So since I forgot to add this to the end of the last chapter. My apologies for that, but I'll post it now. Here's the list of scores for each tribute so they're easily accessible.
Tabby Gold: 8
Santana Perez: 10
Cassie Dawson: 10
Jason Green: 11
Ayla Ithico: 5
Tesler Valdes: 7
Eydis Agnarsson: 9
Murchad McNamara: 10
Eira Carielle: 5
Edison Oswald: 3
Liz Adler: 5
Nebraska Wilmington: 5
Brooke Fisher: 5
Tyto Winter: 9
Mila Arkwright: 4
Scott Winston: 5
Tanya Mills: 7
William Young: 7
Butch Pelt: 7
Rel Imperatore: 8
Tessa Scotch: 5
Matt Scotch: 7
Kendra Shogana: 7
Peter Vogel: 5
Anyways, here is the chapter I've been waiting to write since the beginning. I had this vision of writing interviews that are way too detailed, having slightly longer conversations than usual. As such, the entirety of the chapter will be dedicated to the interviews, with each tribute's interview being mentioned at least in passing.
Here we go.
Santana Perez District 1: 18M
Sunday Evening 6:00PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 14hrs
Santana could actually feel his heart racing, potentially for the first time in his life. He wasn't the type to get nervous. Treating serious situations as unimportant was a special skill of his. This was different though.
Waiting off stage in a comfortable chair, Santana could not shake the racing heartbeat. Excitement surged through his veins as he finally got the chance to take the interview stage just before he entered the Hunger Games arena. Santana's dreams were coming true, and they were coming true rapidly. He was so close to achieving eternal glory, a permanent place in the mind of every citizen of Panem.
Everything was prepared for this moment to go as well as he could ever imagine it. He wore a bright red jacket matching the color of his hair over a pure black button-up that matched the color of his eyes. His pants were a faded red, and in place of his belt was a shiny gold chain. Then there were his stark white shoes, completely necessary for his routine, and his red tie which he wore over a red bowtie. Santana thought he looked excellent, just wild enough to evoke the imagination of the audience.
He looked a damn sight better than the other tributes, especially Tabby. His district 'partner' wore a glimmering gold dress with an obnoxious amount of reflective jewelry. Why the hell did her stylist think it was funny to play off her name all the time? Tabby Gold didn't need to be dressed in gold.
In fact, only Rel really stood up with Santana for the title of best dressed tribute, and Santana wasn't surprised. Rel had an excellent taste in style. His lover wore a calfskin vest over a dark blue button-up and a bolo tie. Rel's western themed outfit was topped off with a wide brimmed cowboy hat and quilled boots.
Santana sent Rel a wide smile with raised eyebrows as applause spread through the currently invisible crowd. Amethyst Stadler took the stage clothed in a beautiful silver dress that seemed to be as much a part of her body as her own skin.
"Thank you," Amethyst spoke graciously. "Thank you very much. You're really too kind."
Gradually the applause subsided, and Amethyst took the chair on the left, leaving the right chair open for each tribute to sit in during their short conversation. It was five minutes each for a total of two hours of airtime, and with all the others getting five minutes, Santana knew he needed to make his time count.
"Once again, I have the tremendous honor of interviewing each of our twenty-four wonderful tributes," Amethyst said. "This is my tenth year interviewing tributes, and I can assure you this will be the best broadcast yet."
The crowd cheered again, and Santana's heart only raced faster.
"A quick reminder before we begin, please give each tribute the opportunity to speak without interruption. Applause and cheering is encouraged, but let's do our best to make these tributes feel welcome here in the spectacular Capitol."
More cheers erupted, but Santana couldn't be sure whether they were given in response to the mention of the Capitol or in response to the tributes.
"Alright then, without further ado, let's welcome our first guest, Tabby Gold from District 1!" Amethyst's voice rose in volume, creating a commanding soprano sound.
The cheers were enormous this time. Tabby sent Santana a cocky smirk before ascending the steps to the stage. She sat in the seat next to Amethyst with the same facial expression she displayed to Santana moments earlier.
Tabby spoke to Amethyst of her family and their great importance in District 1. Obviously, the girl was proud to be a member of that elite group. Her tone conveyed her complete and utter arrogance as well. Tabby seemed quite certain that there wasn't a single tribute who could take her on, even given her score of only eight.
Of course, the Capitolites loved her. They loved all the loyalists, which Santana didn't consider himself among. He was searching for his own gain and didn't particularly care if that tied him to the Capitol or not. Santana just wanted to become known. He wanted his legacy of greatness to be remembered for years to come.
Tabby received applause as she waved to the audience on her way to the opposite side of the stage, preparing to sit on camera through the next hour and fifty-five minutes of TV.
"Ladies and gentlemen, give a round of applause to Santana Perez!" Amethyst introduced him grandly.
Santana leapt up from his seat and bounded up the stairs to the stage. He stopped to survey the audience for a moment, finding the District 1 mentors in the crowd along with other recognizable figures like Cato and the head trainer Weidman. Santana spread his arms wide with a warm smile on his face, basking in the praise he received.
He bowed dramatically and smiled even wider if that was possible. Finally he sat in the chair to the right of Amethyst, flashing sign language for 'I love you' as the applause died down.
"That was quite a welcome Santana, glad to have the chance to speak with you," Amethyst greeted.
"Thank you Amethyst, but the pleasure's all mine," Santana replied with a polite shake of his head.
"Well that's kind, but there's so many things I want to talk with you about and we don't have much time, so should we just get into it?"
"Should we?" Santana addressed the crowd.
He received a cheer in response and smiled slightly.
"I've heard you're somewhat of a performer is that right?" Amethyst asked.
"Yeah," Santana answered. "I dabble here and there, acting, music, comedy, but I really just like to enjoy myself, you know."
"If you're as talented at acting and comedy as you are with your guitar, I'd love the chance to see more of that," Amethyst said. "But I want to know how career training ties into all that."
