'By the time we get to District 12, I'm completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of kids going to certain death.'
-Katniss Everdeen
1
Gossamer Munroe was named for her aunt, who was also a Quarter Quell tribute, and also died with an ax buried in her skull.
Dazzle Brooks briefly forgot the nature of the Quell during the reaping. She hung back just a step to take second place and didn't understand why the escort was lifting her hand with Gossamer's until it was too late.
Miracle Vermeer was teased for his bright orange hair all his life. But he was proud to be a ginger, proud that his grandmother from whom he inherited it came from District 5, and he was angry that both of 5's Victors were such losers. He was determined to win to make his Gammy proud.
Turq St. James would sneak down to the television in the boys' pavilion and watch trashy romantic comedies late at night. He always cried when the man ran out into the rain to tell the female lead that he really did love her.
2
Titania Briss was the best bullwhip fighter District 2 had ever seen, and she often secretly pretended she was a trick performer in the circus.
Athena Costa had no affection for anyone or anything except for the sparrows that ate the seeds she left every morning on her windowsill at the Institute.
Menelaus Quartz was the largest tribute to ever go into the Games, at 6 feet 9 inches and 335 pounds. He was vaporized by the volcanic eruption and there was literally nothing left to place in the tribute vaults.
Tenebreus 'Terry' De Luca bequeathed his entire porn collection to the thirteen year olds at the Institute. It was considered a sacred treasure by all subsequent classes.
3
Pixelle Li was the undisputed hula-hoop champion of her entire school.
Sue Jones invented a long-reaching radar device that could detect minute changes in atmospheric pressure and predict the formation of dangerous storms with an error margin of 0.3%. She's most remembered for being decapitated at the Cornucopia thirty seconds into the Quell.
Garrett Healy could juggle eight balls at once, and would make money at the local pub by juggling pint glasses the Peacekeepers would toss to him. He never dropped one.
Dattery Nakamura lost his parents in an industrial accident when an experimental toxin for the Games leaked into the facility. His sister died of a fever because her brothers couldn't afford anything from the apothecary. His brother died in the Forty-Eighth Games. Dattery was secretly pleased to be reaped because he felt his family would be disappointed if he had just committed suicide.
4
Coralle O'Keefe's legendary shrimp gumbo made her parent's tiny restaurant in District 4 a landmark that even visiting Capitolians would rave about. A chef in the Capitol was petitioning the government to let her come work for him in his newest establishment when she was reaped for the Games.
Demeter Niles was awarded the Quell's only score of eleven when she demonstrated her superb hand-to-hand combat skills and a titillating display of nude gymnastics.
Brock Burns had only two people he cared about in the world; his boyfriend and his younger cousin. His boyfriend volunteered for the Forty-Ninth, Brock volunteered for the Quell, and his cousin stepped forward for the Fifty-First. All three were murdered by the eventual Victor.
Ulysses Blackwater volunteered so that his parents would finally notice him.
5
Pansy Wilcox had a terrible, terrible fear of deep water ever since a playmate drowned in the reservoir when she was five. Her hydrophobia kept her alive longer than any of her district partners because she kept well away from the poisoned streams and pools in the arena.
Aeria Whittaker didn't say a single word for her interview. Instead, Caesar ceded the stage to her and signaled for the musical cue. Aeria spent her three minutes dancing a flawless solo she had been preparing for her school's summer recital. She died at the Cornucopia with no regrets. She had danced on a real stage, with a real dance costume, for a real audience and the entire nation. Interview Night was the best night of her life.
Bear Smith was told all his life, even by his teachers, that he was too stupid to be anything but a grease monkey. Ok, he thought, maybe he wasn't some genius like Beetee, but he bet the Victor from 3 couldn't fix a broken generator with nothing but a bit of wire and some adhesive tape.
Watts Jarofsky volunteered to save the life of his thirteen year old brother. He was the last tribute to volunteer for a sibling until Katniss Everdeen.
6
Camaro Jorgin was the youngest tribute in the history of the Games at twelve years, nine days old. She was also the only twelve year old to kill another tribute at the Cornucopia.
Jenna Dunne was the reason her mother stayed drug free for sixteen years. She didn't want her daughter growing up in a drug den like she did. She fell off the wagon four hours after Jenna was reaped.
By the time Gordy Brockleton was eighteen, he had three different bastards by three different girls. He didn't know any of their names. He figured the reaping was some sort karma and he accepted his fate on the train.
Petrum Steele dreamed of being a luxury hovercraft pilot. He had every manual on hovercrafts memorized back to front. On the way to the arena, his stylist took him to the cockpit and he took the copilot's seat for ten minutes.
7
Sparrow Flaherty wondered why so many older, leering men wanted to sponsor her before she even finished training. After relentlessly interrogating her mentor, Vera finally told her the truth. Sparrow died when she ran straight towards the heart of the Cornucopia.
