Avalynn Hiebler, District 5, 17:

My stylist had forced me into some ridiculous dress that was supposed to make me look innocent and adorable, but I felt anything but innocent. It seemed that - being from the scientific research and genetics District - he felt the need to dress me up into some tight dress that made my knees hug into each other and my breasts seemed more prominent that I had hoped.

"And when you step out into the spotlight I press a button and your outfit changes colour, just as if it is DNA!" My stylist sounded really enthusiastic, but I was exasperated. Scientific geniuses tended to come from District Five, Three and Six, but there were a group of them in the Capitol too. Yet so far I hadn't seen one person with even the most basic scientific knowledge, and since I had my hopes up to meet someone intelligent like an inventor or a Gamemaker I was disappointed.

"You do know DNA is colourless, or - when extracted - a white colour," I picked up the glasses that my stylist advised me not to wear and slipped them on so that they could make me see properly, and it was my way of rebelling and letting my stylist know that I wasn't going to appear as the typical unintelligent welch that was forced into the Games.

This bit of the Games would always be my least favourite bit, I knew that from the moment my name had been announced in the Reapings. I wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing girl in the world, I wouldn't gather many sponsors and the Gamemakers wouldn't score my high intelligence and traps very well, they thought that swinging swords and all that other mindless nonsense would be the more key traits for winning.

But I knew that I was better than all those fools, my parents were scientists who invented many goods. A lot of contraptions that I'd potentially face could even be something that my parents had invented, and because of my broad scientific knowledge of the logic in and out of the Games I was pretty sure that I would win, all I had to do was be careful.

My chariot costume was atrocious, even I knew that. My score wasn't much better, but this was my chance to show the artificial Capitol citizens that they were standing before their victor. Callis and I were lead out into a small line with the other tributes, and I could tell by the dim lighting and the woman holding a clipboard in her hand that we were backstage, reminding us all that the system was going to be changed and that we'd be going out in boy, girl order. Soon we would be in the centre of the limelight showing the Capitol citizens what we were worth. Behind me was Callis and in front of me was the arrogant District Four boy, dressed in a suit that made sure to compliment his rippling muscles.

I thought of my parent's inventions for a second - I knew how to manipulate nature to my will just as they did, and when I set traps like that upon the Four boy there'd be nothing that he could do to escape it. Killing wouldn't be a problem for me, though the thought of it didn't send chills of pleasure up my spine I knew that I was capable of it. It was like an unpleasant chore that had to be done.

My parents would understand, they knew the brutality of the Games and they knew that I had such immense knowledge even I was capable of winning. My lips (which had been coated red and blue by my stylist to compliment my flashing suit) slipped into a smile, and then a frown. I didn't care much for people, but I missed my parents already; they were considerate, sensible and logical. We were the only people in the world who thought correctly.

"What - Her?" An affronted voice shouted angrily. "I am Jynx Blackthorne, I cannot be sacked! Especially when I'm replaced with Nadia Skettings!"

"We're sorry, Nadia is more suitable for the job," a small woman holding some files trembled as Jynx's amethyst eyes stabbed into her. The girl flinched once again, whimpering while Jynx swiped her arm and made her papers fly around the backstage areas, raining down upon all the tributes. There was a scream and everybody immediately moved around, crying out in fear and unease. The idiot Career in front of me was guffawing as Jynx sabotaged more backstage equipment.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" A commanding voice made everybody freeze in their spots. Callis looked red faced and silly while he glanced at Nadia Skettings, a Capitol blogger and journalist who bitched about any celebrity she could. She was tall, with fake eyes that were as yellow as sunshine and pink hair that clashed with her features.

"If you step onto that stage I will kill you," Jynx told Nadia with gritted teeth. Nadia only grinned and stepped forward, wielding her microphone as if it were a powerful weapon.

"You're a mentor - you can't interview," Nadia's voice was so blunt and factual, she always acted like the logical one whenever she nattered on about trivial nonsense on her blog, and I had a feeling that her blunt attitude would affect her interviewing style. Jynx tried talking, but for the first time she stormed off being tearful and defeated.

That interview position must have meant a lot to her.

