Author's Note

I do not own The Hunger Games.

We're into the final run of pre-Games stuff now, only three chapters left before we enter the arena! (And arena chapters are gradually getting longer, so you can look forward to that.)

So far, I only have a check-in from Moonlight Salsa for last chapter, so if you haven't checked in yet, please do!

Hortensia Chrysalis, 18

There were a surprising amount of interview outfits this time round. More than she'd ever seen. Two options for each tribute, probably. Hortensia flicked through them.

"Would you like some help selecting an outfit?" asked the electronic stylist.

"No thank you. I'm just thinking."

Several dresses disappeared from the screen, evidently selected by other players. Hortensia wet her lips. It didn't really matter in the long run, but she'd like to look good when going out there. Red… no, not her thing. Black, she'd wear that in the arena. Yellow… some of those looked pretty nice. She flicked back and forth through the yellow dresses before selecting one, a maxi dress with lace hems.

"Test dress," she said. The dress appeared in the tube to her right. Hortensia stood and lifted it out and pressed it to her chest. "Clothing change."

Her clothing flickered and the interview dress appeared on her, clinging to her figure. She turned to the mirror to check it out. It fitted perfectly, but then all clothing in The Game did. It was tailored to the players as soon as they requested it, an electronic thing. If only buying clothes in real life was this easy. Hortensia turned back to the screen to find matching heels and jewellery. Perfect. Good looking, but not too stand-out, especially with so many players. She ought to be able to work her strategy nicely.

Calpurnia Catallus, 16

There was such a large selection of dresses here. Calpurnia selected a fitted lilac silk one to match her eyes, along with matching jewellery to accentuate matters. She curled a lock of her white hair around her fingers as she selected a hairstyle that would leave it loose to tumble past her shoulders. She looked good. How could people not sponsor her?

She stepped through the glowing doorway to find herself in a wide space beside a long catwalk, around which was gathered a computerised crowd. Neon spotlights overhead swung back and forth, occasionally lingering on a specific player and highlighting them. Every time they did, the crowd would cheer, the noise echoing around the enormous gap they were in.

"Now this is more like it," Calpurnia said as she made her way over to Luminita.

"It's… impressive," Luminita admitted. "But it doesn't look much like the real Games."

"Who cares?" Calpurnia ran a hand down her hair, twisting a lock around her fingers. "Everyone's going to see how beautiful I am."

Luminita pointed at the wall above them. "There are places for everyone to stand. I think it's in District order."

Another girl nearby with silvery blonde hair a little like Calpurnia's own (but considerably less beautiful, the copycat) laughed. "It doesn't matter so much until your District's next. You can socialise until then."

"Oh. Good," Luminita mumbled.

The other girl grinned. "Don't look so down. The interviews are the best part of the pre-Games." She turned away. "Good luck!"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Sorcha appeared from the glowing door wearing a painfully tight silver dress, her yellow hair twisted up in a bun. She stalked across the room to join them. "We all ready for this?"

"Absolutely," replied Calpurnia.

"I think so," mumbled Luminita.

Sorcha glanced at her. "Just… don't be an embarrassment."

Luminita turned pink. "Sure."

Andreas Amandiel, 18

While Araminta was a little social butterfly, the older two players that he had been placed in One with kept themselves to themselves among their little alliance. Which was… fine, Andreas had done that himself in earlier Games, but something about these four seemed odd. They'd obviously come here together, but it was more than that, something about the way they moved together.

And the fact that Harmony looked at him like he was prey.

Which was wrong, all wrong. He was the one in control – but he couldn't stop her gaze wandering like that, and he hated it.

Andreas adjusted the cape of his costume and turned to Sequinn, who had crept up from her place in District Three to join him. Marquis, unfortunately, was in Twelve, and had stayed far back.

"Come here, stand… there." Andreas said, turning until Sequinn was in his place and he in hers. Perfect.

"Why?" she asked. She was wearing some rainbow coloured concoction that clashed with her hair, along with a dyed pink stole.

Andreas shrugged. "Now the lights aren't in my eyes."

She sighed and shook her head. The speaker crackled above their heads.

"ATTENTION PLAYERS! THE INTERVIEWS ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN!"