Ancatha Adrienez, 18: District 2 Female
Over this music I don't listen to
And I don't wanna get with you
So tell my friends that
I'll be over here
I'm swarmed by my prep team as they get me ready for my interview. I understand that I need to look my best for the Capitol, but it's still uncomfortable to have a bunch of people, who hardly even look like people, crowding and picking at me. Nonetheless I sit through this ordeal, hoping that the end result will be worth it.
After the prep team finished straightening my hair, my stylist, Cassiopeia, comes in with an extravagant red dress with gold around the waist, neck, and hemline. I'm impressed by the intricacy of the design of the dress. It's like nothing I've ever seen before.
"What do you think, Ancatha?" Cassiopeia asks.
"I like it a lot," I say flatly. Cassiopeia's face falls at the tone of my answer. I actually like the dress, but I'm not going to get all worked up over something I'm only going to wear for a couple of hours.
"It doesn't sound like you like it," Cassiopeia says. "Is there anything you want me to change?"
"No," I answer. "The dress is really nice. I just won't be wearing it for that long, so why get worked up over it?"
"That's why you have to make every moment in this dress count," she says.
"And that's what I intend to do," I say. "Minerva and I have been discussing interview strategies a lot over the past few days."
"That's good," Cassiopeia says. "Minerva always gives good advice to her tributes."
"She does," I confirm as Cassiopeia helps me into the dress. "I don't think I could ask for a better mentor."
"Well, Minerva would love to hear that," Cassiopeia says, zipping up the back of the dress. She takes a look at me in the mirror and gasps. "This dress looks beautiful on you!"
Looking at my reflection, I can't help but feel beautiful. It might be conceited to say so, but I don't think I've ever looked better. The dress doesn't only make me look graceful, but fierce and fiery as well. It's the perfect balance of intensity and grace.
"What do you think now?" Cassiopeia asks.
"Now that it's on me, I love it," I say. Cassiopeia claps her hands excitedly at my answer. I roll my eyes at her childish display. Capitolites are so excitable, especially Cassiopeia. I can't imagine ever getting so excited over something as simple as a dress. It honestly seems like it would waste a lot of energy which is not something that I want to do.
"Cassiopeia," Othello, the stage manager calls in over the intercom in the room. "It's time for the tributes to make their way to the backstage area. The interviews will begin in ten minutes."
"Okay, I'll have Ancatha right out," Cassiopeia says. She turns back to me and places her hands on my shoulders. "Let's go, we don't want to keep them waiting."
Cassiopeia rushes me out of the dressing room and into the backstage area of the theater. Most of the other tributes are already lined up. I take my place in line behind Cyrus, who is dressed in a deep red suit that actually fits him well and looks good on him, unlike Alto who I can't imagine in anything but shorts and a t-shirt.
Eventually, all of the tributes are lined up backstage and the curtains are drawn, revealing Chikere Idowu sitting in a white chair with an empty one across from her. She holds a fancy-looking microphone in her hand.
"Good evening, Panem," she says. "Welcome to the 72nd annual Hunger Games Tribute Interviews. I know everyone's itching to hear from our tributes, so without further ado, here's our first tribute. From District 1, Ms. Annese Dior!"
Annese Dior, 18: District 1 Female
I win, thrive
Soar
Higher, higher, higher
More fire
When I walk on stage, I'm met with a raucous applause. I make my way over to the center of the stage, shaking hands with Chikere before taking a seat, making sure that my sky-blue dress looks perfect. The crowd eventually dies down, albeit very slowly.
"So, Annese," Chikere starts. "How are you this fine evening?"
"I'm doing great, Chikere," I answer. "I'm very excited for tomorrow."
"Speaking of tomorrow," she continues. "Do you have any predictions for what might go down?"
"I don't know exactly what might go down, but it definitely won't be me," I say. This elicits a few laughs from the audience.
"Now, tell me about the Career alliance," Chikere says. "I can speak for all of us when I say that we're all wondering what's going on with Districts 1, 2, and 4 this year."
"Oh there's a lot of good things happening in our alliance," I say. "Jason's doing a pretty good job leading us and everyone seems to have found their role within the alliance."
"And what role are you fulfilling?" Chikere asks.
"Well, obviously the pretty one," I say, making the audience laugh again. "But other than that, I'm just making myself available to do whatever is needed at any time."
"Oh, a jack of all trades, I see," Chikere says.
