AN: Sorry for not updating last weekend. Going forward, I'll try to post notices on my profile page if there are any expected delays/breaks. Unfortunately, a lot of SYOTs get abandoned, but this one won't. Anyway, hope you like this.


Alexei Tepes

District 7 Male

18 Years Old

If you ever wondered what District Seven was like, I could simply show you the scene right in front of me.

The loud and sharp buzzing of saws, the smell of freshly cut pine, the trails of sawdust sprinkled on dirt roads, the beeping of reversing trucks, the tired conversation of workers finishing their shift – this is my every day, a familiar scene that makes the days blend together. This is where I'd be spending half the hours in a day, hacking down trees until my body is no longer able to.

An automated voice, the same one I hear each day, comes on the loudspeaker.

"The time is now 7 PM. The day's shift has officially ended. Please begin closing down all appropriate operations and depart the site in an orderly fashion. The Capitol appreciates the work you do to build a stronger Panem."

And with that, I bury my axe in a nearby stump and begin heading back towards the sawmill, along with dozens of others around me who do the same.

I enjoy walking home alone, as the relative quiet gives me a time to think. Not that there was all that much to think about when you're chopping trees for 12 hours a day.

I turn the corner to face a narrow street with a few homeless people huddled around a burning barrel. It's unusually chilly tonight after all.

I sigh in frustration before turning back to go around the next block.

Now of course, you might wonder why I did that.

Years ago, back when I was only five years old, our house burnt down.

But it was no accident – my father did it, after killing my mother. He had gone completely mad.

The signs were there for a while beforehand, but we never thought too much of it. No one suspected that he'd be capable of something like that.

My older brother Vladimir and I managed to get out, but I suffered serious burns to my back, leaving behind scars that will remain for the rest of my life.

After that, the two of us were taken in by Uncle Xavier (my mother's brother) and Aunt Dana. Once we turned 16, we helped them to pay the bills and buy food. Vlad became a carpenter and I went to work chopping trees. Just last year, we moved into an apartment right across the hall from our uncle and aunt.

And now, whenever I see a flame, I know I have to stay away. Regardless how harmless it appears to be, I simply couldn't be near it.


Cherrie "Cher" Axlyn

District 7 Female

16 Years Old

The sunlight pours through the thin, vertical windows, an alluring invitation to head outside and taste the fresh spring air.

But instead I'm stuck here, in an old dusty office next to a stack of paperwork that need to be completed in the next few hours. This is what working for my mother typically looked like.

Most people know her as Lana Axlyn, the popular Mayor of District 7.

You'd think that working for a District Mayor must be interesting, maybe even exciting. But most of my days are spent like this, trapped inside doing tedious clerical work. It really makes me miss the pastime of h\anging out in the woods with my brother Charlie, throwing knives at crude targets painted on trees and hunting for game to sell at my father's butcher shop. We're both highly competitive, so everything became a contest between us.

While we were running the butcher shop, my mother was on the administrative staff at the Mayor's office. She worked her way up the ladder and was eventually appointed District Mayor by the Capitol. Though being Mayor meant a higher quality of life and other privileges, she never forgot her working-class roots, as a butcher's wife and mother of three. I suspect this is a major reason for her popularity among the citizens of Seven.

I never actually intended to get into the inner workings of District politics. That was a career path more suited for my older sister Fara, who'd been working for my mother's office ever since she was appointed Mayor. Then on one day around seven months ago, Fara discovered that she'd gotten pregnant by a lumberjack she was having an under-the-radar relationship with. My parents were absolutely furious, thinking that it'd be rather scandalous for something like to happen to the Mayor's daughter. And seeing as how she was only a month away from being 18, they forced her out of the house.

And that's where I came in.

My mother needed someone to carry out Fara's duties at her office, and I was the natural choice, as Charlie had just gotten a job at a nearby sawmill.

It's mostly boring, repetitive work, but since I told my mother that I'd take up the position, I wasn't going to complain about it.

There is a bright side to it though, something that made the job truly interesting and the mounds of paperwork worthwhile.

Mayors have access to information from the Capitol that no other citizens of the District have – policy changes from the Capitol, goings-on in other Districts, and some Games-related news as well. It's all highly fascinating, for the few times that I've snuck into my mother's office and read some of the reports.

