The sixteenth day

Televisions across the nation flickered on. It had been sixteen days since the tributes had been launched into the casino Arena, where they'd had to fight and bet their way into becoming the final eight. Panemians were required to watch the program, with the promise of a very special program following that was, surprise surprise, also required viewing. It made friends and family back home especially nervous for the eight remaining tributes.

Nobody was more nervous than Piccolo Wallace. The flats she was wearing were comfortable when she first put them on, but now they seemed to pinch at her feet as she arrived in District One.

Viola Wallace appeared on screens across the nation, her make-up perfectly applied to accentuate her facial structure and her midnight purple hair was perfectly curled and put up in a ponytail with only two cascading tassels left free, one on each side. She was wearing a nice velvet suit and jovially greeted the crowd.

"Gooood afternoon citizens of Panem! This is your very own Viola Wallace, reporting to you from the Capitol. I'm sure you are just as anxious as I am to watch the final eight interviews for this particularly exciting Hunger Games!" her smile got a little more forced, her voice a little more strained and forced, as she said, "I will now turn it over to my colleague, Mx. Piccolo Wallace, who is in District One with the family of Celestia Romilly!" A short compilation of Celestia's time in the Arena thusfar played for everyone to watch, that will not be described in detail here.

The camera switched to the young interviewer, who was wearing a pastel floral skirt and an off-white blouse. Her make-up was vibrant and her lips sparkled.

"Good afternoon citizens of Panem! I'm Piccolo Wallace, and I'm here in District One with the family of Celestia Romilly!" the lack of communication between the siblings was glaringly obvious. Piccolo launched into an interview of Celestia's parents.

"I'm here with Celestia's parents, Vane and Jasmine Romilly! Thank you for opening your home to me."

Celestia's father, once a lively prankster type, could only manage the faintest of smiles.

Her mother, much more put together of the two, did the talking. "You're very welcome."

"So, what was Celestia's motivation to train? It would be quite the honor to have a Victor carrying your name."

Vane's face creased with worry. Jasmine answered. "Training is a good thing for Celestia," she says. "I never imagined she would volunteer, but training was always what was best for her."

"Well, I can't imagine that the events in the Arena thusfar is something that's the best for her." Jasmine's face looked offended for a brief moment before she released a breath out of her nose.

"No. I suppose not."

Vane could barely hold himself together. "She was always my girl," he finally spoke. "Seeing her like this is killing me."

"And what do you think about her ally's thinking she might be on the autism spectrum? Surely as her parents this was quite a shock."

Jasmine looked as if she couldn't get more annoyed with the interviewer. Vane just looked ashamed. "I wish we could have found that out earlier."

Piccolo asked them a few more questions. It became obvious which of her parents Celestia got on with better, especially in their final words to Celestia. Jasmine gave a very curt wish of luck, while a tear escaped Vane's eyes as he told her he was proud of her.

Next, Piccolo appeared with Celestia's siblings, Cerulean and Blossom. If she thought the interview with the parents was bad, this was even worse. The two wanted nothing to do with Celestia, and only wanted to be on television for the fame. The interview was short and cold.

The last interview went smoother for Piccolo. Opal Lush, Celestia's childhood best friend, had nothing but good things to say about her. It was clear that she was worried about Celestia after what happened with Kelwyn, but she still seemed optimistic that she could recover and come back home a Victor.

A brief transition of shots out the train window separated the segments, and then Remus La Rocque's Arena journey was shown to the people of Panem.

The scene cut to Piccolo, sitting with Remus's entire family. His parents, Earl and Marilla, had much to say about the honor of going into the Games, and how excited they were for there to be a Victor in their family. His uncle and trainer Stef talked about how capable Remus was and how proud he was of him. His sister Trudy looked slightly childish as she had glammed up for the shoot with some of her mother's jewelry, which was oversized on her thirteen-year-old frame. She was absolutely beaming with excitement through the entire interview.

Piccolo interviewed his friends next, another delightful interview with people that loved Remus and were excited about his going into the Games. Nadia, his best friend, talked about how she was going to follow in his footsteps the next year as she was incredibly ambitious. His other friend Ashton had plenty of fun stories from his time training next to Remus.

The final interview for Remus was one that was greatly anticipated by the Capitol crowd. Piccolo sat next to a girl that wasn't as conventionally pretty as they were expecting, but had a unique creative energy surrounding her.

"Thank you so much for your time today Valerie," Piccolo was saying to Remus's girlfriend.

"I am so happy to meet you Piccolo." She smiled, and the interviewer played off of her kindness with a cute smile.

