Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.

Note: Thank you to ladyqueerfoot and harley00 for Euphoria and Leven, respectively.


District Five
Just Become More


Oliver Merdoch, 26
Victor of the 45th Hunger Games

This would never get old.

Oliver leaned back against Harri, stroking the giant prairie dog's fur as a pair of youngsters clambered up on the mutt's back. They were too young for the reaping, but even those who were old enough to technically be part of the ceremony showed no signs of fear. That was one of the perks of being a Career district – in many people's eyes, the perk. Aside from a few quirks like the Quarter Quells, no one had to worry about being reaped. Everyone who went into the Games went willingly, just as he had.

And unlike some Victors – quite a few Victors, now he came to think of it – he had no regrets. He'd known what he was signing up for, and he'd never hesitated. There had been moments of terror, yes, but there had also been moments of pure thrill. Unchecked. Uncontrolled. He had never felt quite so alive as when he'd been in the Games.

Some of the other Victors, he knew, shared that feeling – but then struggled to find anything that matched that emotion once the Games were done. The Games had been the high point of their lives, and they would do anything, risk anything, to try to achieve that thrill again. Scarlet gave tours of old arena sites to curious Captiolites, eager to relive her own victory. Others turned to the training academies, living vicariously through their students, helping their own legacies live on. More recently, some of the Victors had poured their attention into Eldred's plan to retake District Thirteen, delighting in the subterfuge, the risk, the sense of accomplishment.

Oliver watched as the other Victors trickled in, making their way to the stage. He'd played his part, of course, but there had never really been any chance that District Thirteen would choose him. What did he have to gain from allying with them? What did District Five stand to gain from a revolution? Nothing they hadn't already achieved through loyalty. They were a Career district. Their children were safe. They were respected. Sure, they weren't as rich as the Capitol, but they didn't need to be as rich as the Capitol. No one needed that sort of luxury. That had never been what he'd wanted.

He'd been in it for the fun.

He still was, come to think of it. Just a different sort of fun. Oliver gave Jai a friendly punch on the shoulder as he and Camden arrived. It was odd not seeing Harakuise with them, but they would see him soon enough. Or at least, he and Camden would. And Jai was used to Harakuise being gone for weeks at a time during the Games. A few extra days before wouldn't make much of a difference.

Oliver handed Harri's reins to Jai and followed Camden to the stage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw their chosen volunteers take their places near the stage. The girl seemed to have something slung across her back, but from this angle, he couldn't tell what. He flashed Camden a quizzical look, but her expression was unreadable. He would just have to wait and see.

He wouldn't have to wait long. District Five's escort, Sylvester Marquette, was all smiles as he made his way onstage. He feigned surprise when his eye fell on Harakuise's empty chair, then turned to Camden and Oliver. "Looks like you're on your own this year, eh?" he teased. "Think you're up to the task?"

Camden smiled – a smile, Oliver thought, that looked a little too forced. Maybe she was nervous about not having Harakuise there this year. Or maybe she was nervous at the thought of having to work against Harakuise. He was mentoring District Thirteen, after all. Sure, even when she'd mentored with him, only one of their tributes could survive, so she was technically working against him, but their tributes had usually started off as allies, at least.

Oliver leaned back in his chair. Harakuise was certainly a force to be reckoned with, and he, along with Jade in District One, held the record for successful mentorships. But the thing was, that record was three. In more than forty years of mentoring, Harakuise had brought home three tributes. Having a certain person as your mentor wasn't a guarantee.

Of course, three successful mentorships was still three more than Oliver had – and two more than Camden had. But they had plenty of time to catch up.

Oliver leaned forward expectantly as Sylvester made his way towards the first reaping bowl. It was all for show, of course. Sylvester gave the slips of paper a theatrical swirl but quickly selected one and unfolded it.

Whatever the name was, it was instantly drowned out – not by a shout, as he'd expected, but by a chord. The crowd turned as one towards the front row, where Euphoria was strumming her guitar. She played a few more chords, then started to make her way out of her section – but not towards the stage. She circled the audience, the crowd parting to make way for her as she started to sing.

