A/N:

Hello! Welcome to Heart Attack: The 4th Quarter Quell. This SYOT is officially open! Please see the end of the chapter for notes about how it'll go, then head over to my profile for the tribute application if you're interested.

XOXO!

Valentine Lamont
Capitol Citizen

Valentine Lamont really wanted nothing to do with romance. A recent divorcee, she wanted it to be the last thing on her mind. In fact, all she wanted to think about were her newly adopted cats. They would always love her, unlike some unsavory albeit handsome Hunger Games commentators.

Unfortunately, being the assistant to the Head Gamemaker, love was undoubtedly in the air. At least, that was the idea with this year's Quell.

"Times are a'changing, Valentine," Boss was saying. "People are losing interest in the Games. And once they do, they're gonna start thinking about dangerous stuff like… well, you know. Which is why we gotta make this year exciting with a capital X."

Valentine pretended to be interested in what he was saying, just as she was pretending to be interested in the document he had handed her. The quicker she got this impromptu meeting over with, the quicker she could get home to her cats. Poor Capulet and Montague hadn't been fed since this morning…

"Why are you frowning, Val? Something wrong with this?" Boss asked, tapping the paper in front of her. "Me and the other guys spent all night on it."

The gesture snapped Valentine out of her thoughts. She pushed up her glasses before looking at Boss.

"Hm? No, no…" she muttered.

A pause.

"I'm just… Please excuse my rudeness, but do you really think 'exciting' starts with an 'x,' sir?"

Boss sighed. He straightened up, scowling. Valentine pretended not to notice his irritation. If she didn't see it, it wasn't there, right?

"I was being dramatic, Valentine," he said. "Anyway, can't you actually read the damn thing? Otherwise you're not gonna know what's going on when we meet with the President on Thursday."

Valentine paled. That certainly got her attention. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself in front of the President. She looked down at the paper with newfound interest. As she skimmed the page, she realized just how absurd this whole thing was.

Then again, her parents had been saying she'd been jaded ever since the divorce… Maybe she was being too dismissive - or so Julian would've said. She wrinkled her nose as she mentally noted that was the twenty-fourth time she had thought about him this evening.

Eventually she glanced up at Boss to see he was staring expectantly at her. She stiffened, then cleared her throat.

"It sounds good."

Her eyes widened when his stern gaze didn't soften.

"Um, I suppose… would matchmaking be a nice addition?" she began hesitantly.

When Boss gestured for her to continue, she obliged.

"They can all have interviews or something. And then the audience could vote on who should be paired with whom. That way we don't have to worry about, um, actual scientific compatibility. Although…"

Her mind drifted back to Julian for the twenty-fifth time.

"It'd be nice if the tributes got to choose who they wanted to pair up with. Or at least, hm… Or at least had some input."

Boss smirked. It was one of his more terrifying expressions, since she never knew if it was for a good or bad reason until he opened his mouth.

"Do you watch those dating game shows a lot, Valentine?" he asked.

She furrowed her brow, still unsure if he thought her idea was good or bad. For once beating around the bush was getting on her nerves.

"Oh, I guess I used to," she admitted. "My parents like to watch them. Ah, but why do you ask?"

His smirk turned into an actual smile, and Valentine knew she was in the clear.

"I figured. You do seem like the type," he said. Before she could pout, he continued, "But you know the blind dating game, right? Where the bachelor has to pick between three potential suitors based only on their answers to questions?"

She nodded. Her mother liked that one especially, if only because she could play along with the bachelor of the week. But before she could add anything insubstantial like that to the conversation, Boss kept talking.

"I'm thinking we could do something along those lines. Each tribute can pick their top three partner choices, with the Capitol picking who they're paired up with in the end."

Boss crossed his arms. He had a triumphant look in his eyes. It was the kind of look that let Valentine know there was no changing his mind. It was clear Boss had already decided it sounded like a good idea. The only role she was to play was to validate him.

"I, um, I like it! It sounds fun," she said, smiling back at him.

She paused to collect her papers. After stuffing them in her bag, she rose from her seat. It was getting late, after all, and she had mouths to feed.

"I'll get in touch with the others about this," Boss said. "This is why I come to you about these things, Valentine. You always have something unexpected up your sleeve."

Valentine thought about Julian for the twenty-sixth time, and how he did too. To be more specific, he had several affairs up his. She frowned as she recalled the numerous nights he never came home, though her pouting must've been what elicited a chuckle from Boss. That being said, his laughter was what sparked her realization that it was nearing ten o'clock.

"Oh! The kittens," she said, glancing at the door. "It's past time for me to feed them."

"You have cats?" Boss asked.

"Ah, yes!" she answered quickly. "I got them when… Um, anyway! I should probably go now, shouldn't I? If that's okay, I mean…"

Valentine started backing towards the door, eager to leave before he started asking questions about the divorce. It was the elephant in the room in terms of workplace drama. For once Boss let her go, though his half smug, half concerned expression tipped her off that he probably knew exactly what she had been going to say.

"See you tomorrow, Valentine," he said. "Good luck with the cats."

As soon as he started speaking, she had begun making a break for it. She paused in the doorway, however. Manners would be the death of her yet.

"Thank you," she said, smiling sheepishly. "I'll tell them you said hello."

As Valentine made her escape, she contemplated just what this Quell would mean for her and her ex-husband. With him as the official Hunger Games commentator, did this mean they'd have to speak again? She wasn't sure she was ready for that, she thought as she made a mental note that she had thought about him for the twenty-seventh time.

A/N:

Hi again!

If you just skipped to the end instead of reading the Prologue, it's okay. Here's what you need to know about the Quell:

Basically twenty-four tributes between ages sixteen and eighteen will be chosen to participate in the 4th Quarter Quell. The twist is throughout the course of their time in the Capitol, they will select three tributes not from their District they'd want to be paired up with. The Capitol will then select one out of those three to make a duo. If both members of a pair make it to the end, both will win.

There will be an initial round of interviews for the Capitol to get to know the tributes. Following training, there will be a final round of interviews where the tributes will say who they most want to be paired with (whether for romantic, platonic, or strategy reasons). From there, the Capitol (you guys!) will choose who you want to end up together. The tributes will find out their partner only when they enter the arena.

Sounds fun either way, right?

If you think so, please consider submitting!

P.S. Since I hate writing the Reapings, here is how Pre-Games chapters will be divided. This is subject to change, but I promise everybody will get a Pre-Games POV!

2 Reapings

4 Train Rides

1 Chariot Rides

3 First Interviews

4 Training Day 1

4 Training Day 2

1 Private Training

1 Scores Reveal

3 Second Interviews

1 Night Before