Nefertiti Bazaar

Gamemaker

Nefertiti twirled a golden pen between her fingers, her black nails reflecting the shiny material. The family interviews would be airing any moment, and she was more than ready to see them. As a Gamemaker, her focus was mostly on the tributes themselves. But people were a product of their environment. Seeing their families and friends would be eye-opening.

The first shot narrowed in on a small wooden house on top of a rocky hill. A tall woman with short black hair was standing behind a row of three teens, hands on the shoulders of a blonde girl with dyed pink streaks in her hair.

"Hello hello hello!" Caesar said. "We're here with Corrina Kane, Mozu's mentor, and her friends, Oboro, Effie and Nyx! Thank you for hosting us, Ms. Kane."

"Of course. And thank you all for the support you've given Mozu."

"Our pleasure," Caesar said. "She's quickly becoming a fan favorite after her fight with Adelind. Do you think she has what it takes to win?"

"Definitely," Effie, the girl with the pink streaks said. "Mozu is one of the most talented people I know."

"Agreed," Oboro said. "If anyone can pull this off, it's her."

"And what do you think of Mozu and Noah's strained relationship?" Caesar asked.

"Mozu is good at keeping the peace," Nyx said. "She'll be able to handle him and Wyler."

"What do you think Mozu's biggest challenge will be?"

"Confidence," Oboro said. "Mozu tends to doubt herself or think of herself as lesser. But we all know she has it in her."

"Well, that is all for today. Thank you all!"

Next, the camera zoomed in on a dull gray apartment building before cutting to a small but neat living room. The furniture was gray and uniform, but someone had clearly tried to make it homey. Two girls were sitting on the sofa. One looked similar to Lana, with long brown hair and bright green eyes, while the other had black hair and lighter eyes. They were sitting close together, looking nervous.

"We're here today with Amelia Rose, Lana's sister, and Lana's girlfriend Evelyn Hope!" Caesar said cheerfully. "Girls, it is so nice to meet you both."

"It's nice to meet you too Caesar," Amelia said. Evelyn smiled and nodded.

"So far, Lana's been one of the most popular outliers," Caesar said. "What are your thoughts?"

"I'm very proud of her," Amelia said. "Lana is a brave girl, and I know she has it in her to make it home to us."

"And Evelyn," Caesar said. "If Lana makes it home, could there be a proposal in the cards?" Evelyn's face flushed and she shrugged.

"Maybe. We're still young, but I really do love her."

"Very sweet," Caesar gushed. "And Amelia, would you approve of this?"

"Of course!" Amelia said, sounding surprised. "Evelyn is like family."

"If you could say one thing to Lana, what would it be?" Caesar asked.

"I love you," Amelia said. "Be brave."

"Remember, you're stronger than you know," Evelyn said, tears in her eyes.

The next household Caesar visited was also in District 3. The home of the Kline family. Their living room was plain and lifeless, despite the four people sitting in it. Kay Kline was trying for a smile, but everyone else's faces were blank.

"Hello Kline family," Caesar said. "Thank you for agreeing to this interview. We are so excited to hear more about Wyler. Now, tell me, how did you feel about the triplet revelations?"

"We were shocked, to say the least," Mrs. Kline said. "Dr. Kirsten did not tell us Wyler had brothers. Had we known, we would have taken in all three."

"Are you glad Wyler got to meet his biological siblings?"

"Yes," Mr. Kline said flatly.

"Though we wish it was under more favorable circumstances," his wife added.

"Kay and Visa," Caesar said, turning the conversation to Wyler's younger sisters. "What did you think of Wyler's trap?"

"I thought it was a good idea," Visa said. She was wringing her hands together and her face was pale." Kay nodded in agreement.

"And for my final question; who do you think Wyler's biggest threat is?"

"Noah," Mrs. Kline said. The rest of the family nodded along.

"Well, thank you for your time. And best of luck to Wyler."

District 7 was misty and gray, the tall trees standing menacingly over the small antique shop the camera was positioned outside. An older man with gray streaks through his brown hair was perched on a stool on the small porch, a grim expression on his face.

"Mort Belcher!" Caesar said cheerfully. "How wonderful to meet you. For the folks who don't know, Mort is Danse's foster father. Mort, how did you and Danse meet?"

"I found her out back, digging through my trash," Mort said. He was still frowning heavily. "She was skinny and filthy."

"How kind of you to take her in then," Caesar said. Mort nodded once.

"And you've fostered other kids too, correct?"

"I have three others," Mort said.

"Will you all miss Danse?"

"She could still come home," Mort snapped. "She's young, but she's got more grit and determination than any other kid in that arena. Don't count her out."

"Yes, of course. My apologies," Caesar said. "Well, that is all we have time for. Thank you Mort. Any last words for Danse?"

"You better come home girl," he grumbled.

The street lights in District 8 were on, and the camera paused for a shot of a quaint street of brownstone buildings before going inside. The Reilly's living room was moderately-sized, and quite cozy. A fire was crackling in the hearth and a vintage record player was playing soft, calming music. Mrs. Reilly was sitting in the middle of the sofa, with her husband on one side and Joey on the other. Basil Reilly was in an armchair across from Caesar.

