Hello again! Emzi here bringing you chapter TWO, written by Blockworld! :3 It's excellent! Really it is! It means I've got to start writing again! X'D Please enjoy it! I know I did! I CAN'T WAIT FOR CIEL AND ALOIS TO MEET UP O.O -

"Are you ready?"

Ciel finished adjusting his suit and smoothed the wrinkles on his jacket, gauging the time left on a mental scale. About thirty minutes left. It'd probably take ten to get to the city square, leaving roughly twenty minutes. Not that it mattered—all the shops were closed today, doors locked, and streets abandoned. Of course they would be.

Today was the day of the Reaping. Everyone between the ages of 12 and 18 would be gathered in the center of the city, divided by gender and separated by age. There were already booths being set up for bets. The Reaping was a day celebrated by everyone in District 1. It was the day a lucky boy and girl would be chosen to participate in the Hunger Games.

"Of course," Ciel said finally, glancing at the elderly man standing by the doorway. "We have to hurry. I don't want to be late."

Tanaka smiled back at him. "Excited for the Reaping?"

Tanaka was Ciel's legal guardian, and had been since the day his parents died in a fire. He could still remember it; the flames devouring the house, his neighbors holding him back as he watched his home burn down–along with his parents. While being an orphan could have made him an easy target for taunting and disgust, Ciel managed to strut out of the tragedy being one of the best-looking boys in District 1, and one of the most loved. They were gone now; there was no point in grieving. He didn't have time for that.

"Not at all," Ciel replied, sounding bored. "It's the same thing every year..."

"Do you think District 1 will win again?"

"I suppose." He buttoned up his shirt and fixed up his collar. "We most likely will. It'll either be us or District 2."

He smirked. But when I volunteer, we'll definitely win.

Of course, he had to finish his training first. Like many others in District 1, Ciel had a trainer, Charles Grey, who helped him prepare for the Games and worked with him almost daily. Ciel was an expert with swords and could kill anything in close proximity. As far as he was concerned, nobody else was a match for him.

He picked up a black bow splayed across his pillow and tied it neatly around his own neck. Then he turned to look at himself in the full-length mirror. He was slim, with pale skin and silky navy blue hair that fell neatly right below his ears. His eyes were a deep blue, one that made girls swoon and boys scowl in jealousy. The color even matched his Reaping clothes—a dark blue suit built with a shimmering fabric, covered in sequins and frills.

He knew he was handsome—after all, that's what most girls at school would say in between bouts of giggling and gossiping. He was fine with the attention, he actually enjoyed it. But he wasn't interested in going out with any of them. All the girls were shallow and spoiled, and their good looks were never enough to outweigh their annoying personalities.

"Ciel," Tanaka said. "Would you like a small snack before you go?"

The young man turned away from his reflection. Tanaka was watching him, his silver eyebrows furrowed in worry. Ciel scowled. There was nothing to worry about. This year he was fifteen, which meant his name was put in only four times. As a citizen of District 1, he didn't need to put his name down any more times for food or medicine; he had plenty of that already. It was more likely that one of the older guys would get chosen.

"No, I'm not hungry at the moment." Which was true. The day of the Reaping was one exciting enough to keep away his appetite. "But you can prepare me a meal for after the ceremony."

Tanaka crossed the room from the doorway and stood behind Ciel, smiling sadly. "Very well then." He paused, looking at Ciel's reflection. Ciel stared back indifferently.

"You look just like your father."

Ciel felt his jaw clench, but struggled not to let his discomfort show. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he turned away from Tanaka.

"So what?" he said sharply. Why now? Of all days, why today? He took a deep breath and started for the door. "I'll see you after the Reaping."

But before he could walk out, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Ciel turned to face Tanaka, whose eyes held a haunted quality.

"Good luck, Ciel," he said quietly.

The anguish he always tried to bottle up began to rise in his chest and choke him. Ciel shook his head slightly and, for a moment, almost hugged Tanaka. But he didn't, and with a final nod, he went out the door.

-

The Reaping was buzzing with excitement. Everyone fussed over the soon-to-be contestants, exchanging bets and wonders on who the next tributes would be. There were camera crews perched on every corner and a large stage temporarily built at the front.

Ciel filed in silently and got in line with the other fifteens. One of them glared at him as he approached. Ciel stared back, his eyes challenging, until the boy finally averted his eyes. Good. He had better things to do than worry about these morons. Ciel straightened to his fullest height, watching the other boys take their places. None of them looked particularly worried—but that's to be expected, since usually the eighteen-year-olds volunteer. He turned to focus on the stage where two large glass balls sat, paper slips lying at the bottom. Only four had Ciel Phantomhive written on them. And even if he was chosen, somebody else would volunteer.

He could only imagine the horror that the other districts would feel when they watched the recap of District 1's reaping, knowing what they'll be facing in the arena. He smirked. How pathetic.

