Chapter 7: Chatting With Lindsey, Part 1
Several red lights flashed as the cameramen turned their cameras on and held up their hands to signal that they were now live. Several more lights flashed onstage, including two spotlights aimed at the two red leather swivel chairs. The audience cheered as Lindsey Knucklesworth walked onto the stage, smiling and waving as she took a seat in the red leather chair on the left. Lindsey was dressed in a purple and sliver satin blouse with a matching skirt and heels, with her hair neatly pinned back into a bun, adorned with numerous sparkly hairclips. Her eyes flashed purple from the eye shadow and fake eyelashes she was wearing. Lindsey gently pats her head to make sure that it's still neat and tidy, before addressing the audience, her fellow citizens of the Capitol.
"Hello everyone, and Happy Hunger Games!" Lindsey began, earning her more applause while the cameramen zoom in on her. "Tonight I'll be interviewing this year's tributes and finding out where their heads are going into the Games this year. Are you ready to meet them?" The audience's cheering increased in volume, confirming that they were ready. "Awesome! Then let's bring out our first tribute. From District 1, Diamond Tiara!" The cameramen zoom in on Lindsey and the other red chair as Diamond walks onto the stage, dressed in a shimmering silver dress, with a huge diamond embellishment on the chest. Her blonde curls cascaded behind her, with little diamond barrettes giving her hair additional sparkle. Diamond's silver heels poked out as she took a seat across from Lindsey.
"Girl, you look fabulous!" Lindsey exclaimed, eyeing Diamond's dress up and down. "I love it!"
"Thanks!" Diamond chimed, letting out a small giggle. "I picked it out myself. This dress was totally meant for me!"
"Of course," Lindsey said with a nod. "So Diamond, how did you feel when you found out you'd be competing?"
"Omigod, I was so shocked," Diamond answered, her eyes widening as she spoke. "I like, totally didn't see it coming. I was just like, omigod!"
"I'll bet," Lindsey said, mentally noting the audience's silence as they listened intently. "Now, tell me about your brother Silver. What was going through your mind when he was also chosen?" Diamond paused to think, her face appearing blank, before continuing.
"Omigod, I don't even know," Diamond replied, her eyes retaining that bug-eyed size. "It was so weird. Me and him together, I couldn't believe it, especially after our sister Rhinestone had already been chosen last year."
"Ah, yes, I remember Rhinestone," the Capitol woman said thoughtfully, feeling slightly reminiscent. "Now, do you think you and your brother will work together in the arena?"
"Depends on if he survives the bloodbath," Diamond responded, a smirk appearing on her face. Lindsey and the Capitol audience laughed. The audience was still laughing when Lindsey recomposed herself and continued.
"Haha, we'll see what Silver has to say about that in a little bit," Lindsey said, stifling another chuckle. "Anyway, what is your motivation you're using to win?" Diamond took another moment to gather her thoughts together, when her eyes lit up.
"Let's see…the fame, the fortune, the free food for District 1…" Diamond trailed, counting off each thing on her perfectly manicured fingers, triggering more laughter from the audience and Lindsey.
"All very nice things, if you ask me," Lindsey said, without skipping a beat. "Now, you got an eight in training. How do you feel about your training score?"
"Oh, it's good," Diamond answered, her voice slightly trailing. "I thought it was good." A buzzer sounded onstage.
"Well, I'm afraid that's all the time we have together," Lindsey told Diamond, who gasped and exclaimed "Already?" "Best of luck to you in the Games, Diamond." Diamond stood up, and the audience clapped for her, showing moderate interest in her. "That's Diamond Tiara from District 1, ladies and gentlemen!" Diamond blew a kiss to the crowd as she walked offstage. "And now, introducing our other tribute from District 1, Silver Tiara!" The audience resumed cheering as Silver walked out wearing a silver tuxedo with diamond buttons, with matching shoes also adorned in diamonds. "Well, well, well," Lindsey said, smiling at Silver. "Silver, you look great."
"Thank you, Lindsey," Silver responded, grinning with a hint of arrogance.
"So tell me, Silver," Lindsey said, diving right into the interview. "What was going through your mind during the reaping? How did it feel to be one of the ones chosen for the Games?"
"Well," Silver began while collecting his thoughts. "It was pretty amusing seeing my diva sister get reaped; since she's the last person who would ever want to get her perfectly manicured hands dirty." Silver paused and smirked when the audience laughed, before continuing, "However, it was a shock for me to be reaped alongside her. Odds like that are just weird." A few more chuckles from the audience could be heard.
