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Created by ShunKazamis-Girl

There's been quite a lot of changes to the blog recently, so make sure you check it out! Do be warned, it'll spoil the interview outfits, but there's still a lot of other amazing parts to check out, with all the chapter info, tribute/ Capitol characters info, the layout of the games and other info about the story! And it looks so good! Thank you so much ShunKazamis-Girl for making it.

The link is also on my profile and the Hunger Games SYOT discord server, for much easier access.

A short chapter to bridge the events, just before the interviews begin.


Lycoris Ashford

The morning had been so normal despite the large event looming over, that I was quite surprised when I started to notice things that weren't as ordinary. Such as how all the streetlamps outside weren't illuminated despite the sullen winter sky overhead, and how the trains were still sleeping as the guards slowly began to huddle together by the gates. Most worrying of all was how all the doors had been locked…which if it was the case before, I hadn't had noticed.

I wouldn't like to call myself particularly perceptive, but you'd have to be blind to miss all the warning signs, hung five steps in front of us.

The alarm to wake the others up finally sounded, disrupting me as I slowly stumbled into the tribute lounge. I had wanted to wake up as early as possible, due to the change in schedule, but it only led to the odd pit in my stomach growing larger. I had chalked it down due to the end of training, but now I wonder if it's something different…

But I let out a sigh of relief, as I realise it is the same as usual here.

The early birds began to stream in. Blu was the first, who kept his head low as he leaned against the wall in the corner. The alliance of Willow and her friends walked in, chattering slightly, though I could only pick up on idle small talk. I began to zone out once more, the time flying by until…

A new face walked in. I blink a few times as I inspect the captivating woman who strides in, clearly quite distraught. I wrack my brain as the cells tumble around like a lottery machine, before realising it's Decima, the interviewer.

Tiara budges up to me in the meantime, leaving no space between us. As rude as it is, I try to tune her out as Decima does multiple head counts. "You excited for today?"

"Mmh…I couldn't wait for this day to come…" I mumble, not putting an ounce of thought in. Thankfully, the interviewer saves the day by clearing her throat, as the dozen and one tributes on the couches silence themselves.

"I…I didn't want to be the one to announce this but…" Decima mumbles, seeming almost out of her element. What an awful way to start an announcement, as multiple begin to stir as soon as they pick up on it.

She doesn't follow up for a second. The lounge dims down once more like an attentive classroom. "I know it's very sudden…but unfortunately the interviews aren't going to be live this year."

"Is that it?" Rowan says, the words slipping out. "S-sorry…I was just expecting worse…"

"It's a pretty monumental change though, out of nowhere…" Willow struggles to hide her disappointment. She clearly suspects something is up and I have to agree with her.

This change doesn't really matter to Lycoris. I'll excel either way, as I know I won't bow to the pressure. But I was hoping some of the other tributes might have sunk their chances of doing well tonight due to the stage fright.

"I know, I know…and I'm terribly sorry…"

"What good use is a sorry? Are you not going to explain why?" Karrie speaks the mind of many.

"Not…right now, no." Decima looks away.

This is what disturbs me the most. They're clearly hiding something. And even if we're a group of oblivious Capitolites, we're not stupid and naive enough to fail to notice something that something is off.

"Will we find out why? Or is that not important to us?" I finally enquire. I then notice how relieved Tiara seems as she sinks into the sofa. Once she realises I'm staring, she tenses up a little, though I'm sure what she's trying to portray and what she's really feeling.

"Not important."

"Won't the sudden change be inconvenient to the audience? Are they fine with just no longer coming?" Dae wonders as they play with the curls of their hair.

The interviewer nods, looking entirely awkward. I would hate to be in her situation, but I'm more annoyed that we've all been left in the dark.

"Can't we just like…wait until we can have an audience?" Tiara wonders. People stare daggers at her, not wanting to unnecessarily have to speak in front of everyone. I don't care either way, as I'll excel no matter what.

She shakes her head. "That isn't the issue! We just can't change the…schedule as…it is very tightly ran here."

