The warm air was hot and humid, ripples coming off of the pavement as the heat rose off the ground. It was only early June, but district one already felt like summer. This was typical for the region, but that didn't mean it was enjoyable. Many occupants of the district chose to stay inside, or had their fans on as they sweltered on their porches. Those that had to be outside did so begrudgingly, sweat dripping from their brows as they withstood the summer-like heat.

In the middle of district one, located in the largest city, stood the career academy. It was a marvel of architecture, put in place by the Capitol to raise the next generation of killers and the future deceased. Tall marble columns towered over the lawn, mixed with shiny glass panes that reflected the outside. The career academy was a mix of the past and the future, constantly paying homage to the days long ago and looking towards the continued future of Panem.

The entire academy was normally filled with the hustle and bustle of trainees and trainers. However, today was slightly different, as the games were fast approaching and many of the trainees had earned a break until next year. The volunteer trials were already over, and all that remained before the Reaping was the official announcement of who the volunteers for district one would be.

There was some activity going on in the training courtyard, where several young adults trained either because they had nothing better to do or because they were convinced that they'd be the volunteer for the upcoming games. Swords striked training dummies, arrows whizzed through the air, and students spared with one another. The courtyard wasn't immune from the heat, but there were large fans set up to keep the careers cool. It was unusual for the heat to be bad this early in the year in most of the nation, but the small pocket of Panem where the biggest city of district one resided was known for its awful weather.

Standing a ways back from a target, a blonde boy with a muscular physique stood tall, a quiver strapped to his side and a compound bow in his hand. Several other students had gathered to watch him, cheering him on and offering words of encouragement as he notched an arrow in the bow with ease.

The boy raised the bow upwards. Glancing down the shaft of the arrow, he visualized the arrow hitting the target, seeing the tiny dot in the distance as he narrowed his eyes. In a swift motion, he let the arrow fly, gracefully slicing through the air and hitting the dead center of the target with a twang.

Cheers came from the crowd that had gathered. Smiling, the blonde turned, receiving a high five from the closest student. The arrow had joined a volley of others on the targets, all near the very center, some already on the same target that he'd just hit. His quiver now empty, the career student checked to make sure no one else was active at the range, and then walked forward to start collecting his arrows. Tugging each off of the target and placing them back in his quiver, he nodded approvingly at his work.

"Nice job, Aphroditon!" came a loud voice from the crowd, which promptly parted as the career walked back towards where the voice was coming from. Aphroditon took a left turn, going to place his bow back to receive the proper maintenance, assuming the well-wisher was part of the usual crowd. A few hushed murmurs made him turn back around.

Aphrodtion Rockefeller was a prominent fixture of the career academy. He knew almost everyone, at least knowing their names, and was friends with many of them. His friendly demeanor and outgoing personality made it so that his group of friends was quite large, and he was known to have a friendly word with everyone, regardless of whether or not he knew them well.

He noticed that the voice had come from a boy around his age, probably about 18, with a shock of bright teal hair and an easy smile. This was identifiable as Trill Sharp, someone that had trained in the academy but hadn't gone for the volunteer spot that year. In fact, Trill had put in his leaving notice for the academy, as he didn't intend to train for the games any longer. The most notable thing about the other boy wasn't Trill himself. No, it was his last name. Trill Sharp was the younger brother of Krona Sharp, the Games victor from two years prior.

"Hey, Trill! What brings you here?" asked Aphroditon, walking over to the other teen. Noticing an envelope clutched tightly in his hand, his curiosity was instantly resolved. That letter had to be for one of the official career volunteers, letting them know that they'd been selected for the games.

"I've got a letter for you! You probably already know what this is. Krona's making me be her errand runner, again," Trill said with a hint of grumpiness in the last few words. Beckoning for Trill to walk with him, Aphroditon moved away from the crowd, not wanting to be interrupted if this was what he thought it was.

Trill handed Aphroditon the letter once they had reached a door to go inside the academy. The air-conditioned hallways were much cooler than the sweltering heat outside, something that both boys appreciated. Gently opening the envelope, the taller of the two removed a crisp sheet of parchment paper. His name was written at the top, and it only took a second of skimming the document for a wide smile to break out on his face.

"Aphroditon Rockefeller, district one volunteer for the 90th hunger games," he read. The day had finally come. All that training, all that hard work for the trials, it had finally paid off. He was so caught up in savoring the moment that he didn't notice Trill anxiously scratching his head next to him. Looking as though he was about to say something, but thinking better of it, the teal-haired teen plastered a wide smile on his face.

"Yeah! Congratulations! Just, you know, be safe out there. Don't die. I know we never really talk, and you don't really know me, but it would be great if you won," nervously rambled Trill.

Aphroditon shook his head, giving Trill a friendly pat on the back before reading through the letter again. He had a week left to get as much training as he could in. Also curious about who the female volunteer was, he thought about asking, but figured that Trill wouldn't know that information. He'd been training nonstop for months, and knew most of the other academy trainees, so he figured that he definitely had to know the girl that would be the female volunteer.

Saying goodbye to Trill, he walked back out into the courtyard, a broad grin on his face. He couldn't wait to tell everyone the exciting news. In fact, when he returned to the crowd, all it took was holding the letter that he'd put back in the envelope up in the air for exciting clapping to break out.

