The interviews... lights, camera, action... but who will steal the limelight... who will impress out jubilant host... who will become a target? Ladies and gentlemen, let the interviews begin.

Main Characters: Amelia Airhate, Rolf Cadomay, Trista Angel, Mimi Madeline Lombardi (Including clips from ALL interviews Districts 1-4)

The Capitol: Amelia Airhate

It's a fact that you haven't been in an awkward situation until you start to watch the 28th Hunger Games, with your botoxed mother, your best friend and her boyfriend, who happens to have won the last Games.

And that's not even including the fact that you sponsored him last time and that he also had a family member in the arena this year.

"Hey, Amelia, can you get us some drinks?" Oh, and did I mention that I was basically playing a waitress/ hostess for my best friend? I grumbled an inaudible reply, which received a pitiful look from Storm. But I didn't want his pity: I wanted him out of my house.

I handed Mary the drinks as she sat in the victor's lap, and she gingerly placed them down on the table before virtually attacking Storm. It seemed that Casey was "so last year".

"Oh, look. The scores," I said loudly, which made Marylin finally bring her head up for air. Storm flashed a winning smile, before gently taking his girlfriend off of his lap, and into the seat beside.

Her bottom lip trembled slightly as I gagged behind their backs.

"Amemlma, domt mee mean," my mother scolded, shaking her head. I rolled my eyes, and sat on the other end of the couch, away from the kissing couple. The reason I was so appalled and my mother was not, was because I knew exactly how much money Marylin had paid to get Storm as her boyfriend. It was not a pretty amount.

I always thought it would be cool if people from District 1 got a score of 1; people from District 2 got a 2, and so on. Of course, no career usually got below a 7.

And so, the scores went like this. For District 1, Rolf got a 9, Ivory got a 10, and Sequin got an 11. The smiling faces all had that perfect sense of danger, pleasure and victory that all careers had after receiving their scores.

District 2, Floyd got an 11, Trista got a 10 and Isabella got a 9. District 3, Michael got a 6, Mimi got a 7 and Tara got an 8. All reasonably high scores, especially for District 3. I felt sorry for them, trapped between career districts on both sides. If they were in district order at the cornucopia, the D3 tributes usually died before they even got a chance to run to the golden horn.

Perkele Fin received an 8, probably because all of the female Gamemakers liked the look of his throwing around a few of the weights. Morganna got a 9, and her district partner got a 10, higher than her cousin's score last year.

District 5's boy, Nico, got a reasonable 5, Kelby Fuse got 6 and Keira May got a respectable 7. It was strange; we hadn't had a District 5 winner for at least 10 years, and maybe these tributes would prove the tradition wrong.

Wolf Spanes, who wiggled his hips more than most boys thought necessary, scored only a 5. Anya Rayne scored a 6 and Rosemary got a 7. All perfectly okay scores, but not really winner material. However, I had been proved wrong before.

Derek got a 6, Lacey Kalex scored a 7 and Somber caught herself an amazing 8. It wasn't as good as some scores for District 7 last year, but people rarely scored 7s and 8s over District 6. None of the poorer districts ever had much of a chance against the careers, usually at least.

Charlie got an 5, surprise surprise, Shadow Girl, her name through-out the Capitol and most districts now, received a 6. Their district partner got a 7. Pretty good scores, I guessed. It was strange, seeing as most boys got the lowest out of their district. Maybe later some tributes would break the pattern.

Tatania only got a 3, bless her, whereas her district partners both scored a 7. District 9 rarely did well, and was the 10th in the list of victors, followed by D11 and D12.

District 10 did particularly well this year, getting similar scores to Battler and Lyli last Games. Mare Warrens got a high 7, Cori Harlow scored an 8, as did her district partner, Ashton. Obviously, they impressed the Gamemakers a lot. It always made me curious to see inside the mind of a Gamemaker, just seeing what they really thought of the tributes.