Decima then goes on to explain that the only changes are that there won't be an audience and they'll start slightly earlier, to allow for more wiggle room.

"This is bullshit." Tiara rolls her eyes, as people begin to disperse.

I nod, not listening once more. We still have a day to kill and get ready…and I don't want to waste it, sitting around when I could be finding out what this large revelation is. The information has been dangled in front of us and I have to pass the time somehow…

I might as well try to find out what's going on.


Karrie Cataline

I watch as Lycoris storms out, the doors now unlocked that everybody needs to move around. Realising that I don't care if I'm caught, I quickly scoot after him. But I quickly lose sight of him due to his head start.

I also notice that the halls are emptier than ever, yet it feels the busiest it's ever been. I had originally pinned the chaos surrounding me down to the rushed nature of the day ahead, assuming the workers were just…trying to accomodate for the swarms of crowds spewing in or cleaning the halls…

But I stand at the train station to see it's completely dead, not a single worker mandating the carriages. A few guards pace back and forth at the entrance so they remain trapped like hamsters in a cage. But that's nothing new or anything to turn my nose up at.

Hoping the ball lands on my selected roulette spot, I step up to the smallest looking guard with a spring in my step. "Hi…can you explain what the fuck is going on? Why have the interviews been changed?" I ask, wondering why filming has just completely ceased.

The guard shakes his head, muttering and tutting. "You're not meant to talk to the guards. You should know this."

"I would consider these circumstances to be quite abnormal, so please excuse me breaking the rules." I still smile, actually in a good mood as I got enough sleep for once. I haven't lost my patience yet despite the show's incompetency.

"Go back to the dorms. You'll find out soon enough." The guard ignores all of my inquiries. Who am I to rebel against such a thoughtful guard?

So I turn on my heel, rambling up the brick paths with weeds and moss lurking in the cracks. Everything is growing more and more peculiar…and I still am carrying a bag with no answers. But idly waiting and hoping for something in the dormitories seems so boring too, when I could be on the hunt for clues. Maybe I should make my way to the interview hall in the south? It might be quite a hike, but I don't have any other option now I can't board the trains. And I'm not one to cry about getting mud on my tracksuit bottoms.

But as I approach the mesh wire gate to the uncared for path, I spot the most curious sight of them all. A purple looking person, with sunglasses covering their bloodshot eyes and washed out grey skin…bells ring in the fog of my mind. He blocks the way out, as I wonder if it's the head guard…

"Please don't scream." The raspy voice tells me, yanking at my hand.

Shockingly, I immediately scream, clawing at their veiny hands with the knife of my nail. Blood draws which makes him yelp, suddenly letting go. "Fuckin' hell…you can't go attacking the Head Gamemaker like that." He breathes in and out heavily, rubbing their sore hand.

"You're the Head Gamemaker? Why on Earth would you grab me like that?" I wonder, still considering just booking it. The possibility of escaping now seems very appealing.

This creep is one of the most important people here? I had sort of forgotten about them, as he hasn't shown up to any of the events yet. I can tell they aren't the most…well adjusted, sociable of people.

"Needed your attention." Aemil coughs, a nasty raw cough which makes me feel even more disturbed. I really need to run, but my thirst for knowledge hasn't been quenched yet. Oh, the misery.

"Would calling me over not have sufficed?" I wonder, their shaky breath slowly getting more still.

Aemil shrugs, as he rubs together their cold hands now. He doesn't maintain eye contact, staring at the trees behind us. "You might have run away or ignored me."

Right, I'm clearly dealing with a sane person then. Taking a second to think about it, I just decide to clear the confusion and ask the biggest question of all.

"So…err…what did you want then?"

"Err…I don't know how to really say this but…" Aemil stalls time, now cracking their fingers.

"Hurry up. It's freezing out here." I yawn, the bitter air making my hands feel clammy and as if my fingers will fall off at any moment.

