Caesar Flickerman- Interviewer

Irina's black and gold dress indicated a stylist who thought they were very clever for dressing her like a lion. She seemed right at home in it, no doubt used to spangles and glitter.

"When I fight the lions it's just pretend," Irina said. "I guess I thought it would be fun to fight someone for real." Most of her interview had been jokes so I somehow doubted she actually enjoyed violence.

Malcolm was not good with public speaking. I could tell since he went with the "mysterious" angle. Some Tributes actually are mysterious but in most cases "mysterious" just means "don't know what to say and am trying to convince everyone it's on purpose".

"Here's our unbalanced spitfire," I said when Alice took her seat. "Do you think your mental illness will give you an advantage in such a brutal Games?"

"What, mentally ill people are brutes?" Alice asked, her little smile suggesting she was almost amused by my bluntness. "Rude. Do you ask fat Tributes if their lard will help them survive longer?"

"I'm here to win this for the Capitol," Brock vowed. "I'm grateful for the chance they gave me and this country they gave us all. I'm going to show how much I love them by winning the Games for them."

Tabitha cartwheeled onstage in a very odd blue suit and a gigantic hideous green tie.

"Very... interesting choice of outfit," I commented.

"I know, right?" Tabitha picked up the green fashion disaster and waggled it at me. "This really ties the whole thing together."

Lester slunk onstage in a dull grey suit and took his seat without any fuss.

"I don't have any cool jokes like Tabitha," he said.

Juniper soared through the interview, playing to the crowd until they were eating out of his hand.

"Anyone back home cheering you on?" I asked.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about that," Juniper said nervously. The interview fizzled out and left me wondering what went wrong.

"A lot of people back home thought I wasn't the right pick," Talise said cheekily. "Guess everyone else must really suck. Or maybe... I was the right pick."

Richard barreled onto the stage like he owned the place. I didn't know it was possible for someone to sit down loudly.

"Sometimes I'm kinda dumb," he admitted. "But here's the thing. People learn from their mistakes. So I've learned a lot of things."

"There's rumors of some underground activity in your area," I asked Skada. I'd been told to try to get information but personally I hoped she didn't fall for it.

"Oh no, that's terrible," Skada said. "Why would anyone do something like that? Anyway, wanna hear a joke?"

"My parents don't get along," Max said. "Luckily he leaves her alone because he can spend time with all his other wives." I sat blinking, unsure of where to go from there and deeply regretting that I'd asked about his family back home.

"Someone like you has nothing to worry about during the Games," I said to Nene, looking up at her- even with both of us sitting down she towered over me.

"Yes, I think that, uh-" she tilted her hand in her lap so she could look at her palm- "strength is important in the Games and I will be able to help my allies on their quest for victory."

"People think people in the Districts just sit around all day hungry and miserable. We have our own lives and goals. Like me- I want to be mayor someday. Things are hard in Seven but when we work together we can make things work," Petra said airily. She went on into a speech that was probably cheesy but it was sincere and I did hope things worked out for her.

Deciduous came out in the same green suit every stylist thought they were so creative for putting a Seven boy into. Did any of these people watch tapes of previous Games?

"The most important reason for me to win is so I can help my boyfriend Jude. He was in an accident recently and he's in a coma now. My family's doing everything we can to help but I know we can do more if I win the Games." What the audience didn't know was that Cid had a better chance of winning if Jude died before the Bloodbath.

"I hear you're quite keen with a mace," I asked Elle in her gray ballgown.

"More accurately I'm quite enthusiastic with a mace," Elle commented. "'Keen' implies skill."

Christobal was so nervous it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk. I saw him light up a little when I mentioned music so I doubled down until he cracked.

"I think music is wonderful," he confessed with the tiniest smile. "I just wish my mother liked it more."

"Maybe you'd like to share a little with us?" I asked, though I suspected he wouldn't be brave enough to go that far.

Christobal shifted in his seat. "I guess... if you think it's okay..." He took a breath and out came the most wonderful sound I'd heard in months. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night..."

Toddward rolled up to the stage wearing most of a formal tuxedo, except he'd taken the jacket off and wore a leather one instead. It looked... unique.

"Everyone better get ready since you're in for a good show," he said. "I'm talking violence, intrigue, alliances made and broken, betrayals, heartrending moments, and a finale that will blow you away."

Veda tiptoed to her seat, nervously looking around at the audience and then back at her short-sleeved dress.

"My mother would ban me from watching the Games if I dressed like this," she mused. "I mean I guess I'd have to watch them anyway because it's the law, but she'd be really mad. But I'm kind of getting used to it since everyone else is dressed like this or worse."

"Here's our brave little fighter," I said as Raleigh come onstage in a baby blue dress designed to get pity points for the cute little kid in the Games. "What inspired you to do something so brave?"

"I just wanted to be a good friend," Raleigh shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't such a great idea but I'm not really sorry."

"This is nothing new to me," Tyler said bluntly, his arms folded and his expression showing all he'd been through. "I've fought before and I've killed before. I didn't like it but sometimes you need to defend yourself. No one's here to lay down and die. I'm going to kill anyone who attacks me and at the end I'll do what I have to do."

"We just couldn't bear to be apart," Stevie said, sitting across Callum's lap on the overcrowded chair. "We begged the stylists until they talked to the show people."

"It really tugs at the heartstrings," I said. "But what we all really want to know is, what exactly happened with your mother?"

"We had to do it," Callum broke in, leaning forward underneath Stevie. "She was killing Stevie but no one could see it. All we did was free Stevie from her."

"Don't you miss your mother?" I asked Stevie.

Her face went troubled. "I guess I miss what I wish she would have been. I wish I had a real mother who loved me and took care of me. I wish none of this had happened."

"How does the Capitol compare to your life before?" I asked Zara.

"It's very nice here," she said. "I didn't have much back at home and it's awesome to be here and try so many things. It's like the best vacation in the world."

I looked down at the paper I held with exact questions to ask Denton in that exact order.

"Denton, what would you like to say about the Capitol?"

The avox standing by Denton tried vainly to attract his attention to the box on his lap, pointing at the button labeled "1". Denton fidgeted with the box and pressed "3"

"Back home I lived with my parents. They hope I come home safe," a robotic voice said.

"Uh... what was your life life back home?" I read question 3 off my card. The studio audience would know the truth but by the time the interview was broadcast nationwide the editors would take care of our little disconnect. Sometimes technology is amazing.