~Sparkle Havers~
District 1 Tribute

It still felt a little unreal to be sitting there in the Justice Building. Especially after the rest of the males had just suddenly backed down the moment they reaped a kid from the community home. Sparkle's only guess was that there's no one from the 18 year olds that wanted it badly enough that the others can't wait a year while they made the kid either sink or swim. Or possibly she could just trip him to keep the others distracted during the bloodbath and then she wouldn't have to worry about him wanting to play with the big kids. She looked around the room where she was going to be spending time until they decided to take them off to the train and the short ride into the Capitol. It wasn't quite as nice as the decorations at her house, but all together not bad for all the official business that went on here. She was feeling pretty good about herself which was just all the more affirmed as her family came in.

"You did it! I thought for a minute you were going to have to kick that girl's teeth out, but she already knows better than to mess with my big sister!" Pearl, as usual, was about ready to bounce off the wall as much as her curls were around her head. Undoubtedly they were going to be having a nice dinner tonight to toast her future success in the arena.

"There's no need for acting like a hooligan." One glare from her mother was enough to stop the little girl from her bouncing as she just stopped and went to hide behind Diamond. "You can wish her luck at least without yelling and making a fool of the entire family."

"Sorry."

"Oh let it be. She's not hurting anything and it's nice to see someone a little excited for me," Sparkle shot back and for a moment there was a stare down between the two of them. Her little sister would probably be paying for it later when Sparkle wasn't around to do anything about it. She just smiled at her sister though and dropped it for now. There was nothing she could about it. "I'm going to end up winning this and then you can come to my house every day. Maybe you can even move in with me so I won't be so alone." Because there was no way she was inviting her parents to come along, and her mother was going to be lucky to get an invitation at the rate things were going.

"Still with my own room?" Pearl smiled up hopefully. Sparkle couldn't help but grin back at her. Most people could easily find a way to just annoy the hell out of her until she was ready to use them for target practice. Pearl just idolized her sister which was exactly what she wanted and had always kept her as Sparkle's favorite.

"Of course." First there was the next several weeks to get through, but the last thing she wanted before leaving was a bunch of nay-saying which looked close to all her mother had to say but was keeping her lips pressed together. "I'll probably have to give you the one with the biggest closet just so you'll have somewhere to keep all of your clothes."

"Sounds perfect. But I'll be happy just to see you again." Even as Pearl was saying it, she could tell it was something that sounded more like her father talking. They had plenty of money as it was without her going off and doing this. They cared more about seeing her still alive in the end, and she had no plans of disappointing them. "And maybe your stylist will be willing to do my hair too?" That was more her sister.

Sparkle just laughed and went over to give her another hug. "I'll have to ask after I win. I'm sure they'd be happy to do whatever you might ask and we'll invite him or her over for tea parties while they're in District 1 and you can show them around and now nice it is to get out of the Capitol occasionally and see where all of the best things come from." She kissed the top of her sister's head before looking over at Diamond. The one that had taken all of their mother's lessons to heart and standing like a pole was stuck right up her rear end. "And you... Take care of yourself and try to remember that it's not a crime to have a bit of fun now and then."

"I know," Diamond just retorted sullenly. Sparkle wished she could figure out what was going through her head at that moment, but that would likely take far longer than they had to say their good-byes.

Then came her parents, both proud people who seemed to both doubt that she was going to make it back. Despite that she was going to miss them while she was away and hoping they didn't just start cheering for some other tribute. "I'll see you both later."

No good-byes. Not here. Saying it would mean that she had even the slightest doubt, and when it came to the pair of them, she couldn't afford to let her guard down for a second. In many ways they were almost as scary as anything the other tributes might have for her or even the gamemakers could come up with. Maybe next year they just needed to hire her mother to make up the Arena... Her father finally broke decorum long enough to give her a surprising hug. "Just take care of yourself, my little Sparkler."

"I will."

~Chip Elekra~
District 3 Tribute

Chip just kept picking at the seams of his pants and trying to think about anything other than the fact that he was stuck in the Justice Building and about to go to the train station that would take him to the Capitol and whatever laid beyond there. It was hard enough to remember just to breathe right when your stomach was in knots. Him? Going off to the Hunger Games? Unless something involved rewiring the entire Arena that would end up killing off the rest of his competition it didn't seem all that likely that he was going to be coming home…

"Focus." Chip had already managed a hole large enough to stick his finger through. Thankfully it wasn't where anyone was likely to notice unless it got much bigger and his pants were hanging loose while everyone headed to the train station to wish them good bye. He looked up when the door finally opened and Pixel came charging in with none of her usual grace and thoughts of decorum to just jump on him and hug him in the chair.

