I decided to put reaping and goodbye blurbs while you wait for Marvel and Rue...sorry.

Foxface

Saylin Vulley heard her name called, and almost fainted. But then she plastered her sneaky, smart expression on and climbed up, catching only a glimpse of her parents and sister. Joprina Vulley gave her daughter a nod, a slow, sad nod, saying that she'd do everything in her power to get her daughter out alive.

During the goodbyes, Joprina had sat quietly, holding Saylin's hand, as Rowan and Tenda sobbed over her. Saylin's friends came in and bid her goodbye sadly, barely keeping back tears.

Then, when Malya left, Joprina turned to Saylin.

"In the arena, you always have to remember – silence is golden. Stay quiet. Sneak around. Kill no one…"

Clove

She wasn't insane, she repeatedly told her disbelieving parents. She just wanted glory. Glory for her. Glory for them. Glory for Daffodil and Dandelion, her sisters. Glory for her boyfriend. Glory for everyone she cared about.

Glory was her life.

She trained. She was eighteen. And she was ready. When she volunteered, just her fierce glare made the other cries die on the lips of their criers. She came up onto the stage and proudly surveyed the crowd. She picked out Daffy, who was looking at her with undisguised awe.

When Cato Masorini came up, she surveyed him instead. He would be tough. Maybe a poison pill, perhaps, or just a quiet kill when the Career alliance was almost over.

In the Justice Building, Cal and Greta Esoterica had steadfastly ignored her while Daffy and Dandy were treated to predictions of her own victory.

Cato

Cato was strong. Very strong. Very strong.

Everyone knew.

Everyone.

Cato knew he was a born Career from the day he turned ten and applied for training. He won every contest, every last one. He could use most weapons. He could do everything. So he volunteered and looked at Esoterica, thinking of how easy the little squit would be to pick off.

No one came to bid Cato goodbye.

Thresh

Thresh couldn't believe that Summer's young friend had been picked.

Rue was tiny, and quiet, and wouldn't hurt a fly. Thresh felt horrible.

Then he was picked, and most thoughts of Rue flew out of his mind.

Not me.

He was only fourteen. It scared most people, that he was so young and so huge. He relaxed, realizing that he was almost the strongest of the strong. He'd be able to hold his own.

His family came first to visit him. They left quickly. Thresh believed they had only come because it was traditional that family come. Only his sister, Adina, seemed to care that he was going, most likely forever. She sat on his lap and stared at him. Then she left with her parents.

Summer was next. Blossomer Taryx just sat in the chair beside him. Finally, he asked, "Aren't you visiting Rue?"

She shook her head no. "Rue and I decided a long time ago, when we didn't really get what the Games were, that we wouldn't visit each other for the goodbyes if we were picked. Long story."

They sat in silence until a young Peacekeeper came in and shuffled Summer out.

Glimmer

She got used to it. The boys silencing themselves and pointing when she went by. The words "hot" and "beautiful" drifting over to where she was. She'd smile inwardly and pretend she hadn't heard them. She stayed high and mighty. But then were the nicknames. Barbie Girl. That was the first one. What the heck was a Barbie, anyway? She didn't want to remember what came after that. She was ten. Then came the jealousy, the girls turning away from her, the boys following their girlfriends' examples, slightly bemused. Glimmer didn't know what she'd done to deserve that, except be beautiful. She was thirteen.

She was so glad when she met Shadow.

Shadow got her. She didn't call her stupid. Glimmer and Shadow buddied around a bit. Shimmer, Glimmer's twin brother, liked Shadow a lot. Glimmer's mother and father were happy that Glimmer had a normal friend.

But Glimmer was still not happy. No boyfriend. No one but Shadow to gossip with, no one but Shimmer to tease. Her life was one of exclusion. Shadow had other friends. She tried to get them to understand Glimmer, but they didn't. They despised her. And Shadow slipped away to join them. Glimmer was fifteen.

She spent two years in isolation, only cheered by the birth of her sister, Skate. She began to run, to lift weights, to handle daggers and swords. Then two days after she turned seventeen came the reaping.

Their escort – Glimmer had never bothered to learn her name – stood in all her grotesque glory on the stage. In District One, once called Texas, even May got pretty hot. Glimmer wassweating. She couldn't tell if it was the heat or anticipation of what she was about to do.

She'd only confided in Shimmer. Shimmer had begged with her, pleaded with her, offered to give her anything in his power to make her not volunteer. But Glimmer had let his entreaties slide off her unhearing ears. She had made her decision. If she was coming back, it would be because she had won.

The escort cleared her throat. "And our girl tribute is Ira Gray!"

Glimmer shouted, "I volunteer!" at the same time as six or so other girls. She yelled it again, then pushed her way up to the front and sprinted up onto the stage, beating Shadow by a few yards. Shadow glared at her, hate in her eyes, as she melted back into the crowd.

"And your name is?"

"Glimmer Spark." Glimmer's glimpse of Shadow looking at her with hatred had left her heart thumping hard, making it hard to hear.

"Exciting times in District One!" the escort squealed excitedly. "Okay, let's get ready for our male tribute! And he is…Gareth –"

"I volunteer!"

The boy pushed himself up onto the stage, raised an eyebrow at Glimmer, and gave his name as Marvel Zew. They shook hands.

Peacekeepers roughly hauled Glimmer into the Justice Building. Shimmer and her mother burst through the door, tears running down her mother's face. Her father came in, carrying a gurgling Skate.

"Glim…" Shimmer seemed at a loss for words. "You did it…"

Glimmer stared at the ceiling.

"We're proud of you, hon," Arrow Spark said quietly. "Even if you're…dispatched…in the arena, we'll be proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad," Glimmer said.

The words she was escaping swirled in her head. Shallow. Dumb. Silly. Babyish.

Glimmer didn't have a death wish, but one way or another, no one was going to call her stupid anymore.

She was going to win these Games.