Ruse Kennedy, the boy tribute for District 11, scored a 6, Annaliese a 5 and petite Azalea only a 4. I had already marked her as a bloodbath candidate, especially with a poor score like that. Maybe she would surprise me; maybe not.

District 12 could've done better, I thought at least, with Sam scoring a 5, Marta getting a 6 and Gisli Raylor getting a 7, higher than her brother's last year. He had made it quite far, so maybe she had a hope in hell too.

"Hey, Mia, can you get some popcorn? I really do love the interviews!" Marylin squealed, clapping her hands joyfully, again. Storm smiled a wry smile at her, his grip on the arms of his chair tightening slightly. If I had blinked I would've missed it.

I left the room, accompanied with an eye roll from my mother. I returned holding a bowl of freshly popped popcorn, sweet, just like we usually liked it.

But of course, everything had to be 'purrfect' for her new boyfriend. First impressions and all that.

"You know Storm likes toffee, Amelia!" Mary cried, her eyebrows knitting together as she scowled at me. I threw the bowl in her face, causing her to jump halfway into the air and knocking the corn everywhere. I stormed off, and into my room. I would watch the interviews there, away from the sickly sweet couple.

Maybe the sweet popcorn wasn't a good idea after all.

District 2: Trista Angel

Yawn.

That earned me a hard scowl from my stylist as she prepared my interview outfit and make-up, picking and plucking away at my fragile skin. You wouldn't have liked this either, Lily. I thought to my dead daughter, my pride and joy.

Gone, like most of the hairs on my body.

"All ready!" My stylist cooed, but I barely acknowledged her. I was concentrating on my beautiful appearance, almost shining in the full length mirror in front of me. It was a sky blue dress, hanging just to my knees. It floated as I walked, curling around my legs like a soft cloud. It was perfect, more so with my curled strawberry blonde hair and icy blue eyes, the exact colour of my dress. I was on to a winner; heck, I was a winner.

You would have loved the blue sky, Lily. I thought to myself, looking at the colour of my interview outfit.

I walked out on stage, greeted by a warm smile from Caesar. Maybe he was being told through his small, metal ear piece how "mentally unstable" I was, or "homicidally inclined" they thought I might be. Like I was the one who killed my baby girl; no one was really to blame for my miscarriage, just the injustice in the world.

"Welcome, Panem, to the 28th Hunger Games' tribute interviews! We are joined by 36 contestants, all wanting to steal your hearts, and money! So, without further ado, please welcome Ivory Noire onto the stage!" Caesar called out to the crowd, met with cheers and rounds of applause.

The tribute was wearing a mini purple dress and lace up purple shoes with ribbons up to her knees. Her eyes were dramatic and smoky, earning cat calls from Capitol boys in the crowd.

Boys used to stare at me as I walked past too, but not anymore. Now they laughed at just the sight of me.

"So, Ivory, is there a lucky boy at home?" Caesar asked her, leaning forward in his seat towards the District 1 girl. She laughed, flicking her hair over her shoulder, a pose worthy of Sequin. Speaking of the devil, her district partner's hands balled into fists.

"No, but there always can be. I think I see some hotties in the crowd," she teased, winking at the audience. A few wolf whistles were her answer.

"Well, thank you for your time!" The host said as the buzzer sounded the end of Ivory's interview. She waved and blew a kiss to her fans, before sauntering back to her seat, lucky that Sequin wasn't sitting next to her. Caesar motioned for Rolf to come on stage.

"Rolf, what's your angle for the Games?" He asked the silver and green clad tribute, who just grunted in reply before replying,

"Defend and kill. Simple really; just survive as long as possible." Caesar coughed, and I got the feeling that the atmosphere was less than comfortable at the moment.

"So, have any lucky girls caught your eye?"

"Not necessarily, no," Rolf answered, not giving anything away. Reserved and calculating, as always. You would have been sweet and kind, Lily. I thought.