"Well, we at the Capitol are simply dying to hear about your relationship with Remus. He has filled us in on some of the details, but what say you?"

Valerie laughed at this and shrugged. "I think he did a fine job. We've been dating for a year, at least at this point… We met at school, his family moved to my sect when we were fifteen. He was an artsy guy, with his love of fanciness, and we got along pretty well pretty quickly. I ended up getting pretty sick when I was seventeen… Doctors said it was poison. I know who it was, but without any proof…" she sighed to calm herself down. "Well, that's when Remus finally confessed that he had feelings for me. We've been nothing but happy ever since." She smiled at the memories, before her eyes glazed over with worry.

"Is Remus a good boyfriend?"

Valerie laughed. "He's the perfect lover." She suddenly blushed. "I meant romantically. Not that he's not the best in other ways, I just-"

Piccolo quickly swept in to save her. "He sounds like a wonderful boyfriend. I'm sure he will treat you like a queen if he returns home. Might a ring be in the future?" The Capitol crowd leaned in.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure! I hope so… But also, I plan to go to District Six to study design and pursue my passion of art. I already got a full scholarship… So I would like to graduate before I get married."

"Ah, a very responsible woman." The rest of the interview flowed well and was easy for the crowd to watch. Valerie gave a heartfelt speech in her goodbye to Remus.

Another transition came on the screen, and two Districts were skipped past as Owen O'Connor's journey in the Arena appeared on the screen.

Instead of the camera cutting to Piccolo, it instead cut back to Viola. "We will first be hearing from Owen's mother, Linn O'Connor. She has been under Capitol care for the past two and a half weeks as Owen is her only caretaker and is in the Arena. She has recently been diagnosed with syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that, in its later stages, damages organs and can cause dementia. She has now been treated, and is currently participating in a study for a new Capitol drug that might be able to reverse the damages of this disease. Now, we are turning it over to Piccolo for the interview."

Linn appears on the screen, her bright red hair done as presentably as possible for where she was: in a hospital bed. She was hooked up to multiple IVs, but her eyes looked more alive than they had been in years. The audio was only slightly worse, as only Piccolo, who was wearing a mask, was allowed into the room.

"I'm here with Linn O'Connor, Owen's mother. Tell me Linn, how are you feeling?"

Linn took a few moments and multiple tries to answer, although this was cut from the final program. "I am doing well… I… I think… My son is missing. Owen. Are you one of his friends?" She looked so hopeful.

Piccolo tried not to look too uncomfortable on national television. "I know Owen. He is a good person, and he's in the Hunger Games."

"Oh, yes… The Hunger Games… Remind me of those again…" But the look on her face said she remembered the feelings she felt when she watched them.

"Well, it's a Capitol-sanctioned fight to the death, where each District sends in two teenagers. Only one of the teenagers comes out alive as they all have to kill each other." There were shouts in the Capitol square, which were quickly and effectively silenced. Piccolo on the television continued, "Owen is doing very well though. He is in the top third now and he only has to kill seven more people to win."

Linn smiled for just a fleeting moment before her frown set back in. "Oh yes… Now I remember… I saw him on the television this morning… He does look mature…"

The fact that she remembers makes her smile, but knowing her son is in danger wipes it out quickly.

"It appears that our Capitol research is going swimmingly!" Piccolo chirps.

The rest of the interview is cut and edited to flow seamlessly, for how long it took. Linn occasionally trailed off, lost her train of thought, and forgot the question that was being asked, but gave her son a loving goodbye all the same.

The other interviews were still interesting, but far less noteworthy. Piccolo talked to Warren and Jeremy, a couple of Owen's friends from high school: one from the swim team who was his rival, and one from theater club. They remarked how Owen dropped out of school and fell out of touch, but they missed him and hoped the best for him in the Games. The last interview was short and took place in the dim bar where Owen worked, with his coworkers who opted to not have their first names broadcast and simply went by their stage names, Ace and Queen. They were interesting, but didn't have much to say about Owen on a personal level, as they didn't know him that well.

With that, the transition was put in place, and the recap of Harleigh Noheg's time in the Games began.

Firstly, Piccolo interviewed Harleigh's nanny, Carla Noheg. Anyone that was watching the program would have easily mistaken her for Harleigh's mother: she had the same curly hair, and her facial features were suspiciously similar to Harleigh's. She maintained a calm demeanor, though her face showed the deep worry and exhaustion she had waiting for Harleigh. Her interview was very much like any other guardian that is interviewed, and she gives Harleigh a message of her hope and her love.

The only other person around to be interviewed for Harleigh was one that was fairly anticipated: her twin brother, Davidson. He looked exactly like a male version of Harleigh, so there was no mistaking their relationship.