Oliver grinned. He didn't recognize the song, and it was unlikely the Capitol audience would either, but that didn't matter. A good portion of the teens surrounding Euphoria were already clapping their hands to the beat. They knew the song, and they knew her. Euphoria Fonseca, District Five's first music star in … well, probably their first ever. Before the explosion of Career training, there hadn't been much demand for an entertainment industry in Five. But with the wealth that accompanied the Capitol's favor – and with nothing to fear from taking as much tesserae as they were allowed – their citizens had found themselves with more time on their hands, and more of an appetite for fun.

It was a new development, but a welcome one. Oliver glanced at Camden, who was smirking as Euphoria circled the crowd again, finally making her way in the direction of the stage. Whose idea had this been – Camden's or Euphoria's? Maybe it didn't matter. One way or another, it would make an impression on the audience. In more than fifty years of the Hunger Games, he doubted they'd ever seen anyone burst into song during a reaping.

Euphoria bounded up the stairs, played one more quick riff, and then struck a pose – down on one knee, arms raised above her head in the shape of a V, hands spread, taking it all in. The crowd erupted into cheers. Oliver and Camden applauded, and Tania and Sabine took up the cue. Adalyn merely rolled her eyes, but no one would have expected anything more than that. It wasn't exactly a secret that she was no fun.

After a moment, Euphoria got to her feet. She was taller than average and slim, with red hair that brushed the tops of her shoulders and bangs that fell to her eyebrows, just short enough not to hide her greenish-hazel eyes. She wore a simple black and silver dress, speckled with glitter and accented with several bracelets and necklaces. Her cheeks were splattered with freckles, but what really caught his attention – caught everyone's attention – was her smile. A playful, mischievous smirk that suggested she was having the time of her life, whether anyone else wanted her to or not.

"And what's your name, young lady?" Sylvester asked, completely unfazed. As far as he was concerned, this was the tributes' moment in the spotlight, and if they preferred to soak it up rather than shrink away from it, all the better.

"Euphoria Fonseca," she answered, spinning the microphone towards her. "And I look forward to giving the Capitol the time of their life."

"I'm sure we're all looking forward to it," Sylvester grinned. "Now let's find out who's going with you, shall we?" He tilted the microphone back towards himself as he reached towards the second reaping bowl.

Euphoria chuckled. "I think we both know that bowl of papers has nothing to do with who's going."

"Fair enough, but we do need to maintain some sense of organization."

"Do we, though?" Euphoria asked playfully.

"Well, some of us do," Sylvester teased, reaching into the bowl and quickly drawing a name. "Orson Davila!"

"I volunteer!" came the immediate response, and the crowd in the front row parted once again. But Leven showed no sign of movement for a long moment. Oliver cocked his head. What was the boy waiting for? After a long silence, Leven crossed his arms impatiently. "Well, don't I get a song?"

Euphoria chuckled and raised her guitar again. This time, the notes came faster, and Leven finally moved – not walking, but dancing towards the stage, swaying, twisting, and twirling to the music. His boots even tapped to the rhythm as he hit the stage, unzipping his leather jacket to reveal a mostly-unbuttoned shirt, his muscles gleaming as he finished one last leap, landing as Euphoria struck one last chord. "Leven Gamakatsu," he answered before Sylvester even had a chance to ask the question. "And it looks like we'll be giving the Capitol the time of its life."

Oliver grinned as Leven held out his hand to Euphoria. He was taller and more muscular, his dark black hair slicked back neatly, his dark brown eyes shining with … something. Something harder to pinpoint than Euphoria's contagious delight. He was having fun, certainly, but something in his expression conveyed the idea that not everyone was going to end up having fun by the time this was over.

Which was true, of course. This was the Hunger Games, and dying generally wasn't much fun. Only one of them could make it back, and both of them realized that. All Careers realized that. Well, Oliver corrected himself, all Careers who actually had a chance realized that. It wasn't all fun and games.

