Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!

Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.

I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.

I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.

Let the Games begin!


Chapter 8:

"Alright, listen up you two," Flannery says loudly to get our attention and points at me and Lance from the across the table filled with breakfast. "We've got a very busy day ahead of us and need to follow a very tight schedule to make sure you both are prepared for the interviews tonight." She glances down at her tablet in front of her and moves things around before looking back at us, bolder than usual. "We've got two hours before the prep teams will arrive. In that time, you will spend one hour with your mentors to discuss what you will say and do in the interview and the other hour will be with me to make sure you don't look like a complete fool in front of Panem."

Lance reaches to grab another cookie and Flannery slaps his hand away from the plate. He glares over at her before leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms as I try not to laugh at Flannery stopping him. "So what exactly will you be teaching us?"

"How to not slouch in your chair like you're doing right now," Flannery replies casually to him and points at him to emphasis her comment. He immediately starts sitting up at this and Darach chuckles next to me. "I'll also make sure you're not going to disrespect Claudia who is a very nice woman. And Glacia will be taught how to walk in heels."

"That sounds terrible," I mumble before taking a sip of my water. I'll gladly fight a guy larger than me but walking in heels? No thanks.

Flannery slams a hand down on the table, causing me to jump as I look back over at her. "That's enough of you two sassing me right now." She glares at me and Lance for a few seconds before continuing, making sure we're paying attention to her. "Now listen to me very carefully. I'm trying to help you out for your own benefit. I could just let you go out with no etiquette training." This statement has me raising an eyebrow because the look on her face shows that she would never let us go out without training and embarrass her. "But I want you two to do well tonight. It will help you win sponsors and the favor of the Gamemakers, both of which are essential to winning these games. And I have every intention of the victor being from District Two." She stands up and puts both hands on the table as she stares intently at me and Lance. "Are we clear?" We both nod our heads right away and I know I'm shocked by her suddenly taking charge, but also proud of her devotion to us. "Good. Glacia, you're with me first. Lance, go with Roxanne."

Before I can even move, Flannery is grabbing my arm and pulling me out of my chair. I glance over at Darach for help as she starts dragging me off but he just shrugs at me. I sigh as I turn around before I trip, following her towards the bedrooms. This hour is probably going to be unenjoyable.

Flannery leads me into her room and points me to a chair sitting in the middle of the room. "Sit," she commands and I listen to her, looking around the room once I'm sitting. She has a desk set up in the corner, filled with notes that have tons of writing, some things crossed out. I want to see what is written on it but she snaps her fingers near my face to get my attention. I turn back to her and she grabs my shoulders and pulls me up a little. "You're slouching slightly. Sit up like this," she puts her hands on either side of me to make sure I'm sitting straight.

"Is that better?" I ask when she steps back and I continue sitting upright, wanting to avoid her getting commanding again.

She frowns a little but nods her head at me. She steps back over and puts both hands on my knees and pushes them together. "The way you sit is not how ladies should sit with their legs." She shakes her head at this which just leaves me confused. I had no idea that I didn't sit right. "This happens every year with the female volunteers. You spend too much time with the men at the training center and pick up on too many of their habits."

I start frowning at this statement. "Is that a bad thing?" I didn't think before that I acted like the guys from the training center but it shouldn't be a bad thing that I'm like them.

Flannery smiles kindly at me and moves my chin up slightly with her hand. "Not at all, dear. I find that being like the boys helps you stay alive longer in the games. It just makes my job a little tougher now." She steps back and scrutinizes me. Her gaze makes me feel uncomfortable and I try not to let it bother me as later I will have the entire nation watching me. "Cross your ankles when you're sitting," she instructs and points at my feet. I listen to her, feeling a little awkward about sitting like this but she gives a quick nod of approval. "Hold your hands together on your lap when you're sitting."

I do as I'm told and put my hands together and stare at her, feeling stiff and unnatural with how I'm sitting right now. She is silent for a minute as she stares at me and I start wishing I could be working with Darach instead right now. "So do I need to be doing anything else?"

Flannery laughs at this and I feel uncomfortable about being stuck with her for training. "Oh that's just for sitting. We still need to get you walking in heels."

