Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide in Sev's POV. Also, the legal age of drinking is different in each country so keep that in mind while reading.


Dimitris Apostolos, 18

District Two Male


Everything is foggy. Not literally. But it feels like it. The heavy bass of the beat vibrates in Dimitris' body as Capitolites and tributes alike dance in synchrony to the music.

This is surely not the first time Dimitris Apostolos has been to a party. Besides having been deemed 'The Greek God', not only back in District Two, but across all of Panem, he's also known as 'The Party King'. The number of parties Dimitris has attended is uncountable and folks always seem to invite him. If he had to guess, Dimitris would say it's because of the naturally good vibes he brings to any place he goes to, but maybe that's just him…

And yet, although having a reputation of being accustomed to feists, Dimitris has never experienced something as, somewhat, disastrously beautiful as this. Although everyone is aware that 23 of them will be no more in the next few days, everyone has forgotten their troubles and is letting their wild side show.

But that's not even the strangest thing about this. What truly is obscure is the party itself.

The Men and women, dressed in revealing and alluring, skin-tight, neon-colored, leather suits are belly-dancing on stage with Capitolites tossing money at them.

fountains exude a mesmerizing, pink, water-like fluid across the plateaus that the guests are standing on. Little cracks in the floor allow for the substance to flow under everyone's feet, illuminating the ground while blindingly colorful lights flash from all directions.

'Well, I'd like to raise a glass.' Arra holds his champagne glass in anticipation. 'To an amazing Games!' The six careers toast and drink. 'This party really is something… huh?' Arra adds. Dimitris catches him looking over at the belly dancers, his face slightly blushing.

'Sure is,' Goud sighs. They all stand there awkwardly. You could cut the tension with a knife. For a moment Dimitris asks himself if he should lighten the mood a bit but his District partner, Nastya, made it very clear that he should tone it down a bit. Especially after that fiasco at the reapings.

Maybe she was just jealous that no one cheered for her. But it's no surprise. If you're being called 'The Ice Queen' by everyone at the academy, you should expect a fitting treatment.

'Do you guys want to start discussing strategy?' Raja suggests.

'Now?!' Zo shouts out. 'Oh, come on, guys. We're at a party for god's sake…' she gulps the rest of her champagne down and proceeds to refill her glass.

'I agree,' Dimitris says and immediately regrets his decision once all eyes are on him. It scares him sometimes. He's surrounded by trained killers who will have no problem stabbing him in the back when the time is right. The idea that doom is pending and that there's nothing he can do about it sends an icy chill across his body. All of their eyes pierce him. If they wanted to they could chew him up and swallow him whole and he'd probably let them. 'I-I mean… we have so much time to plan and prepare in the upcoming days. It wouldn't hurt to let loose a little...right?' It wasn't a rhetorical question. Dimitris was actually seeking their approval.

Before anyone can answer a woman squeezes through the crowd and grabs Dimitris by the arm. The woman is dressed in a toxic green puffy dress, her silver hair reaching her torso in elegant waves. A single black teardrop is painted in ink below her left eye. 'I am terribly sorry for this unruly interruption, however, may I borrow you for a minute?' she lets her finger rest on Dimitris' chest, her other hand still locked in his arm.

'Yeah, sure.' Dimitris looks back at the pack. 'Sorry, guys. I'll be back in a moment.' They stare at him silently. He notices Raja's eyebrows furrowing, her head tilting slightly to the side like she's examining her prey. Then the mysterious woman pulls him away.

'Where are we going?' he asks as he's being dragged through the crowd but the woman stays silent. After a few seconds of awkwardly pushing through people and apologizing, they halt. A group of people with filming equipment is huddled together. One of them, a man in a glittery blue tux, hands the woman a microphone while another starts filming.

'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for tuning in tonight as we bare witness to an extraordinary event. Not only will this year's Hunger Games be the grandest to date due to the special twist, but we also have a very iconic person among the tributes. His name is Dimitris Apostolos but some of you may also know him as 'The Greek God!'

So that's what this is about. The woman raises her microphone in Dimitris' direction. 'Why don't you tell the viewers, who haven't heard of you before, who you really are?'

'Well, first of all, I'm honored but we are referring to my wrestling career, right?' Dimitris looks over to the interviewer. She nods with excitement. 'OK, good,' he chuckles. 'Well, yeah. I'm truly honored… and, if I'm being honest, I didn't expect people in the Capitol to know about all of this. As far as I was concerned it was a District Two thing.' he laughs.

'How could we not?! We need something entertaining to watch between each Hunger Games after all,' she giggles. While it felt odd, having that woman speak so casually about the Games to someone who's competing in them, he laughed along.

'Anyways, so yes, I am a professional wrestler and I go by the name of 'The Greek God'. I'm part of the PWE which stands for Panemian Wrestling Entertainment which is a television program that was introduced a couple of years ago, centering around different wrestlers, like me, competing for the ultimate grand prize. I'm a three-time winner… which is probably the reason why a lot of people might recognize me.'

'Oh, we sure do! Don't we folks?' she winks at the camera. 'So tell us, Dimitris, how did you end up competing on the Hunger Games?'

'It's been something that was requested for quite a long time. Between my shows, I always had fans begging me to take part in the Games. Their main argument was that no one there could beat me which is why I needed a real challenge and I couldn't agree more. I can't be called a warrior if I haven't passed the ultimate test. I've been training at the academy for just as long as anyone else and was actually at the top of my classes but I never nominated myself to participate in the Games… until now.'

'Until now,' the woman repeats with a smile. 'And do you think you can beat them? The other tributes?'

'Of course I can. I'm amazing,' he laughs, cringing deeply on the inside.

'Well, thank you so much for having the time to talk to us tonight! We'd love to chat more but we still have a couple of more interviews ahead of us.'

'Yes, of course. No problem, It was my pleasure.'

The camera crew packs up their things before disappearing in the crowd.

'What was that all about?' Dimitris looks behind him to find Zo, standing there with another glass of champagne.

'Oh, it's nothing…' it's better if none of the careers knew about his personal life. He'd just paint a target on himself once they notice that being famous does come with its perks. 'They're talking to everyone; they'll probably approach you too later on.'

'Oh, OK…' Zo stumbles back and forth for a while, waving the glass in her hand like a drunken sailor. Great, she's barely able to stand straight. Part of him likes it that way. She's not as scary when she's drunk. None of them would be as scary if they were drunk...

'Let's get you home, hm? I think you've had enough to drink for tod-'

'Tributes, gather around!' a voice calls. Dimitris directs his attention towards the stage. The Head Gamemaker, Cynthio Fontana, holds a microphone. 'I sincerely hope that you've all been enjoying this feist and I hope you continue to do so for the rest of the night. However, in the next hour, each of you will be called to come and join us in the VIP area located to your right.'

Dimitris notices a bridge, leading to a small island, surrounded by the pink water. 'There you will have a few minutes to talk about yourself. Your goal is to impress the VIP guests. They are sponsors who hold a lot of power. Get them on your side and you are sure to be in for a treat! Goodluck and I'll see each of you in the next hour!' And with that, Cynthio steps off the stage.

'Wait… so like what are we doing?' Zo asks in a drunken tone. Dimitris stares into her eyes and for a moment he feels bad for her. He pities her.

'We need to sober you up… quickly.'


Voxel Phong, 13

District Three Female


Some people have the unfathomable ability to walk up to a stage and enchant an audience as if their words were made of sorcery. At this very moment Voxel Phong wishes she had the confidence and courage of a public speaker who knew how to wrap others around their finger. All Voxel mainly knows is maths and logic. That's all she's been taught by her parents ever since she was just a little girl and yet at this very moment, Voxel regrets not having spent just a little more time writing and preparing speeches.

Before her name was called, Voxel sheltered herself at the periphery of the party in one of the darker corners. It was all so new for her to the point where she felt like a lost pup. So many people, so many colors, so much… dancing. It's nothing like back home and yet part of her wanted to grab the spotlight and lose herself in the rhythm of the music. Taking her physical impairment into the equation, she wouldn't have been able to dance anyways but that didn't stop her from bobbing her head cheerfully along with the beat.

