Ever since her first year as a Gamemaker, Amethyst had never been able to watch the interviews the way that she used to. As a kid, they used to be her favorite parts of the pre-Games, the one opportunity she had to get to know the tributes and to pick one she could really root for. The chariots and training scores all felt superficial to young Amethyst; it was the interviews where you really learned who the tributes were.

It was only once she became a Gamemaker that she realized that she really just learned who the tributes pretended to be.

Not only that, but Amethyst had to be tuned in to every word that came out of the tributes' mouths. It was just as much her job to make sure the Games ran smoothly as it was to tell the story of whoever won. This was a difficult enough task when she just had to come to one final narrative; this year, she would need to develop at least four, likely more if she had her way, that ideally intertwined with each other. Not only that, but there were 48 – well, really 46 potential storylines she had to follow, even though most of them would become irrelevant as soon as they ended. Amethyst's task was one that nobody could possibly prepare for, a fact which weighed heavily on her relatively young shoulders.

Fortunately, Amethyst had a plan going into this year. Normally, she would take notes on six of the tributes, the ones whom she thought had the best chance of winning, and divided the rest between three trusted Gamemakers. But with so many variables at play, both in the Games and outside of them, Amethyst wanted to make sure that there was enough attention paid to each kid. So this year, twenty-three Gamemakers were assigned two kids each to track, with Amethyst assigning the kids she felt had a better story or a bigger chance to the Gamemakers who she trusted. She herself had taken the last two, whom she knew would not survive, so that she could focus on the larger picture narrative of the Games; instead of focusing on the potential narratives of those two tributes, Amethyst would take notes on the highs and lows of the interviews, as well as any big themes that were emerging. Delegating so much of her job was bold, but if Amethyst had chosen any other strategy, she knew she would drown.

Amethyst took one last lap around the Gamemakers' box for the interviews, making sure that each station was set up with the correct documents and a written version of the same instructions she'd given her Gamemakers that morning. There were a lot of things she'd asked them to pay attention to - their tribute's interview, mentions of their tributes, information that might affect their tribute – so she wanted to make sure they had all the resources they needed to do their job right.

Most likely, Amethyst would end up rewatching the interviews all night anyways.

Once she was satisfied with the room, Amethyst picked up her clipboard and followed her security detail through the catacombs underneath the training center to the President's Box. There, she found her sister waiting, along with all their husbands and children. Her older kids, twelve-year-old Lavender and nine-year-old Cobalt, greeted Amethyst with hugs and kisses, but her youngest was nowhere to be found. "Where is Violet?" she asked Ruby, giving her sister a hug as well.

"Off with Cerise, as usual. They have a security guard with them; I told him to bring them here when the interviews start."

"The two really are thick as thieves."

"That's one way to put it." Ruby picked up the folder sitting on her chair. "Did you see President Snow's notes on the Private Session report?"

"I did." Amethyst dropped her voice to a whisper. "I feel like he writes less every year."

"Did your meeting about the Bloodbath go ok today, at least?"

"He's satisfied with the placements of the kids of concern, and I got him behind my plans for alliances, which is good."

"That is good."

Their conversation was cut off by the playing of the anthem, which indicated that President Snow was entering the Box. Amethyst scurried to her seat and turned to face the entrance, bowing her head respectfully to her grandfather as he entered. Only once the anthem finished and President Snow sat down did Amethyst sit as well.

It was time for the show to begin.

"Good evening, Panem!" Celestia Flickerman crowed, emerging on stage in a glittering ballgown. "It is such a pleasure to be here on this, the night before the Fourth Quarter Quell officially begins!" The crowd roared, loud enough that people could probably hear it in District One. Celestia let the Capitolites scream for a moment, letting them go on for just long enough before raising her hand, an electric silence filling the air. "I know you're all excited for this evening's interviews, but I want to point out a couple of things before we get started.

"First of all, you'll notice that the set is a little different. Normally, all the tributes sit on stage together for the entire time, but it felt a little squished when we tried that for the Second Quell. Instead, we'll welcome the kids on stage one at a time on stage, so that each can get the spotlight that they deserve!" In reality, Amethyst had made this change for a few other reasons. Firstly, it was easier for the kids to not have to be on stage for the entire duration of the interviews. Second, if a kid had to be pulled off stage for… misbehavior, there would be no conspicuously empty chair. And third, Amethyst hoped that the constant movement on stage would help keep the Capitolites interested in the interviews until the end.

Of course, she had one more trick up her sleeve for that.

