Hello! And I'm back with another update, sorry for the delay, I haven't been at home. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. In this chapter, we see the introduction of another sub-plot, that of the District Five escort, a man who has spent his life fighting to get to the top, but now he's reached it, he begins to question if it is really for him. We also meet the tributes, again a very contrasting pair. We are nearly halfway through the reapings, yay, which means soon, then fun can really begin. Enjoy!

Dina

"Dina, honey, when you get home from work can you remember to pull the curtains? You always leave them open and the sun always ends up in my eyes. And you know that's not good for me, I need my full eyesight to perform surgery in the morning."

Dina didn't work.

She never left the curtains open either.

And most importantly, her mother hadn't stepped food in an operating theatre for the last eleven years. Hell, she hadn't stepped foot anywhere for at least the last four.

She smiled down at her mother, kissing her forehead before tucking the blankets around her frail body. "Yes mama, I'll do that as soon as I get home." There was no point in Dina correcting her mother, the Alzheimer's had consumed too much of her mind to allow anything to make sense. She just let her mother swim in the comfort and fantasies of her own mind, never truly understanding what was happening in there. What hurt Dina the most about her mother's deterioration wasn't the fact she sometimes forgot Dina's name, or where she was, or even the conversation they were having, it was that Dina remembered the woman her mother used to be. She was strong willed, and confident, and the smartest, most amazing and determined woman Dina had never known.

Toni Isaacs had been the chief surgeon in the district. The list of lives she had saved was endless, her selfless nature meaning that she would never leave a patient untreated, even if it meant leaving her young daughter at home alone. Dina wasn't saying that she had been a bad mother, the girl could recall countless days where her mother had been everything she had ever wanted and needed in life. They had shared memories that Dina would never forget, and done things that she would never do again. And her mother didn't remember any of it. Maybe that was the worst thing. All those stories lost, memories that only Toni had, lost into the abyss, never to be shared again. Toni's life hadn't been dominated by work, the Isaacs' history went much deeper than that, literally and figuratively.

The Isaac household hadn't always had their roots in District Five, they originated in District 13. Toni was only 19 at the start of the rebellion, she had watched the people she loved more than anything be ripped and torn away from her, leaving the girl with no one. The rebellion failed of course, and everything went back to normal, the games resumed, the districts went back to their jobs, and the people their boring everyday lives. District 13, however, had to be punished, they had to receive treatment more extreme than anything. At first, the district was to be destroyed, killing all the inhabitants, but the Capital knew that would only cause more hatred and unrest, something they no longer had the manpower or energy to deal with. Instead, they adopted a system of redistribution. Residents were separated from the family, if they had any left, and sent to the district in which they would be most useful. Those who had little skill, or were too young or old or disbled to work, were killed, Dina was sure their bodies still lay in the district, in the exact same position they were culled. Toni had been separated from her parents, who had been sent to District 12, and she had adopted the name Isaacs to fit in. The tales her mother had of her childhood were never ending, and Dina knew she had only heard a small selection of them. At some points, her mother was lucid enough to hold conversations with Dina, in which the girl would take any opportunity to ask questions, but for the most part she knew it was a heartbreaking, twisted, unfair lost cause.

Dina placed her hands around the headboard of the bed, studying the steady rise and fall of her mother's chest, ignoring the way her breath rattled against the back of her throat. "I love you mum, never forget that." She spoke out loud, knowing that the elderly woman was out for the day now, no chance of her hearing.

For all the many many many many many faults of the Capitol, this had been the one decent thing they had done. Anyone with a serious disability or illness, such as her mother, was exempt from the reaping, and therefore safe from the games. Dina knew that the Capitol hadn't done it out of the kindness of their hearts, they did it for enjoyment. It just simply wouldn't be fun to watch a dementia ridden old woman be struck down by a fit 17 year old. The fight would be just too easy. Although Dina knew how twisted and sick their motives were, she couldn't help but feel a little bit thankful that the Capitol had removed the fear of her only living family member being snatched from her arms.

She just prayed that she wasn't reaped and things could go back to normal. Whatever normal was for Dina.

