Wendy Roofer - District 5 Female - Age 18

"You've become so much less scared, Bariq." Moona Crayon, their stylist, said as she tied his tie, "I'm proud of you!"

Bariq had gotten way more accustomed to the Capitol since the parade fiasco, and Wendy couldn't help but share Moona's pride. He wasn't outgoing by any means yet, but he hadn't cried all afternoon, which was an accomplishment. He'd sort of become a little brother to her over the past few days, and she wasn't necessarily mad about it. Wendy had become more confident in her own way as well. She'd been able to form alliances for her and Bariq, and she even had her own little protest by doing nothing in front of the Gamemakers for her private session. Bariq was convinced it was because she didn't want to have a higher score than him, and Wendy was willing to let him think that if it helped him, even though her true motives were to anger those who hurt her parents.

"I like your outfit!" Bariq exclaimed after he was fully dressed, "Yellow is your color for sure."

Moona had dressed Wendy in an electrifyingly yellow romper with gold trim. It was a bit bright for sure, but if Bariq could go out of his comfort zone and actually talk to people, Wendy could wear a bold color. Bariq was dressed in a plain black suit, which was well, plain, but his shaggy hair looked nice, slicked back and tucked behind his ears. They decided to meet up with their allies, Willadeene and Winona, so they could talk strategy, a topic they had been avoiding throughout the week. Winona was the least shy of the group, but Wendy was second to her, and any group where Wendy isn't in the bottom half in terms of shyness, is a damn shy group.

"You all look so beautiful!" Winona exclaimed as Wendy ran up to her, Bariq closely following, "Well Bariq, you look handsome."

"Thank you Winona." He smirked, "You look nice as well."

As worried as Wendy was that Bariq's streak of confidence would end once it was his turn to interview, she was savoring it. Willadeene had come out of her shell a bit as well. She'd had some horrible things happen to her in the past, but Wendy admired her ability to not let it define her, especially since the trauma left by her parents death had always cast a shadow upon her own life.

"What do you think we should do for the bloodbath?" Willadeene asked, "Because I say we go to the Cornucopia and take what we can! I think we'll need it."

"The careers will be there too." Bariq said, tapping his foot against the ground, "You're asking for a death sentence."

"Well it's not like we'll get any sponsor gifts," Willadeene laughed, "Nobody wants to buy things for a motley crew of fuck-ups, so this is our only way to get supplies."

"She makes a point." Wendy said, "I say we do it."

"I agree!" Winona chimed in.

Was it stupid? Probably. But only one of them could win anyways, so taking risks would be the norm, though Wendy wasn't sure if any of them would win. They'd met at the banquet since they were all too shy to talk to anybody, so they just sat in the back corner, until Winona eventually started a discussion and they decided to all team up.

"So then what do we do after the bloodbath?" Wendy asked, "Just hide?"

"Well I don't think we should hunt people," Winona said, "So yeah!"

Soon it was time for Wendy's interview. Her plans were to do the exact same thing she did during her private session, just sit there. Maybe sponsors would somehow find her alluring. It was worth a shot, that was for certain.

"Wendy Roofer!" A Capitolite called out from the wings, "You're next."

"Bariq," She said walking away, "You'll be next so follow me."

She waited for a few moments before it was finally her turn. The boy from 4 walked out with a huge smile on his face. It seemed she'd have a tough act to follow if she actually had the desire to try.

"Meet Wendy Roofer!" Wendy heard Lucky, the announcer call out, followed by his parrot echoing her name.

Wendy pushed back the curtain and stepped onto the stage. She gave a simple wave to the audience, who responded with polite claps.

"So Wendy," Lucky started, "Have you been enjoying your time here so far?"

Wendy was silent. Lucky seemed confused, as did the audience, which meant her plan was working.

"Hello?"

She didn't break.

"This is your interview."

Nothing.

"Don't you want sponsors?"

Wendy shrugged, prompting awkward chuckles from the audience.

"Okay then."

Wendy walked off the stage, "Thank you."

The audience clapped once again out of confusion.

"That was quick!" Bariq said as she walked back into the holding room, "How did it go?"

"I didn't say anything!" Wendy beamed, "Now you go and show them what District 5 is really all about!"

Wendy couldn't help but be nervous throughout Bariq's interview. She heard applause and laughter which meant it couldn't be too bad, and it went on for a fairly long time.

"It was great!" Bariq exclaimed, "I feel great!"

"I'm so proud of you!"

"I'm proud of me too!"

Logan Webster - District 8 Male - Age 16

Logan was totally pumped for his interview! He got to wear an amazing outfit, which was a golden suit, and he got to do what he loved most: talking. So far he had left quite the mark on the Capitol. He'd gained at least five pounds, but he couldn't be happier. Besides, he was going to need that extra weight because he had a damn good feeling that the food in the arena wouldn't be nearly as appetizing as the delicacies he'd recently been enjoying. His favorite meal was the white truffle curry, but he also loved the lobster frittata. Damn, he would miss this. Velvette and Cedar had also truly been the best of dining partners. The three of them had probably eaten more food than all of the careers combined!

"Why am I so hyped?" Cedar asked Logan who was sitting on a couch, digesting his ice cream sundae.

"Because you're going to do great!" He exclaimed.

Cedar's District Partner Sam was currently on stage doing her interview. Logan had heard awful stories about how she'd mistreated him and said he was going to die, so Logan secretly hoped she'd fuck up during her interview. Oddly enough, she was able to join the careers, but she seemed out of place. They all appeared to have some sort of a chip on their shoulder, and Sam barely looked like she gave a damn. Whatever.

"Good luck Cedar!" Velvette called out as he left to give his interview, "We love you!"

Velvette had been an excellent friend too. She appeared to be a snob on the train, but boy was Logan mistaken. Not only could she beat him in an arm wrestle, when she burped, it was like she was one of the guys. Her strategy was also brilliant! She decided it would be stupid for them to go into the cornucopia at the beginning, unless they wanted their asses handed to them by the careers, and suggested they run away as fast as they could. They were all likeable people, so Velvette was certain they could expect gifts from sponsors. Of course this made the interview all the more important, but Logan was used to being charming, and his time in the Capitol had taught him what the Capitolites liked to see, which was honesty. They knew the Tributes weren't as elegant as they were, and Logan was sure they preferred to see them act like their authentic selves, and not like wannabe clones.

Soon Cedar's interview was over which meant it was time for Velvette. He said that his interview went as good as he could have hoped, which made Logan even more fired up for his. He anxiously awaited his turn as he stood in the wings, but in the meanwhile he heard cheers for Velvette. She had been nervous that people wouldn't like her because of what she did to the President's granddaughter, but it appeared the Capitolites didn't give a damn about the spoiled brat. Hopefully the Gamemakers also didn't care, or else it would place a huge target on their backs.

"Your turn!" Velvette patted his back as she returned, "You're going to be a star."

Logan could barely hear Lucky call his name before he ran on stage. He looked out into the audience and waved, then stuck out his tongue and popped out his eyes, causing them to erupt into laughter as he took a seat.

"How have you liked the Capitol?" Lucky asked, trying to keep calm though he was giggling.

"Delicious!" Logan exclaimed, "You guys are the best chefs ever!"

"What has your favorite food been?" Lucky asked, probably in disbelief he was talking about food during an interview for a death contest.

"Well I've never had curry or truffles before," Logan started. The audience was on the edge of their seats waiting for him to finish, "And it turns out, I like both! So the white truffle curry was phenomenal."

Logan mimicked rubbing his stomach causing the audience to laugh again.

"What have you done besides eating?" Lucky asked

"Wait, were we supposed to do something else?" Logan smirked, causing the audience to roar, "I'm kidding! I've been practicing with weapons and making allies. You know, the usual!"

"You got a 7!" Lucky said, "That's a pretty good score."

It was, and Logan was proud as hell for getting it.

"Why thank you!"

"Do you have any specific strategy for the arena?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out!"

The audience couldn't stop laughing, and surely that was a good thing. He had them right where he wanted them and that meant they'd be opening their wallets for him, Velvette, and Cedar. He cracked a few more jokes followed by actually insightful responses, and the audience seemed genuinely upset when it was time for him to walk off the stage.

"See you later!" Logan called out as he exited the stage, "You're all beautiful."

