Kubi Quince, 13
District Three
Kubi woke up from possibly the deepest sleep he'd ever had to the sound of a knock at his door. "Who is it?" he asked groggily.
"It's Merik," answered the deep voice from the other side. "Are you awake?"
"I just woke up."
"Great. Today are the interviews, so don't worry about getting dressed or anything because your prep team will take care of that for you. But you should brush your teeth and have some breakfast. Got it?"
"Gotcha."
"OK. I'll see you in a bit."
No matter how hard he tried, Kubi could not wrap his head around the fact that he was a competitor in the Events. Even though he had a full month of warning before the Events started, it still seemed like a dream, like something that he had conjured up in his wildest imagination but that could not possibly be real life. The Capitol was such an opulent place, so packed to the brim with things to do and people of all shapes and sizes and colors that it was incredibly overwhelming. It was not in the slightest where Kubi wanted to be.
Kubi knew that no competitor had spent their life training for the Events, considering they'd only existed for a couple of years. He also knew that many children in Three hoped for nothing more than to be picked for the Events, and he was sure that other people in other districts were equally excited for the opportunity. Kubi just wasn't one of those people. He knew that he should be grateful for the opportunity, but he just… wasn't. He would much rather be watching the Events, not participating in the Events; all of this attention and fussing and chaos was just not Kubi's speed.
Of course, Kubi also knew not to advertise the fact that he didn't want to be here. For one thing, he wasn't bold or brave enough to say how he was really feeling. Even if his dice told him to be cynical, selfish, and rude, Kubi had a feeling that he was too meek to say how he really felt. More importantly, he didn't want to ruin this experience for Kamela; the two hadn't talked much, but Kubi knew that he would feel bad if she didn't get the experience that she wanted because Kubi didn't want to be a part of the Events. So as much as Kubi wanted to give up, to throw in the towel and try to lose so he could just go home, he knew that it would be a disservice to Kamela to do that. The last thing Kubi wanted to do was ruin his chances at friendship with Kamela. He'd never felt accepted by anyone before, and Kubi knew that being accepted by Kamela in the first place would be an uphill battle for him because of her personality quirks. So as much as it would be a struggle for him to do so, Kubi was going to do his best to do his best, to make sure Kamela got the opportunity she wanted.
Provided, of course, that his dice played along.
Groggily, Kubi eased himself out of bed and went into the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth and washed his face. As soon as he left his room, he was intercepted by his prep team members and whisked to… the common area.
Kubi was confused. "Aren't we starting styling?"
"We don't need to quite yet," explained Dromo, the head of Kubi's prep team. "To be rather frank, you're a boy, so you need less makeup and way less time. Take your time and eat something, and then we'll get going." Kubi quietly followed instructions, eating some pancakes, a few strips of bacon, a plateful of eggs and a glass of orange juice. When he was done, his prep team led him back to his room, where they began the process of preparing Kubi for the interviews. Kubi sat in the bath for what felt like days, letting them fill and empty the tub over and over with seemingly endless permutations of soaps and lotions and bath bombs. Finally, Dromo declared Kubi ready for hair and makeup. Kubi was given a white undershirt and a pair of black shorts to put on while his prep team worked on him. Once he was covered, Three's mentors, Byte and Alexei, came into the room to work with Kubi to figure out his interview angle.
"So, what are you thinking for your interview?" asked Alexei, taking a seat on Kubi's bed as the prep team continued to fuss around the younger boy.
"I mean, it's pretty straightforward to me," Kubi replied. "I have my dice. Tonight, I'll give them a roll and that'll tell me what angle to use."
Byte raised her eyebrows. "Don't you think that's a bit of a risk?"
"What do you mean?"
"These Events are all about popularity," explained Byte. "To succeed, you need the other competitors to like you, so they don't send you into the elimination challenge. You also need the Capitol audience to like you, so they don't send you into the elimination challenge. I don't know so much about all of your dice-generated personalities because I haven't seen them all, at least I don't think. But if your dice yield a personality that makes you unfavorable, it could tank your and Kamela's chances of winning."
Kubi thought for a moment. "That makes sense. And, I feel most comfortable when I'm any one of the three versions of myself that appear when I roll these dice. Being just plain me on stage is not something I'm particularly interested in doing, and I'm going to feel way more comfortable if I can put forward one of my personas. And anyway, two of the three personalities aren't bad. That's good odds, right?"
Alexei and Byte looked at each other. "Would you really feel more comfortable if you roll those dice?" Alexei asked.