"Hello!" Nadia stepped onto the stage, beaming brightly as she talked to the audience. "It's your new host and interviewer, Nadia Skettings, and I am here to give you a little more insight into our beloved tributes. Will you love them, will you hate them? Only time will tell!"

Everybody was silent as the highlights of the chariot rides, reapings, training scores and a segment of commentary from the Gamemakers flashed on screen. There were no positive or negative comments about me, which meant that I was successfully under the radar, and Callis had very mixed reviews from the Gamemakers. Every bad comment made his fists tighten in anger, and anger was always a fun weakness to toy with.

And then the interviews started! Oh, even I found the indoor firework display a marvel that science had bestowed us with. I couldn't wait to just leave this place and go home to my parents and my rat, Eunice, the only people in the world that I appreciated. And then I'd use my victor position to get me somewhere as an inventor, a scientist - maybe even a Gamemaker!

The One boy, Luster, seemed like a sadistic boy who contemplated every answer to Nadia's questions, though his sparkly tuxedo outfit made him look flamboyant and carefree. After a 'hilarious' conversation about savoury food it seemed Luster wasn't as sociopathic as he made out. His District partner was wearing a silk dress laced with beautiful rubies, and she captured the audience a lot more - she was charismatic, ambitious and enthusiastic with a lot of sarcasm to throw the interviewer back and make the audience laugh.

The District Two boy moved onto the stage, sitting down on a plush chair as he wore a simplistic grey suit. Even I had to admit that this boy sounded clever and even sly, and I couldn't help but feel that every conversation he had was one in which he aimed to confuse and outwit the other person. Melanthe, the Two girl, looked pretty in a silver dress and the first part of her interview was calm (maybe because the relief of Jynx not being interviewer soothed her), she said something contrived about being pleased with her high score. I had to smirk when her mother was mentioned though, because Melanthe suddenly became uncooperative and moody.

This was why I loved the interviews, it always gave me a small glimpse into a tributes' mental weakness. The bony, underfed tributes would die straight away but the stronger ones would remain after the bloodbath and I knew that their only flaw was their mentality, and I was going to pick that away until every tribute died one by one.

Although the District Three score seemed perfect on the outside - he portrayed himself as one of the Capitol, always complimenting the powerful interviewer in front of him while his bow tie lit up and spun around like an electrical fan. Although the Capitol had momentarily forgotten about Karble's training score I remembered that he was weak and he'd probably be extinguished the moment the gong rang, despite his hammy sob stories and trite speeches. The Three girl actually looked pretty when she came on with her dress that sparkled blue and silver, and though she seemed cunning and intelligent her interview didn't catch my eye.

The boy in front of me, Blaine, snorted arrogantly before striding onto the stage as if he were designed for it. The audience were already in love with him because he was attractive and his score was high, but I could easily see that he was an arrogant fool who would lose eventually. The girl was completely the opposite, and after finding out that the Careers had rejected her because of her training score it was easy to see that she was holding back tears.

Naomi might have had a high training score for a girl who hadn't received training, but I couldn't help but feel that she was nothing more than a pretty faced baby that cried when something never went her way. Despite the tears tormenting her blue eyes Naomi managed to appear strong, bubbly and even cheeky. If she got past her lack of self confidence she could've even been a threat-

"Callis Carlson!"

Callis pushed past me, and I could tell that the stylists had successfully managed to make us a nice interview costume (which was a miracle, seeing as the chariot ones were disastrous) as his shirt was illuminated like a lava lamp, and the fluorescent colours changed from a blue to a red slowly but fascinatingly. Despite the scientific inaccuracies I was quite astounded by the science in the costume, though Callis' defensiveness did ruin his fantastic image a little bit - as well as his interview.

"Avalynn Hiebler."

I took in a deep breath as the audience cheered, stepping onto the stage with a cold smile on my face whilst my dull dress suddenly cave alive with a series of blue and red flashes, emitting small beams of colour than bounced into the audience and entranced them all. When I sat on my seat I smiled at the pink haired Nadia, knowing that though my outfit wasn't as hypnotic and entrancing as Callis' it was certainly more flashy.

The Capitol loved flashiness.

"Avalynn, our District Five girl," Nadia smiled and shook my hand before jumping straight to the point as she usually did. "How does it feel filling in the boots of last year's victor?"

