Meet the Mentors:

District 8

"Do you think you'll be able to handle it?"

Cassidy squirmed awkwardly in her seat at Tweed's kitchen table. She was fresh out of the Games, and now, she was asked to go back into her own nightmare and mentor for the 101st. Eight didn't have a lot of options. They weren't so fortunate.

"Cassidy, if you're uncomfortable, I'll ask Teale to step in for you. But I know that they are not in the best place right now and I thought for them, a break would be nice. Again, it's entirely up to you and I don't want you to feel like you're being pressured."

Tweed hadn't said it out loud, but both Victors were thinking it. Now that Cassidy had won the 100th Hunger Games, all eyes were on her. She'd have to mentor whether she liked it or not. Nobody wanted to see the broken, battered Teale over her. They wanted their star.

"I'll be okay," Cassidy finally said.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." She was lying. But did she really have a choice?

Tweed just nodded. "Alright. It's getting late. Shouldn't you be leaving soon?"
"I don't want to go home right now."

"Why not?"
"Just don't want to."

Her brothers had been acting strange lately. Despite everything Cassidy told him, Damien was still holding himself responsible for being the reason his darling little sister wound up in the Games. Fritz seemed terrified of her. Jay was the only one whose relationship with Cassidy hadn't changed, him and her father. He kept telling her that Damien would soon be okay and Fritz would get over it. But Cassidy was finding this harder and harder to believe.

It felt like the Games had torn her family apart and all she could do was watch. What more was she capable of?

Tweed seemed to get the hint. "Oh, you poor girl. I know how it feels."
"It sucks. Everyone treats you like a monster but it's not like you asked for it to happen."

Cassidy was well aware she was part of a very elite group. And in 8, there were only three of them within said group. Tweed had been mentoring for a very long time. Teale's Games had clearly broken them beyond repair. As for Cassidy, she wasn't as fractured yet. But with enough time and heartbreak as she failed to save more and more children, it was practically a guarantee.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Cassidy. You'll be fine. I believe in you. And we'll do this together."
"Okay." That signalled that Cassidy was more than ready to end this conversation right then and there. She'd just have to take the older woman's word for it.

Really, Cassidy's only hope was that she'd get a tribute younger than her. It would be way too strange to tell an older kid what to do and how to survive, when she was still unsure how she won herself.

Her house was quiet, like usual. There was nobody there to greet her, but she knew someone was home. Someone was hiding. This didn't fool her anymore.

Tweed watched the young girl leave, slowly shaking head. She loved Cassidy like her own daughter. And what parent wanted to see their child go through so much at such a young age?

Cassidy's win was a much needed break for District 8. A reminder of hope, a spark, a beacon. A place that had once been a secret powerhouse in Panem and the most rebellious district, reduced to meek little tailors and Bloodbath fodder. They were capable of a lot and they all knew that. If the Capitol didn't...oh well.

Tweed was not superstitious. She did not believe in omens. Maybe she would have when she was younger, but years of watching child after child fall to their graves for spectacle does something to someone.

But maybe the Quarter Quell had been a sign. And she was going to use that sign to her advantage.

District 10

Family was always important in District 10.

The Victors were like one big family. Granted, there were only three of them still alive, so it wasn't too big. But they'd always support each other through thick and thin, no matter what awaited them.

It had been decided that Murdoc and Chater would be the ones mentoring. For yet another year. It was tiring, but the two men couldn't put that pressure on Horizon. Ever since she won, Murdoc, always playing the role of the dad friend, had been writing to the Gamemakers, desperately asking one of the Leigh-Snow triplets to deem her mentally unfit to mentor and spare her the pain. She had enough to deal with already.

No such luck.

Better conditions for Victors my ass, Chater thought. Once a Snow, always a Snow. That's just the way it is.

They all sat around Murdoc's kitchen table. His husband, Galvin, was staying out of the way by pretending to be way too interested in the pot of coffee he was brewing. A wilted orchid sat sadly in its little flower pot, waiting for a drink of water to come its way.

"You know what's stupid?" Chater asked, suddenly breaking the silence. "5's gonna send in Careers again. Because Aaliyah won't have learned shit from last time."

Murdoc wasn't the kind to besmirch his fellow Victors, even if he did agree. "So let them. It doesn't concern us."
"How come they're allowed to train? It's not fair."
"Life is never fair, Chater. You know this."

Chater didn't expect a rebuttal; he just wanted to complain about something. Murdoc's husband gently tapped him on the shoulder, with three refilled coffee cups. He then slipped out of the room as Murdoc and Chater began to talk about a couple of other matters.

