Shiny. That is how Johanna would describe District 1. Their obsession with jewels, perfumes, decorative trinkets from tapestries to music boxes and the like does not stop at their economy. The entire square seemed to glimmer with reflective surfaces everywhere, more chances for the lovely citizens to catch a glimpse of their own reflections. Hair like sunshine, eyes like emeralds, skin like summer breeze… why wouldn't they want to stare at themselves all day?

But as hard as they tried to pretend they were the Capitol, the District wasn't fooling Johanna nor anyone else. The citizens looked up at her where she stood in front of their justice building and cheered.

"You fought valiantly!" they cried. "Such a strong Victor!" But Johanna could see that they hated her. They tried to remain unemotional over their losses and celebrate the Games like that Capitol they love so much, but she wasn't buying it.

She had no time to feel sorry for these people, trapped a step away from luxury, able to taste that life but never able to live it. Her mind was focused on one thing: the feast that would be held in her honor the next day in the Capitol. Snow would be expecting an answer to his offer.

"I don't know what to do," she muttered to the avox who was her attendant in her old Training Center room. They arrived a bit early, and she was to stay there until it was time to prepare for the feast at the president's mansion. "I love my family. I cannot lose another brother to the Capitol. I can't. And then there's Park as well… But I am no one's sex slave. I couldn't bend to his whim even if I wanted to. Finnick may be a flexible sapling, but like it or not, I'm full-grown, tall and covered in stiff bark. If I bend, I'll break. I'll die before I allow myself to be used." Johanna pressed her face to her knees, but did not cry. "Some birthday week this turned out to be."

The avox then sat next to her on the bed, putting a hand to her shoulder. Johanna looked up, and the avox held up seven fingers.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The avox gave a smile and wave as if she were Johanna on tour and then held up the number seven again.

Johanna gasped, "District 7! Tonight's not the end of the tour. I still have another day to decide before it's officially over in my home District. Thank you, avox, but I don't know how much of a help that really is. One day will only give me more time for the anxiety to stew."

The avox stood as shrugged as the door opened, and Johanna's prep team rushed in to prepare her for the feast.

"Has anyone ever told you?" the colorful Capitol man Johanna was dancing with later that night asked her. "You have such a… ferocity. Like your swinging axe, you are beautiful, yet sharp and deadly. It is a wonderful combination."

Johanna's stomach churned, but luckily, her escort was there to save her. He was a tall, lanky young man named Junil who was covered head to toe in black. His clothing was made up of patches of different types of fabric with different textures and patterns. His small top hat and gloves were wrapped in black gems and ribbons. Johanna felt like he hadn't stopped following her since the Reaping and had taken to referring to him as her Capitol shadow. "I'm so sorry," he said to the man, taking Johanna's arm, "but President Snow has requested the presence our lovely Victor."

"Wouldn't want to keep him waiting, then!" the Capitol man laughed. He took Johanna's hand and, bowing, planted a kiss on it. "Congratulations on your Victory, Johanna."

Johanna sneered and rolled her eyes, following her escort. If my shadow precedes me, she thought with dread as they entered Snow's study, the light is in the past.

The president was sitting patiently at his desk. "Ah, Ms. Mason. Take a seat. Junil," he said before the escort could leave. "Stay, won't you?"

"Of course, sir," he said, standing to the side of the desk, almost next to Snow's paintings of jabberjays. In lighter context, Johanna would have laughed at their resemblance, for unlike the jabberjays, Junil had always been a pleasure-despite his unfortunate occupation of readying her District's children for death.

"So, Johanna," Snow began. "You are quite popular, being the only living female Victor of your District. Have you given any thought to our little discussion two weeks ago?"

Johanna pushed back her short hair, which she'd pulled out of it's painful and ugly style long ago. "I have, but I don't quite have an answer yet."

"That's disappointing," Snow sighed. "I thought I made it clear you had only until the end of your tour to give me an answer, Ms. Mason. Your tour is over. I need your verdict."

"No, it isn't over until the celebration in my home District-"

"No, my dear. It's over now. Tell me if you would like to take this offer or I will have to assume you decline."

"I can't have one more day to think about it?" she asked a bit too harshly. "I mean, this a pretty big decision. I can't talk to my family one more time first?"

Snow grinned and pressed a button on his desk. "Of course you can. You can talk to them right now."

Fear flooded Johanna's mind. "What was that. What do mean? They aren't here, are they?"

"Not to worry. They aren't here, no. That would be ridiculous," Snow said very matter-of-factly. "We should be expecting a call very soon."

"Sir," Junil said tentatively, "what call?"

Just then, a ringing sounded throughout the study, bouncing off the tall walls of windows-through which one could see a vast rose garden-and echoing ominously into Johanna's ears.

The president pressed another button on the desk, and the holographic display to his left activated, showing a peacekeeper with graying hair and jet-black eyes standing in what Johanna was horrified to see was her family home in District 7. "Hello, sir," the peacekeeper said.

"Yes, hello, Thread, how are things at the Mason estate?" Snow asked, mockingly.

"Very well, sir. We have the boy here, as you requested."

Snow smiled, but Johanna didn't see the unnatural redness of his lips, being too focused on the sobbing in the background, eyes fixed on the screen. "Would you bring him here, then? Thank you."

The peacekeeper shoved Johanna's older brother, Thompson, into view of the camera. His faced was marked by a large, bloody mark on him temple, barely missing his eye. "Johanna? Johanna is that you?" he sputtered.

"Yes, I'm here," she said to his image, trying to remain calm.

"Johanna, what's going on?" he asked with a desperation in his voice she had never heard anyone in her family display, her family who valued strength above all else. "These peacekeepers, they came to the house just a few minutes ago. They took Dad. They gave us all a few hits with their clubs, then knocked him out and just dragged him away. Mom lost it, said if they took him it wouldn't be long before they came for the rest of us. Please, Johanna, we haven't done anything. If you know what this is about, you have to stop it."

"Oh, Thompson," Johanna whispered. "I can't. You have no idea what they're demanding of me."

Thompson scoffed, "Oh, sure, Johanna. Typical. You don't think of anyone but yourself, you know! You little bitch! You'd let them do this to us? What if they take me and hurt me, huh? You want mom to lose another son?"

"Thompson, you don't understand-"

"Wow. For someone you was offered up as tribute, you sure don't know a thing about sacrifice."

And just like that, her brother was pushed from view and replaced by the peacekeeper. She called after her brother, but both Snow and the peacekeeper ignored her.

"Good work, Thread," Snow said. "Keep this up, and you may be expecting a promotion."

"Thank you sir," he said with a salute. "Good day."

Snow nodded and cut the call. He looked at Johanna with a tilted head and serpentine smirk. "So, Ms. Mason. Have you decided yet? Would you like to make a small sacrifice for the sake of your loved ones, or return to your district, allow them to be tortured, and live knowing you caused their pain?"

Junil leapt to Johanna's side. "It's ok. Just choose what you feel is right. Don't let his twisting of words warp your view of the situation. Your life is your own to do with what you like."

At this, Snow cracked a laugh for reasons, Johanna couldn't quite place. It didn't seem to be only for the weakness of Junil's words, but at the moment, Johanna didn't care. He could laugh over whatever he wanted.

That fateful "No" was on the tip of Johanna's tongue... but Park. Just imagining what that black-eyes peacekeeper would do to her tied her heart up in knots. "Fine," she said. "I'll do it."

Snow grinned. "Lovely."