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In Catching Fire, we see that the tributes from District 1 are Cashmere and Gloss, who are siblings who won the Hunger Games in successive years.

But why did they do that? They surely must have known that it would end in the death of at least one of them. Given that that are Careers, they might survive to the end and face the choice of having to kill one of themselves.

Plus, it isn't like District 1 has a shortage of victors. Others who would want the glory might have volunteered too. It would be okay if only one had to go.

So why did they go to their own deaths?

Note

It may be said that since the Capitol allowed two victors the last time, they might do so this time too, but that seems too risky, knowing the Capitol almost went back on it's word the last time.

Is there any confirmation that the rule modification was extended to the next year as well? It isn't like the Capitol really wanted to let Peeta and Katniss live, Katniss just forced their hand.

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    @KSmarts They might still have some sort of family attachment (I guess even Careers are human that way), so might not want to kill each other. Plus, there is only one victor for any Hunger Games, so they'd know that at least one would have to die. Oct 10, 2017 at 16:56
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    Do we know that they volunteered for the Quarter Quell? I mean, the only tributes for that game were past winners (assume 2 eligibles from each district, alone, covers 24 years of games) and even if 1 had more winners, it's still a pretty small pool, it may well be that they were randomly chosen and it wound up being a bro/sis pair who'd individually volunteered in their previous year. Having done it once maybe every other previous victor realized how close the game is and them being older and decided NOT to risk their lives by volunteering a second time. Oct 10, 2017 at 19:28
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    From the wikia: "Cashmere was reaped along with her brother, Gloss, for the third Quarter Quell. The siblings appear to be secretly against the idea of going back to the Arena, as they both make speeches to try and convince the Capitol to call off the Quell." I think that implies they wouldn't have volunteered. They just had the bad luck of both being selected. thehungergames.wikia.com/wiki/Cashmere
    – Dennis_E
    Nov 9, 2017 at 8:52

3 Answers 3

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Both were selected by the reaping balls.

Cashmere and Gloss did not choose to go into the arena together. They were both selected from the reaping balls, and no one volunteered to take the place of either of them. When Katniss lists the tributes she remembers, she notes which ones volunteered - and that did not include either of the District 1 tributes.

“There’s the classically beautiful brother and sister from District 1 who were victors in consecutive years when I was little. Brutus, a volunteer from District 2, who must be at least forty and apparently can’t wait to get back in the arena. Finnick, the handsome bronze-haired guy from District 4 who was crowned ten years ago at the age of fourteen. A hysterical young woman with flowing brown hair is also called from 4, but she’s quickly replaced by a volunteer, an eighty-year-old woman who needs a cane to walk to the stage.”
- Catching Fire (Chapter 14)

In their interviews, both of them fight back against the idea of making the victors compete against each other in another Hunger Games.

“But there are enough victors who still have the wits and the nerve to come out fighting. Cashmere starts the ball rolling with a speech about how she just can’t stop crying when she thinks of how much the people in the Capitol must be suffering because they will lose us. Gloss recalls the kindness shown here to him and his sister.”
- Catching Fire (Chapter 17)

They did not want to compete in the 75th Hunger Games, but they were both reaped and no one volunteered for either of them, so they were both forced.

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None of the victors wanted to participate in the 3rd Quarter Quell including Cashmere and Gloss. They were both openly against the idea, as can be seen in their interviews with Caesar. Though the odds may seem unlikely, Cashmere and Gloss were both reaped, and none of the District 1 victors wanted to volunteer.

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Wasn't the rule about two victors from the same district extended to this Game ?
Even if it was not the case officialy, they could hope for it if both of them survive until the end.

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    Yeah, but of the rule was revoked(as it previously had been), both would have to face the prospect of having to kill the other. Oct 10, 2017 at 7:10
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    No, that rule was most definitely not extended. Snow would never have allowed for the possibility of Katniss and Peeta both surviving AGAIN. It's mentioned at some point (in Katniss's internal monologue) how there's absolutely no chance in hell of that rule being extended to the Quarter Quell.
    – Rand al'Thor
    Oct 10, 2017 at 8:13
  • A question that starts with a question is clearly not an answer.
    – T.J.L.
    Jun 7, 2018 at 17:14
  • Seneca Crane died for allowing two victors. I don't think Plutarch is happy to try this again, if it means his life. Nov 30, 2022 at 0:33

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