The Rockefeller household all sat around the dining room table, plates of food set in front of them and napkins in their laps. At the head of the table sat Chandelier Rockefeller, the father of the family, his blonde hair slightly graying and his face creased with a few wrinkles. Aphroditon sat across from him at the foot of the table, while the rest of the family sat in the middle. Tonight's dinner was pasta with meat sauce, prepared by Symphony Rockefeller earlier in the day.

"I have an announcement," said Aphroditon, who hadn't yet told his family about the letter. They knew that he was most likely to be the official volunteer, they just didn't know that he'd gotten the official confirmation. He'd been training for months, and the career trials had ended weeks earlier.

The eyes of two of his siblings lit up, especially those of Adonia, his 14 year old sister. She also trained at the career academy, but was too young to enter into the games for a few more years. For weeks she'd been pestering him about getting the news, as she aspired to volunteer one day as well. Leton, who was 11, was similar but hadn't yet started his career training.

All of the family was blonde, just like Aphroditon, and was easily recognizable as a family unit. No one would doubt the fact that they belonged as a whole family together.

When Aphroditon spoke, his father smiled, a bit of sadness behind his eyes being disguised by an expectant look. He knew that his father encouraged him in his endeavors, but wasn't surprised that he would be slightly sad by his son going off to the games. They'd known for years that this was coming. It was only a matter of time before he left. However, they all had confidence in Aphroditon's abilities, and trusted that he'd be the one to come home.

"Ooh! Tell me it's about the games, tell me it's about the games!" said Heron, the youngest in the family. He didn't quite understand the whole principle of the games, but had joined in on his siblings' excitement enough to be filled in on the fact that the news would be exciting.

"I got the letter today. I passed the trials, and I'll be the official volunteer," Aphroditon announced with pride in his voice. Leton jumped out of his chair and bounced up and down, getting a stern look from his mother that prompted him to sit back down at the table. Smiles could be seen from every member of the family, congratulating him on this important milestone.

The last few years had all been in preparation for this. He'd gone through the career trials last year, but hadn't expected to make it through, being on the younger side of the participants. It had given him enough experience to be more prepared for this year, and he'd passed the trials with ease, his training all paying off. Hours upon hours of time spent at the academy had led to this, his final goal. Aphroditon knew that he had the skills for being a victor, and was more than ready to show them off in the games.

His excitement kept him from noticing the look that passed between Symphony and Chandelier. Their smiles never wavered, but something in their communication between each other made it clear that they were worried. No parent was completely fine with their child going into the games, but as district one parents, they'd known this was coming.

"I'll be at the academy from dawn until dusk for the next week. They want to keep my training going, and I'll also get to work with some of the victors on various skills. Since the reaping isn't that far away, they'll also be going over strategies and the like, making sure that I'm fully prepared. After all, a week in the capitol won't do that much to help," continued Aphroditon.

In a way, he'd always known that he would be going to the games. Something in his heart had driven him to work hard over the years, striving for the goal that most district one kids desperately wanted. It was a great honor to go to the games, and nothing would stop him from achieving that.

"Congratulations! Who's your district partner? Did they tell you which girl would be going with you?" asked Symphony, waiting until she'd finished chewing to ask. Although they were seated at the dinner table, there wasn't much actual eating of dinner happening, aside from the few bites Symphony had taken to encourage everyone else to eat.

"Verd Lucan. She's a year older than me, she did pretty well in the trials. I've seen her around the academy," he replied, thinking of the reserved girl that was a force to be reckoned with in sparring. She was one of the few people that had beaten him with a sword in training, though she couldn't get anywhere close to his skills in archery. They'd talked several times, but never had really sat down and gotten to know each other.

"The Lucan girl? Interesting. I suppose you'll be working together for a good portion of the games. I'm sure your mentors will help you figure out a strategy as a team for the career alliance," Chandelier tilted his head, trying to remember what Verd looked like. Aphroditon was pretty sure that he knew Verd's grandmother, who was a renowned business woman that ran some of the vineyard operations in district one.
Nodding, Aphroditon noticed that his food was getting cold, and picked up his fork to take a large bite. As he ate, the family talked about the games, his younger siblings excitedly talking about all the things he'd get to see in the Capitol while his parents listened. His heart felt warm, though he knew that this couldn't last. Even though he knew that he had a good chance of winning the games, there was always that small possibility that he'd die, and his family would be seated around the table without him for years to come.

It wouldn't be very productive to think about that, though. As far as Aphroditon knew, the games were his to win. This was his destiny, and he wouldn't let anyone take it away from him.

The Reaping

Aphroditon had gotten up at dawn to prepare for the reaping. Because district one went first in the reaping order, as it was televised in district order for those in the capitol, the reaping happened fairly early in the morning. The reaping was a celebrated event in district one, as they always knew who was volunteering, never having to worry about one of their own being taken away unwillingly. Reaping parties happened the day before for those that were volunteering, a well-earned rest after a week of hard training. Everyone went to bed early in preparation for the next day, making sure that they got a good night of sleep before the event.