"Well I've trained for pretty much my whole life, and I've always known I wanted to compete in the Games. I see it like the world's biggest stage. It's the opportunity for me to deliver the performance of a lifetime, adventure, passion, and bloodshed. Lots of bloodshed."
"Lots? With your score of ten I can imagine you would be a force to be reckoned with. Though I have a question about the career alliance this year. Some sources have told me that there's trouble, is that true?"
"They kicked me out, so I guess you could say there's trouble," Santana replied nonchalantly.
"They kicked you out? Why?"
"Too hot to handle probably," Santana sent a wink to the camera.
Chuckles came from the crowd and from Amethyst.
"Honestly though, I can't wait to see the blood dripping from their still warm corpses," Santana said with a malicious smile. "I'm coming for that ass Jason!"
"So…why the fascination with the blood then?" Amethyst asked, trying to regain control of the interview. "You've mentioned blood twice already."
"It's beautiful, that's why," Santana answered simply. "Seeing it makes me feel alive. It reminds me how close we all are to death at any moment, and the opportunity for a glorious end soaked in red."
Santana withdrew a small needle from his pocket, all that he was allowed to perform this part of his act. He drug the sharp tip over his finger, tearing the skin open and allowing the blood to pool up on the surface of his finger.
"See," Santana whispered as the blood dripped from his finger onto his white shoes, staining the material a deep red color. "Look at it, the way it pools up, dribbles over the surface, slowly sinks into the shoes. By the end of these Games, I'm going to look just like that. Soaked in red from head to toe, whether I'm dead or alive."
The timer beeped just as Santana finished his small piece. Perfect timing. All the practice paid off.
"It was…wonderful speaking with you Santana," Amethyst said awkwardly, extending her hand.
"And you as well my lady," Santana bowed to her graciously, then kissed her knuckles.
He thrust his arms out towards the audience again and licked his bleeding finger while they cheered for him. Santana couldn't imagine a better moment.
Ayla Ithico District 3: 17F
Sunday Evening 6:10PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 13hrs 50mins
Ayla only felt mildly freaked out as Santana exited the stage. His display with the blood was disconcerting, but she questioned how much of his interview was real and how much was performance. She couldn't possibly believe that it was entirely real, but what concerned her was the blood scene. That seemed real, and it looked like Santana really did have a sick obsession with blood.
Her focus drew away from Santana's rather odd showing to her own upcoming interview. She hadn't prepped at all, despite attempts from her mentors to encourage her in that direction. Ayla just needed to suffer through five minutes of frivolous bullshit, then she could at least attempt to sleep before the Bloodbath tomorrow.
Cassie took the stage next, walking confidently with a stride that showed no hesitation. Her presence was commanding, almost leader like. Ayla noticed Cassie's tone and manner of speaking reflected this. She almost reminded Ayla of Tesler. There were many striking similarities, their intelligence, their rebellious nature, but there were also multiple differences, Cassie seemed more down to earth and relatable, while Tesler was colder and more cerebral.
Ayla could feel the crowd warming to Cassie, despite the sharp contrast between her and Santana who preceded her. Cassie showed herself to be both kind and humble, but also tough, a tribute the Capitolites would love to cheer for.
Then entered Jason, bearing similar traits to his district partner. He too displayed casual confidence, wearing a black jacket over a red button-up, and Ayla wondered if it was a deliberate move to paint himself as the opposite of Santana who wore a red jacket over a black button-up.
They of course discussed Jason's leading score of eleven. Jason explained himself rather simply, stating he had good teachers who taught him what he knew. He shrugged off further compliments gracefully, but also proceeded to answer all Amethyst's sword fighting questions with just enough detail to provide an adequate answer, but not so much that he started rambling.
When asked what he thought of his rivalry with Santana, Jason said, in as cold voice as one could, that he would kill Santana before the Games were over, one way or another.
Finally, it was Ayla's turn, and she crossed her fingers that she could plow through the interview. If it went poorly, Ayla didn't mind too much, as long as it didn't go really bad.
There were oohs and ahs from the audience as they saw her dress, patterned with the appearance of the night sky. A dark blue fabric with silver stars and even planets stitched into the fabric itself. The whole dress even glowed slightly thanks to a few subtly placed lights woven in with the fabric. Ayla even heard whistles from a few members of the audience who found the dress to be incredibly flattering to her figure.
Ayla sat alongside Amethyst with a nervous exhale. Her eyes turned toward the interviewer, finding Amethyst's look to be surprisingly sympathetic recognizing Ayla's nerves.
"That is a beautiful dress Ayla," Amethyst said. "I'm actually a little jealous. I might have to have my tailor make one for me."
"Thank you," Ayla replied somewhat awkwardly. "That's very kind."
"It's the truth and nothing but," Amethyst said graciously. "Who in our audience wants a dress like this?"
Amethyst got a cheer in response causing Ayla's face to flush slightly. She slowly brought her eyes back to Amethyst's trying to show that she wasn't a weak nervous wreck, especially considering that she scored in the bottom ten of the tributes this year.
"So Ayla, a five. That's not a terribly high score in a normal year, but with this year being heavily saturated with high scoring tributes, including your own district partner, what do you have to offer that sets you apart from the other tributes this year?"
"I think it could come down to balance maybe," Ayla answered. "I'm not the smartest this year, but I'm smarter than most. I'm not the best survivalist, but not bad. And, I may not be the best fighter, but I can hold my own. That could make me tough to deal with."
"Is your low score attributable to the fact that you didn't really stand out in one single area then?"
"Could be, but I'm not a scorer so I don't really have a clue."
"What about an alliance? Are you willing to share on that subject at all?"
"Sure," Ayla responded. "I don't think it's any surprise to the other tributes that I'm working with Tesler, but we have one more ally. I'll keep the identity of that person a secret though."
