58th Reaping D12

Lulu
Retired Staff

[M:2982250]

3,114 POSTS
last seen Nov 24, 2023 13:45:22 GMT -5

58th Reaping D12 Jul 1, 2011 23:50:10 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Lulu on Jul 1, 2011 23:50:10 GMT -5

The mayor of District Twelve stepped out onto the stage, a smile plastered across his face as he stared into the cameras that surrounded it. It was time once again to choose two children to compete in the Hunger Games, and it was his job to do so.

"It is time," he said as he stood over the impatient people of his District, "To once again send two of our own children to the Capitol to compete in the Hunger Games. Let us begin the Reaping!"

He did not look to see the reaction of his district before reaching into the glass ball that held the names of the female children. "Ladies first," he announced, pulling out a slip of paper. He unfolded it and read out to the crowd, "Jaimie Maccon!"

[/color] He then reached into the other ball. "Dustin Summerfield!"

OOC- RPing is allowed. If you wish to volunteer, let the tribute post first either accepting or stepping down from their place for volunteers, and then post. If the tribute doesn't reply by Wednesday, July 6th, a staff member will post saying that volunteering is open. Please do not post until you see this staff message. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.

Also, and this is really important: If you have been selected as a tribute and plan on going into the arena, we HIGHLY SUGGEST you take some RP Tutoring lessons ASAP. It doesn't matter what level RPer you are; everyone can use a little help. RPing a tribute is a PRIVILEGE; if you're not going to put the time and effort into making your posts the best they can be then you can count yourself among the dead...-evil laugh- It's not a requirement, but please please please just consider the lessons. They'll help even the most advanced RPer. [/blockquote][/size][/justify]

{lulu's cast}

WT
Retired Staff

2,134 POSTS
Pronouns: they
last seen Sept 10, 2021 1:50:54 GMT -5

time, gender, furbies, and other things that don't exist

58th Reaping D12 Jul 1, 2011 23:53:04 GMT -5

Quote

Post by WT on Jul 1, 2011 23:53:04 GMT -5

((OOC- Sorry it's sort of vague. =P Written before the Reaping, so. Apparently Ara likes the second-person-future-tense thing so much that she jacked the keyboard from me when I was trying to write Devyni's bio.))

Every year, for the rest of your life, you will stand on this square at this time of year and listen to the same words. You will do this without complaint or anger, for the people chosen here will need your cooperation even now if they are to be respected in the weeks to come. Most importantly, though, you will mount the stage and face the crowd without panic. Pay no attention to the open boundaries of the stage, nor to the skies above you, no matter how cloudy they may be. Trust that the crowd will be clear of assassins, for it will be; the Capitol will remain in league with the clouds for at least as long as you live, and they will not want their precious Reapings disrupted.

They will, of course, continue to whisper into your mind. Disregard this. However tempted you are to let tears slide or to shout back, don't. Do not so much as resist. Even your rock cannot help you here, in this tense and frightened atmosphere, though it will long to; you will be on your own, and the only thing you can do is let the words slide right off you. Say goodbye, they will begin, knowing how worried you are about each person in the crowd. Then worse will come, scornful whispers about tragedies that happened and dreams that never will and nightmares that may as well have. Still you must ignore it. They will do this, taking your weaknesses and your fears and flinging them at you, through setup and the steady arrival of the crowds and even through the first few speeches. Keep your mind clear, no matter what. Soon enough you will need it.

You see, as soon as they mayor takes the stage they will become silent. This is where you will need your mind. Close your eyes, little rock. It should not be hard; they will already be sore, for you will never be able to sleep properly on the eve of this day. Pretend that the ancient words do not reach you. If you need to, reach out to one of the people around you and don't let go. Stay like that, still and silent and with closed eyes, until the footsteps stop and you can open your eyes to look.

Do not try to drug yourself beforehand. It will still the fear, but it will not take away the grief, and it will only worsen the situation for the tributes being chosen. You don't know how bad an idea that is now, because you've never seen it, but it is. You will try this someday no matter what you are told, but Miss Charise will stop you; for a time the two of you will hate each other, but it will be for the best.