It's no big mystery that District 1 will win this year. They win almost every other year, if they aren't upstaged by District 2. But District 1 has the best Careers—older tributes who train their entire lives to compete in the Games. Ciel would be one of them once he turned eighteen. Admittedly now, he wasn't skilled enough to fight.

The mayor took his place at the front of the stage, and everyone quieted. Well, mostly everyone. There were still some excited whispering and hushed laughter scattered across the crowd. One of the boys next to Ciel started muttering about the new escort.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the mayor said, his voice booming. "I'd like to welcome you all to this year's Reaping. But before we begin, the Capitol has an announcement to make." He cleared his throat. "In order to make the Games more interesting, the Capitol has decided that this year, Districts 1, 2, and 4, will not be allowed to have volunteers."

What?

There was a shocked silence. Suddenly, the crowd plunged into frenzy. No volunteers? But there were so many trained eighteen year olds ready to fight. Now everyone was stuck with the possibility of an unskilled 12 year old going to represent their district. How were they going to win now?

All the boys around Ciel were hysterically expressing their shock. Now there was a real reason to be scared. But he forced himself to keep a neutral face and stare straight ahead. He couldn't allow himself to seem weak or stupid like all these other morons, especially in the face of immediate danger. In his head he repeated the mantra, "My name is only in there four times."

After the crowd had settled down, the mayor spoke. "Now that that's out of the way, let us begin recounting the history of the Hunger Games."

Despite everything, Ciel rolled his eyes. Here we go... Another speech. They did this every year, yapping about the history of Panem and the Districts' rebellion against the Capitol. This made a new law pass, one to keep all the Districts in line. The Hunger Games. Every year, a boy and girl would be picked out of each district and sent to an arena to fight to the death. Blah blah blah. This wasn't particularly new information.

He stared out at the others, colorfully dressed and well prepared. Everyone looked shaken, especially the 12 year olds. Now they all knew there was a possibility any of them could get sent off to the arena. He also noticed that some of them didn't look fazed at all; they probably thought they had enough skills to win even without completing their training. It's amazing how stupid some of these people could be.

Finally, the mayor finished his speech and went to sit down. The escort, Angelina Durless, strutted to the microphone. She was a tall woman, with short blood-red hair and a matching sequined dress. Actually, everything about her was red–her lips, her shoes, her eyes, her jewelry. Ciel had to admit he was somewhat impressed by the fashion.

"Welcome," she said brightly, "ladies and gentlemen of District 1. That was a surprise, wasn't it? But now, it's time for the most important part."

She beamed at the crowd, unfazed by their silence. Then she said, "May the odds be ever in your favor."

It was time for the drawing.

Angelina crossed over to one of the glass balls. Her fingers dipped into the heap of papers, red nails swirling them all around before snatching one at the bottom. Everyone was silent.

She went back to the podium and opened the slip of paper. She brought a gloved hand to her mouth and cleared her throat, before reading the name out loud.

"Elizabeth Midford."

The crowd of girls slowly parted, revealing a blonde girl buried in the arms of an older brunette. Ciel's heart sunk. Elizabeth Midford. He knew her. The goldsmith's daughter– and his only childhood friend. She was present in the majority of his childhood, always innocent and cheerful. They used to be very close— that is, until his parents died. After that, he shut her and many others out of his life. They hadn't spoken or even looked at each other since the funeral, and that was three years ago.

He watched as Elizabeth tore herself away and shuffled over to the stage, eyes wide in horror. She had hardly grown since the last time he saw her, and now she was fourteen. It was obvious that she'd be one of the first to die.

"Right over here, dear," Angelina said, moving Elizabeth to stand on her left. Elizabeth's eyes were glimmering with tears. That wasn't smart of her. The other districts would later be watching this, and even the weaklings from District 12 would see her as an easy target.

"Now, time for the boys!" Angelina crossed over to the second bowl. "This will be exciting!"

Ciel tore his eyes away from Elizabeth and focused on the boys that surrounded him. Usually one of the older ones would try to fight for their place in the Hunger Games. But now that none of them could volunteer, someone weaker would be chosen. Maybe, by a stroke of luck, one of the eighteen year olds would just happen to get chosen. He hoped. District 1 had to win this year.

Everyone was silent as Angelina reached into the ball and pulled out a random piece of paper. She smoothed it out, smiled, and called into the crowd.

"Ciel Phantomhive."

There you have it! :D Brilliant, isn't it? ;3 please review! We'd both LOVE to hear your thoughts! I know she would! ( Especially considering how much she fretted over her writing! X'D TELL HER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE IT! ) Expect chapter three up at… I dunno, sometime…? X'D Just warning you – I have this fic, When You Fall in Love With Fear, And To Think I Hardly Knew You, AND my Leviathan fic Of Clankers and Beasties to update – Not to mention I have two Halloween pictures planned AND schoolwork, AND a Deryn costume to put together *_* Please be patient! X'D UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Huggles,

Emzi and Blockworld