Aemil rolls his eyes, wrapping his scarf up further. "So fuckin' rude…" He mumbles and dilly dallies, before finally speaking. "I've…err…been ordered to tell you the truth of last year's game. Might as well now."

"Really? You're just leaking it after meticulously covering it up?" I ask in disbelief. All that searching was for nothing…but I never could have been able to predict this outcome when I decided to go for on the lookout for clues.

But Aemil doesn't answer initially, stalling time. And I quickly find out that this is a habit of his. It feels like he enjoys withdrawing the information that I so very much desire.


Tiara Christal

After seeing multiple people run away, joining the trend won't be a problem, will it? If they cared that much, they'd just stop us. Or answer all their questions…

And besides that, I'm really upset by this sudden change! It's what I was looking forward to the most and now it'll just be…half as fun? Subdued? Just another event that's blended in with the rest so far? Everything's going so quickly, it won't stand out at all.

And most worrying of all, Lycoris looked very challenged. Almost upset kind of, which seems like an odd change to the usually smiley man. If even he can't keep composure to cheer everyone up, then how will anyone else be able to?

And I really want to break the plan of us breaking up to him! I don't see why he'd have a problem considering we've been acting all this time…it's fine if I control the reins for a little bit and change the fate of their relationship for a while, right?

So when nobody's looking (which doesn't take long), I sneak out the door. I'm technically allowed to but they probably won't be pleased to find out I'm roaming the premises.

I quickly find him at his favourite spot, the first place I look…at the top of the tower. I just wanted to check there first to see if I could point him out from the spire, as the entire area is visible…

But most worrying of all was his clearly panicky expression. I stop apprehensively when I realise he's breathing heavily. Not quite hyperventilating, but it's rapid enough to seem unusual. His eyes might have been teary because of the bitter wind, but I have a slight feeling it's due to his overwhelming emotions. Surely it couldn't have been because of the interviews? Nobody cared that much.

Maybe…it'd be better to keep her plans to myself. I don't want to be so insensitive and dismissive of his feelings. Keeping the act up too also works for now.

"Tiara." Lycoris suddenly sits up, no longer scrawling against the chilling metal bench. As if he needs to fix his image…

I take a pause, letting everything settle in. I quickly decide to sit next to him to warm him up and see from his level. "Lycoris? What's wrong?"

He hesitates, killing time by looking at the floor. "Do you know why the train stations are closed?"

I'm a bit annoyed by how he's ignored me, but I still decide to ignore my own feelings too. "I couldn't even think of a correct guess."

Lycoris looks down for a second. "Do you know why the city goes to sleep sometimes then? Everything suddenly shuts down?"

I shake my head again, desperate to know the answer. "I…wait…"

"It's usually because of an important event, right?" Lycoris asks once more, trying to spoon feed the answer as if he's a host on a children's programme, trying to lead the stupid watcher to an obvious answer.

It suddenly comes back to me. "Wasn't there like a time everything shut down because of…a funeral?"

"Of the former President Caligenia?" Lycoris prompts the puzzle pieces into places.

I nod, as I rub him on the shoulder a little. Not very romantic but now isn't the time. "Somebody…died?"

He waits for me to stop stirring. "President Scuttle…was announced dead, earlier this morning." Lycoris whispers, the silence in the air being shattered by a pin drop.

I gasp, but deep down, I know I don't really care. I have no real opinions on this man. I've barely paid attention to him before, but he was pretty major...maybe I shouldn't have been so ignorant. "Wait, for real? How do you know?"

"The staff can't keep their mouths shut. How could they…" Lycoris loses track and I don't prompt further.

"Right. Everyone loves gossip." I say, not matching the mood up here.

He nods, still tense and frozen up however. "They said…he passed from a stroke. Do people actually believe that?"

"I don't know. Do they?"

"Well…I've heard conflicting tales. Some people are conspiring about gunshots and…a bloody end." Lycoris' knees jump up and down like they're running.