I cringe at this as she turns and walks over to the wall where a dozen pairs of heels are waiting, all of different heights. When she lingers near a pair that looks dangerously high, I start worrying that I'll have to start the games with a broken leg. But she settles on a pair that is barely above the ground and I let out a small sigh of relief. She sets them down in front of me and points at them. "Put them on."

I obey her command and slip the shoes on before slowly standing. I have to grab the arm of the chair to balance myself at first before I can stand up straight. Flannery looks unhappy at me being unbalanced with the shoes on and lets out a loud sigh. "Haven't you had any experience wearing heels before?"

"Just a little when growing up and trying on my mother's shoes," I respond with a shrug, much to her dismay. "But she's the only one who wears them and we're not the same size shoe so I see no point in buying any for myself. And heels aren't really a practical thing at the training center when I need to fight against someone."

"Well they still should have taught you how to walk in them," she closes her eyes for a second and takes a deep breath before looking at me. "Very well. I will show you how to walk in heels and follow my lead." She sets off at a brisk pace around the room and I raise an eyebrow at how she hasn't tripped in the shoes she's wearing. At one point, she turns around to look at me expectantly. "Well? Are you going to start walking or what?"

I take a deep breath before hesitantly stepping towards her, praying silently that I won't hurt myself.


"How does she walk in those shoes all the time?" I ask Darach as I throw myself down on the couch. I pull my feet up and start rubbing them, not believing how much my feet hurt from the small amount of time walking in heels.

Darach simply laughs at this as he settles down next to me with a plate full of food. He offers it to me but I wave him away, not in the mood for snacking. "Because that's what she's been raised to do her entire life. Just like you have been raised to use a spear. If the roles were reversed and you had to teach her how to fight, she would struggle just as much as you surely just did." I glare over at this comment and he just raises his hands lightheartedly in defense. "Come on, Glacia, I know you well enough to know that you are not a fan of girly things and probably have never worn heels."

I roll my eyes at him before propping my feet up on the small table in front of us. "Since you claim to know me so well, what am I supposed to do in my interview tonight?"

"That's easy," he chuckles before continuing, "Claudia is very predictable with the things she asks. And you make this interview very easy for her." I raise an eyebrow at him as he pauses. He starts counting on his hand, "One, you're the granddaughter of Sylvia Skylar. The Capitol has probably been waiting since the Reaping for you to be asked about her. Two, it's clear that you have had training. And three, your one of two tributes that are 18. You have a good chance of making it far and if Claudia is smart, she'll know this."

"So what do I say? You're not really helping by telling me why Claudia will have an easy time interviewing me," I find myself once again growing annoyed with Darach not just getting to the point with his advice.

Darach pauses for a moment and I stare at him, waiting for him to tell me something to help me out tonight. I've never had an interview like this before and I don't know how I should act around Claudia. "Well, make sure you emphasize the fact that you were chosen to volunteer this year before the Quell was announced. Sponsors will love the fact that we recognized you as being the best female in District Two."

I think about this for a few seconds. Yes, it will be important to mention that fact. I nod at him in understanding. "Okay, what else? Clearly I will need to talk about Grandma."

"Yes, you will," Darach looks off and stares for a few seconds before returning his gaze to me. "While she might not like thinking back on her games, they still love her here in the Capitol. She was the first victor for Two after the Second Rebellion and they haven't forgotten that fact." He smiles sadly at me and I know he cares about her almost as much as I do. "Just don't mention the mental tolls the games have had on her."

"I would never bring that up," I respond defensively, slightly offended that he would really think that I would say that in front of all of Panem. "So I just make sure they are reminded that I'm her granddaughter?"

"I imagine Claudia will probably bring it up herself, but if not, just make sure you remind them," Darach lets out a sigh and we sit in silence for a minute. "Honestly, just answer the questions in a smart way and you should be fine. You know how to hold your tongue when it matters."

I laugh at this statement, remembering my outburst last night and how that was not the case. "That doesn't happen very often."

"Yeah but that's when you're with people you're competing against," Darach remarks with a knowing smile. "When it comes to us trainers or people in a position of power, you know how to respect them."