"I guess you could say that," I say. "Every Career pack needs one."
"Alright, it looks like we have time for one more question," Chikere says. "Annese, do you think you have what it takes to win the Hunger Games?"
"Of course I do, Chikere," I quickly answer. "I wouldn't be here if I thought otherwise. I have what it takes to win and more. In fact, I'll see you back on this stage for the victor's interview."
The buzzer goes off, indicating that my interview time is up. The crowd erupts in cheers and applause as I walk off stage with my head held high. I did a great job setting the tone for the rest of the interviews. Everyone else has a tough act to follow.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, from District 1, Cyrus Velaz-Ruiz!" Chikere announces. The crowd erupts in applause once again as Cyrus walks out in his burgundy suit. However, they'll most likely be disappointed when he starts speaking.
Cyrus' interview goes much better than I expected. The audience is actually intrigued by his intelligence, which I find weird. A Career's intelligence is usually not as appreciated as their charisma or aggression. He answers Chikere's questions with very well thought out, long-winded answers, and the Capitol audience is eating it up. By the time the buzzer goes off, Cyrus has sufficiently won over the crowd. The Capitol audience gives him a pretty big round of applause.
Ancatha's interview was also pretty well-received. I was taken by surprise with how intense she came off. It was honestly a little intimidating, which I wasn't expecting from her. Her intensity is actually a little off-putting, but much like with Cyrus and I, the Capitol audience is loving every second of it. Another buzzer marks the end of Ancatha's interview, and the crowd erupts in another round of applause.
The Capitol loved Alto's interview. They are practically salivating at his cocky attitude and terrible jokes. I can't help but roll my eyes at every single answer he gives Chikere. The audience is keeling over in laughter at everything he says, and quite frankly, I can't stand it. Every single word that comes out of Alto's mouth is giving me a headache. Luckily, the buzzer spares me. The audience gives Alto a standing ovation as he struts off stage.
The District 3 girl's interview was pretty normal. She played up the cute little kid angle pretty well, which gained some sympathy from the crowd. However, being cute doesn't win the Hunger Games, and other than that, the 3 girl didn't say or do anything noteworthy. She gets a decent applause after her interview is up, but it's still noting compared to the ones before her.
Elecc Linux, 14: District 3 Male
I float, look down, there's towns and
Pretty cities living breathing
Laser lights and foggy windows
Forming thin rows just for me
"Okay Panem, let's give a warm welcome to Mr. Elecc Linux from District 3!"
I walk out onto the stage, partially blinded by the ridiculously bright stage lights, preventing me from seeing the crowd. It's probably better if I don't see them. This interview would be a lot harder if I could see. I shake Chikere's hand and take my seat across from her.
"So, Elecc," she says. "I'll just hop right into it. We've gotten intel that you took a pretty nasty fall during training and injured your shoulder. How does it feel now?"
"It's still a little sore," I say, massaging my shoulder. "But it feels a lot better than it did when I first hurt it. I'm just happy I didn't hurt anything else."
I'm surprised by how easily I was able to give that answer. Mack's advice to just treat the interview like a normal conversation seems to actually be working. If it's this easy, maybe I'll actually pull in some sponsors. That just might make my chances a little better.
"Well that's nice to hear," Chikere says. "On to my second question; you seem to have formed an alliance with your district partner, Artemisia. How has that been going?"
"It's been pretty good," I say. "Arti has been a great friend and an even better teammate. I think we'll help each other a lot in the arena."
"I'm sure you two will," Chikere says. "You also scored a 6 in Training, a pretty impressive score for a District 3 tribute. Care to enlighten us on how you achieved that score?"
"That would be giving you way too much information," I answer. "I can't have my opponents knowing all my secrets."
"I guess you're right there," she says. "That wouldn't be good, would it?"
"No, it wouldn't be good at all," I say. "I kinda want to keep living, y'know."
The buzzer goes off, startling me a bit. I rise from my seat and make my way off stage to a fair amount of applause. I actually feel good about myself for the first time since I've gotten to the Capitol. However, that confidence is quickly crushed as I walk past the tributes from 1 and 2, who give me weird looks.
"You did great," Arti whispers. "Don't worry about the Careers. They're just jealous that you stole their thunder."
"You really think I did that good?" I whisper back.
"Yeah, you did," Arti confirms. "I'm proud of you."