But that didn't mean that some of it couldn't be. Euphoria and Leven left the stage to thunderous applause, accepting the now-traditional ride on Harri the giant prairie dog on their way to the Justice Building. Oliver leaned back in his chair, eyeing Camden. "She knows that guitar's a bit too big for a district token, right?"

Camden nodded. "Of course. She's taking her harmonica."

"Of course."

Camden shook her head. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Then what's that look for?"

Oliver chuckled. "I was just picturing Harakuise's expression if he was here."

Camden shrugged. "Harakuise isn't here." Then she hesitated. "What, you don't think he would like the idea?"

Oliver shook his head. "I don't think he would have suggested the idea. It's not really his style."

"Not my style, either," Camden admitted. "But it is Euphoria's style. And apparently pretty close to Leven's style, too. That's the important thing – playing to their strengths, not ours."

Oliver nodded. She was right, of course. Their tributes had done the important thing – they'd stood out. If it wasn't in the way that Careers traditionally stood out … well, maybe that was all the better. There were plenty of Careers who had done things the traditional way. How many of them had made it back?

And how many of them could have made it back if they'd been just a little more different?


Leven Gamakatsu, 18

"I guess there isn't much more to say, is there."

Leven hesitated as Jesse stood up, his mind racing for something – anything – to say to make her stay a little longer. His family and friends had come and gone without much fuss. They'd known he would be volunteering for weeks; today just made it official. And Jesse was right; there wasn't really anything more to be said, but her company was more than enough. It always had been. "I'll sure miss having you around the place," she said matter-of-factly.

Leven sprang to his feet. What? Didn't she think he'd be coming back? "I'll be back in a few weeks," he insisted.

Jesse chuckled. "Sure you will. But is some big-time Hunger Games Victor really going to come back and work at my little ol' tiki bar? I don't think so."

Oh. "I'll stop by now and then for a drink."

"Now and then?"

"Well…"

"I think we know what that turns into, now don't we?"

He did. That was how it had started. Going to her bar now and then. Now and then had turned into every night. Every night had turned into a steady job bartending and performing as a drag queen, even though they both knew he didn't need the money. But there was something appealing about earning his own way, about not relying on his family's money for everything. 'Now and then' had turned into something more, something good.

That was how it had gone with training, too. It had started as something fun to do now and then. A way to let out some steam, work off some of his energy, and maybe pick up a hot girl or two. Okay, more than two, if he was being honest. It was something to do with his friends. But now and then had become a habit. A habit had become a necessity. He wasn't just good at training. He was the best. And now he would have a chance to prove it to the world.

But it wasn't the whole world that mattered. Not really. But his family … this would prove that he could handle himself. That just because he wasn't as straight-laced and uptight as the rest of them, didn't mean the wild child of the Gamakatsu family couldn't make his own way in the world. Their way wasn't the only way of doing things. It was time to show them what he could do.

"Hmm?" Leven asked, vaguely aware that he'd missed something. Jesse was watching him expectantly. Had she asked something?

Jesse shook her head. "I was just saying that it's odd, isn't it, that they haven't come to tell us to hurry it up? We've been in here quite a while."

Leven shrugged. Time always seemed to move so strangely when he was with Jesse. It felt like they'd been in this room for a lifetime – and yet that lifetime seemed to have passed in a matter of seconds. But he didn't say that. He never did. He never dared. She was too old for him, too self-assured, too confident, too … everything. In order for him to even have a chance with her, everything would have to be perfect.

Maybe things could be perfect for a Victor.

Jesse made her way towards the door and opened it a crack. Then a little more. Then she burst out laughing. "Sit back down, honey. I think we're going to be here a while longer."

Leven strode over to the door to see what was so funny. There was a crowd, but not exactly a crowd. It took him a moment to realize that it was a line, stretching from the door beside his and down the hall of the Justice Building.

Jesse shut the door and sank back into her chair, still laughing. Leven glared at the door, fists clenched tightly. "Now she's just showing off," he grumbled.

"Of course she is," Jesse cackled. "That's what the Games are all about, sweetie. No point in getting all worked up just because she's playing them too. So the kids around here love her. So what? No one in the Capitol's laid eyes on either of you until today. Clean slates all around. No one's gonna know how much of a bitch you used to be."