"Then how come I don't act that way with you?" I counter him, not really sure why I sometimes like to challenge everything he does.

"Because you view me as an equal," he responds with a shrug. "Simple as that. Even though I'm a victor, you never took it easy in fights with me and I did the same. That respect is why I wanted you to be the volunteer in your final year and be the one to mentor you."

I smile at him, feeling happy about his faith in me. "I won't let you down in the games."

"Oh I know you won't," he confidently answers. "But first you need to not let me down at this interview. And to do that, I need you to ignore everything Flannery just taught you except for how to walk in heels."

"Why?" I ask him, puzzled at why I would have to go through all of that training with Flannery just to ignore it.

"She was teaching you how to act all prim and proper. That's not how you are." Darach stands up and starts pacing around in front of where I'm sitting. "You're a fighter, not some lady who cares more about her reputation than anything else."

I watch him pace the room, confused about how I should act in this interview. "Then what do I do? Are the Capitol people really going to want to see me act tough rather than acting proper?"

"Glacia, you're a trained tribute from District Two," he pauses in his walking to cross his arms at me. "What do you think they want?"

"They want to see someone who knows how to fight," I answer him quietly and he resumes his pacing. "Especially with how few tributes are trained this year. They're going to want to see that Two still has a tribute who can definitely win the games."

"Now you're getting it," he moves to the chair next to me and sits back, looking relaxed as he crosses one leg over his near and crosses his arms. "Now sit for me like you would if you were listening to Flannery." I listen to him and sit up straight, struggling to cross my ankles for a couple seconds before I succeed. I place my hands in my lap and look at him. "Now if you were a sponsor, would you think a tribute is really willing to fight if they are sitting like you or sitting like me?"

I'm aware of how painfully posed I'm sitting and it feels very fake to me as I stare at Darach looking confident and relaxed. He looks very much like the bold volunteer he was years ago and I know I would have wanted to sponsor him if I was in the Capitol. "I would pick you."

Darach nods at me. "Glad we are on the same page. Now I want you to sit in a way that reflects how I am."

I stare at him for a few seconds, analyzing his pose and how I could do something similar. I copy his leg position, knowing that gives me a relaxed appearance. But I don't cross my arms like him, not wanting to give the appearance of being closed off. So I rest one on the arm rest and partially lean against it. I try to give him a smirk that shows I feel confident about my ability to fight. "Does this work?"

"Sure, but you might want to change how your legs are. Unless, of course, your goal was to flash everyone in the dress you're going to be wearing tonight," he laughs at this and I feel my face heat up at the embarrassing thought of doing that in front of the whole country. I slide my leg over so I wouldn't accidentally flash anyone. Maybe Flannery was right about me sitting like a guy. "That's better. Now just sit like that, answer all the questions in a way that will make the crowd love you and be afraid of you, and you're set."

"That's all you have for me?" I ask him in disbelief as he stands up and picks up his plate of food. He starts snacking on some fruit and shrugs at me. "Wow, you would think you would be spending the whole hour teaching me."

"I don't need to," he says around food and I give him a look of disgust. He finishes chewing before continuing. "We already have a strong enough relationship that I don't have to spend time working on different angles that you could use. That's one of the many benefits of having a mentor that has known you for years."

I ponder this as I take a piece of apple from his plate. "So are Lance and Roxanne struggling to prepare for tonight?"

"Possibly," Darach answers and shrugs once more. "But it is also possible that they work well together. Roxanne might not help us with training but she's smart and knows how to mentor well." He gives me a bizarre look before sighing at me. "Glacia, you need to stop worrying about him and focus on yourself. We can coach you as much as possible before the games start but once you're in the arena, it's almost entirely up to you."

I sigh at this and stand up, stretching after sitting around. "It's hard not to worry about him when I know he's planning something that's going to affect me."

"I know," he agrees before eating more fruit. I watch him, unsure once again about Lance. He thankful waits until he's done chewing before continuing. "Since you clearly want my advice, here it is. Forget about Lance right now. Your main concern should be the interview tonight and making sure you impress the rich bastards that live here so that they are practically throwing money your way," I raise my eyebrows at his brash choice of words but he just casually waves his hand at me, ignoring it. "And I also suggest eating some of the food because we're almost out of time and the prep teams will be here right when the two hours end. They won't give you a food break and trust me, you'll be starving by the end of getting ready."