Newton

"I know you're scared, Newton. But what are the chances, huh?" Sravya took her brothers hand, running her thumb against the back of it lightly, a motion he had always found calming. "You survived all those years without being chosen, and now there are so many more names in the bowl, there's no way it's going to be you. Just trust me." No matter how much the girl spoke she knew there was no use. Her brother had barely said a word since the Quell announcement just over a week ago, making a change from the nervous, bubbly chatter that followed him wherever he went.

Newton and Sravya sat with their backs firmly against the wall, staring out at the street in front of them. The house was too cramped for Newton, although it had been the place he had grown up in. It suddenly felt so small, suffocating almost, and Newton knew it was not helping his mood in anyway. He hadn't asked Sravya to join him, but that was the way they worked. He shared a bond with his younger sister, unlike anything he had felt with anyone, feeling safe and welcome and wanted whenever he was in her company. Newton usually didn't get along with humans that well, and honestly it was mostly his fault, he spent more time with his head stuck in a book than socialising with the people in the district. So, when the rare occasion of social interaction came about, the boy was more awkward than he should have been. But with Sravya it was different. They were close, and not just in a nerdy academic way, really close, emotionally close, and as uncomfortable as it made Newton feel, he welcomed the rare intimacy in moments like this.

This reaping was worse than anything he had ever experienced before. Newton had celebrated so much after last years reaping, his teenage life had been made hell, being picked for the games always playing on his mind, making everything a living nightmare. And just to add to the horror of the situation, the reapings fell around his birthday every year without fail, last years occurring on the day, Just when Newton was finally sure he could enjoy a celebration with his family, the Quell was announced, everything he had tried to forget and repress rushing back. It was so unfair, so bloody unfair. Newton didn't know why he was shocked, it was the Capitol after all, they loved a twist.

"I had plans." He spoke after a long pause, his voice croaky. "I knew what I wanted, I knew how I was going to get it. And now it might not happen. Isn't that just sick?" He didn't have to wait for the answer to know it. It was sick. They all hated the games, their entire family was waiting for the day when they could all be free, they only had three more reapings until Newtons youngest brother Fianko was free, and they could forget about the games altogether. But with a simple broadcast, they had all been sucked in. It all reminded Newton of a twisted dream, he was running up a staircase but never making it to the top, everytime the end was in sight, he turned the corner and the climbing continued. It was an uphill battle, of sorts, and one Newton wasn't sure he would ever win.

"Newt, we've done this so many times, and every time we have all made it through." Sravya grasped her brother's hand, pulling herself to her feet and forcing him to follow suit. "This time is going to be no different. You know that, and I know that. So come on, let's get this done. I'm going to be with you every step of the way." No matter how scared and anxious the girl felt, she wouldn't put that front forward, she had to be strong for the both of them.

"I love you so much. Thank you for being my everything." Newton squeezed his sister's hand tight, gripping to it as if it was his only source of strength. As much as he hated to admit it, or rely on anyone that wasn't himself, Newton needed Sravya, not just in that moment, but in life, she was his rock, and most of the time, he didn't know how he would cope without her presence. If she wasn't with him now, Newton knew he would be a crying mess, something the world did not deserve to see. He locked his fingers with hers, using all the strength he had to stop his slender body from shaking. "We've done this before," He repeated the message his sister had previously given him. "And we can do it again. And this time, it will be the last time."

Newton had little idea just how true his words would be.

Leto

Leto was a rarity in the Capitol, a male escort for the games. In the history of the games, there had only been a handful of men trusted with the job, they didn't have the kind and reassuring yet assertive ways of a woman, which Leto found incredibly sexist. But somehow, the Capitol had assigned him to District Five, over the hundreds and hundreds of people that had applied. It hadn't been easy making it to the top, but he had, and he would do anything to make sure he stayed there.

"Today's the big day, babe, I'm so proud of you." Oregon Warrel wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him in close, and kissing his neck gently. "I can't believe we are finally here." His voice was unusually loud in the empty Justice Building, yet it still made Leto feel calm and at ease.

They had fought hard to get here, Leto had hardly been the Capitol's first choice. He was colder than most of the traditional escorts, more callous, refusing to form a bond with the tributes, knowing they would be ripped away as soon as they became friends. Leto prefered to keep his distance, advise and develop from afar. He prayed that tactic would work, he had never actually tried it out before, but optimism was one of his strong suits.