Dressed in a casual dress shirt and slacks, with his fancy shoes on his feet, Aphroditon was more than ready for the reaping. Before leaving the Rockefeller home, he took one last look around, making sure everything was etched into his memory. He had already talked with his siblings the night before, knowing that their time to say goodbye at the justice building would be limited. Time had also been spent with his parents, reassuring them that he'd come out the other side of the games.

Their house was a fifteen minute train ride away from the justice building, as they lived in the city, close enough to the career academy and justice building that they'd be able to commute there easily. Most volunteers already lived close to the justice building, so the crowds around the district were mainly for show. In bigger outer districts, there was an influx of visitors to the city center around reaping day, or the escort would read the names and then the tribute would be brought from their town in the district to the justice building after the reaping to go up on the stage.

Luckily, it was a much simpler process in district one. No one had to worry, no one had to feel the fear of being taken away from their home. It was an honor to represent their district, and was something that was a hard-won battle to even be in consideration for.

With his parents and siblings by his side, even though his siblings were too young for the reaping after the rules change back before the 75th games, he walked proudly off of the train and towards the looming crowd that awaited them. Already some other citizens were recognizing him, pointing him out to their families and whispering about him behind his back.

He met these whispers with a smile and a wave, head held high. Maneuvering through the crowd, he made his way towards where the families separated from the eligible reaping pool, giving his father and mother a quick hug before entering the line to get his identity checked. A burly peacekeeper pricked his finger, nodding to him as he showed up on their system database as being the male volunteer for that year. Even the Capitol system already knew who the selected official volunteers would be.

Then ushered through the line, he was brought to where those in his age range stood, the other young male citizens of the district all congratulating him and smiling. Some resented him for being the chosen volunteer, but they all knew that he had earned that position through hard work and training.

Looking around, he tried to spot Verd in the crowd of girls on the other side. Her blunt bangs and dark hair usually made her blend into a crowd, but she was recognizable by the burgundy shirt that she wore. At this point, all he could do was wait for the escort to come up on stage, which would be once all of the citizens in the reaping age range were checked in. It would be around thirty minutes, so he spent the time talking to his friends that were nearby.

Their escort, Joyous Foster, was a man with a deep complexion who usually wore wild body makeup and had bright colors braided into his hair. He was instantly visible the second that he walked up onto the stage, with the victors from the past games following behind him in a ceremonial fashion.

Aphroditon could name all of the victors that stood there. As district one had the largest victor number, currently at a total of 7 living victors, they all were situated on either side of the stage, standing tall and proud as they represented their district. The cameras had already started rolling, taking in crowds for the Capitol to see. He guessed that the capitol would be going through some sort of pre-show at the moment, talking about last year's reaping and what they expected to see today.

Joyous was currently painted with green swirls in a variety of shades, rippling like waves across his skin and matching the mint green braids that reached down to his waist. His outfit was a gaudy coral orange, clashing intentionally with his hair and makeup, but doing so in a way that the Capitol probably saw as being tasteful. He'd been the district one escort for the past eight years, and was probably getting to the end of his escorting career.

Finally, he walked up to the microphone, causing the murmurs from the crowd to become silent. A broad grin crossed his face, and he lit up, adjusting his tie before tapping the microphone to check the sound.

"Citizens of district one! Welcome, welcome, to your 90th Hunger Games reaping! Now, as you all know, we have a few important points we must get through before the reaping itself will start. I'm sure you're all very excited, but patience is key! Please stand by for our national anthem and our presentation of history," Joyous announced, voice echoing across the giant crowd that stood below him. Clapping was heard once he finished speaking.

From there, they went through the national anthem, then the video that showed the darkest days and the history of the games. The rules for the games were brought up, and the addendum to the games rules was mentioned. During this time, Aphroditon had moved to the edge of the crowd, near the side, taking his place so that he'd easily make it to the stage once he was called. He noticed that Verd had done the same thing on the girls' side of the crowd.

It took almost forty five minutes for the procession and ceremony to be over, but when it was, Aphroditon could feel his stomach turning. He ignored it, however, since pride was still beaming through him. He already knew how he would walk across the stage with confidence after shooting his hand up into the air.

Joyous finally finished talking, and paused for a brief second to catch his breath. He then waited as some stagehands brought out the fancy reaping bowls, decorated and prepared with hundreds of names within them. This was the part that no one cared about, as the reaped tributes would quickly be volunteered for.

"Now, for your tributes! First, the girls," proclaimed Joyous, strutting over to the bowl. He dug his hand around inside it, then brought out a name, reading it aloud. It was an older girl that Aphroditon recognized, who looked extremely embarrassed and gave an awkward smile to the camera. It didn't take long for Verd's hand to rise into the air, waving dignifiedly.

"I volunteer as tribute!" said Verd, as loud as she could. Her voice was able to be heard in the silence, and the cameras all panned to her, her face showing up on the wide screens accompanying the sides of the stage. She looked proud, but displayed no other emotion. With a nod from Joyous, she made her way up to the stage, passing by the female victors and taking her place next to the reaping bowl. A man with a clipboard on the side of the stage had checked her name to make sure she was the official volunteer before letting her up onto the stage.

"Thank you! Now, onto the boys before we introduce you to the world," Joyous said with a gentle smile to Verd, who looked calmly ahead at the crowd. Hand going into the reaping bowl, Joyous brought out a name, read it aloud, and all eyes turned to the young boy that was called. Aphroditon hadn't seen him at training before, so he assumed that he wasn't at the career academy. His own hand ricocheted into the air.