"Hello everyone," Caesar said brightly. "Thank you for inviting me into your home. It's wonderful to meet Colette's lovely family. She spoke highly of you all."

"Yes," Joss Reilly said. He was trying to force a smile, but was squeezing his wife's hand tightly.

"What are your thoughts on Colette's alliance with Danse?" Caesar asked.

"I think it's wise," Joey said. "Colette is a social girl, and being alone in the arena can get to you. Danse is also quite skilled."

"Yes, she is a talented young lady," Caesar agreed. "Mrs. Reilly, do you miss Colette?"

"Miss her? Of course! She's my only child." The woman looked offended at the question. "You never know how fiercely you can love someone until you have a child," she said in a scolding tone. Caesar nodded, looking a bit cowed.

"Joey, Colette talked a lot about her relationship with you. Are you proud of your niece?"

"So proud," Joey said, sounding slightly choked up. "I couldn't have asked for more."

"I could," Joss mumbled, but Caesar didn't ask him to elaborate.

"Well, I have one final question before we have to go; if you could sponsor anything to Colette, what would it be?"

"A gun?" Columbine Reilly said in a questioning tone. Then she laughed lightly. "Really anything that would ensure she'd make it home."

For Theo's family interview, the crew visited another townhouse. This one was a little older and more run-down, but it was homey, with window boxes filled with flowers and bright curtains covering the windows. Inside, Caesar was sitting with a family of three.

"Hello, and welcome to the home of the Wondderoo family! I'm here with Priscilla, Ron, and Jeff Wondderoo, Theo's parents and brother. Ron, what did you think of Theo's sponsor gift?"

"I thought it would come in handy, and it certainly did!" the large man said with a laugh. But it sounded a bit forced. "He's a good shot with it too."

"That he is," Caesar agreed. "He took out a Career! Are you proud of him?"

"So proud," Priscilla said. "Though we always have been." Caesar smiled at that.

"How sweet. Jeff, are you excited to see your brother again?"

"I can't wait to annoy the hell out of him again," Jeff said. And everyone laughed.

The sprawling orchards of District 11 were filled with apple-pickers and other workers as the camera panned across the landscape. But it stopped on a fancy white house atop a hill, where a massive black-and-brown dog was napping on the porch.

Inside, the house was neat and tidy, decorated mostly in creams and whites. A tall, muscular woman with blonde hair was sitting on a white sofa, her husband and son on either side of her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Brimms, it's a pleasure to meet you," Caesar said. "And you Samson. Thank you all for your service."

"Thank you Caesar," Mr. Brimms said. "We are honored to have you in our home."

"The honor is mine," Caesar replied. "But we're not here to talk about me. Let's chat about Noah! Your son has been making waves in the arena."

"Yes, we're quite proud of him," Mrs. Brimms said. "He's a fighter, and we know he'll bring home a victory."

"Do you think he will win in honor of District 11 or District 2?" Caesar asked.

"District 2," Samson said. "We are different from the people of 11. We live here, yes, but it is to protect and enforce."

"We are unique in that we stand for two districts," Mr. Brimms said. "Noah's victory will bring glory like no other."

District 12 was dull and wet with summer rain. The sign on a small cobbler's shop creaked in the wind. Inside, a fire was dying in the hearth, and a woman with the same fiery red hair as Saoirse was sitting behind a desk. There were bags under her eyes and her face was hollow and gaunt.

"Hello Mrs. Brennan," Caesar said. She just nodded in response. There was a sadness behind her eyes that Caesar seemed to miss.

"Are you shocked Saoirse has made it this far?"

"No," she said. "Saoirse is adaptive and clever. I knew she had this in her."

"I heard your husband passed recently. My condolences. Does Saoirse know this?"

"She does not," Mrs. Brennan said through clenched teeth.

"Oh. That will be a shock for her if she wins then, won't it!"

Caesar's voice was far too cheerful for the situation, and it made Nefertiti cringe. For a man who interviewed children doomed to die for a living, he was surprisingly awkward around death. He asked Sinead Brennan a few more questions, but she just answered with "yes" or "no" or just gestured with her head. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he wrapped up the interview. Nefertiti leaned back in her chair. This year's finale was going to be interesting…

Hey everyone! Another update! I'm sick, but I'm super inspired to write, so I've been pretty much doing nothing but that... and so now we're approaching the end of the story! I opened submissions to my sequel SYOT, but there's no huge rush to submit. Feel free to reserve spots though, if you'd like. Also, just to explain how Sam made it out - the cave he went into was how mutts enter and exit the arena. So he basically followed the bears into the wilderness outside the arena. His death was classified as drowning.

Questions:

1) Whose interview was your favorite?

2) Out of the families, who would you most want to be your family?

3) Out of the eight tributes left, who do you want to win?

4) Would you prefer I choose the victor, or leave it up to a vote in the Final 3?

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona