-Cadmus Brekken, 17, District 9-
Cadmus was glad to be male. He watched his female competitors, some of which were really struggling on those high heels. To have to sit still for make-up and dress fittings, and learn to walk in heels… He was glad for his simple outfit – dress shirt, vest, tie. It saved him a lot of hassle.
But one of the girls was not struggling at all – there were a good handful that knew how to walk in heels, and she was no exception. In fact, she looked like she could still fight in those heels and that skimpy black thing with a slit up to the waist, practically.
"Hi Cadmus."
"Paisley, hello." He greeted his ally.
"My my, you clean up nice." She smiled at him. "Going to create your fanbase tonight?"
Cadmus didn't want to have a fanbase, he wanted to survive. He still didn't understand how some of his competitors volunteered for this, and were excited to go out there and try to make a pitch for why they should live and all the others should die. "Oh yeah, they're going to be all over me after these three minutes," he said, upping the charm in his voice to entertain her.
But he was already tired of this conversation. Paisley was like him – down to business, just looking for someone to outrun. And he appreciated that about her, because ultimately, that was what she was to him as well, even if he was trying to dupe her into believing that wasn't the case. It was just a matter of who could push the other down faster, if it came to that. And Cadmus wanted to have the element of surprise – make her feel like she had hold of someone that would die for her, not be able to hurt her, until he did.
Cadmus had to hurt her, he had to see her and every single other of them die… He was missing out on so much if he went in their place. Then his four little siblings really would be alone. Calantha was only fifteen, she was just a kid. Cadmus refused to damn her to the same fate that he was damned to that day when his parents were executed. He didn't want her to get tied up selling drugs like he did, she could do so much more. Not that she would – she was always begging Cadmus to try and find honest work – but he didn't need her to learn that when things get desperate, you do what you have to do in order to survive.
And here was no different. Just like back in District Nine, he would run, he would deal, he would rob them of everything they had like he did the merchants running the shops, if it meant he could survive.
"Bold of you to assume they aren't still going to be drooling over me when your interview comes around," Paisley commented smugly, raising an eyebrow at him.
"You think they're still going to talk about you after Rory the baby parent and Odessa the Capitolite? Now that's bold."
That obviously annoyed her, he could see it as she reached over and punched his arm less-than-gently. She thought that Cadmus wouldn't fight back. And for now, he wouldn't.
"Ow!" he said. "What the hell?!"
"That's for the wisecrack," she said, but she didn't deny that was true. "But ultimately, it doesn't matter who they're talking about at the end of the day. What matters is who will survive. That's the one whose fame will last far more than five seconds."
And it's going to be me. But she couldn't know just how determined he was, not if she thought he was really, truly loyal to her. He couldn't be fooled by her pretty face and blunt attitude, but she seemed to think she had something on him from how she carried herself around him. "Well, to that I say, touche. I hope that you can be so well-spoken during your interview."
"I will be," Paisley said, as the backstage people were calling all of the tributes to line up on the dots and wait for their turn. She turned around, leaving him with a short wave. "Good luck."
"And to you as well," he said, finding his dot and jumping at the silent man that was standing on it.
"Excuse me," Cadmus said. "District Twelve is further back."
"That woman is playing you," Adrian commented. "She tried to get me too, used all the same tactics."
Cadmus just blinked at him a few times. He already knew this was true. But he was more interested in why Adrian was here. "What is it to you?"
"Nothing, I suppose. I'm just saying. I would be very cautious around her. I, for one, don't trust her at all. And, well, I suppose it takes one to know one."
"Why are you helping me? Shouldn't you be letting her do the dirty work?" Cadmus raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously.
Adrian just shrugged mildly. "I cannot tell you that. But I just wanted to give you a warning."
"Well… Thanks." He continued to be polite to his competition, even if he wanted nothing to do with any of them. All of them had to suffer and die for him to live, and he knew it. He was only buddying up with Paisley to make it all happen faster, and protect himself as much as he could. "I do think I'll be alright."