My mouth gapes wide, suddenly interested. Ooh…a scandal? I want to find out more, feeling like a detective, before the seriousness of the situation sinks in. How could somebody murder the most important man in the country?

"That's just a rumour though. Is it worrying you?" I ask, realising that I'm not really consoling him. But it's hard when I'm still missing a lot of information.

"Is it obvious?" Lycoris chuckles, though it's not fooling me this time. I nod softly, clutching his clammy hands. "If he was murdered, somebody must be out for him. A group of people, or somebody incredibly powerful…no lone rebel could have done this."

"That…seems obvious too." I shrug, wondering where he's going.

Lycoris looks annoyed by the interrupting, but continues anyway. "Well, who's to say they won't go for…for anyone who might protest against them? Any remnants of Scuttle's supporters?"

"That's a big…leap in logic? Why would they need to kill anyone else?" I think. It's not like murder is an easy deed to commit, right? They can't just wipe out large groups of people without going unnoticed.

Is Lycoris an avid supporter? Or maybe his family is? Scuttle has a lot of wealthy donors.

He shrugs before repeating. "Maybe it is. Maybe it is. Even if I'm being paranoid, it's still a worrying possibility. Major changes are going to happen now…it might not be murder, but…a lot of people may lose wealth or power, for example."

"Well, whatever happens…I'll stick by you. We're a team, right?"

Lycoris slowly nods.

"So, we can work through all these sudden changes and challenging times together. Even if it has to happen while we're stuck here…" I frown. It shouldn't be too much of a worry, hopefully. "I'll be here for you, whenever you need it!"

Lycoris doesn't react, but…it's the best I can do to help out, and that's all that matters to me.


Rowan Augustine

I've been following Karrie around too much these past few days. But as unpleasant as she may be, she doesn't look down on me…that much…She's a lot more realistic and grounded too, which is a refreshing breath of air. So I'm not too shocked when I find myself chasing after her, once seeing her running away into the murky morn.

And I am kind of interested in what's going on with all this mystery. A lead might be helpful, which we could hopefully snag in all this confusion and chaos.

Oh, and a break from the others is nice. I can't help but groan over how appalling the mental health treatment has been so far, but I'm managing…better? I'm not doing well but I'm making tiny steps.

My fleeting hopes of excitement come crashing down when I see Karrie having a casual conversation with one of the oddest people I've ever seen. He's like some freak alien abomination, swaying oddly in the breeze. Why is she spending her spare time with this man? By the exit gates when there's cigarette buts that line the floor and plastic packaging hanging from branches?

"Another kid?" The raspy voice frowns. I recognise them from somewhere, which is alarming.

"You're the head Gamemaker...Andrew?" It all comes flooding back to me. I fall out of defense mode, still remaining a little guarded just in case.

He sighs. "Close enough...it's Aemil. I ain't gonna hurt you."

"That's exactly what a serial killer would say just as he's about to throttle his victims." I mumble. This isn't the best time to be sarcastic, but it's hard to be all jolly. I park myself next to Karrie, leaning against the gate too.

"Nah, really. I just have to tell you the truth and then escort you back…and make sure you're all safe." Aemil tells us, which doesn't exactly reassure our nerves.

"Yes, the truth please. Can we get back on topic?" Karrie pesters, looking a bit fed up of tapping her foot.

"Yes…err…I've been ordered to tell you what actually happened last year…" Aemil starts to say as he looks away whilst rummaging through his pocket.

"Why have you been ordered to do that?" I say without thinking.

Karrie stops shivering for a second, looking genuinely excited. "By who? And why you and not some other irrelevant guard or official?"

"Shut up…all questions and no patience. You'll find out when I want to tell you."

Silence. Aemil seems to have forgotten that he's meant to be elaborating and explaining, as he spends more time trying to find whatever is in his pocket. I just want him to be more direct, as I want some answers like promised. The drivel leading up to it is unnecessary.

"Well, hurry up and tell us what's going on then. I want to prepare for my interview." Karrie snaps, being more eloquent than I could ever be.