"I see, what can we expect from your group then? Any specific strategy?"
"Ah well, I wouldn't call it my group. Tesler's done most of the planning."
"Don't be so modest. I'm sure you've contributed plenty."
Ayla shrugged indifferently. Receiving credit at this point wasn't really important.
Then, time seemed to slow and the room plunged to refrigerator temperatures. She felt the goosebumps spread across her skin. There was only one reason why this was happening.
Moments later, the tall hooded figure of Death appeared hovering behind the line of tributes sitting in waiting for their interviews. Ayla's eyes went wide, and her heartrate dropped precipitously, like Death was robbing her of her lifeforce right then.
Breathing became difficult, then came the pain. She had experienced it before, but Ayla still wasn't prepared for the experience even now. It ripped through her nervous system, as the moment stretched into an eternity. The electric burn spread through Ayla's body, touching her heart and soul. Around her the world didn't even move. There was an unnerving stillness from the watching crowd, frozen in their positions.
"Do not forget what awaits you if you fail to comply," Death hissed.
As quickly as the moment came on, it disappeared. Ayla gasped, regaining her breath gratefully while she remembered which chair Death hovered behind. She had no doubt the tribute in that chair would be the first to die.
The ringing of the timer sounded a million miles away to Ayla while she still recovered from her harrowing experience, as brief as it had been.
"Good luck in the Games Ayla," Amethyst said sincerely, shaking Ayla's limp hand.
Ayla only nodded in return, thinking of that face she saw in front of Death, wondering who the killer would be.
Murchad McNamara District 4: 18M
Sunday Evening 6:25PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 13hrs 35mins
Eydis's fingers wrapped tightly around Murchad's hand, squeezing the life out of his hand. He could feel her nervousness leaking out into the surrounding environment, making him feel nervous for her. Murchad knew that Eydis wasn't exactly comfortable in public situations, especially since she would be required to speak with Amethyst, but from what Murchad had seen so far, the interviewer did her absolute best to alleviate as much pressure from the tribute as possible.
That would help Eydis tremendously, as well as her outfit. She was nothing less than stunning, dwarfing all the other female tributes in terms of her beauty. A blue theme was chosen for Eydis, and her outfit reflected that, a dress in dark blue, blue makeup around her eyes, blue high heels, and even blue highlights in her hair. The uniformity of color Eydis wore only accented her physical beauty, drawing attention away from her clothing and to her features instead.
Murchad watched as Tesler was called on stage next, wearing a slate gray jacket over black pants and a white button-up. He looked very slick, and his mannerisms only added to that image. Tesler sat in the chair with his legs crossed out in front of him, leaning back casually.
The conversation between the two was not nearly as interesting as Murchad expected. Tesler explained the principles behind his alliance of self-interest, but there wasn't nearly as much anger as Murchad thought there would be.
Murchad just found Tesler off putting for some reason. He couldn't put his finger on why exactly, but Tesler's flippant arrogance pissed him off, though Murchad knew there was more to his dislike of Tesler than just his attitude. Good people were humble, self-defacing, but Tesler seemed to, without saying anything, prop himself up as the greatest man alive.
The year's oldest tribute was finally relinquished from the stage and Eydis was next up. She received an inordinate number of cheers, and Murchad could see the discomfort on her face at the attention she received. Eydis sat in the chair with a vastly different posture than Tesler had. She looked small, bordering on fearful, and her fingernails dug into her palms, a gesture that Murchad recognized as her way of fighting against her nerves.
Amethyst talked with Eydis about her family life and what sort of things she was hoping to accomplish. Eydis revealed the toxic nature between herself and her older brother Roman, creating a great deal of sympathy for her with the audience. Eydis gradually calmed herself over the course of the conversation, allowing herself to be slightly freer in her interactions with Amethyst.
As Eydis spoke of her own insecurities and was comforted by Amethyst, Murchad found himself tremendously grateful that the interviewer was no asshole, trying to break into the minds of the tributes with a chisel. Instead, Amethyst gently encouraged tributes to open up to her, as a therapist would with a patient.
He watched with a sense of pride as Eydis spoke of winning the Games as the chance she needed to finally prove herself, not only to her doubtful brother, but also to herself. It was a powerful statement that sent the crowd into a round of applause. Murchad felt a smile spread slowly across his face.
Then, it was his turn. Murchad took the stage with the smile still on his face and his arms swinging happily. He plopped down in the seat his eyes on Amethyst's with just a hint of a glimmer.
"You seem pretty excited to be here," Amethyst commented. "What's got you in such a good mood?"
Over the course of a couple seconds, Murchad considered whether he should answer honestly or not. Maybe it would be better to hide the fact that he was ecstatic because of how well Eydis's interview went. Separating himself from Eydis could be a good idea now, as it would keep her from being targeted as a way of getting to him.
There were benefits to sharing his feelings on stage too though. The Capitolites loved a good love story, but was that all his relationship with Eydis meant? Was it just a tool to be leveraged to help him achieve his victory?
Murchad met Eydis's look, wondering how she would feel if he told the whole world how they felt about each other. She shook her head slightly, and Murchad smiled back, showing her, he understood.
"I've dreamed of this for years," Murchad answered. "It's really tough to put into words how I feel right now."
"How long have you trained for the Games? When did you start?"
"About eight years ago, so since I was about ten," Murchad answered. "My folks back home don't exactly have much. I had to get another job apart from working with them to afford to go to the academy."
"You were really motivated to train then?" Amethyst asked.
"Definitely. I've always been a pretty hard worker I think, but I've also been really interested in the history of the Games, trying to learn from previous victors and all. They really motivated me."
"Now that you're here, what do you think your chances are. The Games begin tomorrow as we know, so should the others be looking out for Murchad McNamara?"
"I would if I were them," Murchad joked. "But in seriousness, there are some good competitors out there and it'll be a challenge to come out on top. Hopefully this will be a Games to remember for a long time to come."