However, the moment she was ordered to approach the VIP pavilion, her heart almost stopped. It felt like everyone around her just evaporated, leaving behind a frail little girl with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. 'Be positive, Voxel… be positive. You can do it,' she thought to herself. She was going to impress the sponsors. She was going to tell them about her life back in Three. She was going to tell them about her cerebral palsy and how that didn't stop her from living her life, she was going to tell them about all her virtual reality projects and how they changed her perspective on life, she was going to tell them about her academic work and everything that her parents taught her. She was going to go up there and put on her biggest smile and just have fun.

And yet all motivation and drive abandoned her the moment she stood in front of the VIP guests who started seeming more like blood-sucking predators than actual humans. Even her usually stiff legs began to shake.

'Presenting Voxel Phong from District Three. Thirteen-years-old. Reaped,' Gamemaker, Cynthio, says into a microphone. He's standing at the very end of the vertically spanning island. Surrounding him are tables covered with sheets the color of snow and carefully placed eating utensils. A bottle of wine or two peek out from each table with people gulping the blood-like fluid as if it was their own lifeblood. Once Cynthio has presented her and the chatter started to calm down, Voxel knew it was beginning.

She just needs to be optimistic and everything will be fine. What's the worst that could happen? Messing up won't rewrite her fate. It won't undo what has already been done. There's no going back now.

And yet the words don't form in her mouth properly. Not the way she wants them to.

'H-hello… I am… I am...' she starts. Why won't the words form? It doesn't matter if she messes up. It simply doesn't matter. So why won't the words form? '... my name is V-Voxel.'

Silence. A thousand eyes pierce her soul, immediately dismissing her as an early death. As career fodder.

'Voxel Phong…' at this point they've all given up on her. There's nothing she could tell them now that will make her seem like someone to root for. '...and I have cerebral palsy.'

And with that Voxel grabs her trusty walker, her only ally that's been standing by her side, and slowly moves off the stage. Her time hasn't run out yet but Voxel has come to accept the fact that public speaking just isn't her thing. She tried it and it didn't work and there was nothing wrong with that besides the fact that she just diminished the already small chance she had of receiving any sponsors. All they knew about her was her name, which was already announced when she stepped in front of the audience, and her condition. Why exactly Voxel decided to leave it at that, still remains to be a mystery, even for her.

There is nothing wrong with trying. In fact, the most important thing in life is to try. If you never step out of your comfort zone or take some time to deviate from your normal habits, then you're just living the same life over and over again, every single day.

Yes, Voxel Phong was born with cerebral palsy. Specifically, spastic diplegia which causes her legs to become stiff. Without a walker or a wheelchair, Voxel can barely get around and do daily chores. But the most important lesson her parents ever taught her, is to never let anything in your life limit your options and to always find new things to appreciate by experimenting. It never hurt to experiment and to test your limits.

And that back there, that was experimenting. That was part of trying out new things even if Voxel didn't do it voluntarily.

Two avoxes rush to aid Voxel as she approaches the steps that lead away from the pavilion and back to the main party. One of the avoxes locks arms with Voxel while the other carries her walker for her. She nods at them with a smile and proceeds to get back to the main event.

Voxel doesn't really know what she's going to do when she gets back. Most probably she'll continue bobbing her head with the music. She likes doing that. As she continues to contemplate her options, she doesn't notice one of her walker's legs getting stuck in between the wooden planks of the bridge. Her weight pushes forward while the walker maintains its still position, causing Voxel to fall over. She tries to bring herself back to her feet by latching onto the sidebars of the bridge but without properly functioning legs, it's no use. She might just have to wait for an avox to come and scoop her up.

'Oh my gosh, let me help you!' Voxel looks up to see the girl from District Eight. 'Here, one second…' the girl wedges the walker's leg out of the crack and carries it to the other side of the bridge. She then runs back to Voxel, sliding her arms between Voxel's armpits and lifting her back to her feet. Voxel puts her right arm around the girl and the two of them walk back to the other side in unison. Once Voxel is stabilized again she, finally, takes a proper look at the girl. She has beautiful red hair that falls to her chest in gentle waves and her pale face is coated in freckles that seem to cover just the right spots. She's wearing a silky black dress with white strains of fabric falling from every corner. A strange sensation overcomes Voxel. One that is hard to describe. One that makes her feel warm inside but nervous nevertheless.

'My name is Hilda by the way.'

'I'm Voxel.'

'Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Voxel.'

'Thank you for helping me back there… I'm usually a lot better at handling myself, trust me.'