"Yes. I really would."
"All right," relented Byte. "Just… please don't do anything that'll really mess up your chances."
"I'll try."
Once Byte and Alexei had left, Kubi's stylist, Watson, came in to get Kubi dressed. Kubi changed from the black shorts into a pair of black briefs, then put on a white dress shirt, black slacks, and a District Three yellow tie and a vest in his selected shade of orange. When he was dressed, his stylists handed him orange high-top shoes with yellow accents, which Kubi carefully laced on. Once he was all ready and approved by Watson, Kubi asked for a moment to collect himself before going down to the basement for the interviews. His team obliged, leaving Kubi alone in his room with his thoughts for the first time that day.
Kubi took a deep breath, then searched through his suitcase for the small pouch in which he kept his dice. He took a die out of the pouch and rolled them around in his hands. This was the most important roll he'd ever make. A part of him wanted to roll a good number so that he and Kamela could do well in the Events, but a part of him wanted to roll a bad number to up the odds that he could be done competing and be a normal spectator instead. Taking a deep breath, he jostled the die around and threw it onto the table. And while he didn't want to say it, the die yielded precisely the result he wanted.
It was a three.
Xayah Amano, 17
District Eleven
As Xayah sat waiting on her bed, she couldn't help but notice her leg shaking under the white fabric of her dress. She knew that she didn't have much of a reason to be anxious; as someone who was used to performing in front of people, the prospect of sitting alone, with Dorian, in front of millions of people didn't really make her nervous. And she would have an interpreter, so she wouldn't have to worry about communicating with the audience. Yet, she felt her palms sweating and her heart racing, and she could do nothing to stop it.
What could possibly be making her so nervous?
Before Xayah could figure it out, she heard a knock on the door. Xayah turned around and opened the door to find Ivie waiting for her. "Ready to go?" Ivie asked. Xayah held up one finger, then turned towards her mirror to give herself one last look-over. Her stylist had dressed her simply, in a floor-length white gown with a little bunch of fabric at the waist accented by a surprisingly pretty Eleven brown flower and a pair of low white heels. Her hair had been pulled back in an elaborate updo that was accented by the same brown flower, and she was wearing pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. Somehow, Xayah's stylist had put together a mature white outfit that didn't look too bridal, a feat that Xayah very much appreciated.
Smoothing out her dress one last time as an excuse to wipe the sweat off of her palms, Xayah turned back around and followed Mallory to the elevator, which took her and the rest of the Thirteen team down to the basement of the training center. When the doors opened, Xayah and April said goodbye to their mentors before following a man in a black suit to a room in which almost all of the competitors were already milling around. A moment later, when Five's competitors arrived, the competitors were called to attention by a woman who introduced herself as Portia Andeers.
"Is everyone ready for the interviews? Or at least as ready as they can be? Great. Here's how this is going to work. There are 28 of you, so you've been divided into four groups of seven. Each group will be led to the wings by a stage manager where you'll wait for the duration of your entire group, and then you'll be led back here to the green room. Your groups are also listed in order, but the stage management team all have lists of who goes after whom, so if you have any questions please ask anyone in all black. While you're back here, feel free to talk and hang out, but listen for instructions so that we can keep the interviews moving. At this time, I need Paisley, Theodosia, Mettius, Xayah, April, Pax Imperioli, and Sigmund to please follow me to the stage; you'll be going for your interviews in that order. Again, ask stage managers if you have any questions, and break legs!"
Portia turned on her heels and walked out, the seven competitors following her up to the wings where they were arranged in order. As they walked, Xayah noticed her heartbeat quickening again. She expected to feel the same rush of adrenaline that she used to feel before performances, but it didn't feel quite the same; it felt more like nervousness than nerves. But what could she possibly be nervous about?
Suddenly, Xayah felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped a little bit, then turned around to find Mettius standing there with a smile on eir face. "Hi," signed Mettius.
"Oh, hey," Xayah replied. "How was your day?"
"It was good," Mettius replied. "A lot of prep work."
"I can see that." Mettius was wearing what might have been the most detailed outfit for a non-female competitor, a three-piece ombre suit that moved from a very pale blue to a slightly less pale blue at the bottom, with a gold tie and blue shoes that blended into the ombre. Eir face was made up to look like ice, and ey wore a crown that looked like it was made of ice shards.
"Are you nervous?"
"A little bit. But I'm used to being in front of people from when I was able to sing, so I don't think I'll be very nervous. You?"
