This is just to showcase the characters, but is somewhat worth reading, I'd hope. Next chapter will be nice and bloody. Sound good?

The next few days passed quickly, between lessons, discussing tactics, and discussing interview strategies. During our chance to get our scores, I faked being weak and dainty. I tied knots, and purposely missed targets by as much as I could. I scored a one.

Then there was Shakespeare, who scored very high. The Gamemakers were ignoring him, so he threw a knife at them. I turned away, but heard one of the bottles of alcohol explode, followed by two more. When I looked back, the Gamemakers were doused in cheap alcohol. Surprisingly, his score was as high as they had ever given.

Finally, finally, it was the day of the interview. My makeup and hair were done before I was allowed to see the dress or shoes. The dress looked like waving grain, all gold and beautiful and flowing. The shoes had tall heels, but nothing I couldn't manage. I stepped out, and Shakespeare was far more than handsome, in muted tones of gold and brown. He wore a three-piece suit and his regular work boots, and fingerless thick brown leather gloves. Cockily, Shakespeare draped an arm around my shoulders, noting, "You look nice."

"Thanks. You too," I replied.

We walked to the car, piling in with Kaydee driving, Quinoa in the passenger seat, and both Shakespeare and I in the back seat. We got to the center, and waited for the interviews to begin.

First up was the tall, skinny girl from District 1. Her cute white-blonde hair fell across her face and down to her chin, and her milky-green eyes shone ruthlessly from under her bangs. She was dressed in a short white skirt and a shimmery blue tank top.

"We welcome to the stage first Ms. Ariann Cascabel, of District 1." That was Caesar Flickman, who was the interviewer. He helped the tributes seem... approchable.

"Oh please, Ceasar, call me Ari," purred Ari.

And so she was called that. "What do you think about the Capitol so far?"

Giggling dumbly, she replied in a peppy tone. "I love this place! I wish I could live here!"

Then she nodded, giggled again, and smiled. I hated her.

Then came the burly boy, blond with blue eyes. He was dressed in a gold tuxedo with a smattering of diamonds. Typical District 1.

"Presenting Darryl Silvers, also of District 1!" Caesar cheerily stated. "So Darryl, what do you like best about the Capitol?"

The interview went without anything interesting until Caesar asked if he thought he would win.

"I'm going in, but I'm coming out," said Darryl. "For Willow."

Willow Ploward was a Career who had died in the Games. He had apparently loved her. For that, Darryl apparently hated the Capitol more than most.

Then was the girl from District 2, moderate height and thin in the extreme with long, straight brown hair. She looked cold and determined, but also like a skank. She wore a short, black, see-through dress. Her name was Violette Wren. When Caesar asked her about her strategies, she smiled.

"Oh, believe me, I have a few secrets up my sleeve," Violette purred, leaning over to expose her cleavage as she touched his arm.

Then was the boy named Samuel Myers (nicknamed Sam); he was tall and blond with blue eyes, sharp features, and vines tattooed on his arms and legs. He wore a black suit and red tie, with matching red shoes. As he left stage, he played up his looks, saying, "Sponsor me, you know you want to!"

Then he winked and jogged off of the stage, grinning at the girl from District 3 as she walked up. Her name was Cammie Willow. She had straight red hair and hazel eyes, a small build, and a slight amount of muscle. Cammie wore a non-revealing red sundress and cute white flats. Caesar asked why she wanted to win the Games. Her reply was unusual for a Career.

"I don't care if I come out of the Games alive," Cammie told everyone, her eyes glittering with determination. "But I just want all of you to know that I'm going down for my brother, Dylan. Not for your stupid entertainment!"

Then she huffed and walked off of the stage, just as the buzzer sounded. The goofy-looking boy stepped up. His name was Dustin Charley. He was nondescript with buzz-cut hair and an awkward stance. He wore a three-piece suit, which would have been nice if not for the blue polka-dot tie. Two of his answers stood out in the interview. When Caesar asked what his reaction was at the reaping, Dustin replied, "I just said 'Cool, what did I win?' because I didn't know what the Games are. Now I'm freaked out."

Then when asked if he thought how he dressed was cool, the reply was just as funny/sad. "My mom thinks I'm cool!"

My sides hurt from the laughter that I desperately tried to contain. My attempts weren't very successful. We had all calmed down before the girl from District 4 walked up. Her name was Pernilla Tee, though she went by Pear. She was thin and average height, with long, curly blonde hair and glittering blue eyes ringed with black eyeliner. Pear was dressed in a short metallic gold dress and flats of the same color. She rarely met Caesar's eyes. The only time she did was when Caesar asked about her past.

Her eyes had flashed dangerously. "My past is my business. Not yours."

Then there was the boy, who was tall, blond, and tan with bright blue eyes. His name was Cryo Kron. Half the girls there swooned. I scoffed at their behavior. Women these days.

"Now we welcome Adria Bedegood, of District 5!"

This girl was completely opposite of the charming Ari. Adria (who politely informed Caesar that her nickname was Addy) looked like she would fall over in a good wind. She said nothing notable at all. The boy of her District—Oliver Tapper—was also her opposite. He was small and stocky, with choppy hair and green eyes. He was also cocky, and thought he was the big shit. "I'm pretty confident about my chances. I'll have time to get to the Cornucopia, grab everything inside, run a hundred miles away, and they'll still be blinded by my awesomeness."

