"A second reaping was held in District 2, is that correct?" Lester Apollo asked. "This time there were no volunteers."

"That's right," Beckendorf nodded. "There wasn't time to ask for volunteers again, since the process can get pretty complicated, especially in my district."

Apollo sat forward, his golden hair sprinkling glitter when he moved. "Did you volunteer in the first reaping?"

He shook his head. "No."

"So how did you feel?"

Beckendorf shrugged. "Not great. I've been training for the Games just like the others, but I'm not much of a fighter. I just like building and making things."

Lester patted his shoulder, "Those skills can still be useful in the Games, too." He grinned, flashing unnaturally perfect teeth, "Perhaps we're better off with you than little Harley. A tragic accident — he really missed out, didn't he?"

"Uh, yeah." Beckendorf was outwardly agreeing with the host's words, but he couldn't help wondering just what exactly the 'accident' was, but he and the other Careers were never given a straight answer. He'd overheard his mentors whispering about not wanting to 'give the other tributes any ideas,' but he wasn't quite sure what that meant.

Either way, he believed Harley had escaped, not missed out.

◼▲◼

Piper had been dangerous and gorgeous. Bryce had been vicious and brutal. Beckendorf was burly and quiet. Clarisse was tough as nails.

Silena wondered what she would be.

She sat as primly and delicately as she could in the interviewee chair. Harley had hardly been mentioned, so that was one tough subject avoided. She smoothed her long shimmery pink dress and smiled as Lester Apollo asked his first question.

"So, Silena," he began, "when you were reaped, your district stirred up quite a frenzy — almost more so than when I first announced I'd be the host. Why is that?"

Silena made herself look embarrassed. "Oh, I'm told that I'm a sight when I wield a spear. I can take on three people at once and win easily. My skill got me that ten in Training."

Right on cue, the audience oohed and ahhed, and she beamed with pride.

Lester's made-up face was a caricature of awe. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've got ourselves a warrior!"

The crowd burst into applause, which died down when Lester leaned forward to speak, "Now tell me, I've heard a few rumours floating about that you've got eyes for — and I can't blame you — a certain hottie in District Eight. What do you say to that?"

She giggled delicately. She could feel her own blush as Luke's face swam up in her head. "He is handsome, but he's also a tribute. There's not much point in going after him, is there?"

"That's true, but I can't blame you for liking him!" Lester joined in on her laughter. "Nevertheless, you two would be an excellent team." He smiled knowingly, "Any chance of an alliance?"

"He's already part of our team, actually."

The crowd gasped, cheering wildly.

Lester raised his voice. "And what do you think are your chances of winning? Pretty high?"

Silena pinched the fabric of her dress between her fingers, rubbing it nervously. "The people back in my district always said I'd win. So..." she clenched her fists, bunching the material up, "yes, I think I have a very good chance."

Lester applauded. "Well, now I know who the audience will be watching!"

◼▲◼

"So, Perseus—"

Percy shook his head, smiling. "No, call me Percy."

"Of course, of course. So, Percy, Silena tells me she's the best with a spear. What talents have you got to show off?"

"I'm good with a sword," he admitted. It was really the only thing interesting he could do. Swimming and fishing weren't exactly the audience's favourite topics.

"That's fantastic!" Lester remarked. "We get many tributes who choose the sword as a weapon, but I'm sure you're quite special."

Percy nodded, grateful that Lester could turn his response into something compelling, though he felt a flush of dread when he thought about how the spectators wouldn't be likely to see him use the sword much.

"I understand that you volunteered," Apollo said, "what was your reason?"

Because I thought I had to, because everyone else did. "Because I wanted to buy my mom a house in Victor's Village."

The crowd awwed, which sounded so much like a recorded track that Percy had to turn and check to assure himself that the audience wasn't full of robots.

Apollo wiped an unusually sparkly tear from his cheek. "That's so sweet," he swooned. "Good luck, Percy. We're rooting for you."

◼▲◼

"Thalia, let's go back to the moment they called your brother's name at the reaping," said Lester. His voice is quiet. "And you volunteered right after. You remind me of my sister; I know she'd do the same for me. Can you tell me what went through your mind when you made that decision?"

"Jason's my little brother," Thalia said, straightening. "Don't underestimate him; he's tough. But I  love him more than anything, and I wanted to be there for him. Even if it costs my life. That was all I could think about in that moment."

Thalia could hear the audience sobbing and crying for tissues.

"What did he say to you? After the reaping?" Lester asked. The crowd had frozen, hanging onto her every word.

