Okay so jumping back to tribute by tribute POV, we have the interviews for eight of our characters. The first eight had the chariot rides, the next eight the interviews and the final eight will have the tributes party in the coming days. Originally, I was going to write eight full interviews, but that would have taken forever, and been so long, especially when for these chapters I have been trying (but failing...) to stick to 500 words per tribute. Instead, I decided to write it as a little story, so the first tribute is getting ready, the second is the introductions, the next few is the actual interviews, and the last couple is like signing off and leaving for the party type thing.. if that makes sense... if it doesn't hopefully reading it will help... or not, I could be talking a load of rubbish. Basically its the whole process of the interviews from start to finish, each different section told by a different tribute.
I have no idea why I felt the need to explain all that.
Interviews
Luster- District One Male
Luster had spent a lifetime working with suits. Sewing them, adjusting them, modelling them, designing them. The last thing he wanted was to spend his time in yet another dressing room, standing and being measured, having someone else do the job that he had trained his whole life to do. But still, he bit his tongue and he got on with it. All he had to do was suffer through a little over eighteen hours more of Capitol life before it was over, and he was in the Games. Luster knew he should be savouring every little moment of this luxury, but to him, this wasn't luxury, this was a long drawn out nightmare that finally had an end in sight.
He had convinced a child to commit suicide. Every time he saw Vivian a wave of guilt hit him, it was strong, but not strong enough to make him take it back, not strong enough to overpower his need to win. That was, what Luster supposed, made him a worse person. It was something he would just have to live with though, especially if he was set on being the one who was to make it home.
"Mr Ardor, please, we are in the final process of taking in your suit, will you please stay still, there is less than thirty minutes before you have to be on stage." Pluto, Luster stylist, rushed around the man. Luster had objected so much to wearing anything other than his normal clothing for so long, that everything to do with getting him ready was as last minute as it possibly could have been. Pluto let out a long sigh, one that made Luster's face twist into a thin smile. He had been in this position plenty of times, irritable customers that had left preparing for a wedding or a party too long, and then got frustrated when Luster needed them to stay still for more than twenty seconds. Luster had never thought he would be that type of person, but then again, this wasn't a wedding or any kind of celebratory occasion, this was the last suit he would most likely ever wear.
It wasn't an ugly outfit. The jacket was plain black, with pink and blue flowers sewn over a pocket on the upper left side of his chest, covering his heart. However, it was by no means as complicated or intricate as anything Luster could make, but it was nice and smart enough and it made him feel confident. For a moment he considered why he had kicked up such a fuss about wearing one in the first place. But he knew why, this suit wasn't him. In all his years as a tailor and designer, Luster had never once taken home something that he made. He had never once made an outfit for himself and the few times he was forced to dress up for a formal event, he had hated every second of it. The fact that he was wearing a suit now and for the whole evening, demonstrated to him once more the control the Capitol had over him, stretching into every area of his life.
Pluto stepped away, and Luster took that as confirmation that he was free to leave, not that he waited for any of the other stylists to dismiss him, and he strode from the dressing room, in search of any of the other tributes. Someone must be sharing in his despair. He knew of course none of them really wanted to be here,but he was looking for someone he could rant to about the itchiness of the fabric, and the formalities of it all.
"Ahh, Mr Luster Ardor, just the man I was looking for." A tall and large gentleman approached Luster from behind, falling into step with him suddenly. "My name is Chamberlain, the Minister for the Hunger Games. They pulled out the big guns to come and find you." He joked, but the humour was not there. Luster could tell the man was stressed, worry lines creasing his forehead, his mouth permanently upturned into a frown. Good. He deserved it for taking a job like that, for forcing Luster to make the moves that would lead to a child's death. No, that was all Luster's fault though, wasn't it? There was no way he could blame that on anyone else.