"Absolutely," Lindsey agreed, her head bobbing up and down as she nodded. "Would you want to work with your sister in the arena?"
"We'll see how the bloodbath goes," Silver answered, glancing from Lindsey to the crowd. "Which I will survive, by the way, Diamond!" The audience cracked up all over again as Silver pointed towards backstage, where Diamond was watching her brother's interview. "Me not surviving the bloodbath, yeah right!" Lindsey threw her head back and laughed along with her audience.
"Of course you will, Silver," Lindsey said reassuringly. "You are a Career, after all."
"Thank you!" Silver exclaimed, throwing his hands up in an exaggerated fashion. "You hear that, Diamond?!" Diamond could be heard yelling something at Silver from backstage, which nearly split Lindsey's sides. The audience only heard a little bit of what Diamond said, but they laughed at the bickering siblings anyway.
"I love you two," Lindsey said, barely controlling her laughter. "You guys are so funny. Anyway, how do you feel about the other tributes?"
"I feel good about them," Silver replied, after a pause to calm down after his spat with his sister. "They're good competitors, but I can beat them. They'll be easy to kill, so my chances of winning increase." The audience returned to cheering, and Lindsey herself clapped.
"Just what we'd like to hear," Lindsey responded, her smile still holding. "How do you feel about your training score? It was pretty good for a Career."
"Yeah, it was pretty good," Silver answered, nodding his head. "I was happy with it." The buzzer sounded again.
"Well, that's all the time we have," Lindsey said, leaning over and shaking Silver's hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, Silver Tiara!" Silver waved to the crowd as he walked offstage, getting a reaction equal to the one his sister received. "Okay, everyone, it's now time to bring out our District 2 female, so please welcome…" Lindsey gestured towards the backstage area. "Regan Speare!" Regan basked in the applause as she stepped onstage wearing a black strapless evening gown with black heels, her pin-straight hair cascading behind her. "Regan! How are you?" Lindsey asked, as the District 2 female took a seat next to her.
"Good, thanks," Regan replied casually, smiling back at Lindsey. "How are you?"
"Good, good," Lindsey answered, seeming genuinely interested in the tribute. "Are you ready for the Games?"
"Oh, definitely," Regan replied, leaning back in her seat to get more comfortable. "I was born ready!" Regan turned towards the audience, who cheered because they liked her answer.
"That's great, Regan," Lindsey responded while fluffing her hair. "So…how did you feel when you found out you'd be competing?"
"I felt great," Regan responded, her tone slightly peppy. "I was so excited about coming here to represent my district in the Games." Lindsey and Regan beamed with pride as the audience cheered, louder than they did for either of District 1's tributes.
"Awesome," Lindsey said, nodding with approval. "Any plans for the Games you'll share?" Regan nodded without hesitation.
"Kill as many tributes as possible in the bloodbath," Regan began, pausing to collect her thoughts before continuing, "Wait it out while other tributes die, and then kill anyone who gets in my way. That's how I'm going to win." More screaming applause came from the audience, which Regan shrugged off like it was nothing, a grin on her face.
"Okay Regan, I think we already know the answer to this, but…" Lindsey started, as the audience's volume lowered. "Do you think you can win?" Regan's excited grin grew bigger instantly.
"Absolutely," Regan answered confidently. "I know I can win, and I'm going to win." The volume of the crowd escalated as the Capitol citizens roared with applause, nearly deafening Lindsey and Regan. Both couldn't help but laugh as they exchanged amused expressions.
"Well, Regan, I'd say you've got quite a large fanbase already," Lindsey commented, tossing a few locks of hair behind her, when she looked up at the timer. "Well, we only have about a minute left. Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"Hi Mom!" Regan chimed jokingly, waving at the camera with a goofy grin on her face. "I love you District 2, hope to make you all proud!" The a few people in the audience laughed, while the applause mostly continued, with high interest in the girl from District 2. The buzzer sounded, and Regan took that as her cue to leave the stage, so she shook Lindsey's hand before standing up and walking off.
