IN THE EMBERS ━━ the hunger games

CHAPTER 1

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the 64th annual
hunger games
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"Welcome! Welcome, all! Happy Hunger Games! And! May the odds be ever in your favour!" The escort for District One stood in front of a cheering crowd, waving her hands and pausing when the cheering got too loud. "The time has come to select one brave young man and woman for the honour and glory of representing District One in the Sixty-Fourth annual Hunger Games!"

Octavius stood in the crowd of boys his age, his head down and waiting for this to be over so he could go back to the orphanage. It was a hot day and he immediately regretted his ratty-looking yellow sweater the moment he stepped into the sun. He didn't pay attention to the name that was called, because someone is bound to volunteer like always. He looks up when a girl does volunteer though, Opal Goldblossom, eighteen years old and a trained career. He watches her arrogance drip off her on stage as the escort walks to the bowl holding the boy's names.

The fashion trend in the capital, it seemed, was pastel colours and long, straight hair. The escort on stage had platinum white hair that went down to the base of her spine, bold black eyeliner with long black lashes that must have been fluttering annoyingly against her cheeks. Her dress was pastel blue, the skirt opened up at the waist to reveal long pants in the same colour and the skirt itself had frills with gold lining. The bodice was tight but smooth with no other designs and was shaped like a heart at the top. He thought it was hideous.

"Octavius!"

It doesn't surprise him that his name got picked, but the silence that follows does. He looks around in confusion, back to the other seventeen and eighteen-year-old careers in expectation. The few he can see in the front line just all smirk to each other before looking forward at the peacekeepers coming to get him.

"You are kidding me," Octavius mumbles, his eyes wide, even some of the boys around him looked confused like him. "Is this the first time in history a career hasn't volunteered?"

When one of the peacekeepers went to grab his arm, Octavius snatched his arm back with a glare and a snarl on his lips.

"I know how to walk."

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The train ride was short but comfortable and Octavius ate a lot of food, even stealing a few shirts when he left by wearing them under his yellow sweater. His escort Albinia, he learned, wasn't as annoying in person as she was on stage and genuinely wanted to help him in getting comfortable at the tribute living quarters. He briefly met his mentors after the stylists had their turn with him, but they were more focussed on Opal, so Albinia watched over him for the victor's parade. It went smoothly, as expected, with Octavius doing his best to smile and wave. Afterwards, Albinia took him to his rooms when it looked like Gloss and Cashmere weren't going to pay him any attention.

"I haven't been doing this for a long time, but I know favouritism when I see it." She looked at him with a sad smile. "I have, on the other hand, been watching the games every year my whole life so I might be able to help out a little."

"You don't need to do that." He said, he had felt numb since stepping on that stage, he didn't want to get his hopes up just to die anyway.

"You didn't see the look on everyone's face when I called your name." When he looked up, she had a serious look on her face. "Not a soul knew who you were. And when the camera was on you none of the careers looked even remotely interested in taking your place."