"You are already ten minutes late, Luster. Adonia has been stalling in front of thousands of people. You're lucky we need you for the Games tomorrow." Chamberlain's voice cut through the voices Luster knew were coming from his conscience. They turned the final corner, and Luster finally heard it: the crowd. They were cheering and chanting, and he was suddenly so overwhelmed. "Off you go." Chamberlain stated bluntly, pushing luster through the curtain, forcing him onto the stage before he even had time to breath.
Salome- District Two Female
"You've heard from her father, Ladies and Gentlemen, but now it's time to hear from the bombshell herself, Salome." Adoina's voice as shrill and Salome hated it even more in person than she had on the TV screen. Her father clamped his hand on her shoulder as he exited the stage, and soon enough, Salome was being forced through the curtain and into the spotlight.
Everything she had done in the Games so far was about making her father proud. The training was his thing, the preparing was his thing, becoming the best physical tribute she possibly could was all his doing. Now it was time for her mother's work to shine through. Salome had never thought the years she had spent training to be a real lady would ever really come in useful in her life, it was only something she did to keep her mother happy, and because she was forced, of course. Yet here she was, racking her brain for every little detail that her mother had forced on to her, ready to have an interview that would either make or break the remainder of her life. For once she was thankful for her mother's persistence.
The noise hit Salome first as she was guided to her seat by Adonia. The woman was talking to her, but she couldn't hear a word. Instead, all she could focus on was the crowd. Some had signs, supporting some tributes and destroying others. She noticed one with her father's name on it, and smiled as she read it, making a mental note to make a joke out of it during the interview.
Smile Salome, head up, don't let the nerves get the better of you. Back straight, eye contact, and work the room, own the room, they're all there to see you. It wasn't exactly a room, but her mother's words still rung as true as the day she had drilled them into Salome's head. She had the power here, even if the Capitol wanted to believe they did. She was the star tributes, the closest thing they had to a career, something that was always a favourite in the Capitol. If she declined to answer any questions, it wouldn't be her that looked stupid, it would be the Capitol. But them again, it would be fun to get a bit more support on her side, wouldn't it.
Salome looked back at the audience, realising it had been a good few minutes since she had entered the stage and still had not said a word. It was time to make up her mind. Was she going to be the defiant tribute that cursed the Games? Or was she going to play straight into the Capitol's hands?
"Sorry." Salome said. "I'm not really wanting any siblings." She nodded towards the sign that read 'Locke have my babies' in cursive writing. The sign appeared on the big screen, and the crowd let out a shriek of laughter, even Adonia herself had begun to crack up. The latter it was, then. Salome mentally prepared herself to play the role of the Capitol's bitch. A role that she hated deeply, but one that she knew was necessary for her to win.
Adonia laughed, taken aback by the girl's sudden joking and forwardness. She had gotten good at working out which tributes were playing a game, and Salome had ticked that box instantly. There was no way she was both the ruthless killer, like she had shown in the private sessions, and the gentle, charismatic person that was able to charm the Capitol. One of these sides was fake. Or maybe both of them, Adonia had no doubt that some tributes reinvented their whole image before they entered the Games, she just wondered if she would ever find out who the real Salome was.
"So, I think we have to ask this off the bat, given you scored a perfect score in the private sessions, and therefore the highest score in the last thirteen years. Just what exactly did you do in that room? Do you have some secret powers you've kept well hidden from the rest of us?" The Presenter asked, leaning in closer to Salome, as if the girl was about to reveal a secret.
"Oh, Adonia." Salome let out a small giggle, tilting her head back as she did so. She lent across and placed her hand on Adonia's shoulder. "You know I can't reveal that, my competition is watching from the wings. But let's just say," She paused to turn her attention back to the audience, winking at them. "The Capitol might want to think about retraining some of their Peacekeepers."