I laugh at this but start heading back towards the dining room. He falls into step beside me. "Very well, I'll stuff myself with food. But if my dress doesn't fit later, I'm going to blame you."

Darach simply laughs at this as we approach the table that has been cleared of breakfast foods and now contains an assortment of lunch foods. I grab a few sandwiches that are sliced into tiny triangles and turn to Darach who is also grabbing more food. "Don't do that. Hell hath no fury like a prep team whose outfit isn't working."

I try to picture my prep team becoming angry but just cannot picture it. They seem to lighthearted and happy about their job. But his comment has me curious. "Did you make your prep team angry?"

Darach chuckles at this and I can tell by the look on his face that it's going to be a funny story. "Angry doesn't even begin to describe their reactions. I ripped my pants about five minutes before we were supposed to go on the stage."

"You did not," I respond in disbelief but he nods at me and I burst out laughing. "How did you manage to do that?"

Darach shakes his head at this but laughs as he recalls the memory. "I don't know. I think I was messing around with my District partner and trying to get her to laugh because she was nervous. I was young and stupid and tried to show her that I could still kick someone in the head in my dress pants. Well I proved I could kick that high but the pants did not survive," he pauses as he starts laughing and has to pause for a moment before continuing to tell the story. "Well I got her to laugh, just not the way I intended. Oh my prep team was so angry. You should have seen them running around, frantically trying to sew my pants together."

"Oh that is just too funny," I respond in-between laughing, my sides starting to hurt. "I don't remember you having any embarrassing moments during your interview so I'm guessing they got your pants fixed in time?"

Darach nods at this, still laughing a little. "They got it done just seconds before I had to walk on stage. And that's not even the funniest part of the story. Kat was so angry when she found out about it but couldn't do much about it since I did well at my interview."

I try picturing Kat's reaction and know she must have been furious about it. I've always tried to avoid getting on her bad side, yet here is Darach acting so casual about it. But his comment about his interview has me starting to worry a little about mine tonight. "Hey Darach? Were you nervous before your interview?"

"Yeah I was nervous about my pants ripping again in front of Panem," he jokes around before noticing that I'm being serious. He puts a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "Of course I was a little nervous. But you want to know what advice Kat told me and I'm going to suggest you follow as well. Focus entirely on Claudia. Try to block out the crowd being there. And if that fails, well, you can look over at me and I'll make a funny face to get you to relax."

"Kat would never make a ridiculous face in public," I say in disbelief that that was part of her advice to him.

"Of course she wouldn't," Darach chuckles at this before nudging my arm. "That's my personal advice to you." Suddenly we can hear voices enter the apartment and grow closer and I know the prep teams must have arrived. "You better finish those sandwiches fast."

I shove a whole piece in my mouth as my prep team enters the room, desperately wanting to finish my food before they start getting me ready. Valerie sets down the two plastic cases she's carrying and holds her arms out in excitement. "Ah there you are Glacia!"

Korinna tsks at me as she takes the plate of food away from me. "Don't stuff yourself on the day of the interview. We don't want you getting nervous and getting sick on stage."

I glance over at Darach and can see him trying to hold his laughter in at the prep team. I turn away from him to see Marcus smiling kindly at me as Valerie picks up her stuff. "Don't worry, dear. If you cooperate and we are going to be early, we can let you have some snacks." Marcus looks at the other two before turning back to me. "Well if everyone is ready, let's get started. We have a lot to do today and need to make sure you look stunning."

I let them start leading me to my room, accepting the fact that they will be working with me for hours. Korinna and Valerie are talking away about a party they attended last night and I fall into step with Marcus. "So when will I get to see my dress?"

"Not until later, I'm afraid," he answers as he opens the door to my room and lets me walk in first. "It is another stunning piece by Serena and you're going to be gorgeous in it."

