Johanna Mason, 44
Victor of the 71st Hunger Games: District 7

After spending nearly 30 years by herself, it was strange for Johanna to have someone else in the house with her. She and Freya met after Johanna came home from mentoring for the 99th Hunger Games. Kingsley, District 7's Victor from the 82nd Games, was the lead guitarist in a band and had convinced Johanna to come and see him play. It was there that she met Freya, and they hit it off immediately.

Freya worked in District 7's mailroom printing newspapers. Granted, the "news" they printed was propaganda written by and for the Capitol. After Kingsley's show, Johanna and Freya had gotten to talking about that year's Games. They both shared the opinion that while choosing a tribute in the Games to root for was morbid, they were happy that the little guy from District 3 won as opposed to a Career tribute, since both of the tributes from 7 died in the bloodbath.

Johanna was thrilled to find someone outspoken that she could really talk with, but more than anything, she was scared. She knew logically that President Snow was long dead, and she was grateful for that every day. But ever since her own Victory Tour when Snow killed all of her friends and family, she found it hard to forget him.

But slowly, Freya was able to break down Johanna's walls, and she was grateful for that. They didn't live together, mostly because Johanna was afraid of the wrong people finding out that she was attached, but that didn't stop them from spending almost all of their time together.

"I can't believe we're living to see another Quarter Quell," Johanna said. "It's been a hundred years of this shit. How much longer is it gonna be?"

"I don't know," Freya said, flipping a pancake. "Maybe they're winding down, though. Maybe the lack of a twist means that the Capitol is getting bored or running out of ideas."

"I can only hope," Johanna said. "Anything from the fridge? Butter? Syrup?"

"Blueberries," Freya said, before adding "please."

The two ate quietly for a few minutes, trying to cherish their time together. The Reapings were tomorrow, so it was their last full day together before Johanna would have to go off to the Capitol again to mentor that year's District 7 female. Finally, Freya spoke again.

"I wish you didn't have to go. I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too," Johanna said, reaching across the table for Freya's hand. "It's such bullshit that I have to mentor the female tribute every year just because I'm the only living female Victor."

"I know, right?" Freya agreed. "It's sexist. Blight, Kingsley, and Nash only have to do it every three years. But you have to do it every year just because you're a woman? What, a man can't mentor a female tribute?"

Johanna tried not to let on how much the conversation hurt. It wasn't just that she had to mentor every year. It was the fact that she had to do so because she had never brought home a Victor. For someone adored by the Capitol as one of the cleverest Victors to date, she evidently wasn't smart enough to coach a tribute to victory. For the first couple of years, it was passable. But this year would be Johanna's twenty eighth time mentoring the female tribute from District 7, and she hadn't been successful a single time. What was she doing wrong? It was easy to say while Snow was in power that the deck was stacked against Johanna's tributes, but as time has progressed, it's been harder and harder to avoid the truth. Maybe she was just bad at mentoring.

"What's wrong?" Freya asked, furrowing her brow.

"It's nothing," Johanna lied, cutting into her pancakes

"Hey," Freya said softly. "Remember what we talked about? When people are in relationships, they communicate. What's bothering you?"

"I just… I'm just really gonna miss you, that's all." Johanna knew she should be honest with her girlfriend, but she couldn't bring herself to. Johanna's problems were way above Freya's paygrade. And what could she do to solve them? Freya had never been in the Games before. She wouldn't be able to make Johanna a better mentor.

"I'll miss you too. But you'll be back in three weeks. A month tops. And when you get back, we can spend a lot of quality time together."

"That sounds nice." Johanna smiled and put down her silverware. "And at least I'm going with Kingsley this year. You know I love Blight, but he's in his sixties now. They should really let him retire soon."

"I agree," Freya said. "It wasn't enough that they made him live the Games when he was in there, but he has to revisit it at his age? It's just cruel."

"I'm just so sick of it," Johanna admitted. "I thought that once I won, I wouldn't have to deal with the Games again. I thought that because that's what they told me. But I've had to deal with the Games every year since I was twelve. And it looks like I'm never going to stop."

She clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead. Someone who didn't know her might have thought that she was holding back tears, but that wasn't a misunderstanding she had to worry about with Freya. That's why she loved her so much. Freya knew when she was mad.


Heyo. I know this chapter was pretty heavy on the dialogue, but I figured it was a good way to express the relationship that Johanna had with Freya.

I've still got a few spots with no submissions, and almost two full weeks left before I decide on a cast, so keep submitting! I could really use some boys. And like I said, I'm not closing them until the 22nd, so if you have an idea but the spot already has submissions, don't be afraid to submit anyway. I'm taking the best tributes, and the ones that will mesh the best with the others.