Chapter 28 - Posted on ( 5/2/16)
Beetee Latier
District Three Victor of the 35th Hunger Games. 54 years old.
"I'm a little smarter than you
Smarter than you,
smarter than you,
Can't you see I'm smarter?"
Lynx spared Beetee that sideways glance. That sideways glance was reserved for the times she wanted to make someone feel utterly embarrassed. It was usually accompanied with a snarky smirk and a murderous look in her eyes. "I see you've taught your little Eudora impressively."
Beetee sighed. "We tried to come up with something better for her, but nothing was working out." He rubbed his tired eyes wearily, resulting in them looking a bit more bloodshot than before. There was simply nothing he could do about Dora. However, he refused to let Lynx get to him.
However, there were plenty of fish in the sea. As he watched the screen in interest, his very own Huxley Cathode mounted the stage. It was Beetee's only hope that the 13 year old would do better job than Dora did. I mean, come on. "I like eggs?" Dora can do better than that!
Beetee, Lynx, Primrose, and all the other mentors were gathered in the District One apartment. Cashmere and Gloss had invited all of them to watch the interviews from there, as they weren't allowed in backstage and all of them didn't want to miss it.
Meanwhile, on the stage, Huxley was looking very dashing for his age, in a "cute little kid" kind of way. He looked very mature, though. He was dressed in a light red suit jacket and dark red suit pants and shirt. To maximize his accessories, he sported a bright yellow tie. Beetee crossed his fingers, which were concealed behind his back. Of course, the 54 year old had found a decent angle for Huxley. Huxley's angle was to be calm and smooth, but from even here Beetee could see he was sweating a little and kept wiping his wet hands on his shirt. He hoped he wouldn't be the laughingstock of the mentors if Huxley did badly.
Azuria looked a bit unsettled after Eudora's display, but continued on with the interviews nevertheless. "Huxley, you are looking so charming today!"
The 13 year old blushed 'charmingly'. "Thank you, Azuria. You're looking quite nice yourself." With that, he sat into his assigned chair. So far, Huxley was off to a good start. But then again, Dora was off to a good start but ended up doing horribly at the ending. There was still a chance for him, though.
"So, Huxley dear, is there anyone special back home you'd like to dedicate your interview to?"
Beetee's tribute looked, nervously, into the camera. "Mom, Dad...I love you two. I want nothing more than to come home to District Three, to be with you. But I'll be seeing you soon." He took a deep, shaky breath and tore his eyes away from the camera to look back to Azuria.
Azuria looked touched. "That was a wonderful speech. Just beautiful. And speaking of District Three, what do you think of your District Partner, Eudora?"
"Well, I call her Dora. But she's really nice. We're allies."
"What qualities did you see in her that made you want to ally?"
"Dora is kind and caring. If I don't win, I want her to. She needs to - she deserves to - go back to District Three." Huxley didn't mention how they bonded after the time in Training when she tripped on the gymnasium floor. He didn't mention how she cheered her up after Dora felt like an utter failure. Dora had mentioned he was the first true friend she had ever made, but that was kind of personal and he didn't want to share it.
The Master of Ceremonies nodded slowly. "Well, I'm glad you're making allies. Your time is up, but I wish you the best in the arena." Huxley nodded and stood, all the while smiling. Before shaking hands with Azuria, he once again wiped his palms onto his suit. Then, he waved merrily and walked off.
And...Huxley did not trip.
Beetee let out a long, satisfied sigh of relief. He was not going to be the laughingstock of the mentors. Everything was going to be okay. Huxley did fine.
This time, the mentors didn't comment on Eudora's lack of quality. They just remained silent and focused on the TV. Most of the mentors' tributes hadn't been shown yet, so they were anxious. Beetee could relax now.
The last female Career of the day was 17 year old Ebony Williams. Beetee was interested in her performance, since she and her sister had a brawl on their way to be the female tribute. Naturally, Ebony won. She had also got a 9 for her Training score. The Capitol loved the Career tributes, so she would be to their appeal.
Ebony was sporting quite a beautiful outfit. It was a long, black gown that gave a shadowy vibe. Her dress was paired with a pearl necklace, possibly an antique that had been passed down generations. Silver heels donned her feet, and a pearl barrette was in her hair. Ebony's naturally curly hair was straightened and left down. The hairstyle hugged her face and made her look mature, stunning even. She looked striking and gorgeous. She looked like a true Victor. Immediately, all of Beetee's thoughts of Huxley doing good flew out of his brain, as he was awestruck by this girl. Ebony radiated elegance as she strutted to her correct spot.
Azuria smiled. "Ebony Williams? Correct me if I'm wrong."
The blonde nodded, but dismissed the question with a flap of her hand. "Of course. But I wouldn't like to take any of the spotlight off of you." She smiled enigmatically. The crowd was liking her a lot already.
"So, let's get started. What inspired you to Volunteer?" Azuria added as an afterthought, "That was quite the show you made at the Reapings."
Ebony nodded proudly. "My sister had always been the 'better daughter', according to my parents. Marina - that's her name - is 18 years old, and was the chosen Volunteer for this year. Until, I decided that I wanted to make her jealous and make her not go into the Games at all. I decided, at split second, to Volunteer. In addition to her not having a chance to be a tribute, I wanted to make my parents see that there's more to me than that rebellious girl they always had lounging around."
The crowd chanted out her name a few times, but Azuria had to quiet them down so they could press on with the conference. "Did you train hard back home?"
"Yes. I went through an extensive and rigid program."
"What is your preferred weapon?"
"A flail. Marina always used a trident, so I liked to be different than her."
The Capitol gentlewoman acquiesced in understanding. "You are definitely one of a kind, Ebony. One of a kind." The alarm rang off. "Well, unfortunately folks we're out of time, but give it up for Ebony Williams!"
