Games 36: ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH!

by CelticGames4

For the 36th annual Hunger Games, Solitaire Chiarella is faced with the task of making something the Capitol will never forget. Follow eight tributes' points of view through the Arena as their fate is left completely up to the decks. Who will have the best luck? And who will crack under the pressure? Readers can sponsor, as well! PARTIAL SYOT CLOSED.

34. Movement III: Once More Unto the Breach!

Movement III: ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH!

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our [people] dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
…Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean."

-William Shakespeare, Henry V

---

~Solitaire Chiarella: Head Gamemaker~

"Our 36th Games are officially over, and what a shame," Yin starts. I can't take my eyes off of him, even as my prep team does my make-up and makes last minute adjustments. Yin has really been there for me through all this shit and I owe him a lot.

Ha. I owe Yin Kozart a lot. Never thought I'd be saying that.

We started out as biggest rivals, worst enemies, but after being forced to work together I realize maybe he isn't such a fucking asshole like I thought he was. Maybe.

"So, before we get to talk to our Victor, let's have a chat with the one single person who brought the Arena to life and made all of this possible, Solitaire Chiarella!"

The crowd goes wild. I shrug my prep team off of me and take the stage, smiling theatrically. I have to say, it feels absolutely amazing, being here now.

So I survive to make Games another year after all. Yin takes my hand and kisses it, and I don't even feel like I want to slap him, which is amazing in itself. In fact, is it weird to say I like how it feels?

…Oh. Son of a fucking biscuit.

"Welcome, Solitaire, how lovely it is to have you here!"

"Thanks," I say, smiling. "And how lovely it is to be back in front of all my adoring fans!" The crowd cheers some more as Yin takes a seat and I sit with him. He doesn't let go of my hand. I notice, but I don't know if he does or not.

"So, what a Games! I know everyone out there has their favorite parts, but is there anything in particular you loved to see?"

I consider. I don't feel bad answering this one truthfully. "Well, as much time and effort as I've invested into creating this Arena, I have to say that the tributes really made these Games sparkle. And I have to say that one of my favorite parts was when Katherine Tracey was about to kill our dear Pontifex, and Dream Bishop showed up and killed her instead. I have to say, seeing the usually calm and stoic boy so mad… I'm the Head Gamemaker, and I was on the edge of my seat!" I laugh, and so does the crowd. Of course I didn't fully lose control, I could've ended the fight early or manipulated something, but the scene was just too good for me to mess with.

"Yes, I think we all enjoyed that part quite a lot. One of my personal favorites: besides your lovely mutts, but we'll get to that in a second, was the scene in the resort, when the girl from District 1 was killed by Atticus and the Jack of Diamonds was out to get his revenge for it."

"I honestly didn't think that Gio would make it through that one," I confess. At his name, the crowd bursts out into cheers again.

"So, this year we saw plenty of gimmicks and mutts. Which gimmick did you enjoy the most?"

I smile. "The electric goop of course. That's a project the team had been working on for a decade before I got into the position. I just had the solution they were looking for and suddenly it was usable in the Arena. Our tributes outsmarted it, of course, but they had to work together. Well, they didn't have to. But they did."

"Yes, that was nice. The earthquake was another nice touch as well," he says.

I smile deviously. "It certainly threw all of our tributes for a loop."

"And how about muttations? What is your favorite of those?"

"Well," I consider. This year certainly had a lot to show. "I quite enjoyed the toucans. Those were the birds with the big, colorful beaks. They were truly fun to design."

"And fun to watch, as well. I think that the final battle came together beautifully, especially with the rat mutts coming back. How were they immune to the goop?"

"If I told you, you'd be bored to death by the science behind it. And I don't think I could interview even half as well as you can." The crowd laughs and some of them shout, "Aaaawww!" and suddenly I want to do a combination of giggle like a silly schoolgirl and punch Yin right in the gut.

"Well, time seems to be running out, but I'll ask you one more question, my dear Solitaire." He suddenly realizes that he hasn't let go of my hand this entire interview. I laugh a little bit, but squeeze it so he doesn't let go. "What would you like to say to our Victor?"

I smile. "You played your cards very wisely, my dear little Joker. In the Arena, you proved yourself to the entire nation. You surpassed Kings, Queens, and everything below. Even Aces. I have to say, I underestimated your strength. You proved me wrong. And that's something that I wouldn't say unless I completely meant it. I hope you make the best of the rest of your life, as it's a long road that lies before you. Choose your path wisely, my little Joker. And continue to prove anyone that doubts you wrong."