"Regan Speare from District 2, everyone!" Lindsey announced, gesturing towards Regan one last time before she disappeared backstage. "Now, let's bring out our next tribute, our District 2 male…Caius Kent!" The Capitol audience gave another round of applause as Caius emerged onto the stage, dressed in a black blouse and black dress pants, with a silver blazer and shoes with a silvery glint. His hair mostly stood up in spikes, save for his bangs which grazed his eyes. A few Capitol women swooned as Caius took his spot with Lindsey.
"Hi Lindsey," Caius greeted, a little shyly.
"Hi Caius," Lindsey responded, eagerly welcoming Caius to the stage. "So tell me, how did you feel about being reaped?" The crowd waited in anticipation as Caius paused to think, before coming up with an answer.
"I have to say, it felt really weird," Caius replied, scratching his head sheepishly. "Even after seeing the Games last year, I never expected it to be me, especially not with a whole district of people to choose from." The audience was silent, listening intently, while Lindsey nodded with understanding.
"Yeah, I get where you're coming from," Lindsey said knowingly.
"It's especially awkward that my district partner is my ex-girlfriend," Caius added, chuckling to himself. "We broke up two weeks before the reaping." Lindsey and the audience laughed with him.
"I would think that would be awkward," Lindsey responded while giggling. "What would you say your chances are of winning?"
"Hmm…" Caius pondered this thought, seeming unsure of the answer. "It depends on how the bloodbath goes. If anyone who's a real threat ends up going down early on, then I would say that I have very good chances of winning."
"Fair enough," Lindsey said, before blurting out, "I can't believe it. It's so fascinating that two people who used to be a couple are going into the Games together. Do you think you two could rekindle your relationship in the arena?"
"Um…" Caius trailed, slightly uncomfortable about what he was just asked. "I don't think so. As good as our relationship used to be, we kind of grew apart and I lost interest, so no. If I win the Games, I'll probably look for someone else when I get home."
"Well, I don't think you'll have a problem finding someone else if you win the Games," Lindsey joked, cueing the audience to laugh again. "If you win the Games, girls will be lining up all over District 2 to date you." Caius chuckled and mumbled a "That's true", and the audience's laughter subsided as the buzzer sounded once again. "Caius Kent, ladies and gentlemen!" Lindsey chimed, taking Caius's hand and holding his arm high in the air. Caius thanked Lindsey before getting up and walking offstage, while the audience cheered, a positive reaction emanating from them. "Moving on to District 3…" Lindsey said once the audience was quiet. "Please welcome…Aimee Cornwell!" The audience politely clapped as Aimee walked out onstage wearing a white gown covered in black lace, with tiny white heels poking out from the bottom and more black lace entwined in her curled hair. Lindsey greeted Aimee as she sat down, before beginning to fire questions at her. "So…Aimee…" the emcee began, blinking a few times as she scrutinized the District 3 female. "What was it like to be reaped for the Games?" Aimee hesitated, a bead of sweat dripping from her brow as she stared out into the audience.
"Um…I was shocked, to say the least," Aimee answered, a tad unconfidently. "And I was a little terrified. Fighting to the death sounds very scary…" Aimee let out a nervous laugh, hoping the audience would chuckle too, but she was sadly dismayed when murmurs spread through the crowd instead.
"Oh, it's not so bad," Lindsey coaxed, smiling cheesily at her interviewee. "I mean, sure, many will die, but there's still a chance of survival."
"I guess," Aimee mumbled. More murmurs from the crowd.
"How do you feel about your training score?" Lindsey asked, feigning curiosity. "You got a seven."
"Um, I thought I did okay," Aimee replied, a little surer of herself this time. "It was a good score for me." A few Capitol people clapped, but the majority of them had fallen silent. Lindsey was starting to panic inside. This girl was so boring! What could she possibly do to liven things up? She still had two minutes left of this interview, so she had to at least try to make this more interesting.
"Hey Aimee," Lindsey said, an idea popping into her head. "I know you have loved ones back home, but is there anyone special in your life? Like, a boy or anyone?" Aimee's eyes flashed with reminiscence.
"Well, I did like this one boy…" Lindsey grinned with excitement. It looked like she hit a sweet spot with her subject. "He died in the Games last year though." Lindsey mentally facepalmed. Well, there went any potential juicy material regarding Aimee's life story.
"Oh…oh yeah. I remember Patrick," Lindsey said, with a nod of her head. Aimee raised her eyebrow.
"His name was Alex…" Aimee responded, staring at Lindsey with skepticism. A sweatdrop fell from the back of Lindsey's head, anime-style.