Audience members resumed their chanting, and didn't stop until she was well off the stage and out of sight. Azuria shouted, "Are you liking what you are seeing?"
As the congregation roared their approval, Lynx commented, "She didn't do too bad." Of course, that was the best of a compliment you could ever get out of her.
Finnick looked proud. "As I've been told."
The excitement was not over yet - oh, no, not even close to being over. They still had half of the Districts to go, and many surprises would be along the way. District Four's time to shine was not done, as Bay Riverside still had a chance to give the rest of the tributes a run for their money.
Beetee was starting to doubt his District. Oh, he was starting to agnostic them very much so. Huxley and Dora did appallingly compared to the other Districts - but on the other hand, the other Districts were made up of Career tributes, so they were still in the running.
"Give a warm, warm welcome to District Four's Bay Riverside!"
Immediate screams and shouts of pleasure escaped from the assembly's mouths as the handsome 17 year old came into view. In this case, the 17 year old was Bay. He looked completely chill as he strolled to his love seat wearing a deep, ocean blue suit. He looked simple, but managed to pull off a laid-back look.
He clasped and shook Azuria's hand firmly before settling down in his seat in time for the interview. "You're looking beautiful tonight, Azuria." He said in that deep voice of his.
Azuria blushed crazily. "You're looking quite well yourself."
Meanwhile, Lynx let out a long, low whistle. "District Four produces good-looking tributes."
Finnick rolled his eyes good-naturedly but a smile still remained on his handsome face. "If you say so."
The interview pressed on. Azuria got over her fangirl moment and continued to do what she was paid for. "Bay, how do you like it here in the Capitol? What is your favorite thing here?"
"The Training Center was especially good. All the trainers there were kind, and helpful." The trainers, who were in the crowd, smiled at the compliment. Bay continued, "All in all, this place is fabulous. I'll be looking forward to coming back when I win the Games." He smiled a smile at the cameras, and Beetee couldn't help but notice he had the whitest teeth in the world.
After that, Azuria wrapped it up, and seemed a little disappointed the Career Districts' turns were over. Nevertheless, she continued, though she still seemed a bit shake up from Dora's performance. "Next we have the youngest tribute this year. At 12 years old, welcome Kinsie Surge, the District Five female!"
Roy Lentz
District Five Male. 15 years old.
"I'm a survivor (what?)
I'm not gon' give up (what?)
I'm not gon' stop (what?)
I'm gon' work harder (what?)"
Roy didn't care much about Kinsie, but he was interested to see how she would do in her interview. He watched, from the wings, as a Capitol backstage man gave her a signal and she climbed up the steps to the stage. He now had nothing better to do. Behind him was Zoe Mercedes, the District Six Female, but he didn't feel like making small talk. In fact, he didn't feel like talking to anyone, especially not her, since she did taunt Taurus during that one day in Training. He decided the best way to be silent was to keep his eyes straight ahead on the stage at his District Partner. Speaking of Kinsie, she was currently sitting down in the assigned chair where he would also be sitting soon. Azuria was mentally preparing something to say to the 12 year old. Finally, after what felt like hours, she finally spoke up.
"How does it feel to the be youngest tribute in the Games?"
Kinsie responded quickly in an efficient manner. "It's not much different, though I think some older tributes may be underestimating me. I'll show them my true colors once I enter the arena." She smiled snarkily.
She was wearing an off-shoulder yellow and black striped dress with shiny black heels. The heels, specifically, were stewpot sandals with a heel. Kinsie's hair was in a waterfall braid, which was what her stylist described it as. Kinsie loomed like a miniature bumblebee, with all that yellow and black. Roy hoped she wouldn't "sting him with her stinger" once he got into the arena. In other words, he hoped that Kinsie wouldn't go after him at the Bloodbath and kill him.
Azuria seemed impressed by the young girl's backbone. She may have been younger than Huxley, but she seemed more courageous and daring. "I see. I'll be sure to watch you then."
"Of course."
"So, your last name seems kind of familiar. You look alike with another tribute in one of our previous Games. Are you possibly siblings with Conner Surge?"
Kinsie seemed to pause a little before answering. "Yes, I am. I was only a young girl when he was brutally murdered in the Games. Though I was just a small lass, I could remember he was a perfect, kind brother and I wanted to be just like him when I grew up."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear about his passing."
Kinsie's face darkened. "But after he died, it caused problems throughout my family. My mother and father started fighting more and more. I knew that the fights were centered around me. My mother turned fragile and was afraid I would get Reaped, too. My father turned verbally abusive and mean to everyone. Soon enough, they split up. Before I was Reaped it was just me and my mom, together against the world. Now she's husbandless and childless, though she started off with a happy family."
Roy hadn't known about this. He paid close attention to what Kinsie was saying so now he could learn more about her.
He hasn't forgot about that time on the train where she was crying unbelievably hard. She had broken her tough character. None of them had mentioned it to each other, and they were better suited that way. But Roy could now take a guess on what she was crying about that night.
"And that's how a family is broken. Hope, dreams, and Faith is destroyed." Kinsie's strong voice rang out over the silent audience. She seemed much older than the young pre-teen she really was. "If I win the Games, I will take up the oath to mend my family. To stitch the bonds back together. And that, my friends, is what I will do if I win the 76th Annual Hunger Games."
The buzzer rang, and the audience took another moment of silence before they started screaming and shouting noisily, generally causing a ruckus. There would definitely be sponsors for Kinsie.
Bad news was, it was Roy's turn now. He nervously rocked back and forth on his heels. It was a habit he picked up that could calm himself. As Kinsie began slowly walking backstage, he thought about everything he had learned in preparation for this and attempted to convince himself that he wasn't going to do horrible and get thrown tomatoes at. He ran through his script again in his head. Roy would try to be elusive, sly, and mysterious, but he would also try to smile all the way. He gulped. Smiling would be the hard part. After all, most of his smiles looked fake.