I thought I saw him glance at the row of tributes, but I blinked and his head was definitely turned to Caesar; I must have imagined it. Next up to bat was Sequin Allure, flicking her silvery blonde hair over her shoulder, a move that she was now famous for. She would easily be forgotten, however, if she was one of the 35 to die.

Caesar motioned for the tribute to take a seat, and she gracefully floated to her place on stage. She was wearing a provocative silver dress, with matching pendant that I presumed was her token.

You would move like her, Lily. You would be beautiful.

"So, Sequin, do you think you have a chance of winning the Games? Or are you just a vain career?" Caesar asked her. She laughed, a sound like the tinkling of bells echoing in an open room, yet it still managed to sound menacing.

I would have thought the question would annoy her, but instead she just seemed amused.

"Of course, I'm just a pretty face, Caesar. Just wait for the Games to start. Then you'll see that I have both the beauty and the brains that most girls just don't have," Sequin replied, with a roll of her violet eyes and a tap of her small foot.

"Now, can we please have on stage, Trista Angel!" The host called out, and I smiled at him as I took my seat. It was warm, but it wasn't pleasant, not really. It just reminded me of the lives I would have to end to win and go back home. Hopefully, though, it would be all worth it in the end.

"Now, Trista, have you lived up to your name so far? Are you really as angelic as you seem?"

You would be an angel, Lily. My little Angel.

"Depends on what you mean, Caesar," I said with a smile. Always seem happy, even if you're dying inside. But really, I was happy. I liked it up here, with the bright lights blinding my eyes and the feeling of soft plush velvet on my arms.

I felt...safe, even. More than I had for a long time.

"Good answer. So, you grew up in a foster home. How do you feel about that? Has it affected your life overall?" Oh yes, he had been told everything. He was hiding it well, pretending to be clueless about my past when he really knew probably more than even I did.

"It had. Like my little Lily," I replied, leaving everyone guessing as I finished my answer with a smile. You would have a beautiful smile, Lily.

"And who's Lily?" Caesar asked, playing dumb. I twiddled my thumbs, thinking about how I would phrase my reply. Finn would know what to say, he always did. But right now, I was in the Capitol and he was in District 2, probably watching my every move. The letters he had sent me were tucked in my draw at home, all unopened.

"My daughter. My dead daughter," I said, looking at my hands. They were painted a pretty silver, with gems stuck to the surface.

I concentrated on those as I was met with silence, both from the audience, my fellow tributes and the host. The timer rang, and I left as soon as possible.

You would be brave, Lily.

District 3: Mimi Madeline Lombardi

Now, he scared me.

I was rarely scared of anything, like when Thomas couldn't pick up that tarantula, but I did with ease. I wasn't scared by things like that, but Floyd Barabe was someone you would be stupid not to fear.

"Now, Floyd, apart from yourself, is there anyone else you want to win the Games?" Caesar asked the tribute, and I backed slowly into the shadows. Instead, he would probably give a list of the tributes he wanted to die, consisting of 35 names.

"I don't even need to think about that Caesar. I am going to win, and anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong. Period," Floyd replied, with no hesitation in his voice.

He was as ready to kill as Thomas was ready to eat a whole tub of ice- cream.

"Isabella, why did you volunteer? And at such a young age, to you think you still have a chance against some of the older tributes?" The host asked the small girl, who was dressed in midnight blue with sequins decorating her outfit.

"I volunteered for the glory, Caesar. And of course I have even more of a chance against them. I'm Isabella Rose, for God's sake. I've been pegged as a victor from the age of five," the girl replied smugly, before taking her seat far too close to me for my liking.

The garden girl, as I called her anyway, was dressed in her favourite colour yet again - a sparkly pink dress. She had her trademark ruby necklace and matching ear rings on, and black high heels that wobbled slightly as she walked onto the stage.

"Tara, do you think the odds are in your favour?" The host asked the tribute, dabbing his forehead slightly with a damp cloth as the spotlight blared down on the two of them.