"Now, we've been teasing a surprise twist for tonight that will affect the Games themselves, and I'm excited to reveal it now. At the end of the night, you will all have the chance to vote for your favorite tribute. The tribute who receives the most votes will receive a special advantage in the Arena." The crowd murmured. Not since the First Quell had the audience been able to actually impact the Games, save for those wealthy enough to sponsor a tribute. "We of course can't reveal what the advantage is yet, but you'll find out soon enough. I think it'll be a golden opportunity for whoever receives it."

Amethyst surveyed the crowd; each and every Capitolite in attendance hung on to Celestia's every word.

Perfect.

"Now, who's ready to meet the tributes?" The crowd roared again. "That's what I thought! Leading us off is a powerhouse from District One who scored an impressive nine in training. Please welcome One's standard female, Tyranny Bomber!"

As Tyranny walked on stage, resplendent in a blood-red gown, Amethyst clicked open her pen and tried to relax. Sure, tonight was going to be hard. But it paled in comparison to what was yet to come.

Lydia Leah, 17
District One Standard "Male"

As Tyranny walked out on stage, Lydia Leah replayed Celestia's words in her mind. A special advantage? A golden opportunity? They knew that there were going to be many challenges ahead in the Games, but the challenge of winning over the Capitol audience was not one of them. Sure, she wanted sponsors, but for a tribute from One, sponsors were practically guaranteed. But if she wanted an advantage, one that seemed like it could mean the difference between her living and dying, Lydia had to top all the other Careers, a task which was undoubtedly easier said than done.

But she did have one advantage over the others, and her name was Jaesa.

"You ready?" Lydia asked their girlfriend, wrapping their arms around her waist.

"I'm good," Jaesa replied, wrestling herself out of Lydia's grasp. "Sorry. Just tense."

"Yeah, there's a lot going on. But you're gonna be great, I just know it."

"Thanks." Jaesa turned and began to pace, occasionally glancing at the small strip of curtain separating the tributes from the stage.

Lydia's brow furrowed. Jaesa had never been the most affectionate of partners, but since their arrival in the Capitol, she'd been especially closed off. Lydia thought that here, in the Games, Jaesa would lean into what was familiar to her. They could provide her comfort, after all, and Jaesa would never have to question whether or not she could trust them. Instead, Jaesa had turned her back to Lydia, shutting the girl out more and more with each passing minute. Lydia didn't know what else to do but to try harder, to prove to Jaesa that she was there for her and that they could be a good partner both now and out of the Arena. As frustrated as she was, though, Lydia couldn't bring herself to turn her back on Jaesa.

That would be the worst thing she could do.

Before Lydia could approach Jaesa again, she heard the roar of the crowd, indicating that Tyranny's interview was done. A stage manager beckoned to Lydia, who smoothed out her pantsuit and followed him to the curtain. "Good luck, but I'm sure you've got this," Lydia offered as she passed her girlfriend.

"Thanks," Jaesa replied. She paused, then added, as if an afterthought, "You too."

Lydia didn't have time to process Jaesa's words or tone. She just had to deliver.

"Now, let's welcome our tribute in the standard male slot from District One, Lydia Leah!"

Lydia strutted out on stage, soaking in the cheers of the Capitolites as she strode to the chair across from Celestia. "Celestia! I can't believe I'm finally here! I feel like I've been getting ready for this moment for so long and now it's actually happening!"

"You've certainly achieved something remarkable, Lydia! Now, to clarify for our audience, you do not identify as a boy, correct?"

"That is right. I've been debating whether I identify as female or non-binary for a while now, but it's definitely not male."

"And your pronouns are she and they?"

"Yes, at this point I use she/her and they/them more or less interchangeably"

"How did you come to the conclusion that you weren't a boy?"

Lydia had rehearsed an answer to this question, carefully worded so as not to blow One's cover. "That had always been obvious to me," she replied, a twinkle appearing in her eye. "Sometimes it's easier to figure out what you're not than what you are."

"Yeah, and it's hard when you're training within a system that focuses so heavily on a falsified binary."

"And let's talk about training!" Lydia was glad that Celestia had picked up what she was putting down – and that the consequences of the failed Third Quell Rebellion allowed her to talk about her training openly. "It's rather remarkable for a seventeen-year-old to be selected to represent their district."

"Maybe in Two, sure. But in One, a strong seventeen-year-old can be selected if they're the best choice. And clearly, I was the best choice."

"What motivated you to train?"