The crowd cheers some more and Yin presents me one last time, squeezing my hand in his and lifting it up in victory. I beam as the cheers of the crowd boom like music to my ears. I could get used to this.

I walk off the stage, beaming and holding my head up high, knowing that I did well and already thinking up awesome ideas for next year that will blow this silly little Games out of the water!

Yin waits for the crowd to quiet down before he announces, loud and clear, "And now, Capitol, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Your Victor… Gio Piccozzi!"

~.~.

~Gio Piccozzi, the Victor of the 36th Hunger Games~

I wake up to the room empty, thin, papery covers wrapped around me, IVs hooked up to my arms.

"Huh…?" I look down at my body. I see no cuts or gashes, no scars, no nothing. I'm completely back to how I was before the Games. Except for slightly better-fed.

I look at my fingers and count them to find 10. The new prosthetic they attached looks just like the other one used to look. I look… Perfect. Almost too perfect.

I feel around my neck and realize that something is missing. I go into my pocket and don't find anything there.

Ori's necklace… Atty's belt… The seashell. I have to get them! I unhook myself from the IVs and slide out of bed, starting to walk in search of them when I'm caught.

"Gio!" Nick Kensy, who was sitting out there, looks shocked to see me there. "You're awake and up!"

"The necklace," I say, my voice coming out so hoarse I have to say it again, "Ori's necklace."

"Get back to bed," he says, gently escorting me back to the room in which I'm to stay.

He makes me sit back down and calls in a nurse to reattach the IVs. "The necklace," I say, "I need the necklace. And Atty's belt. And the seashell."

"Stay there," Nick says. "You need to rest before your interview."

"I don't want to rest, I want the belt and shell and necklace!"

"Go back to sleep," Nick says. "You'll get them. Go back to sleep."

That's not good enough, but the drugs that are being pumped into me force me back to sleep. I close my eyes.

I wake up the second time to Ichabod peering at me.

"You're awake," he says. I groan a little bit, still too tired to speak.

He puts the small white seashell on the bed so I can reach it. "Lean forward," he says, and I do so. He puts the necklace around my neck. I feel relieved that it's here.

"The belt," I say.

"It's here."

I nod a little bit. "Thanks Ichabod."

"Anything for my Victor," he says smiling. Oh yeah. I'm the first one to win since Ichabod started escorting.

"Your Victor interview is in half an hour, so you should probably start getting up. Your prep team will want to help you with that hair."

"Alright," I say quietly. A nurse comes and unhooks me from the IVs, and soon I'm being escorted out to see my prep team. They help me into a nice black and red suit, adjusting a bow-tie. They gush about how proud and excited they are to have a Victor, and I just shrug off their compliments awkwardly.

They decide my outfit is complete and go to get Ichabod to escort me to the backstage area. While they're all gone, I take Atty's belt from where it was sitting on a side table and put it around my waist. It still makes me think of him.

The tributes aren't really gone, of course. I mean, Lyndon is still messing with my curly hair, making it stand up no matter how much product it put on it. And Tia keeps pushing the sheets off of me when I'm sleeping. The tributes' ghosts are still here, making my life interesting.

I'm escorted to the backstage area just as I hear Solitaire talking to "my dear little Joker." It makes me sick, the fact that even though she and her sick Capitol put me through more emotional trauma than I ever dreamed possible, she still looks at me fondly.

Soon, though, it's my turn. My heart pounds with nerves, I try to move my new prosthetic but it's not very responsive just as I'm nudged forward. "Go on," Ichabod says. I walk out on the stage.

The crowd goes nuts. I stop a second, stunned but… A little excited. Yin cheers with them (away from the microphone, of course, as President Frederick Milionus puts the Victor's crown on my head.

I still can't believe I won. They even show Solitaire, watching me and smiling and applauding.

I don't deserve all this applause… People lost their lives… It seems pretty awful of me to be enjoying this for even a second, but something in me has the feeling that it's alright, and that the others wouldn't mind all too much, so I smile.

"Congratulations," the President says. "You've proven yourself and your District well."

I stand up a little taller so as to not appear small, and nod respectfully.

He walks off to the side and Yin takes me for my interview.

"Welcome back, and congratulations! We're all so very glad to have you back with us in the Capitol!"

"It's nice to be here," I remark, trying not to look too smitten with the applause.

"So, you made it out of the Games alive. What was your secret?"

My hand instinctively wraps around the charm on Ori's necklace. "It wasn't all on my own strength," I say. "It was Abri that kept me sane overall. And Ori and Atty as well. I owe so much to them." I bite my lip but remain composed.

"Oh, yes, how was it having two allies?"

"It was… A challenge to deal with the loss, but I'm not going to give up. Not ever."

"Very nice. What a promising young Victor!" Yin says, and the crowd agrees.

"So, Gio, what's in the future for you then?"

"Uh, I dunno." I shrug. "Go back home to Abri and go from there, I suppose."

"Yes, and you'll move into a house in the Victor's Village of course?"

I blink, the words not exactly sinking in. "Huh?"

"The Victor's Village."

"I have a house." I was so concerned with the thought of being alive that I completely forgot what else being a Victor means. I never have to worry about feeding my sister and parents again. They can stop working, we'll have a house… We'll be a family again. I forgot all about it, but that thought makes me happy.

"That's right," laughs Yin, "You do!"

"Oh, now I can't wait to get home! I have to get back to my sister!"

"And you will, in due time. So, before we watch the highlights, would you like to say anything to the nation?"

I swallow hard, words starting to ramble. "What I would say is… Even if you think you can't, don't give up. As a wise ally and friend once told me, everything is possible. I'm a homeless, starving, pansexual kid with OCD from District 3 and somehow now I'm here. Things could completely turn around in less than a second, you just have to be open to it. Hold your loved ones close. Smile. Don't lose hope. That's what I'd say."

"Very well put! Now, let's start watching the footage!"

First, the scenes at the Cornucopia. The deaths of Garrison, Mitchell, Asher, Vardaman, Copper… The District 9 tributes are the last to arrive, and they go together. I never realized that Tristabelle was planning on allying with Lyndon… Or wasn't she? I try not to flinch or look away as I watch Pontifex kill him and Tristabelle retaliate by breaking his nose.

After that, I watch the Careers bonding and messing around together, like they've been friends forever. And the night Atty and I went hunting and Tiffany attacked us, screaming something about something neither of us could see. I keep a straight face as Atty takes her out on the screen, feeling pangs of pain but trying to keep going through them.

I see Dawson and Caledonia joining with the girls, and Tristabelle against the Careers, hiding in a tree until Dream jostles the branches with a knife, the Careers running away (after Empress waves to her) and all of them getting stung. I see my District partner, Juli, accidentally reopening her wound in the night and bleeding out, dying slowly with her allies watching. I swallow a lump in my throat, not helping by thinking about how Abri could've easily been there, they were the same age after all. I'm suddenly very glad I never let Abri take tesserae. After that, Angel from 10 is killed by Dream after attacking Empress. It's really uncommon to see Careers that are such good friends.

I watch Ori and myself up on the screen, and our discovery that Atty is a werewolf. The crowd laughs at that, and I make myself chuckle a little, even though all the happiness has been sucked from the memory. Then, I see the first appearance of the electric goop. First they show Tia being killed off by the Careers and Tuesday bullshitting her way to safety with all of the Careers following her after just killing her ally… Tuesday was one courageous individual. Then I see us, Krissa and Atty giving each other empty threats and trying to keep peace with each other. The death of Dawn that same day.

Then, everyone's eyes widen slightly as we watch Katherine torture Pontifex at knifepoint. "I'm not telling you anything about Thatcher!" he groans, and the crowd gasps as if this is the first time they were watching it. I, for one, am left in shock. Pontifex…? Pontifex was…? Oh, man, and he outed himself on national TV… Poor guy. My heart breaks but I keep a straight face as Dream attacks Katherine and kills her.

Next, the Careers chase Dawson's alliance and Caledonia's killed by Janie. Dawson's eyes are full of pain but he and Krissa keep watching. This is agony. Then I see something interesting. Tuesday stumbles across their alliance and they agree to a truce. I didn't know Tuesday allied with them…

They show the storm that racked the Arena, and the Careers and our group racing to the resort for shelter. Atty's solemn warning that Pontifex didn't listen to, and Empress was dead. I watch as the Careers attack us, Pontifex and Atty fighting, Dream having me on the ground and Ori and Janie trying to fight but having moral issues on both sides. I relive the scene with my finger being chopped off and feel sick, looking away as the finger is cut off. I look down at my prosthetic, trying to get it to move but being unsuccessful.