'No problem! As long as you're fine there's nothing to worry about.'

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

'Good.'

There's an empty moment of silence, one that Voxel wants to fill but doesn't know how to. She has a strong desire to gift Hilda with something, anything. This girl, who is a complete stranger, showed kindness in a moment where she didn't have to. Where she could have just looked the other way. She deserves a proper sign of gratitude.

'I'm sorry, I don't have-' Voxel starts

'Do you want to ally?'

'Me?' Why would this girl ever want to ally with someone like Voxel. Someone who is just going to be a liability in the Games. 'Y-yes. I'd like that very much.' the words jump out of Voxel's mouth before she can control them.

'Alright, great! I think I'm going to hit the hay after my name gets called. I'm exhausted…' and with that, Hilda disappears into the crowd.

Why she would hit hay when she's already exhausted, puzzles Voxel. Wouldn't that just exhaust her more? But all that Voxel is certain of at this moment is that she just found herself a friend. Someone she could rely on.


Severin 'Sev' Neferet, 17

District Eleven Female


There's just so much to observe at the post-parade party. This is the first time the tributes actually got to interact with each other outside of the Train and first impressions are everything. Sev is fully aware of that. She doesn't want to stand out too much but she also doesn't want to fade into the background and be forgotten. She'll never get sponsors that way.

Severin stands amidst the crowd of Capitolites laughing and joking among themselves, a wine glass finding its place in the palm of her hand. She twirls the glass periodically, the liquid twisting and turning with the repetitive motion. Her eyes wander through the crowd. Tomorrow she has time to find allies, today she needs to understand who she's dealing with.

Ever since she was employed in Helpout Sev has started to understand people on a whole new level. The constant need to adjust to different personality types and to dig deep to find the root of someone's problems have given Sev a wide set of tools to work with.

Three years ago the depression period started in District Eleven. The economy in her District was at an all-time low, the peacekeeper reinforcement had increased massively, especially after the big demonstration that happened shortly before, and with that came to a mass increase in suicide rates. The inhabitants simply weren't happy and it wasn't hard for 14-year-old Severin to notice that. Even her mother had reached her all-time low during this period and the cancer didn't help. Once the Capitol caught on to what was happening, they enlisted a service that was supposed to combat the many suicide cases. That service program was known as Helpout. Helpout was all about talking to people and letting them expel all their worries and issues. Helpout also offered a wide variety of new employment requests and Sev was no fool to just pass on such a valuable opportunity. She signed up to be trained as a helper. The job of a helper was to meet up with people and to talk to them and to help them solve their problems and convince them that ending their life wasn't the right way to do it. Since she was too young to actually become a verified helper, she needed to be trained first and Helpout offered such a training program. The Capitol even supported all the children who took an interest in the program financially. Obviously they only did it because they knew that a depression period would only mean a decrease in productivity which would lead to a degradation of the quality of the imports. Once Sev won a spot and finished her education, she officially became a helper.

And Severin plans on using what she learned during her time at Helpout to her advantage. Sadly, being an employee didn't prevent you from being reaped which was a major bummer.

Scanning the room, she spots the District Two boy patting the District Four girl on the back. She seems to be vomiting into the water. The girl clearly can't control herself and given the fact that she's a career, that won't do her any good.

Then she spots a rather interesting conversation between the District Five boy and the District Nine girl. They seem to be whispering and in one swift moment, the girl places a mysterious bag into the hands of the boy and disappears. Odd.

The District Eight girl appears to be calming her District Partner who isn't all too happy about something.

And then there's the boy from Three. Alpha Mail. For some reason, his name is the only one she can remember. Surrounding Alpha are at least twenty Capitolites each looking up to him in admiration as he appears to be telling them a story. Maybe she'll approach him in the upcoming days.

As she's about to deviate her attention to the glass of wine in her hands, she detects a pretty little wallet, hanging loosely from a back-pocket of one of the guests. She shouldn't. She really shouldn't. If she gets caught she'll probably be punished. She shouldn't risk it.

Her right hand extends.

It's a really bad idea.

Her feet propel her forward.

She can stop. She still can. She just has to stop.

Her fingers touch the tip of the fine leather surface of the wallet.

There's no going back now.