Tara rolled her eyes, and batting her eyelids said, "No comment. Next question?" It went on like this, always flipping her hair and smiling at the crowd. I breathed a sigh of relief as the so-called "innocent" girl walked of stage, being replaced by little Michael from our district.

"Michael, what would it feel like to return home to your family?"

"I would love to see Jason again, my little brother. He means everything to me, and I'm just always wondering what it will be like at home without me." I thought the tribute was going to cry then, but he held his tears in for his little brother.

"Mimi, come on up!" Caesar called, bringing me out of my trance. I had a little brother that meant the world to me too.

"How do you feel about being in the 28th Hunger Games?" The host asked me, and I smiled wryly at him. I crossed my legs and thought about my answer.

"Obviously, I would rather be safe at home with my family, but I'm here now; I can't change that. I just have to hope that I can make it out in one piece, and preferably alive," I replied, nodding my head. I was satisfied with my reply. Clever and confident was my angle, my mentor had told me.

"Of course. Now, what do you think of your fellow competitors?"

"A mix of emotions. Some of them are really nice people, some are going to be tough competition, and some sadly won't make it past the bloodbath. That's all I can really say." It was true. I just didn't know which category I fitted into.

Maybe none at all.

District 4: Storm Marlinfield

It was hard to watch tributes go through the same process I had just a year ago, especially when I had a giggling, Hunger Games lover, Capitol girl draped over me. My breath caught in my mouth when I saw my life-long friend, Mylene, nervously fidgeting on stage, waiting for her moment in the spotlight, just like I had done.

"Morganna!" Caesar called, in almost the same way as he had called the name Storm or Casey. Just another day at work for him, interviewing tributes that would be dead in a few days.

"How do you feel about the tributes? Anyone you particularly like, or hate?" The host asked her, and I could see the malice rising like burning lava in her eyes.

Don't think like that. There were some memories I didn't want to explore right now.

"Let's just that there is one district not on my good side," Morganna said icily, and I almost wanted to pull my cousin away from her glare, even though it wasn't directed at my family member. The District 2 tributes, however, seemed unfazed as she turned her stare on them.

"Ahem, can we please welcome on stage, Perkele Fin!" Caesar called, attempting to break the ice that had formed in the atmosphere. "What's your strategy for the Games, Perry? Can I call you Perry?" The host asked the District 4 tribute, shuffling slightly in his seat. Today's tributes were obviously taking their toll on him.

"Eat, sleep, kill. Not much else I can do, is there?" He replied, keeping his tone tough but still making the ladies in the crowd, and my "girlfriend", swoon.

He winked at the cameras, sending giggles coming through the speakers and in my ears.

"Now, Mylene Frostblight!" A sucked in a bit of air when I saw her come on stage, a green blue dress rippling around her ankles, wearing my old token. It broke my heart to see it again. "Mylene, what's your goal in the Games? Are you going to follow in your cousin's footsteps?" Caesar asked her, and she lowered her crystal blue eyes.

"I want to show the Capitol that I'm not just a pawn in their Games, and that none of us deserve to be used. None of us," she said, choking a bit on the last sentence. Tears swam in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall; she never did.

"And how will you do that?" Caesar asked shakily, looking at the camera man anxiously.

"By standing by my fellow tributes, and winning, or dying, for them. They're people too."

Why, Mylene? Why did you just condemn yourself to my fate or something much worse? I was proud of my little cousin, and yet, I had a bad feeling. The same feeling I had before the love of my life died.

To stand by her fellow tributes, she had to pay.

Just a point about Storm - he isn't really in love with Mary, and really hasn't forgotten about poor Casey. So, please don't kill me Cody! Storm is the same person we know and love inside, but he has to act. We don't want another whipping, do we?

And thank you for the flaming marshmallows of fury, Marie, even though they aren't exactly necessary now. And thank you for the reviews; keep 'em coming!

*~Joy~*