Adrian nodded. "Well, you know what the lazy tailor says. Suit yourself." Cadmus, despite himself, laughed at that, having never heard it before, as Adrian walked away to stand on his mark. Cadmus watched him go. He was quiet, but seemed like an okay guy. But he still had to die for Cadmus to come out the Victor. They all had to. No matter how nice they all looked today, they would all become savages, it was only a matter of time.
The interviews began and Cadmus didn't watch them. He couldn't care less about his competition, or what angles they were trying to pull. He just wanted to do his piece, and walk away.
"Now," said Piccolo, after Ruthie left the stage and growing very serious. "You will probably notice in our next district… An absence. Robin Nyquist has been detained for questioning. For the security and safety of the nation, your Head Gamemaker and Commander Junius have elected to bar this dangerous individual from the stage tonight. Once questioning has ceased, a decision will be made regarding Robin's participation in the Games." As if someone flipped a switch, Piccolo immediately perked back up. "But, let's not let that soil the rest of our ceremony. Please welcome, Mary Mariano!"
He was so relieved when they cut to commercial and were already halfway done with this – but also started to feel nervous as he was coming up soon. He tried to relax by looking at the screen, where Mary was gracing the crowd with her infectious personality. She did a twirl in her black high-waisted skirt, putting out her arms to show off the white shirt with lace sleeves, and the crowd loved it.
She was fully in her element as she presented herself to the crowd. She was making the crowd laugh, and Piccolo was bouncing the humor right back at her. The crowd obviously loved it, and even more they loved when she pulled out her small heart-shaped guitar and sang an Out of Spite cover.
"So, how did you learn how to play like that?!" Piccolo asked. "Music in the Districts is still… A growing art."
"Oh, well, that's kind of a long story," Mary said, but she was smiling. "It started with my friend Tulip. She taught me everything I knew and even gifted me that beautiful guitar. The reason… not as beautiful. I had to step up and become the breadwinner at a young age. Obviously, being young, and female, doesn't really open up a lot of opportunity. But performing was one thing that I was always drawn to. So Tulip taught me, and I'm grateful to everyone at the tavern who supported me as I grew into myself. Thank you, and I can't wait to grind your asses into salt at darts when I get back!"
"Well, it seems like you're quite a well-adjusted and mature young woman!" Piccolo said. Cadmus frowned, seeing a kindred spirit in her need to step up and provide at the young age of thirteen. He knew what that was like. And he imagined that much of her positive attitude was nothing but a façade. But he couldn't do anything for her now, not when she had to die for him to live.
Mary picked up the mood again with a comedy routine to finish her interview, and for being thirteen, she really wasn't bad. Her delivery was always on-point and Cadmus relaxed enough to chuckle a little bit. Most of the other tributes were laughing at her jokes, though the only ones that were open about it were her allies.
Cadmus shook his head at her twirling, waving, and kissing her way off the stage – he couldn't stand to have anyone that he would definitely feel the need to look after. He would leave her for Career bait.
It was unusual to have two interviews of the same gender in a row, but Piccolo didn't even miss a beat in Robin's absence before announcing Paisley. Cadmus leaned forward and watched his ally sexing up her entrance. She was wearing a black dress with thin straps that showed off her figure through a low-cut bodice and a skirt with a slit up to her thigh. Paisley, for all the awkward charm she used when bantering with Cadmus, played a much more stoic angle for her interview, and didn't give Piccolo much depth on her. Even though Paisley didn't say much, she had the crowd leaning into her, wanting more, with the little flirty looks that would cross her face.
"So, is there anything you want to tell the crowd about you in your last few seconds?" Piccolo asked.
"You'll be seeing me again. Then, maybe, once I return to your stage, you can learn all my deepest darkest secrets." She gave the crowd a wink and they all applauded her off stage.
The pressure was on for Cadmus. Surely he could hold his own after that. But his angle was going to be exactly the opposite and he already knew it. He had to give them something to look forward to, he had to get them to know him so that they would see him as worthy of life and sponsorship.