"I certainly wouldn't be suicidal," I replied nonchalantly. Some audience members gasped at the joke, though others found my dark humour endearing. Nadia may have been to the point but I knew that she was more sweet than Jynx, so I could actually remain civil with her and show off my true intelligence.

"Of course," Nadia giggled. "So you got a four in training. How do you feel about that? Have you been disheartened?"

"No," I looked into the audience solemnly, but there were so many coloured faces and wigs it was hard to not feel attacked by colour and artificial cheer. The Capitol weren't innocent at all, they were all ready to see me and others die, but the controversy only added to their glamour and glitz. "The Gamemakers only judge tributes on the muscles that lie underneath their flesh. I'm intelligent, and because of that science is my weapon."

"So you're one of our brainy underdogs?" Nadia's smile was wide, as if she just wanted to devour me. She pouted at the audience, giggling falsely again before continuing. "How clever are you?"

"Clever enough. My parents are scientists."

"Do you miss them?"

I paused, thinking about the answer of the question. I hated myself for revealing my true weakness, but I hated lying and I wanted my parents at home to see me and though I thought about them often. "Yes. I miss them a lot."

"But surely you've been distracted by the Capitol?" Nadia stood up and twirled around, making it appear as if she were pointing at the lights though I knew she just wanted people to see how frilly and graceful her dress was. "Do you have a favourite food or drink?"

"I just like water," I shrugged. "It's all my biological being needs to function and survive."

Nadia looked at the audience darkly. "Our tributes should bear that in mind - what is your tactic in the Games?"

"Stay alive," I laughed, as if the whole plan was obvious. The audience watched me silently, but not because I was bland - I had made an impression! Maybe I'd gather enough sponsors to make powerful traps!

"Okay - time is running out Ava," Nadia said when she peered at her watch. "Give our Capitol audience some fun facts!"

"The sky is blue because-"

"About yourself," Nadia interjected swiftly, as if she had been expecting such an answer.

"Err..." I paused, not liking to mention such trivial matters. I wasn't the kind of person who had preferences, because my one favourite thing was my science and the mechanics behind the Hunger Games. "I like silver or grey as a colour. I have a pet rat called Eunice. My favourite number is Pi and my favourite star constellation is Apus because you can only find it if you're determined to seek it out."

"And that's your philosophy - you only get things if you seek them out?"

"Definitely."

The buzzer rang and the audience clapped, all looking at me with wide eyes as if they still couldn't figure me out. I supposed I was an alien creature to them because I actually had intelligence and I wasn't absorbed into a world of vanity and shallowness. When I got to the other side of the stage I realised that tomorrow the Games would begin - some tributes walking on the stage now would be dead! My dress stopped flashing numerous colours and I turned around to see the young Six boy on the stage - after all the competition wasn't truly gone until they had died out.

But for that brief moment I knew that every organism was capable of dying, and what if I died? Would my parents change, or would they continue inventing as usual, still remaining as robotic as they currently seemed? Around the room so many tributes had partnered up, and the District Four boy was trying hard to reassure the sobbing District Four girl. I couldn't help but feel he was a fool, but was I a fool for not managing to connect with a fellow human being?

This was the Hunger Games, I had to remind myself that. The tributes were all the same - they were obstacles that had to be removed for my victory, and I wasn't going to let their humanity and emotions make killing any more difficult. I was going to remain just ad detached as usual, because I knew that that was key to survival. Emotional attachments were always much too dangerous.

Micah Miraude, District 8, 17:

"I don't do well with crowds," Tarren whispered to me, trying to peer behind me to look for somebody. I patted her shoulder comfortingly, but there wasn't anything I could do. I wasn't good with all the icky comforting stuff. Tarren took in a calming breath before trying to peer behind me once again.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Trying to find my ally," Tarren scowled, as if she found the word hard to say. I refused to budge, so Tarren clung on to my patterned waistcoat whilst trying to peer at the District Ten tributes.

"I'm obviously not your source of comfort then."

"You're not doing a very good job!" Tarren said honestly. Owch.