They start setting their cases down and start pulling out tons of pieces of equipment. Valerie seems to be in charge of doing my hair tonight while Korinna starts setting up a variety of different nail polish bottles. Marcus doesn't start opening his yet and Korinna starts to take out the makeup for him as he looks over me. "Hmm, the dark circles under your eyes will be a pain but I will be able to cover it up. As for your eyes, you have such lovely blue eyes and I need to make them stand out. Possibly a gold smoky eye will work… What do you two think about that? Gold eyes and a red lip?"

"Definitely," Valerie responds instantly and from the way she looks at him, I can tell she will do anything to impress him.

Korinna takes a bit more time to think about it and stares at me intensely. I start to feel uncomfortable under their scrutinizing gazes, especially when she grabs my chin to turn my face. "Not sure about the red lip. Won't that be too much with the dress? Maybe a nude lipstick would be better?"

"No, we want to be bold tonight. Playing it safe won't make her be remembered by the crowd," Marcus mutters to himself as he taps his chin while staring at me. I start questioning his definition of bold as he turns to Korinna. "You match your lipstick color to your outfits all the time. Why should Glacia's look be any different tonight?"

"Do I have a say in it?" I ask and they all fall silent as the stare at me, shocked by my outburst. I start wondering if I was too bold as they continue to silently stare at me. "Well I'm the one wearing the outfit tonight. Shouldn't I be allowed to voice my opinion about it?"

After a few seconds pass, Marcus starts to smile at this and laughs lightly. "Of course you should. No one has ever asked us to give their opinion before and it was simply surprising."

I start smiling at his response and look around at the other two, feeling like I've gained their respect for wanting to be part of the process. As I turn back to Marcus, I realize that I don't have very much knowledge on makeup but I've watched enough interviews that I think I can make a good choice. "So the options are red or nude? Well what's the dress color?"

Marcus chuckles at this and pulls out a small piece of fabric from his pocket to show me and I start smirking at the color. "Blood red."


"We're almost done, sweetheart," Valerie says apologetically as I let out a small noise of pain at her tugging on my hair again.

"Yes, please hurry so you won't make her move and ruin my makeup," Marcus mutters as he continues to brush powder onto my eyes. After several hours of sitting through this, I don't think I can handle much more from them. At least Korinna has been done with my nails for a while and working on making sure their dry.

Valerie gives one last tug on my hair before clapping. "There, I'm done!"

"Good," Marcus approves as he pauses briefly from putting makeup on. "Give it a good spray so it stays in place. Glacia, open your eyes from me please." I listen to him and see him standing in front of me as Valerie holds her hand above my face and starts spraying my hair. "Now I want you to look up while I put mascara on your lashes. And don't blink."

I stare up at the ceiling and struggle against the urge to blink as the brush touches my eyelashes. I find myself almost about to blink when he stops and I let out a small sigh of relief that I won't mess up his makeup. As I stare at him, he analyzes the makeup he's been so carefully applying. "Hmm, Korinna, can you grab me the pair of false lashes with the gold gems on the ends?"

I watch her rummage through the supplies as Valerie comes around to look at my face. "You've outdone yourself, Marcus. And I have to say, the red lip was definitely a good choice."

"Well I'm not done yet," he mutters as he takes the lashes from Korinna and quickly gets them ready to put on. As he's carefully putting the first one on, the door opens and he grabs ahold of my face. "Don't you dare turn right now."

I listen to him, slightly afraid of making him angry like Darach had with his prep team years ago. Marcus starts to put the lashes on the other eye as Serena walks in front of me so that I can look at her. "Hello, Glacia. I see my prep team has gotten you ready to stun the crowds."

"I don't know about the stunning part because I haven't been able to see myself in hours," I respond and laugh a little as Marcus steps back. I notice the large bag she is holding and I nod towards it. "So do I finally get to see the dress?"

"Yes, you do," she smiles smugly as she hands the bag to Korinna to hold while she carefully starts unzipping it. "What have they told you about it?"

"Just the color," I respond as fabric starts falling out of the bag. She carefully takes it out and I raise an eyebrow at the floor length gown. It looks tight in all the places I normally don't pay attention to. But then I notice the extra sheer fabric hanging down from the shoulders. "Is that a cape on it?"

