Clarisse Longhorn's POV:
As the girl from District Nine steps off the stage and my district partner steps onto it, I find myself beginning to panic. I'm next and I know there all going to want to know about Daphne, but should I tell them? I mean sure the capitol audience all seem pretty open and probably wouldn't say a word but how is Daphne going to face another day back home if I out her. Or maybe everyone already knows, maybe she's been inundated with questions, why would that strange girl mention you? Didn't you used to be friends? But you haven't spoken in years.
I try to focus my brain away from my messed up thoughts up onto the stage where Falco is muttering some strange words and intellectual thoughts that I have a feeling not a single person understands. Nina keeps trying to push him onto more standard topics such as his training strategy or family but it always comes back to bizarre thoughts of words like Karma and Precepts, I think what he's trying to say is that he won't kill anyone but is obviously too afraid to say it outright. After a few more minutes of this back and forth which seem to drag out into hours as I stand waiting, Falco is sent from the stage and I'm being called into the limelight.
"Clarisse, it's wonderful to finally meet you" Nina tells me as she leads me to my seat and I can see that she has this fake smile between her unnaturally large lips. My hands begin to shake as I sit down and all plans to act intimidating fade away in a moment, I guess I'm not as good of an actress as I originally thought.
"It's nice to meet you too Nina" I smile nervously "Kinda nerve wracking though" I try not to act too nervous, they can smell fear.
"I bet it is for a girl like yourself" she smiles; what does she mean by that? "Tell me where did you get those muscles Clarisse?" she asks leaning over and squeezing my arm.
I laugh nervously, pulling my arm from her grip. What give her the right to touch me like that "Well I've been working on the ranches for years now and I"
"An unusual job for a girl" she says, interrupting me and I get the feeling that she really doesn't like me though I don't know why, the audience laugh at her comment. I fold my arms and lean towards the crowd.
"Not necessarily" I reply defensively, though I can't think of a single other girl who does what I do. Maybe there are more out there, working on family ranches, Ten is a big place after all.
"Fair enough" Nina smiles, "Now Clarisse what I think most people want to know is. Who is the mysterious Daphne?"
There it is I think the big question, maybe she already knows, maybe they all do, maybe the capitol aren't as free thinking as I originally thought. I am being sent to my death for a couple of rebellions that happened over a hundred years ago, before even my parents were born. I laugh nervously;
"I promised her I wouldn't talk about it"
"So she came to see you then? After the reaping?"
"Yeah she did" I reply, that much was true "we've been friends for years and we're chatting about the games the night before the reaping." Half true, how could I explain to them really, how she came to find me after that party and bared her soul to me. How I accepted her apology and her love. "We made the usual promises friends do on the eve of the reaping and then after I was reaped she came to say goodbye" That final rushed kiss that we shared and the look in her eyes as the peacekeepers dragged us apart forever. I reach my hand to my eye and find myself crying. Not exactly the macho, blunt talking, warrior girl image I had planned to go for.
"Some friendships are enough to make you fight harder" Nina tells me, she even has a look of sincerity in her eyes; maybe somehow I've banished the rumours, for her at least.
"And I'm a fighter" I tell her, unfolding my arms and looking straight into the eyes of a few of the closest audience members. "I'm going to use my whip to take down the competition. Just like I use it to control my cattle; I'll use it to win the games." I state bluntly. "Then I'll come home stinking rich and give my family somewhere new to live and never have to work with the cows again." Then me and Daphne can be left alone in peace, because who would dare confront a Hunger Games Victor about who she chooses to love. The audience are clapping and cheering now as Nina announces my name again and I'm shown off the stage.
"Interesting tactic" Talon tells me "I would have skipped the soppy stuff though; no-one cares about your BFF forever."
"You used forever twice there" Falco says
Talon glares at him "What you mean?"
"Nothing" Falco says backing away; I look at my mentor Kennedy expecting something helpful.
"You did brilliantly Libya" she says with a smile "You're mother would be so proud" I sigh, she's lost it again, thinking I'm her dead granddaughter. Talon grabs Falco and mine's shoulders and begins to lead us to the elevator back to our room "Just don't lose" he growls "I'd quite like a year or two off".
