Nailah Nebit, District Two female (18)

Most Careers wanted to use swords. I guess it was part of the propaganda and all- wanting to fight up close and be "honorable" and all that. I wanted to be honorable, sure, but I didn't think that meant I had to be stupid. Going into the Games was dangerous, even for a Career. Anyone could kill anyone. Just because I was trained to kill people didn't mean someone else still couldn't kill ME. So I used the bow. With archery, I could choose the battlefield. I could set up ahead of time and wait for someone to come to me. I could even wait for whoever came and decide then whether I wanted to attack. If it was one of the younger Tributes or someone who couldn't fight me, I could let them go if I wanted to. I probably wouldn't, since everyone was dangerous in the Games, but I had the option. And if I sniped a Career who couldn't even see me... they couldn't say it was unfair. They knew what they were getting into when the volunteered, and they even knew I used a bow. I was using it right now, right in front of everybody.

I saw the poison station a few times before I got up the courage to go over. It felt like everyone would be watching me if I walked across the entire room to go check it out. People expected to see the Careers at the weapons stations, but everyone would stare if they saw us at one of that kind of station. Even worse, all the Careers would stare too, since most of us looked down on poison.

Well, it's stupid they look down on it. I told myself. Poison is just smart. You don't have to get close to whoever you're killing. I already use a bow and arrow. This is the obvious next step. I just need a way to get over there without sticking out...

After looking around for a minute, my eyes fell on a water fountain set into the wall. It wasn't right by the poison station, but it was close enough that. I set down my bow and walked across the room, trying to act normal. Nothing to see here. Just getting a drink of water. I bent down by the fountain and peeked around while I got a drink. As far as I could tell, no one was looking. Everyone was just training and minding their own business.

I walked past the poison station like I just happened to be passing it by and then pretended to notice something interesting on the table. Oh, that's a cool-looking plant, I narrated to myself. Better take a look...

"That's curare," the station assistant said, as I drew back sharply at being spoken to. "It paralyzes people."

"Oh, that's pretty cool." I said. It was such a normal-looking plant, just an oval-shaped and kind of glossy leaf. It looked like the hosta plants in my front yard. I knew they weren't poisonous, but how many other everyday plants around my house might kill people? "But does it KILL them?"

"It does if you use enough. If your heart gets paralyzed that does kill you." She said.

"Do you have anything that kills people faster?" I asked. No one seemed to be looking at me so I felt a little bolder.

"This will do the job." The assistant held up a vial of white powder. "This is ricin. It's still one of the deadliest poisons ever invented."

"How fast is it?" I asked.

"About forty-eight hours." the assistant said. I guess I could shoot someone with it and they won't even know they're dying, but I'd prefer something more immediate.

"What's the fastest one?" I asked.

The assistant rifled through the plants and vials on the table. "Probably the cyanide." She said as she picked up another vial. It was weird to think of how dangerous everything on the table was. I wondered if any of the assistants had ever accidentally killed themselves. "It pretty much kills you right when in touches you."

"Can I find it in the wild?" I asked.

"Not in any of the Arenas we've had so far," the assistant said.

Well, we'll narrow it down eventually. "Which ones can I find in the wild, AND they're fast, AND they're really poisonous?"

Kjole Schmiecel, District Eight female (16)

In the Hunger Games, I was going to have to do things I didn't want to do. Most of all, killing people, but at the moment I just meant talking to the Careers. I didn't like the Careers. No one but other Careers like the Careers. But I stuck out- I was big, I was strong-looking... I was a threat. They were going to be coming for me one way or another. My best chance was to keep my enemies close for a while, and then run away when I had the chance.

Before I approached the Careers, I watched them to see what they were up to. I didn't notice them watching me too much, though they were probably sneaky enough to wait until I wasn't looking. The only one I really noticed was Allure, who kept peeking at me in a weirdly interested way. It kind of seemed like she was attracted to me. Romance was the last thing on my mind, and probably hers too. Probably I was just seeing things. I found them when they were all eating lunch and took my plate over by their table. As I walked over I practiced what I was going to say, since I wasn't used to starting conversations.

"Hey. I'm Kjole," I said, then interally cringed at immediately messing up my opening. All at the same moment, the Careers responded.

"Nice to meet you," Anthony said.

Allure tilted her head back to look down her nose at me.

"Hi," Nero said.

Nailah looked between her allies, unsure and looking a little uncomfortable.

"You want an autograph or something?" Dionysus said.

"This is the Career table," Ceto said, not angrily so much as calmly dismissive.

"I saw you looking at me now and then. I know I'm tall and strong-looking. Did you want to recruit me? Because I want to get it over with if you do," I said. I wasn't even trying to be mean or provoke them. I just didn't like talking to them and they probably didn't like talking to me either.

"No one's looking at you," Allure sneered.

"You want to be a Career?" Anthony asked. He sounded bewildered at the idea of a non-Career wanting anything to do with them.

"Not exactly, but I want to be with other athletic people," I said.

"Cool, you're an athlete?" Dionysus asked.