The biggest shock for Leto wasn't that he had actually succeeded in becoming an escort, he was ambitious and had a goal, there was no way he wouldn't achieve it. No, Leto was shocked that he had been assigned to District Five, a district that had seen six wins in the last 25 years. Things were changing, district two was relaxing their training programmes, five raising to take their place, so being put in this district was a privilege, and one Leto wasn't sure he deserved. Most of the newbies were stuck with the lower districts, 8, 11 or 12, but for Leto to be fast tracked to a potentially career district, well, that was even rarer than being a male games escort.

The escort party would be awkward… he was sure he must be hated by those who had fought for so long to progress. Leto hadn't done any fighting, he simply appeared on the scene and was thrust into power. Huh, maybe that was the sexist part?

"Okay, let's get this show on the road." A peacekeeper clad in white armour rounded the corner, causing the pair to separate, Oregon stepping back to adjust his boyfriend's suit, there was no way he would let his man face the crowd looking anything less than perfect. "The people await." The peacekeeper walked over, guiding Leto to the stage.

It wasn't exactly the reception Leto had been expecting. No cheers, or claps, or even excitement, not at all the party he had wanted to experience. But still, here he was, and Leto was not letting the somber mood of the crowd destroy the novelty of his first reaping.

"District Five," Leto breathed, nerves bubbling at the back of his throat, forcing him to use all his strength to stop them from overtaking him. "What a privilege it is to be here in front of you. As you may know, this is my first games as an escort, so this year's tributes will be going on a journey of discovery with me, one that I'm sure will change us all, you're in safe hands though, I promise." He let out an anxious giggle, reaching his hand over to the first bowl, his eyes scanning the crowd, taking in the volume of people, unlike anything he had ever seen before. They looked just as frightened as he was. He pitied them, their nerves, the way the games consumed their lives. He may have pitied them, but he didn't care. These games were his entry to the big time, being an escort would, or so he hoped, give him fame. All Leto wanted to do was make a name for himself, and if a few people had to die in the process, then so be it.

Leto took his time picking the first tribute. It was a magical experience, getting to carry out the thing he had watched countless times on TV, it wasn't one he wanted to be over in a flash. But, after a few seconds, Leto could feel himself losing the crowd, forcing himself to grab the name closest to him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your male tribute for the fifth Quarter Quell is.. Newton Bowers. Congratulations, sir, please make your way to the stage." He'd done it, he had really done it. Leto had reaped his first tribute, and it felt fantastic, a thrill so different to anything he had felt. What felt less good, however, was watching a small, skinny, frail boy walk up to the stage, omitting a noise Leto didn't think he would ever forget. His body began to shake, replicating that of the newly appointed tribute, the excitement he felt wavering. This was Leto's reminder that these were humans, real humans, with emotions and dreams and families, all of which Leto was taking away by pulling out their names. Maybe this would be a little bit harder than he had imagined. He shook Newton's hand firmly, watching as the boy took his position, noticing the way he focused on his breathing, trying to gain some rhythm back.

"And joining Newton this year is…" Leto took less time now, he knew that people wanted this over with, and honestly, Leto was beginning to feel the same too. This was a lot harsher than he thought it would be, reality hurt, and Leto wanted to go back to ignoring it. "Dina Isaacs."

This woman was something different, a stark contrast from the awkward boy to his left. She walked with an aura of confidence, and power, as if she had something to prove and change. He liked her, she would be a challenge, he thought, but she looked like a victor, and a victor was exactly what Leto wanted.

So here we are! This chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones, mainly because I wanted to post something, so I hope it was okay. I'm debating on whether or not to write train rides, interviews and personal training session (scores will be released, but in the past I've written a short description of what the tribute has shown to the gamemakers). I could do this because its good for character development, but also don't we kind of want to get to the excitement of the games? Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this and the chapter in the reviews!

Some quick questions that I would love to hear the answer to:

Any favourite tributes? Can you see a potential winner from what we have so far? Who are you most excited to see in the games?

As always, thank you for your support, and I hope you have a great week!