"Oh, right. Alex. My bad," Lindsey replied, laughing sheepishly. "Sorry, I was thinking of the boy from District 5 from last year." Lindsey felt her cheeks flush red, and she breathed a sigh of relief when the buzzer rang out. "Well, thank you very much, Aimee, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
"Thanks," Aimee muttered, rising to her feet and heading backstage, the audience showing little to no interest in her. Once Aimee was off the stage, Lindsey's commercial smile returned to her face.
"Okay! Well then," Lindsey said, watching as the next tribute prepared to walk onto the stage. "Next up, we have Oliver Claude!" A few people clapped as Oliver approached Lindsey, dressed in a white oxford blouse and black dress pants, with black and white shoes. "Hello!" Lindsey chimed once Oliver was seated next to her.
"Hi," Oliver said, a bit curtly. Despite the disaster she considered Aimee's interview to be, Lindsey was unfazed by Oliver's quiet demeanor.
"So tell me about District 3," Lindsey began, hoping to ease Oliver into the interview. Oliver did relax a little, but he still seemed shy. Still, he took a moment to think, before deciding on what to say.
"Well, District 3 is in the technology profession, as everyone knows," Oliver answered with a small shrug. "But I'm sure it's the same as the other districts. We go to school, we work, and we go home and sleep at the end of the day. It's a simple life."
"That's very interesting," Lindsey said nonchalantly. "What has it been like being here at the Capitol?" Again Oliver hesitated and pondered his thoughts, while the audience stared at him blankly.
"It's been great here," Oliver replied, to which some people cheered. "The rooms are really nice, the food is delicious, and there are so many luxuries here. It's great."
"Great! I'm glad you like the Capitol as much as I do," Lindsey commented, drawing in some applause for herself. "Now, you got a six in training. How do you feel about that?" Oliver let out a small chuckle.
"Well, I did better than I thought I would," he said jokingly, making a handful of people laugh. "I'd say that was an okay score."
"Good. As long as you're happy with it, that's all that matters," Lindsey said, smiling and nodding like usual. "Well, not really. Anyway! How are you going to win the Games?"
"Hide," Oliver replied, a smile still on his face. "I'm going to hide until all of the other tributes die. Then I'll be declared the victor." More people clapped, but for the most part, Oliver was getting an average reaction from the audience. For her to be honest, Lindsey couldn't blame them, as she was getting bored with this tribute too. She just wished the buzzer would go off and end this lackluster interview.
"So, any last words from you before you enter the arena?" Lindsey asked, trying to hide her lack of interest.
"Mom, Dad, I love you," Oliver replied, waving at the camera as the buzzer went off. Realizing that his interview was over, Oliver walked off the stage, forgetting to say goodbye to Lindsey. Not that she cared.
"Alright, let's meet our first tribute from District 4," Lindsey said to move things along. "Please welcome Emmaline Lyons!" The District 4 female emerged from backstage wearing a royal blue ball gown with matching heels, earrings, and barrettes. The audience let out sighs of amazement as Emmaline sat in the chair next to Lindsey. Emmaline smiled and awkwardly waved to the Capitol people, making eye contact with a few of them.
"H-Hello…" Emmaline stuttered nervously.
"Hi, Emmaline," Lindsey greeted, not noticing the young girl's nerves. "Well, I must say, you look absolutely stunning."
"T-Thank you," Emmaline replied, a small smile appearing on her face. "You too."
"Why, thank you," Lindsey said sweetly, flattered. "You're very kind. Now, how do you feel about going into the Games this year?"
"I feel good about it, I guess," Emmaline answered, with all the confidence she could muster. "It certainly is exciting." Happy with this answer, the audience cheered. Emmaline smiled, the applause boosting her self-confidence.
"That's great! We here at the Capitol love it when our Careers are enthusiastic about the Games," Lindsey responded, giving Emmaline a thumbs-up. "Speaking of the Capitol, how do you like it here?"
"Well, it's certainly different from District 4, that's for sure," Emmaline replied, getting a few chuckles out of the crowd. "But it's nice here. All the luxuries and food here are amazing." The audience continued to cheer, making Emmaline blush.
"I know. That's why I love it here too," Lindsey said, beaming with pride for her Capitol home. "Can you tell us about any plans for the Games?"
"Not…really," Emmaline responded, scratching her head sheepishly. "I'm still working on that." She let out a nervous giggle, and a wave of relief washed over her when Lindsey and the audience laughed with her.
