Reporting for the Capitol
Chapter one: An Interview with Cinna after the opening Ceremony of the Hunger games
"Good evening Panem, Tonight I'll be giving you an inside look at the designs from the 74th Hunger games opening ceremony!"
I'm Saffer Veer reporting for the capitol. Tonight I'm joined by the newest hunger games designer and this year's most outstanding designer Cinna.
"Hello Cinna!"
"Hello Saffer and Hello Panem." Cinna said with a huge smile and wave for the Camera, I could tell he would make a good interview and the crowd loved him already.
"Thank you for joining us, I'm sure you have celebrating to do after that opening ceremony."
"Thank you for having me, Oh the parties can wait!" He laughed lightly and I joined him, normally the designers were either crazy or boring, Cinna wasn't though which was a nice change – my previous interview with the district three designer had been rather challenging, she seemed to think that the games had started and she needed to get to a television, crazy woman.
"I'm sure they will wait for you. Today you were designing the costumes for district twelve..."
"Yes," He nodded for me to continue and I felt reassured he wouldn't do anything to ruin my interview, unlike district one's designer who had pretended to be sane and then started laughing and saying she loved district one and eventually jumped on the Camera man's back.
"District twelve, huh? They always stick new designers with district twelve, give them the worst so they have to prove themselves – which you certainly have,"
"Thank you but if I can cut in, I requested district twelve." He gave me a smile and I smiles back before putting on a surprised face for the camera.
"Really? That is unusual. They aren't the worst – I was just meaning the hardest to design for, remember that year they were stark naked and covered in black dust? Ridiculous!" The camera crew laughed to give the effect of an audience and Cinna made a face at the reference to the design.
"Yes, I remember that year. Dreadful to see in the opening ceremony but in theory I can see where they got it from. Maybe on super models but these are just tributes! We see enough of that in the arena." He laughed and I wondered if he was going to say 'just children' and changed his mind.
"Yes, district twelve has never been the crowds favourite before, I don't think they have had a good costume before actually. So, what made you request them?"
He waited a moment as if thinking and then replied in a serious voice, "I couldn't stand by for another year of mining outfits and huge helmets honestly. They needed to get noticed, they needed a chance. The other districts are not really a challenge and I wanted to have something different and challenging."
"Well, you wouldn't have known who the district twelve tributes would be at the time, so had you already thought up your idea to have the fire?"
"Not entirely. When I was assigned district twelve I drew a few sketches but nothing seemed to work. Then I met my fellow designer, Portia, and we worked on it together. The idea seemed impossible at the start because we didn't want to burn the tributes, but we worked it out."
"Portia couldn't join us tonight but I'm sure we'll see her again soon. Can you take us through from the start? What were you thinking when you saw the reaping of district twelve? When Primrose Everdeen started walking up to the stage?"
"When Primrose Everdeen was called, I didn't know who it was obviously but I thought that it was a beautiful name, then I noticed the crowd's reaction and I thought something must have been wrong, they were so silent. I didn't have much time to figure out why because she was on camera – She was so cute, I thought the fire might not work for a moment because the crowd wouldn't want to see a little girl being burned to death,"
"No, but she wouldn't have been burned I'm sure. She was adorable though, and then Katniss was volunteering..."
"Yes, I remember thinking 'why is this girl screaming her name and running?' Because she looked so different from Primrose that I couldn't tell they were related. Then she said she was volunteering and her name was Katniss Everdeen – Effie announced that they were sisters – So I knew right then she'd be perfect for the costumes we had planned."
I looked to the camera, giving the crowd a moment to take that in – Cinna was confusing me with the way he went from event to event describing the reaping I needed to ask more questions. "Wow, it was very dramatic after that. It is rare to see someone volunteer in district twelve, Katniss was very ... unique. What did you think when you saw her, from a designers perspective?"
He smiled brightly and looked straight at the camera, "First I thought, She's brave! Then I looked at her and I was thinking, 'She has great hair and that dress looks fantastic on her but to be honest the raw material isn't very well looked after.' When she shook hands with Peeta and I saw her nails I was a little worried." He laughed warmly and so did the 'audience' of camera men, "No, no, she's a beautiful girl. I was happy to be designing for her."