Tulip Everly - District 11 Female - Age 18

Tulip did not come to the Capitol to make friends and unfortunately, to everybody around her, that concept was foreign. Every event was filled with somebody trying to befriend her by asking stupid questions that they didn't care about the answers to. The whole experience was quite exhausting. She'd become good enough with knives, but more than anything, she'd become an expert in pissing people off. Tulip didn't have the intention to be an asshole at first, but the more people spoke to her, the more her frustration blossomed into rage. For instance, the girl from 10 kept telling her that she had a pretty name, so eventually she snapped and told her that she had no interest in being her ally. When the girl asked why, Tulip responded that she was probably dead meat, and she didn't want to have to drag her around.

The girl from 8 made a similar attempt at friendship and possible allyship by asking Tulip for help with the throwing knives. Why would Tulip help a potential threat? Exactly. Her response was telling her she'd never be good with knives, so practicing was pointless because she was again, dead meat. The worst of the bunch was probably the careers with their stupidly big eyes that matched their egos. They were always talking and laughing during training, like they didn't need it because they thought they were better than everyone. Louis was somehow even more insufferable than he was on the train, since he met a group of friends that made him look tame. Overall, Tulip hated everyone, and she couldn't wait to throw a knife and each and every one of their precious throats.

At the bloodbath, she'd sneak away from the crowd and eventually go back once the area had cleared and try to find at least one knife. Then, one by one, she'd hunt down her opponents until she was the last one standing. The only thing standing between her and her plan beginning to take shape was the interview, which she knew she'd ace since she was coming after the boy from 10, who was a piece of shit.

She walked out onto the stage to the typical applause from the pigs err Capitolites and sat down in her chair, unbuttoning the top button of her dress. Lucky was clearly tired, since he'd been doing these interviews for at least two hours, but hopefully Tulip's attempt at seduction would keep him awake.

"I see you're excited to be here!" He started. Unfortunately the asshole wasn't paying attention to her cleavage.

"I actually fucking hate it her." Tulip declared, crossing her arms, "Everybody here is the absolute worst."

"That's not a nice thing to say," Lucky awkwardly giggled, ignoring the boos from the crowd, "Did you meet anybody nice?"

"No."

"So no allies?"

"None." Tulip was getting more frustrated by the minute. This was not a friendship gathering for the love of god, "I'm here to kill."

"I appreciate the boldness," Lucky was trying to wrap up the brief interview, "Good luck!"

Well at least that was out of the way now and Tulip could get some sleep before her rise to power began.

Ammo Lawson - District 2 Male - Age 18

"Good job, team!" Micah's stupid mouth said to Ammo and Hosanna as they grabbed their belongings to go to the hotel after the interview, "I'm proud of you!"

"I don't appreciate the sheepishness," Ammo scoffed

"He was just trying to be nice," Hosanna tried to calm him down, "Let him."

So yeah, nothing had changed much. Micah was still the same bastard that thought he was better than everybody, and Hosanna was still Ammo's source of emotional stability, though Brycen and Sapphira also helped.

"Can you stop following us," Ammo looked back at Micah, "You're not our fucking nanny."

"I'm going to the same place as you guys," Micah said, "But I'll walk a few steps behind you guys if you insist."

"Ammo, Hosanna!" Brycen called from ahead, clearly also trying to deescalate the situation, "Let's talk."

Ammo ran up to Brycen who was rolling his eyes as Sapphira and that bitch Sam talked about boys or whatever. Hosanna joined their conversation which left the boys up to their own devices.

"I never congratulated you," Ammo said, "Nice going with the 10!"

"An 8 is good too," Brycen smiled, "And Hosanna asking for a lower score was brilliant."

An 8 was utter garbage. Ammo knew that getting a 12 was impossible, but he had tried his very best for it, since Micah had gotten an 11, and he had to beat him. Unfortunately, he got nervous, and he still hadn't forgiven himself.

"It's a shame the girl from 4 isn't with us," Ammo whispered, "She'd be much better than Little Miss Lumber."

Brycen paused for a few minutes before revealing the news, "Adira actually wants to talk to me."

"Why?"

"Beats me," Brycen shrugged his shoulders, "But I'm actually supposed to meet her here in a few minutes. Stay with me?"

"Sure."