Jason Lager, 18: District 4 Male
Let that stage light go and shine on down
Got that Bob Barker suit game
And Plinko in my style
Money
Cece's interview goes pretty smoothly. She gained a lot of sympathy points from her story about how her parents didn't do much but keep her alive, which really sucks. I couldn't image living like that. Other than that, she was pretty relatable throughout her interview, which really drew the crowd in, which is good for her. Her buzzer goes off and the crowd gives Cece a standing ovation. After the other Careers' solid interviews, I think we'll have a steady stream of sponsor gifts coming in.
"And now ladies and gentlemen," Chikere starts. "Let's give a round of applause to Cece's district partner, Jason Lager!"
The crowd goes absolutely berserk at the sound of my name, and they go even more wild at the sight of me. I can't blame them. After being the focal point of all the pre-Games talk along with getting the highest Training score, it's only natural that I get the biggest crowd response. I take my seat across from Chikere, leaning back with my leg crossed over my knee in the most relaxed position I can think of.
"What a response from our audience," Chikere comments. "Jason, what do you think about all the publicity that you've received?"
"Well, Chikere, I can't lie. It's been amazing. In fact, I hope I can get a little more publicity in the future if you know what I'm sayin'," I say with a wink.
"I think I understand your implication, Jason," Chikere says. "Now, I must ask; how did you manage to score an 11 in Training?"
"That's a question you would have to ask the gamemakers," I say. "I just went in there and did my thing. I guess they just thought I was the best."
"I guess so," she says. "Also, from what I've gathered, you've been established as the leader of the Careers this year. How did that come to be?"
"Well, at first I sort of just took the role because it defaulted to me," I say, leaning forward in my seat. "We made an agreement that whoever had the highest training score would end up being the leader of the Career pack, and here we are."
"Here we are indeed," Chikere repeats. "With all that being said, what has been the most difficult part about leading the Careers?"
"Honestly, not much has been too difficult," I say. "But if I had to choose, it would have to be managing a bunch of different personalities. Keeping everyone happy isn't easy."
"I see, I see," Chikere says. "Well, Jason, we have time for one more question. Where do you think you'll finish in terms of placement?"
"I agree with the statisticians on their predictions," I say. "I'll be the last one standing this year."
My buzzer goes off, and the crowd immediately goes absolutely bonkers once again. Their roars are deafening as I make my way to the backstage area. When I get to the back, I notice that Cece is saying something to me, but I can't hear her because my ears are still ringing.
"What was that?" I say, raising my voice so I can hear myself.
"I said good job," Cece says.
"Oh, thanks."
Alice Seville, 17: District 5 Female
And I hope that you are having
The time of your life
But think twice
That's my only advice
"Please welcome to the stage, from District 5, Ms. Alice Seville!" Chikere says. The audience response isn't as big as Jason's, but that's not what I'm here for. I'm here for one reason and one reason only.
"How are you this evening, Alice?" Chikere asks.
"I'm doing well, Chikere," I reply, eager to get on with what I'm here for.
"Everyone has been wondering Alice- "
"Actually Chikere, I have something I want to talk about," I say, cutting her off before she can ask me her first question.
"Sure, go on ahead," Chikere says. "We're all ears."
"Great, because it's a lot, but it must be said," I say. "I am the daughter of Taylor Lennet, business mogul, power plant owner, and resident unfaithful bastard. The son of a bitch knocked up my mother and left her to raise me on her own. The man didn't even have the decency to support us financially. He just left us out to rot. And when my other died, Taylor refused to take me in like the subversive little prick that he is. From the age of twelve, I've had to fend for myself with practically no help. Sure, I managed on my own, but it would have cost Taylor Lennet nothing to actually accept me as his daughter. Now, becaue he couldn't do something as simple as acknowledge my existence, he'll have to pay the price of being exposed to all of Panem."
"I'm so sorry to hear that," Chikere says.
"I don't need your pity," I snap. "I've lived without it long enough."
"I guess you don't," Chikere says awkwardly. "You're a strong young woman, Alice."
"I guess you could say that," I say.
The sounding of the buzzer marks the end of my interview. I quickly get up from my seat and head backstage, not even acknowledging the audience or Chikere again. There's a little bit of applause, but once again, nothing compared to the tributes before me. I don't care though. I did what I needed to do, and it didn't involve the stupid Capitol audience.
Azo Cashmere, 16: District 8 Female
Hold on, wait a minute!
