A/N: So the past couple days, a LOT of disappointing things have been happening to me and I've been super bummed out, so I'm sorry if the quality of writing isn't up to par because I've been upset and certainly lacking inspiration and motivation lol. But I've had this chapter started for a while so I forced myself to finish this!

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: I put so much time and thought into pairing these tributes, like you have no idea. If you're upset by your tribute's partner or was hoping for someone else, please don't be too disappointed! I promise each of these pairings will have plenty of development and plot arcs in the story and I hope you'll like the direction I take them in.

More information about each pairing will be at the bottom of this chapter, but I can't give too much away.

And now, the chapter you've all been waiting for!

Luke, 19, Victor of the 98th Hunger Games

The Partnering Ceremony was set to take place on the same stage as the interviews. It was some time in the afternoon; Luke didn't pay much attention to time in the Capitol, he was always directed when and where to go that he didn't need to rely on the clock.

The lights in the massive auditorium were harsh, lighting up the mentors, stylists, escorts, sponsors, and lucky citizens that milled around the room, trying to find their seats before Caesar and the tributes took the stage.

For the first time ever, Luke was not carrying around an envelope in his pocket that dictated a time and place he was supposed to be. He was sat in one of the plush seats near the stage, bouncing his leg up and down as the rest of the audience filled in. It was weird for him not to feel the crisp paper when he reached into his jacket pocket and he kept looking around suspiciously, half-expecting an Avox to come rushing over with a sealed envelope in hand.

He'd been on edge the entire month. Luke was expecting to be called into the Capitol at any moment, but one week went by with no word from the President. Then two weeks. Then three. He tried his hardest not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't contain the feeling of bliss that expanded in his chest with every Appointment-free day that went by. It wouldn't last- it never did – but he would enjoy it while it lasted.

A flash of deep purple swooped by him, stepping over his outstretched legs in order to get to the seat next to him. Juliet flopped down beside him with a sigh. His blue eyes studied her, trying to find his best friend beneath the dark make-up and tight dress. She fidgeted in her seat and glared back fiercely, a typical look for her, but he knew there was no real menace in her gaze.

"Is it bad that it just occurred to me that we're going to have to work with mentors from the other districts?" She grinned at him, but her tone was humorless. On the outside, Juliet looked very put together, but her eyes were flitting around the room frantically and she was on edge. She shifted anxiously, digging her long and manicured nails into her thigh.

He grabbed her hand, stopping her before she drew blood. "What's up with you?"

They both knew that there was plenty going on in their messed-up lives, but he had never seen her like this. After the Games Juliet had reached her breaking point and shut down, facing her new reality head on but leaving herself behind in the process. Even then, she had never been as jumpy and high-strung as she was at the moment.

Juliet's hand remained limp in his, but she made no move to pull away. She took one more look around the room before meeting his eyes and shrugging. "I'm just really nervous about mentoring."

Luke could understand that. For his first year as a mentor, he had to watch Juliet in the arena while trying to deal with the guilt and nightmares that came along with his victory. Although nothing could beat his traumatic mentoring experience last year, Juliet was still in a tough situation. This year was the quell, and Cleo wasn't exactly the easiest tribute to deal with. After her outburst at the Reaping she had surprised both Luke and Juliet by seeming relatively normal, but there was still something off-putting about her. He was happy that his tribute, Stone, was eager to take his advice and learn from him. If he was paired with a strong tribute, Luke was hoping that he would have a high chance of coming back alive.

He accepted Juliet's explanation grudgingly, but he didn't have time to question her further. The lights dimmed and the stage lit up as Caesar walked out, looking peppy as ever despite his age.

"Welcome to the Partnering Ceremony of the 100th Annual Hunger Games!" A cheer rose up from the audience as the camera began to pan over the crowd, showing everyone's favorite victors and stylists. Luke grimaced and dropped Juliet's hand as if it had burned him, reluctantly clapping along as the camera stopped on them. He kept his gaze trained straight ahead, but he could feel her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she smiled wide.

"Tonight, twenty-four tributes will now be twelve teams of two! In the exciting twist for the fourth quell, each tribute will be randomly paired with another tribute and their lives will be linked." Caesar through his hands out dramatically, causing another thundering applause.

"Let's bring out the tributes!"