Ammo waited anxiously with Brycen. What the hell did Adira want? The obvious answer was an alliance, but that just seemed too good to be true. She seemed to be attached to her allies, but hopeful was always a good thing to be. A few minutes passed before Adira walked by them.

"I'm getting a snack," She called out to her District Partner, "See you in the morning."

She waited a few minutes until he boarded the elevator.

"Hey guys," She said after a bit, "Thank you for meeting me."

"What do you want?" Ammo scoffed.

"Be polite." Brycen slightly slapped him, "Hello Adira! How can we help you?"

"I want in."

The boys paused. So she actually did want to be a part of their alliance. Shocking.

"Why?" Brycen was confused, "You seem to get along with your people great."

"I got a 10!" Adira exclaimed, "I can do better than them. I think I would make a great addition to your team."

"Does Mags know?" Ammo asked, knowing she could be sensitive at times.

"Not yet." Adira shook her head, "I can tell her now. I'm more worried about Luca being upset, but this is survival of the fittest."

"Exactly!" Brycen extended his hand, "Welcome to the team."

Coriolanus Snow - Head Gamemaker

Coriolanus typically skipped a step or two of his ten step skincare routine, but it was the night before the games, and who knew when he'd have time to do the full routine again. He also made sure to shave, since that also wouldn't be in his near future.

"You're up late," He turned his shoulder to see Tigris observing him, "Everything alright?"

"Just making sure you get some sleep tonight," She said, "I know you're nervous and everything."

"I don't want to talk about tomorrow."

"I know, I know." She sighed, "How did you like the interviews."

"Well my favorite was Logan," He admitted, "He could be a weakling but I hope he goes far."

"He was very funny!" Tigris exclaimed, "The complete opposite of that Xan kid."

"I did appreciate him calling me a sexy motherfucker." Coriolanus laughed.

"I know you did," Tigris said, "Who else did you like."

"The District 4 boy, Luca, is a ray of light. So is the girl from 9."

"I liked the guy from 10. He was very handsome."

The two went on to discuss the interviews for the next hour or so. They discussed the delightfully nervous energy of District 3, and the bodaciousness of both the Tributes from 7. Coriolanus forgot how nice it was to have somebody he could talk to. Sure, Lysistrata and Clemensia were nice, but they weren't nearly as good of listeners as his cousin. Another nice thing about her was that she actually validated his nervousness. Tigris had amazing breathing exercises to help Coriolanus, whereas the girls would often laugh at him. She was definitely his favorite person in the world.

"Do you want to talk about 12?" She asked at the end of their discussion.

The twins from 12 were so much like their aunt it hurt Coriolanus to think about. They even had the exact same interview gimmicks with their music but then again, Coriolanus invented the gimmick. They were both talented musicians though, but he'd never admit it aloud. He knew he would have to get over Lucy Gray eventually, but who said that time had to be now.

"I'd prefer not." Coriolanus shook his head and looked over at the clock which read 3AM, "I think it's best I get some rest before tomorrow, well today."

"Then goodnight, Coryo." Tigris left the room, "I'm so proud of you."

At least someone was.

WOOHOO! Two chapters remain until bloodbath time! I hope you enjoyed my spin on interviews and I'm excited to hear what you think about Adira's 11th hour decision.

ALLIANCES UPDATE:

Careers - Brycen Rosenthal (D1M), Sapphira Starlett (D1F), Ammo Lawson (D2M), Hosanna Guerra (D2F), Adira Price (D4F), and Sam Hillgaze (D7F)

Wholesome Gays - Jacob "Pow" Powell (D3M), Ada Barr (D3F), Luca Pargus (D4M), and Summer Lindell (D9F)

Hashtag YOLO - Cedar Ranthine (D7M), Logan Webster (D8M), and Velvette Wilmington (D8F),

The Fraternity - Xan Freight (D6M), Isaac Galavan (D9M), Brandon Colt (D10M), and Louis Staker (D11M)

The Babies - Simon Steel Clade (D12M) and Christabel Rose Clade (D12F)

Trauma Friends - Bariq Fossil (D5M), Wendy Roofer (D5F), Winona Morgan (D6F), and Willadeene Rhodes (D10F)

Lone Wolf - Tulip Everly (D11F)