I put on a strong Capitol accent for the camera, "She is gorgeous! Especially in that costume!" Cinna nodded eagerly to show his support and then I realised that he didn't have a very strong accent so I should down play my own so he didn't seem 'different'. "So you had some time to prep her today and you still say she's beautiful, does this mean that all the boys out there who can't wait to see her having a bath in the arena will be pleased?" Everyone laughed and I forced myself to smile, I always hated asking that to the designers but the producers insisted. The tributes were going to die why bother telling 'boys' if they should be chasing after them?
"I did say she was beautiful but I try not to look at her that way when we're prepping her, I look as if I'm measuring a mannequin. I don't want to make her uncomfortable with having myself and the prep team around her all the time. Privacy and designers are not an easy combination. In answer to your question all I can say is that she is beautiful all the time." He smiled at the camera and gave a wink so that his consideration of her feelings wouldn't upset the Capitol's people.
"Very well said, so you did have some time with her as I was saying what is she like?"
"Katniss is a wonderful person, I really enjoy her company. She's not too self-centred as some of the volunteering tributes are and she's kind but then there's this hidden side of her – her will to survive. But I won't give anything away – She'll show you in the interviews, I'm sure."
I gave him a pleading look for show, "Come on, who is Katniss Everdeen? Is she caring? Dangerous? Outgoing? Shy? Give us a hint!"
He shook his head and I gave a huge sigh that I knew the Capitol would eat up. "Okay then," I continued in a solemn voice, "Can you tell us if she'll pose as a threat in the arena?"
"Of course she can't be ruled out entirely, nobody really can. More than that I can't really tell you she will try her best and right now I don't know how dangerous she can be." He took a sip of the tea they had left on the table in the interview lounge – there were two plush seats and a table with tea and flowers arranged on it.
"Hmm... What did you think when you saw Peeta and Katniss on the screen at the opening ceremony – that is if you could hear yourself think over the crowd's reaction."
"They both looked amazing and I just thought, 'I've done it, everybody will notice them now.'"
"They certainly were noticed. The crowd was screaming and cheering basically going crazy. Some people even threw themselves down on the ground when they saw them. How did that feel?"
"Well I imagine that it hurt when they hit the ground," He and I laughed and then I patted him on the back so he would continue, "I was very proud. Truly it was an amazing feeling, unbelievable really."
"Gosh that would have been fantastic! I guess everyone was thinking they were going to burn to death when they first saw them,"
"Yes, they were silent weren't they?" He cut in, "I was amused by that. Peeta and Katniss probably don't want me telling you this but they had planned to rip off the capes for each other at first then they realised they weren't getting burnt and they loved it!"
"That is terrific. Well, we have to let you go and party! Thank you again for coming and chatting with us Cinna, district twelve designer for Katniss Everdeen."
"Thank you as well for having me, it's been great! I can't wait to talk to you again. The parties will be raging all night I suppose, but I don't want to miss any celebrating."
"No, we wouldn't want you to. We'll talk to you again very soon, best of luck with your designs."
Cinna walked off the stage giving a crowd pleasing smile and a big wave; I knew the camera was getting a close up of me now so I put on a warm smile and a television face.
I'm Saffer Veer reporting for the capitol, this is our last program for tonight in all the districts but if you're in the Capitol we are about to play live footage from the opening ceremony celebration parties for each tribute. Good night Panem!
A/N: This is going to be about ten chapters of different interviews from hunger games and catching fire, they weren't in the book, I'm just making it up.
Tell me if you think it works well. The reporter wasn't in the books and I invented the name but no I'm not introducing a new character – sometimes I'll use this reporter's name other times I might make up a new name that is suitably 'Capitol-ish' and pretend they're a reporter.
The interviews will be with different people etc. If you have any ideas please tell me and I'll try them.
Please review! I really want to know what you think. Please.
Have a great day (like Cinna is),
Xx Girl on sunshine xx