"Have you seen Horizon?" Murdoc finally asked. "I feel like she's avoiding me."
"Yeah. She's home. Said she didn't want any company. Or your pity. Whatever."

"Chater..." To Murdoc, that was never a good sign. And of course the severity was lost on the younger Victor. "You know what, never mind. Forget I asked. I should've gotten that letter in sooner. Should've sent it to Aramis too, because he'll be way more sympathetic than-"

"You didn't hear the news?" Chater interrupted him. "It's just Athos now."
"What do you mean, it's just-"
"That's what I heard. The other two retired. Or something like that."

Murdoc slammed his head down on the table and sighed. Athos was the worst to talk to. Because to the Victors, he was just an arrogant prick who couldn't care less about anyone else, especially those who didn't like his torturous arenas and sadistic mind games.

Murdoc thought about the letter he left on his desk. He wasn't going to crumple and throw it out yet, but now it would be harder than before to get anyone to see things his way. In Panem, kindness was never rewarded. The truth was, Murdoc never played the game the way he was supposed to, Athos never got over that grudge, and District 10 was going to be punished for Murdoc's shortcomings.

So far, for the two young men, things weren't really going as planned.

District 5

The Training Centre was as busy as usual.

As a matter of fact, it had gotten busier over the past few months. No doubt due to the efforts of its most notable trainer. It did piss off Aaliyah Anderson that she was so close to a Quell Victor...and that got snatched right out from under her nose. By some little snivelling coward from an outlier District too!

District 8 was going to regret ever pissing her off.

So now she was pushing her trainees harder than ever. She hadn't been home in a week. She was dedicating as much as her time as possible to her precious Training Centre until 5 produced the most fearsome pair of tributes Panem had ever seen in the 101st Hunger Games. She was going to see her labour bear fruit at some point and now was good a time as ever.

Aaliyah's youngest sister and fellow Victor, Alexia, was also there. It was way too early for her to be watching a bunch of teenagers try and hit dummies with spears, but if Alexia wasn't there to play the adult, shit would soon hit the fan. Good thing she remembered to stock up on first aid supplies yesterday.

"ALRIGHT TWERPS! DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME TWENTY!"
"Then I want everyone on the track running laps!"
"No slowing down! There's no time for slowing down!"
"Go, go, go!"

Aaliyah's voice was starting to go hoarse from all the yelling as around her, the trainees did as they were told. Alexia swore then enrollment went up every year and it kind of scared her. They were teaching kids how to morph into stone cold killers. Who actually volunteered to trade their own lives for a moment of glory in the Hunger Games.

Maybe Aaliyah had no problem in the arena, as the fiercest competitor District 5 had ever produced. But Alexia was only thirteen when her name was called and she had been terrified.

She was a little kid when she became a Victor. Little kids didn't know how to kill on command. Little kids deserved to enjoy the rest of their childhood before the harsh reality of the outside world finally came for them. They were practically turning these kids into soldiers and it never sat well with the younger Anderson.

"I think they could use a break now," she told her sister after Aaliyah barked out another set of instructions. "And then let them go practice their own skills afterwards. Apparently you haven't been home all week?"
"This is more important," Aaliyah insisted. "I have a pull-out cot in my office."

"You're sleeping in your office?" Alexia's palm hit her forehead. "Aaliyah..."
"What's wrong with that?"

"You're crazy. Aaliyah, I know how much this means to you, but you don't have to stay here all the time. Trust me, we have enough trainers and additional staff, and we're not even that big anyways. This place can function without you for a few hours."
"Look at them! Someone's got to shape these kids up. Nothing is going the way I want it to. And I will not have our district display another mediocre showing like last year. I'm making Careers out of them!"

God, what would the other Victors say if they watched Aaliyah's Training Centre spectacularly crash and burn in front of all of Panem? She'd never be taken seriously as a pioneer of Careers. District 5 would never earn an ounce of respect. Her entire legacy would just crumble under her feet and nobody would pick up the pieces. Not her sister. Not any other Victor. All of Aaliyah's hard work would be for nothing.

So she had to keep pushing. Pushing the trainees, pushing the staff, pushing herself. She wouldn't rest until her district sent shivers down everyone's spine. And even then, she'd keep on going. Until she dropped dead. But there'd be plenty to remember her by, hopefully. The legacy she created would still be standing.

