Cupid's Day Off / katniss everdeen

1

i.   reaping day

The sun had yet to rise, but Eliza found herself sitting on the beach. The water lapped at her feet and the sand coated her skin. Far off she could see the boats readying to leave the port, workers rushing around and calling out orders all while the sun began to peak over the horizon.

The girl, barely 17, was enacting her usual pre-reaping ceremony. She would sit and watch the ocean, a light smile on her face as she awaited the sun's appearance for the day.

She didn't necessarily have a reason for it, no sort of beliefs tied to it. However she did find it nice like a send off encase her name was yelled out later on that day. A way to remember what everything at home looked like, she said when asked.

The sound of crunching sand sounded out behind her and she sighed. "Moms looking for you." Eliza chuckled at this. "She's probably ready to push me into another stuffy dress." "It's not too bad of a dress."

The blonde turned back to the water as her older brother sat beside her. He stretched out his legs and stared off at the currently rising sun.

"You'll be fine," he spoke after a moment. "I doubt you'll be called." "I know." Finnick nodded, the two falling silent for a long while until the man stood.

By now the sun was shining above them, the sky a clear showing of oranges and pinks that were reflecting onto them. Eliza stared at it for a second longer before pushing herself to a stand.

"Ready, Seastar?" A smile pulled at her lips. "As ready as I'll ever be."

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🏹 🗡️ .⋅} ────── ⊰

A hiss left her at the feel of the needle poking into her finger, yet the lady at the desk paid no attention and smeared the dot of blood against a paper. With that Eliza was waved off and she made her way towards her designated area.

She was pushed more towards the front of the area, hoarded into a square beside other seventeen year olds. Around her she could see the other children of District 4, all of them split up by ropes that held them beside other children their age.

Eliza glanced off to the side, where anyone not eligible for the reaping stood. Her eyes locked on the person most important to her - Coral Odair. The woman was in her mid forties with graying blonde hair and skin tanned by years of working underneath the District 4 sun. She flashed her daughter a warm smile and Eliza did her best to muster one up for her.

Soon after Eliza flashed her eyes towards the stage that was sat in the front of the District Center. There were five chairs resting on it alongside a podium and two large glass balls. Within the glasses were the names of the District 4 boys and girls. Eliza quickly looked back at the chairs.

Within the chairs were the mayor, Cypher Kohen, the district's escort, Ariel Driscoll, and the district's victors. Seeing as only three were still alive Annie Cresta, Mags Flannagan, and Finnick Odair were the only ones to sit there. Finnick flashed her a reassuring smile and, like before, Eliza attempted to smile back.

The clock struck two and the mayor stood up, a confident smile on his face as he stopped at the podium in the center of the stage and read off his usual speech. He explained the story of Panem.

He tells them of how the country rose out of the ashes of what was once North America, even making sure to stop and list every drought, fire, and flood that appeared. By the end of it he had also explained the Hunger Games and its individual rules.

Then he begins to list off the previous victors, each of them waving at the crowd as everyone claps for them.

Soon after the reaping begins with Ariel Driscoll walking up to the podium with a bright smile and equally bright red hair.

Eliza noted the woman's strange appearance, just as she had every year. Ariel was obviously from the Capitol and, like most people there, up took the current trends of body modifications. This resulted in the addition of blue scales climbing along her arms and matching teal blue gills attached to her neck.

When she was younger Eliza used to hear the older children tell tales of how the woman was actually a siren who had crawled out of the water and took naughty children off to the games.

Now that she was older Eliza wasn't sure if the reality was actually worse than the story or not.

"Happy Hunger Games," the woman announced. She upholds her bright grin throughout her entire speech on how wonderful it is to be there in District 4 and Eliza wonders if how she manages to keep the smile.

The thought disappears soon after because the woman quickly goes on to make her way towards the glass bowl to her right. "Ladies first," she chirps before reaching her hand in.

Eliza took in a breath, desperately hoping that her name wasn't going to be called. But perhaps Eliza should have known that fate does not favor the unfortunate because her heart drops at the name that is called.

"Eliza Odair!"