But he only hoped that would work, especially with the two interviews that were coming before him. He would really have to stand out in this cast of volunteers, sob story tributes, and charmers. Cadmus could play that game too. He had to, he didn't have a choice.
Rory Kwan strolled out on stage, the ruffles at the bottom of the sleeves and pantlegs of their green pantsuit making them take up more space than expected. Rory wasn't nearly as personable as the other tributes, but the crowd was still captivated by their story. It was obvious that they were nervous as they took some deep breaths throughout and avoided looking out into the crowd. But everyone was leaning in when they told the story about why they volunteered.
"I'm here to show that I'm going to do anything to get custody of my daughter Elaina. I love her so much, and I want to see her treated right. She was stolen away from me by her mother after we broke up, but I know that she's not being treated well there. I've seen it, the rare times that I actually get to see her. She's my daughter and it's my job as her parent to make sure that she's happy and cared for. So that's why I'm here. I'm going to do anything it takes to get back to her."
The crowd applauded at their determination, and the slight bit of emotion that broke through on their face before it went back to that rock-hard expression. Cadmus just frowned a little bit. He could relate to Rory's determination, but… Well, only one of them was going to come out of this, and it had to be Cadmus. He couldn't ever forget that.
"Please welcome Odessa Anthony!" Piccolo announced, and Cadmus realized that he only had three more minutes left to prepare himself for this. He started to feel the nerves – after all, this three minutes could make or break him – and tried to use this last interview to give him some pointers before he went out.
Odessa was obviously loving the two-piece pastel blue-green dress, the skirt decorated with white lace and tulle. Her white hair was styled out of her face and really popped. She was extremely pleasant and personable, while remaining strong and confident. She spewed out praise for the Capitol, her true home, faster than Cadmus could keep up with it.
He respected that she was going to use this angle because she could, but… It felt so unfair. If he could pretend he was one of them, he would have done that in a heartbeat. But at the same time… That seemed like a very dangerous game to play, especially after what happened with Numitor. He could only hope that her lineage was going to be her demise. Otherwise, it could very well be her Victory.
"So, I hear that you've had some very interesting interactions here in the Capitol."
"Oh yes," she said. "My dad works in television and was the executive producer for shows like Sweet Dreams are Made of This, for which I worked behind the scenes! I do a lot of things to help my father, but my true passion is photography. If you've seen any blogs or articles with behind the scenes pictures from the show… Well, I bet you that most of those pictures were taken by yours truly!"
The crowd applauded at that, obviously loving her connections to the Captiol and to celebrities. Dammit. Could Cadmus try to play a love angle with a celebrity? He hated that he was considering it, but he would do anything to get home, and if there was one thing the crowd loved, it was a good love story.
No, that was ridiculous. He just had to keep his head down and do what he needed to do.
But the applause was roaring for Odessa as she came off of the stage. And… Suddenly, it was his turn.
"Ladies, gents, and all in between, please welcome… Cadmus Brekken!"
Cadmus stepped out on stage, the nerves hitting him like a bus as he saw the sea of people, felt the hot lights on his face. The other tributes made this look a lot easier than it actually was. But he didn't have a choice to fail this. Sure, Paisley was right in the sense that the crowd would get behind whoever survived, but he would need their help and support to survive. Cadmus wasn't a fool.
The world of the Hunger Games was just like the cartel. It was all about who you knew. Knowing someone important was the difference between life and death when in a pinch.
"Welcome Cadmus!" Piccolo said with a smile.
It took a moment for Cadmus to snap back into that charming personality. It was do or die, and he couldn't let his nerves show. Not after his competition gave such compelling interviews.
"Thank you so much," Cadmus said with a polite smile. "I'm happy to be here."
"Are you? Why's that? After all, you didn't volunteer for this."
Cadmus kept himself steeled. He couldn't let anything throw him off. "This is true, but I believe this is a blessing in disguise for me. This isn't the path I would have planned for myself, but… Well, things have a way of working out. And a Victory for me would change my life."
"It certainly is life-changing, to win the Games," Piccolo said. "How would it change Cadmus Brekken's life?"