"I volunteer as tribute!" he pronounced, echoing the same words that Verd had. All eyes turned to Aphroditon, who met them with an easy smile. He was ushered up to the stage by the peacekeepers, passing all the other candidates and being led to the stairs. Taking them quickly, even though they were steep, he passed by the male victors, of which there were three, and gave them a courteous nod. He could feel everyone watching him, but this didn't phase him.
"Very well! Volunteers, what are your names?" asked Joyous, even though he already knew their names but had to announce them to the Capitol. Verd was up first, her smooth voice going through the microphone and out through the speakers. Then came Aphroditon's turn, and he said his name with pride. He was proud to represent his district and his family, and it showed as he stood up tall on the stage.

"Aphroditon Rockefeller," he said, causing a few unknown murmurs from the crowd. They were mainly from the regular crowd, those that weren't the family of those eligible, and mostly came from older citizens. He wasn't sure why this caused that reaction, and couldn't see the faces of the victors behind him, but he didn't particularly care.

"Your district one tributes, everyone! Please clap!" exclaimed Joyous. Aphroditon looked at Verd, giving her a smile that she didn't return. He could see his family in the crowd, beaming up at him. Loud clapping and cheers came from the entire crowd. The cameras continued to show Aphroditon and Verd on the screen, but the feed to the capitol had most likely switched to something else, as an administrator from the justice building came up to usher the volunteers to the backstage area.

Behind the stage waited the Justice Building, standing tall and proud in marble with banners proclaiming it as district one hung from its roof. Following the administrator with Joyous at their side, they walked up the stairs, most of the victors dispersing behind them. Two victors stayed with them, but stayed a ways behind, too far back for Aphroditon to figure out who they were.

If he had to guess, he'd say that they were Porcelain and Releve, who had both mentored last year. The two women often came to oversee training from the balcony, and while they rarely interacted with the volunteer candidates, they'd helped oversee the career trials. Both were slightly aging, yet still had a powerful presence. He wondered which of them he'd end up having as his mentor.

The doors to the building were opened, and the two volunteers were led into separate rooms to wait for their visiting families. A couple of peacekeepers were stationed there, but they all held their weapons loosely, knowing that there wouldn't be any trouble in district one. Aphroditon sat on a plush couch, looking around the room as he waited for his family to get there. There was a map of Panem on one wall, and a window on another. This room was probably designated for meetings, or just for this special event.

Light filtered through the window, and beamed down on Aphroditon as he sat. He had been sleepy earlier, but the excitement of the reaping had taken that all away. Now, he was very awake, his leg bouncing as he waited. He expected only his family to come now, as he'd said goodbye to all of his friends at the celebration party yesterday. It took a few minutes, but soon the doors opened and they came rushing through.

Goodbyes

Adonia, Heron, and Leton all bounded towards him, enveloping him in a hug. He smiled at them when they pulled away after hugging them back, then looked up towards Symphony and Chandelier. They both gave him a hug, and then sat down on another couch, intending to make the most of their time there even though they'd said a preliminary goodbye earlier.

"We'll miss you, Aphroditon. Make sure to come back to us. We love you," said Symphony, trying to keep tears from falling. She was always more sensitive than the rest of them, especially when it came to difficult things like this. Her caring nature made it hard for her to say goodbye to one of the people she cared about the most.

Chandelier still stood, looking with pride at his son. Being in the justice building was always a little nerve-wracking, but this was an occasion where he didn't have to worry about that. Aphroditon wasn't sure if his father had ever been in the justice building before, but he guessed that this was probably the first time. It was extremely fancy and well-decorated, but felt fairly cozy in the little room that they'd been ushered into.
"Get a bunch of kills! Show them how cool you are!" said Leton, waving his arms around. Symphony shook her head, but a small smile crept on the corners of her lips. Aphroditon laughed, patting his younger brother on the head. This was typical of Leton, the bold and loud child of the family. He certainly intended to win, which meant taking out the other tributes.

He'd thought about killing other people in the games at length, as he knew that it would take a lot of emotional fortitude and couldn't be something that he let get the better of him. The district one careers went through training to make sure they didn't have that sort of reservation about taking out the competition, and Aphroditon was pretty used to the idea of it by this point.

"Make us proud! You've trained me well, now go and kick some butt!" Adonia added, as Heron mimed a kick in the air. Aphrodton grinned, knowing that she'd wanted to say something other than butt, not being able to because their parents were listening and would reprimand her for cursing.

"I will, for sure. The other tributes won't know what hit them," he said, playing into his sibling's excitement. Chandelier gave a small smile as well, and then looked at Symphony. She nodded at him, and stood up, gathering her three youngest children next to her. Aphroditon was slightly confused, but figured that his father probably had something that he wanted to talk to him about alone. His siblings ran up and hugged him again, and he looked at them with the first hint of sadness in his eyes.

Most of the time, he didn't think about not coming back, but there was always a chance that he might not. If he didn't, he was sure his siblings would be distraught, and he couldn't let that happen. He had to make his family proud. Seeing the families of the district one tributes that didn't make it back was always hard, especially when they harbored resentment towards the career academy and the system of the games.