"I sure hope so, but I am curious if you have any sort of special skills you can bring to the Games this year," Amethyst said. "What really makes you stand out from the other careers this year?"
"In comparison to careers of years past, I'd say I'm much more willing to go out of my way to get what I want. I've never been the type of guy to sit and wait for the world to come to me, so I can promise I won't be sitting stagnant."
"I'm excited to watch you Murchad," Amethyst said. "Thanks so much for your time."
Murchad left to a chorus of cheers, not as loud as Eydis received, but he didn't mind that. He was glad Eydis was finally getting the recognition she deserved. He nodded to her as he sat down, electing to continue playing their game of hiding their feelings.
Edison Oswald District 5: 13M
Sunday Evening: 6:40PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 13hrs 20mins
Anxiousness grew in his mind. Edison could feel his heart beginning to race as he had only five minutes until it was his turn. Five minutes until doom.
Given his history of being bullied and constantly ridiculed, Edison couldn't help but wonder what kind of cruel comments would be made at his expense. As vindictive as the bullies were back in District 5, Edison could only imagine the Capitolites would be thousands of times worse. Over and over, the thoughts ran through his head, and he asked himself how he could avoid the spite he was to receive. Sadly, he came to the same conclusion again and again, and it told him there was no escape. The only choice before him was to sit in the seat next to Amethyst and bear the punishment.
Yet, there was more on Edison's mind that truly bothered him. Now he had been abandoned, left behind at every turn. Even Eira had left him, and that conversation still weighed heavily on his shoulders.
"Edison, we need to talk," Eira had said. "I'll be honest with you. Tesler and Ayla approached me early Friday morning, right after the obstacle course run. They want me to join their alliance."
"But you promised you would be my ally," Edison responded desperately.
"I know Edison, but I'm not sure it's the best decision for me, especially since you're so eager to work with Peter."
"I don't understand. Did I do something wrong Eira?"
"No. You made the decision you thought was best for yourself, and I'm making the decision that I think is best for me."
"So you're going to leave me, even though you promised we'd stick together?"
"It wasn't an easy decision Edison," Eira said softly.
"But you still decided to leave me!"
"Only one of us gets to go home. I have a better chance with Tesler and Ayla than I do with you and Peter. I'm sorry."
As Eira took her place on the interview stage, Edison found himself shaking slightly, both because of his frustration and his growing nerves. Eira looked nervous but seemed well put together nonetheless.
She and Amethyst spoke back and forth amicably, speaking about Eira's score of five, potential alliance plans, and even about her life back home. Eira answered politely and smoothly, keeping her voice calm and her mannerisms relaxed and unthreatening.
Eira spoke like a girl much older than fifteen, which seemed to speak well to the audience after they got over their initial surprise at Eira's maturity. His district partner was completely mum on her arena strategy, trying to be as secretive as possible. In doing so she hid her alliance with Tesler and Ayla, just as her allies hid her involvement.
Eira exited graciously with much applause from the audience, leaving Edison sighing to himself. He knew that despite all the coaching he'd received today he still wasn't prepared. Five minutes could be a long time.
As Edison was called to the stage, he slowly walked up the stairs, hiding his face by looking to the ground under his feet. The crowd cheered for him, and he didn't really know how to respond. Edison wasn't used to positive attention.
"Seems like you've got a few fans Edison," Amethyst greeted.
Edison couldn't muster up the ability to do more than smile and nod in response. He felt himself beginning to shut down. Edison's hand clenched tightly, and his knuckles went white while he breathed slowly to calm himself.
"So what has been your favorite part of the Capitol? I'd imagine there's quite a few differences between here and District 5."
"I guess I like the bedrooms. They're pretty nice," Edison answered honestly, but quietly.
There was some laughter at his offhanded comment, 'they're pretty nice', only it wasn't intended to be offhanded.
"I think we can all agree that the bedrooms in the hotels are wonderful, and the showers," Amethyst shivered for dramatic effect. "How about the food? What have you thought about your meals so far?"
"The food is excellent," Edison answered, not knowing what more to say.
"What's your favorite thing you've eaten?"
"It was some chicken with cheese in the middle I think…"
"Chicken cordon bleu?"
"Maybe, I don't know," Edison replied growing a little more comfortable. "It was good though."
"What about life at home? What's that like?" Amethyst asked.
"It's okay I guess," Edison said meekly, not really wanting to talk about all the bullying he endured.
"Just okay? You don't strike me as the type to have a tough time in school. You seem like a pretty smart kid."
"I do fine in school. I'm smarter than most of the kids I think, but a lot of the older kids are just really mean to me."
"Really? Who would want to be mean to you?"
"The older kids in my school apparently," Edison answered harshly.
"Hey," Amethyst leaned in closer to Edison and spoke softly. "You know those kids that bully you are just afraid of you."
Edison looked at her like she'd sprouted a second head.
"I'm serious. They're just jealous that you're smarter than them and you have a future out in front of you. You've just got to prove them all wrong by winning. I promise they'll never bully you again if you win."
"Serious?"
"I mean it. You've just got to prove yourself."
Edison nodded slowly to himself. It made sense. Maybe all he had to do was win the Games. He had a chance to turn his life around, all he had to do was win the Games. That was no easy task, but it was more than nothing, and nothing was all that had been available to him previously.
Liz Adler District 6: 14F
Sunday Evening 6:50PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 13hrs 10mins
Liz rolled her eyes while Edison was gently led through the interview like a dog on a leash. He was so eager and willing to be led by others. It bothered Liz to see such a smart kid like Edison have no real mind of his own.
He couldn't reach his own conclusions without being expressly told what to think by someone else. That was the strange thing about smart people: they were so often persuaded by stupid ideas, and so often came up with them themselves. It was quite odd.