"So many ways," Cadmus said. "The most important of which is how it would impact my family."
"Looks like we have a family man here!" Piccolo said, and the crowd applauded in response. "Tell me about them."
"Well," Cadmus said. He was about to talk about his parents, but stopped himself. He didn't want them associating him with their misdeeds. He hated that they had a chance to make an honest life – two adults with honest incomes could sustain the household, after all. But no… His father got caught up in the same web that Mom did, and they both managed to leave Cadmus alone. Was it really worth that extra little treat every few weeks?! Losing their lives?! Leaving him alone!? Forcing him to run drugs and put his own ass on the line every day just to keep them all afloat?! Cadmus was never meant to be the sole provider for the household. He was only a kid when he had to step up. How could anyone expect a kid to do that?! He would never forgive them for what they did.
And right now, he had to create an image for himself that was exactly what they wanted for a Victor. He had a feeling that tributes' ability to survive was only going to be a small factor in who walked out of this mess alive, and he wanted to show them that he was the one they wanted. He couldn't do what they did. He couldn't leave his siblings alone like they did. Just the thought of them all having to go through that again… made him angry. He wished that his parents had felt the same as he did. But he was going to be better than them.
He channeled his anger and determination into his response. He couldn't indicate that he was in turmoil. He kept his front up, nice and cool.
"Calantha is my oldest sister," he said. "She's fifteen. So she's over her whole big brothers suck phase." He laughed lightly at that. They didn't understand how much trauma this poor girl had gone through. "She fearless at telling me what's on her mind. So… Well Piccolo, when you go to District Nine to interview her, don't wear anything tacky or else you'll hear about it. As will the whole nation."
Piccolo laughed at that as the crowd was laughing about that. "Duly noted," she said. "Pass on the word to my stylists."
"Yes, because if Calantha says something, then Mel is definitely going to jump on and make jokes," Cadmus said. "He's thirteen, and takes being the middle child very seriously by being the biggest jokester. Then you have Pomona. She's only eleven, but she's definitely a chip off the old block," he said, pointing to himself. "This kid's going places. I don't need to win the Games for her to be on track for university, she works hard and learns quickly. Right now, she's looking into plate tectonics, so be prepared for some fun facts."
"I play music so I have barely any knowledge about that. I look forward to it!" Piccolo said, encouraging him to continue.
"Then, of course, every good Final 8 interview needs a cuteness factor. That will be my youngest brother Amadeus. Big eyes, big dreams, loves to play, yeah, you'll have fun talking to him. I always do. Pure innocence, in one little body."
The crowd oohed and awed at that, and Piccolo put a hand on her chest. "Well, it sounds like that would be wonderful. And I'm sure they have nothing but good things to say about their big brother."
Cadmus resisted the urge to frown a little bit at that. Not all of them would… They loved each other, but he knew how Calantha disapproved of his job, and knew that there were still days that they went hungry. He didn't want them to blame him for that, but… Who else did they have to blame, they didn't fully understand that their parents' deaths were their own stupid fault and could have been avoided.
"Hear that, guys?" Cadmus said, putting the smile on his face and widening it. "No embarrassing stories about me, only good things about me!" But he chuckled and shook his head, knowing that if it got to that point, the embarrassing stories would be inevitable.
"Good luck with that, they are still your siblings," Piccolo teased him.
"Oh, I know," Cadmus said. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you knuckleheads, even when you insist on embarrassing me. Just hang tight and I'll be back soon."
The crowd loved that, and Piccolo applauded with them as Cadmus's buzzer went off.
"Cadmus Brekken!" she announced, and the crowd applauded for him again as he gave them a wave and headed back to the wing where the other tributes were lounging. He breathed a huge sigh of relief as he collapsed into a chair.
"Nice work," Paisley said, coming behind him and putting her hands on his shoulders.
He was exhausted, but he had to keep acting. The acting never ended. Not until Paisley was dead and he was out of here.
"Thanks Love," he said, putting a goofy smile on his face.
"Now let's see if these two Careers can hold a candle to us," Paisley said. Cadmus just nodded, releasing the tension in his shoulder as Wachiwi Emory stepped out on stage.