Did he look presentable enough for the cameras? He looked down at his outfit. Check. Roy's stylist had dressed him in a black blazer and black pants, with a formal blue shirt and black leather dress shoes. His hair was spiked up with gel.
Speaking of the cameras, he was almost on. Kinsie disappeared into backstage and Roy mentally cursed a "pleasant" word choice in his brain. This would be televised across Panem. What if he messed up horribly?
Well, no time to doubt now. The same Capitol man signaled him on. Roy took a deep breath, filling up his lungs with nervous air, before walking up onto the stage's wooden floors. The spotlight shone into his light blue eyes, and he resisted the urge to run off the stage in a panic. He squinted his eyes uncomfortably, clearly not enjoying being in the limelight. Unfortunately, as the backstage crew always said, the show must go on. He forced himself to steer his way into his assigned spot.
Azuria grinned brightly at him. "You must be Roy Lentz. I've heard so much about you."
Roy was surprised to see she wasn't much older than he was. Maybe two or three years older at the most. He snapped himself out of his partially nervous and scared state. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Azuria."
She began the question-asking right on. "If you didn't win the Hunger Games, who would you want to win instead?"
He hesitated. That was a hard question.
During his time in the Capitol and on the train, he promised himself he wouldn't become attached. That he wouldn't learn to become friends with someone who'd die in the arena. Fate was cruel that way. And know he'd have to bear his burden.
"I would want Kinsie to win."
Azuria seemed a bit put-off by his answer. She'd always thought of him as a boy who was guarded and had boundaries. "Your District Partner?"
Roy nodded, startled by his own answer. He didn't expect himself to enjoy Kinsie's company so much. After that night on the train, he had understood she was not a rebellious pre-teen for the fun of it. She had a family - a family she wanted to reunite. Kinsie was just a scared girl who needed a home.
The camera feed cut back to Kinsie's face, who was looking as surprised as he felt. Roy didn't even know that he cared that much about her.
He tried to explain himself, so the silence wouldn't be so awkward. "Um...she's nice. And after hearing that speech of hers a few minutes ago, I knew if I had the option, I'd let her go back to District Five to mend those bonds."
Azuria nodded. She moved onto another subject. "So, do you have any allies?"
"No. I prefer to work alone."
"Oh? Is there any reason you prefer that?"
Great. Roy didn't plan on opening up about his backstory. Blame Azuria for being such a prodding interviewer. But he had no choice. He weighed his options on an imaginary scale. On one hand, it was to ignore the question and just say that he always liked it that way. On the other hand, he could open up and earn sponsors. He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily, trying to make the decision. He finally decided on opening up about his past. Once he opened his eyes yet again, Azuria seemed to notice his discomfort and was staring at him in concern. Roy ignored it and began talking.
"Once, in District Five, there was a really bad disease going around. And...unfortunately...my mom and my grandmother caught it." He blinked back tears, thinking about his caring, kind mother. "My mom died, but my father had the money to buy a cure for my grandmother. And fortunately, she survived."
Some emotional audience attendees were starting to weep in sympathy. The Capitol was always very dramatic.
Azuria leaned forward in her chair, anticipating what was going to happen next. The rest of the crowd found themselves doing the same action.
"The bad thing that came out of it, was that we lost most of our money on that cure. We became poor. We suffered, and starved." Roy paused for effect.
"By 'we', who do you mean?" Azuria took the pause as a chance to understand him better.
"My twin sister, my father, and of course, my grandmother." Roy continued on after answering her question. "My twin sister and I had to find a way to make money as quick as possible. And we found a job that paid." He didn't give specifics on that one. If he elaborated too much, then if he won the Games he might get in trouble with the Peacekeepers back in the District for selling illegal arms.
"But you've found a way to work around your problems, did you not?"
Roy nodded. "Eventually our father landed another job, which was more steady than before and made more money. Since we had to drop out of school before, we were enrolled back in, and all was well."
The buzzer rang, signalling that his interview was over. Roy let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. It was finished in a flash. His interview was so fast, that it only felt like three seconds instead of three minutes.
Azuria stood up and smoothed out her dress before addressing the audience and the cameras. "That's all the time we have for Roy Lentz. How about a round of applause?"
The noise was deafeningly loud, and cheers were being acclaimed. Roy smiled brightly, knowing it was for him. Back home, he was pretty much a no one. Not a single being noticed him. But now, in the Capitol, he was being noticed. He started to feel good about himself.
Roy exited backstage, and immediately began smiling to himself again. In his opinion, he had done well, and it was over. Now he could sit back, relax, and hopefully be able to get sponsors rolling in.
Primrose Everdeen
District Twelve's Victor of the 74th Hunger Games. 14 years old.
"You've got the words to change a nation,
But you're biting your tongue,
You've spent a lifetime stuck in silence,
Afraid you'll say something wrong."
Prim looked at Lynx. "All these tributes are doing so good." She said, out of nervousness. She was nervous for Lignite. Not Delia. Delia had the looks of a supermodel, and had a regal air around her. But Lignite was a tough guy to try to coach.
Lynx snorted. "With the exception of Eudora." The 17 year old told Prim in a low tone, just quiet enough that Beetee wouldn't hear the two of them gossiping.
Both of them turned their attention back to the screen. The District Six Female, Zoe Mercedes, would be going on next. She was one of the Capitol's favorites; Zoe was popular for her actions at the Reapings and for getting an outer-District high score.
Speaking of Zoe, she was currently sashaying toward her assigned seat in a sassy manner. Of course, all the males in the audience were staring at her long, lithe legs which carried her toward Azuria.
She smiled snarkily at the 18 year old, who was only two years older than she. "So. You must be Azuria. I've heard so much about you." She pretended to look around the bit. "So you've grew up in the Capitol? It's so amazing here."
