I feel Peeta's hand on top of my thigh, and for a second the thoughts and fears that I feel perpetually drowned in seem to disappear. Rue, Cato and Clove are still with me every day, but he somehow makes it all a little less painful.

It still hurts to think that we have been training children and sending them to their deaths for the past eleven years, though.

"I finally managed to put the girls to sleep." He muses, his lips pressing softly against my temple once he gets in bed and tucks himself in right next to me. "They're so upset about us leaving."

"I know," I breathe, closing my eyes for a second. Having Florence and Dorcas was both the easiest and the hardest thing I've done in my life — I know they're loved, and that Peeta will always be there to hold them when I feel incapable of it, but it still hurts too much to think that they'll be eligible for the Games one day. They're only three, and yet I almost feel as though they've begun to slip away from me — almost like President Snow has already claimed them as his own. "But my mother and Prim will take care of them."

"I know," he echoes. His arms are wrapped around my waist now, and it almost makes me feel better about the idea of putting on a bright smile for the Capitol tomorrow. "We'd better get some rest."

I nod, only half-heartedly. I can't help but wonder what the two unlucky kids who will get reaped tomorrow are doing right now — they're probably fast asleep, or struggling to conceal their anxiousness in front of their siblings and parents. Perhaps they're spending the night with their significant other, just in case it's the last one. I suppose the two of them will be undernourished, unprepared kids from the slums, who will probably die within the first three days of the Games like the previous years. Our best shot at winning was a scrawny fourteen-year-old boy three years ago, who came in fifth in the end — but coming in fifth, fourth, third or even second in the Hunger Games isn't enough, and I still avoid his mother's eyes when I go down to the market with Florence and Dorcas every other weekend. I know she doesn't blame me or Peeta or even the Capitol for her son's death, but I also know I failed them by not standing up to President Snow like everyone expected me to do after our Games. I'm not scared for myself, but I've always been scared for Peeta, for Prim, for my mother, for Gale; now there's Florence and Dorcas, too, and that only makes everything a whole lot more complicated than it already was. I cannot put them in danger, and the system will remain rotten as long as I can protect them from the Capitol's claws.

I bury my face in the crook of Peeta's neck and close my eyes. I hate looking vulnerable in front of pretty much everyone but him, and I know he understands better than anyone else what I'm going through. We've built a life together over the past twelve years, after all — and, as fragile as it may be, I have loved every moment of it. In fact, I feel as though Peeta's steady arms and and patient smiles are what has kept me going all these years.

"Let's get some rest," he repeats, his nose resting on top of my head. "I have a feeling that this year is going to be different."

I nod quietly, never letting go of his hand. I have no idea what will happen tomorrow, but the sole idea of having him by my side makes it all a little less awful.

•••

hey ho! so i've literally no idea if syots are still a thing, but if they are — here's a new one from yours truly! the form is on my profile page and it'd be lovely if you could all just dm it to me (update: i'll post it here too just in case). i'll get back to you asap with a confirmation & perhaps a few more questions because that's just how i roll, but oh well. please be original, diverse, and also a bit realistic! i'll post the final tribute list as soon as i've got them all.

see you all soon! :)

-vandenburgs

THE 86th HUNGER GAMES SUBMISSION FORM

Name:

Nickname(s):

Birthday:

Age:

District:

Sexual Orientation:

ABOUT

Appearance:

Everyday clothing:

Personality:

Traits (no more than five):

Flaws (no less than five):

Physical strengths:

Mental strengths:

Physical weaknesses:

Mental weaknesses:

History:

Family:

Friends:

GAMES & TRAINING

Will they be liked by other tributes?:

Strategy while staying at the Training Center:

Strategy for the Gamemakers session (what score would they get?):

Strategy for Caesar's interview:

Strategy throughout the Games:

How did their Reaping go? Did they volunteer?:

Open to alliances? If so, what sort of group/ally would they look for?:

Open to romance? If so, how would it go for them?:

Bloodbath? (will have to pick them out randomly if there isn't enough of them):

Plot ideas?: