Author's Note: The side to the Hunger Games and the role of mentoring that we never really got to see. Hope you like my take on this side of the Games.

….

Sponsor Meet

It was already appalling. This was supposed to be the most dignified sponsor meet, the first of 'Hunger Games Season' (a term Orchard hated with a passion) with high-ranking, high-profile, regular sponsors in attendance. But they were all emotional, weeping over their apparent love for the victors whilst throwing money away on a death match involving their so-called beloveds.

Chloe, Coral and Noah were entirely surrounded, having to fend off crowds of the Capitol's wealthiest, eager to demonstrate their love for Finnick Odair. But they were managing admirably, and Chloe was managing to take some of their money for Mags too. Orchard knew what they were planning on doing with the money so was quietly willing them to fleece as many people as possible to benefit Four's rebel coffers.

He was not having quite the same luck. Eleven had a loyal following amongst a small selection of high-profile sponsors with interests in the Panem Agricultural Production Company. So, he would look his best, put on a smile and use his wise charm to do what he could for Chaff and Seeder. But this was killing him. He was finding a new level of pain in taking Capitol money to put his efforts into saving his pair, efforts he knew would be in vain.

Orchard knew them too well. Seeder would sacrifice herself for almost everyone else who would enter the arena alongside her. Chaff would see this as his new fight, given he would no longer be able to enter battle in District Eleven as he had hoped for years. Their chances were slim, and he would be watched far too close to attempt to siphon money into Eleven. He did not have the channels Four had in their decades of meticulous planning, supported by the endeavours of nine victors.

But it was clear that the Capitol were willing to spend even more money than usual in this year's Games. Despite reports of their distaste for the choice of tributes, as soon as the betting pool opened, they put their feelings to one side and joined in with even more fervour than usual.

Orchard's regular donors had sought him out and put in even more money than usual. Years of negotiating alongside Chaff and Seeder appeared to have drawn a level of sympathy and Orchard found himself with more money than Eleven had managed to gather in years. It would dwarf what many of the other districts would manage but Orchard would take what he could. He did not know how far it would get him, however. A Quarter Quell would likely mean even the most basic of gifts would be highly expensive. The Gamemakers and officials would be watching as every district's pot increased to levels previously unheard of and would surely set the price of sponsorship gifts accordingly. Orchard was going to have to play a smart game.

….

She knew Claudia and Levi would be a difficult sell. But Poppy and Max did what they could. Like every district, they had their loyal donors, some with links to the transport industry, others in finance and others with interests Poppy could never be sure of but had linked to peddling morphling. They disgusted her, but if their money could help her in mentoring or ease her tributes' passing, she would take what she could, as she did every year.

It was an attitude Max had passed on to her. He hated the Capitol with a passion. It made him ill. But still, he did the best he could. Even now, only hours in, Poppy could see the toll it was taking on her friend, so she was letting him take a back seat whilst she carried out the main dealings. Max could deal with his old contacts whilst she took on Claudia and Levi's alongside her own.

Poppy hoped this initial meeting was indicative of the Capitol's attitude to these Games. Reports of obscenely high donations from these most prolific, well-regarded sponsors would spread among the echelons of Capitol society, who would try to outdo each other. The victors would make sure they and their interests benefitted from that.

Poppy, like Orchard, was never going to be able to use her Capitol channels like District Four. But she would do what she could to increase Seven's pot, where she had already been promised some of the surplus. She was not entirely sure how it would work, but Plutarch would have his ways, and his people would completely turn their backs, or infiltrate the sponsorship system whilst the victors appropriated the sponsors' money.

So, Poppy played her part. She convinced her usual contacts to take a bet on District Seven. When they asked her for a surer bet than District Six, she passed on Johanna's name, as she knew Blight would want her to do. If Johanna were to be his priority, she would do what she could for the young victor.

Poppy also made sure to send some of her nicer, more straightforward contacts to Cotton to assist Cecelia. She needed to have her eyes everywhere in this first sponsor meet. Picking out the usual District Six donors, prying them away from the exciting and entirely sensible bet on Finnick Odair and towards her morphling addled victors out of their sense of loyalty and tradition. Max had to be watched, lest he become overwhelmed, and there was Cotton too.

She had already had to rush to the District Eight victor's side as one of Cecelia's more lecherous former 'clients' tried to get under Cotton's skin. The younger victor was not aware of the identity of this particular sponsor and Poppy was worried what territory Cotton may find herself in, so she did her best to ward him away and tried to keep track of his movement should he attempt a return. Cecelia would not want his money, nor would she want her victor to attract his attention. It was no loss, not when the images of Cecelia's three children had apparently tugged on the heartstrings of many a Capitol sponsor who would provide Cotton what she needed with no additional expectations.

It was only the start of what would be an exhausting pre-Games sponsorship period. But this was it. Years of work were about to come to fruition. Poppy was not going to let everyone's efforts go to waste. Like the other victors alongside her and in the Training Centre, she would put on the performance of her life.

….

District One was doing well. They always did. But Luxor was frustrated. The pull of Finnick Odair was attracting even One's most loyal sponsors. As there were hints that District Four may not abide by the traditional alliance, sponsors were splitting their usual donations across the usual career trifecta in a different way to usual, meaning that One may end up worse off.

But Luxor knew what he was doing. District One was a safe bet, and the unique sibling victor pairing would prove an attraction. Unlike some of the other victors, Luxor would not turn down a sponsor. One's prestige depended on it. They secured the Capitol's enduring affection by not turning away a sponsor. So, Luxor dealt with the high-ranking officials who approached him regardless of their past interactions with Gloss and Cashmere. Previous 'clients', those who he knew the pair could not abide by alongside those who Luxor knew they could tolerate. He would accept money from them all. Even though he could feel Gem's eyes on him as he signed off on those deals, sensing her disapproval, he carried on. She did not understand. She had lost sight of what was important as she stepped back from the Academy. He understood the Capitol and its requirements more than she did.

This was what he was good at. He was signing off on deals with their regular sponsors, drawing them in and persuading them to add an increase to their usual donations. Compared to the same point in previous Games, Luxor was doing better than expected. He had more money than usual behind him, and he would know what to do with it when the time came.

He would ask Satin to keep an eye on District Four's efforts whilst he was out to bat for Gloss for the second time later in the day. His boy would be some of the most direct competition for Odair and Luxor wanted to outdo Four's efforts.

….

They were being hounded, there was no other way about it. These were supposed to be the most well-regarded, respected Hunger Games donors and they were fighting their way to the front of the District Four station, bringing chaos along with them. It was the most undignified spectacle the three of them had witnessed in years, and between them, they had seen almost everything they could imagine the Capitol had to offer.

Chloe was skilfully picking out longstanding contacts of Mags from the gathering crowd, sharing their sympathies, accepting their condolences and taking their money. Noah was out front, directing his favoured contacts onto Coral in Finnick's name and biting his tongue as he held the attention of some of his and Finnick's regular buyers.

They were under instruction from Finnick himself to take their money. They had willingly taken so much from him and if Finnick had managed to put up with them, giving them more than he ever should, Noah and Coral could talk to them for ten minutes whilst they managed to fleece them of their ill-gotten gains. It was what Finnick wanted, and they were not going to deny him that. If the Capitol wanted him back, they would have to pay far more than they ever would for a night with him, and pay they would, just not in the way they were expecting.

They had plans and Noah was sure they would work. The three of them would take all the money they could. They would use enough to take care of Mags and Finnick in the arena and then take the rest. They had their channels set up for years. Charitable funds were set up in the name of Capitol contacts which endeavoured to save the wildlife in Four's oceans that Capitol tourists loved so much. They had been a screen for the activities of Four's victors for years. They would siphon the money into those, and the money would reach Four. They would take some for themselves too as they attempted to journey home.

Mags would appreciate their efforts regardless, but Noah was determined not to let her down. She was so much of the reason they had the opportunity they had now. He was angry at Plutarch for allowing her to become the sacrifice, but Mags would not want them to get into conflict with the Head Gamemaker at such a pivotal moment. They would keep their masks on and their true intentions covered until they could do so no more.

….

For the first time in years, Porter felt as if she had something in common with Haymitch Abernathy. Mentoring alone was no easy task. This year was bound to be the worst for all of them, even more so for those thrown into lone mentoring. She had no idea how he had managed it for almost a quarter of a century.

The alcohol gave her some idea, but this year he looked sharper than usual. The scent of liquor remained on his breath, but he seemed in control, calm and focused. Porter was unsure how much of his image was an act, but she had to grudgingly admit a hint of admiration for Twelve's victor.

But unlike Haymitch, Porter was not inundated with prospective sponsors. She had more than usual, like each of the victors, but it would not be enough. Hal was an ageing drunk with a temper and Luna was a forgettable middle-aged woman. She was nice and nice and would not do this year.

She would do what she could, gain an increase from the usual District Five sponsors and pick off those looking lost in the crowds, but it would be a difficult sell. The escort would need to pull her weight too and Porter would make sure she remained on task and not distracted at the parties they were going to have to attend.

Luna and Hal were her friends, and they deserved her time and efforts in doing as much as she could for them. But they also deserved her honesty, and Porter would not lie to them and pretend that they were competing evenly with Districts Four and Twelve. They would never believe her if she tried. So, she would tell them they had their usual support, some bets from those willing to take a chance and the stragglers that Porter could coax along. But they all knew it would not be enough when it came to the end stages of the Games. If both Luna and Hal were still alive, that was, but Porter did not want to think about that for a second longer than she had to. It meant that she would have to get used to her new reality, living and mentoring alone, with no new victors in sight. A future she did not look forward to but one that was creeping ever closer.

She was not naïve. She knew that some of her peers were planning something. But Porter was sure it would not work. They would end up in trouble and she would do all she could to stay out of it. She would carry on, alone, working in District Five to keep the lights on and trouble away. It had always been her way, District Five's way and it would continue after this Quell had ended and she returned alone.