Remember your age. The clouds become silent toward the end because they know you will torment yourself better than they ever could, and you must not let this happen. Remember your age. You are not twelve, and never will be again. The coming days will not be the best of your life, but neither will the week after become a living hell. Nor can you be thirteen, so do not listen to those footsteps and envision a brother tracing your own path, his footsteps heavier and slower but so much more terrible. These images- a sister's smile, a loved one's brain, a resigned voice- are only in your mind. They will not materialize.

At least for the first several years, perhaps even most of the years, you will fail. At some point you will cry, or need to clamp a hand across your mouth lest you shriek, or forget where and when you are and crumple, albeit temporarily, to the floor. Soon enough you will let the moment pass and raise your head, returning to passive if tense silence, but the clouds will mock you for it later anyway. This is when you may scream and sob and rage as much as you need- but not more, because the tributes will need you again within the week. Exhaust yourself to the point of sleep, and the rocks will take care of the rest.

Letting yourself get too tired isn't an option, because you will have to wake up before the train reaches the Capitol. You have a duty there, and though you can no longer call yourself an optimist you have at least been convinced that there is a reason to continue to try.

After all, you have the rest of your life to do so.

Last Edit: Jul 2, 2011 3:53:44 GMT -5 by WT

'the way we lived' in stylized text, with 'character directory' as a subtitle underneath

banner by Dars! <3

jimmylost
Career Tribute

[M:-950]

563 POSTS

last seen Mar 17, 2013 19:30:02 GMT -5

58th Reaping D12 Jul 2, 2011 22:11:44 GMT -5

Quote

Post by jimmylost on Jul 2, 2011 22:11:44 GMT -5

Ashes and Dustin:
Ashes and Dustin woke at the same moment that day, or rather they both accepted the dawn streaming in through the open window as a signal to stop feigning sleep and begin their first and last reapings. Dustin looked to his sister with a great sense of foreboding. Every year for the next six I'll have to go through possibly losing her. Rather then sharing in his worry Ashes turned to her brother with a smile. “Last year brother, then I won't have to worry about you.”

“How selfish of you leaving all the worrying to me.” He teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Of course” she responded “I'm a very selfish little girl”

It could have been a calming exchange but the fact that they where speaking aloud rather then communicating in their usual silent manner proved just how tense the two of them where. Ashes was keeping her emotions guarded in that place that Dustin could never reach. It was one of the constant reminders that Ashes was more her own person then Dustin could ever be.

What would I ever do without you? He communicated to her.

“You'd carry on” she said remaining hidden with her voice ice cold.

***

Hours later they stood on opposite ends of the corded off areas Dustin eyes looked on Ashes standing with the other 12 year old's. She wore a dark red dress, Dustin didn't know she even had it but she must have got it with the reaping in mind because she had also supplied Dustin with a matching bow-tie.

She looks so small he thought. Even among the starving children around her she still stood out to Dustin as incredibly vulnerable. Too small for all this. The minuets seemed to stretch on forever as the mayor went through the spiel that Dustin was beyond used to. Eventually it came to the moment when the female for thie District was to be called. Dustin wouldn't have been able to breath even if he wanted to. He didn't even hear the name just recognized it as “Not Ashes” and let out a sigh. He was almost too relieved to notice the name that came next.

“Dustin Summerfield”

Dustin:
My name, I hadn't even bothered to let myself worry about that possibility. How could I have forgotten last Reaping means I was at my most likely. Years passed of needing to sign up for tesserea because of mother, caught now. Nothing I could do. I expected panic but all a got was calm. I suppose more accurately shock. I walked the short distance to take my place on the platform, as I did I passed the twelves, and that's when I noticed Ashes.

“Dustin Summerfield”

Ashes:
No.

Not my Dustin, my brother, my only family as far as it mattered. I looked back and could tell by the look on his face that he knew, that he had been chosen. He's dead.

“NO!” this time I scream it there's no way to separate the thoughts from my speech that just pours out of my mouth “Dustin no, not you, you're staying here, I won't let you go! YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWARE” I push toward him from the crowd and grab hold of his arm, my nails dig in out of desperation. I plant my feet in to keep him from moving and turn to the crowd. “Someone volunteer.” I say icily “I swear if he- get off of me” peacekeeper hands grab hold of me and pull me away from Dustin.