Tristabelle finds the group of three, tackling Dawson. Even though Dawson could've killed her, he didn't, and Tuesday fled before anyone knew what was happening. Luckily for him, Tristabelle choked.

After that they show the earthquake, all the alliances getting separated, and Dawson being caught, shouting at Krissa to leave him, and Pontifex finishing him off as painlessly as possible. Then I see something I hadn't heard about. Tristabelle is stuck under some rubble, but Ori helps her move it off even though she protests. Of course he would, he's Ori. I still choke up a little bit.

After that, they show a scene Atty had only told me about, with Tristabelle having a fit of madness and torturing Janie, trying to find Pontifex to get revenge on him. It shows me fighting the mutts and finding my ally again, and I have to watch Ori try to fight off the mutts. "Kuzey," he pants, "Don't watch!" The mutts overwhelm him, and eventually fly away, and he starts in our direction, looking desperately for us. My eyes pool with tears. I have to watch him die again, as if I hadn't been watching it every night since it happened.

They take a break to watch Abri's final 8 interview, and that causes me to tear up even more because hearing the words come from her lips instead of written out on a scroll makes me remember why I fought to win.

I watch as Tuesday slays Dream by throwing a knife at him, and he dies slowly, Janie watching. Even after what he did to me, I still don't feel any kind of happiness that he's dead. Pontifex, after a crying fit (and trust me, it is hard to watch someone so fearless and strong as Pontifex break down), finds Janie. Krissa dies next. Pontifex is about to walk away but Janie makes him stay. He looks pained, changed, humbled. The Arena tends to do that to you.

After that, I watch Tuesday attack Atty and I, and Atty kill him, and by that point I'd become numb to everything. Then they show me and Polymestor sassing each other off, and the feast, which brings back about a million painful memories, but this time I actually have to watch Pontifex desperately begging his ally to hold onto life, the most powerful tribute in that whole Arena crying and breaking down at saying a final goodbye and finally walking away, commencing one of the most miserable nights in my entire life, listening to his screams and cries.

After that, they show Atty and I, him teaching me how to throw a knife, and use the finger, and then the mutts attacking us and getting pulled into the sea. I watch Atty make the split-second decision to take off the belt and throw it with our backpacks before running out into the water to save me. It shows my tiny, dark silhouette against the light of the full moon that night by the ocean, and the memory comes back so clearly.

It shows Pontifex that night, looking up into the sky and seeing his face, and freezing up with shock, not sure what to do. Something in his eyes betrayed fear as he tried to compute what just happened.

Then, it showed the fight between Tristabelle and Pontifex, and I watched the strongest person in there, the one I had pegged to win the whole thing, give up right then and there, surrendering to Tristabelle and dying there in a pool of blood. And that hurts more than you'd ever think.

Then, it shows the final battle, and I have to force myself to watch it, a lump in my throat and my heart beating harder and faster. I have to watch myself cut Tristabelle down and watch her die slowly, covering my ears and whispering the names of my loved ones… The end of the battle, the sunrise, the announcing of me as the Victor, and it fades to black.

The Capitol people applaud. I force myself to smile through all the miserable pain. Yin presents me one last time, holds up my hand, and finally I get to leave the stage.

~.~.

I sit in a Common room after the interview, in a comfy shirt and some jeans with no patches, the necklace still around my neck, belt still around my waist, seashell still in my pocket.

I stare at the prosthetic, realizing I wasn't really listening when they were telling me how to use it. It's going to get a lot of getting used to.

I hear footsteps coming in and suddenly look up and am stunned to see last year's Victor standing there. Ritter Pyle, from District 8. He kind of went off the radar after his Games, considering he was pretty violent in his Games and nobody really likes him very much.

I'm about to get up and walk away out of fear, but then I pause. Maybe he's just like Pontifex.

Pontifex, I silently call out to his spirit, angel, ghost, Help me talk to him. Help me to reach out to the people that are afraid like you were.

He looks up at me, his hazel eyes waiting for me to get up and leave.

"Hey," I say, trying to keep it casual. He looks up at me, running a hand through his brown hair. He goes into his pocket for a piece of paper and a pencil while I try to move the prosthetic.