Calypso West's POV:
As sweet little Durian climbs onto the stage I find my mind turning to home, thinking about how my mother is managing without me and whether Fitch has kept his word and is caring for her. Really I should be focussing on the here and now and how I'm going to be memorable and interesting without ... well without telling the truth. I'm scared that just by sitting on that chair in front of all those people that this mask I've created will slip away. I feel I've always been quite a truthful person. A well behaved one too, I'll always do as I'm told even if I know it's the wrong thing to do, morally.
"Of course I love my big sister" Durian says from up on the stage "I'll love her forever and I know she'll love me back" I smile, he's a sweet kid, doesn't deserve to be here. I do of course, I've had time to make my mistakes and now I'm here to pay for them.
"So you never fight?" Nina asks him
"Never" comes the reply in a bright happy voice and I hear the audience 'aww' at the sweetness. He continues to chatter on about his daily life, walking to the fields to harvest crops, playing with his friends.
"You know when it comes to the arena Durian, you'll have to fight." Nina tells him after he says yet again that he hardly ever gets into fights with friends for any reason at all. Durian doesn't reply, but I assume he shrugs or something as Nina moves on to wishing him the best of luck in the games.
Then before I know it I can feel a pair of strong hands guiding me up onto the stage, where I step out into the blinding light and shouts of the crowd. Nina leads me to my seat and I perch cautiously on the edge of the seat, feeling ready to run at any moment.
"So Calypso, tell us about yourself, your family, any boyfriends" she smirks at me, my heart is beating faster than it ever has before, ever after that first drugs run through the shacks of District Eleven. Then I had Fitch by my side, holding me tight and telling me how wonderful I'd been.
I take a deep breath "I live with my Mom" I tell her "she's kinda ill so I look after her a lot of the time, with a little help from my boyfriend"
"Ooo a boyfriend" Nina says with a girlish giggle "Tell us all about him" she asks, obviously not at all interested in my ill mother.
Of course this was going to end up being about Fitch it was always about Fitch. Not for the first time my mind glances to the idea of betraying him, of telling them all our dirty little secret. But what would that mean for me? Would they sympathise with my plight, do as I'm told or pay the price, or would I been seen as an accomplice and punished accordingly. They could really hurt me in the games if they chose to and by keeping my mouth shut I could even make it out of there.
"He's a cool guy" I respond eventually "He's always there for me with guidance and he helped me through tough patches with mom." A spiel of lies flows easily from my mouth as I nervously rub my left hand over my right arm and keep a calm smile on my lips.
"What do you think he'd say if her were here today?" she asks
"He'd tell me to stay strong and to do everything in my power to make it through."
"What do you think you have in your power?" she asks, not un-kindly but the thought does make my stomach turn. What do I have that the others don't, what makes me special?
"Well I can be sneaky and quick" I respond thinking of the time I hid on a roof to avoid a peacekeeper patrol. "I like to climb too so I can get out of the way of danger" I add remembering the look on the head trainer's face as I scrambled up that rope, he'd looked pretty impressed then and I did get a good score.
"That's good to know" Nina smiles, "So tell me what have you enjoyed most about being here in the capitol?"
"Just everything" I say with a smile "I love meeting all the people and seeing the sights, I wish I never had to leave."
I give her the perfect segue to tell me that I can win the games as she announces my name and district and I'm shown off the stage. I sigh in relief as my microphone is disconnected and look to my mentors for guidance, neither of them look up to give any, not that Cane would say anything anyway so we walk in silence back to our rooms.
Choke Harefield's POV:
My head held high I march onto the stage listening to the crowd go wild, at this point I suppose they'll be bored of the weaker tributes and looking forward to my interview. Quintus told me that the capitol see's me as a contender for these games and that my good looks will get me sponsorship. But he is concerned that my middling score may let me down so I need to play it down here tonight, let people think I'm hiding some hidden skill.
"It's amazing to be here" I tell Nina after she's greeted me and shown me my seat "Around all you good looking people" I wink at a particularly gruesome thing in the front row and she feigns a faint.
"Well it's certainly refreshing to see a tribute such as yourself from Twelve" Nina says, stroking my leg "Such strength" she flirts as she squeezes my knee.