Although Tarren was as squirmy as ever when faced with the prospect of lights and a big audience I was much more in my comfort zone. The ladies loved me and there was nothing better than saying hi to your fans, and that Nadia was a nice looking girl - that helped. The District Six boy was on stage now, and I knew a suck up when I saw one. Strangely enough the kid avoided talking about his strategy, so I assumed that he had something explosive up his sleeve.

I thought explosions were cool, and fires, chases, stealing or whatever else could give me a rush of adrenaline. I had enough common sense to know when I was in danger, but danger was always fun - which was the reason I kind of looked forward to the Hunger Games. Inevitable doom wasn't really the kind of thing I wanted to face, but if I had a fun time before that what was the point of crying and begging for my mother to rescue me and take me home?

That said, I missed her. I missed my dad. I missed everybody - I didn't see them very often because of their tight-knit work schedules, and I guessed I was raised to be naturally independent - you had to be if you came from an urban, poverty stricken zone. But I kept glancing at the small clay cat in my palm and thinking back to my mother, the things she had sacrificed to make sure that I was okay. I couldn't let her down like that. Maybe if I came home filled with the riches victors were awarded with I could repay my whole family for everything, so none of us had to go hungry or be cramped on a single couch for sleep. With twenty four other tributes I didn't fancy my chances much, but I was raised in a tough area. I knew how to fight, and that always helped.

The Six girl was on stage now, having a translator so that Abe's sign language made sense to Nadia. Abe tried explaining her life and her family, but it took a long time to translate every word for Nadia to understand - by the time Abe was done she'd barely said enough to get any sponsors, but that was a good thing because I could charm some lonely sponsors onto my own side.

"And Sperren Prazna from District Seven!"

I zoned out of Sperren's interview; he was very stony and unresponsive, always talking with a glare and being tentative before he even answered. By the time I had turned around I was looking down at small Reed, who was looking up to me while a chaste black dress that clung to her skin and spread from her hips.

"I just wanted to say good luck," she said, glancing around at the crowd behind us and scowling. Her expression warmthened when her bright eyes set themselves on me. "Try not to be too much of a jerk."

"They'll love me," I joked.

"I don't mean to sound rude but why are you here?" Tarren looked at the Twelve girl who had disrupted the flow of the line - if there was one thing I had learnt about Tarren it was that everything had to be prim and organised, otherwise she only got even more nervous.

Reed looked up at Tarren, hesitantly thinking of an answer. Her blue eyes hardened for a second before she cast a glance at her District partner Vigil, who was standing at the back of the line. A rare smile curved her lips upward before she looked at Tarren more confidently.

"I'm his ally."

And with that she walked away, a new spring in her step adding to her confidence. Usually things didn't get to me, but Tarren looked at me in a patronising manner that made the back of my neck feel unusually hot. I fumbled with my shirt for a second, trying to ignore Tarren's unsubtle look while the District Seven girl rattled on about Capitol fashion to Nadia in her overenthusiastic voice. I turned around after almost feeling Tarren's eyes cut into me.

"What?" I snapped.

"You never told me you had an ally."

"Oh," I huffed. "You never told me you had one too."

"She's pretty," Tarren said with a fake absent mindedness. I tried to bite back a remark, but Tarren continued making uncharacteristic hints. "She got a good score-"

"Shut up," I hissed, turning around and pretending to look at the soft faced District Ten boy who was busy reassuring his shaky, shy District partner. Once my gaze flickered over to him I smirked. "Oh he got an alright score too, didn't he? Hmm... Yep, I like him, he's cute - nice eyes, clear skin..." I raised my voice so that everybody could hear me. "You know what Tarren if I played on a different team, or if I were you, I'd definitely-"

"Shut up," Tarren whispered defensively, clinging onto my hands with more strength than I imagined the small, shy girl to have. I still pulled away, having more power than her nonetheless before smirking cheekily.

"If you want to be extreme I can show you just how extreme I can be."

And then the buzzer rang, calling me to my interview. I looked around at the remaining tributes before flashing a confident smile and strutting out onto the stage, smiling whilst Capitolian girls screamed - I wasn't a muscular pretty boy like the one from District Four, but girls always loved a rebel, hence my rather high success rate. Although it seemed as if the whole audience were wild by default when a tribute was called up - why? Were they secretly cheering me for my death?