Dory- District Four Female
The chair swallowed Dory's slender figure. She wasn't short, but she was slight and toned, and she looked like she was drowning in the fabric, her legs hovering a few inches above the ground. This wasn't her first interview of the Games, that had been on the day of the reaping, but Dory knew now that the stakes were so much higher. She was a few minutes into the interview, and Nautilus had assured her that she should have been feeling more comfortable by now. She wasn't. He had lied to her, whether he meant to or not. Dory had to remind herself to keep clenching and unclenching her fists to stop herself from shaking.
"So Dory, as one of the few tributes that got the exclusive training experience, can I ask you how you think it will help your chances in the Games?" Adonia asked, smiling and tilting her head to the side. Dory knew she was trying to make the girl feel as at ease as possible, and whilst she was beginning to relax, the vast crowd in front of her was still as daunting as the moment she had stepped on stage. She could feel eyes all over her, the Capitol citizens trying to gage exactly what sort of tribute she was going to be, whether they would support her and mourn her death, or if she was just another Hunger Games casualty that meant nothing to them.
Dory wanted to be remembered. It wasn't in some sort of self-appreciation, like she believed her death meant something, she just thought it was the least she deserved. The Capitol had dragged her from her home, cut short her life, and if all that ended with her dying a being forgotten, Dory would lose hope that the universe actually was a good place. So that settled it, she would have to become the innocent young girl that the Capitol had fallen in love with. She had seen Salome's interview earlier, watched the way the audience hung off her every word. Dory could do that, couldn't she? She was younger, that worked in her favour, and obviously less threatening, her session score proved that. What wouldn't the Capitol love about her?
"I will never be able to thank the Capitol and the tributes enough for what they did for me. I was more or less useless before." Dory lied, knowing no one would ever find out the secret of the skill she possessed prior to even entering the Capitol. "But because of the help I was given, I was able to get a score that I never thought was possible. You know, when you watch the Games, you never really think the training sessions will be that useful, it is only three days after all, there is no way I would have become so ninja." She waved her hands around a bit, karate chopping the air and gaining a chuckle from the audience, that only served to build her confidence. "And whilst I'm still far from that, I have improved so much."
It was going well so far, Dory had already perfected the art of thanking the Capitol instead of cursing them, and the crowd seemed to be loving her sweet and innocent nature, all she had to do was keep it up for the next five minutes, that shouldn't be a problem.
"You are quite the success story." Adonia pried, and Dory was beginning to realise her act wasn't as flawless as she had thought. "But the odds still have you down as 35/1 to win this. That means that the chances of you winning are thought to be small." She was testing Dory, seeing if she would rise to the bait and get frustrated or let it slide and continue being the Capitol's dream girl. "And there are a lot of very strong tributes this year."
Dory could do this. All she had to do was laugh and smile and pretend like the host's words didn't send daggers through her body. So that was exactly what she did. "Believe me, I know I am nowhere near the best." She frowned, letting her bottom lip quiver as if she was about to burst into tears, before pulling herself together. "And I know I probably won't win. But that doesn't mean I haven't got a spot. Plus I have the training and a great alliance."
"An alliance that consists of two seventy year old men, right?" The presenter smirked, testing Dory's boundaries. Her grandfather in the past had done this, but always more subtly. Adonia didn't do subtle, she wanted to know where the fake Dory ended and the real girl that she had witnessed throw that spear in the train session began.
The young girl shot up from her seat, despite telling every inch of her body not to. It would ruin everything if she didn't keep playing it cool, acting like she was just here for the ride, nervous and innocent but prepared to fight. This was showing too much passion, showing that what the Capitol said would hurt her. The people in front of her worshipped the Capitol and their sick games, the last thing she needed was to curse the thing that funded their very existence. Yet Dory had no idea how she was going to stop. She couldn't. Adonia making fun of her and telling her that she was going to lose she could deal with, but the second she attacked her alliance, Nautilus who had fought so hard to make Dory feel comfortable, she could not hold back.
"They're strong." She snapped back, settling once more in her chair, none of her anger disappearing. "And they're powerful, and they are much better people than you, or any of you," She paused, pointing her finger across the audience. "Will ever be."
