Hi, everyone! This is my first fanfic, I hope you'll enjoy it. I'd like to make some clarifications before we start. First of all, you cannot submit your tributes, I decided to invent them this time. Nevertheless, you can sponsor and you'll also decide who shall win. Tributes will earn points, which will determine their survival in the arena (see my profile for further info). Secondly, I'd like to write some chapters focused on sponsors, so I will accept submissions for them. PM me if interested. All the details about the sponsor system are on my profile. Thirdly, this is just an experiment to try something a bit different. Of course, if you think it doesn't work or have some suggestions to improve it, you can write it on your reviews. I'll always take into account constructive reviews.

For a start, I'll upload the first two chapters. Enjoy your reading :)

Last year

Falcon Smith (73)- President of Panem

I gaze out of the window, waiting for the Head Gamemaker to come. A glass of wine in one hand, but I can't drink it. The Games season is over, and it was another disappointment. Yesterday the girl from Five was crowned victor- not one of the audience's favourites, though. She didn't deserve it, but I had to crown her, nonetheless. How could such a wimp win the Hunger Games? She didn't show any special skills neither during training nor in the arena. She was just lucky. Like the last six victors. The Head Gamemaker is definitely incompetent! He let the Career alliance break before the time, so the Careers were too focused on killing each other than bothering about the little girl from Five. I shouldn't have trusted him. I must get rid of him by hook or crook!

My head starts aching. There's no use in dwelling on these things. I try to relax by watching the panorama. The sun is setting over the Capitol, casting its golden beams on the glittering buildings, which slowly fill in hues of orange. From my private bureau, I can get a breath-taking view of the city every day, yet I can't help but admire its grandeur as if it was the first time I saw it.

A familiar beep interrupts my thoughts. It's the telephone exchange. I put the glass of wine on my desk and dial "0" for my secretary, Lila Bonanza- a fatty woman in her thirties, who is used to dressing up in all possible shades of purple. Sincerely, I find her fashion silly, but, on the other hand, she's quite professional and knows her stuff.

"The Head Gamemaker is there, Mr. President," she says.

"Let him in," I reply.

I look forward to having this thing done! Five minutes later, the Head Gamemaker enters the room.

"Good evening, Mr. President!" he greets me cheerfully but, as soon as our eyes meet, that flattering smile of his fades away.

I must look threatening. Repressing a smirk at this is really hard.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he continues in a worried tone.

"Take a seat, please. There are a lot of things I'd like to discuss with you," I answer flatly, pointing at the couch in front of the desk with a gesture of my hand.

He sits down and I do it as well. Now we are face to face.

"If you were asked to describe the Games of this year, what would you say?" I enquire, trying to sound genuinely curious.

The Head Gamemaker swallows noisily. Clearly, he didn't expect this question, but he manages to answer, anyway. "Well, the audience loved the arena… the frozen landscape with geysers, a spectacle of ice and fire… it was absolutely stunning! Secondly, a well-assorted tribute bunch made these Games stand out from the past ones. Predicting who would win wasn't easy, almost all the tributes deserved the victory… the girl from Five was quite a surprise in this sense, no one would have bet on her, but she made it through… and I can say that her victory was not disappointing, she has proved herself."

"You think that she's a worthy victor, then… even worthier than a Career?"

"She might be weaker than a Career tribute, but strength alone isn't enough to win the Hunger Games... one needs to be smart and..."

"Please, don't say things that I already know and answer my question!" I interrupt him abruptly.

"Mr. President, the Careers broke their alliance too early, they underestimated the little girl… but with that I'm not saying that they weren't as worthy to win as our actual victor, they just made a mistake! It proves that there is a glimmer of hope even for the outer districts…" he rebuts defensively.

"Since you've become Head Gamemaker, there have been victors only from the outer districts, and this is your seventh year! Hell! That's more than a glimmer! Don't you find it unfair?"

"It's… it's not my fault if…" he stammers.

"Yes, it is, instead! Maybe you've forgotten that the Career districts are more loyal to the Capitol than the rest of Panem, and that the districts rebelled twice, and twice the rebellion started from the outer ones! The very aim of the Hunger Games is reminding those people of their defeat, but we must reward loyalty, too. Do you understand?"

"I do, sir. Next year a Career will win, I promise," he says with a deep sigh.

"Don't make promises you can't keep! I know you have this sort of sympathy for the outer districts, but letting them hope so much is too dangerous. It's not the first time I blame you for that, and things have not changed, therefore I can't trust you again."

"Yes, you can, instead! I won't disappoint you next time!" he states with renewed ardour.

"It's too late, my decision is made: you're fired," I reply as coldly as ever.

The room falls silent. I expect him to beg for another chance, but luckily I am wrong. He has chosen to maintain his dignity. After all, only a fool or aspiring suicide would challenge the decisions of Panem's most powerful man.

"Fine. Could I know the name of my successor, at least?" he asks eventually.

"Of course. It's Venus Smith, my granddaughter."