There were twenty-four chairs set up on one side of the stage and twelve tiny couches on the other. The District One female took the stage first, the rest following behind in order of district. She walked with her chin held high, gracefully taking her place in the first of the chairs. Once all the tributes had been seated, a bowl filled with thin slips of paper was brought out onto the stage. It was almost as if they were trying to horrify the tributes by mimicking a reaping. From the looks on their faces, it was working. He felt Juliet tense beside him as Caesar reached into the clear bowl and he grabbed her hand again, hoping that his action would be hidden in the darkness.

Caesar explained that he would pick out one name out of a hat and the one that followed would be his or her partner. He wasted no time in reaching in and pulling out a slip of paper, smoothing it out between his hands.

"Durian Rodgers, District Eleven," A small and scrawny kid of around thirteen stood up, trembling. "And… Jakob Quinn, District Two!"

A hulking boy stood up from his spot toward the front, annoyance clear on his brutish features. It was obvious that the Career was not excited about being paired with a tiny tribute from the outer districts, but the two made their way over to the first couch, sitting as far apart as possible.

"Onto the next!" Caesar quieted down the crowd, holding a finger up to his lips and raising and eyebrow. "Next we have…Adrienne Villiers, District One, with Charity Falls, District Eleven!" Charity stood and gave her partner a timid smile. The volunteer from District One regarded her with an impassive expression, appearing neither upset nor pleased with the thirteen-year-old. The audience was cheering even louder, seemingly excited at the prospect of two careers being paired with smaller, weaker tributes.

"Stone Izar, District Seven," Luke held his breath as his tributes name was announced. Juliet gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as Caesar examined the next slip. "…and Eva Helton, District Five! A spunky girl stood up from her seat, grinning at Stone. She was small and looked young, but her attitude and the way she carried herself made her seem older. Luke made a mental note to find out how old she was. Stone gave her a nod and took his seat beside her on the third couch.

"Aenon Monroe, District Four, and Calliar Brinstone, District Twelve!" A broad-shouldered girl stood up from the second to last seat, crossing her arms defensively as Aenon looked her up and down. He kept his face neutral, but Calliar narrowed her eyes at him, as if daring him to look displeased about being paired with her. Luke assumed the Career from four wouldn't be too happy about being paired with a fifteen or sixteen-year-old from Twelve, but at least Calliar looked muscular and had some spunk to her.

"Colt Channing, District Ten, and Atom Chase, District Five!" The crowd swooned as the two tiny boys stood up, but Luke's heart sank. The two boys were easily the tiniest tributes this year and he wouldn't be surprised if they were the youngest. He didn't see how the two of them would be able to survive the arena.

"Everest Mason, District One, with Kohl Carbone, District Twelve!" The handsome boy from One stood, giving Kohl a polite and slightly awkward grin. The seventeen-year-old from Twelve scrunched up his face in return, looking as if he was about to throw a tantrum. The Career's smile fell and he sat down rigidly on the couch next to the other boy.

"Now we have Isadora Juno, District Two, and…" Caesar fumbled with the second slip, causing it to flutter slowly to the floor before he could catch it. Isadora stood up abruptly, hands on her hips and grinning wildly. The remaining tributes sat wide-eyed, each seeming to sink down further into their seats in hope that their name wouldn't be called next.

"And Isla Ray, District Four!" Caesar finally retrieved the slip off the ground, laughing off his embarrassment. Isla stood up and took her place beside Isadora. She was smiling, but Luke couldn't tell if she was happy about her partner or if she just had a good poker face. Either way, the two trained tributes together would be a pair to watch out for.

Caesar waited for the applause to die down before picking the next slip. It seems that Isadora and Isla were popular tributes this year, and the audience was excited about their pairing.

"Lea Bobbin, District Eight, and Burton Rollins, District Eight!" That applause got louder as both District Eight tributes stood up, looking extremely happy about being paired with their district partner. It would be a huge advantage to them in the arena, and they were both older and looked relatively capable. Luke would try to remember to tell Stone that they were another pair to be wary of.

"Clementine Zaira, District Seven, and Wyatt Buckler, District Six!" Juliet's tribute stood up, giving Wyatt a toothy grin. The boy from District Six tried to smile, but his lanky frame looked a little awkward as he shuffled across the stage next to Cleo. The two of them were an interesting pair appearance wise. Cleo was taller than Wyatt and was much more exotic looking, with almond eyes, big lips, and dark olive skin. The latter was very skinny, with pale skin, light hair, and pale blue eyes. He couldn't tell if Juliet was pleased or disappointed by Juliet's choice in partner, but at least Wyatt seemed sane.