"Well, in some respect, it was to push against my parents. They tried to tell me that I shouldn't train, but I wanted to prove them wrong. And then, once I met Jaesa, I really wanted to train for her. She is so important to me and I wanted to train hard so I could surprise her with how good I'd gotten."

"Did you ever expect to end up volunteering alongside her?"

"Certainly not before the Quell announcement. But once the Quell was announced, I doubled down on my training. How cool would it be to not only enter the Games with my girlfriend but also to win with her? We'd be the first Victors who won together, for one thing, and we'd also be the first Victors to win who were in love. And I could show her that we're really meant to be together."

"That's so sweet!" Celestia cooed, as the Capitol audience awwed collectively. "How does Jaesa feel about it?"

Lydia gulped. "I'm not sure. I think she's excited but she's a very focused person. All I can do is support her and do the best job I can to make sure that we both excel in the Arena."

"That's a great way to look at it!" A bell sounded from off stage. "I think that's all the time we have. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Lydia Leah!"

Lydia stood up and gave the audience a final wave, then turned and crossed to the opposite side of the stage from where she entered. But rather than go back to the green room, Lydia elected to stay backstage, waiting for Jaesa to be done so she didn't miss a second of her girlfriend's interview. And after some more pleasantries, there Jaesa was, beaming as bright as her brilliant ballgown, golden and glittering, every curve accentuated perfectly. She was everything that Lydia had fallen in love with and more.

It was enough to take their breath away.

Jaesa's interview went about as smoothly as an interview could get, the product of hours of interview training that Jaesa had gotten after her selection but before Lydia's. She spoke eloquently about her time in training, how her brush with the Games at the tender age of twelve had spurred her on to train harder so that she would not be caught that off guard again. She talked about how important it was for her to remain kind to others even if she was stressed, how she went out of her way to do good across the district, dropping off meals to those in need and just generally treating those around her with respect. Jaesa believed her responsibility as a volunteer was to be the best representative of One, and she made clear from her words that she took her responsibility seriously.

But as Lydia listened to Jaesa talk, as she spoke so well about the things she held so dear, they couldn't help but notice that their name did not come up once. Lydia tried not to put much thought into it, but they couldn't shake the pit forming in their stomach. The two had been dating for quite some time now, so while Lydia hoped it was an oversight on Jaesa's part, that explanation seemed unlikely.

Lydia felt something twist in her stomach, a bad feeling she could not shake. Their relationship was a built-in storyline for the two of them, something guaranteed to get the Capitolites on their side. Why would Jaesa leave Lydia out?

Leyton Gresley, 18
District Six Standard Male

As Leyton Gresley followed the stage manager up to the thick black curtain separating him from the Capitol audience, he couldn't help but notice that he did not feel nervous. Sure, there were a few butterflies dancing around his stomach. But the time he'd spent preparing with his mentor had left Leyton feeling surprisingly confident. He felt fairly comfortable with the angle he was trying to play: all he needed to do was be himself. A slightly more exaggerated, more energetic version of himself, but himself nonetheless. Leyton could only feel bad for the tributes who had to spend their last days pretending to be someone they were not.

In Leyton's view, going after Acadia was also a big advantage. The girl's tenacity, drive, and resilience would surely win the Capitolites over, buttering them up for Leyton, as his mentor put it. As long as Leyton didn't royally screw up – which he was pretty sure he wouldn't – he should come out of his interview in fairly good shape.

Leyton was ignoring the fact that the only thing waiting for him after his interview was an Arena in which he would likely spend his last moments.

A respectful amount of applause filtered through the curtain, indicating the end of Acadia's interview. Leyton took a last deep breath and wiped his sweaty palms on his dark green suit, as ready as he could be to show off the best parts of himself to the assembled Capitolites.

"We heard a little bit about him from Acadia, so now let's meet him in the flesh! Ladies and gentlemen, the standard male from Six, Leyton Gresley!"

The stage manager opened the curtain just enough for Leyton to step through. He shook her hand and sat as naturally as he could across from her, crossing his left leg over his right. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Leyton!" Celestia began, setting into her seat as well.

"The pleasure is all mine, Celestia. I've heard so much about you."

"And I about you as well, courtesy of your district partner."

"Well, I hope she said good things. They didn't let me listen."

"Really?"

"Nah, I was just pulling your leg." Fortunately, Celestia cracked a small smile at that. "I could hear some of it through the curtains backstage, but I was just focusing on getting ready for my own."