"Yes," Serena appears to be a little offended at my response to it. "The theme of the chariot rides is being extended to the interview outfits for the females. Lisia seems to think that having capes attached to the dresses will continue to make you appear goddess-like. And so you have a cape."

"Well, I don't know anything really about high fashion so I can't say if it's a good decision or not from Lisia," I shrug at this but smile at her. "Let's see how this looks on me."

Korinna helps me slip off the robe I've been wearing as Marcus and Valerie carefully take the dress from Serena and prepare to slip it on me without messing up the hair and makeup they spent so much time on. After a minute of careful maneuvering, they slide the dress completely down and start smoothing it out. As the cape falls over my shoulders, I grab ahold of the fabric and swing it a little, slightly amused by the extra fabric. I glance back up at Serena to see her staring at it intently, not seeming happy. "Can I look in the mirror?"

"Not yet," she responds immediately. "It needs something. Korinna, you have the container of accessories? There should be a gold belt that looks like woven rope." The girl starts digging through a box, pulling out numerous pieces of jewelry that probably cost enough that they could support a family for months back in Two. Finally, she hands over a piece to Serena. "Yes, this is exactly what it needs. Glacia, hold up your arms please." I follow her instructions and she quickly places the belt around my waist. When she steps back, she finally looks content. "It's perfect now. Go ahead and turn around."

I take a deep breath before I turn around, slightly anxious about how I will look. And when I catch sight of myself in the mirror, I'm shocked at how I look. The red dress shows off curves I didn't know I had, it's higher neckline giving it a classy appeal while still making me look sexy. And the gold belt adds the perfect touch, making my waist appear small and giving me an hourglass figure. As for the cape, oh I thought it would make the dress look tacky but it does the opposite. The prep team did amazing work, the lipstick matching the dress perfectly and the makeup brings out the blue in my eyes. I now have an explanation for the constant tugging on my hair when Valerie was styling it as three French braids go back into a high, perfectly straight ponytail. Simple gold earrings finish off the look, now matching with the belt.

"Well what do you think?" Serena asks as she looks in the mirror with me over my shoulder.

"It's amazing," I respond quietly, still overwhelmed at my appearance. I turn around to look at all of them, noticing how the cape flares dramatically as I do so. I look at the prep team and feel suddenly grateful for their work. "Thank you. You three did so much for me and I wouldn't look this great without you."

Marcus smiles proudly at me. "It was nothing. This is something we all love to do."

I turn back to Serena as the other two nod their heads in agreement. "Well dear, if you're ready, we can get going downstairs." With an unspoken word, Marcus moves and picks up a pair of black heels, thankfully shorter than the worst pair I walked in earlier. As he helps me slip them on, Serena takes my hand to keep me steady.

As Marcus helps me get the second shoe on I notice that the bottom of the shoes are red and I chuckle a little. "How many ways can you incorporate red into this outfit?"

"I thought the red on the bottom of the shoes was a nice subtle touch," Serena remarks quietly to me and I stand up straight in the shoes. I try to keep steady and look up at her to see her smiling smugly at me. "It's not that easy to walk in them, is it?"

"No but I'm determined to make it work," I answer her, accepting the challenge that is this outfit. "Let's get going." Serena motions for me to lead the way out of the room and I start walking, slow at first to make sure I'm steady on my feet. As we make it into the living room, no one else is around and I turn back to Serena confused. "Where is everyone else?"

"Your mentors and escort had to leave earlier to get to their seats in the crowd since they have special seats," she informs me as we reach the elevator with my prep team right behind us. "As for Lance, I imagine he is already downstairs since the boys always take less work to get ready."

The doors open quietly and we step on as I process this information. I would have like to see Darach one more time before the interviews started. Serena seems to notice that I'm not feeling well about the interviews and comfortingly takes my hand. "It's going to be alright. Really. The interview is only three minutes long and Claudia makes every effort to help you answer the questions."