Even as he gets a pencil he looks as he expects me to leave.

"I've got plenty of time," I explain, "I have to wait until the train comes to pick me up."

He slides into a seat, not used to someone waiting for him. He notices me trying to move my finger and glances at his own hands.

"You sign, don't you?" I ask. He nods, though looks distant, as if it's like reliving memories with a ghost in them.

"Could you show me how to sign something?" I ask him.

He starts writing, slowly, looking up at me as if expecting me to leave, but I don't budge. He holds out the paper to me, and it says: What? in slightly crude handwriting.

I consider. "Uh… I don't know…"

He considers for a second and then holds up his pointer and middle fingers on each hand, ribbing one set of fingers on top of the other. I copy him, focusing on exactly how I want the prosthetic to move. He nods.

"What's that?" I ask. He points outside to the station.

"Station?" he shakes his head and points more forward. "Train?" He nods. I smile a bit, repeating the sign. Train.

I consider. "How about sister?" I ask. I really miss my sister. He puts his pointer finger out on his left hand, and brings his right hand from his cheek until his right pointer finger hits his left. I copy his motions, getting my finger to do exactly as I will it to with a lot of focus. Sister. I do the sign for train again, and the sign for sister.

"What else?" I ask. He looks at me as if not believing that our conversation lasted this long, especially after all he'd been through. Maybe he really is like Pontifex… "How about… Family?" He goes very slowly, first touching his pointer fingers to his thumbs on each hand together to make a circle, and keeping the rest of the fingers up. Then, he turns his hands so that his pinkies are touching and his fingers point upwards. I copy his movement, taking practice before getting it right. He nods.

I smile at him. "I would like to talk to you some more. I like learning signs. I have to get therapy for this finger somehow and I'd much rather spend it signing with you. You… Wouldn't mind? If I came to 8 once every week or so?" His lips betray a tiny smile and he nods a bit.

The train pulls up just then and I look up. "Oh, I think that's mine." He nods. "…How do you sign thank you?" He puts his hand up to his chin and brings it down. I copy the sign. "Thank you for showing me how to sign. I hope you'll help me some more in the future."

Ichabod starts to pull me onto the train and I wave to Ritter, and he waves back.

See? I say to myself. You can let the tributes that died live through you after all.

~.~.

My first night back home is just odd. We have a house. My mother and father kiss Abri and I goodnight before going to their own room. Abri settles in a small, plain bedroom, and I get the master room. It's a huge room with a deluxe, comfy bed even bigger than the one I had in the Capitol.

I sit in bed, awake, and hear rain against the roof, realizing that this is the first night I can remember that it rained and I've had shelter.

I asked Simon to come live with us, but he declined, saying that he was just about ready to get his own place.

I sit in bed before I can't sit still anymore, getting up and making a circle around the room, just to see what's there. Seeing myself moving in the mirror makes me jump, and I jump back into bed, alarmed. I close my eyes and try to sleep, but nothing comes. I make another lap after that, and realize that just like in the Arena, I'm counting the laps.

I make fifty laps around my room, listening to the rain against the roof, and collapsing in my bed after lap fifty.

Suddenly, I hear a familiar sound, muffled slightly by the house.

Thunder.

I get back into bed and try to close my eyes, but they open again when I hear the tiny noise of footsteps.

"…Gio?" Abri's voice sounds so small and afraid. I beckon her in. She lays with me in bed as we hear another boom of thunder and she curls up closer to me, quivering a little bit.

"Sh…" I say quietly, hugging her close as she cries quietly into my chest.

"Thank God… You m-made it h-home…" she says quietly, pressing her face into my chest. "I need my Gio…" she says through tears.

I wrap my arms around my sister, stroking her hair gently. "Sh… It'll be okay." She cries quietly as the rain pours and thunder crashes. Soon, I start to sing to her, ever-so-quietly. I don't think I'm great at singing but she likes it when I sing. I hold her close and sing until she quiets and goes into the calmness of sleep.

The thunder booms in the sky, and I stare at the ceiling for a little bit, afraid to go to sleep for fear of nightmares. I hold my sister closer, feeling her calm little breaths, and close my eyes.

~.~.

