Harlequin Marceau POV
You're going to do fine. You did fine last year. You did fine the year before... okay, you didn't do terrible the year before. They like you. They cheer and they send all those letters. They don't like me as much as Seutonius though. Of course not. He was a legend. I've only been here three years. Those are big shoes to fill. I'll probably never be that good. Oh goodness, that's no way to talk. Just go out there and be fabulous.
"Hello, Panem! Are you ready for some intervews?" Of course they are, dummy. They've been waiting all year. "Let's bring in our first Tribute!"
Our first Tribute was Luxen Linderman. He looked rather dapper, or perhaps foppish, in a full velvet suit and a top hat. Okay, he really looked like the Monopoly man, except for the blue earring.
"You're with the Careers, even though you haven't trained. How has that been working for you?" I asked.
"It's been great! It's cool to be with such strong allies, and I know I can help them out with funding," he said. Just like that, I didn't like him. My opinions are sharp and lightning-quick.
"Yes, I'm sure we'll all be rooting for you. If you win, you'll be even richer!" I said. Luxen smiled a crocodile grin as he glared daggers at me.
"You mentor is Estrella, right? She's quite a character. Has she taught you anything interesting?" I asked Olivine.
"She told me to make my own decisions, so really I can hardly follow her advice without breaking it," Olivine said. "But I think my main decision is that I decided to win." She was more soft-spoken than most Careers. It seemed like she didn't notice what her decision meant for the others. I didn't think she'd win, but I kind of hoped she did.
"You're the odds-on favorite to win. Any surprise there?" I asked Troy. His relaxed posture belied his pinstripe suit.
"I'm not gonna lie, I knew I'd do well. But then, I was trained all my life. It'd be pretty sad if I didn't," he said. I could appreciate that. He was confident but not obnoxious.
"Here's the girl who turned heads back in Two," I said to Cierra. "Obviously no one tells you what to do."
"Sometimes I look before I leap," Cierra said. "Now that I've seen the other Careers, maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty. But I'll do my best." Laying low, are you? Might be clever.
"I haven't heard much from you. What's the essence of Soleil?" I asked.
"That's a pretty hard question to answer. I'm a lot of things, and what I will be in the Arena will depend on what's inside it. You have to adapt and learn to fit your surroundings," Soleil said.
"Thank you for that lovely answer that told us nothing," I said.
"Here's the whiz kid from Three! I saw the tapes of your session, and I think you're definitely an advocate for Victor," I said.
"That's candidate," she said. Shoot, you're right. But if that's how you want it...
"I was so glad to see you got a six. What a commendable score. I'm sure you and your contusion of allies will burn through the Arena like wildflowers. Break an egg!"
"We all know this face. You have to tell us about the parade," I said to Elver.
"I jumped on the horse. Shelle was very mad," he said. Okay, wasn't aware you were a robot.
"She probably wanted a more professional image," I said, trying to match his temperament.
"She's such a fussbudget. She should learn to cut loose," he teased. I can't win.
"I know I'll do a good job. I don't want to brag too much, but I'm obviously good at the stuff Careers need to know. I was top at the Academy and I did great in training. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Arena. I hope it's something really cool like outer space or something. I hope there are neat mutts I can fight too. I think fighting mutts will be even cooler than fighting Tributes, because I don't have to worry that I'll feel sorry for them..." Marley said.
Elena politely answered my questions and seemed nervous in front of the camera. Happens to the best of us. She squirmed in her chair and leaned forward.
"Is it okay if I say something to the people at home?" she whispered.
"Yeah, go ahead, honey," I said. She blushed and looked at the camera.
"I love you, Esther," she said. The audience melted into a puddle of cuteness. She was still going to die, but she'd be missed.
"Did you learn anything growing up that will help you in the Games?" I asked Logan.
"I learned to fight and I learned to kill, so I'd say so," he said. I would too.
"I love it so much here! The people are all so nice and they're so pretty! You're pretty too and I love your dress. I hope I get to come back here. Of course if I don't I'll be dead so I won't care," Velvet said. Flattery gets you everywhere, so I didn't mind the sucking up. The dark humor was more my style, though.
"What's in like seeing the Capitol for the first time?" I asked Sylvester. He was wearing a blue suit, like Logan's.