"Oh, okay then. That's fine," Lindsey told her, shrugging it off. "But do you think you can win the Games?"
"I'm hoping that I have a good chance," Emmaline answered with some hesitation. "I certainly want to win. It'd be nice to get back home to District 4. I miss my family and friends." The audience continued their applause, and a few people even Awwed.
"Yeah, I can understand that," Lindsey said to the girl, nodding her head. "I definitely wish you the best of luck in that."
"Thank you," Emmaline responded, her voice suddenly dropping.
"Well, our time is almost up, so is there anything else you would like to say for our audience?" Lindsey asked, her voice taking on a soothing tone. Emmaline shook her head. "Well, thank you so much for being here tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, Emmaline Lyons from District 4!" Emmaline waved to both Lindsey and the audience before speed-walking offstage. "Okay, it's time to meet our District 4 male…Cyrus Slash!" Lindsey's eardrums nearly shattered as the audience exploded in applause, roaring as Cyrus stepped out wearing a rainbow suit, with each piece of clothing a different color. "Oh, wow, look at you!" Lindsey exclaimed, feeling the polyester fabric of his yellow blazer between her fingers. "You look like a human rainbow trout!" Cyrus threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh.
"That's the idea," he said proudly. "I like it because the rainbow trout is my favorite fish to eat back in District 4."
"Really? Mine too!" Lindsey said with a gasp. "That's really neat!"
"Sure is," Cyrus responded, nodding vigorously.
"So Cyrus," Lindsey said, clearing her throat. "Do you think you're prepared for the Games?"
"I am prepared," Cyrus answered with a grin. "I've been preparing for awhile, and I'm ready. Let's go!" As if the audience couldn't cheer any louder, they did, almost shattering the sound system in the studio. "Let's do this!"
"Yes! Just what we like to hear," Lindsey responded, pumping her fist halfway in the air. "Now, tell us about that awesome training score you got. An eleven! Career or not, that was truly incredible."
"I'm glad you thought so, because I loved it!" Cyrus said, half-shouting. "I had tons of skills to use, and I'm happy that the Gamemakers saw my talent. A great score for a great competitor, definitely. All of those other tributes better watch out, because I'm coming for them!" The audience erupted in cheers again. Lindsey thought she was going to lose her hearing.
"Yes, the Gamemakers have an eye for talent, and they know that you're going to be one to watch in the arena," Lindsey replied, a bit matter-of-factly. The emcee was fully engaged in the interview, happy that she was enjoying the tribute she was speaking to after the two duds that were the District 3 tributes. "I bet the other tributes are running scared already. You must be popular in school."
"Actually, you can say that I am," Cyrus responded, smirking arrogantly. "My friends are really awesome, and I know that they and the other kids from school feel the same way about me. They're great people. I have to admit, being popular is a great feeling."
"Oh, of course!" Lindsey exclaimed with a giggle. "I enjoy being popular too. One last question, Cyrus: do you think you can win?"
"I am going to win," Cyrus answered, without skipping a beat as he pointed to the crowd. "You're all going to see it!" The audience was practically hooting and hollering by this point, so loudly that they could barely hear the buzzer go off. Cyrus got up and flexed his muscles for the crowd before sauntering offstage.
"Cyrus Slash, ladies and gentlemen!" Lindsey announced. "Next, we have Kelilyn Light from District 5!" The crowd kept the cheering going as Kelilyn hit the stage dressed in a poufy green cocktail dress, with matching heels on her feet and combs adorning her hair. "Welcome, Kelilyn. Please, have a seat." The District 5 girl nodded and plopped down in the other leather chair. "So, Kelilyn, how do you like being here in the Capitol so far?"
"It's not so bad," Kelilyn answered, absent-mindedly looking around at the crowd. "It's a great place, actually. There's a lot to like about it."
"Like what?" Lindsey asked, over the Capitol's obnoxious ovation. "How does the Capitol differ from your home district?"
"The Capitol is much more luxurious than District 5," Kelilyn replied, tilting her head upward while thinking. "There are a lot of nice things here, stuff that people don't have back home."
"Such as…?" Lindsey inquired, her voice trailing nonchalantly.
"Well, the showers, for one," Kelilyn blurted out, drawing out some laughs. "And also there's the furniture, the TVs, and even some of the food as well."
"I see. Very interesting," Lindsey said. Hoping to hide her oncoming boredom, she pressed on, "How do you plan on winning the Games?"
"Well, hopefully I'll survive the bloodbath, and then I'll work from there," Kelilyn replied simply. "It won't be so much about killing; it'll be more about surviving." A few Capitol people clapped, while the rest listened intently.
"Sounds like a good plan," Lindsey commented, briefly contemplating this idea. "What did you think of your training score?"
"I did better than I thought I would," Kelilyn answered, laughing sheepishly and smiling when the audience chuckled as well. "I wasn't expecting a perfect score, but I was hoping for a respectable one, which I think I got for someone from my district. So, I'm happy about that." The cheering subsided by this point, but some people still clapped.
"Good to hear," Lindsey said, quickly glancing at the time on the buzzer before continuing, "What do you think about the other tributes? Are any of them intimidating to you?"
"Hmm…" Kelilyn began, stopping to think. "Well, the Careers are fearsome of course, but I think that everyone else is in the same boat as me. I guess it doesn't matter as much though, since I plan on avoiding them anyway, but if I end up in a confrontation with anyone, I'll do the best I can to handle it." A few more people applauded the District 5 girl, and the buzzer sounded to end her interview.
"Thank you very much, Kelilyn," Lindsey said, reaching over and shaking the girl's hand, before waving it in the air. "Kelilyn Light from District 5, ladies and gentlemen!" Kelilyn received a mixture of polite claps and excited cheers as she left the stage. "Now let's meet our District 5 boy, Ivan Nukes!" As Kelilyn disappeared backstage, Ivan entered wearing a black blouse, black dress pants, a green tie, and black and green shoes.
"Hello Ivan," Lindsey greeted while scanning him up and down. "Nice to see you."
"Hi Lindsey," Ivan said half-heartedly.
"Tell me about your life in District 5," Lindsey started, slightly startling the young boy. Ivan gulped while mentally scrambling to prepare an answer. Detecting Ivan's nerves, Lindsey suppressed a sigh of dismay and a roll of her eyes.
"Uh…well…" the District 5 male trailed. "It's an okay life, I guess. It's an average life. I go to school every day, I go home and do my homework, and then I spend the afternoon working in the nuclear power plant with my dad." Save for a few murmurs among them, the crowd was mostly silent. Lindsey suspected that they were as bored as she was, but she kept her focus on Ivan.
"So…what was going through your mind during the reaping?" Lindsey questioned, raising an eyebrow at her current subject.
"Well, I was just hoping and praying that it wouldn't be me, but then I got really nervous when I realized that it was me," Ivan answered, shaking in his seat. "I was so terrified when I was picked, I couldn't believe it. I'm still nervous about it now." The young tribute was so anxious that he didn't even hear the whispering coming from the crowd, as the people of the Capitol looked at him disdainfully.
"Well, I'm sure you're not the only one who's nervous," Lindsey mentioned, studying the boy again. "We've had our share of nervous tributes." Ivan nodded and laughed nervously while running his fingers through his fuzzed head. "Do you think you can win?"
"Eh…no," Ivan answered, his voice continuing to frown. "I really want to win. I hope I can win. I want to go back to District 5." The studio instantly fell silent, so silent that anyone could hear a pin drop. Lindsey was starting to sweat, even though she was doing her job and it was the tribute's fault for dulling things up.
"Well, the only way to find out is by entering the arena, which you'll be doing tomorrow," Lindsey stated. "So don't give up hope. I wish you all the best in the arena."
"Thanks," Ivan mumbled. Lindsey really wanted this interview to be over by this point, and so did the audience as far as what she was seeing. Luckily for her, the buzzer rang, and Ivan quietly exited the stage, receiving no reaction from the audience due to their lack of interest.
"Okay…" Lindsey said with a small shrug. "Let's meet our next tribute. From District 6, we have Lucille Bellevue!" A few Capitol citizens began to clap as Lucille emerged from backstage, dressed in a short white dress with a light blue ribbon tied around the waist. Her matching blue heels clacked against the tiled floor of the stage as Lucille shook Lindsey's hand and sat down, before reaching up and adjusting her curly ponytail. "Welcome, Lucille," Lindsey began in a welcoming manner. "Glad to have you here."
"Thanks," Lucille responded, returning the smile.
"How has your stay here at the Capitol been?" Lindsey inquired.