Prim and Lynx exchanged looks. Zoe had the incredible nerve to have some hidden sarcasm in her voice, underneath all of that sticky-sweetness. She might make herself a target of President Snow if she kept going on this tangent.
Finnick chimed into the two girls' silent conversation with a worried tone. "If she keeps this up and the Gamemakers notice, they might target her in the arena. If she wins, forget it. They'll make District Six pay."
"Or, what if the President notices?" Seeder added. "That'll be worse. They'll probably kill her right off the bat."
Johanna spoke up. "It's an interesting tactic for a tribute itself to start off the interview. Azuria usually starts it off. Let's see what Azuria does."
With their attention yet again fixed on the screen, the Master of Ceremonies answered. "Thank you for the wonderful compliment, Zoe. The Capitol is an amazing place indeed to be. Yes, I did grow up here." Azuria said in an obviously tone. Though her tone was calm, her expression looked troubled. So she noticed about Zoe's sarcasm, Prim thought to herself.
Azuria opened her mouth, probably to ask a question and to take charge, but Zoe beat her to the punch. "Are you going to ask about my backstory?" Without an answer, she began to discuss about it. "My parents died when I was young, so I was sent to an orphanage. But then I was kicked out, so I lived on the streets. Nothing else much to say."
The interview went on like that for the rest of the time. Finally, when the buzzer set off, Azuria had never looked more relieved to finally had finished. "Ladies and gentlemen, this was Zoe Mercedes."
Lynx laughed in cynical manner. "At least she has the looks." That was her way of implying Zoe was probably not get any sponsors depending on her interview alone.
They had a break from snide tributes who liked to test Azuria's limits when Louis Lindbergh came out. The mass encouraged him on, for they had an immediate liking to shy, sweet tributes.
Louis smiled bashfully at Azuria once she shook hands with him. Once she asked him what he thought of Zoe, his answer was immediate. "She's really something else. Zoe can be really nice in a mean way, but really mean in a nice way. Do you know what I mean?"
Azuria nodded in understanding. "So you have mixed feelings about her."
"Yeah. She can be kind but also a bit...ruly. It's like the good and bad all rolled into one."
The next question was asking what interested him, back home in District Six. Louis' eyes widened in excitement, for he was able to share his interests. "I love hovercrafts." He confessed. "One day, I will be the first man to fly in the Districts. Just wait and see."
When the buzzer rang, Azuria seemed almost disappointed to end the interview. He was a nice boy. But unfortunately, Louis' time was up. She concluded the interview, and called Celine Woodman, the District Seven Female, onto the stage.
Prim was excited to watch this one. Celine was a cute little girl, according to Blight. But how could a cute little girl get a 7 in Training? Hopefully Celine would touch on that subject, as she was eager to know.
The redhead came out, dressed in lilac petticoats. She looked like an innocent, young teen, but then again, nobody ever knew if it was just an act. She smiled politely to Azuria. The 14 year old had apparently decided to go for the friendly angle.
Azuria embraced the girl as she approached. "Celine - so nice to finally meet you!"
Celine smiled yet again. "Same here." Then she said cordially, "Your dress is beautiful. It looks so nice on you."
"Why, thank you! You look absolutely gorgeous as well."
Celine Woodman
District Seven Female. 14 years old.
"Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly."
Celine tried to be as polite as possible. She waited for Azuria to say something else, for she didn't want to mess up and say the wrong thing. Celine looked straight into the cameras and gave it a gracious grin, for she knew her parents were probably watching and they wanted to see she was okay.
Azuria did change the subject. "So, wow, a 7! How did you get such a high score?"
The 14 year old was slightly uncertain on what to say. Johanna had told her to play an 'innocent' angle, but how do you respond innocently to that question? Bad timing. Annette popped into her head.
Tell them it was your imaginary friend that helped you out.
Celine resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If she said it was her imaginary friend, everyone would probably think she was a weird freak. She couldn't tell them about Annette. However, she went on her own terms and said whatever she felt was natural. "I learned a lot of skills, weapon-wise and survival-wise, at Training. I applied all of those very skills to my Private Session, and I was able to earn a high score."
"Who do you think is the biggest threat in the Games?"
She thought about it. "Either Clarence, Vulcan, Zoe, or Jayda. I've seen them all at Training. They're all really dangerous."
Azuria nodded. "What is your opinion on your chance of winning the Games?"
Celine looked troubled. "The odds are fairly slim. They're many tributes who are worthy and deserve to go home, not me. They have families to return to and Districts to make proud. I don't think I'll have much of a chance."
"Well, with a 7, I think you'll at least survive the Bloodbath." Azuria smiled at her, with those pearly white teeth of hers.
Celine didn't think that anyone else, besides her parents and Rowan, had faith in her. She was happy to see that Azuria had her back as well. "Thank you!" She beamed.
Azuria asked several more questions, such as if she had anyone special back home or what she would do if she won the Games. Celine answered them honestly, but it was a bit hard to concentrate when Annette was popping in with unhelpful comments inside of her head.
At last, time was up and Celine's 180 seconds were over with. She was sent off the stage amidst all of the cheers when her interview was complete, and even as she was backstage she still had a humongous smile present on her face. She had done great.
But would the interview really count when she was in the arena?
Woodman Family (Celine's Family)
Timone and Mary were very, very pleased at their daughter's presentation. Both of the parents were still very proud of Celine's mighty score of a 7, and even more proud of how her interview had turned out. The next interviewee was Rowan Mattock, Celine's District Partner. The two adults didn't know much about him, but they hoped he was being nice to Celine.
Rowan stepped out from backstage in that shamrock suit of his, and the audience members began clapping and cheering for him. He took an awkward bow. Timone and Mary both had to laugh good naturedly about how uncomfortable he looked.
Azuria was really a good interviewer. She made Rowan feel right at home, right away. "Come on, Rowan." She called, patting the seat next to you. With a friendly smile, she added, "You don't have to bow anymore."