"Well, that makes sense. You want to make a good impression!"

"Of course I do! My fate is in your hands, after all."

"Well, that's quite the high compliment! I'm sure that once our audience here learns about you, they'll forget all about me. Now, Acadia told me that you guys are more acquaintances than friends. Would you say that's right?"

"Yeah, that's a great way to put it." Leyton was beyond thrilled that his mentors weren't trying to push a narrative about himself and Acadia that wasn't true. "We live in the same area of Six, and she is a regular customer of my family's store, but we never really talked much before we were Reaped, apart from just like school gossip and whatnot. But now that we're all each other has, I think we've gotten closer."

"It's nice to have a piece of home with you while you're so far away from it."

"Exactly, and especially this year, given who our district partners are. The last thing I want is to be within attacking distance of two convicted murderers. That would not exactly increase my life expectancy."

The audience laughed, bolstering Leyton's confidence. A little joke went a long way.

"If I were you, I think I'd do the same. Now, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

Celestia leaned in closer to the boy, seeming like she was genuinely interested in what he had to say. Leyton could feel himself relax even more in her presence as he replied, "Well, I go to school during the day, and then after school, I work at my family's shop. We sell parts to local mechanics mostly; we don't really have the resources to supply to big manufacturing plants."

"Do you like your work?"

"I guess so? It's not like I know anything else, and I enjoy interacting with customers and being the frontman of the store, so to speak."

"And how about your family? What are they like?"

Leyton paused, choosing his words carefully. He had practiced an answer to this question with his mentor – his family situation was too complex not to. His parents barely talked anymore after his youngest sister was born, once it became apparent that she was not Leyton's father's daughter. A few weeks later, the girl was gone, as if she'd never existed. Leyton and his younger sister were alone, caught in the eye of the storm of life that whipped around them. But did he want to throw his parents under the bus? Did he want the entire country to know how broken their home was? Did he want to risk the ruin of his family, their livelihood, and their reputation?

No, he didn't.

"I don't see them much," Leyton eventually responded. "Between school and our various shifts in the shop and the work they have to do to get product to sell, they're just not around. That's why I'm so often the frontman of the shop and they're not."

"Well, I'm sure they're grateful for your help," Celestia concluded, sensing that the bell would ring moments before it did. "Ladies and gentlemen, Leyton Gresley!"

As Leyton waved goodbye to the audience, he felt a small twinge in his stomach, a sense of longing for something that might have been. He had become so used to his life back home that he didn't realize how much it pained him that his home life was so broken, that his sister was gone without a trace, nowhere to be found. Security and stability had become nothing more than a pipe dream for the boy, one that he didn't know he could still yearn for. Why were they popping up here, the farthest place from home he could be, so unstable that he could barely find his footing?

Winning the Games was such a lofty goal. But then again, so was having a stable home. And with the push and pull of the Games, their relentless give and take, he couldn't help but feel like there was no way he could have both.

Helena Blackwell, 19
District Seven Quell Female

Waiting backstage during the interviews was not exactly Helena Blackwell's idea of a good time. Sure, many other people would probably enjoy the hustle and bustle, the constant movement and chatter of a live set, the opportunity to talk to other tributes without the tension of training. Helena, however, far preferred being alone with her thoughts and the figures who lived in them. The thought of having to talk about herself in front of so many people, not knowing what exactly Celestia would ask, was an intimidating prospect at best and a terrifying one at worst. But if Helena wanted a chance at getting out alive, she had to play along for just a little longer; hopefully, once she got out of the Arena, she could just stay in her lane and let her more dynamic counterparts take the spotlight.

As Toby finished off his interview, to a polite amount of applause from the audience, Helena took a moment to compose herself and put on the most pleasant face she could. Through the curtain, she heard, "Next, we'll meet one of the most mysterious tributes of these Games. I'm sure you're all as excited to learn more about her as I am. Please welcome our Quell female from Seven, Helena Blackwell!"

Helena moved carefully to the chair across from Celestia and held out her hand to Celestia, who took it. "Wow, what a firm handshake, Helena!"

"They say a firm handshake is an important trait for a businesswoman to have."

"And you look like quite the businessman in this outfit! I love a monochrome pantsuit, and maroon is definitely your color!"

"Why, thank you. I've never gotten the chance to wear anything quite like this."

"Well, there's a first time for everything! Now, tell us about your life back home. What does your family do – chop down trees?"

"We produce paper and ink, actually. And my father used to create cartoons as well, though that didn't bring in as much money."

