The Interviews, Part III

I love all the votes on the polls! Thank you all so much!

I'm trying to help move the interviews along, so the interviews might be shorter so I can fit more in. Sorry if it feels like your tribute isn't getting as much "air time" as some others.

What do you guys think of the interviews so far? Anyone you especially like or dislike?


Margaret "Mags" Connelly, Victor of the 8th Hunger Games: District Four Mentor

Mira Andrelo is dressed in a floor-length green gown with gold trim. She looks stunning, like royalty.

Like me.

I wore that exact same shade of green on the night of my interview. My hair, though it isn't black like Mira's, was loosely curled as hers is tonight. I wonder if – no, my stylist wouldn't be working here anymore. I'm not even certain Pascal is still alive.

Mira tries to open with a joke, but it only evokes a few chuckles from the audience. I laugh, though only out of pity.

"So what about alliances, Mira?" Julian asks. "Have you made any?"

"No," Mira says confidently. "Heading into the Games head-on and solo is my strategy. I possess skills that other tributes don't, and I can better access these skills without an ally holding be back."

"Interesting. So, you see allies as burdens, rather than advantages?"

"Exactly," says Mira. "You become emotionally attached to someone you know will have to die in order for you to win. Then you're left with three options: to betray them, to leave them, or to stick with them until one of you dies. Personally, I prefer none of the above."

"That's smart thinking, Mira," Julian says. The audience applauds their agreement, though somewhat half-heartedly. I know from experience with Capitolites that alliances are viewed as pure entertainment: drama, betrayal, emotional deaths. What more could you ask for in a television show?

After Mira, Hunter Petrelli joins Julian on stage wearing a shiny, silver suit and black tie. The stage lights reflect off of it, making him sparkle.

His angle seems to be charm; he often winks and smiles at the audience. In fact, he may be charming them too much. It becomes clear that after the first two minutes of the interview, each grin is forced and he starts winking with his left eye (I assume this is because his right eye got tired).

Unfortunately for Felicity Owens, the audience is not impressed with her dress; it's nearly an exact replica of Cari Morae's yellow gown. She tries to make up for it, though, by playing the cute angle. She's a tiny thing, no taller than four and a half feet, and cute as a button. She is sweet and shy, like all twelve year old tributes.

Julius tries to talke her up for the audience. He tells her that a four in training is a blessing in disguise, that it means the other tributes won't see her as a threat.

"I'll even bet my pocket watch that you haven't shown off all your talents yet. I'm sure you'll surprise us all tomorrow," he says, giving her a too-white smile. Felicity shakes her head.

"I know I'm not allowed to talk about it, but trust me, they've seen it all. I don't have any special talents or hidden strengths. I am what you see here, on the stage tonight. Nothing more."

"Well, that's just fine," Julius says. "Because the girl I see in front of me now is a courageous, beautiful young lady. And when you come out of that arena alive, I'll give you my pocket watch during your Victor's interview." Felicity blushes, and the audience cheers. I catch a couple mentors from other districts roll their eyes.

Julius knows as well as the rest of us that Felicity Owens has little to no chance of survival.

Taurus Philips, Victor of the 16th Hunger Games: District Ten Mentor

I clasp my hands in front of me, as if in prayer. Reedman's interview is approaching fast, and though I was fortunate enough to mentor him myself, I'm still a nervous wreck. My son, my son is in the Hunger Games. He's a tribute. He is going to the arena tomorrow. He only scored a five in training. He may not make it out alive...

I stop myself before I break down, like I have every night since Reed was reaped.

The next boy, Clarence Swanson, makes several failed attempts at humor. He struggles with the audience's affection; once he has it, he says something dumb and loses it. Following Clarence is Esthere Lumanti, the mute twelve year old from Eight. She is also petite, only a couple inches taller than that other girl, Felicity. She has long blonde hair and bangs.

She looks like my wife, Allele. Well, not exactly like her. Esthere has green eyes, not hazel. And Allele is about a foot taller. But, still. Maybe I should talk to Reedman about allying with her...

Well, I would have asked him to ally with her. If she hadn't just told Julius that she's already in an alliance with Wyatt, the boy from Three, her district partner Crow, and Terra Whiskart from Eleven.

Okay, so she didn't sayanything. The computer on her lap does. She types her answers quickly and efficiently. I wonder if she's always known to type that well, or if her mentor trained her in that as well.

Crow Wynters comes after Esthere. He is kind, and I think everyone watching his interview genuinely begins to like him. He's clever and witty, and everyone – including me – is eager to see what he has in store for tomorrow.

We're rooting for him to survive.

Up next is District Nine; just one district before Ten, before my son has to get up before the entire country, with his mild autism and poor speech, and convince his killers that he is worth their sponsorship. It isn't easy to do, but it is crucial. It's the only way I made it out of the arena; help. I didn't have any allies, but I had sponsors, and my district partner died early in the Games, so my mentor didn't have to distribute the sponsor money between us.

Aviary Starling – who insists we all refer to her as Ave – talks about her alliance with the girl from Three, and how much she hates the extensions her stylist put on her head. I can't say I'm surprised; her thin blonde hair was cut short and choppy when she was reaped. Something like that, especially on a girl, is unacceptable in the Capitol. Now the tomboy from Nine has thick light blonde curls extending to her shoulder blades, and I don't think any amount of pulling from Ave will get them out.

Her district partner, Terrian, is a callous boy. He brags about his score of ten in training, and how he has allied with the Career tributes, and how he is the most brutal tribute the Capitol's ever seen. I seriously doubt the latter, because I've met his mentor, Alyss Swan. And if she is anything, it's lethal. And possibly mentally unstable.

Klara Vanes, the thirteen year old from Ten, is up next. She's in a blue babydoll dress that matches her eyes. Her brown hair is french braided, and shines with several small sapphires placed in the braid.

She seems cool, keeping up with Julius and the conversation smoothly. Her interview flies by without a stitch. The Capitol is impressed with her ease. I sigh. It's time for Reed. I watch from the second row of the audience nervously as he joins Julius at the front of the stage.

His interview strategy is to play it cool. Well, that's what we talked about. But immediately, my son makes a joke. It's cheesy, but not enough so that it's cringe-worthy. He evokes a general laugh from the audience, and that gives him confidence. He handles the rest of his interview gracefully, answering each question with a laid-back attitude.

Cool.