Suddenly the bright lights and enthusiastic cheers didn't seem so appealing, despite the fact I had a macabre sense of humour. I didn't allow my confident façade fade though, so I raised my arms and cheered to let my audience know I acknowledged them. They screamed as if they loved me, but that was an expected response - the Capitol didn't truly love any of their tributes unless they became victors.

"Micah!" Nadia greeted me, flicking her cotton candy pink hair back. "I can see you're confident, and we all love a tribute who knows what they're capable of! The Gamemakers gave you an alright score, but how do you fancy your chances?"

"I think I've got a pretty good chance, darling," I laughed - it was a unwritten truth that girls liked being called darling because it made then feel unique and special. My charm had already permeated Nadia's heart, as she giggled like a shy schoolgirl, trying to hide her blush with her thick microphone.

"If you did win what would you spend your money on?"

"A house, some nicer clothes to party in or something," I said, deciding to keep a bad boy image that my escort Robinetro had said the Capitol slapped on my head. It would've been more effective if I had a cigarette or something, but I improvised anyway. "Maybe a dog, that'd be cool."

"Oh we'd all love you to be a victor," Nadia smiled and turned to the audience. "Do we think Micah's capable?"

The whole audience cheered in the affirmative as they usually did, though there was the occasional individual who decided to make the atmosphere sour by booing, but I kept an unfazed expression. Tributes that cried were always labelled as Bloodbaths and their sponsors were flushed away as soon as the tears began leaking. Nadia turned to me again, with a more serious expression.

"Do you have a family back home?" She asked. "Tell us - who knows the real Micah Miraude, who at home misses you?"

"My mother, I hope, though she's been threatening to stab me for years whenever I forget to clean," the audience chuckled at my dark joke. I didn't like thinking of my family, they almost took away the fun of the situation because it reminded me that this ordeal wasn't really fun and games. "I have my dad, he'll miss me I guess - oh and Lucca, my sister. She's a pain in the arse but she's one of those protective older sisters you can't help but love. I know she'll miss me... I miss her too."

"How poor are you as a family?" Nadia defended herself as the audience gasped at the controversial question; the Capitol liked to ignore the poverty that spread through the Districts so that they felt more moral than they actually were - ignorance was bliss. "I mean come on! I just want to get a glimpse on how Micah got so tough!"

"Really," I felt the irritation build up inside me, and I had to stop myself from punching Nadia's quizzical face. I didn't like sounding desperate or seeking attention, and the way interviewers from the Capitol acted it seemed to me as if they were mocking poverty, because starvation was just hilarious. "Don't go there."

Nadia rolled her eyes, pissed off at my lack of an answer but she pushed on anyway. "Do you like District Eight? What about the textiles produced, what do you think of that?"

"I'm not a fashionista," I shrugged. "Even if I was we don't have enough to afford the good stuff like the stuff you Capitolites get. As far as Districts go Eight isn't a bad place to live - it sounds better than Twelve or Eleven."

"Well that leather jacket you wore made quite the impression at the reaping," Nadia told me. I almost wanted to jump up and laugh at Tarren for mocking it numerous times, but that wouldn't make me look cool and I'd only appear immature - which I was, but the Capitol really couldn't see that. "Some people would say that you're our little tribute style icon."

"Too bad I couldn't take the jacket to the arena," I smirked.

Nadia laughed wickedly. "I'm sure if you make it past the Bloodbath somebody would be generous enough to sponsor you one."

The buzzer rang off, rebounding around the whole room while a chill shot up my spine. I waved at the adoring audience once again before standing and walking to the other side of the stage, where the District Seven girl was talking to the irritated District Six girl about how boxing wasn't in fashion at all. I looked behind me where Tarren was stumbling over her words nervously, and I flashed her a reassuring smile that she caught. I leant back on the nearest wall sighing, though I liked tantalising Tarren I did like the kid. She didn't deserve any of the ill luck she had recieved.

"Hey, kid," I peered up to see the District One girl facing me, her eyes sparkling with an indescribable malice. She had already gotten a sharp looking weapon hidden under her dress, though it was hidden under the silky scarlet garments.