Edison left the stage meekly, his head bowed low hiding from the cheers of the crowd. That meant Liz was up next. She smirked slightly. Her father's reign of terror was almost at an end. Very soon, his tyranny and corruption would be revealed to all of Panem.
"Well ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome our tenth tribute, Liz Adler!"
The audience applauded at Amethyst's words, much to Liz's chagrin. Even more to her chagrin was the ridiculous dress she wore. Her stylist mentioned to her that her mother had sent the dress all the way from District 5 for Liz to wear tonight. That just pissed her off.
Liz rose from her seat to take the stage, the white and lilac dress from her mother fitting her like a set of wizard's robes, hanging to the ground in the baggiest way possible. Numerous camera flashes caught her eyes, forcing head away from the crowd. Liz shook her head quickly, clearing the disorientation from her mind. There was no time for that now.
Liz sat alongside Amethyst bearing a serious expression that strongly contrasted the demeanor Edison displayed earlier. While the boy from five looked small and weak, Liz was almost scornful.
"How are you tonight Liz?" Amethyst asked politely.
"I'm better tonight than I have been all week," Liz said with an evil smirk.
"Oh really? Why is that?"
"I have some important information I'd like to share, so I'll just get into because I have a lot to say and only five minutes to say it."
"The floor's yours," Amethyst gestured to her to speak.
"I don't know how aware you all are of District 6 events, but two years ago, Mayor Adler, my father, opened a charity foundation designed to help provide opportunities for troubled kids running with gangs," Liz explained.
The crowd burst into applause at the mention of her father's charity and the work it was supposedly doing. They all seemed quite sympathetic, but obviously weren't aware of the corruption lurking in the shadows.
"Wait!" Liz cried out. "Wait and listen before you cheer!"
Slowly the applause died down and Liz was finally able to speak again.
"Six months ago I found suspicious documents in my father's office, and at first I wasn't exactly sure what to think of them. Eventually though, I put two and two together and figured out that something was wrong, but I didn't know anything for sure.
"Through a friend, I contacted a specialist in digital transactions, and he confirmed my suspicions to me. My father was embezzling money from his own charity."
There were multiple gasps from around the room, including from Amethyst. The interviewer tried to maintain her composure, but shock seemed to overcome her. That was good, it meant Amethyst was taking Liz seriously, and if Amethyst took her seriously everyone else would too.
"He was stealing money from a charity that was funded by free donations," Liz reiterated. "That money my father stole was rightfully earned by the people of District 6, but my father, in his depravity, happily helped himself to that which he had not earned."
No more gasps reached Liz's ears. Only silence answered her words as the audience listened intently.
"If there's one thing I hate more than anything else it's a person without integrity. I don't have time in my life for people who would lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead. I already hated my father enough, but after this, I only hated him more."
"What did you do?" Amethyst asked, finally regaining her composure and returning to her task of interviewing.
"The only thing I could," Liz answered. "I planned to empty every cent from my father's bank account and return all the money to the people of District 6.
"I hired a professional hacker with my allowance money, given by my father ironically enough, and paid him to empty the account. My father found out though. Apparently, I was acting strangely, and he sent someone to follow me, and he caught me dealing with the hacker. He was furious, and he threatened violence against me, his own daughter.
"Instead of outright executing me, he demanded I volunteer, so I did. I have a better chance of making it through the Games than the electric chair or firing squad, or whatever method he would've picked. But, there was an added bonus."
"What's that?" Amethyst asked.
"I get to tell the whole world about what he did," Liz smirked. "So, I want you to know now, because I know you're watching father, you're done. My life might be over, and I might never get to come back to District 6, but yours is too. You probably won't be killed like you would have done to me, but you'll suffer the consequences of your actions. Your life as you know it is over, and I hope for the sake of everyone in District 6 that you'll never be in a position to harm others ever again. Have fun in prison dad."
Stunned silence greeted Liz as she stared into the camera. The faces in the crowd were wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Liz's smirk only grew as she witnessed the impact of her little monologue. Goodbye dad.
There were about thirty seconds left on the timer by Liz's guess, but she didn't need them. Liz had come here for one purpose, and that purpose had been fulfilled. She stood, the dress billowing around her.
"Fuck you too for making me wear this dress mom," Liz added as she stood.
Liz spat on the ground, then confidently exited stage left.
Scott Winston District 8: 16M
Sunday Evening 6:55PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 13hrs 5mins
Liz's very serious very dark interview was almost enough to dampen Scott's spirit. Almost enough, but not quite. That dress she had on looked like a colorful potato sack wrapped around her way too skinny body. Liz's outfit was enough to keep Scott chuckling to himself, and it was nearly as funny looking as Santana's ridiculous tie and bowtie outfit.
Next up on stage was Nebraska Wilmington wearing a dark blue suit over a white shirt. He just pissed Scott off for unknowable reasons, maybe it was how easily he gracefully bounded over the obstacle course while Scott flailed about like a dead fish.
Nebraska answered questions posed to him as quickly and succinctly as possible. Very rarely did his answers surpass one sentence in length. That created a great deal of mystery surrounding Nebraska which intrigued the audience. Scott found Nebraska's strategy stupid. It made him look so uninteresting.
Brooke was next to be interviewed, another tribute Scott found profoundly unlikable. Her consistently upbeat attitude was incredibly obnoxious, plus she'd allied herself with that hot chick Butch.
What bothered Scott most though was the ease with which she made allies. Most people were too stupid, too boring, or too weak for Scott to ever consider allying with, and how some weak girl like Brooke had allied with two very threatening tributes in Matt and Butch was a mystery to Scott.
Brooke happily revealed her alliance to Amethyst and eagerly spoke of her family back home, which Scott found quite funny. Brooke Fisher came from a family of fishermen. He had to laugh to himself.
Then came Tyto Winter, and with his casual wittiness the audience loved him. Their love for him only grew when he revealed that he had joined the career alliance. The Capitol loved the careers, and any tribute who through in their lot with the careers was worth cheering for in their mind. Combine those two factors with Tyto's good looks, and Scott assumed most of the Capitolites had found the tribute they wanted to cheer for.