"Now I have had the pleasure of meeting Harleigh's twin brother Davidson Noheg! Thanks for your time, Davidson."

"Oh, it's no issue," the boy says. He seems comfortable in front of the cameras as compared to some of the previous interviewees. "I'm glad you're here, honestly."

"It's obvious to me how much you love your twin. I hope that you two remain close your entire lives." Piccolo's smile became almost painful, just for a moment. "You seem to know Harleigh better than anyone. What do you think is her biggest strength in the Arena?"

Davidson smiled a little bit too big, and it was painfully obvious that he was trying to sell his sister to sponsors. "I think it's how resourceful she is. She is being smart with her resources, and she still has some tokens from the first day because she's very frugal. But at the same time, she's willing to fight. You saw yourselves how clever she is!" he was so obviously desperate for her return home. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. I miss her like a son of a gun."

"Well, you do make some good points there Davidson. I think we can all agree that Harleigh has proven these things of herself. I just hope that she can last against these older tributes, as she is now among the youngest of the group remaining."

Davidson swatted his hand. "What's a couple of years? She's got just as much of a shot as everyone else in that Arena, if not more!"

Piccolo smiled sadly at his belief in his sister. "We'll certainly see how she continues to prove herself as time goes on."

The rest of the interview went by smoothly and without any hiccups. Davidson was a good interviewee, and it was bound to continue as the next interviewees for the had done this once before.

The room they were in was dark. The blinds were closed, shutters pulled, as the family remained in mourning for her daughter volunteering.

"I'm here with Laurel and Abies Gallen, a few very familiar faces from two years ago, as I'm sure you all remember. Tell me, how have you been holding up since Syca's death?"

It was a surprisingly harsh question from the usually mellow and kind interviewer that came as a shock to many in the audience. Laurel was quiet, her head hung in sadness and resignation.

Abies couldn't answer, only provided a weak shake of the head, his eyes filling with tears at the mention of his son. The rest of the interview continued to be just as solemn. Camellia's parents opened up slightly throughout the interview, talking about how proud they were of their daughter for standing up for what she believed in and volunteering to protect her loved one. It was obvious they wished they could have done the same for her.

The next interview was with another familiar face to the nation, Camellia's best friend, Senna Corydalis. She was obviously worried for her friend, but the interview came across as slightly cold and disconnected as it had been a long while since they'd talked last with everything that happened. She seemed exhausted trying to relate to and carry Camellia. She was resigned and exhausted with worry.

The last interview for Camellia was another hotly anticipated one: the young woman that Camellia volunteered for.

"I'm here with Camellia's girlfriend, Joelle Marglois! We have not only heard her name at the reaping, but you may recognize the name from the 124th Hunger Games. Her brother Raoul Marglois participated in those Games, but wasn't as fortunate as the Gallens to make it this far. "

Jo sat completely still and stone-faced as Piccolo explained this, and asked the first question.

"Do you regret Camellia volunteering for you?"

Jo startled at that question, not expecting such bluntness from the once soft-willed interviewer. "We both know who it should have been in that Arena."

Piccolo's face was void of all emotion. "If you could do it over again, would you have kept her from it?"

"I…" Jo frowned. "I would like to give a hero's answer. But there is no hero's answer in a situation like this. There are no heroes in a place like this." This caused quite the stir of murmurs in the crowd, to such a volume that it could not be silenced.

"Well, tell us how you met Camellia."

"It wasn't my best moment. I was still grieving over my brother… I was jealous of how beloved Syca was when nobody cared about Raoul when he died because of how early he went…" she tried to keep the pain off of her face as she continued, but her voice began to waver. "I made a bit of an ass out of myself. I came back to apologize to her, and realized we were one in the same. We were both grieving sisters. We became friends quickly, and then… More than friends." She smiled a little bit at the memory of them getting together. "She was already dating Malloy at that point, so we entered into unfamiliar territory of an open relationship. It was a little bit tough at first, but we worked out the wrinkles pretty quickly. It was because Malloy was so cool about everything, and Camellia was so sweet and patient all the time. Those were some of the best weeks of my life…" She couldn't help but smile, before it quickly faded and she shook her head. "Of course it couldn't last."

"Todd Malloy, second place casualty of last year's Games," Piccolo explained. "Died last year at the age of eighteen."

Jo gave a weak nod of confirmation.

"Did you love him?"

Jo looked like she was about to protest and storm out, but she held her composure, for Camellia's sake. "I-It wasn't that kind of relationship," she said finally. "And it doesn't matter. Because as you said, he's dead."