"Julian Amaryliss, District Nine," A very short boy stood up, but Luke could tell by his stature that he was at least fourteen. He had a casual, mischievous grin on his face, but from the way that he kept glancing at the remaining tributes, it was clear that he was nervous about who his life would be tied to.

"And…Daphne Aurora Yorkshire, District Three!" Caesar held the slip further away from his face, scrunching his features together as he read out the long name. Luke assumed that name would have belonged to someone like the girl from District One, who oozed properness and a 'high society' attitude, but instead a tall and thin girl stood, her small features making her look younger than she probably was. She gave Julian a nod and looked him up and down, making the boy shift uncomfortably. She was biting her lip harshly, looking as if she was trying extremely hard to refrain from saying something. They sat down on their couch, leaving only two remaining.

"Only two pairs remain!" Caesar gestured to the four tributes still in their chairs: a tall and lanky girl with thick glasses, a scowling boy, a tiny girl with a bright smile, and a button-nosed girl who looked the most well fed out of all the tributes on stage besides the careers, so she must have come from a well-off family.

"Our second to last pairing is…" Caesar reached into the bowl, struggling to pick out two slips. "Mazie Harvey, District Nine, and Sable Hennig, District Ten!" The two girls stood up, assessing each other.

"That leaves our final tributes, Alvy Morganton, District Three, and Paris Francis, District Six!" The crowd screamed as the twelve-year-old girl stood up excitedly, grinning at the boy and rushing over to her spot on the couch. The boy's scowl loosened and his face bore an expression of pure disbelief, looking as if he'd just been told he was destined to die. With the tiny girl as his partner, he probably was.

"There you have it! Our twelve pairs for the 100th Hunger Games and Fourth Quarter Quell!" The crowd was cheering so loud that it almost drowned out Caesar's booming voice. "In just five days' time, these twenty-four tributes will be entering the arena! Who will be victorious?"

"I'm Caesar Flickerman, and this concludes our evening. Have a good night!"

The tributes were ushered off stage and the lights were raised, causing Luke to blind a few times to adjust his eyes. He looked over at Juliet who was staring down at her hands, twisting them nervously in her lap.

"We should go meet up with our tributes and the other mentors backstage. There's a lot to discuss." He sighed, running a hand through messy hair, a move that Juliet always used to tease him about.

She looked up, giving Luke a fleeting smile before jumping out of her seat. "No, I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow." She practically tripped over her feet as she rushed hurriedly out of the auditorium, leaving Luke staring confusedly at the seat she had just abandoned.

OK SO here's my little tidbit on each pair and I hope it gives you a little more explanation about why I paired them? But also probably not because I don't want to give anything away oops

Adrienne and Charity- Really can't say much about these too without giving away my plans for them. I feel like they're kind of unexpected, not really sure. Adrienne was the toughest for me to pair up, because there were so many different directions I could take her and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do

Aenon and Calliar- ok wow it was hilarious when David and mukkou said they thought they would be the worst together because they were the first two tributes I was positive that I was going to pair together. They might be a disaster, they might not. You'll just have to see

Isadora and Isla- tbh these girls are gunna be BAMF in the arena and I'm going to have so much fun writing their interactions

Cleo and Wyatt- lmao I don't even know what I say about these two, you'll just have to wait and see how they play out. Just know that I'm excited

Julian and Daphne- ok so these were the second tributes I had paired, before I even introduced Daphne (I told you I've been thinking about this for a very very long time) And then all the sudden y'all thought they would be great together and tbh I almost switched them because I didn't want them to be expected or an obvious pairing. I tried my hardest to pair Julian up with someone else but I just couldn't bear to break these two up, so there you have it.

Alvy and Paris- the grumpiest tribute with the cheeriest tribute. My two cinnamon rolls combined into one. love it

CHAPTER QUESTION: THOUGHTS ON ALL THE PAIRINGS? WHOS UR FAV WHOS UR LEAST FAV WHO DO U THINK IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER AND WHO DO U THINK WILL PROSPER?