The next morning came extremely slowly. Quinn hadn't been able to sleep at all throughout the night, her thoughts were consumed by the idea of where she was going and why she was going there. The Reaping played itself over and over again in her head, Finnick's advice to her about playing for pity, Mags advice about alliance and how they could really only trust their district partner, and finally the fact that either one of them or neither of them would be going home. Those thoughts didn't stop even as the five of them were seated at the table and eating breakfast.

"Today is going to be a very big day for you two," Remilda smiled. "I'm sure you'll love it! A whole day getting pampered and preparing for the parade!" her smiled grew even wider.

She was wearing a lime green dress, and her hair matched. Her lips were a pastel green color--it was easily the worst outfit that Quinn had ever seen her in. Whenever she saw Remilda though, even when she was just on stage, she couldn't help but wonder what Remilda naturally looked like. If she hadn't gotten all the help from the Capitol, would she be that skinny? Would the shape of her face be that perfect? Would her eyes be dull brown and not the icy blue color they were? Quinn even wondered what Victor's would look like if they hadn't become a Victor. Would Mags look like the other old women in Four who looked like they were made of paper? Would Annie have scars covering her hands from making nets and would her hair be already turning grey? What about Finnick? The heartthrob of the entire nation...would he only be the heartthrob of District Four? Would he even be a heartthrob at all or would he just be another man working on the fishing boats?

"Have you two been thinking at all how you want to make your first impression?" Finnick asked.

Arkon glanced at Mags and then shook his head, "I've got a few ideas."

Quinn sighed, "Not sure...I don't see why we have to lie to make a good impression."

Finnick frowned, "Don't think of it as lying, think of it as stretching the truth."

Mags nodded in agreement and then looked at Arkon and then Quinn. She then held her fingers up like she had before.

"You think they should be friends?" Finnick asked, and Mags nodded.

Finnick thought for a moment, "If you guys could pull that off, the Capitol people would love it..."

His voice was quickly drowned out by the sound of a loud rushing sound that surrounded the entire train as the sunlight was blocked out. The train emerged from the tunnel, and Quinn could see the shimmering buildings that made up the Capitol.

Both Arkon and Quinn got up from the table and hurried to the window to watch the Capitol grow bigger and bigger as the train got closer to it. Despite the reason they were both even on the train going to the Capitol, Quinn couldn't help but feel a ball of excitement building up in her stomach. The Capitol was beautiful, and for a moment Quinn didn't even care that she was a tribute in the Hunger Games. Then when she felt a hand lightly touch her shoulder, she was quickly pulled back into reality. She turned and expected to see Mags, but instead she saw Remilda gazing out at the nearing Capitol.

She let out a sigh of relief, "It's wonderful to finally be back home..." she smiled and then looked at Quinn and Arkon. "Take it all in, children, everyone there already loves you!"

Quinn sighed, "The same people who are waiting to watch us kill eachother." she mumbled quietly under her breath. Then with that, Quinn turned back towards the table and sat back down as the train rushed through a second tunnel and jolted as it began to slow down.

Then as the train emerged from the tunnel, loud cheering could be heard through the walls of the train car. Mags was the first to stand up, she quickly tugged at her shirt to straighten it, then tucked her hair behind her ears before she turned and made her way to Arkon. She put an arm around him and gave him a sideways hug as she waved with her other hand--Arkon waved too. It took Quinn a moment to realize what she was doing. She was making a good impression for Arkon, she was already trying to get him Sponsors.

"Shouldn't we..." Quinn started as she began to motion to Arkon and Mags. But Finnick shook his head as he took a handful of sugar cubes in his hand and put a few in his mouth.

"I never do that, it wouldn't look right..." he shrugged, "Besides, I've got my own tricks." he sighed as the train slowed even more until it came to a complete stop and as it did, the door that Quinn had walked through and passed the peacekeeper opened and two peacekeepers walked through it. One of them was the one she had recognized and the other was a man with dark skin and eyes. He had his helmet under one of his arms, just like the other.

The first peacekeeper pressed a code into a pad and the door slid open to let them leave the train. As it opened, loud cheering flooded into the train car and Quinn could feel her breathing get hitched in her throat as everything came crashing down around her. Suddenly the games seemed too real and too close to happening.

"Ready?" Finnick asked from his comfortable position in his chair. As he turned the sugar cubes around in his hand.