"It's really nice to see all the technology and machinery. I worked with trains back home, and the trains here are much nicer," he said.
"If you win it all, how do you plan to spend all your time?" I asked River.
"I want my talent to be woodworking. It's so nice and serene carving a new piece. I can work for hours and never get bored," she said. Maybe her interview lacked substance, but dang she was a fox!
"Let's cut to the chase. How are you going to win the Games?" I asked Hax.
"I'mma fight anyone I can and run from anyone I can't," he said. Fair enough.
"Excuse the outfit. I thought this was a penguin party," Lanolin said when he showed up in all black and shinier than spit. I could tell he would go over well with the audience.
"Are you going to wear that in the Arena?" I asked.
"Maybe it'll be a coal mine," he said. We batted jokes back and forth until his time was up.
"Here's Panem's sweetheart," I said when Alice came onstage. She waved at the people and clutched her deer as she sat.
"What's the best thing you've seen in the Capitol?" I asked her. She giggled and hid her face behind her toy. She kicked her feet under her chair and peeked out at the people.
"It's all right, folks. It's all right there on her face," I said. I let her go early and she ran offstage. That's messed up. She's so young. But there's nothing I can do about it.
"Why do you need to win the Games?" I asked Tariq. He seemed distracted, but I didn't mind. Not all Tributes are meant for television.
"I need to get back to my family. They're all that matters," he said. Something about him seemed off-putting, like he didn't care about his family so much as himself. I got nothing against people who just say 'yo, I don't want to die'. Not everyone needs a sobstory.
"That's so admirable. Those other Tributes probably don't care about their families," I said.
Lanie's dress was a gorgeous silver number, and she looked adorable in it. The only problem was filling it out. Busty she wasn't.
"What's one thing you want all of Panem to know?" I asked her. She froze and her eyes went wide.
"You can chew wheat like bubble gum if it's fresh," she blurted.
"That was... very educational," I said. Can't win them all.
"It's so nice to meet you. I'm glad you're the new interviewer and not someone boring," Eve said. Well don't mind if I do. She knew how to make a lady feel special. She talked a little about her family.
"I do hope it all works out for you. I saw your session tape, and someone must have made a mistake. That was marvelous. If I was allowed to sponsor, my money would go to you," I said, hinting for all it was worth. Hey, I don't decide who wins, but I can help.
Bambi's leather mask was pretty rad. Only I could see how terrified he was underneath it. We got on the topic of books and I asked the natural question.
"If someone wrote a book about your life, what kind of book would it be?" I asked. Bambi paused and scratched the back of his head.
"It would be a very sad one," he said. That pretty much killed the mood.
Olivier knew how to advertise. His suit was half white and gold, half black and blue. He clutched his stomach as he sat down.
"Excuse me, I have some butterflies in my stomach," he said. He coughed into his hand and opened it, revealing a lovely glowing butterfly. The crowd went wild.
"I don't think I really need to say anything. Why don't you take it away?" I said. Olivier rose to the occasion, dancing and reading minds like no one's business. If he died, I wouldn't believe it. He'd probably pop out of Galba's wardrobe a week later.
Anise was dressed like an anise. Clever, but perhaps too subtle for the audience to grasp. I matched her fakeness and let her know I saw what she was doing. Poor girl was embarrassed enough.
"I just love the Capitol so much. I'm so glad everyone here is so nice and people are going to help me in the Arena even though they don't know me. This is the best country ever," she lied.
Krunk seemed very well put together. He was charming, polite, and generally genial. In the end, I didn't know what to make of him.
"I'm here now. I can't change that. I'll do what I have to, even if I don't enjoy it. We'll see what happens," he said. I stayed neutral. I couldn't tell whether I liked him or not.
"Here's the volunteer from Twelve," I said when Calley came in. "Whatever made you decide on that?"
"I guess I just wanted to be noticed. Not much happens in Twelve," she said quietly. I could tell she was shy, so I filled most of the time with chitchat of my own.
"Before you go, what do you have that the others don't?" I asked.
"I'm pretty sporty and I don't mind being dirty. I suppose the Careers are too, though," she said. She left, and I breathed a big sigh of relief. It was over, and I hadn't burned the place down. Nailed it.