"Why thank you Nina" I smile, unsure where to take the conversation from her.
Nina of course knows exactly what to say next as she asks me about my training and how I acquired such a physique "Was it down the mines my dear?" she asks making the mines seem like a terminal disease.
"I tended to work on my muscles above ground" I tell her with a slight chuckle "using weights and other equipment that I have on hand."
"You didn't get the best of scores" she tells me and I chuckle;
"Let me cut you off there" I say with a wide grin "Maybe I didn't want the best score out there, maybe I was hiding something. Something rather large." I raise my eyebrows seductively and enjoy the feminine screams coming from the crowd.
"Oh my" gasps Nina wafting her face with her hand "You sure know how to get a girl in a bother."
"It's a gift" I smile relaxing in the chair and spreading my legs, I think the audience are loving me right now as they won't stop screaming. Nina regains her composure;
"Now Choke, I really must know how are you going to win the games? You know you can't flirt your way to victory" she asks, sounding legitimately concerned for me. Maybe I'm her favourite I think with a feeling of power, maybe what I say now could mean I'll get the sponsorships and I can win the games.
"That is a shame" I respond to her flirt comment "But I have knowledge of weapons and I've been a fighter my whole life. I'm ready to go out there and win this thing!"
The crowd go wild again as Nina announces my name and district and after taking a bow and blowing a few kisses to the wealthier looking members of the crowd I step down to where my mentors are waiting.
"Not bad" Quintus tells me "I think they liked you"
"I know they liked me" I smirk "I think you may have a replacement soon old man" I add with a grin.
"What a good attitude to have" smiles Primrose, looking out to where my fellow tribute is being greeted by Nina.
Quinn doesn't look impressed as Nina gushes about her near perfect score and asks about her training.
"I just get angry" she growls
Nina chuckles nervously, "Anger is not the best attitude to have going into the games" she tells Quinn; "You need to have more than that."
"What else is there?" Quinn scoffs.
Nina smiles and looks to the audience quickly, I can see she's a little worried now, probably wanted her last tribute to be the star of the show, a District Twelve girl with a score of 10.
"Tell me about your family Quinn" Nina asks, desperately hoping to save this interview.
Quinn mutters something about her mom but doesn't elaborate causing Nina to pry more. I lose focus on the interview as Quinn begins to insult the audience. To the side of me Primrose sighs and I look towards her "Doesn't matter that she's a goner" I tell her "You still have me"
"Such a waste" she sighs.
Eventually Nina lets Quinn go, with a smattering of applause from the crowd. She continues to talk to the crowd, reminding them of the more exciting tributes and as she mentions the "Sensual Choke" I can't help but grin.
"Don't look so happy" Quinn says "You'll be dead soon enough" I scowl at her in response. I and Quinn haven't exactly got on since we reached the capitol. She pretty much put all the blame on me for the whole being reaped thing, and to be honest I did wonder why she was chosen, surely there were more like me who could have been reaped. Unless I look at her features, her sharp nose and square jaw, very similar to most of the peacekeepers in Twelve.
"What you gawping at" Quinn snaps
"Who's your father?" I ask her,
"None of your business" she responds
"So a peacekeeper then" I guess.
"Probably" she says "But I don't like to think about it." And with that she stomps off towards the elevator where our mentors have already headed.
I look around myself where the crew are tiding up after another successful interview session and ponder for a moment how easy it would be for me to walk out of here. Oh yeah, Impossible I think, glancing at a far corner where two peacekeepers stand talking.
"Choke" comes a call "I was hoping to catch up with you"
"Miss Ricci" I smile as I turn to face out host, who had just bounded from the stage "I was just heading back to my room."
"You ready for tomorrow?" she ask "truly"
"As ready as I'll ever be" I tell her
"Good." She pauses for a moment and glances around her "I want to see you" she tells me "tonight"
"Meet me on the roof" I say and she frowns in response
"How?"
"There's a ladder from the District Twelve suite" I tell her "and it should be simple for you to get up there"
She nods "of course, midnight" she says.
A/N: One more chapter I think, then onto the games. Sorry this one is so delayed, its a long story that begins with the tree in our front garden being cut down and ending with a job interview.