"Right. So, because of your special relationship, you don't mind Camellia getting closer to Out of Spite's Oliver Bromley then?"

"If that's what she wants, then… Well, I'm glad she was able to let loose for one night before this. And that someone is there in the Capitol looking out for her when I can't. And… that she can be happy." As much as Jo wanted to believe herself, the distrust was evident in her eyes.

"Well Jo, why do you think Camellia has it in her to win?"

"I know she does. She's driven. Both of her friends have fallen now, leaving nobody in her way. She knows how to rise from the ashes, and I believe she will."

The rest of the interview was only slightly less uncomfortable, leaving many of the District citizens confused as to why she was grilled like this. She kept her composure all the way until the end, sending Camellia's section off with a heartfelt plea to continue fighting on.

Then, a brief transition of Piccolo walking through the woods was taken, then Cerulean Elpharae's Arena journey was shown.

The first interview for Ceru was with his parents, Leopold and Willow. His father was obviously surprised that his son made it this far, and spent much of the interview time talking about how Ceru could be at a disadvantage because of his deafness. Willow was more encouraging, preferring to talk about how many times before Ceru has defied the odds, and how he would continue to do so. Despite their differing narratives, it was clear that both parents deeply loved their son and wanted him to come home more than anything.

The second interview was with Ceru's friend Elphias. The boy was completely calm and collected, and gave a great interview. He talked about Ceru like he'd already won the Games and was on the train home. It was evident that he wasn't acting: he was really that optimistic for his friend, which melted the hearts of the audience.

The last interview was with Ceru's other good friend, Clair Ketterrow. Her body language was shy, but directly contradicted the little bit of slyness that was hidden behind her smile.

"Thank you so much for your time Clair," Piccolo said. "Why don't you tell us about a happy memory you have with Ceru?"

"Oh, how to choose just one?" Clair asked. Her voice was meek, uncertain almost under the lights and under the scrutiny of the cameras. "We may not have known each other forever like some friends have, but we have made up for the lost time in our adventures together. Well, one time, we were relaxing in the forest after work for that day, and we saw a raccoon!"

Piccolo's eyes widened a bit. "Don't those carry diseases?"

"That's right, rabies," Clair said. "Ceru's first instinct was to protect me. He stood in front of me and stared that thing down. And suddenly, just as soon as we'd seen it, it turned around and disappeared. When I asked him how he outsmarted the thing, he told me that in the absence of his hearing, he had developed a sixth sense, and it was raccoon telepathy." She couldn't help but giggle a little at the memory. "He always had a good sense of humor about being deaf. And it never stopped him either. He always protected me like that…" Her expression darkened slightly as she remembered that one fateful day.

"Well, knowing that, I certainly wouldn't count him out from Victory!" Piccolo said.

"Oh, you had better not! He's on his way already, he's made it this far." Her eyes screamed with desperation, which stayed for the rest of the interview.

"Is there something you'd like to tell Ceru right now?"

Clair's face immediately flushed, and she broke eye contact with the interviewer. "Um… Well…" she sighed. "I just really hope he comes home. And quickly. It's been too long."

With that, Piccolo thanked her once again for her time, and a transition was shown of foliage flying out of the train window before Coda Fukai's Arena journey was shown.

The first interview for Coda was with his parents, Siri and Kentaro. It was by far the strangest of the interviews thusfar. Siri was obviously regretful, it practically poured out of her eyes… Kentaro was extremely disconnected, but not cold. He didn't seem too torn up about his son being sent away, and yet he wasn't happy about it. Their final goodbyes were almost heartwarming, as Siri expressed her desire for a deeper relationship someday, while Kentaro gave a very short huff of a goodbye.

The second interview was with Coda's brothers. Kousuke was just as cold as Kentaro, giving no details about Coda's amputated leg when he was asked. Blaise, Coda's older brother, was just as confused as Piccolo, as he had been away at University in District Three and had no idea his brother's leg was gone until he watched the reaping. Blaise was obviously sullen and regretful that he hadn't visited home more often, as he had the best relationship with Coda out of the family. The only thing Kousuke offered a word on was his studies, which he was now diving into even more than before.

The final interview was unlikely, for those that knew Coda once.

"I'm now here with Coda's friend, Tommy O'Brooke. Thank you so much for coming over today, Tommy."

"Thank you!" chirped the thirteen-year-old. "I'm just happy to be here. I am honored to be speaking about Coda with you today." He was polite as hell.

"So, please, tell us how you know Coda."

