Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.
Review reply to BackAndForth: Thanks for the review and i'm glad you liked this one at least :) I would reply to the reply to the reply but this is making my head hurt now (which does, at least, take away from my current foot injury)... ;) But, on a serious note, thanks for taking the time to give me your honest opinion!
A/n: Nearly halfway through now. Hope you enjoy!
21) Glimmer – Imperfection
"Glimmer, we need to find a persona for you. Someone for you to be for the crowd. Now, to be blunt, our obvious asset would be your looks."
"My looks?"
"Yes: any hot-blooded male in the audience will be staring at you and will probably be dreaming of you winning and gracing them with your attention. So we will play on that. And, of course, you will have to be ruthless at the same time. As though you are too good for them."
"Right..." I look at my mentor doubtfully. "Will this actually work?"
"Have you seen Cashmere?" he asks. "She used a similar act and she won. People were practically falling over themselves to sponsor her."
I think back to her Games or what I remember of them. I think he may have a point. But there's still one problem with this.
"But, Cashmere was confident and stunning in every way," I say. "I don't think I can do any of that. Well, I could stun them if they got too close ... ha ha..." I trail off at his stern look. "And, er, if we're always going for the same thing, they're going to get bored, right?"
He sighs. "What is your idea, Glimmer?"
"I don't know," I answer, alarmed at having to think about this. I probably should have considered an interview angle when I decided to volunteer but, somehow, it didn't cross my mind. "I could be likeable," I suggest hesitantly, "or ... I don't know, really scary?"
"You're meant to be the winner of the Games," he says. "So likeable is out because you need to prove you can kill."
That one's sort of news to me. Can't I win and be nice? That was my original plan!
"And you're simply not big enough to pull off menacing."
OK, he has a point there.
"But I don't think I can do 'sexy'," I say carefully. "It's not really me."
He gives me an appraising look. "You look fine to me." I scowl and he sighs. "Look, Glimmer, I know you're uncomfortable with this and I'll be honest – any tactic we try won't be perfect. So I'm looking for the one with the smallest problem and here, that's just you being unconfident. Acting beautiful is your best chance."
I pull a face. "I wanted this to be perfect, though."
He shrugs. "Every plan has its imperfections. Trust me, I know what would happen if you tried to act as you normally do. This is better."
"What do you mean?" I ask curiously.
Spark shrugs and I realise it's a stupid question. He's seventy-two years old. He must have mentored loads of people. But then, to my surprise, he answers me. "There was a girl like you, once," he says softly. "She came to the Games having no real idea what they were about. Even looked and acted a bit like you. She let the Games beat her. I won't let that happen to you."
"Thanks," I say, actually feeling touched at the devotion in his voice. "I'll try it."
"Even though it's imperfect?" he asks with a touch of irony.
I shrug and smile at him. "Everything has an imperfection, Spark. One day, you'll have to look carefully at my right foot and its six toes. Then I'll show you the really long, horrible-looking scar on my stomach from when I was little. See if you think I'm really sexy then." Seeing his surprise, I smile sweetly. "Nothing's perfect, right, Spark?"