The crowd laughed pleasantly, and Rowan joined them. He gave an embarrassed smile when he was done guffawing at himself. "Sorry. I'm not very used to being on television."
Azuria smiled at him. "I don't think any of the tributes had been on TV before they were tributes." Then she jumped straight onto the bandwagon of asking questions. "Has it been hard in Training, because of your arm injury?"
"Yes. I can't really hold a weapon properly with his arm." He pointed to the arm with the injury. "But I picked up on a lot of survival skills, that I never learned before."
"Well, I think you're ready for the Games."
Rowan stroked his chin. "I'm not sure. I do have a good ally, but…" His voice trailed off. Mary knew what he was thinking: Rowan was thinking he had no chance if he was up against a Career.
"I'm sure we're all dying to know how your ally is." Azuria prodded for Rowan to tell Panem who he allied with.
"Celine, my District Partner. She's really nice, and really funny. Celine is good company and we try to have the most of fun we can together before one of us dies."
Mary and Timone exchanged wide-eyed stares. Celine Woodman - their Celine Woodman - had allied with Rowan?
Timone was the first to break the silence. They just had kept staring at each other, slack jawed, not even paying attention to the TV. "So, what Rowan is saying, is that Celine has an ally?"
Mary bobbed her head up and down in agreement, though she was still in disbelief. Then the tears came. "My baby has an ally. She got a 7 in Training. She might come home!" She sobbed in glee and joy.
The two of them began screaming in happiness, but soon settled down to watch the remaining part of Rowan's interview.
Rowan was talking about how he had got his forearm injury, which involved something about an axe hitting his arm. The 16 year old explained how it was really an accident. "My friend didn't mean it. I just wish I wasn't Reaped this year. I'm not sure how I can get far in the Games with the injury."
His interview was soon over. Mary and Timone watched carefully as the District Eight Female - Azalea Sequins - was called up to the stage. During the course of the tributes, Azalea never really had stood out to the both of them, but now it was her time to shine.
As Azalea was walking to the stage, Mary admired the outfit that the 16 year old was in: a pink, skater dress covered in sequins for her namesake. To accent, she was wearing golden high heels, and her brown, straight hair was left down but a lot of time had been invested into it, for it was combed until the point where it was smooth and silky. Timone didn't pay attention to the outfit, for he was not a man who cared much about fashion. Sure, it looked nice on her, but he cared more about the interview itself than the clothes the people were wearing.
Azalea appeared to smile shyly before sitting down in her seat. Azuria didn't waste any time. "Azalea! I love your dress. Is it covered in sequins because of your namesake?"
The District Eight Female smiled anxiously and nodded, looking very nervous. "Y-yes. My stylist thought it would make a nice impression."
Azuria smoothly changed the subject. "So, a 7 in Training! That's a pretty high score."
"Thank you." Azalea responded politely, not knowing what else to say.
"What is your preferred weapon? Anything in particular?"
"Well...a stiletto knife works well for me. I also like to use a shield."
"What are your thoughts on your District Partner?"
Mary's mind raced to think of who the District Eight Male was. Then she remembered. It was that young boy named Dylan. He was only 12 or 13. He was too young to go into the arena, in her opinion. The Capitol was cruel that way.
Azalea looked sad. "Dylan's really, really nice. I wish it didn't have to be this way. Though I didn't ally with him, I'll try my best to get him out of the arena alive, and not in a box."
When the interview was over, Mary and Timone both agreed that Azalea seemed nice enough. She still didn't stand out a lot, but she seemed like a strong contender, her getting that 7 in Training and all.
Dylan Tweed, the one they had been waiting for, was next. He seemed like a cute little boy at first glance, but if you looked closely you could see that there was something about him that didn't really click. It was like he was hiding something. Mary once again focused on his outfit: a navy blue striped suit with his hair spiked up. He looked very likable. The two Woodman parents both knew that the older Capitol women who were suckers for young tributes would probably sponsor him depending solely on his appearance alone.
He crossed the stage and sat in his seat. He smiled and waved at the cameras. "Hi, Mom!"
Everyone laughed from Dylan's humor, and Timone and Mary found themselves doing so as well. Timone slapped his knee. "That kid is funny!"
Azuria concluded her laughter. "So, Dylan, who else is in your family, besides your mother? Do you have any siblings?"
Dylan shook his head no. "Nah. I have a dad, though - he's really nice. If you met him, I think you'd like him. But I do have two close friends who seem like siblings to me."
Azuria nodded. "So, what was your favorite part about the Capitol?"
"Everything! I also liked Training, but I also love all of you guys." Dylan waved his hands at the audience. They cheered loudly at the compliment, but quieted down quickly, wanting to hear the rest of the interview.
"Is there any special reason you enjoyed Training?"
"Well...I made allies."
"Who, if I may ask?"
Dylan smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out tomorrow," He said, referring to the start of the Hunger Games, which was going to be the following day.
Azuria groaned in mock hurt. "If you insist."
His interview ended soon after that, and at the end he got one of the biggest applauses that night. Mary would want him to win, if Celine didn't. But of course, she knew where her priorities lie.
Right now, Celine was an a roll. Timone and Mary hoped nothing would stop her.
Cleo Embers
Lignite's Ex-Girlfriend. 18 years old.
Cleo hated how District Twelve was always last, in everything. Compared to the Districts, there were one of the poorest. Their tributes always seemed to die in the Bloodbath. In this case, District Twelve was the last District in the interviews. Now she had to sit through, and watch, all the other interviews before getting to Lignite's, which was the very last one.
She still loved Lignite, of course. She still wanted to show him support in the arena, no matter if he came back home or not. No matter how much the school had shunned him out in the past, she wanted to be the one to help him in his crisis.
It wasn't her choice to break up with him.