Feel my heart's intention
Hold on, wait a minute!
I left my consciousness in the 6th dimension
Tomaz's interview was a much-welcomed change of pace from Alice's. He answers Chikere's questions with a nonchalance similar to Jason, but it comes off as smart but still very sarcastic. I can tell that Chikere is becoming more and more annoyed with each answer he gives, but the audience seems to enjoy it. By the time his buzzer sounds, he's done a decent job, winning a good chunk of the crowd over. He jumps up out of his seat and waves to the audience as he exits the stage.
North comes out wearing a navy blue suit with half of her braids in a bun and the other half left down, falling on her shoulders. She is very confident and poised throughout her entire conversation with Chikere. For a girl that had been so intimidating during training, she comes off as fairly pleasant during her interview. She talks a bit about her struggles taking care of her sick mother and a little bit about having to join a gang to make ends meet, which gains a fair bit of sympathy from the audience. However, she ends on an inspirational note by saying that she's willing to do anything to get back to her mother. She leaves with a great crowd response, which naturally spells sponsors for the arena.
Taj's interview is very off-putting to say the least. Not only does he outtalk Chikere, but he jumps from topic to topic. He talks about his family, playing basketball with his friends, his brother's philanthropy, and fire. He lingers on that last topic for quite some time, rambling on and on about how he spent so much time at the fire-starting station and the size of the fire he made on the second day of Training. By the time the buzzer goes off, no one knows what to make of his interview, and Taj leaves with moderate applause.
Piper's interview is pretty awkward. She tries to use humor to win over the crowd, but she jokes about how she's had to take care of her father after he lost a leg. It's not the best topic to joke about in my opinion. That combined with her questionable delivery makes for a very uncomfortable interview. She leaves the audience confused when her time is up, which isn't good especially after Taj's cringefest.
Tyler's interview goes much better than the previous two. He walks out looking sharp in his gray suit and the crowd goes wild for him, which startles him at first, but he plays it off well by saying he wasn't expecting to have such an active audience. He's very polite when answering Chikere's questions, and he talks a lot about how surprised he was to find allies so quickly. He comes off as much more mature by the way he speaks, and the crowd absolutely adores it. The applause he gets when his buzzer sounds rivals Jason's in volume, which means he'll probably be the one who is going to bring in most of the sponsors for our alliance.
When my name is called, I freeze. After a few seconds of not moving, the stage manager nudges me forward. I remind myself of what Taylor told me; to do whatever I have to do to get the audience on my side, and I think I have an idea that'll do just that. I give Chikere a loose handshake and take a seat in the chair across from her.
"Azo, that dress looks absolutely stunning on you," Chikere says.
"Thank you," I say, bashfully accepting her compliment. "I actually designed it myself."
"You did?" Chikere asks, surprised.
"Yes, I did," I answer. "I actually brought the sketch with me from home."
"That's wonderful," Chikere says. "I know our audience loves a creative tribute."
"That's nice," I say.
"Okay, on to the nitty gritty," Chikere says. "My sources have gathered intel that you have formed an alliance with your district partner, Isaak Monroe, along with Tomaz Wellflower and Tyler Lockette. How has been for you?"
"It's been great," I say. "We all get along pretty well and help each other out."
"Even Tyler and Tomaz?" Chikere inquires. "They're both so young."
"We all bring something useful to the alliance," I say. "Everyone pulls their weight equally."
"That's good to hear," Chikere says. "Now, I have a situational question for you, Azo. If your life is in danger in the arena, and you had to choose between your own life and your ally's, who would you choose?"
My heart drops after hearing that question. I can't say myself because I would lose the trust of my allies, but I can't answer the opposite either. I've been trapped between a rock and a hard place. Either answer I give will have consequences. What could I possibly say to answer this question correctly? Just when I think I can't come up with a good answer, an idea pops into my head.
"We would save each other," I say. "That way, I wouldn't have to make that choice."
As soon as I finish my answer, the buzzer goes off, ending my interview. The audience gives me a decent applause as I leave the stage.
I really dodged a bullet.
Niobe Anicello, 16: District 11 Female
Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
Isaak's interview goes pretty well. He is extremely nice, complimenting both Chikere and the audience several times throughout. Like Azo, he's asked about his alliance and how it came to be. From what I could hear, it seems like Isaak is the driving force behind the alliance. His interview ends on a rather somber note when he brings up his girlfriend who apparently was killed in last year's Games, and how he wants to win for her. When his buzzer goes off, he is given a pretty big round of applause.