After saying a final goodbye to his siblings, they left the room with their mother, who also gave him one last hug with tears in her eyes. As soon as they were gone, Chandelier sighed, looking straight at Aphroditon with something resembling weariness. Why wasn't his father happy for him? This was what he'd always wanted. His father had always wanted this, too, and he'd done it to make him proud. For a split second, Aphroditon wanted to say something, but was cut off by his father.

"Aphroditon, the odds are stacked against you. You have to be prepared to not make it back. Do your best, try to come back to us, but know that it won't be easy. Everything is against you, not just the games," Chandelier said quietly, just loud enough for Aphroditon to hear. The teenager looked confused in response.

"Dad, I was born for this. I'm ready. Don't have such little faith in me," he replied, shaking his head. This caused Chandelier to nod, but look concerned. Aphroditon knew there was some deeper meaning to his father's words, but couldn't think of what they really meant. He was just the same as all the other district one volunteers before him. He had good chances of winning. What could make his father this worried?

"You're right. You were born for this. There are things you don't know about, Aphroditon, and I hope that you don't have to come across them in the future. Don't worry too much about it, but keep yourself aware. I trust that you'll make me proud, regardless of what happens," responded Chandelier. He walked forward, enveloping Aphroditon in a hug, which his son quickly returned.

It didn't matter whether or not his father was being cryptic. Aphroditon trusted him, and knew that he cared about his son more than anything else. If his father told him to be aware, he would be. Their time was almost up, and a peacekeeper came back inside to let them know that they needed to say their final goodbyes. Holding his father in a hug for a second longer, he then parted with him, seeing the tears in his father's eyes this time.

"Goodbye, Aphroditon," said Chandelier as he began to leave the room, eyes not leaving his son, almost as if he was trying to commit his face to memory. Aphroditon managed a smile, and stood straight as the doors closed behind his father.

"Goodbye, Dad," Aphroditon felt his whole body reverberate as the large doors slammed shut. It didn't take long for a peacekeeper to come into the room, ushering him out of it to meet with Verd and Joyous in the hallway.

Verd's face looked a little bit puffy, almost as if she'd been crying. Joyous appeared just like his name intended, a smile on his face, and he reached out to shake Aphroditon's hand. Returning the shake with a firm grip, Aphroditon looked to Verd, who had gone back to her typical calm expression.

"Well, let's get you two on the train! We have a lot to talk about," Joyous said with enthusiasm, clasping his hands together.

The trio proceeded to leave the justice building, being put into a car that would take them to the train station. Watching his known world go by, Aphroditon could only hope that his father would be alright. His mother would take care of him and his siblings. It was time for him to get his thoughts in the right frame of mind.

There was only one week before the games began.

Train Rides

Sitting around a smooth wooden table on a booth built into the wall of the train compartment, Aphroditon glanced around the interior of the train. They'd been on the train for only a few minutes, but the trip already seemed to be taking an eternity. He knew that the trip would be three hours long, given that they had to go through the mountains and most of district one to get to the Capitol, but he was already itching to be there.

As the first district to have their tributes selected, the reaping going in ascending numerical order this year, they were given the privilege of watching most of the other reapings. The Capitol had staggered the reapings to be thirty minutes apart this year, which was more time than was usually in between them. They'd missed the reapings for districts two and three, but would be able to watch them back in the downtime between the other districts. The plan was also to finish watching the remaining districts once they got to the Capitol. Arriving first had its benefits and its downsides.

At the same table as Aphroditon sat Verd, Joyous, and the two mentors. The train compartment was fairly lavish, with paneled walls and a wooden floor, decorated to impress whoever sat there. Mirrors lined the walls, and a large television screen was situated so that those sitting at the table could easily watch whatever was occurring upon it. Currently, it was showing the Capitol broadcasters, talking about last years' games while they waited for the district four reaping.

Joyous looked even more vibrant up close. When they'd entered the train, he'd taken a small spray bottle of some liquid and sprayed down the swirls on his skin, probably to ensure that they lasted. Aphroditon didn't know much about makeup, but he figured that the green wasn't permanent.

This was also the first close-up glimpse of Verd that Aphroditon had gotten. She sat next to him, posture so straight that she almost looked stiff, staring straight ahead at the television with her hands clasped in front of her. Her blunt bangs covered her forehead, and some of her hair was tucked behind one ear, revealing an earring. The burgundy of her shirt matched nicely with her gray dress pants, and she wore small heeled boots.

From what he knew about Verd, she was always very serious and practical, going through the motions of training almost in a machine-like fashion. She was skilled with a sword, but was also adept with a variety of other weapons, much like he was. Verd had practically obliterated the rest of her competition in the career trials. Wherever she went, whispers followed. Aphroditon didn't know much about her family, or her life, other than the fact that she lived with her grandmother and her parents were deceased.

"Well, tributes, I suppose that we should probably get started! Aphroditon, Ms. Porcelain Rouge here will be mentoring you, while Ms. Releve Villa will be mentoring Verd. For now, we'll stay together. I'm sure they both know what they want to talk to you about. Take it away, ladies!" said Joyous boisterously, his stage persona apparently not being that different from how he acted in reality. That was probably true for most capitolites, though.

