Interviews are sort of repetitive, and unless you plan something interesting for it (say, a tribute blurting how everyone was reaped on purpose), it's a skippable chapter.

And guess what? A tribute I submitted in an SYOT turned suicidal and requested for this Career to kill him in the bloodbath. Whoo! He turned out whinier and wimpier than I expected, but I see how the writer portrayed him like that.

Felicity Lissette Lebedev, District Four

Positives; he was a Career. Trained, toned, muscular, had that confident aura to him.

Negatives; he an ultra asshole. Asshat, as Michelle puts it. Something about him makes me feel...icky.

But the Capitol thinks we are now madly in love. Seriously, that story is used way too often. Although, it kept all comments and questions away from Dad's stunt at the reaping. No one needs to know more than what they already do. Instinctively, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I ran a finger across my stomach, feeling the grooves of my scars.

I lay on my bed in the Training Center. The dress I wore for the interview hung over the side of a chair. I hadn't even bothered to change into pajamas. Just laid on the bed in my underwear.

The Games will be an interesting experience. We never truly know what to expect. Sure, you could have all the training in the world by the most mastered of trainers. But you could be sent out with no weapons or armor at all, and instructed to beat each other to a bloody pulp. In that case, I'd most likely lose.

I think back to the interview, answering the Caesar Flickerman wanna-be's question on my thoughts about the Games.

"Yes I've come from District 4, but that doesn't mean I'm any better. I mean, I'm more worried about the other, smaller, poorer, districts. They have surprised us before. And look at me!" I waved my arms here. "I'm not strong, I'm not big, but I'm still gonna fight." Very true. But dying was always an option.

At that moment, my door burst open. Rodney smiled in his eyecatching way, but the busted nose made him lose some of the effect. Wait...I'm only in my panties.

Instantly, I flipped off the bed. The cottony taste of the carpet chokes in my throat as I faceplant the floor. My hands fumbled about for something to cover me and my heart almost jumped out of my chest with joy as my fingers brushed by an oversized t-shirt I had tossed to the side. Rodney's head hovered above me just as I pull it on.

"Really? You're putting them away?" I tried to keep my face clear of any frown. His bottom lip pouted down at me. Standing, Rodney replied with stretching across the length of my bed.

"Sorry, no," I giggled, trying to keep my tone flirtatious. Don't gag, don't gag...

"Can I at least get a sneak peek before we go into the arena?" Rodney winked slyly. His hand pulled my bare hips forward ontop of him. Arms wrapped around my back. This totally wasn't an invasion of privacy.

He surely knew there wasn't any natural love behind this. But I was his card and he needed to play it well, even when unknown to the rest of the table and still in his webbed hand. And he enjoyed an object to have for the moment.

I wanted him out of my room. I could easily get him off, make him disgusted with himself. An easy flick of my finger. But I myself was playing an angle. To prove that everything in my life, that I was happy. I am happy.

I at least keep telling myself that.

I realized I haven't answered his question. "Uh, no. That was already enough of a peek." His mouth inched closer to mine. Silently sighing, I closed the gap. His lips were soft, a breeze with his kissing, not even trying. I had to do most of the work, whcih was probably just what he wanted. The bandaging of his nose itched against mine.

We layed there for awhile and Rodney sat up, pulling me in closer. The warmth and strange scrape of that extra skin between his fingers snuck under my shirt. I finally broke the lock of our lips but he wouldn't let me go.

His lips started kissing my neck and I shivered at his touch. "We don't want to look like fools who don't know what they're doing, hon. Practice makes perfect." Was he suggesting...?

I jerked back but his grip was iron clad. "You're actually thinking I'd agree so easily to that?" Now it was my turn to me romantically sneaky. "How about a proposition?"

Her jutted his chin up, interested. "What do you mean by that?"

I thought pitying thoughts, transferring them onto Rodney. This forced him to lighten up, allowing me to slip out from his grip. "Everyday we both survive, I'll have different terms in which you're allowed to..." Do what?

"Enjoy myself." Pig. The word slipped into a gap of my thoughts. Pig.

I strode by the side of the bed, running my finger tips along the length of his leg. It felt sort of scaly. "If we last a solid three days, three evening announcements of the dead in the sky, I'll let you have me."

He gave me an imperceptible nod. "Which means I'll have to keep you alive."

"Basically." Rodney yawned, hopping off the bed.