"Duh. Look at her legs." Ceto said. She pointed at the visible muscles under my leggings.

"I play soccer. I'm a goalie." I said.

"So you don't even run?" Allure sniped.

"No. I have really good reflexes, though," I said. A little bit of spirit flared up in me and I added. "Why, you intend to run away a lot?" Allure scowled at me as Dionysus whooped and smacked the table. What am I thinking? I shouldn't make enemies. Well, I guess at least Dionysus thought it was funny...

"We were gonna ask you anyway." Ceto confirmed. She gestured toward the table. "Let's see how long you can keep up."

I felt like a sheep in wolf's clothing as I sat with the Careers. The rest of the Careers, I reminded myself. I was one of them now. Honestly, I wanted to go hide in my room, but I was going to have to fake it until the Games now. I was excited to be with other people who were on my level physically. This was going to be like Peacekeeper training or something- all sprinting and maximum effort all the time. This wasn't just a silly game of soccer with my cousins. Every one of these people were just as fit as me and most of them were stronger when it came to all-over body strength. There was a really big chance it would blow up in my face, but until then it was going to be a wild ride.

I didn't say much as the other Careers started up their conversation again. I always liked listening more than talking. It was bad enough just being with other people, without having to talk to them too. Luckily Dionysus and Nero were taking care of that for me. They weren't dominating the conversation, but they always seemed to have something to say that their allies were interested in. Nailah and Ceto were quieter, while Allure was busy checking out the female Tributes walking by. She seemed to think this was a dating show, not the Hunger Games. Even so, I wasn't going to underestimate her. She got here for a reason, and unfortunately she was already mad at me.

"Are you going to go crush the gauntlet for training?" Dionysus asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I probably should," I said. Actually I didn't intend to go through the gauntlet at all. I already had good reflexes, and I didn't want to show off and get any more attention. As soon as lunch was over, I was going to the sword station, and I wasn't leaving for the rest of training.

Desiree Redwood, Distirct Seven female (17)

Allure kept staring at me. I was starting to think I had a big zit or something. I was minding my own business, just hanging out at the axe-throwing station, and she was starting to weird me out. When she finally came over, I was honestly relieved.

"Hey. You're pretty strong," Allure commented.

I shrugged. "That's what happens when you work in the lumberyard." I said.

"You want to come be with other strong, beautiful people?" Allure asked. Ew, that's a really weird way to ask that. Are you inviting me to an alliance or to the Aryan Nation?

But me? A Career? I guess I could... I was strong enough. I was tall enough. I just didn't know if it was for me. I wasn't really about... killing people and being a maniac.

"I don't know. I'm not sure I'm Career material," I said, trying to deflect without getting a Career mad at me.

"Oh, come on. You can do it. I know you can." Allure leaned in a little, and I couldn't help but notice she did so in a purposefully attractive way. At first I thought it might be a coincidence but then...

"I'd love to have you nearby in the Arena," she almost whispered.

Oh, no. Allure is... Allure was flirting with me. Flattering and all, and she was a very attractive- very attractive- lady, but looks weren't everything. Allure was probably the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but I was still not into maniacs. I liked a woman who was attractive but who also didn't kill people. Not very high standards, which was why I'd had a lot of girlfriends over the years. Not that I was constantly getting dumped or anything. I was just still young. Still sowing my wild oats. But anyway none of that was important. I was getting flirted with by someone who liked to kill people and that was unfortunately a dealbreaker. There wasn't much else to do. I had to play dumb.

"Oh, wow! That's really nice of you. But you already have lots of allies. They're probably really excited to have you." I said.

"There's plenty of me to go around." Allure said.

I looked around for a possible means of escape. How could I reject Allure without making a very angry and powerful enemy? I WISHED I could ally with the Careers for just a few days so I could get through the Bloodbath without being targeted, but I was worried as soon as the Bloodbath was over they'd just come after me.

The boy from Eight walked by. I saw my answer. It was so weird and so hard to wrap my head around, but I had to do it. I wracked my brain for what I should even compliment.

"Oh, there's the boy from Eight! He's so cute." I gushed.

Allure turned to look. "What?" She asked as she saw the pale, shaggy-haired boy.

"I just love... manly men." I said. "Men are so handsome. I like how... big they are. How manly they smell. Their... backsides are so... flat."

Allure's expression went from calculatedly pretty to just confused. "He's not big at all." She said.

"Well I like short guys, too." I improvised.

"Isn't Archibald thirteen years old?" Allure asked.

What can I say? I panicked.

"I like them young." I blurted.

It was weirdly impressive how violently Allure's demeanor changed. She had been leaning into me so close her chest was touching me, but she leaned back and took a step backward. She wrinkled her face all up and for the first time she didn't look perfectly beautiful.

"Gross." She said. She gave me a weird look out of the side of her eye and walked away. Which, I couldn't help but noticed, left me with a view of her butt.

Might have made an enemy, I went over what had just happened. But actually Allure seemed so grossed out that I kinda think she just never wants to see me again. At least she's not flirting with me anymore...

Allure in any situation: I roll to seduce