Porcelain, a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair styled up into a bun, gave him a curt nod. Releve gave a tight-lipped smile, her short blonde hair framing her face. Being from the academy, he knew that both mentors were fairly strict, and took their jobs very seriously. He'd been hoping to get Releve, though, because she was a little less intimidating. Porcelain had never seemed to like him on the few occasions that they'd interacted.

"Both of you already know the rules of the games, and you should be prepared. We'll be watching the district four reaping for you to get a good look at your allies and eventual competition. They've been training just as hard as you have, and so have the district two volunteers, who we'll go back and watch the selection of after district four," explained Releve.

Aphroditon nodded to show that he was listening, and Verd did the same. The television switched to an image of district four's justice building, where the speech by their escort was wrapping up.

The Capitol broadcasters' words were overlaid above the speech so that it couldn't be heard by those watching. The viewers back in the Capitol probably didn't want to hear the same speech twelve times. At the present, the broadcasters were talking about the current career victory streak. The last four games had all been won by the career districts.

Something came to Aphroditon's mind. Maybe that was why his father had told him that everything was against him. The gamemakers would be working extra hard to ensure that the careers didn't win this year. He'd just have to prove that he deserved to win over the rest of the competition.

"We haven't received information on the other career district volunteers. They keep their trials a closely guarded secret, just as we do," Porcelain said as she gestured toward the screen. The escort for district four put their hand into the reaping bowl, drawing out a name and announcing it. The camera didn't even bother to pan towards the teen selected, instead going straight towards the volunteer that had already put his hand up into the air.

Aphroditon instantly knew that this volunteer was someone to be wary of. His dark hair slicked back, body language relaxed but threatening, the young man seemed to be on the older side of the age range. His eyes displayed an uneasy intelligence in them, but his grin sent shivers down Aphroditon's spine. As he walked onto the stage, his slightly heeled boots and leather pants were visible. He was obviously trying to make a good impression on the Capitol.

The girl that volunteered next looked less like someone he should be wary of, but still looked intimidating. The dress she wore did nothing to hide her muscular physique, and her smile didn't reach her eyes. In a way, she reminded him of Verd.

According to the escort, their names were Teuthis Brys and Cyana Nautilius, Teuthis being the boy and Cyana being the girl. The camera flipped back to the capitol announcers, and Aphroditon's focus went to those that he was sitting with. Releve had a notepad that she was writing in with a carefully practiced cursive, and Joyous was standing up to help an assistant put a platter of food onto the table. Looking to Verd, he tried to see what her reaction was.

"Cyana seems to favor her left arm. Probably uses a trident, if I had to guess," said Verd quietly. From his perspective, he had to admit that she was right. The district four girl had held her left hand over her right as she stood with her hands together on the stage, and her build seemed to match that of someone that was used to using either a spear or a trident. Aphroditon was impressed with how quickly Verd had managed to assess the competition.

"You'll be allying with them. Keep an eye on their behavior, get to know them in training. However, the sooner you can take them out, the better. I've heard Teuthis' name before, and not for any good reason. We rarely hear about tributes from other districts, but apparently he's got somewhat of a reputation," promptly replied Porcelain with narrowed eyes.

Aphroditon didn't like the sound of that at all. If Porcelain had heard about Teuthis, it meant that he'd gotten into some sort of disciplinary trouble or done something to make the district four victors tell her about him. He knew that the victors talked about their volunteer candidates on occasion, but typically preferred not to give too much information away.

"Shall I play back the district two reapings? Oh, and there's food here, if you'd like it. I recommend you eat so that you don't go to styling on an empty stomach, though we will have some downtime in the capitol before that," Joyous pointed out the food, which consisted of fruit and delicate looking pastries piled high in the center of the table. Releve gestured for him to go ahead and play back the earlier reaping, while Aphroditon took a croissant and put it on his plate. He wasn't sure of the benefit of eating it, though.

Verd took some fruit, and while they ate, they watched as a strong-looking boy from district two volunteered. The more interesting of the pair from district two had to be the girl, given that she wore heavy makeup and all black clothes. Her makeup seemed almost like something someone in the capitol would wear, with heavy eyeliner and black lipstick.

The district two tributes were Basalt Markson and Lanista Crell. Lanista also wore heavy platform boots, and stomped her way up to the stage. Basalt stretched as he stood, probably trying to show off his muscles. The career pack this year was looking to be fairly strong, which made Aphroditon curious as to how they'd get along. It was important for them to form some sort of bond before they all tried to kill each other, as for the first half of the games they'd be working together.

They also had time to play the district three reapings before district five was aired. Aphroditon cared less about the non-careers, but there was always a chance they would have some competition from the outer districts. The boy and girl from district three weren't exactly competition material, though. Galvan, the boy, was scrawny and timid, while the girl was smiling widely and waving to the crowd. Neither volunteered, but the girl named Pyre didn't seem to mind her situation.

"Verd, Aphroditon. What do you two know about each other? I assume you've met before. Introduce yourselves, at least," instructed Releve. Turning to the girl beside him, Aphroditon offered her a bright smile, which she didn't return.