Alexia muttered something under her breath and stomped off. As the trainees finished their laps and separated to practice different weapons, she couldn't escape the urge to vomit. Or slap her sister across the face. Whichever came first.

District 2

Brick couldn't remember the last time he had seen Lyme. As one of District 2's oldest Victors, she was an icon of sorts. Everybody knew who she was. But rarely would they ever come in contact with her. She kept to herself.

Truth be told, sometimes even Brick forgot that she existed. 2 had tons of Victors in supply so if your needs weren't specific, you had your pick of who to go to. Olympus, the self-proclaimed grandfather of District 2. Dominic, the Academy headmaster. From OGs like Micah and Jack to the newer ones like Sylvia, Kylie...

Oh yes. And Brick was there too. Damn. It felt like yesterday he was only sparring against his cousin, in hopes of claiming that volunteer spot for himself. Two years went by in a blink of an eye and next thing he knew, it was his job to bring home the next champion. Dominic refused to let Brick mentor for the Quell, but was now his chance to prove he had what it took to steer another young trainee to victory.

And it just so happened he ran into the other mentor in the hallway of the Academy. He didn't even notice that Lyme was actually trying to avoid talking to him.

"What's up, Lyme!" Too bad Brick was never one to be discreet. "I haven't seen you in like, forever!"
"Hello, Brick." Lyme was cordial as ever. These younger Victors could be such an eccentric bunch sometimes. "Yes, it does feel like an eternity since we last spoke. To the best of my knowledge, it was three weeks. Are you ready to mentor this year?"

Brick eagerly rubbed his hands together. "Mhm. I was born ready. Can't wait to take one of these guys under my wing and teach how to wreck shit up in the arena. It would feel so awesome, I'd be like...a dad. Such a proud dad…"

Brick trailed off as he noticed Lyme's less than amused expression. Yeah. She knew why she didn't mentor often. After all, in such a culture where children were gleefully bred to die in an extravagant competition, Lyme had seen way past it all.

Although from just looking at her, it was hard to tell that she was a rebel sympathizer.

But that was her dirty little secret.

"Sorry, Brick. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have plenty of work to do." That wasn't an excuse. She did have a lot to get done today.
"Right, right, right. See you around, Lyme! Let's get D2 the win!"

Brick pumped his fists in the air as he skipped off. Lyme watched him go. This was Brick's first year mentoring and...well...the first year was usually a bitter pill to swallow.

For every Victor 2 brought home, there was one child that fell short. Many years, nobody came home at all. It was a difficult cycle.

Someday, Lyme, hoped the cycle would change and the Games would cease to exist. No more would the districts tear each other apart. instead, they'd stand together in solidarity, and the Capitol would crumble at their feet. A Panem where the people were actually free, where tyranny was just a footnote in their history, and children had the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.

A spark, a flame, an ember, something. Something to light those fires within rebel hearts.

Granted she'd watch these opportunities spectacularly go up in front flames right in front of her. The same old cycle over and over again like a spinning wheel. They had their chance, they blew it, the Capitol won, and the Games continued.

Maybe in the future there would be one more chance. She'd probably be dead by the time it came around though.

District 1

Diane always made sure that when she went out in public, she walked with a straight back and a head held high.

They wanted to whisper? She was done trying to stop them. But she was going to give them something to gossip about, dammit!

Tap, went her leg with every other step she took. She had learned to ignore the sound. It wasn't even that loud; able bodies didn't want to feel the guilt that came with having to hear her walk. Yes, it was not organic. Yes, in a beautiful district like 1, it was wasn't...beautiful. It wasn't perfect. And someone in her position, who was a representative of the bets the District had to offer, should've known better. Oh please, she didn't ask for it.

Yes, she could most definitely afford a nicer prosthetic that didn't make such an intrusive sound but she hated visiting those shops with a burning passion and they always charged her way too much just because she happened to be a Victor...

Sometimes she wished they just let her bleed out in the arena. Then she remembered she didn't survive to have such stupid thoughts whenever she faced the tiniest bit of hardship. Diane fought her away out of that arena like a true Career, something the trainees snickering about her wouldn't have the chops to do. She shed blood and spilled blood to get to where she was, and it would've been foolish to assume she'd get out in one piece anyways.

She hadn't mentored much before, but that was to be expected. 1 had more than enough candidates floating around anyways. But a break was always welcomed and it got Glamour off her case about her not doing her share. Did he think he was her dad or something?