She was wearing a black dress that faded into red in a gradient pattern, that was decorated with some gemstones and cute little short-capped sleeves. Though her red lips sparkled under the light and she looked absolutely gorgeous, Chiwi's expression didn't reflect it. Cadmus was feeling a lot of secondhand cringe at watching Chiwi interact with Piccolo. She looked so tired, and upset, and her voice was already so quiet. She wasn't nearly bulky enough to play the quiet brute, and came off as generally unpleasant and crabby. Which almost could have worked if… She didn't volunteer for this. At that point, that was the only thing that could save her, especially surrounded by tributes – including her allies – that were far more charismatic than she was.
"So… Why did you volunteer, then? You don't seem thrilled at it."
"I apologize if I've not been personable," Chiwi said calmly, before she took a deep breath. "I'm sure you all know this already, but… I'm a new mother. And postpartum depression is kicking my ass right now. But that's not going to stop me from surviving. I have to give my District another Victor to show Arthur how thankful I am that he is giving my baby a good life. And to give all babies that might not have a good life… The chance to get one, giving back to my District. It's the only beautiful thing I can do after the ugly things that happened to me."
The crowd did a complete 180 on her after that, the applause back to where it was before she came out on stage as her buzzer rang.
"She's going to be the first Career out," Paisley whispered. Cadmus just kept his face blank as he nodded. She was probably right, but… Well, it just seemed sick to make bets like this.
"Everyone, please give it up for Chiwi Emory!"
She was sent off with a fair amount of applause, and as soon as she got backstage she ran off. Cadmus could see the concern on Rory's face, and how dark Basil's expression was as he kept looking over his shoulder.
But the Careers were soon drawn back to the screen by the announcement of their last ally, Kodiak Chay.
Of the boys, Kodiak was definitely the most Avant Garde. He was dressed in white pants that he should not have been able to pull off with how tight they were, thigh-high black boots, a black leather coat that went down his back and was decorated with silver accents, wearing a phoenix feather choker with feathers that rested on his shoulders. To nobody's surprise, Kodiak had that crowd completely wrapped around his finger. He talked about how he loved everyone that he met here, and was making everyone laugh with his wisecracks. It was just so natural for him to act, and next to him, Cadmus was worried that everyone could see all the effort he put into his personality.
"Well, it looks like District Ten is becoming a Career District for real! Now, one of their own is leading the pack. What would a Victory for you mean for the Academies back home?"
Kodiak just grinned and leaned back in his chair. "The inevitable Kodiak Chay Victory is going to mean so much to the Academies." His face fell immediately. "Because each and every one of them will be shut the hell down."
The crowd went silent, Piccolo's face was contorted with shock, and the tributes immediately started murmuring to each other.
"What… What does that mean?" she asked.
"Take it from someone who went through the Academies, so far as to get here, and lead the Careers. District Ten should absolutely not become a Career District."
He was met with a silent crowd, even a silent Piccolo. "And… Why do you say that?"
"Because being here allowed me to get to know the other Careers. Each of them came here honorably and have a District to be proud of serving. But me… No. Training in District Ten is not honorable." He provided a bitter laugh. "Training in District Ten didn't lift anyone up. It took the music out of this small boy, made him believe that he was chasing happiness, when the truth was that he could have had it, if anyone in that shithole actually saw him as more than a potential killing machine." His eyes filled with tears, and he let them take the mascara off of his eyes and trail it down his cheeks. "It's easy to make your kids believe they're chasing true happiness when your training regime operates on taking happiness away. They prey on the vulnerable. A young rape victim, whose worth has been reduced to being here, when she should be home with her son. And…" He took a deep breath, but he showed them his face, his tears, the imperfection of his makeup. "A small, lost, gay orphan that's been passed around like a fucking hot potato."
