy issues! I hope I did a good job on them.
Once more, I must encourage readers to PM tributes to me. I would particularly like a District Two Male and a District Twelve Male. Yep, I need them. Can't make all the tribute's on my own, unfortunately. It wouldn't an SYOT if I did that. Thank you all for reading.