Newton- District Five
"That was quite an explosive interview before you," Adonia chuckled to Newton as the boy crossed his legs in front of himself. "But so far, you seem the calmer type."
Calm wasn't the right word. Newton wasn't quiet because he was calm, it was much more sinister than that. He was quiet because he literally couldn't bring himself to open his mouth to speak. It was like it was glued shut, every time he tried to open it to make a statement or laugh, he couldn't. His seat was angled so that he was facing the presenter, but out of the corner of his eye, he could still see the audience, packed full with hundreds and hundreds of people. Newton was always told to imagine them naked, but that never worked for him. That just made ihm more nervous, brought up more questions. Where were their clothes? Why did they all feel so comfortable wearing nothing? Were his clothes going to disappear? The first time he had tried that, he was giving a presentation in his science class, aged eight. He was the only person to accurately form a model of the solar system, including the moons each planet had. His teacher had accused him of getting help from his parents, but Newton had fiercely objected. In the end, he had been forced to perform a presentation as a reward for his work, but Newton had always seen it more as a punishment.
What he wouldn't give now to be back in that class, in front of those people, talking about something he loved. Just this time, not imagining them naked…
Newton knew that Adonia was waiting for him to answer, not that she had exactly asked a question, but all he could do was nod his head, close his eyes and just pray that something clicked within his brain to help him get through this.
"Go Newton! You've got this!" A female voice rang out from the end of the third row in the crowd. It was Florence, a gentle girl he had never really spoken to, but he had never been so happy to see a friendly face. Two more voices joined her, and he looked out to see Diva and Dina standing by her side. The shouting came again, this time, from somewhere further back and Newton could just make out the figures of Ezra and Alfred. The chanting became louder, people cheering him on, telling him that it would be okay, and he looked out, to see the tributes scattered throughout the audience, some he had never ever spoken a word to before, all dressed in their outfits, eating in the time they should have spent preparing by supporting him. Newton almost thanked God. He had needed this, he had felt so alone and desperate up on the stage, but this was the reminder he needed that there were people that had his back.
As the cheering from the tributes died down, the Capitol picked it up. Chanting his name, clapping him, encouraging him on. At first he had thought it was all sarcastic, but the shock on Adonia's face, and the way the tributes smiled at one another proved to him that it was all real. This was a much more successful confidence builder than imagining them all naked.
"I had no idea I was this popular…" Newton laughed, his voice barely audible above the screams of support. "Don't worry, I'll be around to sign autographs after."
Adonia placed her hand on his shoulder. This was the sort of tribute she liked. He wasn't fake, or putting on an act to get sponsors, and the Capitol could see that. He was just there, in all his awkwardness, something the audience seemed to love as much as her.
"I haven't seen a reception like that in years." She stated, crossing her arms across her chest but still smiling. "Impressive stuff, Newton, do you think you can carry that support into the Games?"
"Well, if the Capitol enjoys watching people fall out of trees and probably accidentally impaling themselves on their own weapon, then yeah, I really think I can."
Arbor- District Eight
A plaid fucking suit. It was the ugliest thing Arbor had ever seen, and although Cassia had reassured him how good he looked, he felt like an absolute clown. He was a rare specimen, a Lumberjack in District Eight and the Capitol had to play on that of course. Arbor did his job to help others, not everyone in his District could afford to get imported goods, and everyone needs a fire. So he cut down trees, and sold the wood for a cheaper price. That didn't mean the Capitol had to emphasise it every chance they got. What he was thankful for, however, was the warmth the suit provided. Despite the harsh stage lights beating down on Arbor, he still shivered from the cold whilst sitting on the stage. Or maybe that was the fear that caused it. He'd go with cold, that would make him look much more macho. He pulled the sides of the jacked tighter around his midsection, before leaning back in his chair. He had to pull it together, he was Arbor, the cool and collected boy from District Eight, who always had a trail of girls waiting for him, the height of popularity.
