Cyrene Longuemare- District Four female

Everyone says they'll do anything to win. Far fewer live lives that back it up. And among those that do, few of us are actually doing it because we're just that iron-willed and dauntless. Wolves don't gnaw their legs off out of ambition. They do it out of sheer desperation. What I did, I did because there was no better option.

The Career Districts think they're playing the Capitol, but the Capitol is playing us. They get young adults trained from birth to kill. And who do they kill? The outer Districts. The ones with the most to gain from rebelling. We cull their undesirables and we become the enemy to the outliers. The Capitol is a faceless, unbeatable juggernaut the outer Districts don't dare to think about defying. Six Careers are a scourge that each year can conceivably be outplayed by a canny underdog. We're their pyrrhic sacrifice.

I knew all that and I was still allied with the Capitol. Like I said, there was no better option. Like the scientist in a horror story admiring the horrible alien's "perfect hunter physique", I acknowledged their position. The best way to get power and influence wasn't to oppose the Capitol. It was to serve them. Capitolites were people. Districters were resources. If I wanted to go from powerless to empowered, I had to be part of the Capitol. The only way up, the only possible chance for a Districter to be truly accepted as a Capitolite, was to kill for them. We could prove our worth by being their bullet shield and telling them how grateful we were for the opportunity. My future belonged to the Capitol. If I was part of the Capitol, my future belonged to me.

Funny thing was, I hadn't settled on Career at first. I settled on Peacekeeper. Graduation from the Peacekeeper Academy would indelibly stamp me as loyal. I would get assigned an undesirable job in the outer Districts at first, but I could work my way up and eventually... even the Capitol needed Peacekeepers. Bribery or favors could get my residency permanent.

That was my plan, up until my family ruined it. My brother vandalized the Justice Building in a brainless display of youthful rebellion. That alone could have been enough to get us jailed, but Karl must have affected our other siblings, since Genesis reacted to the increased pressure by printing half a dozen anti-Capitol posters. I hadn't seen my family in months, since they were in jail, awaiting possible execution and more likely Avoxing. Guess they might see the Capitol after all. That's when I learned I was one of the few who actually would do anything to win. As a promising Peacekeeper Academy cadet, I was given a shred of the benefit of the doubt. I was told to disown my family for clemency. I did. Instead of jail, I was drummed out of the Academy.

That's how I came to be a volunteer. My training transferred from riots to the anarchy of the Arena. I would never be chosen as the volunteer, but if I volunteered without being chosen, they would let the trash take itself out. The board had shifted wildly from where it was meant to be, but the game wasn't lost. I was still moving pieces and I was still gaining ground.


Percy Mordecai- District Four male

Tyson was the best boyfriend in the world. He put up with me even though most people woud have given up long ago. He put up with my mood swings and my irrational moments. Most people could never love me, but Tyson stayed. He knew I was hard to get along with and hard to love, but he stayed anyway. Most people would have left by now, but Tyson still loved me. He put up with my angry moments and the times when I felt like I was so mad I just had to destroy something, even if it had nothing to do with why I was mad.

Gaudius was looking terrible. I know the Capitolites love plastic surgery and all but he was looking bad. If I looked like that I'd be ashamed to leave the room. But what Capitolites lack in self-awareness they make up in self-confidence. So Gaudius' stiff face and his stretched-tight skin stepped forward and took a name out of the bowl.

"Tyson Burbank!" he called.

No. Tyson didn't deserve this. I did- I mean, I was a terrible boyfriend. I always had emotions and irrational reactions and just baggge that Tyson had to deal with. But not Tyson. He was such a good guy for staying with me even though I didn't deserve a guy in his leage. Tyson was such a saint for staying with me.

Tyson stood on the stage next to Gaudius. He was almost catatonic with fear. He was crying like I'd never seen him cry and he was finally calling in all he'd done for me.

"Percy! Percy, help me!" he screamed. "I don't deserve this!"

No, he didn't. He was a perfect boyfriend and I had always been a burden on him. I heard him talking and his words pierced right to my heart. Nothing he was saying was wrong. I did deserve this more than him.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Gaudius asked.

I wasn't sure about God but I sure prayed in those minutes. We had an Academy but Tyson had taken three semesters there. In Four, we weren't as fanatical as One and Two. If it seemed like the Reaped ones might have a chance, we didn't volunteer. And Tyson was so strong. Of course he had a chance. Just not enough.

Tyson's eyes found me in the crowd. He deserved this. He did so much for me when I wasn't worth any of it. I was just the useless brother of a volunteer who disgraced himself in the one Games he might have had a chance in. Mordecai was anathema in Four. It was an embarrassment to be known for him. But Tyson was worth so much. He deserved this.

"I volunteer as Tribute!"

It was the least I could do. Tyson loved me when I was unlovable. He stayed with me when there was nothing keeping him there. And when he rarely lost his patience, he wasn't saying anything that wasn't true. I was a terrible person. I was not worth staying for. And he was a saint for staying anyway. He deserved better than me.

Tyson didn't even look at me as he ran offstage. He was such a good person. He was sad I was going to die, even though I wasn't anything worth crying over. He didn't deserve such heartache. i hoped he didn't worry about me. I was glad when he took his place with the other boy his age and didn't look at me again. Sure, I was going to die. I didn't have any skills that would keep me alive. But that didn't matter. It was worth it if he stayed safe.


Cyrene: : Cyrene's a tall, dark brunette who has cold eyes and looks like she knows something you don't. She stands at about five feet and seven inches and weighs around 120 pounds, and looks quite athletic. Decent muscle mass, and she keeps her hair cropped to above her shoulders. Cyrene has blue eyes and deeply tanned skin, her complexion being a mixture of Hispanic and Caucasian.

Percy: Percy stands at 5 feet and 10 inches. He has tan skin, dark brown hair with black highlights, and blue eyes.