In a split second, she yanks the wallet out of the man's pocket and walks away, squeezing the space between her eyebrows with her fingers while shaking her head in disappointment. In the corner of her eye, she spots the boy from Twelve facing her. She directs her attention towards him and the moment the two make eye contact, he smirks and walks away.

This is why Sev shouldn't have let her compulsiveness get in the way again. What if he rats her out? The way he smiled at her coyly, tells her that he's going to use this information to his advantage. He could get her killed… which would mean that there is one less tribute to worry about… which would increase his chances. Oh God. This is bad.

Severin brushes her hair to the side and struts towards the boy from Twelve. She pushes through the crowd forcefully with people staring at her as if she'd lost it. At this very moment, however, she couldn't give less of a shit what people thought of her. Once she's in close enough proximity to the boy, she claws at his shoulder and turns him around. His eyes speak louder than his words. He knew she was coming.

'Quite a sneaky one, aren't you?' he remarks. That's it. Now he's done it.

'Alright, listen to me, I don't care how you perceive me but let me tell you one thing, If you dare to rat me out, you'll be the first I kill in the arena, got it, pretty boy?' and with that threat hanging in the air, she walks away, just as her name is called to approach the VIP area and introduce herself.

Two avoxes escort her as she approaches the pavilion. Sev is still impacted by what she just did. This was the first she'd ever threatened someone in her life. Her mother, her role model, always told her to be kind and gentle and to aid whenever people are in need and to keep your anger to yourself. Well, sometimes you just have to resort to the worst. And this was one of those times. She'll try and minimize the frequency of such occurrences to the maximum capacity but when it comes to protecting her mother and herself, there's nothing she won't do.

'Presenting Severin Neferet from District Eleven. Seventeen-years-old. Reaped.'

'Yes, hello!' she exclaims with the biggest smile she can muster. 'My name is Severin but you can just call me Sev. What can I tell you about myself? Well, to be honest, I'm just an ordinary girl that lived her life, trying to get by every day. My mother… was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive cancer back when I was 14. The doctors told me that she has about four more years to live due to the disease still being in its early stages. Well… this would be her last year now…' the audience gasps and Sev can hear a few guests sobbing silently. And although Sev was close to crying herself she knows this was good. The sponsors need to live through her story to try and even come close to feeling what she feels every day.

'I didn't have a father, y'know? So it was all up to me. I had to take care of my mom. Just me.' she points at herself rather dramatically. 'So I started working for Helpout which, if some of you don't know, is a service that was provided by the Capitol to prevent suicide. But that wasn't enough. I started singing at bars at night and made some good money that way… however…' she pauses melodramatically. '...It's, by far, not enough to pay for my mother's cure. Who knows, maybe if I win this game, I can finally free my mother of her pain and suffering.'

There's a moment of silence in the crowd which is interrupted by a couple more sobs. And then one woman stands up. 'You said that you sing… would it be possible for you to sing us something?'

Sev's heart skips a beat and for a second she starts to panic. She's heard of Capitol celebrities and how their mesmerizing voices can enchant anyone. She's nothing compared to them, but right now, this might be her saving grace. So she separates the microphone from its stand, takes a deep breath, and prepares to sing for her life.


Aditya Fields, 18

District Ten Male


The District Eleven girl's voice was magical. It was by far one of the most beautiful things Aditya has ever heard. So beautiful that a part of him wanted to taint it, to destroy it. After the girl is done, the VIP guests clap in amazement. She'd just received the biggest applause out of everyone. When Aditya told them about his family's meat packaging business, he only received a couple of sad nods and a few claps here and there that culminated in an awkward silence. One that made Aditya sweat as he left the stage.

So it is of course understandable that this girl needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. With a voice like that and the sponsors already down on their knees who knows what other destruction she could cause. And besides… there could only be one tantalizing person in the room. And that was him.

Aditya's no stranger to being the center of attention. With him and his family being public figures, the limelight is always on them. This is apparent, given the fact that his family owns one of the largest estates in Panem. Aditya even has his own charity for god's sake. How much more gracious could one get? His cause to build shelters for the homeless has been featured in many papers and supported by hundreds of people. Or should he say people's wallets. And, yes, things might be all rainbows and sunshine on the surface but the whole charity-thing is a complete and utter fluke.

Well, of course, there is a charity. He does need to have the appearance of a likable and kind person. How else would he get people into bed with him? It was the appearance that mattered and not what was truly under the materialistic packaging. And it isn't only him. His parents do the exact same thing. Their organically packaged meat is a cover-up that hides the true exploitation of their employees that takes its course behind the scenes.

With great power comes great responsibility. If only he was a responsible person.

Aditya refills his glass with a fresh bottle of wine. The way the thick fluid splatters out of the bottle reminds him all too much of the blood of all these poor, innocent girls that still mark his skin. He smiles contently to himself. Oh, he is going to have so much fun here. He had to make the best out of his situation and just the idea of being able to overpower anyone with pure force and dragging a blade across someone's throat without fearing the consequences makes this whole experience so much better.

For now, however, he just needs to keep smiling and lure people into his trap. The beast could be unleashed once they were all sitting pretty in the arena and the lines have been drawn. That is when Aditya could let it all out and cause some proper destruction.

Momentarily, there is something else on his mind. He hasn't had sex in three days. Three whole days. And it is agonizing. Why worry about who to kill and who to torture now when there was time for this later on. Now is the time to have some fun. The time to explore his other desires… his more intimate ones.

Around him are people from all walks of life. What most of them have in common is that they're all very attractive human beings. Never has Aditya been in a room with so many people he could see himself sleeping with. Back in District Ten, there'd always be one or two, maximum three, people who would catch his eye. Here, however, he's having such a hard time deciding who to pick.

The District Eleven girl is very attractive but he can't see himself doing anything with her. Whenever he looks at her, rage fills his eyes and that rage might take control of him and cause Aditya to do something stupid which he would regret later on.

The District Two boy is also extremely handsome but he appears to be busy caring for the girl from Four who's leaning against a tree, the corner of her mouth drenched in vomit. Repelling.

Then his eyes fall on the boy from Five. Tall, broad chest, good frame, perfect bone structure, and an impeccably shaped butt. He's standing next to a group of Capitolites, seeming rather disinterested in the conversation at hand. He is the one.

Aditya approaches his prey elegantly. The boy notices Aditya and maintains eye contact until the two are only a few feet away. 'Can I help you?' the boy asks.

'I'm sorry, what was your name again?' Aditya inquires, having no actual recollection of any of the tributes' names.

'The name's Pavlov.'

'What a wonderful name.' Aditya extends his right hand.

'I'm Aditya.' Pavlov takes Aditya's hand and shakes it. He has such a firm grip. Aditya can't wait to release all his fantasies on this boy and once he's done with him, Pavlov will be left begging for more and as soon as that moment is reached, Aditya will know that he has won.

'It is a pleasure to meet you, Aditya. How are you doing on such a fine day?' Pavlov laughs.

'Oh, I'm doing splendidly. I'd love to take you out for dinner this weekend though.' Aditya changes the topic. Normally he'd wait for a more subtle transition but the night is about to end and he is on borrowed time.

'I'd love to but you see… I'm supposed to be competing in the Games, so maybe afterward?' The two of them laugh and Aditya sets his hand on Pavlov's shoulder.

Pavlov stares at Aditya's hand that still maintains its position on Pavlov's shoulder. 'But you know what I can do? I could go get us some drinks.'

'That would be fantastic.' Aditya smirks as Pavlov disappears in the crowd. This kid is in for something. He doesn't like how confident Pavlov is. It angers Aditya. He tends to look for more innocent and shy prey. People who will easily get attached and will put their entire trust into his corrupt hands. But, surprisingly, Pavlov's charm makes Aditya want to take control even more and to show him who really is in charge here.

Pavlov returns with two drinks in his hands. He hands Aditya one and the moment it reaches his hand, he chugs it into his system. Pavlov does the same. The drink was surprisingly good. It was aggressive but sweet and a bit sour all the same.

'What is that?' Aditya asks.

'Just a little something special.' Pavlov grins.

And then it hits him. The sweetness turns to bitterness and the previously warm feeling vanishes as shivers crawl up and down his spine. 'I don't think I feel very… good.'

'Just relax and enjoy. Everything's going to be fine…' Pavlov dances to the beat of the music and the longer Pavlov moves, the more his body begins to stretch in all directions, becoming distorted and unrecognizable while the colors of the lights begin to fuse and the sounds around him become muffled and barely audible. His heart rate increases rapidly and he can't control himself anymore. His body goes numb, his brain following shortly after.