He brought his eyes back up. "I trained day and night, until my knuckles cracked and bled, until I collapsed on the ground, and even then, it wasn't enough. Beat for singing while I fought, punched for being different, and I wore those bruises with pride because what else did I know except pain? Winning the Games was given me as the only way to stop hurting, the only thing to make every split lip worth it. It's disgusting." The tears kept flowing down his face and made a mess of his make-up, and he turned his face to show the cameras.
"All Career Districts contain some form of brainwashing to make their kids volunteer for this, but District Ten is just revolting. Using Luke as a pawn, that's just disgusting, and I will never forgive you for that. Those academies need to be closed immediately, every last one of them. In fact, I would rather lose innocents every year. Because even though I'm here, I was an innocent too. At least let them live out their lives for who they actually are, free from abuse and hurt of never being fucking good enough, before being sent here and facing their fates." His lips quivered as he lowered his voice to a whisper. His buzzer rang, but Kodiak didn't stop. "Fuck, I wouldn't damn anyone to this fate. Fuck everyone back in District Ten." Peacekeepers moved towards him, and Kodiak panicked for a moment, shouting as he walked off the stage. "You're going to pay for your sins, every single fucking one of you, I promise you that!"
Ryder pushed past their allies to get to him, and Kodiak collapsed in their arms as soon as he got backstage, sobbing quietly into their shoulder as Alvis stepped in front of them, between them and the Peacekeepers.
But nothing happened. Junius must have given the greenlight for interviews to continue, because the Peacekeepers didn't touch him.
On stage, Piccolo snapped out of her stupor. "Well, uh, that was Kodiak Chay everyone!" And despite what he said, he still got a fair amount of applause. They loved someone that could be vulnerable. "Now, please welcome a hometown hero, Miss Vasilisa Castle!"
Vasilisa looked fairly un-phased by Kodiak's interview as she came out on the stage. The interest of her muted pink gown with abstract bronze branches that started at the chest and went up the bodice and down the skirt captivated the crowd, and Cadmus was sure she was going to get plenty of brownie points for bringing up morale again after that.
Vasilisa's interview was cotton candy – absolutely useless sugary fluff about how much she loved her home, how much she looooved Oliver Bromley and Out of Spite, and how excited she was for the party. It was the face of a girl that was pretending she wasn't in a fight to death, despite volunteering for it. Cadmus almost felt bad for her. But, after the tension that was created by Kodiak, that was exactly the kind of interview they needed, and the crowd loved her.
"So, tell us about your history. Do you have any memory of District Eleven?"
Vasilisa blinked a few times. "Oh. Nope." She shrugged. "Nope, I'm entirely home-grown here in the Capitol. I guess… Well, I was born there and immediately shipped back off here, and this is my home. With all my people, you know? I love it here. I've loved chatting up Rose and I can't wait to meet everyone at the party, please come talk to me and D, we're gonna be living it up! And if you want, I'll even show you how to twerk."
The crowd loved it, but Paisley was rolling her eyes.
It was good strategy, but… Cadmus had a feeling it wasn't an act. Vasilisa really thought that this was going to be easy, and fun. And he felt bad for her, but… It made it easier for him to win.
Vasilisa grinned and waved at the crowd as she walked off stage. Dante was right there to greet her, giving her rocking signs and a high five. But her face fell when she saw Kodiak still crying and clinging to Ryder.
Cadmus turned back towards the screen, where Antonio Russo was looking sharp in a green suit trimmed with black, a white shirt, and a black bowtie. If Vasilisa got the crowd excited again, Antonio backtracked all that work. He started by saying that he regretted using violence on his escort, but he still hated her for picking his name. Piccolo tried to save it.
"Have you at least made any allies here?"
"Yeah," he said. "But she lied to me and didn't tell me anything about that cancer boy, so…" He glared and crossed his arms. "That's probably some good info to give your ally. And not make a liar out of yourself. "
Piccolo frowned, but tried to just keep him subdued and keep him from getting angry though the interview. It ended without any physical violence against the interview, which was a step up from the last time Antonio was on stage with a Capitolite. He left the stage and Vyka was immediately there to try and reassure him that she wasn't a liar.
Cadmus just sighed, glad that at least he and Paisley weren't a hot mess. It seemed like they were the only alliance that wasn't.
