Stellar Madison, District Four Female, 14 years old

I can't wait to get into the Games - it's all I ever talk about. At home, at school, at the training centre...I bet I even speak about it in my sleep. People want me to volunteer when I'm eighteen but where's the fun in that? Someone could beat me to it at that age and then what will I do? Mope about how I lost my only chance to volunteer? Nope. I'm going to volunteer for this year's Games, even though I'm fourteen. Who says a young person can't win? A few years ago we had a fourteen year old victor from Four; lets add another one.

Some people might think I'm crazy, trying to volunteer, because my life's already pretty perfect. I'm popular at school with an abundance of friends and my family lives in the wealthy part of the district thanks to my father. My father, a native of Three, invented a machine which could catch more fish than the average worker. The Capitol bought the idea from him and distributed it across the district, though my father is still the person they go to for faults and the like. I already live the life of a victor, so why would I need to win the Games to achieve a lifestyle I already have? That's what some people ask me and they think my answer would be simple - but it's not. Imagine the glory, the fame, the satisfaction of saying "I won the Hunger Games." It's pretty impressive, right? That's what I want.

I'm good with my rapier too, so I won't be counted out so easily. I'll make sure that the other Careers don't underestimate me because I'm younger and smaller. If they do, well, I'll just have to kill them. Perhaps I'll use the protection that comes along with being a Career to my advantage; stay with them for as long as possible and then kill them one by one. I want to be a good example to my sister, Vermillion. She's only ten but she wants to get into the Games just as quickly as I do. I'll make sure my victory is entertaining and gives her ideas on how to win with style.

My parents and I like to theorise about possible strategies I can use when I turn eighteen in the Games. They're not aware that I plan on volunteering today. Reaping day doesn't cause us to deviate from our usual conversations.

"Taking control of the Career pack is always beneficial," My father says with a nod, eating his salmon casually, "You could lead them to their deaths one by one and pin it on them being incompetent."

"You could," My mother says, agreeing hardheartedly, "But if you prove to be an inefficient leader, they'll just kill you."

"Plus the tributes from Two usually lead the alliance," Vermillion chimes in.

"I think I'd prefer to let them guide me," I state with a shrug, "Use them for all they're worth and then kill them."

My parents nod, thinking this strategy would be the easiest to carry out; remain quiet for the most part but loud and boisterous when needed to and then betray them all at the last moment. I think I might take inspiration from our female tribute from last year, Damper. She let the two from One forge their own alliance and then killed one of them. That seems like a good plan, I just won't get killed like she did.

Shelldon Flanders, District Four Male, 18 years old

Even though it's reaping day I still help my my father at his fish stand. I help him cut up the fish and prepare it before it's sold to customers. Reaping day tends to be one of our busiest days; most people celebrate afterwards for one reason or another so produce is in high demand on days like this. Most usually celebrate when we have two strong tributes - we are a Career district after all. You can always tell what the mood of the Games over the next few weeks just by how much fish is bought; the more fish bought the more optimistic people are, the more celebrations they're having. The less fish bought means that there's not a need to celebrate and thus people don't need as much fish.

I, unlike many in my district, don't want to volunteer for the Games. I'm not the biggest fan of social interactions in general and I'm not one to handle criticisms well and I can imagine that in the Games the criticisms feel a lot harsher than they appear on screen. There's only three ways that I'd be useful in the Games. The first is I can use a utility knife extremely well. Granted it's not the biggest knife available, it's one I can use with ease. The second is lack of a fear of blood. Unlike some Careers who never see blood until they get into the arena, blood's not a big deal to me. I work with fish; I see blood everyday. Both of those paired together would mean I would be able to kill with ease. The final one is my muscular power. I've got muscles so subsequently I do have some power about me and everyone knows that even the slightest bit of power puts you at an advantage against other tributes.

As the hour of the reaping draws closer and closer I notice how sweaty I'm getting - that's the only downside of the job. I hadn't particularly wanted to shower before the reaping as I don't anticipate that I'll be there long; a male and female will volunteer and that'll be that with me returning to the stand to make sure there's extra hands to help with the influx of customers. I excuse myself from my father and hurry home - I'll be on national television, I don't want to look too repulsive.

My shower is brief and I change into the same reaping clothes I've worn for the past few years now. They fit me fine, so why change? I return to the stand but I don't participate in any of the actual handling of the fish - I don't want to have another shower. As my father and I engage in a silent conversation, I notice a pack of teens from the training centre. They're excited about today and you can tell a few of them are just waiting to volunteer. They seem a bit young though, maybe fifteen or sixteen; they'll probably volunteer in the next few years or so and by that time I bet arguments about volunteering will have destroyed their friendship.

My father doesn't have a shower before the reaping and we walk to the town square from his stand. We make sure to lock it up carefully; we don't need people stealing our stock. Not that it would matter - we'll be both back there in twenty or so minutes anyway.

Stellar Madison, District Four Female

I always love looking at out escort. Every year she has the same blue hair but it's always in a different style. This year it's in a rather large top bun. She's always so preppy and upbeat, it only makes me more excited for the Games. She sticks to protocol quite heavily; after the film of the Dark Days is over she goes straight to the reaping.

This is it. The moment I've been waiting for.

She reads out the name, Ebony something, and before the girl can even move, before the screams sound out behind me, I shout, "I volunteer!" at the top of my lungs.

There's gasps behind me; a fourteen year old hasn't volunteered in a while and certainly not a fourteen year old girl. I stride up to my place on stage, head held high. I don't know why they're all looking scared; I'll be coming home in a couple of weeks.

"And what's your name darling?" The escort asks me in her Capitolian accent, a wide smile on her face.

"Stellar Madison!" I announce, a smile rivalling hers, "The future victor of the 70th Hunger Games!"

The escort chuckles as she begins to walk to the bowl full of boys names.

Shelldon Flanders, District Four Male, 18 years old

The girl on stage is so full of herself, so annoying. She's only fourteen, yet she's acting as if she'll win. 'Future victor.' That's if the Careers accept you because, without the, you'll be dead within minutes.

I'm so caught up in the distaste for the girl on stage that I don't realise that my name's been called out and that the escort is reaping it over and over.

"Shelldon Flanders? Shelldon?"

Strangely, there's no volunteers. Most people in the district know my father and most know me. They know I don't go to the training centre but most assume I'm some sort of powerful figure that's capable of winning. Or at least, that's what I theorise as I walk silently up to the stage. I can't believe there's no volunteers for me - how bad must I look?

The girl, Stellar, looks unimpressed. Part of me thinks she might have been hoping for another glorious volunteer to stand alongside her but, instead, she gets me. A reaped tribute.

On the instructions of the escort we shake hands before being ushered into the Justice Building. I look behind me quickly to see my father looking worried. No fish will be sold tonight.

Sorry this is shorter than the other reapings! I like both tributes but I wasn't totally feeling them. I feel like there's a reminiscent quality of Diamond in Stellar, so it'll be interesting to see how their interactions go. I like Shelldon; he seems humble to me and that's what I tried to portray.

To their submitters, I hope I did them justice!

I'm also trying out, on the suggestion of Namelessghoul, to add in the gender and age of the tributes. What do you all think? Should I stick with it or go back to how I did it before?

Also, as we have all of our tributes, we'll be able to get through the reapings quickly! I also intend to do the goodbyes by grouping the districts into four groups, just so there's not a lot of time spent on them. I always find the goodbyes to be the most tedious part of the SYOT process OTL

As always, reviews make me happy~!

- Oli