Chapter Text
District 2
The first rays of sun shone through the windows of the Tenma household, with most of the light landing directly onto Tsukasa’s bed. The blond jolted awake with a sneeze, then got up several moments later with a stretch. After a full day of script planning yesterday, he’s excited to rehearse for another show. Performing shows had always been Tsukasa’s main motivation for daily life, his dream is to become a performer all over the districts after all! Seeing people smile in the world he lived in makes Tsukasa feel rewarded. Much more than getting a good grade or doing exceptionally well during combat class. Maybe even better than winning the Hunger games.
Of course, the yearly event where people aged 12-18 years from every district fight each other to the death in an arena decided by the Gamemakers. The winning district gets basked in goods and exotic treats from the Capitol, while the other districts receive nothing but the bodies of their dead tributes. Fortunately, both Tsukasa and his sister, Saki, haven’t been reaped yet. In just a year, Tsukasa will have his 19th birthday. Followed by Saki’s birthday the year after. He just needs to hope for a while longer, and nothing can break apart his family anymore.
Well, that’s not important right now. What Tsukasa needs to do right now is to get ready! What day is it today? Tsukasa left his room and made his way downstairs. Looking at the calendar, his eyes trailed to the last day crossed out: July 3rd. Crap.
How had he forgotten about the reaping? Was he too focused on his shows these last couple of weeks and completely lost track of the dates? It’s a good thing that Saki keeps track of everything, otherwise he might have either gotten locked up or worse, executed for being absent. Tsukasa sighed, he’ll just postpone his practice until later today. Looking out the window, it’s probably around 7:30 in the morning. The reaping starts at 9, so there’s still a lot of time left. Tsukasa silently thanked himself for waking up earlier than he usually does.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Tsukasa assumes that Saki must have woken up.
“Tsukasa, why were you up so early? Don’t tell me you forgot what day today was,” Saki walked in with a stretch.
“Haha… I kind of forgot…” Tsukasa admits, earning an unamused look from his sister.
“Whatever, I’ll be getting ready now. See you at the stage? Knowing your punctuality, you’d probably want to get there earlier.” Saki turns and heads towards the kitchen, probably getting something to eat.
“Sure, I’ll see you then!” Tsukasa walked towards the door and out his house, catching the fresh air.
It’s always quite ironic that the most beautiful day of the year has to land on the very day where your future can suddenly be wiped clean with just your name. Tsukasa doesn’t want to worry so much, he’s already been lucky enough to survive the past six years. Just one more and he’ll be fine. Tsukasa takes in the fresh air once more before making his way towards the stage.
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District 1
“Welcome to the 93rd annual hunger games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!”
Emu sat towards the front, fidgeting with her hair. She doesn’t remember being this nervous towards the reaping in a while now. Most of the years, she either dozes off from how incredibly boring it sometimes can get, or if someone she knows gets reaped, she’d send a look of encouragement to them. The only years where she actually remembers this certain nervousness were two years prior when her sister was reaped, and when his brothers were reaped in back-to-back years when Emu was 3 or 4.
Emu remembers how afraid she felt, seeing her family members on the stage, their fates only decided by their actions once they entered the arena. Fortunately, she was quite lucky. Two out of her three siblings had won. Emu cannot be more relieved and grateful that two of her siblings are still alive, though her mind always trails to her other brother. The swing of a hatchet, the blood that oozed out, his lifeless eyes. All projected in front of everyone in Panem who gathered to watch. Even as a child, Emu swore she would never forget him, even after death.
If there was no one left in her family but her that is eligible, then why was there this feeling of restlessness? Was Emu worried about herself? What are the chances that everyone from the same family all enters the Hunger games?
“Without further ado, let’s begin!” The booming voice of their Capitol escort snaps Emu out of her thoughts. She wishes to zone out again, but it’s getting progressively difficult to avoid the eerie quietness of the town square. After all, her name was entered five times this year, and it was going to increase by another two the following two years. She stares tensely at the escort, who makes her way towards the glass bowl, filled to the brim with slips of paper.
“And our first tribute will be…” The escort pulled out a slip from near the bottom of the bowl. “…Aoyagi Toya!” Emu watches as a boy, seemingly the same age as her, makes his way towards the stage. Emu couldn’t help but feel bad for him, he looked almost.. Regretful? Odd. Usually, people were either proud or terrified whenever they were reaped, maybe he’s trying to compose himself from his emotions? She can’t really focus on analyzing people right now, especially when the escort’s high-pitched voice threatens to burst her eardrums.
“…will be our second tribute!” Shoot, did Emu zone out again? Her attention quickly turned to the other person that stood up. Oh, poor girl.
She looked so young, to the point where Emu questioned if she was actually old enough to participate. Something tugged Emu’s chest as the girl slowly made her way towards that stage, tears trailing down her eyes.
Emu knows she shouldn’t do this, she knows the consequences, she’s seen the consequences with her very eyes. But looking at the girl, knowing how unfair it was, something in her snapped.
“I volunteer as tribute!!”
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District 2
Huh, interesting.
It wasn’t surprising that someone in district 1 volunteered, it was surprising because of the person that did. She doesn’t even look that much older than the child... Tsukasa trails off. Oh well, it wasn’t really something he should put his mind on. Instead, he shifted his attention to his own district’s reaping, which was beginning in just a few minutes.
May the odds be ever in your favour. Tsukasa has heard these eight words uttered into his ear for who knows how long, yet every time, his stomach felt sick. Were the odds truly in anyone’s favour? Sure, there were the so-called “careers” from his and a couple other’s districts, but in the end, would brute force really matter if your opponent can outsmart you? Tsukasa recalled the hunger games hosted a couple years back, when a tribute from district 8 had overpowered a career from district 4. He wonders how that person might have felt then.
“Tenma Tsukasa will be our first tribute!” A voice suddenly shouted. Ah, it seemed Tsukasa was lost in his mind. Wait… was his name just called?
Tsukasa’s legs were moving on their own. The only thing he registered in that moment was him snapping his neck back, finding Saki staring at him, face completely drained of color. He can’t face his sister like this, Tsukasa’s eyes immediately trails back to looking at the stage. Just pretend that you’re getting ready for a show when stepping up, you can’t let anyone know your weaknesses.
“Welcome to the stage!” The escort sounded too happy. All Tsukasa managed to say was a quiet “yeah,”
“Anyways, the second tribute representing district 2 will be...” All Tsukasa can do now is to hope that Saki will be safe.
Please let her be spared.
Please.
Anyone but her.
“Huh, interesting… I’d like to see how this will turn out. Our second tribute will be none other than…”
He couldn’t bear to listen.
“...Tenma Saki!”
Tsukasa could only watch in horror as his very sister, the one person he swore to protect with his life, made her way towards the stage.
The odds were really against him today.