Six months go quickly, with me making circles every night and the ghosts of the tributes shaking up my life. Atty eats all my candy from the fridge. Dawn and Juli hide my things and cause me to have to look for them. Lyndon still messes up my hair. Pontifex and Dream move my furniture so I accidentally trip on them and stub my toe. Krissa opens my windows. Janie causes me to forget things. Yes, the ghosts still mess with me, but I don't mind. It's nice to know that they're here.

Soon, though, I have to say goodbye to my family and go on the Victory Tour. My prep team and Ichabod are more than excited.

District 12 is first, which is good because I only really talked to Caledonia once and Copper not at all. I read the speech written for me by Ichabod. Copper has one mother on his side, and Caledonia has two parents, an older sister, and a younger sister that holds onto her mother's arm, looking sad. It's hard to look at the families, but I know that I have to. I have to be brave.

District 11 is next. That's another hard one. Vardaman has two parents who look impatient, and another boy, maybe a brother, that sports a black eye and looks hurt. Krissa has two parents, a sister and another man that doesn't look related to her (maybe that's her sister's husband?) and another boy who looks pretty young, probably a brother. I read the cards, looking up as much as it hurts.

District 10 is after that. I wear Atty's belt, ignore my prep teams complains about it. I have to have him with me for this. On his side, one boy about his age stands alone. Davion, the boy who was reaped. On Angel's side, two parents, a boy that looks like her, and a couple of girls that don't look much like her at all, maybe friends.

District 9 is next, and it's just as hard. On Tristabelle's side, her parents and her older brother, who glares at me and causes me to look away, choking up a bit and reading the words on the card. On Lyndon's side, there's a little girl standing with two parents (probably his sister, if I remember his interview right), and two other adults and a little boy who are probably related to him. Also, an older woman. Big family indeed, I think, frowning.

District 8 is after that. I wear the necklace, knowing that this is the last time I'm ever going to be able to wear it. I'm going to give it back to the people who deserve to have it. I step out on the stage, a lump in my throat and determined to stick to the cards.

"District 8," I start. "It is a humbling thing to be standing in front of you today." I stare at the words on the card, but they start to blur. "I… I obviously have a lot to say about them. I worked with Dawn in the Arena, and she did exceptionally well. You should be proud of her." I look at her family, two parents and a girl that doesn't look like her, must be a friend.

"And, of course, Ori." I adjust the necklace around my neck, calling upon his spirit to give me strength. I can't say the words on this damn card. "Ori was a dependable ally and a loyal… Friend." I look up, seeing two parents and Ori's little brother, watching me with teary eyes. "And he's not gone!" I say quickly, completely going away from the notecard. "Ori's still here. He hasn't gone. He's the reason that I can still smile. He's the reason I can be happy. It's all thanks to him." I wipe my eyes. "The tributes aren't gone. They're still here. They still mess with me. I still see them all the time. They're not gone and I believe that they still affect us. So never stop thinking about them."

I nod as my speech is finished, and exit the stage, the crowd behind me applauding.

I don't get time to find Kuzey, but I'm going back to District 8 on Wednesday to sign with Ritter, and I can find him then. I give last year's Victor a small wave as I'm whisked back to the train.

District 7 is next, and much easier to deal with because I didn't communicate much with them. Katherine's mother Lucina Tracey (she's a Victor) stands with two younger girls, a slightly younger boy, and another boy who doesn't look related to them and may be her boyfriend. Asher has a mother, father, and a sister that's older than him, but they don't look too upset. I read the words on the card and go back to the train.

District 6 is after that, which is more painful. Garrison's side has his mother, looking exhausted and tired, and a father, who looks one the verge of death. Tuesday's side has two adults, two kids, both holding onto their mother's arm, burying their faces, and a single boy, looking absolutely devastated. His whole world's been destroyed. I read the words on the notecard quietly, trying to be brave.

District 5 is after that, and that's another tough one considering I watched Atty kill Tiffany and I worked with Dawson as well. Tiffany's side has a single father, and Dawson's side has two adults, three kids looking close to his age, a baby, and a toddler. I feel slightly sick but finish out the speech.

District 4 goes fairly smoothly considering I barely knew either tribute. I read the words on the card, looking up at both of the tributes' parents and little sisters. We skip District 3 and go straight to District 2.

