𝙒𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍𝘾𝙊𝙇𝙊𝙍 𝙀𝙔𝙀𝙎 // finnick o.

𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜

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THE WOODS WERE QUIET showing no sighs of life. It's like it knew that today was the day. Reaping day, a horrid thing to everyone and anyone, if you were from the districts that is.

Though the woods marked the end of Panem's grounds, the barbed-wire fencing was never lit with the electricity to kill a person. Almost like the capital, or specifically the president, was testing people. No doubt there were peacekeepers on the other side but maybe a brave soul was up to the challenge.

There hadn't been a brave soul in District Twelve for a long time though. No one in the outer districts dared to say anything against the capital, in fact no one at all did. Which was smart, the many years of President Snow drilling fear into the citizen of Panem ensured no possible opposition.

One of the strongest things in the world is the emotion of fear, and Panem had a "fun" little way of proving that.

The Hunger Games.

TWO TEENAGERS PASSED through the fencing which did practically nothing to keep members of District Twelve from leaving. Not escaping, but rather living off of what the forest provided then what little they can afford in their district.

"Sejanus, why are we going this way? It's not close to Twelve at all?" Lilac Clade asked, questioning her older brother as she followed him down a new path, a place where she'd never been before.

"Sash said he spotted peacekeepers closer to the border between the forest and District Twelve. It's reaping day after all." was her brother's answer as he continued to trek forward, shifting his shoulder to adjust the axe in his grasp.

"Well if we're gonna get wood, we might as well wait. The noise is gonna attract to much attention." Ivory suggested as she caught up with her brother, now keeping pace with him as they walked.

"We're already out here, we should just get what we can before preparing for the reaping." Lilac watched her brother move off the path towards a tree with a broken limb. He hacked away at it, leaving Lilac to herself.

The girl let out a belated sigh, no point in arguing. Not that the siblings bickered much, but there was a bigger risk of getting caught than usual.

Lilac tightened her grip on the small makeshift spear Sparks made. The tip of the spear was dull, tainted with rust and growing old. It wasn't very effective but it did help kill smaller rodents and fish.

Lilac moved down towards a small river that strayed away from the old path that must've bern formed hundreds of years ago. The girl dropped the small sack she carried with her other hand, adjusting her grip on the spear whilst looking for any signs of life.

Movement. Her eyes darted to the creature, a fish. It was small, to small to feed a group of five people, but they needed what they could. Lilac raised the spear up, moving the tip down to where the spearhead locked onto the scale covered animal.

She jabbed the weapon down, piercing it into the the flesh of the fish. She shifted from her crouching position, moving the end of her dress away from the water. Ivory moved back to place the fish into the sack.

"Is that it?" Sejanus called to her, making his way down the small hill. He carried a few logs, they would be a suitable resource for the five teenagers at the shack.

"That's all I found, I'll give it to Josey when we get back. We need to prepare for the reaping."

IVORY MESSED WITH THE FRONT of her dress, it was no where near elegant, but it was the best thing she had to wear to a reaping. Josey managed to score this last year, her old reaping dress.

The fabric was a pale green color, Lilac didn't find it appealing. The ideal colors for a reaping shouldn't be colorful. After all, it wouldn't signify the pointless deaths of innocent children.

"You ready?" Sejanus poked his head through the door, he was sixteen, a year younger than her. Two more years and he would be free of the chance of inevitable death.

"Yes." she responded, moving towards the rusted door. She walked out into the small living room space. She wouldn't call it living room though, there wasn't even any space to place a couch. Not that they could afford one if there was.

The two siblings walked to the ceremony in the center of District Twelve, joining with the large group of children from ages twelve-eighteen.

Lilac and Sejanus split after having one of the workers take their blood and pressed it on the paper containing all of their information.

Lilac was placed around the older female
children of District Twelve. She scanned her eyes around the group, no emotion from anyone. Not even fear, maybe they're just good at hiding it.

Her eyes moved the the younger children, their emotions were obvious, all frightened. She couldn't blame them though, fighting in a death match wasn't the most appealing thing in the world. They should have a chance to actually start living before having their life stripped away all for the good of a television show.

"Welcome, welcome!" a voice caught her attention, she stared at the lady on the stage, a smile on her face.

Her outfit looked odd in Lilac's eyes, maybe because she was never used to seeing someone from the Capital so often. She didn't really remember if this girl was the escort for last years tributes or not, but it's not like anyone remembers District Twelve's tributes either. Lilac herself could barely recall who they were. District Twelve's tributes never seemed to last long in the games.

A recording began playing, the same one as usual, to always make the Districts wait in suspense for the chosen tributes. Ivory tuned it out, turning her attention to where her brother was in the crowd.

The two made eye contact, though their safety in each other's eyes was cut short as both sibling's attention turned to The Escort once more.

"Wasn't that just something." she breathed out, looking awestruck compared to the children who appeared to be disgusted by the whole act of the capital.

"Now, the moment we've all been waiting for. The selection of our tributes. As always, ladies first." the woman moved ever so slowly to the bowl full of names, she moved her hand along multiple envelopes before selecting one. Making her way back to the microphone, she pulled the card out if the envelope.

"Our female tribute from District Twelve, Lilac Clade."

Lilac didn't expect that, obviously no one ever wanted their name chosen, but she had though she could've been one of the ones to actually reach 18 years of age and would officially be unable to participate.

She looked over to Sejanus, his gaze bore into hers long before she had even turned to see him. Tears threatened to pour from his face. Lilac took a breath. If the Capital wanted a show, whose to say she couldn't we give them one?

No matter how disgusted she truly was, she forced a smile onto my face and lifted my chin up. She walked, doing her best to look elegant but keep the confident look. Hard to look like your worth something in Twelve, but it wasn't impossible.

She made her way to the stage, peacekeepers escorting her there. And stood beside The Escort, who seemed excited by the change in tributes compared to the previous years.

The Escort smiled, speaking into the microphone once more. "And now, for the male tribute."

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