I had a feeling that it would be the exact opposite. He would be one of the first to die, by the way the tributes were mumbling to one another.

The kids of District 5 were strange to say the least. Frost Ianki was the girl. Her eyes were pure white, except for the pupil, and her hair was also snowy white. Her skin almost matched. Throughout the interview, she was shy and sweet, trying to convince everyone she didn't belong in the Hunger Games. The boy (Karou "Angel" Maengoor) was tiny, and looked like he was like, six, instead of thirteen. He had captured everyone's hearts by the first answer.

"Do you think you can win?" Caesar asked gently.

In a cute, lisping voice, with a smile, Angel had replied, "Well, I hope I can win."

The girl of District 6 seemed like someone I could easily be friends with. She was serious and a little cold, but I could see her emotions clearly in her amber-coloured eyes. Oddly enough, her name matched her eyes, being Amber Thymonds. The boy wasn't too much taller, with golden brown hair and gray/blue eyes. He refused to give his full name to anyone, so he was known as P.

"I'm just treating this like a game. That is what this is, right? Just a game," he had said when asked about the Games.

The girl of District 8 was definitely certifiably insane. Her name was Blanca Diaz. She seemed to believe that she was someone from some past Games. "If the wonderful people love me as much as last time, I'm sure I'll do just fine!"

She had issues. The boy (Jake Anthony) seemed normal, compared to her. He was easy going, and someone that anyone would easily get along with. I didn't trust him.

"Never give up!" he'd said. "That's my motto!"

It was my turn, finally. I stepped onstage, trying not to pass out. Caesar was nice, and quickly got me to the point where I easily gave my answers. My guard stayed up, though, so I'm sure I came off very sly. Finally came my shining moment. Caesar asked how I got on through all my hardships. I smiled, and replied confidently.

"Every setback is different. I feel tested every time I go through one of those moments. I feel very impatient. How I deal with things—and sometimes it's not so great—is just to keep moving. I don't care if the world or anyone in it tries to drag me down. Because I know that in the end, they will be the ones left tired from the struggle to hold me back."

I felt like, for once, I'd done something right. Shakespeare gave me a smile as I left the stage, going up after me. Of course, he was charming and witty. All of that was topped off by the fact that he didn't even realise the fan base he'd gained. "I—I have groupies? That's a real cowboy, eh? Well, 'He who has injured thee was either stronger or weaker than thee. If weaker, spare him; if stronger, spare thyself.'"

The audience was silent, trying to figure it out. "It's from Shakespeare."

Even Caesar didn't know what to say.

"My namesake?" Shakespeare prompted. The buzzer rang, much to the relief of the befuddled audience and interviewer.

I patted Shakespeare's shoulder. The girl from 10 walked up, and I watched Shakespeare's eyes grow very wide. The elfin girl was shorter than me, with shoulder-length raven hair and dark, iridescent blue/gray eyes. Her face held two scars, on her jaw and her left eyebrow. She was dressed in all white, giving her even more of an angelic, sweet look.

Her high, thready voice had everyone enraptured, and she didn't even realise it! Caesar finally asked what her plans were. Her reply? "I won't give anything away! I don't like to spoil surprises. Besides, how can I have a chance if everyone knows my plans, Caesar? You goose!"

Laughter rumbled through the audience. The buzzer sounded and she gracefully left the stage. Her male counterpart walked up next, named Chase Mackentosh. He was tan and lean, with brown skater-cut hair and green eyes. He was happy and nice, but a little too enthusiastic about the Games.

"I can't wait for the Games to start!" he'd cheerily stated, much to the delight of some of the Capitol citizens.

I sighed. The kid either had a death wish, or was as certifiable as poor Blanca. The girl from District 11 walked up, then. She was gorgeous, at least to me. She was named Spencer Richter, but preferred Spence. Muscled and lean, she had short brown hair with a navy blue streak, dark brown eyes with feather duster lashes, and a birthmark under one eye. Spence was very emotional, going so far as to busting into tears at one point and sobbing, "I just don't want to die!"

The boy from District 11 was named Lucian, but insisted that he was nicknamed Luka. He was nondescript, other than his striking eyes. One was dark, murky brown but the other was a shocking evergreen colour. He played a lovesick boy, but showed his ruthless side. I didn't want to get on his bad side.

Then was District 12. The girl was obviously from the better part of the district, because she had white-blonde hair, pale skin, and brown eyes. Her name was Halley Lidt. She played the innocent, naïve part very well, but I saw a fierce determination. Caesar asked what her plans were for the arena.

"They told me to run. So, Caesar, I'll run," she told him. Typical District 12. Stay clear of the fighting, and hope for the best.

The boy from District 12 was on the opposite end of the spectrum. His dark hair and eyes showed his Seam roots. Keith Fairview was small for his age, but held his head high and seemed overconfident, to me. But he showed a loving side when he yelled to the camera, "I love you, Mom! I'll come back!"

I saw one of the girl tributes burst into tears at that. Oh, that sneaky little devil.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! That has been it for the interviews! Get some rest, because tomorrow, the Games begin! Let's have a hand for the tributes!" Caesar cried out.

Applause rumbled through the crowd and everyone left. As soon as I was in my room, I stripped out of my dress and fell into bed, not even bothering to shower.

Thanks for reading. Love you guys lots!
xoxo,
TWC