For example, just the other day I read that we were getting a new Escort this year. Her name was Kassandra Kenyon, apparently an actress from the Capitol, and this would be her very first year as an Escort. I'm not sure how she managed to get Seven as her first District, but it was incredibly rare. Most brand-new Escorts start off in the outer Districts and gradually move their way up.

At least that'll be something new for this year. Reapings tend to be pretty boring around here. Most people in Seven are in pretty good shape, given the physical labor emphasis here, and our Tributes tend to place well in the Games. There were almost never any volunteers, and almost all the Reaped children would maintain their composure when taking the stage. This stoicism has more-or-less become a tradition in Seven.


Alexei Tepes

District 7 Male

18 Years Old

We both stare up at the ceiling as we let our breathing rate return to normal.

"That was really… nice," I say to her.

"Nice, huh. You're a real poet, aren't you," she replies with a light laugh.

I've only been dating Rylee for about six months, but I can already feel the thrill of sex fading gradually. Just as it did with Brielle. And Eden. And Addison. And whoever was before that.

It's not that it was all about sex. I treat each girl well, and I strive for a connection, that special spark that tells you what you have is truly valuable. But no matter how much effort I put in, that connection just isn't made. And all that's left is the most tangible part of a relationship – the physical and intimate part.

"So… You worried about the Reaping?" I ask Rylee.

"Not really," she replies, "Name's only in there once for each year. Just have to survive this last one."

I'm not sure what to say then, and an awkward pause ensues.

"But let's talk about you," she says. "You know, I wanna figure out who you really are."

"What do you mean?" I reply, mildly confused as we abruptly head from light-pillow-talk-land straight into the deep-conversation realm.

"I mean, you always seem so… distant, like you don't want people to see too much of you. But I can tell there's something more. And I want to know what's behind that mask."

I force a chuckle. "There's no mask, Rylee. This is just who I am."

"Well, I just don't believe that," she says with a wry smile.

Another pause.

"But anyway, we should go shower now. Wouldn't wanna be late to our last Reaping."

With that, she climbs out from under the covers, grabs her clothes off the floor. I'm left lying there admiring her perfect ass as she walks towards the bathroom door.

She turns around. "Come on, let's go!" she says with a giggle.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

Who knows, maybe there's something more to this one.


Cherrie "Cher" Axlyn

District 7 Female

16 Years Old

"Cher! I need to go now, but make sure you and Charlie aren't late!"

"Got it, mom!" I shout down the stairs toward the front door.

Good ol' Reaping Day – the only day in the year that we get off.

I never worried about this day. My name, of course, was still somewhere in that bowl, but I had never taken any tesserae, and neither had Charlie. What I do know (from peeking at data tables over the years) is that Seven was slightly below average in terms of wealth, and we averaged around 3 tesserae per person. So, our chances seemed pretty good.

"Hurry up, Charlie! We don't wanna be late!" I yell in the direction of his closed bedroom door.

"We won't be, as long as you don't walk so damn slow," he retorts.

What an ass, I think to myself as I finish fixing my hair.

I suddenly remember that this will be Fara's last Reaping – she'll be 19 in another six months.


We arrive at the District square and head to our separate lines to go through the ID check. Several of the Peacekeepers on patrol greet me as I walk past them.

Once I find my way to the 16-year-olds section, I look towards the 18-year-olds section and try to find Fara. I locate her pretty quickly, seeing as how she's the only 7-months-pregnant one there.

The video plays, and I silently mouth the narration that I've come to memorize. Afterwards, Kassandra takes to the stage, wearing an elaborate, violet dress, with her hair dyed to match the color.

"Hello District Seven! My name is Kassandra Kenyon, and I'm your new District Escort. I am so proud to standing here before all of you, and I hope we'll have many good years ahead of us!"

After a brief, silence-filled pause, she continues.

"Well then, let's get right to it."

She walks over to the boys' Reaping ball.

Weird. Almost everyone starts with the girls first. Oh well, it's her first time after all.

She picks out a name and clears her throat before enunciating the name written on the paper.

"Alexei Tepes."

With little delay, a dark-haired 18-year-old steps out into the aisle. He looks around 6-feet tall, lean, but still muscular. His skin was significantly tanned.

Definitely a lumberjack.

Wearing a blank expression, he makes his way swiftly to the stage. Kassandra greets him, says a few generic words, and moves on.


Alexei Tepes

District 7 Male

18 Years Old

Things are about to get a whole lot more interesting now.