She forced a chuckle. "That I was insane."

The Capitol citizens broke into rambunctious laughter, the tension shattered.

But maybe it was true.

◼▲◼

"Tell me about your brother," Lester said to Travis. "Is he your twin?"

"No, he's a year younger than me. I like to think that we're exactly the same." Suddenly Travis curved an eyebrow. "In fact, he could be the one sitting in this chair right now."

Lester made a show of checking him over, and the crowd made tittering noises of curiosity. "Honestly, I can't tell," Lester sat back, smiling good-naturedly. "So what are you two like?"

"We're both underdogs," Travis lied. It wasn't true — everyone was viewed as roughly the same in District 6, but he knew the Capitol ate up this narrative, almost more than the tragic backstory. "I bet the other tributes don't think I stand a chance, and the sponsors too, but they're wrong, and I'll prove it."

"Whoa ho ho!" Lester exclaimed, impressed. "So what tricks have you got up your sleeve?" 

"I'd rather not give them away," he grinned. "You'll have to wait and see."

Before Lester could respond, Travis turned to look at the camera. "Hey Connor. I'll be back soon."

Lester hooted and slapped him on the back. "I like the confidence in this one!"

◼▲◼

"A beautiful girl like you — there must be some lucky sweetheart back at home waiting for your return."

The words rang in Calypso's head, and an icy chill went up her spine, choking her. Lester always asked the most attractive tributes this question, and it was just her luck that one would be her. Only it wasn't luck. He knew.

The Capitol all knew about her losses, and they were all going to get as much entertainment out of her as they could.

Lester continued to grin.

"N-no," she shook her head, trying to keep her smile on. "There is none."

To his credit, he dropped the subject and moved on to her training score, though the audience groaned with blatant disappointment. A man in a pink afro threatened to leave.

Lester's smile diminished ever so slightly, and for a split second his eyes went up to the balcony where the Gamemakers seated. The Head was making a 'more, please' motion with his hand.

The host turned back to her, "I heard through the artificial grapevine that you've had two boyfriends go into the Games. I know they fought bravely."

Calypso's eyes burned with rage. "They both lasted a week. The second died to disease, and suspiciously, he was the first to get sick despite being nowhere near the infected swamp."

Lester chuckled as if she were overreacting. "Calypso, both were courageous men. I'm sure you'll be just the same. How do you feel going into the Games?"

"Like I hate every aspect of it."

The room went silent, and Lester cautiously adjusted his sparkly gold tie. "Yes, it will be hard to walk the same path that they did. But you want to win for them, yes? Succeed where they left off?" He was desperately trying to craft a story for her, a story where she wasn't being openly defiant against the Capitol.

She was having none of it. "No, because it is unfair. The odds have never been in our favour. Even the smartest cannot win the Games if the Capitol doesn't like them."

Lester coughed and made a weak attempt at a joke. "Good thing for me, because the whole Capitol loves me." He shot the Gamemakers a desperate look. "Now Calypso, I wish you good luck in your Games." Lester pulled at her hand and ushered her off the stage, even though the buzzer had not gone off.

◼▲◼

Annabeth knew she looked powerful. She saw that Piper had already done that angle of beauty blended with danger, so she had to do it better. And after the whole defiance thing that Calypso had pulled, she definitely needed to fit the image of being compliant with the rules.

She had on a white gossamer gown with silver armour-like designs over it. She was wearing a girdle too, which made her very uncomfortable, but she needed to look attractive, and hiding the weight she'd gained to prepare for the Arena was necessary for that.

When Annabeth walked onto the stage, her dress caught everyone's interest in a flash.

This was all to get sponsors. She was relying on the fact that tributes don't pay much attention to people's interviews, and instead used the training scores to pick targets and make plans.

She looked at the audience and cameras as much as she could without it looking strange, trying to pull in enough supporters so that she could live for a few days in the Arena if she happened to get no supplies from the Cornucopia.

Lester Apollo gave her a broad smile that she could easily see was fake, even under the layer of bright makeup and plastic surgery.

"So Annabeth, your fellow tribute Luke joined the Careers, but you two seemed quite close during the reaping. What are your thoughts?"

"I've lost a good ally," she lied, solidifying the thought in the Careers' heads that he would be a valuable addition. "He'd make them an even more daunting team, but I've got skills of my own. I've always got a plan."

The interview went by without flaw. She made herself memorable as a formidable and intelligent tribute. She ended strong, with a glare into the camera, and three words.

"Don't forget me."

Next chapter's the games. Who are you betting on?