Cleo looked at the screen and watched as Azuria, the Master of Ceremonies, called Rosemary Fields forward. As the said girl walked in from backstage, Cleo observed her outfit: a silver, glittery dress with a gathered waist, and the skirt of the dress poofed out at the ends; silver heels, a silver tiara, and her hair in a fishtail braid over her shoulder. She looked like a princess.
"Rosemary!" Azuria said to her in a bouncy, excited way. "So nice to see you."
Rosemary seemed a bit shy. "Please, call me Rosie." She said, all the while extending her hand for a shake.
They sat down in their love seats after a while. Azuria asked the first question. "You got a 6 in Training - a relatively high score for an outlying District Tribute. Would you like to share with us how you got it?"
"Well, back home in District Nine, I went to a herbal school for medicine. When I got to the Capitol and we got in Training, I realized there was so much I didn't learn yet. I got to completely master the skill, with the help of you trainers, and I applied it to my Private Session." Rosie concluded. Her eyes had a faraway view, as if reminiscing about District Nine.
"Was herbal school expensive?"
Rosie shook her head. "Not that expensive. Not many people go there, as it wasn't very popular, so their rates were low. However, it was kind of expensive for my family. My parents weren't very rich."
"So, what's your motivation to win?"
"If I go back to District Nine, I'd love to move my family into a bigger house and get them a more luxurious, promising household that they most definitely deserve."
The buzzer went off, so Casimir Moretti was next. As Casimir walked to the stage, Cleo noted that he looked like a sweet little 15 year old. He was wearing a nice black tux, with a pressed white shirt and black tie. His hair was trimmed and neatly trimmed. However, he looked nervous as ever. Maybe he had stage fright.
Azuria, bless her soul, helped him right away. "Casimir, focus on me. Not the crowd or the cameras." She instructed him once he sat down, looking fidgety.
Casimir took a few deep breaths and squeezed his eyes shut. Soon, he opened them again. "I'm ready."
"Okay - that's a start." Azuria nodded in approval. Then she began the question-asking. "What are your thoughts about being up against the Careers? Are you nervous, or do you feel like you can do it?"
The cameras cut to the Careers backstage, who were looking as if they would become furious if he said he could possibly beat him.
Casimir responded, "N-no, I don't think I-I could stand a chance against them. They're all so powerful, and...s-strong. I think they have the best chance of winning." Unfortunately.
The cameras zoomed back in on him.
Azuria smoothly transitioned from subject to subject. "On another note, how far do you believe you will make it in the arena?"
"Maybe past the Bloodbath - I'm not sure." Casimir confessed. "But I do have allies that will protect me. Rosie, Casey, Kinsie, and Dylan are my allies."
Kinsie? Cleo asked herself in her head. How could sweet people like Dylan ally with Kinsie?
Azuria was as shocked as Cleo felt. "Kinsie Surge?"
Casimir nodded, though he looked on the troubled side. Maybe he didn't trust Kinsie, either. After all, she was a spitfire who worked on her own terms. "Yeah."
Azuria asked a few more questions, lightening up the last bits of stage fright Casimir felt. By the end, the audience was roaring with laughter at every joke the 15 year old said. He was back to his optimistic self. He was definitely a crowd favorite - and he would get plenty of sponsors.
Next, was Casey Taurus, the District Ten Female. Cleo knew that the Capitol would probably love how she and her District Partner had matching names, in a way. Taurus and Taurus. They would probably get sponsors on that sole reason alone.
Another reason she would probably get sponsored was because of her looks. Casey was dressed in a white sleeved, lace dress that went down to her mid-thighs. It hugged her curves, and made her look extremely pretty. To accessorize, she had golden stilettos and a golden rose hair clip. Casey looked striking.
Azuria was pleased and eager to greet her. "Casey! You're looking stunning."
Casey smiled, quite humbly. "Same goes for you, Azuria." She complimented, looking at Azuria's beautiful blue gown.
The two both sat into their cathedras, and got comfortable. Azuria began to cross-examine Casey and gave her the third degree. "So, I hear you have achieved a 5 in Training. Congratulations!"
"Why, thank you." The 18 year old smiled sweetly.
"What did you do to obtain that score?"
Casey responded without hesitation. "I tried my very hardest and worked to the best of my ability. My lesson learned is to never give up, and you'll get there eventually."
Azuria continued. "A little bird told me that you are allies with him. True or false?"
Casey seemed a bit confused for a second, but quickly regained her senses and let out a playful laugh. "Oh, you mean Casimir? Yes, it's true. I'm allied with the District Nine pair, Kinsie, and Dylan. All four of them are extremely nice."
Azuria nodded and smiled. "Yes, I've had the pleasure to meet them already. Who do you think is the strongest of the alliance?"
"Well, I'd say Rosie or Kinsie. Rosie is sweet, but can be really strong with a bow in hand, and she can heal well. Kinsie is brave and courageous. Really, both of them are really strong in their own way. Rosie is the brains and Kinsie is the brawns."
Cleo had to admit, Casey was quite an interesting person. She watched a few minutes longer as she was asked more questions, and she was quite sad to see her time was up. Next was Taurus Whittaker.
This ought to be interesting. Taurus was the one who had that breakdown at the District Ten Reapings. He better not have a breakdown during his interview, though. Or else the Capitol might view him as weak. Not to mention the thousands of families watching across the country of Panem.
Cleo's eyes were immediately drawn to Taurus as he walked across the stage. Hoots and hollers rippled across the Capitol audience who were watching in person. Why? Because Taurus was keeping up with the minotaur theme; he was dressed in a leather suit, fake horns, faux septum, and brown dressy shoes. She felt partially sorry for him, but at least he wasn't wearing nothing but coal dust streaked on him. Now he felt District Twelve's pain.
Azuria complimented his outfit straight away. "I love the minotaur theme. It looks great on you!"
Taurus looked a bit pained as he glanced down yet again at his costume, but he kept his smile steady. "Thanks. Hopefully no pretty girls anywhere notice me!"