Dustin:
“No no! He's not going, he's not! Let. Me. Go-o-o-o” Ashes begins to dissolve into sobs as she's being pulled away from me. The sight of her hysterics brings tears to my eyes. I shake my head as I climb the stairs, there's nothing she can do, nothing either of us can do. No one's going volunteer, not when the any tribute from twelve only ever returns damaged beyond repair... when they return at all. I wouldn't want someone to take my place either, their life would forever be on my hands.

The peacekeeper has finally managed to get his hand over Ashes mouth. I can see from her eyes that's she's beyond words anyway, a seething anger is burning in her eyes that makes me fear for what she might be capable of. It's the thought of leaving her behind like that finally pulls the tears from my eyes. Dammit there goes any chance I had of looking like I might stand a chance out there.

OOC: So that's an acceptance from Dustin Summerfield... yay ^_^

Sam
Merchant

[M:-1200]

278 POSTS
last seen Mar 24, 2012 18:40:00 GMT -5

Donuts...Yum. :)

58th Reaping D12 Jul 3, 2011 13:14:52 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Sam on Jul 3, 2011 13:14:52 GMT -5

Katie was woken up earlt that morning from a loud, "Kaw! Kaw!" She recognized them as crows, sitting loudly and darkly like shadows on her window sill, pecking on the window itself. She got up with a groan and walked to the window tiredly. She opened it and since their wasn't a screen it was easy for her to shoe the birds away yelling, "Get away from here!" She added under her breath, "Damn noisy devils." She got back up and was about to go back to bed when she remembered.......the reapings. The reapings were today. She instantly got the feeling that she would throw up. Her stomach turned to stone and she gulped. She hated the reapings. They felt so dark, so unhappy, like a black cumulos nimbus cloud, threatening a picnic that you were really excited to attend. She gulped and nervously went to her closet to get dressed.

She was almost there now, almost to teh reapings. Everything was quiet and everyone seemed nervous. She was dressed in her best white pants and white shirt. She liked to wear nuetral colors on the day of the reaping. It made things seem like the weren't as dark and desolate as they really were. It was finally time. Her hands were balled into fists and she felt horrible, afraid, nervous, and sad at the thought anyone would be picked for this awful task. She took a deep, wavery breath as the mayor stepped onto the stage. She said as normal that it was time for the tributes to be picked. He reached into the glass bowl and said, "Ladies first." She waited for what to her seemed like an eternity. Please Lord, PLEASE do not pick Kayla..... Kayla was her best friend and if Kayla was picked it would be completely heart breaking. He pulled out a name and read it to the crowd. His voice boomed, "Jaimie Maccon."

Jaimie froze. She had been expecting it would Kayla because she had horrible luck. She had been expectig the hard sound of a K that sounded like rocks slamming against each other. She had not at all been expecting the jellyish J sound of her name followed by the rest. She was stunned, unaware of anything around her. Kayla's voice broke from the crowd though, and it seemed to wake her from the trance she was in. "Jaimie, no! No, it can't be you, it just can't!" Jaimie knew what she was thinking. She was a regular kid, age 17 with good grades and a good attitude. She had alost never done anything to hurt anyone, she followed the Capitol's rules.......How was this happening?! She glanced around quickly. Relieved mothers faces shone in the crowd. Their child would not be the one to die in the games, not this time anyway. These people were filled with relief and joy that their daughters would not be put in. If she allowed someone to volunteer for her a mother and a family and possibly just little kids would be heart broken and left by someone they loved. And no matter how Katie tried she couldn't let that happen. She remembered when she was a kid her father would make her volunteer for the homeless to give them food. She never wanted to do it but her father said, "Suck it. Suck it up for the sake of others who aren't as fortunate as you are." And she did. And she still would, even if that meant she might die. So she would suck it up so that Kayla would not volunteer for her and get hurt and nor would anyone else she loved. She had been picked so she would suck it up for the good of others. She took a deep breath and realized her knees had buckled and someone was holding her up. She she straightened her legs and stood. She put her chin up and her back and shulders straight. She kept her face blank and made sure to avoid the eyes of her mother and sister. She could hear them screaming and she was doing her best to hold back tears. She knew if she even so much glanced at them she would start to cry. Then she would brake down and she would give up. And she would not let that happen.

OOC: She accepts.