chapter 02: face on a paperback

She squealed loudly and his head turned before any thoughts could be shaped. A smooth hand attached itself to his chin and captured its owner.

"You look stunning, my dear," Her voice was raised with the highest of approval: Every word she spoke must have been dipped in honey - it's sweetness attempting to suffocate any form of resistance. "Show me your new smile! They must have outdone themselves for you."

The pulling apart of his lips was no easy task. He had done it all his life, and, surely, until his last day a smile would accompany him. But today, a grimace rather than a beam revealed perfection underneath. A flawless row of pearl white behind his lips. His tongue still had to adjust. Where to put that thing exactly now? Everything he touched was - Cylia burst into approval. Her hand moved his face left and right as dark eyes inspected every tooth individually.

"Cylia, you are leaving marks on my jaw," Caesar murmured under the pressure of long colourful nails digging into his chin.

Her shoulders lowered and the strong grip withdrew from his face, "You are right. Everyone will want to see that smile." A calmer grin widened her cheeks and she inspected her planner again. Careful scratches of a black pen instructed their every move for today. "The interview is scheduled until three. I cannot go in with you, but-" with a snap the agenda closed. Pages were littered with notes in between. Both pen and agenda had been laid aside as her hands came to tighten his tie. "I know you can do your best. We've come so far already. This is much easier than-"

"Than convincing the President I am the ideal candidate?" The odd teeth beamed on his face again.

She shook her head, "That, too. But this is not only President Snow, understood?"

Understood. There was a new risk today. He knew it, too. The first time the Capitol would see his face. How would everyone react? Was he the ideal host? The best the Capitol had to offer? That was theirs to judge, although Caesar long had made up his mind about such facts.

"I believe in you," Cylia whispered. A faint sound, but enough to interrupt his worries, "And I believe in my choices. They have never been wrong." She laughed and his lips parted into a smile, too.

"Thank you," he answered. "You are rather reassuring today."

Cylia's hands stuck at his tie. Her decision to sponsor him must not have come easy. Candidates without a sponsor could not proceed in the audition and the richest or most famous competition had found themselves with several sponsors contending to manage their future winner. Teeth dug into his lower lip. He never dared to question why she had picked him; maybe her heart beat for underdogs or her mind picked someone without support but a hint of talent. Just when he was about to ask, she withdrew.

"It's time for you to go," her reply was oddly quiet. Yet, Cylia stepped aside and hugged her schedule. For a moment she seemed lost. An unknown darkness loomed on him. He tried to hold onto it, but even before questions could be asked, the gloom faded away. Had he only imagined it? She slipped away from his side, chin held up higher than ever. It was about time to leave. Confidence held his shoulders high. If anyone could do it, then it was him.

The door opened to a small studio.

Limelight pierced deeply through his eyes. Crew members were busy fixing the remaining devices around the two chairs. These items were present in the middle of the room; too easy to notice and all attention naturally fell upon the silk furniture. In print, the text was polished to suit every reader, but his initial performance mattered greatly. Panem could only be convinced in this one interview. Hands rubbed his knuckles and fingers reached for a worn ring on his pointer. A steady grip twisted and turned the gold. Perfection parted again and white plastered on his face. His reckless smile threw any doubts away. Shoulders lifted: He was ready.

"Caesar!" Strength radiated from a voice before its origin could be taken in. Glistening brown eyes watched him carefully. She was young, maybe about his age and a dark hand reached to shake his. Oh. Her handshake outshined his confidence. Except — there was more, even in the gentle way she had raised his name. A hint of mystery tugging at his calling. The mere certainty in her eyes knew all the cards he was to play before laying them out. Her makeup was bold, too, not because so many colours accompanied her, but because she had used so little. A silver lipstick and eyeshadow. Nothing more than that; not that she needed it — she stood out just fine.

"Azuree Underberie. I will be interviewing you today." The woman gestured toward the seats.

So, the round of question was to begin. A long path stretched before him, but it was far from dark: All corners in this room illuminated every word, placed it in a new light and brought upon every angle of its meaning. Truth was, Caesar felt oddly excited.

She was new; that much he could tell. Capitol Couture had long reached an active readership among the rich and famous - and these who aspired to be just that. In short, everyone read the magazine. Caesar was no exception: every word had been sought, re-read and stomached ever since he had been young enough to read. The usual Capitol drama, the interviews of tributes and victors. Her name yet had to be made on these pages. Maybe they were not so different after all.