I'm going to have to fight. To kill kids that would rather be anywhere else (except for the Careers, of course). And it's all just entertainment for the Capitol.

Suddenly the monotony of my work and the frustration with my relationships became total nonissues. These things only matter if you're alive.

I need some time later to think things through. I'm in a good position relative to most other Tributes, I imagine. I just need a solid strategy.

Kassandra moves over to the girls' ball and picks out a slip.

"Fara Axlyn."

No way. Is that one of the Mayor's daughters?

All of a sudden, Mayor Axlyn herself gets up from her seat on the stage.

"No, no, no," she says agitatedly. "There must be a mistake. Look! She's seven months pregnant. You can't do that to her!"

Kassandra is clearly taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

"I'm sorry, miss," she replies calmly, "But I'm afraid that doesn't mean she can't be Reaped."

"This is ridiculous! You're not just sending her in, you're sending her child in to die too!"

Normally, the Peacekeepers would have stepped in by now to ensure that the Reaping continues in an orderly fashion. But here, they're all just standing by, unsure of what to do.

As the argument on stage goes on, Fara begins to make her way to the aisle.

And then, a loud shout of "I volunteer!" silences the chaos on stage. Everyone turns to face the source of the outburst.

It was the Mayor Axlyn's other daughter, Cher.

It takes a while before the highly distraught mayor is gently escorted off stage by one of the Peacekeepers. Cher reaches the stage and stands on the opposite side of Kassandra. Only now am I able to get a closer look at my District partner.

I had seen her around a few times before, at school and a few public events. She's relatively short (maybe around 5'3'') and thin, with dark hair that reached just short of her elbows. She has sharp facial features, and her skin is somewhat tanned (though not as much as mine).

"So, my dear, tell us your name. I assume that was your sister whom you just volunteered for," Kassandra says as she holds to mic to Cher for a response.

"I'm Cher Axlyn. And yes, that's my sister Fara. You're obviously not supposed to send someone who's pregnant to the Games."

"Alright then," Kassandra replies hesitantly, "Well, let's welcome our noble volunteer!"

In a rare departure from Seven's silent and unemotional Reaping tradition, the crowd gave a heartfelt round of applause to the daughter of our well-liked Mayor.


Cherrie "Cher" Axlyn

District 7 Female

16 Years Old

We were in the visitation room of the Justice Building, a room I'd seen several times over the years, though I never imagined myself sitting in it like this. Fara had just left, effusively thanking me for what I did. But she didn't want to be here when our mother came in.

I can't remember the last time I saw my mother like this, broken down and in tears.

"Mom, you know this was the right thing to do," I calmly tell her.

She nods and tries to collect herself.

"Please don't do anything to anger the Capitol. The people here admire you – you're an inspiration to them. Just keep doing your job. Promise me, mom."

"I promise, sweetie. Don't worry about us. I just want you to come home. You have a clever mind, and you're capable of so much… Promise me, Cher, that you'll do whatever it takes to come back to us."

"Count on it," I reply, "I'll start planning everything as soon as I get on that train."

A Peacekeeper walks into the room and quietly says, "I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but I'm afraid your time's up here."

My mother stands up, takes a deep breath, and grabs my hands.

"I love you, sweetie. Always. We'll be rooting for you every step of the way."

She moves forward to hug me before leaving the room with the Peacekeeper. My father and Charlie enter shortly afterwards, and we share a few words before saying our goodbyes. Seeing my hyperactive and facetious brother so miserable hit me especially hard.

They leave, and for a few brief moments, I'm allowed to think.

I'm a volunteer. I committed myself to this, and now I must see it through to the best of my ability. Being a non-Career volunteer and a District Mayor's daughter will definitely put me on the radar, and perhaps even make me a target. But the story isn't written yet. I'm not going to let the Capitol, or the other Careers, have their way with me.

Alexei seems like he can be very useful. He's definitely strong and appears especially level-headed. I wonder if there was anything in the world he'd be truly afraid of.


AN: Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think of this chapter!

I realize this chapter might be a bit backstory/history-heavy, but I hope I was able to showcase a bit of each character's personality. Obviously, there will be many more opportunities for doing so once the Reapings are done and all the Tributes get together.

Also, let me know if you have any questions about the story, but keep in mind that many details that are unclear now will be revealed as the story progresses.

Thank you to everyone who's been following this story. I really do appreciate it, and I read all your reviews very carefully.