District 2 is hard considering I feel like they were the most changed by the Arena. Pontifex's side has a man about 30 or so and a baby in his arms, and Janie's side has two girls and a boy her age and her two parents. I talk about Pontifex and Janie, and how much they changed and how strong they were. I talked about how Janie could've attacked, but didn't, and how much it said for her character. It must be horrid, to have both tributes get to the final five and to lose them both in a matter of days… A little girl with dirty blonde hair pulled back in a braid from her face gives me the customary bouquet. "I'm going to be a Victor someday," she promises me. My stomach drops.

We go to District 1 last. I spend the entire train ride on the verge of a panic attack thinking about how the hell I'm going to talk about Dream and Empress with the District watching. They're going to hate me, I just know it. After Atty killed Empress, and the bad blood between myself and Dream….

I stand in front of the District, reading the card, and adding a few things about how brave they were, and how rare it was to see Careers so close and friendly and how much that says about them. For Empress stands her parents, an older girl who looks like her, and a boy with tan skin and dark hair who must be a friend. For Dream, a mother and a friend. The customary wreath is given to me by a boy that looks like the boy on stage for Empress, solemnly. "Thank you," I tell him. He nods a bit, looking sad.

I go back to the train, knowing that the worst is yet to come.

The Capitol party goes by in a blur of nerves for what's to come. I'm approached by people of all genders and ages. Some are kind of cute, others are pretty gross. Mostly pretty gross. I dance with people, talk to Victors, and spend some time sulking in the corner with Ritter.

Then, we're off on our way to my home.

I stand up in front of my home, the crowd of people who never saw me as anything but a nuisance begging for money that they didn't have. The crowd of people watches me, Juli's parents standing with her brother and his wife. They watch me, looking pained that Juli is gone but happy that I'm here.

"Juli was my District partner… She was young but she was smart. Kind. She offered to ally with me, and let me into their alliance, but I declined. I wish I would've told her how much I appreciated her support. We helped each other. And I want you to know," I say, facing her family, "That she was a truly admirable tribute, and you should be… More than proud of her. She's still with you, and still with me, and every day I appreciate her sacrifice. I hope that as your Victor I'll be there to serve you and do you proud."

I go away from the microphone, tears dotting my eyes.

"Now, let's begin the banquet!" I know that the people of my District aren't going to be hungry for a while.

A/N: Ritter doesn't belong to me, he belongs to my friend Wetstar! But I'm really glad I was allowed to use him so thanks Jess!

The chapters are ticking down! There are only two more chapters before this story is… OVER! In exactly 36 chapters. This probably should've been two separate chapters but I'm determined for it to end in exactly 36 dammit!

Okay, so I'm going to write Victor AUs for tributes from this story and will be posting them on Tumblr. So please request which tributes you want to see Victor AUs for! I'll write all of the ones you request so don't be afraid!

Also, I may've mentioned last chapter, but Ori's submitter Jess is starting a partial SYOT like this one and it needs tributes and if you sent them a tribute I would love you forever. So please consider it, I'm sure they'd appreciate it greatly.

Chapter Question: What did you think about Gio at the beginning of story and how has your opinion changed?

SCORES:

AbbyCorabby123: 10

A-Bookworm-Named-Steph: 36

Beauty. Is. Strange: 61

Blonde4ever: 62

calebbeers21: 6

Coolgal02: 61

CrissKenobie-the-Numenorean: 51

Dreamer: 327

dreams and desperation: 81

elisa. anya: 5

Emrys Holmes: 86

epictomguy: 24

fat necrosis: 42

falyn. oliver: 43

FlawlessCatastrophe: 12

xGred-Forgex: 36

GryffindorOnFire: 9

hopefuldreamer1991: 224

Ibbonray: 35

Jalen Kun: 12

Jess: 386

Josephm611: 82

Kate: 243

Xx-Katerina-xX: 56

Kyoko Rose: 26

Lady Lysa Arryn: 97

LokiThisIsMadness: 61

magicharity: 163

Medium-Indigo (Guest): 60

Music Rules The World: 4

Mystical Pine Forest: 30

nevergone4ever: 2

xxPeppermintxx109: 71

Programming: 7

xQueen-of-Applesx: 40

rising-balloons: 75

Red Roses (Guest): 5

Rosemarie Benson: 12

santiago. poncini20: 66

Seahorse8: 22

seaotter99: 22

Shaunaicecream (Guest): 20

Sinfonian Legend: 365

superneet1214: 6

Skyflapple: 21

ThisWorldWeHate: 17

TyeTheLurker (Guest): 5

We're All Okay: 61

W. R. Winters: 86