Tommy smiled. "Well, I shared a room with him when we were both in the hospital together." He waves his prosthetic arm to the camera. "I was so happy to have someone I could relate to recovering with me. We talked a lot, seeing as we were bound to a bed after our amputations. We recovered together! And then after we were both sent home, we continued to keep in touch. I'm definitely glad. I loved coming over here to say hello and catch up."

Piccolo smiled, knowing the crowd would drink that up. "Do you think Coda will be able to make it to the end despite being one of the youngest tributes left?"

Tommy grinned. "Oh, no doubt about that! Coda is really strong, and I look up to him. He never gives up when he has that fire in his stomach. He isn't one to extinguish easily."

"He certainly doesn't seem to be! Do you think his stubborn attitude might get him into trouble? We've seen just how… Consequential that can be."

Tommy frowned for a moment. "Well, um… I don't know." He tried to smile again, staying optimistic. "But he's made it this far, so what's to stop him?"

"What's to stop him indeed…" Piccolo said, and Tommy's positive energy remained for the rest of the interview.

Then, a transition showing trees and grass was shown, followed by the Arena journey of Lonan Fodor.

The first interview for Lonan was with his parents, Beka and Tores Fodor. Beka was obviously not taking this well at all: her body language screamed nervous wreck, both for the interview and for her son. She offered Piccolo some colorful cupcakes upon her arrival, which were sitting on a table by the interviewer throughout the interviews. Tores looked exhausted and overworked, and no make-up could take it off of his face. He was extremely passionate about his son. They talked about how Lonan wanted to volunteer for the Games next year, and Beka barely held it together when she talked about him being reaped a year early. Both of his parents gave a heartfelt speech of encouragement before the next interview.

"Now I'm here with Lonan's older brother, Corbin Fodor. Thank you for being here!"

"Of course," Corbin said. It was obvious that they were related, as Corbin looked like an older Lonan, but with more facial hair. "I'm so happy to see you here Piccolo."

"I'm sure, as that means that Lonan is doing well in the Arena. So, how would you describe your relationship with your brother?"

"I would say… Well, I guess the best relationship two brothers could have. I mean, sure, we had our spats before, as brothers do. But after everything that happened, we're closer than ever."

"I'm sure it must be painful, to watch your brother who you love so much going through something like this."

Silence blanketed the room in ice for a moment. "He was going to volunteer next year," he said, dodging Piccolo's statement completely. "He's the most prepared he could have possibly been to be reaped, which is a blessing we are thankful for."

"Of course. Lonan has certainly shown that he has what it takes to win the Games. Do you agree with his actions in the Arena?"

"Well, he's still alive. If he comes home alive, then I agree with whatever he does."

"That's true brotherly love right there," Piccolo said. "Always so nice to see."

"I will always stand by my little bro. He's been through so much, and this is his chance to turn it all around."

"Certainly it is." The rest of the interview went this way, with Corbin fiercely standing by his brother.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to Lonan?"

"Of course. I love you, little bro. Keep doing what you have to, and come home soon. I'm always here to fight with you and I love you."

Piccolo smiled. "How very sweet. Thank you so much for your time today Corbin."

The final interview for Lonan was with his trainer, Jakob. It was noteworthy to Piccolo that he trained at Ruckrage Farms, which produced Miya Bellion, who died in the most recent Quell. He was somewhat uptight, but had nothing but good to say about Lonan. He talked about how disciplined Lonan always was, and how that has continued in the Games. He talked about the many long nights Lonan spent training with him, and how apt he was at most everything he tried. It was certainly an interview that the betters took note of, if nobody else. He gave a gruff, strict, but sincere response to what he would like to tell Lonan. Piccolo thanked him for his time and presence, and the screen immediately cut back to Viola.

"Well, there you have it everybody!" her voice sounded slightly less enthusiastic and bubbly than before. "The friends and family of our final eight! It has certainly been an exciting year, and I have no doubt that Miss Murumatsu and Mr. Hastings have even more excitement planned for us! And, it looks like that is going to continue right now!"

The Capitol seal signifying a mandatory Games viewing flashed on screens across the nation.

"It appears that our final eight have been invited to a very special feast! Stay tuned to see it all unfold, after this commercial break!"

…

~.~.

A/N: Cliffhanger? Kind of? Definite excitement planned for next chapter!

So, we have our final 8 interviews! They are much shorter than Danzon's, and that is fine by me. I want to get back into the action ASAP! Also, I know that the lengths are a little bit different between tributes, but some of the interviews were necessary to show, and some weren't as necessary so that's how it ended up. It was way less stressful not trying to make the word count even haha. I'm keeping the most important ones for plot and moving forward.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed them!

CQ: Was there anything that surprised you for these interviews? Which was your favorite?

See you hopefully soon for a very special final 8 feast!