The electronic recorder turned on with a click.

"How are you doing? It must have been a few nervous weeks for you!" Azuree started. He noticed the red light blinking and his soon-to-be-typical wide smile approached his lips.

"Nervous clearly is an understatement. You need to feel my hands, they haven't been as sweaty ever since I wanted to become class president." Instead of hands digging into his trousers, they turned openly on his lap and lifted into mid-air. The world's a stage, and he was ready to capture it.

Azuree offered a half-hearted chuckle. Her quick view moved on from his hands back to his face. "Tell me, how are you feeling about becoming Panem's next sensation?"

Shoulders rolled back in the seat and one leg swung above the other. Cylia had exercised him in being interviewed, but every question deserved its consideration. Eventually, hands folded and he cleared his throat: "I didn't think I would make the cut. The chances seemed stacked against me, if I can speak honestly with you-" brief eyes glanced up to Azuree's nod. "I was scared. I thought no one would take me seriously, but they did. Maybe the gamemakers wanted a type and that happened to be me."

"Some of the auditions certainly speak in your favour," Azuree said. She was right; the televised auditions had split the Capitol in excitement, but not only the jury placed him among the most popular.

"Oh, maybe to you out there! But when you are in there, all that matters is you and the jury. If they don't like you -" his hand waves before his throat and lips pull into a grimace. "I cannot say that it wasn't fun, but ever so nerve-wrecking!"

There is silence. She didn't laugh. Instead, her view drew back to the paper as she likely regarded her questions carefully: "We have heard that you have shaken up the Games significantly already. Is there anything you might already tell us?"

"Plenty. Too many that I really cannot mention yet," a mysterious smile and he moved closer. Elbows pushed inside his thighs. "I might be allowed to share one thing: This year, I will meet the victors eye-to-eye."

"How so?" Azuree asked.

"No details, no! But we have changed the stage already. Different seats so the tribute and I can truly talk about what they want to tell Panem. No more favourite districts. No more lack of interest," confidence pointed a bright beam on his cheeks. "Maybe this year we will have a victor from district ten. Everything is on the table."

Dark brows raised in surprise. If he had managed to stand out during the auditions, now he had made a change. "That's an ambitious undertaking," she stated.

"It is," Caesar leaned back in his seat. The secret had been out. Maybe that is how he convinced the jury. His hand brushed over the red linen of its dark suit. Not many before him had dared as much. Plenty had a clear preference toward more popular districts. Indeed, some tributes were better prepared than others.

He felt a new burning on his shoulders. The next question would matter. Azuree watched him in a different way, her eyes narrowed slightly. What he had expressed so far might have been surprising, but there was more. She would tug at his core.

"What made you want to audition?" Azuree asked.

There it was. He knew something would come. His past was unknown to most. No famous name held to himself. There might have been a Flickerman a long time ago, but his direct family was not important to the great makings. He was not important; until now.

"I …" his voice broke. A first, but hands folded in his lap and pushed until knuckles turned lighter. "I always wanted to get there. Perhaps not as soon as now, but at some point. I should be on stage. I want to be on stage. Not for the fame, no-" he shakes his head, "but for the joy."

Azuree tilted her head. The answer wasn't perfect, but it had to be good enough. And then he did something both very foolish and incredible brave.

"Why did you want to work for Capitol Couture?" he pried.

Her view shot up. If he had impressed by the revelation, he had overstepped a line now. In Azuree's smile was a surprising warmth, though, "I think you and I both like investigate others. Isn't that right, Mr. Flickerman?"

Slim fingers shifted in its embrace and pressure held until his bones ached. He nodded, "You are right, yes. I hope Panem will like their new Games."

"You will find out tomorrow," she answered. "Are you ready for the cover shoot?"

More lights, and a smile that didn't yet fit to him. By tomorrow, he would not recognise himself on the magazine. But maybe that was not all too bad.

author's note: I hope you have had some fun with this chapter! Azuree will definitely return a couple of times; she's a new favourite of mine. But no worries, more canon characters are about to come even if some still have to be born ahaha. My update schedule will be a bit slower than the second chapter. I plan to do it bi-weekly as i'm working on my academics the upcoming months.