Chapter 6

Interview Prep

When I wake up the next morning, I realize that my body has finally adjusted to the time change. I'm now waking up closer to five than four. That's a relief, because I think the arena time will be closer to Capitol time than district 11's time. I think that is part of the reason for all this time spent in the Capitol-adjusting to the time change. Because, really, where's the fun in watching tributes sleep at random intervals in an arena?

The thought makes me a little angry-it's just one more way the Capitol turns this into one big game. I suppose for them it is. We aren't human in their eyes. To the Capitol citizens we are abstract ideas, and no one really cares when we're gone. To them it's just a show-make believe-because they are more or less unaffected by the outcome. They will not lose a child, or be reaped themselves. They have no reason to fear.

As I make my way to breakfast I remind myself that today is the last day of training. Tomorrow we will go to the arena. I shiver a little at the thought, but I know I have a mission. I am going to help Katniss as much as possible. I know there must be a way for me to aid her-whether she knows I've helped her or not.

When I reach the table I take a deep breath. I've resolved to try to eat more. I know that Prine, and my other family members would disapprove of me not eating this food for their sakes. I also feel confident that Prine will keep them fed, and teach Flux to help her as well.

For the first time since arriving in the Capitol I take note of the foods on the table. This morning there is a stew of some sort. There's dried plums in it, and everyone's pouring it over wild rice. I take a small portion of the stew and rice, though I also take another roll from 11. The flavor of district 11's bread brings me comfort.

The stew is good, and I finish it quickly. I also try dipping bits of my roll from 11 into the stew's sauce. It fills me up and keeps my hands busy. I accompany the meal with a glass of water, and I feel full quickly.

Seeder and Chaff have been conversing quietly for some time now, and I find myself wondering what they are arguing about. Just as I'm about to ask they address Thresh and I.

"I know you both said you wanted to be trained together, but for today it will be more effective to coach you alone. Is that alright?" Seeder asks, fearing our response.

I laugh a little. "Is that what you two were fighting about for the last twenty minutes?" I giggle again. "I don't care at all. Whatever works best." I shrug and turn to Thresh.

He just nods.

Seeder looks relieved, but also a little shocked-probably at my reaction.

"Well, ok then. Topazma is going to coach you for the first part of the day Rue. Then we will switch and you will work with Chaff and I." She relaxes and finishes her breakfast with the schedule for the day all sorted out.

As soon as Topazma has finished eating she whisks me off to a large room, which has little furniture in it. It is much grander than any room I have ever been in, but I keep my comments to myself. She takes in my appearance for a moment, and she seems to be restraining herself.

"Innocence." I hear her mutter-almost a reminder to herself. Then she walks over to a closet that I hadn't noticed before. It's full of over a hundred dresses ranging from ball gowns to simpler casual sundresses. She paws through the assortment carefully.

A few moments later she addresses me. "Rue, could you go put this on?" She hands me a hanger, with a long, soft pink dress on it. I have to hold it above my head to keep it from dragging on the floor. She also puts a pair of matching shoes in my hand, and turns me toward an adjacent dressing room.

It takes me a few moments to get into the dress, but when I do I find that it makes me smile. The pink is a beautiful warm color, and it was Prine's favorite color. Also the dress is floor length gown, that has Tule-which I was taught about by Savera-over the full skirt to make it into a ball gown.

The top has straps that fall off my shoulders, and my hair, being down, brushes my bear arms. Though majority of the dress is pink, there's a purple ribbon that circles my middle ending with a large bow that falls to my left side. The purple accent to the pink dress is a nice touch in my mind.

Though I know that this is not my actual interview dress, I find that I like it. When I step out from behind the curtain wearing the elegant sandals Topazma selected, in the same shade of purple as the bow, she compliments me.

"Wow, Rue, you look beautiful." I smile at her, but before I can respond she returns her attention to the large closet. A few seconds later she turns to me holding a pair of purple gloves-the same shade as the bow on my dress-made of a dainty lace, and a headpiece.

I slip the gloves on, and they come up to my elbows. They compliment the dress and shoes well, and they bring out the purple more. The headpiece is the part that I immediately fall in love with. It's my headpiece from the opening ceremonies costume, only now it's not silver. It's purple, which only makes it more beautiful. She fixes it to my head and steps back.

"Now, you're perfect." This time she allows me to speak.

"Thank you. I like this." I twirl a little.

"Now, have a seat. We're going to pretend this is the interview. There are a few things to remember when you're on stage. The first is that you must always sit up straight, you want to appear confident and proud, slouching isn't going to win you sponsors.

"Second, you need to speak clearly and calmly. No stuttering or clamming up, nerves are pointless, no one is judging you." No one except the sponsors and the rest of Panem, I think bitterly.

"Third, you must keep eye contact either with Caesar, the audience, or the cameras. The more you keep eye contact the more real you become to the people. And the more real you are the more likely you will be to get sponsors. Also never forget to say thank you-knowing Caesar he will tell you how fabulous you look."

I nod at her instructions, taking them all in. She spends the next few hours talking to me, and periodically reminding me to "sit up straight" or "speak louder". By the end of our session I can consistently make it through an entire 'interview' without stuttering or slouching.

I can also make it to and from the 'stage' without tripping on my dress or stumbling from my shoes. When she tells me we're finished I ask her if I should take off the dress.

She thinks about it for a minute. "No, actually I would rather you didn't. It will be good practice for you to wear it for the day. You can practice walking in it and sitting properly in it."

"Ok," I say with a smile and walk back to the living quarters, using the hall Topazma showed my earlier. I pass Thresh in the hall, and he looks at my elaborate outfit.

"Topazma?" He guesses.

"Yup. I'm supposed to be practicing." I smile.

"Nice headpiece." Now he's smiling too. If my family taught me one thing it's that music and smiles are similar-they're both contagious.

"Thanks. It's my favorite part."

"Yeah. Well… wish me luck." He looks nervous.

"You'll do fine. But good luck anyways." I say with a smile.

Then I walk down the hallway to meet Seeder and Chaff. They're waiting for me on the couch.

"Wow. You look amazing Rue." Seeder is excited to see me, while Chaff just looks pained-I'm getting tired of people looking at me with pity.

"She did a nice job with the guideline we gave her." I notice that the word 'guideline' isn't plural when Chaff speaks.

"Yeah. I think this highlights innocence." I say with a smile, finally understanding why Topazma had muttered that very word before choosing my dress earlier.

"Yeah…did she tell you that?" Seeder sounds confused.

"More or less." I admit sheepishly. "I kind of overheard her muttering." I smile a little.

"You're very perceptive." Chaff says. "And intelligent, to have known that's what I meant by 'guideline'."

Seeder just nods and smiles, "That's what I've been telling you all along."

I smile at her support.

"Well, since you already know what angle we're going for with the interview lets just ask some questions and see what you've got."

So, my day proceeds with Seeder and Chaff asking me questions, me responding and them giving me feedback, until they feel certain that I can manage the interview on my own.

With their approval I change into some regular clothes, before I set off with Savera to be prepped for my interview.

Hi there readers! Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. It's not my best, by far, but it needed to be here to get us from the training to the interview itself. It was important, even if it was boring. Anyways, let me know what you thought of it. Keep in mind that this fanfic is staying as close to the book in details as possible. Anything else (like the Capitol technology from a few chapters back) is probably from the movie, or my imagination.

Since I'm keeping it to the books it means that Rue's costume will be the one described in The Hunger Games on page 126. Just a heads up.

I'm open to ideas for Rue's time in the arena when she's not with Katniss, but I do have some ideas of my own... :)

Thanks for reading,

R&R