But boy was he glad the last District was coming.
"Everyone, please welcome Ember Caine!" The girl came out on stage, the nerves showing on her face as she sat down slowly and folded in on herself, trying to make herself small under the lights and around all the people. It was easy to fold up in the short pink dress with a flared skirt she was wearing with sleeves to the shoulders. She twirled the pearls on her necklace around as Piccolo asked the first few questions. About halfway through the interview, Ember seemed to open up more, putting her feet on the floor and sitting up straight. She even tried to crack a few jokes, which gained some laughs from the audience, but quickly grew serious when Piccolo asked her about her life back home.
"My parents passed away, and me and my brothers live with our grandparents. God, I would do anything for my family. Blaise, he's my brother, and deserves a good life. He was only fifteen when our parents died, and he stepped up for us, with our grandparents'… Support." The last word came out much quieter. But Cadmus thought they were lucky to have grandparents that would just take them in. He would have killed to have that, no matter how shitty they were. He wasn't amused as Ember continued. "So does little Quartz, my sister. She's only three. Like my competition said, this is a blessing for me to come make a better life for them. Them, and my boyfriend Flint. He's seen me through it all, I miss him so much and I love you, I'll be back soon."
Cadmus was looking into a face that was desperate to believe that was true.
The crowd loved that, and Ember talked a little more about herself before her buzzer rang and she was sent off the stage with applause.
"And last but not least, please welcome Adrian Amberheim!" Piccolo announced.
Adrian came out, dressed in a black suitcoat decorated in a metallic silver floral pattern and a gray shirt. Cadmus was interested in what he had to say. He was somewhat of an enigma, a mystery, and yet… He was trying to help Cadmus out. Why? People didn't just do that without a reason, especially not here.
Adrian's interview wasn't particularly helpful to Cadmus, though. He acted personable, but not overly cheery, as he answer Piccolo's questions. His history barely came up at all, and the interview was very focused on the present – what did he like about the Capitol and other filler questions that had no depth. What was he hiding? What depth was there that Cadmus didn't know about?
And… Did he even want to know?
"Why do you think we should bet on you?" Piccolo asked.
Adrian was quiet for a long moment, a long awkward moment of silence, but he didn't seem to mind the big pause. "Because…" He said slowly, before taking another pause. Cadmus's brows furrowed. Did he not have an answer for this? Why wouldn't he… Unless… He thought they shouldn't be betting on him. Or he knew they shouldn't be betting on him. That would explain why he would try to help out Cadmus.
No, Adrian didn't seem like that type. He volunteered for this, after all.
But maybe he wasn't volunteering to win.
"Because I've always wanted something to live for. And this right here… Will be it."
The crowd loved that, and applauded for him as he put on a smile and his buzzer rang. Adrian left the stage, his persona not fading as he got back to the wings and the other tributes were all looking at him.
The room was quiet as Piccolo wrapped up the ceremony.
But Cadmus's brain was swirling with thoughts about what he'd seen. It was a wild roller coaster of a night, and he learned a lot about his competition.
How was he going to justify being the only one left alive?
~.~.
A/N: DONE WITH INTERVIEWS FOREVER. GOD. I knew this chap was gonna be a monster and I was right. But I hope you enjoy!
I know that we're ramping up to the end of the school year, so I'm going to do a submitter check-in now that exams are on their way out and summer is on the horizon for many of us (including myself). So if you could send me a DM, PM, etc. with an answer to the following question: What clubs would your tribute be part of in a high school AU?
Oh yeah, I'm writing a high school AU for this story XD If you're interested in hearing about fishnet tier lists, twink chaos, Kodiak getting thrown out a window naked, Vasilisa throwing fists at the Denny's, lots of Abba, and Bonnie Bunsen's weird kinks among many other random things, let me know and I'll send you the folder. Be warned, though… It's a lot of content lol.
Anyways, hope everyone got A's on their exams and look forward to seeing you all for the next update, which begins the PARTY!
CQ: Any interview surprises?
