Hey readers, sorry for taking so long to update. I have relatives visiting and they are sleeping in the computer room so I haven't had any time to type up the story. Thanks for reading!
"Shoulders back. Good. Narrow your eyes just a bit. Perfect. Well you don't need much work at all, do you?" Zura praises me. God, it is so annoying. I know how to walk in heels, I already have a trademark smirk and I know how to cross my legs at the ankles when I sit down. This day is pointless. Cato and I both spend the morning with Zura then after lunch we separate into our one-on-ones with Darlie and Nilo to prepare our angles. It has made for some good entertainment though. It's been pretty fun watching Zura attempt to make Cato more gentleman-like. He likes to sit with his legs wide open and Zura has taken it upon herself to stop him from doing so. Every time he relaxes and spreads his legs she runs over to him and slaps his knees together with a little fan she carries. Cato then shoots me looks as I try to contain my laughter.
After lunch I have my private session with Darlie. She tells me to act very sly and cunning as well as intimidating. She says I can also be a bit charming as long as I establish my superiority first. I'm released from her session after only 15 minutes and find Cato already done with his private session as well. "Ruthless killer, how about you?" "Sly, cunning, intimidating, and charming." I say, batting my eyelashes at the last trait. "So basically, just a bitch?" Cato states. "Yeah, pretty much." "What do you think the other careers are going for?" Cato asks me. "Well, Glimmer will be going for slutty." I say, practically gagging when I say her name. "Marvel will probably just go for intimidating, but I don't know how well he'll pull it off. Nathaniel will be funny and probably act a little dangerous and Odessaly will be mysterious." "Really, you think Nathaniel will be funny? I thought he would go for bloodthirsty and ready to get in the games." Cato argues. "Well, his mentor will know that you and Marvel will probably do that and he is pretty funny." "Yes, Clove, because humor gets one so far in the hunger games." "You asked my opinion! I'll be right too, just you wait and see." "Alright, we'll see who's correct tomorrow night." We carry on talking about the games and our allies until dinner rolls around.
While we start to eat, Nilo tells us that he has a proposal for us. He says he was approached by the District 12 mentor on the last day of training. Apparently the boy wants in on the career pack. "No way!" I tell Nilo, "I have said from day one that I didn't want him. Besides, after that stunt at the opening ceremonies, he is at the top of my kill list. We don't want him, right Cato?" Cato shifts in his seat a bit uncomfortably, "Well, actually... I was thinking we could use him." Ok, I must be hallucinating. There is absolutely no reason to align ourselves with District 12. "I mean he got an 8. That's the same score that Glimmer and Nathaniel got and he's not trained. He might be a good asset at the beginning, and should be an easy kill once the numbers start to dwindle. He probably knows how his partner got an 11 too." Alright, maybe Cato did have a point, but still. This was District 12. The last winner they had was like 25 years ago, they suck. "I say we let them in." says Cato. He turns and looks at me, waiting for me to cave. "Fine." I agree, "Tell his mentor we're in, but if he doesn't prove himself at the bloodbath, I get to finish him right then and there. Deal?" "Deal." Cato tells me.
After undergoing several hours with my prep team and another with Drala, I am finally prepared for the interview. Drala has me in a brilliant red ensemble for the evening. I have heeled boots that go up to my knees and a super short dress. The top of the dress is fitted, almost corset-like and the tulle mini-skirt flares out at my hips. I also have a headpiece with a little gem on my forehead. I look bad-ass, and If I didn't have to sit only one person down from Glimmer, probably a bit sexy too. Cato is in a fitted black suit with a blood-red tie. I was surprised at how well our outfits complimented each other, seeing as there is usually no unity shown between tributes of the same district. The reds go nice with my dark hair though and the color pops against Cato's skin tone, so I see why both our stylists decided to use it on us.