"So, Arbor, I know this interview is about you, but we have to ask you about Cassia, don't we?" Adoina turned to that audience and they cheered desperately. Arbor could do this. He could talk about Cassia and his love for her for days. As long as they steered clear of talking about the actual Hunger Games, this would be fine. "How did you two meet?"
"It was years ago now." Arbor remembered fondly, the memory was still clear as day, and one Arbor never wanted to fade. "I was about seventeen, and I just got my first job in the forest. I always liked to work on the trees by the edge of the clearing so I could watch the people going by everyday on the way to work. It's a lot less creepy than it sounds, I promise. Everyday for about two months, I watched Cassia walk by on her way to school, and everyday I tried to build up the nerve to talk to her, tell her how beautiful she was. At the beginning of the third month, I eventually walked over to her, and asked her out. And the rest is history."
"Love at first sight?"
"Oh God no," Arbor chuckled, pushing back his fringe from his face. "The first date was an actual disaster, we went to the market to buy food for a picnic, and it was just so awkward, neither of us ever knew what to say. About an hour in, we both decided it wasn't for us and went our separate ways." He sighed, the nerves that had plagued him previously had easily disappeared when Cassia was on his mind. "But everyday she still walked past, and we smiled and made small talk, until she asked me out one day about three months later, and we clicked. It just wasn't our time back then."
"It's clear that you have such a strong bond!" Adonia exclaimed, narrowing her focus onto Arbor. It was entertaining hearing about their love story, but not as interesting as finding out whether or not Arbor would kill his girlfriend to get home. That was the story she wanted to be hearing. "Do you think that will be helpful in the Games? Or do you think it will harm your chances?"
Arbor knew the questions would have taken this turn at some point, but for a moment, he just wished that he was here just to talk about Cassia and himself, that was something he could do so easily, without a worry on his mind. "I don't know, honestly." He answered, picking at a nail that was coming loose on his thumb. "For starters, it avoided the awkwardness of finding an ally, so I guess that's a bonus. But when it comes down to the Games, I guess it's just about how far you'll go to protect the one you love. And I can assure you," Arbor swivelled to face the audience. "I am willing to go very far."
Lana- District Nine
It was around three minutes into Lana's interview, and she still had not been asked about her private score. Almost everything else had come up by now, her alliance, her home life, her plan for the games. The girl was beginning to think the host had forgotten about it, but that would never happen, she was probably just saving it for the big finale. Lana honestly didn't know how she would answer questions surrounding it. She didn't want to sell the Head Gamemaker out just yet, but she wasn't sure she had any other explanation. All she could do now was pray Adonia spared her.
"Now, Lana. I think you know what the next question is going to be." The presenter smirked. Lana had no liking towards the woman. She was cold, and not in the determined way Lana was, in a cruel untrustworthy way that made the girl's stomach turn every time their eyes met. "What was that score about? An 8.5? I don't think the Capitol has ever awarded a mark like that before."
And there it was. The security bubble Lana had been living in that allowed her to forget about her score had been popped. She had landed with a metaphorical thud on a floor that would soon be built on lies, hundreds of pairs of questioning eyes staring at her, willing her to spill the secrets that only she knew. Screw it. They were not finding out what she knew, information was power in the Capitol and whilst Lana knew that hre days were most likely numbered, she would cling on to that superiority for as long as she possibly could.
"I don't recall doing anything special." Lana shrugged her shoulders. That would be her plan- play clueless and pretend like she was none the wiser. The Capitol did crazy things all the time, such as sending twenty three children to their deaths once a year, there was no reason to believe they wouldn't have done this just to be difficult. "I guess it was just because of the lineup thing. I was better than the people that scored an eight, but worse than Aila," Lana paused to smile as she said the girl's name. "Who scored a nine. If we are being ranked, it makes sense to seperate us up."