Quinn sighed as she forced herself to nod. Then they both stood up from their seat at the table. The peacekeeper stood by the door and waited as Mags and Arkon along with the other peacekeeper stepped off the train only to be greeted with loud roars of cheering. Finnick sighed and put an arm around Quinn's shoulders like Mags had done to Arkon.

"Look like you're happy to be here..." Finnick muttered to her as they took a step outside of the train. And Quinn forced a smile into her face as the cheering got louder if that was even possible--but it wasn't all for her. It was for Finnick.

Women that were restrained by the small fence that seperated them and the crowd smiled and cheered as they called out for Finnick. Quinn waved a bit, but she was more interested in the sugar cubes that Finnick still held in his hand. After a moment, he held out his hand to Quinn. She decided not to ask any questions, so she took one and popped it into her mouth and smiled again. Finnick then held his open hand to a woman who was a good few years older than he was. Her colorful outfit didn't stand out against the sea of colors that was on the platform cheering for the tributes, but her eyes widened and it was obvious that she was starstruck at Finnicks offered sugar cubes. But then she quickly took one and Quinn looked up at Finnick just as he gave her a wink and then pulled Quinn along and offered a few more wealthy looking woman sugar cubes and winked at twice as many as they neared the elevators.

Then they stepped into the tower that had elevators in it. Mags looked up at Finnick and nodded with a small smile on her face.

"Is that what you do every year?" Quinn asked.

Finnick sighed, "It works, you'll have your own share of Sponsors." he said as he dropped his arm from her shoulders. They stepped into an elevator with the two peacekeepers as well. The elevators were completely glass and over looked the sea of people.

One of the peacekeepers pulled off his helmet and let out a big sigh. Quinn had always tried her best to keep away from peacekeepers, they had never cared all that much for her and she didn't care for them either. So being so close to two of them, two peacekeepers who had been chosen to help secure the tributes, it made her very uncomfortable.

"You two will both be escorted to you prep teams, and you two will be brought to District Fours living quarters." Quinn studied the face of the peacekeeper, she knew she recognized him from somewhere. She just couldn't remember where.

Finnick nodded, "It's like that every year." he sighed, the underlying irritation in his voice was obvious.

Quinn leaned on the glass wall of the elevator and stared down at the sea of colors. The fact that she was actually staring down at all those people, the fact that she was even there in the first place...she already felt like it was all a big blur. The elevator disappeared into a dark tunnel of sorts so the crowds weren't visible anymore. Lights flicked on in the elevator, but it wasn't long before it came to a hault. And the door slid open and the two peacekeepers stepped out first.

"Goodluck." Finnick sighed as he gave Quinn a light shove out of the elevator.

"Mr. Pency, this way please." the second peacekeeper stated and pointed to the left. Arkon nodded and glanced back at Mags and then at Quinn before he followed the peacekeeper. That left Quinn with the one she had been trying to recognize.

She followed close behind him, his long strides made it difficult for her to keep up with him. He held his helmet under one arm, and occasionally looked back at Quinn to make sure she was still there. To keep herself off the thoughts of the Hunger Games and what she was going to have to be a part of soon, she stared at the back of his neck. But then something caught her eye. Tucked under the white armor that made up his uniform was a golden thing pinned to his white under shirt. She could only see part of it though.

The uncomfortable silence between them was so thick that she couldn't help herself but ask about it.

"What's that? Is it a pin?" she asked, his strides slowed down and he turned and looked at her. She put a hand on the side of her neck as if to tell him what she was talking about.

He thought for a moment and then quickly put a hand on his neck over the pin. He quickly undid it in one swift movement as if he did it all the time. He then held it down for her to see, it was indeed a pin. It was gold, round with a bird in the middle holding an arrow in its beak.

"I got it in District Two while training." he said quickly. "The Commander gave it to me when I got this promotion." he stated simply.

Quinn stared at it, she had never seen anything like it. "Are you from District Two?" she asked curiously. His response had sounded so nice before, and any sort of conversation was better than thinking about the games.

He shook his head, "No, same District as you." he sighed, his voice a bit quieter than before. "I was brought to Two when I was...ten."

Quinn thought for a moment. Trying to place him somewhere in her memory. But she couldn't.

"What's your name?" she asked, looking for a bit more information. Something that could remind her of where he was familiar from.

He quickly turned away from her and swiftly clipped the pin back onto his collar and then put his helmet back on. As if to completely end the conversation.