"Can't you kids be more grateful? I'm literally spelling out what's going to happen to you. Why did the two moodiest kids have to figure out what happened?" Aemil rolls his eyes.

"I'm not moody." I frown, realising my tone is kind of moody…

Aemil moves, approaching a metal bench. I look at it to see it's a memorial bench, though the name has been scratched out. I feel a bit odd sitting there now, wondering how somebody could be so disrespectful.

He then finds what he's been looking for. A small polaroid photo of two people. The girl has a bright blonde bob cut with streaks of pink, extreme eyeliner and contour and a wide, toothy smile. It's not the greatest of descriptions, but I only see it for a flash. The boy looks a little more uncomfortable to be on camera, but is smiling nonetheless. He has the same squashed nose and windswept brown hair…as Scuttle. They're sitting at the same party table we had sat at a few days ago, hands around each other's shoulders.

"Scuttle's son?" Karrie wonders, noticing too.

Aemil frowns, not looking excited for what's about to happen. "And the girl…Aurora…" He stops for a second. "The girl he ended up murdering in the games."

Ah, so that's why they made such a big deal of covering it up. If this broke out to the Capitol, there'd be pandemonium. I gasp kind of loudly and melodramatically, honestly. Karrie just looks overjoyed at this revelation, glad it wasn't a boring plot twist like her dying of a heart attack.

"How did it happen?" Karrie asks out of morbid curiosity.

"Some sort of freak…accident? I think they were fighting and he shoved her head against a rock? I don't get these details, I'm too irrelevant." Aemil shrugs bluntly, heavily downplaying on what probably happened.

I smack my lips. "Right, an accident."

Karrie goes back to a serious expression. "An accident…that would explain why we've made the sudden switch to VR."

Aemil nods, proving this theory. He speaks again before either of us can respond: "Right. And I was going to ask you to reveal it in the games but…"

Karrie stifles a laugh. I can feel my face contort into a weird smile as he speaks: "Do you think we were born yesterday?" I ask.

"What...and get myself and my entire family killed? No thanks." Karrie laughs at how foolish his request is.

"Yeah, but it would have been different." Aemil hints, though I'm not too sure what he means. What is he implying? "You don't have to anyway, as it's already been revealed to the general public."

"Really?"

"What the fuck?" Karrie seems disturbed by this.

Aemil nods. "It's half the reason why they've shut this place down. The people are angry and upset by this news… they'd probably care more if it weren't for…"

Yet another non answer. More questions are being raised than answered.

Karrie looks up, looking somewhat nervous actually. I'm put off by both her genuine worry which seems odd on her normally confident face…and whatever Aemil is going on about.

"Shouldn't they cancel the show?" I wonder. I really don't feel safe here anymore, seeing how they've handled all the scandals here already and blatantly lied to them multiple times. It's so unprofessional, which is one of their lesser sins.

Aemil nods. "They…most likely are going to. They might try to push this one out but there'll never be another season."

Silence.

Karrie's eyes water, utterly defeated by this news. All this planning, hoping and effort for absolutely nothing. She seemed to care a lot about this, so to have it all snatched away feels so cruel.

I sigh. I don't really have any sentimental feelings about the show or the games themselves, but I really need that money. I can't come home empty handed…I can't have done all of this and come so close to what I wanted, to fall back down at the last step.

"Don't worry about it for now though! They haven't given up yet!" Aemil tries to fix it, after realising how he's fucked everything up.

"What's the point? It'd be fucking stupid of them to keep trying." Karrie sighs, wiping a tear from her eye. She then stands up. "I…I still have an interview I need to be preparing for though."

And with that, she quickly scampers away through the gates. I feel the urge to run after her, but she clearly needs to be alone.

"Thanks for telling us everything." I nod, not sure what else to say.

"Don't worry. And…err…I just wanted to say sorry. For what's going to happen." Aemil looks down at their dirty boots.

"For what's…going to happen?" But I never get an answer, as Aemil starts to quickly wander away too. What the hell is happening?