Adonia looked disappointed as she leaned backwards in her chair. Lana's answer made perfect sense, but it wasn't the one the Capitol or the host had wanted to hear. What was the word? Juicy. It wasn't juicy enough. It was a simple explanation, and one Adonia would have to take as fact, but that didn't mean she wasn't disappointed that it wasn't the scandalous secret she had been hoping for.
Lana let out a long breath. She had done it, it was over, she had successfully convinced the Capitol that there was nothing suspicious about her score. How long she could keep the lie up for, and the matter of how long she wanted to, was a completely different story. For the first time, Lana looked up, away from the audience, and up to the gallery, filled with Capital officials. Initially, she hadn't even known it was there, but it made sense to have them all watching. The face of the Head Gamemaker caught Lana's eye almost instantly, and she was taken aback by the way he stared at her, it was threatening almost, desperate. His face softened however, as their eyes met and Lana resisted the urge to send him a wave, that would give it all away. She couldn't react to him at all, but that didn't mean he was going to ignore her.
The man broke their gaze for mere seconds, before looking back, mouthing thank you and winking at her. The only other person that could have noticed was Adonia, but thankfully, for all their sakes, she had been glaring down at her notebook, desperately searching for the next question to ask.
Ronin- District Ten
Ronin was humiliated. Adonia had reminded him time and time again of his almost brotherly relationship with Vivian, and how it had disappeared in a matter of days. He felt useless enough already, as if he had given up when she needed him most, he felt selfish for not fighting any harder, and so Goddamn guilty. No matter how hard he tried to remind himself that she was safe with Luster, he simply didn't believe it. He was a slimy old man, and whilst part of Ronin's brain told him he was being too harsh, the more sensible part told him he was exactly right.
"The tribute I'm closest to?" Ronin repeated her question, racking his brains for an answer. It shocked him that he didn't have one. He wasn't exactly unpopular here, he had had conversations with almost everyone, but no one sprung to mind, no one he counted as a friend. The boy had been so sure he was moving away from his previous life, of going it alone, but that was looking less and less likely. "It would have to be Ezra. He brought me into an alliance when I thought I would be alone, that meant a lot to me."
"And this alliance, with Ezra and Hypatia, do you think it will be a strong one?" Adonia asked, testing the waters. She needed some good television, if she managed to break up an alliance and cause problems through one of her questions, she would be sure to be back next year, not that they could afford to leave her anyways.
"I think so, yes. Ezra and I have very similar ideals." Ronin had to try and skate around the question. He had his own doubts about the alliance. He and Ezra were hell bent on making sure no one died at their hands, and Hypatia didn't seem to care either way, there could be tensions there, ones Ronin knew he had to control. "And Hypatia is strong and determined, we balance each other out. I think that works well."
"If you could add any of the other tributes to your alliance, who would you pick?" Adonia knew she sounded like a teenager at a sleepover, asking which one of his friends he liked the most, but she was under strict instructions from Lyric Chamberlain himself to cause drama, and the close she got the the last tributes, the more she was beginning to realise that these interviews were nothing special. Take Ronin here, for example, he hadn't said a bad word about anyone, even the old man that had stolen his first alliance with Vivian away. Whilst that meant that Ronin was actually a decent guy, it didn't serve Adonia's aim.
"Of course I would have to pick Vivian, first of all. She's my District partner and my friend, and I would want her by my side." Ronin pondered the question, the diplomatic answer now would be to say Salome, purely for the reason that she had the highest training score, then he wouldn't have to deal with talking about people's personalities.
"Would you kill to save Vivian?" Adonia butted in, narrowing her focus onto Ronin. He felt the room go quiet. Ronin had made it quite clear that he would avoid killing at all costs. If he went back on it now, would he look like a fake? And what if he said no? Would people think he was only pretending to like Vivian for the support he would get?
The timer flashed on the screen in front of the stage, Ronin had thirty seconds left. He debated just not answering and letting the time run out, but then he would be viewed as weak. "Yes. I suppose I would." He stated, as the clock hit one.