"I'm aware that I'm practically the same age as you," I said factually. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Wanna be allies?" She smirked.

"Why are you asking me?" I glanced out into the audience, where Cardinal Volke from District Nine was having a creepy rant about the uselessness of humanity, and small goosebumps crept across my flesh as the One girl stepped ever so slightly closer to me, so that her face was inches away from mine.

"Naomi isn't in our alliance, she got a seven," she explained. "I'm not the leader, but even Archimedes - our leader - told us that a sixth ally would be beneficial, so I took it in my hands to look for another ally, a stronger District kid." Her mascara coated eyelashed fluttered suggestively. "The boring Seven boy rejected us, I want to kill the Nine boy because he seems too threatening for my taste... But you..."

The buzzer forced her sentence into a dead end, and while the psychotic Nine boy stormed away from the stage, grinning at the other tributes malevolently, the little Nine girl skipped onto the stage with her fur dress twirling with her. The One girl looked at the Nine girl giggle innocently with a nauseated expression before turning back to me, her face still screwed with disgust.

"Do you want to be in the alliance or not?"

"You should take Naomi back," I told her modestly. "My score is on par with hers so there's no point recruiting me, really." I was grasping at straws now, I didn't like this girl being so physically close to me and I didn't want to join the Career alliance anyway, despite the tactical benefits, though I did feel I made a good point.

"We'll forget that small detail," the girl ran her finger down my shirt so roughly the talon like fake nails threatened to rip the buttons off and tear through the material. "I want you in the alliance. Be logical Micah, with the Careers you'll have a free ticket to the final eight, how is that a disadvantage?"

With a buzz the Nine girl skipped off stage giggling as the audience sobbed, and I knew from her malicious giggle that whatever act she gave to the audience was false. As the kind looking Ten boy - Tarren's ally - moved onto the stage I looked back at an expectant Career girl.

"No," I declined. "I don't want to be part of the Careers."

The girl's hands that had been resting on my shirt suddenly clung onto the cotton material in a vice like grip, and the girl's blue eyes had a nasty fire burning inside them as she shoved me into the wall and spoke to me threateningly. "Let me rephrase that, join our alliance or I'll hunt you down and kill you myself. And trust me when I promise that it would be more pain than you could ever imagine."

I wondered why the ambitious Career girl wanted me in the alliance so much if she was prepared to blackmail me. I was a bit worried, and I could feel the blood pumping through my body in fright, but I mustered the strength I needed to shove the shocked girl away. She flicked her auburn hair back in an affronted manner while I glared at her. Whatever she wanted to do with me I wasn't going to give her a tactical advantage.

"No," I said more strongly, walking past the One girl who was now my enemy - she said she'd hunt me down in the Bloodbath and I had a feeling she'd stick to her promise.

The rest of the interviews blurred by as I watched them from the sidelines - I didn't get to catch any of the Ten boy's interview, but the poor District Ten girl was a shaking wreck as she trembled underneath the might of Nadia Skettings, who wasn't nasty but hardly reassuring either. The Eleven boy seemed mediocre, a bit cocky but not that bad either. The Eleven girl made me laugh a few times, but I didn't perceive her as a threat. The Twelve boy appeared mysterious and then Reed came on-

And she actually managed to smile, and appear charming instead of looking glum and making nasty comments to the interviewer. When her buzzer finished she gave a contrived smile to the audience before walking back to the sidelines, immediately heading my direction.

I was sure for now that Reed and I had gathered a few sponsors. Now all we had to do was survive the bloodbath... But that would be a challenge when the spoilt District One girl nurtured a little vendetta on you.

Now that I'm free expect replies whenever you review ;)

Wow interviews over! I usually find interviews tedious but I actually enjoyed writing this chapter :)

Well almost all of our tributes have been formally introduced. After the next chapter you'll hear all of their voices, and then you will be able to vote your favourites in a poll.

But that won't be the bloodbath yet, because we need to hear from the mentors and our head Gamemaker, Tobias, before all this tension is released, and gah - I'm actually very excited.

~Toxic

Capitol Commentator Question: Who do you think has the biggest sponsor fanbase in the Games? Who would you sponsor?

Interview Question: What interview angle would you go for in an interview?