Tyto cracked plenty of jokes, drawing the audience from the stupor that still lingered over them after Liz's interview fifteen minutes ago. That boded well for Scott's appearance. If the crowd was more willing to laugh, then he had a much better chance of appearing to be endearing and fun. He wasn't going to pretend or act differently just to make Capitolites like him more. But, Scott wouldn't complain if they did like him, and a laughing mood would help his interview tremendously.
Scott's own district partner Mila had a very awkward interview. She showed her true colors, just as she was probably recommended to, and that proved to be slightly strange. Given Mila's very flat emotional capacity, Scott could pretty much expect the result of the conversation.
Amethyst would say something kind and understanding, trying to reach out a hand of friendship to Mila, and Mila would respond in complete confusion, stating that she wasn't scared of the upcoming Games, she missed her family though she wouldn't cry about them, and that she would have, in her words, 'literally no problem killing anyone'. She said it would not affect her psyche even remotely.
That seemed to surprise Amethyst and most of the tributes. Meanwhile, Mila was completely unaware of the reactions generated by her general disposition. She could not comprehend the very basic nature of social niceties it seemed. Hell, even Scott himself was aware of the principles of social conduct, though he usually chose to ignore them.
When at long last, it was Scott's turn, he took to the stage with some relish. He was greeted by the cheers of the crowd and Amethyst Stadler herself. Then, when Scott sat down, he found the perfect vector to attack at the start of his routine.
Scott shook Amethyst's hand and shifted uncomfortably in the red recliner he sat upon. Well, calling it a recliner was a stretch, considering that it didn't recline.
"This thing doesn't recline?" Scott questioned jokingly. "What the hell kind of chair is this?"
"Well…I uh…" Amethyst stammered, thrown off balance by Scott's opening words.
"Look at this thing," Scott continued on. "Did you get this at my grandma's house?"
The crowd burst into laughter, and Scott chuckled lightly to himself. Good start, hopefully it would continue as his routine became a little more abrasive than complaining about the chair.
"Seriously, it looks like the ugly ass chair in my grandma's living room, and that thing you're sitting on came from Dracula's fucking castle."
Amethyst laughed along with the crowd while she turned back to look at her own high-backed throne like chair.
"You know, I can see what you mean," Amethyst replied. "It does look like it came from Dracula's castle."
"Well duh," Scott said. "You think I would've said it if that chair didn't look like it came from a fucking crypt."
"Anyway though," Scott continued. "You want to talk about the guys that have already been through here? Look at Santana man, what the hell is up with that outfit? The tie and the bowtie? He looks like a goddamn idiot."
Scott watched while the camera panned over to zoom in on Santana's face, who dealt with the joke good-naturedly, laughing at himself.
"And what about Jason? 'Yes I am quite good at decapitating people, but I have no social skills'," Scott mocked in an intentionally terrible robot voice.
Everybody laughed this time. It was true what they said, laughter was contagious. Now, the whole crowd was involved, many people cackling at the top of their lungs.
"Listen to that chick, she sounds like a fucking witch," Scott commented, then mimicked her laugh, albeit rather poorly, but it got more laughs from the audience.
"So what about your score Scott?" Amethyst tried to control the conversation, but it was already too far out of hand for her to have a shot at reigning in the crowd.
By God, Scott knew this was going to be fun.
Tanya Mills District 9: 17F
Sunday Evening 7:20PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 12hrs 40mins
The crowd was in a raucous mood thanks to Scott's antics. He had them riled up and loving his minorly offensive jokes made at the expense of the other tributes and audience members.
Tanya had not expected this sort of performance from Scott, considering his generally antagonistic attitude, but Scott had turned his antagonistic attitude into a huge selling point for the Capitolites. At this point, they couldn't care less about his score because they were so enthralled with his persona and so busy laughing at his jokes.
How had Scott Winston managed to grab the attention of the crowd just as easily as Santana? Scott was many things, but a funny likable guy was not one of them. Well, the likable part certainly wasn't part of Scott's character. The funny part came and went.
The crowd roared as loud as Tanya had heard them all night when Scott's time came to an end. The Capitol loved Scott Winston, and Tanya never thought she would see the day when anyone loved Scott. Though, she figured if there was one person the Capitolites would love, it was Scott.
He walked off the stage flipping the bird to the camera, and shockingly the crowd only cheered louder. Frankly, Tanya was dumbfounded. A display like that from any tribute usually resulted in serious repercussions during the Games, but it didn't seem like that would be the case this time around.
Tanya was welcomed to the stage with a great deal of cheering, more than most of the preceding tributes received. She silently thanked Scott for softening the crowd.
"That's quite a welcome Tanya," Amethyst stated. "How does that make you feel? There's got to be a lot running through your mind right now."
"Yeah," Tanya responded hesitantly. "It's complicated for sure."
She racked her brain for an answer that would be sufficiently inoffensive. Tanya had no interest in ruining her chance at victory before she even took to the arena.
"I'm glad to have someone cheering for me," Tanya said after the brief moment's pause. "And I know my family at home is cheering louder than anyone right now."
That answer was sufficiently inoffensive. It didn't offend any Capitolites, and it didn't require Tanya to out and out lie. Plus, it might have given her somewhere to go with the rest of the conversation.
"Tell us about your family," Amethyst encouraged. "I hear your foster father raised you in a boxing gym, is that right?"
"It is. He had me in gloves by the time I was two years old. I've been in my fair share of fights, in the ring and out, and my training's been with me every step of the way. That's all because of my dad."
"Sounds like he means a lot to you."
"More than you could imagine."
"How much do you think your boxing experience is going to help you in the Games?" Amethyst asked. "I'd assume that's a large reason why you scored so well."