Lilac- District Twelve
"Lilac, we here in the Capitol know that living in District Twelve is not the easiest." Adonia commented, and Lilac had to use all her willpower not to reach out and punch the woman straight in the face. It was so condescending, if they knew how bad it was, why were they not doing something about it? Of course, Lilac knew why, the Capitol needed to keep the Districts weak, especially Twelve given their history. But it still angered her more and more to remember that while she was here leaving in luxury, even just for a few days, there were millions of people who lived having no idea when their next meal would be. "So what did you do day to day to keep going?"
"What did I do?" Lila spat, completely forgetting that she was on TV, and supposed to be presenting a good image of herself. She took a breath, regaining control over the situation, she would not let Adonia Flickerman get to her in this way. "I didn't do anything." She shrugged. "I had family, they needed me to get them food, what kept me going was thought that without me, they would have nothing. And look where they are now." Lilac sighed, having to swallow hard in an attempt to dispel the tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. "On the day of the reaping, my little brother, Rowan, ran up to me with a bag of bread, full to the brim. It would have lasted my family for the best part of two weeks. I have no idea who that stranger was, but he was good, and he may have just saved my family's life. So I guess that's what keeps me going, the reminder that in this sick world, there are still good people." Lilac stood up, took an over staged bow, and walked off the side of the stage, leaving Adonia to close the show.
Lilac let herself breath, shrugging off the tight red jacket that had been forced on to her to compliment her dress. She heard a noise behind her, a person who she expected to be Flynt. "Come here, Flynt, help me get out of this thing, I've had enough."
"We have a party to get to, you can't turn up with only half your outfit on, that would ruin the illusion."
Not Flynt's voice. Definitely not Flynt's voice… Lilac's heart raced, but still she forced herself to turn round, coming face to face with her District partner Jordan. She let herself relax, but only slightly. This may have been a better alternative than she had imagined, but Jordan was still a loose cannon, she was never totally relaxed around him. "Oh, hi Jordan." She spoke tentatively, pulling her jacket back around her shoulders. He was right about the party thing.
"Did you mean what you said? About the bread, it saved your brother?" Jordan asked, awkwardly, this was too close to talking about emotions for him, something he avoided like wildfire.
"Not just my brother, everyone I loved." The younger girl replied honestly. "I was usually the one to bring in most of the food, tessera and all that, so that would have lasted them until they found a way to make up for what they lost when I came here. Why do you ask?" Lilac was becoming more nervous, it was so unlike Jordan to talk about anything even remotely related to home, she was beginning to convince herself he had other motives. He was probably trying to find her weaknesses to use against her in the games.
"It was me."
"Huh?"
"I gave him the food. I didn't know it was your family until now." Jordan picked at a loose nail on his thumb, looking everywhere apart from at Lilac.
She paused for a second, before rushing forward and pulling Jordan into a hug, taking the man by surprise. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She repeated over and over again, the tears finally falling. "I forgive you for literally reaping my name." She said eventually, readying herself to pull away, a slight smile on her face. Lilac didn't get a chance to move backwards as Jordan wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.
"I'm so scared, Lilac." He whispered. "Scared that I am a monster. But I saved them, so I'm not, am I?"
"You are most definitely not." She confirmed, taken off guard by Jordan's sudden emotional reveal.
"Okay, good." Jordan said, suddenly changing the tone and pulling backwards. He sniffed hard, and Lilac could tell he had been close to tears himself. "This never happened. Now come on, I hear there's a limo outside." He took Lilac's hand and started running, the girl didn't even have time to dry her own tears.
The second to last chapter before the Games begin, this is exciting! I already have the Bloodbath written, so once the tributes party chapter is up at some point next week, it shouldn't be long before we enter the Games.
Thank you for all the love you have shown me so far (and for noticing my nod to the Oscars mix up in the last chapter :p) and please all stay safe.
Until next time,
Alice xxx