"It's not fair and they can't just take you like this away from me and Mom and Dad and me…" Chip found himself just hugging her back though and trying not to give into the girly tears while she was getting his shoulder wet. "I don't want to lose you." Instead he was looking back to his parents for any sort of reassurance that he might be able to figure out something that would keep him alive. His father was doing his best from the looks of it just to keep from getting choked up and afraid to say anything that he would start crying with his twins. Galaxy Elekra just looked back at him even though her eyes were red from tears already shed.

Chip just stroked his sister's back like he usually did when she was scared. "It'll be okay, Pix. I mean, no matter what you're going to stay safe and not end up getting reaped too. The odds are probably even more in your favor now." Except they both knew it was just the same as ever. Somehow he was the one that didn't have much longer to live, but was already comforting her instead.

"Chip is going to be okay because he has something that the kids who have trained for this don't." She tapped her forehead. "A brain. You can be the fiercest animal out there and yet still end up getting outsmarted by your prey. Find a way to stay safe and… Just do your best to come back home." Chip knew she wouldn't be holding her breath and was doing everything to keep from breaking down in front of him. Truthfully, he appreciated the gesture while he tried to do the same for her.

"Right. And maybe I'll marvel someone with my dazzling intellect and they'll sponsor me." Another thing he wasn't truthfully expecting. Rich people sponsored people who looked like they expected a Victor to look which was usually tall, strong, and generally gorgeous where Chip already had people betting he wouldn't survive the first day. He was small, wore glasses, and definitely wasn't 14 year old Victor material. Maybe he would find a way to build a bomb that would wipe out the career pack, but whatever his strategy ended up being he knew he would be focusing in on the three faces around him at that moment the most. "Think of all the dresses you could have if I win, Pix." She just shook her head and hugged him all the more until the Peacekeeper showed up at the door.

At that point Chip had to about run off with them to the door to hug both of his parents. "I love you. No matter what ends up happening."

"We love you too." No more 'try not to die' to leave him haunted with the idea that he might fail them. It warmed Chip's heat the slightest even as he stared at the closed door after they left. He was hopeful someone else might come so he wouldn't be in there alone with his thoughts until they came to leave for the train station. Somehow he was going to have to find a way to outsmart the Arena… And already wasn't expecting all that much out of his District Partner. He was going to have to sit and try to figure her out on the train ride and what would make someone volunteer for this craziness.

The door opened to another boy, slightly older than Chip with messy brown hair and just twirling a hat around in his hands nervously. "Mom's been trying to talk me out of coming, but I couldn't just not come, you know?" He was avoiding any eye contact and just focusing around at the walls. "So this is what it looks like in here."

"Hopefully you'll never have to see it again, Jarvis." Chip was able to manage another smile for his friend, but it was a lot easier to fake when it was his sister right there. "If I could figure out a way to break out of here and just vanish…"

"They'd pick someone else. You know the Capitol and their insatiable blood lust. When you get back you'll have to tell me if they're all vampires like I suspect. They're actually letting someone else do the killing so they'll have food for the following year and we all just get sour after 19 so they don't bother with us." Jarvis just nodded seriously and had apparently thought this all over for a while now. "It's why they all look so young rather than ever aging. Probably have to donate half their babies to keep up the food supply."

"Don't let the peacekeepers hear you talking like that or they'll have you whipped for daring to talk badly about the Capitol." Would it really shock him though to find out that Frosty the Snowman Escort was a vampire? … Probably not. He did a very good job of hiding his fangs if that was the case. Or perhaps he was just hoping to get turned some day if he brought in enough good ones for the feast of blood. Chip shook his head. The whole thing was kind of ridiculous even if it was plausible.

Jarvis just grinned for a moment. They had met at work, but Chip had always liked Jarvis for his ability to think outside the box which was also going to be what Chip probably needed for all of this. "Chin up Chippy. District 3 has more Victors than some of the outlying districts and maybe some girl in the Capitol will fall in love with you and give up everything she has to keep you supplied with food and model cars until the others beat each other's brains out. Hmmm… Zombies." Jarvis seemed momentarily distracted with this new thought pattern before going over and putting both of his hands on Chip's shoulders. "Fly true, stay safe, and never believe anything someone with ice blue hair has to tell you unless you can prove it for yourself."

"Right…" Or anything you can't confirm with at least two of your senses if not more. People were about as apt to go insane as they were to starve out there. You might see things that weren't actually there between the possible dehydration and starvation. At least it wouldn't be like the 68th where half the competitors froze to death. That seemed like a worse way to go than having your throat cut. Chip just tried his best brave face as Jarvis was escorted out of the room.

No one else came after that, leaving him wondering why he couldn't have been allowed a few more minutes with one or the other if the girl had someone else that she needed to talk to while all he had was more time to think.

The odds were not in his favor to ever see District 3 again. If he managed to get out of the blood bath he was going to need to find some way of staying away from the ones that would kill him as well as any other animals that might attempt it. Apparently you were trained so it wouldn't be 24... Well actually more like 18 inexperienced kids just getting slaughtered by the potential 6 that did know. Maybe he could talk it over with his mentor when he got the opportunity. Maybe they would have some suggestions on what he should do, and they were supposed to help him become the next survivor. Somehow that term seemed a lot more appropriate then Victor anyhow.