"I think the most important thing I'm bringing to the table in the Games is my experience fighting," Tanya answered. "A lot of the others scored well, but most of them haven't been in a real fight before. I have, and that's what sets us apart."
"How big of a difference does it make to have real fighting experience do you think?"
"It's huge obviously. The careers win more often than any other district. The biggest reason why is that they can fight. The Games aren't just about surviving in the woods. At some point somebody's going to attack you, and you have to be able to defend yourself."
Tanya did wonder briefly how well that statement would hold up given her decision to forego the use of weapons. She shook herself and regained her control, determined not to mess this interview up by brooding endlessly over her questionable future in the world.
"That makes sense to me," Amethyst agreed. "So what about your plans for the Games? Are you going to have anyone to watch your back in the arena?"
Tanya went silent at that question. The only answer she could give was no, and she did not like that, but there was no one to blame save herself for that failure. Had she been wiser, Tanya would have actively sought out allies, but it seemed that either she was unwanted or that she had no desire to join with certain tributes.
"I don't," Tanya replied neutrally.
"Does that concern you?"
"No," Tanya lied, trying to talk as big a game as possible. "It doesn't. I'm going to win. I'm sure of it, and I don't need anybody's help to make that happen."
"No help at all?" Amethyst asked. "Not even a generous sponsor gift?" She smirked slightly.
"I wouldn't say I would need a gift, but I wouldn't return it either."
There was a chuckle from the audience and from Amethyst herself, who anticipated the coming of the timer bell.
"Well Tanya, it's been a pleasure speaking with you, and I wish you the absolute best of luck in the Games," Amethyst stated formally.
"Thank you," Tanya responded, maintaining her somewhat calm demeanor.
She gave a small wave to the onlooking crowd as she exited the stage. Tanya carefully avoided looking into the lens of the camera, smoothing her dress as she sat.
That had gone about as well as she could have hoped. Perhaps it wasn't the greatest showing, certainly not on par with Scott's interview, but it was better than Tanya had expected from herself. Frankly, she was a little shocked at her own self-control.
Amethyst called William to the stage. He looked strangely meek despite his powerful frame. Unfortunately, he also appeared rather forgetful when compared to the other tributes this year. He wasn't nearly as strong as Tyto, not as smart as Tesler, not as skilled as Jason, and not as crazy as Santana. He simply faded into the background, and it appeared that was the opinion many Capitolites held of him, as he received only a light smattering of applause.
He was generally kind in his interview, answering politely at every turn, and creating an amicable bond between himself and Amethyst. Yet that bond was quite obviously lacking some degree of depth. William's answers, while polite, left Amethyst still on the outside of his life looking in. It seemed he merely answered because it was what was expected of him and for no other reason.
Tanya almost felt bad for him as William only received polite applause, given in the same fashion as he had given his answers. William flopped in the chair to Tanya's right, as they, at long last approached the end of the seemingly endless night. Only Three more districts to go.
Matt Scotch District 11: 18M
Sunday Evening 7:30PM
Time Until Bloodbath: 12hrs 30mins
Butch took the stage almost the instant that William took his seat. The tall muscular girl from ten really held a commanding presence, wearing a black jacket over a maroonish shirt and a pair of caramel khaki pants. The crowd seemed to love her, and Butch responded rather well to the positive reception. She even gave a cocky point and smile to one of the prettier young women she saw.
She remained confident throughout her interview, calmly answering questions regarding her family, her readiness for the Games, and her alliance which Brooke had claimed credit for. Butch quite graciously agreed to give Brooke the credit she previously claimed earlier in the evening.
Amethyst seemed rather taken with the ranch hand, as she had seemed with Tesler. Amethyst appeared to enjoy the more confident tributes, and she especially preferred them to the brash overcompensating ones. That gave Matt something to keep in mind during his own conversation with Amethyst.
When Rel took the stage, the shrieks of the crowd were deafening. Every single Capitolite seemed to love him, though Matt couldn't fathom why, probably because Rel appealed to everything they loved in the Capitol. He was all flash, big smiles, lots of jokes, and totally ignorant.
Rel ignored the most basic fact that the Games were not really games. They were a gladiatorial contest, a life-or-death battle where only one person won. All others lost, and those who lost, lost a great deal. Rel wasn't really helping himself a great deal by making himself appealing. If he didn't win the Games, he would be instantly forgotten by the Capitolites who lived vicariously through each moment.
Then, it was Tessa's turn. Matt gave her hand a firm squeeze and she kissed him on the cheek just before she took her place alongside Amethyst. There was plenty of love for Tessa. After all, how could one not cheer for a kind and loving mother.
Tessa played up her motherly side as much as possible to Amethyst and the crowd, and they all seemed to love her for it. Tessa gushed about Jonas, unable to stop her feelings for her son from pouring out, and the whole audience couldn't help but have their hearts melted.
Matt himself smiled happily as Tessa wooed the crowd. She was rather good at that, much better than Matt was. Tessa was just the kind of person that people wanted to have around, kind, understanding, and always eager to help.
Tessa exited the stage with an air of accomplishment about her. Matt knew how she felt right now. She took pleasure in her success, but her mind was likely on the horror that was to come, and on the means necessary to return to her beloved son.
"Let's now welcome Tessa's husband Matt!"
Matt couldn't even tell if Amethyst was growing tired of these ridiculous five-minute interviews. He assumed she had to be ready to go home and have a drink by now. Matt knew better than most that talking was exhausting.
"Hello Matt, how are you doing this evening?" Amethyst asked.
"I'd say fine, all things considered," Matt answered with a calm smile. "I'm still with Tessa so I suppose I can't really complain."
"I guess not," Amethyst replied smoothly. "So you volunteered this year, which makes you one nine this year. Walk us through the moment where you decided to volunteer for the Hunger Games."