"Wow! Not the first thing you think of for a resident of Seven, I know."

"It's definitely not, but it's just as important of an export as the lumber we make."

"I don't doubt it! Does your whole family work in your business?"

"We do. Well, we did. My father died when I was fourteen."

Celestia's face morphed into a look of concern. "I'm so sorry to hear that." She paused, then pried, "How did he pass?"

It had certainly crossed Helena's mind that Celestia would ask about her father. A more private person, Helena would have rather not discuss her father, but she agreed with her mentor that, if Celestia prodded, it was better (and less suspicious) not to brush her question off. Fortunately, Helena had a rather effective coping mechanism for distancing herself from trauma: stories. And for better or for worse, how her father died was a damn good story.

Helena shifted her posture, leaning in towards Celestia as if to tell her a secret. "When I was fourteen, we were getting ready for a big ink order, the largest we'd ever had. A printer in the Capitol had fallen out with their ink supplier, and they needed a lot of ink and fast. At around the same time, my mother, who had up until then done most of the work for our business, became pregnant with my youngest sister, Poem. So my dad took over a lot more of the business than he had in the past, which caused a lot of problems with our logistics, which got him more stressed, which caused problems, and it just all spiraled. It got to the point where we were just used to my father not coming home from work for days at a time. My brother and I tried to help, but we were just kids; we could only work so many shifts.

"One day, after my father had been at work for what I think was three or four days in a row, I went to the warehouse to do one of my shifts. We were storing the ink we were making in giant vats, and my job for the day was to package the ink into smaller containers that we could actually ship it out. When I got there, I found that the lights in the warehouse were on, but nobody was in there. A part of me wanted to leave, but something inside me said that I had to go in and investigate. So I slipped in and looked around, and I noticed that there was some ink that had splashed around the outside of one of the vats.

"A pit formed in my stomach. I knew something was wrong. But even at my young age, I knew that I needed to keep investigating." Helena paused; if there was one thing that she knew how to do, it was how to tell a story, and how to keep the audience engaged in the process. As she talked, she began to slightly elongate her words, to increase the dramatic effect of her storytelling. "I carefully approached the vat. I climbed up the ladder nailed to the side. I peeked over the side…

"And there was my dad. He was face down in the vat, the only movement coming from the ripples of the sea of black ink in which he floated. I screamed for my mother who came running, but the image of him floating in that deep, dark liquid has stuck with me until this day."

As she finished talking, Helena leaned back in her chair, knowing from the absolute silence in the room that she'd charmed every single Capitolite. It was in that silence that the bell rang, breaking Helena's spell and snapping Celestia and everyone else back to reality. "Well, that is quite the story, Helena. I am so sorry for your loss, but I'm sure you're making your father proud. Ladies and gentlemen, Helena Blackwell!"

Helena gave the audience a slight wave before striding offstage, eager to get out of the spotlight as quickly as she could. But the interview had gone about as well as she could expect. By telling a story, she was able to keep the Capitolites invested in her interview while at the same time ensuring that she was under control, that she could share exactly as much as she wanted to. Now, she could return her focus to what really mattered: figuring out how to get out of the Arena alive.

And we're back to Sunday uploads! As I write this I have a 3-chapter stockpile which is a thrill and I hope to add 2 more to that this week! I know weekly updates are a lot but I really want to have this story done by the time I leave for camp (at least written, if everything isn't posted) so that I can feel good about opening subs over the summer for No Good Deed! We'll see if it happens, but I am hopeful. What this also means is that the Bloodbath is going up in two weeks from today, on Sunday, January 16! I'm beyond stoked to finally move into the Arena and for you to see all the tricks I have up my sleeve!

Anyway, back to this chapter. I hope you enjoyed meeting these three kiddos; Lydia comes from david12341, Leyton from silversshade, and Helena from timesphobic! I hope y'all didn't mind that we had to wait so long to meet your children but I loved getting to bring their interviews to life! What did y'all think of these kiddos?

We have two more kids to meet, plus a bonus POV from one kid for whom I had two planned POVs before I shifted around my plans to give everyone one in training. And then the Arena! I can't wait to get these Games started! That reminds me - if anyone is interested in sponsoring a tribute, whether you have a kid or not, please shoot me a PM or a DM on Discord as soon as possible with what you'd like to send! I don't do sponsor points but I do reserve the right to veto so please let me know as soon as possible if you'd like to sponsor!

I'll see you next week for the night before!

xoxo, xxxi