~Darwin Wandris~
District 5 Tribute

Darwin couldn't help pacing back and forth trying to figure out what was going to happen. Other than the fact that he was pretty sure that his mother was going to be a mess and he wasn't entirely sure what was keeping him from just curling up into a corner and wishing the world away. His mother had been terrified since the day he had turned twelve that this was going to happen and now her worst fears had been realized and here he was with no idea of how to possibly end up winning this.

Faith… The poor little girl had an older sister, but family loyalties only went so far today. Apparently he was still going to get the opportunity to explain things to her, but she was still too young to be going into a fight for her life. She was also far too innocent considering he knew how much her parents had tried to shield her from the worse parts of life much the same as his own wished they could have. He was going to do whatever he could to try and not scare her by doing his best to pretend that he wasn't scared either. In a lot of ways she was like his little sister that he was now either going to have to protect and fail or die in the process of saving her. Even then what sort of shot did she really have against a bunch of vicious killers?

He only stopped the pacing once the door opened to his father coming close to needing to carry his mother into the room. Bravery was not her strong point while he was trying to keep the tears back. "Mom…" It was all of her nightmares come true. She would have rather starved herself than see him risk one more chance at the arena, or so she had told him when he was twelve and knelt down to look him in the eye. Now when she dropped to her knees and just clung onto him her head just reached to his chest.

"Lilac, you're scaring the boy more than the kids from District 2 ever will," he heard his father comment quietly. Darwin could only guess that there were probably Peacekeepers just outside to make sure that no one tried to sneak out or find a way to break out. Plus you didn't want to be overheard saying anything terrible about the government.

"But he's my BABY. And I can't lose him."

The bottom part of his shirt was quickly getting wet while tears were falling down his own face until his father reached out and wiped his face with a handkerchief. "Try to be brave. That doesn't mean you can't be afraid, but just knowing that there's more important things than your fear…" He tucked the handkerchief into Darwin's pocket. "Do whatever Miranda tells you to do and just remember no matter how big they are, they still are just as human as you are." It might have been just him, but he could have almost sworn his mother hugged a little tighter when the name of his Mentor came up. Darwin just nodded a little bit and went to hug his mom. It was silly, but he needed a few minutes of her comfort and reminding him of how much he was loved.

When the Peacekeeper turned he had to pull the two apart before she would let go and even then he could hear her in the hallway just tearing him apart. He took the handkerchief out of his pocket and just pressed it against his nose for a moment and taking in the scent of his father. He wasn't really expecting any more visitors since his friends would likely have better things to do than worry about him, but the door opened again to a much calmer Juniper Jorre.

"May I take a seat?" Darwin just nodded a little and put the handkerchief away in his pocket again. He could only guess what Faith's mother might have to say to him. "I really don't have any right to ask you, Darwin. But will you please look after her? She's so young and she shouldn't have to understand the whole idea of what they're doing with picking her to be a Tribute. Picking both of you as it is, and I'm sorry you ended up getting drawn…" She trailed off a little and just looked out the window. There was that same fear he had seen in his mother's eyes only barely contained.

"I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she isn't just alone like she might have been with some older kid from around here… Will you also take care of Mom? She has dad around, but… I dunno. Something with women together and understanding each other in a way that I never would have gotten anyhow." That seemed to put a faint smile on her face. He was already talking like someone soon to be dead, but at least Mrs. Jorre wasn't making him feel so completely helpless. It was a scary thing to have to try and accept your own mortality without also bringing in the factor that your parents were not superhuman and perfect. They cried just as much as anyone else and that was a terrifying notion.

"We can try to be there for each other. And perhaps we'll see one of you back here again." Darwin wasn't going to hold his breath about that, but still nodded hopefully. One thing was for certain was that he was only really going to need to depend on himself in order to make it for more than a few days. Even then his morale wasn't going to be all that high as soon as he go a good look at what the competition looked like. Maybe he needed to just have a little bit of Faith to get him through this.

A/N: So you may or may not have noticed that the narrative style went from 1st person PoV to 3rd person PoV. There are two reasons for this. A) Suspense is easier built from an outside point. If I end with the sound of a cannon booming and the person in question in mortal danger… Well, you can't exactly hear a cannon if you're dead now, can you? Unless I write everything from the point of the victor which is why the one thing you know through all of Hunger Games is this: Katniss is going to win. She's the narrator. B) It also hit me that all first person should be in present which is really hard to write and also why I'm not going back until perhaps later to correct it. Plus doing this now rather than when they hit the arena seemed a little less jarring.

And I might go back and do the Reapings from third person. We'll see. I already feel bad for the delay between arguing with myself on changing the PoV and now with a head cold in the middle of summer.

TL;DR: Please review. They make me happy and feel better.