SIREN #cato hadley

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- DISTRICT 4, REAPING
Y/N

District Four wasn't all too bad. Sure, it smelled salty like the sea, and grainy sand was everywhere, but it was quite pleasant once you overcame the negatives. At least, that's how Y/N felt.

She was raised in District One but unexpectedly moved before she turned two. Travelling between Districts was illegal, so she couldn't return. Not that she wanted to. She much preferred the calm ocean breeze to the glittering jewels of District One.

Y/N stared at herself in the mirror, relaxing her loose muscles. She licked her chapped lips and sighed.

"Y/N!" She heard her mother call out.

"In the bathroom!" Y/N shouted back, not tearing her eyes away from her reflection.

Her mother opened the door, gently smiling as she entered. "You look gorgeous, my little mermaid." She murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from Y/N's face.

Y/N bit back on saying her usual I know. Her mother hated her high ego despite her being the one to create it.

"What are you going to do today, darling?"

"I'm going to volunteer for the Hunger Games."

"And if you don't?" Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder, firmly massaging the muscle. But there was a darker undertone behind her soft voice.

"That possibility doesn't exist because I will be standing on the stage no matter what." Y/N's voice was almost robot-like. She had practised these lines in front of the mirror every night, trying to get her tone right. Her mother hated her sarcasm.

"Good girl. Are you going to join the Careers?"

"Of course. I'd be a fool not to. When the time is right, I'll steal the supplies and run off."

Her mother, satisfied with her answers, nodded. Y/N subtly let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"I'm so proud of you, my little mermaid. You're going to do wonders." 

Y/N smiled, fully believing her mother's words. She had been training for these games all her life, much like the kids in Districts One and Two. She'll be damned if someone took her spot instead.

"Finish getting ready, darling. Don't be late for the Reaping. And remember, I'll be watching." Y/N's mother saw everything. She was like a sharp-eyed hawk, watching the chaos from above.

Y/N adjusted her outfit shirt, sighing. Her Reaping clothes comprised of a delicate white top with a ribbon tied in the middle. The long sleeves almost entirely engulfed her hands as she tucked the excess fabric into her high-waisted, pastel blue skirt.

It was almost time for the Reaping to begin. Y/N ensured she looked alright before hurrying out of the house, confidently walking towards the District's centre.

A few kids her age parted for her, whispering amongst themselves. They knew her as the girl so desperate to volunteer that she might as well return to District One. Y/N knew them as annoying pests.

Y/N stood with her age group, her eyes hard with determination. Her fingers twitched as Mion, a worker from the Capitol, stepped on stage in her usual frilly costume.

While the other kids drifted off during Mion's speech, Y/N listened eagerly. She tapped her foot impatiently, mentally shouting at Mion to talk faster.

"Now, onto the lucky tributes." As always, the girls were picked first.

"Our female tribute for the 74th Hunger Games is," Mion unfolded the parchment. Everybody held their breaths, eyes closed and begging it wasn't them.

"Evanlion Hardey."

Y/N knew Evalion. She had a sickly younger sister aged about ten, and neither of their parents were alive. They didn't have any relatives to go back to either. Evanlion was one of the few kids Y/N could tolerate.

The crowd pitied Evanlion as she was ripped away from the weak embrace of her sister. By now, there was a fire raging in Y/N's eyes. Almost there, she said to herself.

"Now, are there any volunteers?"

Y/N's hand immediately shot up without hesitation. The crowd split like the red sea to reveal her to Mion.

"Me." She announced over the multiple whispers, her voice loud and clear, "I volunteer as tribute."

- DISTRICT 2, REAPING
CATO

Cato sat beside Clove, his district partner, as Enobaria spoke nonsense. He already knew everything. After all, he had been training for this his whole life.

The blond's blue eyes flicked to the screen behind Enobaria. He saw a tall girl from One push past people to volunteer. He saw himself lunge forward. A young boy, barely looking twelve, from Three, was reaped. A tall brunette boy from Four stared at the cameras, emotionless. And then a H/C-haired girl from the same District volunteered to take a tribute's place. She practically shoved everybody aside, not caring who she hit.

She looked like a fine, glittering diamond amongst rough, sharp-edged sea glass.

When she stood on stage, she grinned widely, basking in the glory of being labelled a tribute for the 74th Hunger Games.

Cato tore his eyes from the screen before Enobaria noticed his lack of attention. He wasn't interested in getting his throat ripped out just yet.

"Cato can use a sword." Clove suddenly blurted out, snapping the blond back to reality. "Right, Cato?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Cato sounded bored. He was, a little, and the golden platter of apple slices beside him looked very tempting.

The train was surprisingly fast, reaching the Capitol in no time. But maybe that was because District Two was one of the closest districts to it.

The Capitol didn't look much different from Cato's home. The tall buildings were all the same. The tall blond felt his heart skip a beat, and a rush of excitement flowed through his veins. 

District Four arrived at the same time, and Cato found himself looking for District Two's female tribute. When he found her, she was confidently walking behind Finnick, her mentor.

The girl looked much prettier in real life. The camera work for the Reapings was always shaky, making it difficult to see people's facial features.

Cato saw her sigh and almost roll her eyes. She looked frustrated with the various cameras being flung into her face and the constant shouting of her name.

Her gaze wandered around, accidentally locking with Cato's. The tributes stared at each other before Cato looked her up and down, his lips parted slightly. He saw her laugh, and then she was whisked away by Finnick.

"Hey, Clove," Cato uttered, nudging his district partner, "Keep an eye on the female tribute from Four for me, will ya?"

Confused and perplexed, Clove arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just do it. I'll explain later."