"I mean, definitely a little bit. But I'm excited to share my story and raise awareness for the deaf community. This is the biggest stage I could ask for to share my experiences."
The two fell silent for a moment. Xayah was sure that the other competitors around her could hear her heart pounding out of her chest. Even Mettius's presence wasn't calming her nerves.
"Did a doctor come to talk to you yesterday?" Mettius asked.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"She came to me too. She mentioned that they had a way to give me hearing aids to fix my ears so that I could hear."
"And what did you say?"
"I told her no. She said there were ways to accommodate me without giving me hearing aids, so why give in to hearing society? Honestly, even if the doctor hadn't said that they could accommodate me, I still probably would have said no and made them figure out an accommodation anyway. There is no real reason that they shouldn't be able to; it would just be unfair, and I think everyone would be able to see that." Mettius stopped for a second, then asked, "What did you say?"
Xayah took a deep breath. "I told her that I needed to think about it. To have to make that kind of decision so soon before the Events, which are also a really big deal, was overwhelming to me. I need more time."
"That's good that you're taking time to think. I'm glad that the Capitol didn't pressure you into doing something you don't need."
"What do you mean?"
"There's sign language. There are alternative devices. There's no reason to conform to traditional abilities, to the society of people who are fully able, when they have the capacity to make small changes in their lives to accommodate those of us who are different from them."
Fortunately for Xayah, who simply did not know how to respond, a stage manager came up and beckoned to Mettius to follow her to the stage. Xayah turned around to watch Mettius's interview.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen," Dorian announced. "Our next competitor is a leader in the fight for those with invisible disabilities. Ey has not let eir deafness stop em from making a big difference in eir school and eir country. A reminder to please use the silent clapping to show em your affection so that ey can hear you, and to use ey/em pronouns when referring to em. And now, let's welcome Mettius Dunebreaker!"
As Mettius walked out onto the stage, it suddenly occurred to Xayah why she was so nervous. Without a voice, it had been difficult for her to make friends, and yet she had managed to befriend someone from almost an opposite background because of their shared challenges. And now she had the opportunity to overcome that challenge, but in the easiest way possible, to go back as if nothing had happened and maybe even to be able to sing again. The whole thing was both exciting and nervewracking, but one thing in particular scared her.
If she chose to get her voice back, would that be letting Mettius down? And would ey even want to be friends with her?
March Porcher, 17
District Four
The woman in the mirror was gorgeous, by far the prettiest Marilyn had ever looked. Her hair had been straightened and then curled to give her even prettier beachy waves, her green eyes popped and sparkled even more than normal, and her tan skin glowed like that of a newborn baby. And her dress! The floor-length number was sparkly and slinky, showing off her breasts and butt and accenting her eyes even more. Somehow, March's stylist had managed to make poop brown look good, probably by using Four's blue on the underside of the sequins to create the illusion of waves crashing against dark sand.
If March was Marilyn, March would be thrilled. But March was decidedly not Marilyn, as far as they were concerned. And the more that March looked in the mirror, the more anxious they felt, the less they felt like themself. This was not an unusual feeling for March; it happened every time they dressed up for a family or Academy event. March enjoyed parts of the process of getting dressed up, namely the makeup part. Yet March was also aware that makeup was an incredibly feminized thing which made them feel somewhat uncomfortable with liking the art form. Perhaps someday, when March was ready to come out and live as the man they knew they were, they'd be able to figure out how to work with makeup in such a way that made them feel comfortable with using something that was known for its feminine connections. But as much as it pained March, they still weren't ready to come out, to reveal their true self. Hopefully, March would someday feel comfortable enough to come out, and they had a feeling that, when they came out, they would finally figure out all of these complicated contradictions that seemed to follow him around.
Of course, one contradiction would be resolved: a person known for their bravery would finally be brave enough to come out.
March was shaken out of their thoughts by the voice of a stage manager, calling for everyone in the third interview group to join them in the hallway, where they would be lined up for their interviews. They took one last look in the mirror before turning and exiting the room, along with six other competitors. The seven teens were led up to the wings, where they were placed in order. And when March saw who was ahead of them, their heart sank. March had been hoping not to have their interview anywhere near Mina or Titania. Somehow, all three were in the same group, separated only by the girl from Six.
How could March do their interview as a closeted genderfluid individual when they were pretty much right after two out trans women?