"Just remember; you break this deal, and I break you. Understood?"

I actually smiled. "Certainly."

Bubba, District 5

Master Aries patted my head kindly. "Big day tomorrow, Bub. Better sleep tight, okay?"

"Roar!" In panda, that could easily be translated as, "Fine, Master Aries, just remember to take your pills before you go to sleep."

Aries laughed. "Silly panda, this is the Capitol. I don't get medication here. If I did, it'd probably be steriods or something meant to kill me." Gee, that was comforting. And I've been eating these weird blue salamanders and bamboo for the past few days.

I laid quietly at the foot of the bed. Soon, the boy's breathing smoothed out and the only other sounds came from outside. Although, with all the shouting and honking and voices, it wasn't very appealing to listen to. I hopped off the bed. I wonder what this place is like at night.

Nudging open the slightly ajar door with my nose, I trudge out towards the elevator. The delightful scent of food only slightly lingers in the air, and smelled somewhat stagnant. Yuck. I groan wandering the elevator.

Standing on my back legs, I manage to press that circle thing with my paw. Butt-on? That's a weird name for an object.

I climb to the back and descend to the smelly room. Seriously, have you got a whiff of this place. And can make an overactive panda roll over and die. It smells like that just happened too. Sweat, tears, various drinks, blood...

It isn't as interesting at night. I wander by the punching bag Master Aries had taken down (with some fluffy force, of course). The ground below me is a plastic sort of material, cold and sort of rubbery too. I guess if someone falls butt-on, it win't hurt as much.

I make a round of the training area before getting back on the elevator. It passes the level I've been living on, and a man holding a mirror gets on at level Six. He gazes at his reflection, kissing it and flexing his muscles. He doesn't even bother to look at me, which is strange, since usually people do double takes when I'm in a room, even if Master Aries occupies it as well.

He gets out at Eight, a cleaning man brushing by him. The mirror dude seemed a little pissed by him as he walks right into the older man.

"Watch it, I'm an escort." The janitor nodded urgently. His eyes contained contact at all times, my attendence gone unnoticed. As the doors slid shut, I sneezed.

Funny, watching a man freak out. He instantly made to run, but just slammed into the door. Hard enough to knock him out.

"Roar?" My tongue flicked out to lick his face. Eyes fluttered open and he blinked several times.

"I need to lay off on the coffee." He hopped off at the next possible stop, Nine, as we were going up. Not wanting to distress the man, I stayed on the elevator. His hands showed his lack of a weapon. "Easy boy." I wave a paw and growl. Feet disappeared, jumping up high enough to smack into the next floor. Ow.

The elevator stops at Ten and I smell it; traces of apple. That nice girl smells like apples.

I trod out. The scent grows stronger, and I must follow it. Apparently, different beings smell differents scents on her. While I smell apples, Pucca picks up a whiff of jade stone, and Rufus plastic (and not the kind you think).

The door, I find with a pout, is shut. Why must doorknobs give me such difficulty?

I paw at the wood, calling for the Mistress. Come on, I want to play...

It was as if she detected me there. Golden brown hair fell in tangly waves to her shoulder blades. Her face, although shocked, appeared pleased.

"Uh, hi." I roared happily. Mistress frowned.

"Bubba, it's Bubba, right?" she shook her head, not waiting for an answer. Must be ridiculous she was talking to someone so late in the night. "Shoo, shoo. Back to bed." Huh, shouldn't she be happy to see me?

I plowed through to her room, climbing onto the bed. It smells like apples! If you couldn't tell, I really like apples.

A hand presses into my rump. "C'mon, back to whatever his name was."

"Roar!" I grumbled, which translates to, "But he's sleeping and it's best not to wake him when he hasn't had his medication." It's not that hard to carry over.

Mistress sighed long and hard. "Okay, fine, just let you Master dude know I didn't bring you here." She shuttered, most likely thinking the memory of Aries appearing strangely out of nowhere and almost killing her multiple times. Maybe it was Pucca too that's made her so bothered by my presentation.

I climbed in next to Mistress, and she rolled over with her back to me. Apples are awesome.

Ah, now she's asleep. I relaxed to her breathing before poofing to Nowhere Land. If I told you about that place, I'd have to do bad things to you. There are certain things Master Aries doesn't even know about.

Not a long chapter, I know. But next chapter is Games. (Evil grin)