"I'm Aphroditon Rockefeller. I've seen you around training before. You did well in the career trials, I was impressed," he said, reaching out to offer her his hand. She took it, shaking it before looking slightly bored.

"Verd Lucan. You're the archery boy who's friends with everyone," she replied with a flat tone. He was a little offended by her words, but his smile didn't waver. Being friends with everyone wasn't a bad thing. He'd certainly have an easier time with their allies than she would, judging from her stoic personality.

"Nice to officially meet you. What do you think of the other careers?" asked Aphroditon, determined to keep the conversation going. As they talked, the district five reapings were starting. A composed looking boy and a determined girl that appeared as though she was trying not to cry were reaped. Neither of them seemed to be particularly interesting, he assumed that they'd die early on in the games and wouldn't be much trouble to take out.

"I like Cyana, she seems like she'll be competent. Teuthis, on the other hand, seems like he's dangerous. I don't like the look of him," Verd ate a mouthful of fruit after she was done speaking. Aphroditon couldn't help but agree with her. The fours were probably a package deal, unfortunately, but maybe Teuthis wouldn't be as worrisome as he seemed to be.

Porcelain and Releve began going through reminders about what they should do with their allies, and how they should approach training. Aphroditon listened intently, nodding and chiming in when he was expected to. The pastry wasn't sitting very well in his stomach, but soon enough the assistants brought out some sandwiches with meat on them that seemed like they'd be a better bet than the pastries. The other reapings began to play, showing them more of the tributes that they'd be facing.

Seeing Verd fiddle with a small brooch, he took out his own token, a bracelet with a locket attached to it. Opening it up, he saw the faces of his family, all smiling up at him. The sight of them made him strengthen his resolve. They wouldn't see him on screen again until interviews, but they'd heard about his training score. Aphroditon intended on making them 'd be at the Capitol soon enough, and that was where the real frenzy began.

Stylists

The prep room was a flurry of activity. Aphroditon stood in the middle of it all, trying to absorb what was going on. He'd been there for two hours already, and had been in the Capitol for a few hours longer than that, but adjusting to the motion and fervor of the city was taking longer than he would have liked. His stylist had yet to appear, but the prep team had said that they'd be coming to get him at any moment now.

When they'd first made it to the city, the reapings were still going on, thanks to their short travel time compared to the rest of the districts. Porcelain and Releve had brought them through the crowded train station to the building floor that they'd be staying in for the next week, sitting them down and having the two district one volunteers watch the rest of the reapings as they happened. In the train station, a frenzy of people had greeted them, all behind a rope and looking rather odd in their fashion choices.

All of the Capitolites seemed to wear clothes that were unusual to him, as even though he lived in district one, nothing could prepare him for the eyestrain that was Capitol clothing trends. Their hair was dyed, their skin was decorated with intricate makeup, and their accessories were wild beyond belief. He could have sworn he saw someone at the train station with a fully pink dog. His prep team was no exception to this, with brightly colored hair and makeup.

Standing on a pedestal, clothed in a set of shorts and a tank top, he watched as the prep team whispered about him while they worked. Some of it he could hear, other words were drowned out by the loud music that came from the speakers. Aphrodiiton couldn't pretend that he enjoyed any part of the process, but he kept a neutral face throughout the waxing and bathing portions of the preparations. Those were definitely the most uncomfortable.

Thinking back to the reapings that he'd watched earlier, he tried to remember what he'd seen about the competition. Aside from the other careers, there had been a boy from district six and another from district ten that appeared strong enough to be a threat. None of the girls were particularly strong, but he supposed that there would be some that would be threatening in their own ways.

Most of their names had faded from his memory. He made a mental note to make a point of relearning the names, as it wouldn't be smart to only know the other tributes by their districts. His mentor already seemed to dislike him, though that was more of a suspicion he had that there wasn't a lot of evidence for.

Aphroditon still hadn't learned all that much about his district partner outside of what he'd already known from training. Verd wasn't very interested in giving up information about herself, which frustrated him because they were supposed to appear as a unified pair for the training week before the games. If he didn't know anything about her, he couldn't present that image. Part of him was also annoyed because he typically made friends easily.

"Aphroditon, your stylist will be here in just a moment!" chirped one of the prep team. According to the leader of the prep team, his stylist was Rhodes Alpine, who had only been styling district one for a few years. However, they apparently did a good enough job to stand out from the crowd, as Aphroditon could remember the parade outfits of the other tributes the last two years. The first pair had been a set of fully metallic outfits, and the second had been themed around vineyards and wine.

Being ushered off of the platform, and given a robe to wear over his shorts and top, he found himself being led to another hallway and a much larger room. There was a fully glass wall that was slightly slanted on one side of the room, and in the middle there were two couches and a metal table with control buttons on the side of it.

Sitting down on one of the couches, he looked around the room once before focusing on the door that was opening across from him. A person with hair that looked like a waterfall came through the door, their hair being a blue to white ombre with the ends flipped up. This must be Rhodes Alpine, the district one stylist that he was assigned to.

"Aphroditon, hello. The prep team filled you in already, but I'm Rhodes. Please, feel free to eat something," they said, sitting down on the couch as an assistant followed them with a plate of appetizers. Instead of placing the food on the strange table, it was placed on a tray to the side.