Avena's interview really lifts the crowd's spirits after Isaak left their hearts partially broken. She's very charming and cracks a few jokes here and there. She talks a lot about her life back home, specifically about her best friend whose name I didn't catch. When the buzzer sounds, Avena has won a decent portion of the crowd over.
Cannoli brings down the energy a lot for his interview. He is very laid back during his conversation with Chikere and gives his answers in a calm and casual manner. He talks a lot about sports and about his strict mentor, but other than that, he doesn't do anything noteworthy. He leaves the stage with most of the audience feeling indifferent.
Kaliah is very loud and brash in her interview. I can tell that she's trying to be funny, but her sense of humor doesn't line up well with the Capitol crowd. A lot of people are put off by her, and some even look a little disgusted. She doesn't recognize this and keeps going on with her bad jokes. The audience gives her some applause after the buzzer, but it's obvious that it's just out of common courtesy.
Kaven comes off as very determined during his interview. He answers the questions with quick, but effective responses. When Chikere brings up his home life, Kaven talks about all of the fights he's been in, which makes some of the audience uncomfortable. At the end of his interview, Kaven is given a moderate round of applause.
"Please welcome to the stage, from District 11, Niobe Anicello!" Chikere announces. The audience cheers loudly when I walk out in my emerald dress. I take a seat across from Chikere, noting how the stage lights dim as the crowd's applause dies down. It's only then I realize how many people are watching me.
"Are you nervous Niobe? You seem a little nervous," Chikere says.
"Me, nervous? Absolutely not," I lie behind a confident façade. "I was just surprised at all the people in here. It looks like half of District 11."
The crowd bursts into laughter, which I find funny in itself because it wasn't that good of a joke. But if it's what wins them over, so be it.
"Speaking of District 11, who do you have back home rooting for you?" Chikere asks.
"Just my parents and my best friend Clover," I answer. "I like to keep a tight circle."
"I see you do," Chikere says. "Your alliance is proof of that. There's only three of you, correct?"
"Yeah," I confirm. "It's just me, André and North. Everything going pretty well with just the three of us."
"That's nice to know," Chikere says. "I wanted to ask North about your alliance, but I ran out of time. She seems to have been through a lot. Do you think it'll serve you well to have such a strong ally?"
"Oh, it definitely will," I say. "With my brains, André's charm, and North's strength, we're a triple threat."
"Well, I can't wait to see this triple threat perform in the arena," Chikere says. The buzzer goes off, ending my interview. As I leave the stage, the crowd showers me with applause.
André's interview is up next. He really plays up the nice guy angle, which probably comes naturally to him. He talks about Chloe a lot throughout the interview which the Capitol adores. When his buzzer sounds, he receives about the same amount of applause as me.
Eris' interview is easily the least interesting interview of the night. She is very standoffish and closed off, giving very short answers to Chikere. Since she's so young, she comes off as moody and rude rather than mysterious, if that's what she's even going for. I really can't tell. When the buzzer goes off, Eris gets hardly any response.
Callum's interview is pretty awkward as well. He's obviously trying to be charming, but his delivery is just not hitting right. He tries to make a few jokes regarding his appearance in an attempt to win over the female portion of the audience, but it just doesn't resonate with the crowd. When his buzzer sounds, he's given a decent amount of applause for his effort, but I don't think he's going to get that many sponsors.
"That concludes this year's Tribute interviews," Chikere announces. "This year is shaping up to be quite interesting. Be sure to tune in tomorrow morning for the official start of the 72nd annual Hunger Games!"
Alright guys, I'm back after a two and a half week break. Hopefully this doesn't happen again, but I got extremely busy and couldn't find the time to write. I am a full-time student after all.
Questions:
Who had the best interview?
Who had the worst interview?
Alliances:
The Careers-Cyrus, Annese, Alto, Ancatha, Jason, Cece
Team Wholesome-Tomaz, Tyler, Isaak, Azo
Bad Bitch Party + 1-North, Niobe, André
Lesson Learned?-Avena, Kaven, Kaliah, Callum
The 3s-Elecc, Arti
Moody Kids-Cannoli, Eris
Daddy Issues-Alice, Piper
The Lone Loner-Taj
The next chapter will be the launch. Only 1 chapter until the bloodbath!
Until next time,
Ty