March felt their nerves shoot up as Mina walked out onto the stage. At least they didn't have to directly follow that woman. There was something about Mina that was simply enthralling. She just oozed confidence in herself, she was unconventionally pretty, and she just seemed like the kindest person. And her voice had such a unique tone; it was somewhat low, like most trans' women's voices, yet was so smooth and sultry that it made March swoon.
No! Focus. Mina was a pretty girl, sure, but girls were too often the downfall of tributes. Admittedly, March's life was not directly on the line here, but if they won, it might make his parents more likely to accept them as they were. March could not let her be their downfall. As much as they might want to get to know her, it would be better for them to keep their distance to increase the chances of them winning; after all, if March wanted to win, it meant Mina couldn't.
As March listened to Mina's interview, they felt their own nerves skyrocket even more. Mina was so open and well-spoken about her experiences as a trans woman, about the way that she had become a stronger person through her experiences with dysphoria yet being calculatedly candid with how she still struggled with those feelings, and about how previous Events competitors inspired her to come out to her parents the year before. March could not help but compare themself to her; how could they possibly give any form of coherent interview following that?
Fortunately, they had some time after Mina's interview to collect themself. Unfortunately, that time was partly filled by Titania, who spoke just as eloquently about her experiences. She had also gained courage to come out thanks to Chloe. How had March, who was somehow known for their bravery, not found the courage to come out thanks to Chloe? That feeling that they weren't good enough, that they were nothing but a fraud who put on a brave face but could never back it up crept up again, bubbling in their stomach until they felt like they were going to throw up. Feeling like a fraud was not an abnormal feeling for March, but it rarely came on this strongly, and it almost never came on without some sort of direct prompt, someone telling Marilyn how brave of a person she was. But this was such a strong wave of emotion that March could barely take it. They felt like they were spiraling down into a pit of despair so deep that there was no way they could crawl out of it.
"Next up, please welcome our beauty from District Four, Marilyn Porcher!"
Fuck.
March gave their head a quick shake and walked on stage, putting on the brave face that they were so used to putting on in Four and striding into the stage using the confident walk that they had mastered. They knew the persona that everyone was expecting to see from them: bold, loud, forward, and courageous. And while March was more than used to wearing this persona, this was the most March had ever struggled to keep it on. They managed to keep it up throughout their interview, bantering back and forth with Dorian and bragging about their various escapades and dares. But pretending that they were someone that they didn't think they were felt even emptier than it normally did. Finally, Dorian asked the kicker question: "Why do you feel like you embody courage?"
March took a second to think. "I embody courage because I'm willing to do almost anything that anyone dares me to do, even if it puts my life on the line."
"That is very brave. I think we're about out of time. Ladies and gentlemen, Marilyn Porcher!"
March kept their mask on until they got off stage, then made a beeline to a chair where they sat down and broke down in tears.
Why were they willing to do almost anything that anyone dared them to do, but not the one thing that they probably needed to do the most?
Pax di Fiore Altomare, 17
District One
Pax was not thrilled about going so late in the interview process. Once upon a time, he would have been the second competitor to go for the interviews. But with Ruby's whole new fairness thing, he was the second competitor to go – in the last group! It was almost like torture waiting for all the other people to go before Pax could finally get a turn on stage.
But now Pax's turn was finally here! All he had to do was wait for Herman to finish his interview and Pax could finally get a crack at the stage to show the Capitol audience what he was made of. Of course, the stage had to make it through Herman's interview first. And that didn't seem to be a horribly likely outcome; Herman had begun his interview by knocking over Dorian's glass of water, spilling the liquid all over Dorian's lap in an unfortunate turn of events. Pax wasn't particularly worried about following that boy. He was nice enough, but nothing compared to a Career like Pax.
Once Herman's interview was over, Pax smoothed out his maroon dress pants, gave his silver bow tie a little tweak, and stood up nice and tall, to come out onto the stage in the most Career-like way that he could. Pax had a legacy to uphold in this interview, and he was fully prepared to show everyone else how strong and powerful of a Career he was.
"Welcome, Pax!" Dorian began. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing great, Dorian. How are you today?"
"I'm doing well, thank you very much. How have you enjoyed your time in the Capitol thus far?"
"I've enjoyed it a lot! I've always wanted to visit this city, so it's really incredible to have the chance!"
"So tell me about your life in One! What made you want to come visit the Capitol?"
Pax relaxed a little bit in his chair. "Well, I've spent my whole life training for the Games, to follow in a long, long line of Altomares."
"Oh! Have you had family win the Games?"
"No."