I nod my head at this as the doors open and we step out on the main floor of the tribute center. The windows have been covered to prevent anyone from seeing us ahead of the interviews. Even from inside I can hear the crowd cheering in excitement. Many of the tributes are already here, some with stylists and prep teams making last minute adjustments. I immediately notice that the pairs of tributes are wearing matching colors and I wonder if this was part of the theme. Sure enough, Lance is waiting in line near the front, his silver-haired stylist making adjustments to his hair.

I look over at my own stylist with her silver blonde hair and recall that Claudia has similar colored hair. "Hey Serena? I'm just curious. Is silver hair a trend right now?"

She gives me an amused smile before looking over at her partner. "Yes, I suppose it is. A trend in the very early stages of being popular." We continue walking in silence for a few seconds as Lance looks over and sees us approaching. He's been put in a matching red jacket with black accents, along with black dress pants. He looks good dressed up like this and I'm sure he will get plenty of sponsors tonight. "After the games are done, I imagine many people with be copying Claudia's fashion choices, including the hair color."

We reach Lance and his stylist and he gives me a nod of greeting as he takes in my appearance. I repeat the action and look around at the tributes around us, noticing that all of the girls around us have a cape attached to their dresses. And after walking around a bit and feeling it lift up behind me, I like the feeling of power it gives me. I turn to Serena and give her a half smile. "You know, the cape is really growing on me."

She gives me a small smile in return as she straightens out my dress. "I knew you would like it eventually." She pauses to look around and I notice Ryoko next to us in a white suit covered in gold embellishments. It's over the top yet fitting for District One. "Alright Glacia, I think we need to get going. Just remember what I told you."

I nod at her in understand, trying to recall what Darach told me so many hours ago. Lance's stylist also recognizes that he should go with Serena. "I will be leaving too. Good luck, Lance."

"Thanks Galen," he replies before the pair leaves us and I notice how they match a lot. It's almost nice to see that the stylists for Two are united. I turn back to Lance and see him watching me expectantly. "Are you ready for this?"

I want to answer honestly, that I'm starting to freak out a little inside, but I remember that we are around all of the other tributes. I can even see on his face that he is feeling nervous too but I can't focus on him right now. So I shrug at him, hoping to stay casual around the others. "Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be."

"Oh you'll be just fine!" Ryoko interrupts and I look over my shoulder to see him watching us excitedly. He doesn't appear to be nervous at all about these interviews and I find myself a little envious of him. "Both of you will be fine, just look at the scores you got. The crowd loves you already!"

Lance laughs at this and I turn back to him, shaking my head a little as Lance responds to him. "If only we all had the confidence that you have, Ryoko!" The younger boy laughs at this and I stare at Lance, wondering what is going through his mind. He gives me a strained smile, "You need to stand in front of me in line, someone came through earlier and said that the girls go first for each District."

I nod my head at this, not trusting myself to speak right now and not show how nervous I am starting to get. Seeing everyone else around me dressed nice has made it set in that the interviews really are about to happen. My stomach is twisting inside and the confidence I felt earlier with Darach has seemingly disappeared. I take a deep breath to steady myself before moving in-between Lance and Ryoko. With the heels, I tower over the younger boy and match Lance's height.

"Attention tributes," a voice announces and I almost jump at the sound. "Please prepare for your interviews. The interviews start in one minute. Again, please prepare for your interviews. Thank you."

I look over at Lance, struggling to control my breathing as I hear the crowd start cheering louder. Claudia's voice can be heard, muffled by the building. "Welcome Panem! Tonight is a very special night as we have the opportunity to hear from all 22 tributes. Each tribute will have three minutes to impress us on the last night before the games begin! Shall we bring them out?"

As the crowd screams even louder, I can see that Lance is just as nervous as I am. "Good luck," I whisper to him as the doors open in front of us and the crowd's cheers come in clear to us.

"You too," I hear him respond as I look ahead to where Lorelei is leading us out onto the stage, lights bright on the stage.

I hold my head up high, knowing it's the most important moment I've ever had where I need to pretend to be feeling confident and ready to fight. And then I step out onto the stage.


So I just started a new story, this time it is a SYOT. It will take place in the 149th Hunger Games and in this AU I have created. Please go check it out and think about submitting :)

If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com! It is now updated through Chapter 8!