Everyone laughed at his joke, including Cleo. Soon, Azuria advanced to the second part of the conference. "So, Taurus, what are your thoughts on your District Partner? Some people like to refer to you both as 'Taurus and Taurus'."
The Whittaker boy let out a soft, gentle laugh. "Casey's pretty nice to me. I never met her before we were tributes, so I am glad to have met her."
When Azuria asked him about relatives back home, Taurus looked a bit pained again. His eyes clouded over with sadness, sorrow, and loss. Nevertheless, he kept going. "My mother died," His voice broke, but he went on, "when I was a young boy. I didn't really know my father."
Azuria's expression softened. "Did you live on the streets, then?"
Taurus disagreed by shaking his head. "No. I actually got taken in by my Aunt Cheryl. She's been a good replacement, but it hasn't been the same."
Cleo felt kind of bad for the kid. All he wanted was just a home and to fit in. She hoped the crowd realized that. She kind of wanted him to make it far in the arena.
Just before the buzzer rang, moments later, the Master of Ceremonies asked, "Do you have any advice for future tributes?"
Taurus nodded. "My advice is that no matter how strong, brave, shy, or weak you are, you just have to keep going. Push through the pain and suffering. You can do it - I know you can."
Azuria wiped away a pretend tear. "That was lovely advice, Taurus."
"Thank you. I am so honored to meet you this night."
His time was up, so he travelled backstage once more. The latterly tribute up next was Isobel Wild, also known as Seeder's granddaughter. Cleo wondered what it would be like, to be a Victor's relative in the Games. She was almost certain Isobel's Reapings were rigged. The 18 year old felt bad for her and her family.
Isobel looked somewhat like a girly-girl. She was stuffed into a poofy pink dress with pink high heels, and her dark hair was pulled back by the same color headband. She looked quite charming, and really pulled off the 'sweet' look. Isobel glided towards her seat, and gave Azuria a friendly hug before sitting down.
"So, Isobel, what was your favorite thing about the Capitol?"
Isobel smiled brightly, and contemplated about the question. Finally, she responded, "All of you guys, of course. You provided such wonderful entertainment, food, and supplies. Everyone here is awfully generous. I had such a great time here!"
The Capitol audience screamed and yelled their approval. Cleo, however, thought she saw a glint of fiction in Isobel's eyes. If Isobel was lying, which was most likely, she was doing a good job of it.
Isobel was next inquired if she was trained back in District Eleven if she ever got Reaped. Her answer was: "Yes, my grandmother taught me her secrets and trades from when she was in the arena. For that I thank her. Without her help I wouldn't have gotten an 8!"
Azuria smiled, happy for her. "So, did you live in Victor's Village back home?"
"Better believe it. It was an amazing experience living there. You could have everything a girl in District Eleven could desire!" She exclaimed, earning a laugh from the crowd.
Her humorous performance ended once the alarm signaled her time up, so she hopped back to backstage so she could relax in relief that it was over.
The next tribute on was Quince Lazarre, the second-to-last male that they would be seeing that evening. As he walked to his seat, he looked incredibly dashing in a black, formal suit that had two buttons buttoned up but the rest open. To make it look more casual, he had a deep purple polo shirt underneath, with his hair mostly combed and slicked back. He strided to his correct spot, the picture of innocence.
He smiled warmly at Azuria. "Hello." Quince said smoothly in his deep, 18 year old voice.
She greeted him back with a handshake. "Nice to finally meet you! Tell me, how have things been going back home before you were Reaped?"
Cleo watched the screen as Quince hesitated. Soon, he gathered his senses to respond. "My family hasn't been the best in the world, but we were doing pretty okay, I think."
Azuria's eyes grew as wide as an owl's. "Was it financial problems?"
Quince frowned. "Partially, I guess. We weren't the richest people around. But it was mostly since my brother moved out, after a fight with my parents over his fiancee. That was a long time ago, but I still miss him. He was a really nice brother, but now he's been sort of neglecting our family."
"Who is your favorite relative?"
Quince's eyebrows knit together. "I don't really want to play favorites, but one of my favorite relatives is my younger sister. She's really sweet, and kind. If you'd see her, you'd enjoy her company as well."
"I'm sure I would. You're very lucky - I don't have any siblings."
The two continued talking for a little, and Azuria brought up another subject. "Quince, do you consider yourself a likable person?"
"I suppose. Back in the District, I tried to help out everyone as much as I possibly could. After all, my parents always said that if you do good deeds, people will remember you when you die."
Azuria told him, "You are most definitely going to be remembered by us, Quince. By 'us', I mean the Capitol. You are an amazing person. Don't let your talents go to waste." She winked secretively at him.
Before he could ask what she meant, the buzzer rang and he was sent to backstage. A lump formed in Cleo's throat as she realized, in approximately three minutes, she would be seeing Lignite around. But first, she had to get through this next interview. The next interviewee was the District Twelve Female, Delia Montgomery. Cleo had never seen her around the District before but she seemed like an okay person. Judging from the way she acted when she was Reaped, she didn't seem like a person to mess with.
A hush fell over the crowd as the beautiful Delia emerged from backstage and pranced toward her seat. Again, the males of all ages in the crowd were staring at her long, hair-free legs, which flashed underneath her dress. Speaking of her dress, it was a black and red short dress that poofed around her mid thigh with a hoop skirt. It was sleeveless. Her hair was curled and otherwise left untouched. Her makeup was severely, and heavily, piled onto her face to match the 'flirty' angle she was supposed to be acting. Cleo was immediately jealous of Delia's looks. Even though when Lignite and her were dating he told her everyday that she was the most beautiful girl in Panem, she knew she didn't compare to what Delia looked like. Cleo tossed her dark halo of ringlets over her shoulder and tried to concentrate. Now is not the time to get jealous of other girls.