I'm playing with my long high-ponytail when Cato and I get ushered into the lineup backstage. Glimmer's trying to catch Cato's eye and I look down at Nathaniel and Odessaly to check out their outfits and give them a nod of acknowledgement. Really, they are in blue and green? Never seen that one before, fishing district. The Capitol anthem plays and Marvel gives Glimmer a push to get her to stop making eyes at Cato and walk on stage. I follow Marvel onto the stage and find myself momentarily blinded by all the bright lights. I take my seat and cross my shiny-red-boot-covered-ankles as instructed by Zura. Cato sits down next to me and I smile to myself as he spreads his legs. This must be part of his angle however, because he then leans back and puts his arm around the back of the seat, as if he is lounging on his couch back home, watching tv. The final tributes find their seats and Ceasar Flickerman, the Capitol's famous broadcaster starts the show. After a brief intro, Glimmer is called and she saunters forward in a dress so sheer, she might have just as well showed up naked. Classy. She flips her hair a bit, makes bedroom eyes and tells about life back home and how luxurious the Capitol is. The audience loves her, but I just want to kill the shallow bitch. When she glides back to her seat she actually winks at Cato. The nerve, she obviously was not heeding my previous warning. Marvel goes for intimidating, as I suspected and impresses the audience, but I'm sure they'll forget about him after Cato goes up and acts like a real male tribute.
Ceasar calls my name and I rise. Heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe, own the stage, I got this. "Hello, Clove." Ceasar starts, "So how does it feel to be going to the games?" he asks. "Splendid." I reply, "I'm ready to get in the arena and start killing everyone. I already have the order on my kill list." "Oh, is that so?" Ceasar asks. "You bet." I say, "I already know which 4 I'm taking out in the bloodbath." I turn around and scan the tributes, letting my eyes linger on Districts 6, 9, and 12. Ceasar then says something about the 10 I scored and asks me what my specialty is. "Knives." I reply, it's no secret. I had been threatening the other tributes in the training center the past few days with them. "Though I can kill with almost anything." I look out over the audience and can tell that they are eating it up. Good, keep them interested. Ceasar asks me if there are any tributes who could take me out and I assure him that I could handle them all easy. He asks if I have any friends back home and I tell him that I operate alone. Ceasar then goes off of this and questions if this is how I will play the games as well. I tell him that alliances can be good for a while and then tossed aside and tell him that there is of course only 1 winner and that no pack in the games is truly an alliance. Ceasar asks me a few more questions to which I respond with an air of confidence and then my 3 minutes are up and I grin at Cato as he struts over to center stage.
Cato acts like a monstrous killer and has quite a few tributes literally shaking at his words. The girl from District 3, who is sitting directly on my right, looks close to tears. There is no doubt about it, he has been trained well and is a crowd favorite. He smirks at me as he returns to his seat and arrogantly goes back to his un-gentleman-like position on the couch. I watch, bored as the next interviews go by and avoid Cato's cocky smile as Nathaniel tries to pull off intimidating. Ugh, I hate it when he's right and I'm wrong. I pay close attention to the giant boy, Thresh's interview, wondering if he will mention the careers or any alliance of sorts, but he turns out surely and not too interesting. I sit up a little taller as well when it is District 12's turn. I hope the girl lets slip how she earned her score. She comes off extremely ditzy however, and spends a good amount of time twirling around and giggling. I have absolutely no idea how she scored anything higher then a 3. I consider the idea that maybe she paid the gamemakers to give her a good score, before I remember that District 12 is the slums and she probably doesn't have 2 quarters to rub together. At the end of the interview I am completely dumbstruck. I have no idea what kind of talent she posses and am even more confused about her then I was previously.
I decide to listen to her partner's interview too, seeing as he's the last one and my future ally. He goes for the funny, charming guy approach that I thought Nathaniel would do. He actually is pretty funny and I'm starting to think that maybe he wouldn't be too bad to have in a temporary alliance when he drops the bombshell. "Because... Because she came here with me." Oh my God. That did not just happen. He is playing the love-struck, doomed teenager to gain sympathy from the sponsors. Part of me is disgusted that he did that, but another part of me wonders if Cato and I would have been able to pull that off. I look over at the girl and see her blushing and staring at her lap. She hadn't known. I watch her further and can tell by her body language that she is not at all comfortable. Then it hits me. She doesn't like him at all. I look back up at the boy and try to deduct whether or not the whole thing is an act. He doesn't even look at her as he walks back to his seat and I decide that it was just a bluff. If it was real he would have looked to see her reaction. He was just a good actor. I'll have to remember that and make note in the arena to not trust anything he says. We all rise for the anthem and I can't help but feel angered as we were once again shown up by District 12.
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