Lapis had just arrived at the Training Centre and he greeted her with a kiss on both cheeks. All of District 1's Victors got along well, but Diane thought that Lapis got her a bit better. He didn't understand her situation and she didn't blame him. Nobody understood what it was like.

But looking in the eyes of Panem's deadliest Career and seeing a man scarred by his past? No, you weren't supposed to see that. And worse, Lapis's scars weren't physical. So nobody knew, or wanted, to help him make them heal. He couldn't hold up his reputation, much to the disappointment of those nutjob trainees that always asked him how to split open a man's skull with a single axe swing.

In the district of pure beauty, they were both far from perfect.

"Hey, Di." Lapis gently rubbed her back. "How are you doing?"
"Meh. Same old. What's on the agenda for today?"

Lapis gestured broadly to the scene in front of them. "Judging all the trainees. I mean, if we gotta mentor two of these, we better make sure we approve. Right?"
"Mmmmm. Gotta give the Capitol their airheaded eye candy. With a sponsor like that, who needs to put out?"
"Di! Don't tell me you're feeling jealous of these rascals!"
"Puh-lease. We both know I'm the hottest bitch in here. You're a very close second."

They both laughed. They wouldn't need to select volunteers for at least another month, but Diane was feeling the pressure already. She was District 1's latest winner, and that was five years ago. 2 got their act back together with Brick. Hell, 4 broke their drought with a fucking Odair. They needed to step their game up.

She was still going to make sure that all potential candidates were up to her standards. Looks meant nothing if you didn't know how to weaponize them. And you still needed to be able to fight for what you wanted, even if that meant sawing off you own leg.

So 1's most oddball pair of Victors strutted into the Academy like nobody else's business.

District 4

In comparison to everyone else, the front of Colby's house was a mess. Up until she stood on the porch, Concha didn't even realize how badly his lawn needed mowing and the dead dried-up sunflowers lining the walls. The place was practically dead. There was a faint yet unpleasant smell wafting through a cracked window.

God, he actually lived here?

She rang the doorbell and clutched the frosted bundt cake she was carrying with both hands. It probably wasn't going to make up for the news she had to break. Although Concha always insisted that cake could make everything better.

Concha didn't blame anyone else for not wanting to talk to Colby; to call him a recluse was an understatement. But the Odairs requested a year off from mentoring and she being the grandmother of District 4 stepped up to the task in their absences.

Not to put the blame on anyone's shoulders, but Colby's refusal to mentor led to a huge burnout of all the much older mentors and was probably the biggest contribution to District 4's eighteen year drought. Life would march on and they'd get older and soon, they'd be too weak, both physically and mentally to give those poor tributes the proper guidance.

Then Finnick and Annie's son took it home and they all faded into obscurity.

She rang the doorbell again. Inside, there was the sound of something getting knocked over. The door creaked open only wide enough for her to see a single eye. Sure enough, Colby was home. Granted, he probably rarely left his house in the first place.

"What is it?"
"It's just me. It's Concha. Mind if I come in?"

"Did Gill send you? Is this about his rake? Because I already bought him the new one and if he wants to gripe, he can go shove it up his ass."
Concha decided to be blunt. "No, no, it's nothing like that. Colby, we're all in agreement that you need to take initiative and step up to mentor every once in a while."

Colby sneered. "Why? Why me?"
"Because it's fair that way."

There was silence and Concha hoped she didn't accidentally say the wrong thing. She thought Colby wouldn't need sugarcoating, even if he wasn't going to be too happy with her snapping at him. Some things just needed to be said.

She found herself staring him down through the crack in the doorway.

Finally, Colby sighed. "Get Odair to do it."
"Finnick and Annie mentored last year. And their son is getting married this summer. Look, they asked if they could have the year off to be together for the occasion and we let them. I'm not asking you to do this every single Games. You've mentored once since you won and that was twenty years ago. Do your share."

Damn. Concha really didn't like to scold the younger Victors like this, especially since they were all old enough to make their own choices. So she held up the cake, as if it was a peace offering. "Oh, and...this is for you. My daughter made it. It's just a plain vanilla; I would've chosen a more exciting flavour but I don't know what kind you'd be-"

Colby just stared at her for a moment. Then he slammed the door in her face.

Concha groaned in frustration.

A look at the first half of our mentoring crew. And some additional worldbuilding as well. Look, 5 is a Career district now!

Submissions are still open and I could use some more tributes. And escorts subs as well. All the details, as well as what kinds of tributes I could use more of, can all be found on my profile.

See you all next chapter with the other half of the mentors!

-Vr