Delia smiled flirtatiously and winked at everyone in the crowd, making some people throw flowers at her. She caught one, kissed it, and threw it back into the crowd. When a teenage boy caught it, he seemed really happy.
Finally, the interview could get started for real. Azuria first complimented her on her clothes, makeup, and her appearance in general. Delia smiled at each admiration Azuria made and acted bashful, like it was no big deal. Finally, the interesting questions rolled around when Azuria commented, "The Capitol is wonderful, is it not?"
Delia nodded, happy to get a chance to finally jump in. "I know! It's amazing and beautiful here. All the people are so nice and kind. I always wanted to visit here, ever since I was a little girl, and now that I'm finally here I'm so excited. I would love to come back if I win the Games."
Azuria raised an eyebrow. "You say 'if'. Do you not have faith in yourself to win the 76th Annual Hunger Games?"
"Well, I'll sure try, but a lot of people have a better chance than me. Take the Careers, for example. They got solid scores of 10s and 9s." She laughed quite bitterly. "I only got a 5."
Azuria said, "Well, try not to put yourself down. I'm sure you'll get many sponsors!"
The remains of the three minutes passed by like a flash. Soon enough, it was Lignite's turn.
Cleo felt like hyperventilating. This was her Lignite, that she was going to see after the many long days of waiting to see him live. And here he finally was. She wondered what his angle would be.
The moment Lignite stepped out from backstage, she felt like she was sucker punched in the gut. Just seeing him again took her breath away. Her former boyfriend was clad in a simple tuxedo, and a red bowtie. Cleo felt tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. If he was the old Lignite and hadn't dumped her, what if they had gotten married? Would he have looked like that at their wedding?
She got lost in thoughts are she imagined her and Lignite dancing to their first song together under the light of a thousand stars. Cutting into their wedding cake with their wrist intertwined. Cleo fast-forwarded to a few years, and pretended to watch their children grow up. Hopefully there would have been a rebellion at that time, and their kids would be free from the burden of the Games. They would've lived a happy lifetime.
It could've been happily ever after.
Cleo was so lost inside her imagination that she almost missed Azuria greeting Lignite hello. Thankfully, she didn't. Azuria was just saying, " -a pleasure, Lignite."
Lignite didn't respond but just sat down on his seat. Cleo thought that maybe his angle was supposed to be like that Thresh from two years ago, only saying yes or no to each question to try and be mysterious. Hmm. She would have to wait and see.
Azuria looked a bit mystified by his silence, but just kept going. "So how was life back in District Twelve?"
Cleo cringed. That was the wrong question to ask. Azuria didn't know, so it wasn't her mistake, but boy, how was Lignite going to react to that?
Luckily, he kept his cool. "Life wasn't that well, but I managed to get along." Lignite said. Cleo let out a sigh of relief, but was briefly offended. Didn't she mean anything to him, even though they did break up?
Azuria, fortunately, didn't inquire further, probably noticing it was a sore subject for him. So she continued asking questions, which Lignite either gave a mysterious or one-word answer to. Her last question she managed to pose to him before the buzzer rang off was: "Did you make any friends here?"
Cleo didn't hear his answer.
Not because he spoke too quiet.
Not because the buzzer rang already.
Not because she didn't' want to.
It was because she had curled up and dropped her head between her knees. And from there, Cleo wept and wept until even her hair was damp from crying.
She just wanted him to come home.
Taurus Whittaker
District Ten Male. 17 years old.
"Baby you understand me now,
If sometimes you see I'm mad,
Don't you know that no one alive can always be an angel?
When everything goes wrong you see some bad."
That night was a magical night for Taurus. Everything had gone absolutely perfect, from the start of his interview to the end of it. Casey had done well, too, and they had made the Capitol pleased, which was a hard feat to accomplish. Everything was awesome at the moment. No worries. Taurus could just almost forget that the Bloodbath was tomorrow, signaling the start of the Games.
Taurus and Casey planned to watch the recap of their interviews while sitting on the couch stuffing themselves with lots of food that they would probably not get to eat again in their lifetimes.
They stepped out of the elevator, on their floor already. The two smiled at each other gleefully, and Casey twisted the doorknob to their apartment.
Before the door was even fully opened, Taurus knew that there was no sound being uttered inside. That was weird. Their escorts and stylists should've been there already, and maybe their mentors. When Casey opened the door fully, she gasped in horror and clapped both of her hands to her slack-jawed mouth. She dropped to her knees and just kept staring. Eventually, she removed her hands from her face. Her mouth was forming words but no sound came out.
Taurus stepped around her to see what the fuss was all about. He gasped, horrified, once he saw what was there.
Written across the floor, in blood, was written: Eagle.
Song(s) Used -
Beetee Latier: "Smarter Than You" (sung by The Undertones)
Roy Lentz: "Survivor" (sung by Destiny's Child)
Primrose Everdeen: "Read All About It, Part lll" (sung by Emeli Sande)
Celine Woodman: "Crazy" (sung by Gnarls Barkley)
Woodman Family: N/A
Cleo Embers: N/A
Taurus Whittaker: "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (sung by Nina Simone)
So, these were the last of the interviews? Any favorites, least favorites, or thoughts? What did you think about the cliffhanger, and what do you think it means? This was the longest chapter I've ever written as of yet at over 10,000 words. I hope you enjoyed it!
The next chapter is going to be the Bloodbath. The Pre-Games were such an amazing journey, and I love all the support you guys sent me within these 28 chapters. You, my readers, are the absolute best. No matter who I kill off next chapter, please know it was a really hard decision. I love every single one of my tributes, and it'll be hard to let them go.
On another note, if you want to submit to an awesome, amazing SYOT, check out Kgunzrok's newly posted one. It's called "Time Stands Still: 20th Hunger Games SYOT". Trust me, you'll love it - now go ahead and submit! Kgunzrok was the lovely submitter of our very own Kinsie Surge.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