"Have you had family in the Games?"
"Nope."
"So what line of Altomares are you following?"
"Altomares who have trained for the Games but haven't made it in."
"How many Altomares have trained and not made it in?"
Pax started to count. "Well, there was Alabaster Altomare, then Majesty Altomare, then Polo Altomare, then-"
"I guess there have been a lot of Altomares, then. Were you hoping to train to be like them, or to surpass them?"
"Obviously, I wanted to surpass them. I trained to be picked for the Games! That's what we all train for."
Pax couldn't quite figure out why Dorian looked confused. The interviewer shook his head and changed the subject. "So I'm guessing that this is how you fit the value of commitment."
"That's right!" Pax perked up. "No family in One has been more dedicated and committed to training than we Altomares have been. And our efforts in training have finally been rewarded!"
"By being given a slot in the Events."
"Yes! Our district finally recognizes the hard work we've put into training over all these years."
"Were you disappointed when you didn't get picked for the Games?"
"A little bit," Pax admitted. "But I don't have to worry about dying in the Games, which is a plus, and I can still bring honor to One."
"That is true. Do you think your training will come in handy during the Events?"
"Of course! I've been working hard for many years to sharpen my skills. I'm bound to be able to put those skills to good use. I am determined to win, and I'm sure my skillset will lead me to my goal. Otherwise, what is my training good for?"
"So, tell me about the time that you've spent in the Capitol! What did you do with your free day?"
"Me and a bunch of other competitors were hanging out talking about some strategy for the Events."
"Oh, some strategy! Can you give us a clue into what that strategy might be?"
If Pax had looked to the wings while answering the question, he would have seen Mack, who was immediately after him, gesturing wildly. And that would maybe, possibly, perhaps have gotten Pax to stop talking. Perhaps Pax would have noticed the growing scowl on Oksana's face, clueing him in to the fact that something was up with what he was saying. Unfortunately for a number of people, mostly Pax, really, Pax did not look to the wings. Even if he had looked that way and actually understood the signs that were being communicated to him by those watching in the wings, Pax's tenacity was so great and he was so unable to pick up on those sorts of social cues that he probably would have continued bowling on with what he was already planning on saying anyway.
"I mean, isn't it obvious? There's no better way to approach the Events than an alliance."
"An alliance!" Dorian looked really interested now. "With whom?"
"With the other Careers. Who else? We're all trained, so we're all targets. Why not protect ourselves from each other by working together? It's what Careers have been doing for generations. Noel and Pax were really smart to put it together."
"That's a very smart move! I think we have time for one last question. If you don't win, what are your plans for after the Events?"
Pax was confused. "After the Events?"
"Yeah. You're going to be going home after this. What do you want to do with your life?"
"I… I never really thought about that."
Suddenly, the buzzer went off. "Well, I think you'll have time to figure it out. Thank you so much, Pax di Fiore Altomare!"
Pax gave the audience a smile and a wave as he exited the stage. But inside, he was much more conflicted. He had spent his entire life training for the Games; making it to the Events had essentially fulfilled his goals. But now he had no goals, no aspirations, no plans. Life was just this big, endless void ahead of him that Pax would need to navigate through. And that prospect was overwhelming and terrifying.
Pax was so overwhelmed by the prospect of figuring out his life that he didn't even notice the other interviews taking place afterwards. Before he knew it, he was being led back to the green room with the other competitors in his group, where he was met by seven very angry Careers. "What's wrong, guys?"
"Pax. The whole point of the Career alliance was to keep it a secret," Pax Imperioli attempted to explain.
"But why keep it a secret? There are always Careers."
"True, but this is the first Events where there are eliminations in them. There was no need for us to stick to the precedent of having a Career alliance, so the other competitors weren't necessarily going to target us. But now that other competitors know we're working together, they're gonna target us no question. If we lose even one challenge, we're probably toast."
"Oh. That's not good."
"No, Pax. No it is not."
Well, so much for a secret Career alliance, huh?
What did you think of the interviews? Do you remember what a three was for Kubi, and if so, how well did that interview go? What dod you think about March's internal conflict? Did Xayah make the right choice so far, and what choice do you think she'll eventually make? What about her relationship with Mettius here? And what will be the fallout from all of Pax's realizations?
We're going to pick up again in two weeks with the transport to Thirteen! I'm debating exactly which POVs to feature in that chapter (they're all written I'm just thinking of redistributing) so it'll just be a ~surprise~! See you soon!
-goldie031