Rhodes answered his curiosity about the table by flipping a switch and projecting a hologram of Aphroditon's face. It was kind of odd, seeing himself in a flickering image above the table. He wasn't sure when they'd gotten the chance to scan his face, but figured that it must have happened when the prep team was working on him. Hands folded in his lap, the district one tribute didn't take any of the food, instead focusing on the person across from him.
"Nice to meet you, Rhodes," he replied, a smile on his face. Rhodes answered it back with a small smile of their own, then flicked another dial to show a full body image of him. A few more buttons later made the hologram appear to be dressed in a detailed outfit that appeared to shimmer and shine in the light.

The outfit almost seemed to be made out of crystals. With a suit that was made up of fractals and segments of the shining material, and a slight skirt train over the pants that made the outfit more androgynous, the outfit reflected the light in the room. It could have just been the hologram, but Aphroditon figured that it would have the same effect in real life. Seeing himself in the outfit made him blink. The technology of the Capitol was much farther beyond what they had back in district one, and they weren't lacking in technology like some of the other districts.

"Given that you're from district one, I assume you already know about the parade, and if not, your mentors would have already briefed you on it, correct?" said Rhodes calmly. Their voice was reminiscent of water flowing into a pond, the tone smooth and gentle. Aphroditon nodded, as he was very familiar with the parade from years of watching it in the past. His mentor had also gone over some of the basics about it as well.

"As the tributes from district one, you and your district partner will be first in the parade, meaning that you have to make a good impression. I have no doubt that you'll be able to do it. I talked to Porcelain and Releve already about what they want you two to do for the chariot ride. Stand tall, stand strong, but stand slightly apart. You need to appear as though you're part of a team, but also have your own abilities and strengths," Rhodes continued.

This was all what Aphroditon had been expecting. Verd didn't seem the type to want to smile and wave, so he would have to do that on his own. He fully intended to try and win over the Capitol, though that wouldn't take much additional effort on his part. He was always found with a smile outside of training, and he didn't think it would be very hard to channel that in the parade.

The makeup that had been put onto his face made his smile feel cakey and odd. Wearing makeup was something that he hadn't done before, and while he wasn't adverse to it, it was still a new experience. The prep team had made sure his skin was evenly covered, and had even put some product in his hair to make it stand up better. Getting all of the makeup off would be a nightmare later, but he was sure he could figure it out if given the right materials.

"Has anything changed with the schedule for the week? I assume that it's the same as every other year, but I wanted to make sure," asked Aphroditon, trying to be proactive with his questions. His mentor hadn't gone over the schedule for the week yet, and while he had a good idea of what the week would hold, it was always best to ensure that he wasn't getting anything wrong. Looking stupid in front of the other careers was something he wanted to avoid.

"Everything should be the same. Parade today, training tomorrow, and so on. You should get back to your floor in the middle of the night after the parade, but you'll be up bright and early for training," Rhodes responded as they made the hologram on the table the tiniest bit bigger.

"Now, let's talk about your outfit. We're going for a sort of crystalline look, tying in with district one's luxury goods. The suit itself is very three-dimensional, and we'll be adding small crystals to your skin to make you look more cohesive. Everything will be very shiny under the lights of the parade ring. We want you to stand out, be a good first impression and make the crowd excited for the parade," explained Rhodes, hovering over different parts of the image as they pointed out the aspects of the outfit.

"Are those boots sparkly?" Aphroditon looked at the image closely, noticing that the boots had a slight heel and were giving off a small sparkly sheen. He'd never worn heels before, so that would be another first.

"Yes, they are. We wanted the entire outfit to sparkle. The heel is there because we planned these outfits out months in advance, and needed a way to make the tributes appear taller if we got a shorter tribute. Obviously, we don't have to worry about that with you, but you should be fine," Rhodes suddenly flicked a finger and the image disappeared, leaving the table blank and empty.

Standing up, Rhodes ushered him over to a small changing room, where a clothing rank sat inside. The prep team came rushing out of the door, almost as if they'd been listening and waiting for their chance to work again. Aphroditon was placed back on a platform and stood there as the team removed the crystal suit from the clothing rack.

Quickly, the prep team put him into the suit, being very careful not to rip or tear the material. It was cool against his skin, and felt heavy. He was placed into the boots, giving him an extra half inch of height, and one of the people on the prep team brought a makeup bag with several glimmering crystals to attach to his skin. They were using some type of adhesive, but one that easily removed the crystals if they needed to move them. It still provided a strong hold, though, and he stood stiffly as they worked.

The suit itself had short, cropped sleeves with a padded shoulder. The collar was high, and there were a few crystals placed underneath it to give the appearance of the crystals trailing down his neck. The color of the crystals was a silvery blue, with green reflects and a hint of purple in the light. He wore gloves with a crisp edge and a color shifting material. Everything was very precise, and nothing seemed to be out of place.

It wasn't long before everything was applied on Aphroditon, and soon it would be time for him to head to the parade grounds. Being escorted out of the prep room and placed into a car, Verd followed soon after, wearing a similar garment with the same crystals trailing down her skin. She looked a little bit uncomfortable, but gave him a sharp nod. The trip to the parade ground was very short, and as it came into view, excitement rose in Aphroditon's stomach. He was ready, and so was the whole of Panem.