Leven's face flushed. She was right, of course, but that didn't mean she had to be so blunt about it. After all, how many teenagers hadn't gone through a phase where they'd been … well, a bitch. A bully. He'd changed, but it would take something big for crowds to come flocking to stand in line just to say goodbye to him.

Something big like winning the Games.

Leven took a seat next to Jesse and settled in for a long wait. Let Euphoria have her crowds now. Once he won, it was him they would want to see. A few years from now, no one would even remember her, and he would have everything he ever wanted.

He just had to wait a few more days.


Euphoria Fonseca, 18

There were even more of them than she'd expected.

Euphoria smiled warmly as her last visitor entered – a little girl who couldn't have been much more than seven or eight. There had been so many visitors so far, but she'd done her best to make it a special moment for each and every one of them. Some hadn't had to wait, of course – her girlfriend Daria and their lover Cel had been swiftly ushered to the front of the line. But the rest of them had waited. Waited for her. How long had this little girl been waiting out there to see her, just to say goodbye? "And what's your name, my dear?" Euphoria asked, giving the seat beside her a little pat.

"Paulina," the girl answered softly, scrambling up onto the seat. "I heard you play at the Hove last month. You were very good."

"Thank you. Did you have a favorite song?"

"Williwaw Winds," Paulina giggled. "It's such a fun word to say. Willi-waw."

"It does roll off the tongue, doesn't it," Euphoria agreed. She'd thought the same thing, when she'd first come across the word. Such a fun word for something so harsh – a sudden blast of cold mountain air rushing down towards the sea. District Five had only a few mountains, and it certainly didn't have a sea. But that made it even more important to sing about them. Anyone could sing about what was right in front of them, things people could already see. She wanted to reach into people's minds and show them things that were far away, things they would never experience in real life.

And once she won the Games, she would have even more experiences to bring back. She would have even more songs to sing. Whatever the arena held, it would be something that most people in District Five would never have the chance to live through – so she would help them. She would bring the Games back with her in her songs, and they could live those moments through her words.

Euphoria gave Paulina's hair a gentle tousle. "Thank you for coming to see me, Paulina. I think…" She peered out the door dramatically. "Yes, I think you can tell all your friends you were the very last one to see me today."

Paulina's face broke out into a grin, and she practically darted out of the room in excitement. Euphoria stood up, straightened her dress, and made her way over to the door, where Camden was waiting patiently, rolling her eyes. "Two hours. Two. You could have hurried them along a little more."

"So could you," Euphoria pointed out. "But you didn't. Because we both know that waiting here for two more hours will mean absolutely nothing to that train. We'll still get there in plenty of time. But to them–" She nodded towards where Paulina had scurried off. "To them, those two hours mean the world. All of them got to say goodbye to me. Every single one of them got a moment they'll remember for the rest of their lives."

Camden shook her head. "But they knew you were going to volunteer. They could have said goodbye to you yesterday. Or before the reaping. Or any time in the last few weeks since we announced the volunteers."

Euphoria shrugged. Plenty of them had. But they'd come today, anyway, just to make it … final. Official. She was leaving for the Hunger Games. The next time they saw her in person, it would be as a Victor.

Or as a corpse.

The thought was fleeting, but it was there. It was always a possibility. There was always a chance of death. She wasn't kidding herself – not like some of the trainees. She'd seen death. She'd been fourteen when she'd come home to find her parents dead – her father from an overdose, her mother from a bottle of poison, overcome with grief after finding his body. Her first song had sprung from the pain of losing them. Music had saved her, and she'd poured herself into both her music and her training. Now was her chance to make it all worth it, to make it mean something.

Camden nodded, as if she understood. Maybe she did. She'd lost her parents, too, after all – only to be taken in and raised by Harakuise and Jai. And it didn't take a genius to see just how proud they were of her, of everything she'd accomplished. She'd taken her loss and turned it into something good, something real, something that would help the rest of the district. Euphoria grinned as the pair of them headed for the train.

The world needed more of that.


"People never change. They just become more of who they really are."