Miriam Murray was fifteen years old and engaged to be married. She was also two months pregnant and she had no idea. The Gamemakers discovered her pregnancy when her tracker detected the tiny heartbeat after she succumbed to the poison butterfly stings. Her fiancé was fined a month's wages.
Cameron O'Neill promised his cousin Jason that he could live with him in the Victors Village when he came home. Cameron died with a poisoned dart in his neck, but his promise came true two years later.
Cedar Fritz started drinking when he was eleven years old. He took out tesserae because all the money he made on the lumber crews went to booze. A part of him was relieved he would die before his alcoholism reached the level of every man in his family.
8
Jane Lawson made the alterations to both her parade costume and the interview gown, since her novice stylist had expected a much taller tribute. The stylist failed to mention this when she was voted 'Best Newcomer' by Cannon Magazine.
Yarna Smethers received a training score of nine for her mean shot with a sling and her general bullying of tributes twice her size. Cora Shutter dared to hope that she finally had a contender on her hands until three Careers ganged up on her at the pedestal, making hers the first death of the Quell.
Weaver Browne was a gentle seventeen year old who would guide flies out of his family's flat during the hot summer months. He was this year's crazy, murdering three girls with his bare hands, and his family sighed with both grief and relief as the golden squirrels devoured him. He made it to fourth place.
Edmure 'Big Eddie' Aberdeen was a bully who stole tesserae rations from his fellow Community Home kids and terrorized the playing field at his school. There was a cheer from his peers when he went down at the Cornucopia, and the adults blanched, knowing the reaction would be played across Panem.
9
Aramanth Copeland was the best darts player on her side of District 9. She could hit the bullseye three times in a row blindfolded and drink down a pint faster than her daddy's mates. The local pubs started up a collection to sponsor her, but she died in the volcanic eruption before it could be sent.
Betsy Mueller developed a bit of a crush on the handsome, dark-haired Seam boy from District 12. When she saw him run for the forest, she followed him, hoping he'd be interesting in having an ally. He was a fast runner, and eventually an exhausted Betsy had to stop for a drink at one of the pools.
Adam Stone asked his stylist Tigris in a small voice if maybe, perhaps, he could please wear a dress to the interviews? Tigris put an understanding hand on his shoulder and said she had the perfect gown to match his eyes.
Oaten Strauss had every single collectable Victor card. He told his little brother to take good care of his limited edition Brutus Barsetti when he was gone.
10
Dempsey Drake was sick to death of people commenting on her large bosom, but she made a joke of it during the interviews, saying that the other tributes would just bounce off her breasts. When she revealed she was hiding a brutal skill with a butcher's knife in the arena, it took everyone by surprise.
Veala Perez-Hooley was the first child of a Victor to be reaped for the Games. The escort didn't even pretend it wasn't a fix.
Charlie Perez-Hooley promised his sister that if it came to it, he would kill her first before the Careers got the chance.
Morgan Garcia refused to let his prep team cover up the scar across his forehead where his father's ring had caught him mid-punch. He wanted Dad to see it every time his 'worthless hide' was on television.
11
Hyssop Loloka said good-bye to her boyfriend of two years in the Justice Building. He told her it was their last chance to make sure she didn't die a virgin. After the deed, Hyssop reflected that she really didn't know what all the fuss was about. It didn't even feel good.
Cornflower Buckley could run twelve kilometers in under 30 minutes, lift fifty pound sacks of fruit in each hand, and had muscles like steel cords. The Careers took her down quick, but not before she managed to break the neck of one of the pretty One girls.
Irri Preen was thirteen and nearsighted. He took his glasses into the arena as a district token. They shattered two minutes into the Games, and he survived for three days lying still under the wildflowers.
Birch McCallen figured if he was going to go out, do it with flair, so he dropped his trousers on the reaping stage and mooned the entire nation.
12
Layla Forrester had never tasted anything but tesserae grain, dandelion leaves, and tepid water before she got on the tribute train.
Maysilee Donner was the sixth Donner to go into the Games. She wore a golden mockingjay pin as a token. The Gamemakers never suspected it was made from gold melted down from a locket that once belonged to Ryla Undersee.
Walnut "Wally" Larsen made friends with Cameron O'Neill from 7 during training, until the latter accepted an offer to join the Career pack. He made a point at his interview to call out all no good traitors.
It doesn't matter how much Haymitch Abernathy drinks, how long he passes out for, how close he comes to alcohol poisoning year after year after year. He never forgets their names. Not one.
AN: Happy New Year! I know, it's probably not what you expected for Haymitch's chapter. But I have no problems saying this is one of my favourite chapters to date.
Now for the bad news. The Victor's Project is going on hiatus, probably lasting a month to six weeks. 'Why?' you ask with anguished cries? Two reasons. One, I'm going on holiday in January and won't really have the time or access to update. Two, I'm dreadfully behind on my promised Enobaria fic. I'm going to work on that, polish up the first chapters, debut it, and then we'll get to the last quarter century of the Games. I promise, it won't be too long of a wait.
Thanks as always for the wonderful support and have a great New Year!