His head throbs like crazy and there's a strange taste in his mouth. When he opens his eyes, he's not at the party anymore. Instead, Aditya seems to be lying in a bed. The sun rays blind him, forcing him to shut his eyes again. Aditya barely has any memory of what happened last night. The more he tries to remember, the more he seems to be getting lost in a maze of his own thoughts.

'Wakey, wakey,' a voice says smoothly from beside him. Aditya gasps, pulling the cover away from himself and leaning against the frame of the bed in shock. It's Pavlov. And that is when he begins to piece together a few things. The drink.

'You… you… put something in my drink…' Aditya feels a cool breeze covering his skin and once he looks down, he notices his naked body. Quickly, he covers himself up again. This is the first time he's ever felt… shame.

'I might have slipped some neomorph into your drink, yes.' Pavlov smiles. 'And, boy, did you go crazy after that. It was absolutely insane. Totally worth it.'

Aditya is speechless. 'Did we…'

'Sleep together? Yep.' Pavlov gets up from the bed. Aditya can't help but admire the boy's perfectly sculpted body as the sunlight hits his muscles. Pavlov slips into a silk robe and ties it around his waist. Aditya almost wants to tell him to take it off again so he can continue drooling over his body. 'I have to admit, you sure do know what you're doing.' Pavlov winks at Aditya before disappearing into the bathroom.

Never has Aditya felt more wrath than at this point in time. The number of things he wants to do to Pavlov is, not only uncountable but also unspeakable. He is going to get his revenge one way or another even if it is the last thing he does.

Aditya will not go down without having made Pavlov's life utter hell. Nobody overpowers Aditya. Nobody. This feeling of vulnerability that he senses is so utterly new to him. It's disgusting.

Suddenly, the bathroom door slides open again as Pavlov's head peaks out. 'Oh, and you might want to head to your own room now. It's the first day of training and you don't want to be late, do you?' the bathroom door shuts once more before Aditya hears the sound of the shower turning on.

No more fun and games. It's time to get real.


ALLIANCES:

The Careers: Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M), Nastya (D2F), Dimitris (D2M), Zo (D4F), Barracuda (D4M)

Federation of the Beans: Voxel (D3F), Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M)


So the chapters seem to be getting longer and longer although I keep telling myself to make them shorter, great lol. Anyways, so in this chapter we met: wrestling sensation Dimitris, pure and innocent Voxel, paranoid and hectic Sev with a story to tell, and vengeful Aditya. Dimitris and Sev are my own creations while Voxel and Aditya have been submitted by Platrium and Reader Castellan respectively. So we are done with the first cylce of going through all the POVs. There will be three or four more cycles and a few Capitol subplot chapters before the games. But we've now met all of the POV characters and we'll get to know them so much better in the upcoming chapters. I can't wait to tell their stories and as you could tell, the dynamics are already starting to form.

Two quick questions because it wasn't mentioned directly:

Can you guess who Pavlov got that neomorph from? ;)

What could Mune have possibly been so mad about?

So quick recap of the first cycle:

Raja seems to be collecting data on all the tributes and is still in search of an ideal partner, having dismissed Goud early on after having observed him play chess. Meanwhile, Mune found a good friend in Hilda who seems to be accepting him for who he is. Pamela made it clear that she has no problem doing whatever it takes to win these games. Dirk and Diana got off to a rough start due to their clashing ideologies. Colin begins to craft his master plan. Leven seems to have let her emotions get the best of her while her more stubborn side prevents her from learning valuable lessons that her mentor has to offer. Barracuda tries to maintain the self-portrayal of a perfect career, while hiding his true insecurities. Phoenix can't resist aiding Leven when she's in need. Dimitris tries to hide his personal life from the careers and seems to have struck an interesting relationship with Zo. Voxel messes up on stage but finds a new ally in Hilda. Severin also has a rocky relationship with Dirk due to her kleptomania getting the best of her. And, finally, Aditya is outplayed by Pavlov and now seeks revenge.

...And that's just the beginning.

Please review and I'll see all of you next time. Bye!

PS. Go vote now for your favorite nominations at the 2019 SYOT Awards!

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