Matt sighed slowly, knowing he couldn't walk them through his entire thought process. He had experienced a great deal on Reaping Day, and not all his musings at that time were exactly repeatable on live Capitol TV. Matt figured he'd probably be executed if he aired his thoughts to the public.
"I watched her name get drawn from the bowl," Matt said. "I just knew I couldn't leave her alone. So, I did the only thing I could and volunteered."
"How did you feel?"
"All I know is that I had to protect her. That's all. I can't say it any other way."
"And what about your son?" Amethyst asked. "Aren't you worried you might have left your son an orphan? It is a possibility."
Amethyst hadn't asked these kinds of tough questions to Matt. Why was he being forced into this position? He didn't owe her any answer to that question.
"He's better off with his mother," Matt stated solemnly.
His answer deliberately avoided the question of whether he was worried about his son. Matt refused to answer that question, especially not to the very people who had so brazenly and cruelly forced him to make this impossible decision.
Matt made his way through the last of the interview questions rather stoically, providing simple short answers. By the end, he got the feeling that the crowd was not altogether pleased with him, though, he didn't much care.
Kendra's interview went rather well, remaining calm and sweet throughout. Matt imagined she might have given a few of the Capitolites reason to cheer for her, despite her decidedly middle of the road odds at victory, which Matt figured were much smaller thanks to her alliance with Peter.
Though, if Kendra did manage to survive the bloodbath, it was assured that she would have a chance at victory. She'd scored a seven just as Matt had, which meant she wasn't to be taken lightly. Kendra certainly provided that appearance to the audience as well.
At long last, the final tribute ascended the stairs to the interview stage. The scheming boy Peter Vogel showed a surprising amount of confidence, and no small amount of wittiness. He had the crowd enjoying themselves again after several rather uninteresting interviews. And, regardless of whether or not they liked each tribute, Matt was glad the audience would leave tonight on a high note. An audience which enjoyed itself would be more willing to hand out sponsorship gifts.
That was no small matter.
Howard Malterk Head Peacekeeper: 45M
Sunday Evening 8:00PM
Time Until Bloodbath 12hrs
Amethyst wrapped up proceedings with a smile on her face and a happy audience behind her. Howard knew there was very little Amethyst failed at. Her work was excellent, and as a result she was held in high regard by many Capitolites of high station, including Howard himself.
She was smart, capable of tremendous kindness but also extreme ruthlessness, and to top it all, she was among the most beautiful women in the Capitol.
But, while Amethyst did her work, his TV screen flickered. That was odd. Howard was offered the best TV service on account of his position. Loss of signal should have been impossible.
Then, seconds later, the screen went black.
"What the f-" Howard whispered to himself as he stood slowly from his living room couch.
The screen flickered again, then suddenly changed dramatically from the clean footage of the interviews. The footage replacing it was grainy and was obviously taken by a shaky cameraman, but what it showed was unmistakable. There, fully visible before the camera were thousands of bodies.
Most appeared to be clothed in everyday garb, but nothing so drab as the district citizens wore today. Others were clearly visible in a dress Howard was intimately familiar with. They wore the unmistakable white armor of Peacekeepers, only they appeared to be more heavily armed than any average Peacekeeper.
The regularly clothed people ran screaming from the Peacekeepers, while the Peacekeepers levelled their many guns on the fleeing crowd.
"What the hell is this?" Howard whispered to himself further, then took a drink of his bourbon.
The screen flashed and changed, showing a different angle to a different conflict. Peacekeepers were knocking on street doors in what appeared to be District 3. They then kicked in the doors and went in, guns up and aimed inside. Shots rang through the apartments, and more screams came from inside.
Over the course of the next five minutes or so, Howard watched footage of Peacekeepers attacking and executing people. He finally figured out what he was looking at as three children were hanged.
It was footage of the war. It had been one hundred seven years since the first rebellion was stomped out, but Howard could recognize the weaponry they used easily. He considered himself an aficionado of historical weapons, and the guns of the Peacekeepers were unmistakable. It was the Capitol army he was watching.
Then, his phone began to ring.
Howard picked it up without even looking at the name.
"Malterk," he announced himself.
"Hey Howard, it's Raj Mansoor," the voice on the other end greeted. "I was calling because I wanted to know if you were also watching some rather disturbing footage of the Capitol military beheading women and kids."
"I am," Howard answered simply. "This isn't good Raj. If we're both seeing it, odds are everyone all over Panem is too."
"Indeed, and that's rather unsettling, given that they shouldn't have a damn clue about any of this."
"Shit," Howard swore as he downed the rest of his bourbon.
"That about sums it up," Mansoor declared. "Why don't you get your best guys on this right now, and I'll do the same? There's only a few different things that could be going on here."
"My bet's on some rogue hackers."
"Well regardless of your bet, citizens of Panem are seeing a lot of footage that they're definitely not supposed to be seeing right now. I'll call you back later Howard."
Mansoor hung up.
Howard got to work immediately, calling the head of the Peacekeeper Technology Division.
"Hey Clark" Howard spoke without waiting for the man to announce himself. "Figure out what's taking over the TVs right now. I want you and everyone else up all night until you figure this out. Got it?"
"Understood sir," Clark answered. "We're on it right away."
Howard hung up. Great, just what he needed, more complicated tech shit to deal with.
Well the interviews are complete! That means that the Pre-Games stage is complete as well, so next chapter will be the bloodbath!
So sorry this chapter was super late, but once again my health gave me some issues. Apparently I have some serious food intolerances that I was not aware of, so after changing up my diet – eating only meat and a small amount of vegetables, and just water to drink – hopefully my stomach will stay a bit healthier and I won't feel nearly so crap.
In other news, the Braves are World Series champs! It's been a long time since anyone could say that, longer than I've been alive. That's got me over the moon right now, despite my health issues.
But, anyway, the Games are set to begin very soon! I would love to hear any predictions you might have or tributes you might be cheering for!
So, thanks for reading guys.
-Red