"Oh, it's been good," Lucille answered without much thought. "Our living quarters are really nice, the beds especially, and it's cool to have servants waiting on us every now and then. I don't think I've ever been waited on before." A couple of Capitol people, Lindsey included, chuckled at this.
"Oh my gosh, being waited on is so much fun," Lindsey said, with Lucille listening closely. "My assistants are wonderful. I also agree with you about the beds. I love my bed at home."
"They're so comfy," Lucille added, stifling a giggle.
"They are so comfy!" Lindsey agreed, nodding as she continued, "Anyway, how confident do you feel about you winning the Games?"
"I don't really know yet," Lucille replied thoughtfully. "I'm not the strongest one in the bunch, but I'm certainly not the weakest. I guess I'll find out soon." Some people clapped, while others whispered to each other.
"What's your strategy for winning the Games?" Lindsey asked, peering closely at the District 6 girl.
"My strategy for winning the Games is…" Lucille trailed, pausing to think. "Escape the bloodbath and try to survive while everyone else is fighting with each other. Hopefully some of the other tributes will be weaker before I have to fight someone." This earned Lucille a few cheers from the crowd, but they weren't as loud as they had been applauding earlier.
"Interesting," Lindsey commented plainly. "What is your motivation to win?"
"Staying alive," Lucille answered. "And also to get back home to my family and friends. I promised them that I would try my best to win and get home." Half the audience Awwed, while the other half applauded.
"Aww, that's sweet," Lindsey remarked, feeling almost moved. "Well, I certainly wish you the best of luck in the Games."
"Thanks, Lindsey," Lucille responded, smiling and blushing.
"Well, we're almost out of time, so do you have anything to say to our audience and the people of District 6?" Lindsey asked, gesturing to the camera directly below the stage.
"Mom, Dad, I love you," Lucille stated, blowing a kiss into the camera. The buzzer rang out, and Lucille took her leave, getting a fairly positive reaction from the audience.
"Lucille Bellevue from District 6, ladies and gentlemen!" Lindsey announced, pointing to the District 6 girl before she vanished offstage. "Up next is…James Rhodes! Come on out, James!" Sure enough, James did come out, dressed in a white business suit with a blue tie, with his hair neatly slicked back.
"Hi Lindsey," James said, shaking her hand before sitting down.
"Hi James," Lindsey responded, watching as James leaned back in his seat to get comfortable. "So tell me. How did you feel when you realized you were entering the arena?"
"I was really surprised, to be honest," James replied, his eyes darting back and forth between the interview host and the crowd. "You think it's going to be someone else. You never expect it until it actually happens. So I was thrown for a loop." The audience fell silent as they listened attentively, starting to hang on his words. "But hey, I had to be ready for it. I couldn't ignore the possibility. It was still a major shock though, especially to my family." Obligatory clapping could be heard.
"I'm sure," Lindsey commented. "Do you miss District 6?"
"Absolutely," James answered smoothly. "Home is where the heart is. It's where your family is. My life in District 6 may have been ordinary, but I can't imagine it any other way." Cheers from the audience.
"Well, your life will certainly experience some changes if you end up winning the Games," Lindsey stated. "Do you think you'll be ready for that?"
"You're right, it will," James responded, looking down at the camera at the foot of the stage. "I think I can handle it, though I just want to get home to District 6." More applause ensued.
"Do you have any plans for the Games that you'll share?" Lindsey inquired, raising her eyebrows with intrigue. James looked down for a moment while thinking, before gazing back up at the master (mistress, really) of ceremonies.
"Not…really," James replied, his eyes blank. "Not that I don't want to share, I just…I don't know what I'm doing yet. I'll just be trying to survive." Several people laughed, while Lindsey smirked in amusement.
"Haha. Yes, survival is good," Lindsey responded, nodding vigorously. "Survival is a huge part of the Games, and while you're looking to survive, do you think you can win?" Another moment of thinking, when the District 6 male's eyes brightened, a glimmer of hope in them.
"I think that if I play my cards right, then winning could be a possibility," he answered, earning him additional applause from the audience. That's when the buzzer sounded once more.
"Well, time's up, but thanks so much, James," Lindsey said, shaking the boy's hand again. "James Rhodes from District 6, everyone!" The crowd's clapping slowly faded out as James walked backstage, while Lindsey turned to face the cameras. "We'll be taking a short break, but when we come back, we'll meet the tributes from District 7 onwards. Stay tuned!"