Author's Note
I do not own The Hunger Games.
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Paradigm of Writing
Silverie Erilea Amarendaje, 14
Most of the interviews were nothing they hadn't seen before. There really were only so many things to play these things. The boy that scored an eleven in his private session, Magnus Calix, was first up, and he truly was nothing special.
"My first game!" he declared, raising an arm to flex his muscles for the computerised crowd – and, more importantly, the audience watching the livestream, which was bound to be huge for a special like this one.
"I hope I can live up to expectations!"
"You're a cheat!" shouted one of the other players, a boy with neon blue hair.
Magnus turned red, but didn't rise to the bait, instead stalking his way back down the catwalk.
"Cheat!" shouted several of the other players behind him.
"Asshole!"
"Why don't you just let people enjoy it, jerk?"
The boy after him, Andreas, came out wearing some long, velvet lined cloak and gave a few lines about the nature of truth and their lives. He was followed by the first girl, Harmony Tyrell, who stepped forward to another cacophony of protests and insults. Silverie clenched their fingers into their own purple dress. Part of them felt a little bad for her, but it was hard to believe she got such a high score without cheating. Silverie wasn't bitter. Emeria had outscored her plenty of times. But no one had ever scored higher than a ten that they knew of.
The first boy sorted into District Two was cool, dressed up in loose pants and a leather jacket. He grinned up at the cameras. "It's just a game, right? Let's have some fun!"
He was the standout, though the first girl from his District was also striking, scowling at the crowd, her shoulders hunched and fists balled. So much for 'Let's have some fun.' She didn't even look like she wanted to be here.
In contrast, the girl after her was laughing and smiling, waving at the crowd and blowing kisses to the camera. "I might have scored low, but don't underestimate me!"
The kids sorted into District Three were mostly forgettable. The first boy, Ares Gilmore, came out dressed in a purple tuxedo, and smiled at the onlookers. "I hope you're ready to see me in action, because I am all pumped up!" He thrust a fist in the air and grinned as the computerised crowd surrounded him with cheering. He was the standout from those in District Three though. Cosmo Adrephus was a flirt that grinded his hips, Sequinn DeQuarte was overdressed and overly peppy, and Novi Aspera tripped over her own words, turned red, and fled. Silverie really hoped she was better at playing The Game than performing on the catwalk.
District Four was finally something interesting. The first girl was a little average, though she did have pale blue hair to match the District, and a pastel dress to match her hair. The next girl, Artemis Gilmore, came out wearing a skirt that barely came past her waist and a corset that showed off her assets. Silverie hadn't even known such clothes were available in The Game. She tossed her hair and waved at the crowd. "I've won twice, I can do it again!" She glanced over her shoulder. "My brothers and I are far stronger than the Sterlings!" She hooked a hand behind her head, rocking her hips. "We'll be the last family standing!"
"Not if we have anything to do about it!" shouted a player with yellow hair, grabbing the hand of the girl next to her and raising both into the air.
Gilmore only laughed and turned to saunter back down the catwalk. "We'll see about that."
The first of the boys up was someone called Maximillian Marcus Badonde. Not a player Silverie knew. He stomped down the catwalk in a pinstripe suit, glaring out at the audience. "They can play their games. I'm here to win this."
A girl somewhere behind Silverie laughed. "Well, he's certainly got into the spirit since we dragged him down here!"
The other boy, however, was Luminescence Sterling. He walked like an animal of prey, his long hair curling loosely around his ears and neck, his ice blue eyes reflecting the light. "The Gilmores can say they're stronger than us," he said. "But they're all brute strength. The Sterlings are smarter than them."
Cheers rang out from the crowd as he stalked back to the watching area.
"Show offs," muttered Emeria.
Silverie giggled.
Three of the four District Five players were also pretty good. The two boys, Julius Brawm and Radiance Sterling, were both players she'd competed against before, and both knew how to work the crowd. One of the girls, the one about Emeria's age, Silverie remembered playing against in a previous Game. Hadn't she placed in the top half? The other, Etheria, was an older girl and did her best to giggle and act friendly with the cameras, though she looked a touch uncertain with the situation.
District Six was a disappointment by contrast. The boys were your typical grin and flex muscles for the crowd, the younger girl, Diana Thebes, was half-hearted, and Luminita Summerfield, the older green haired girl here with her sister, tried her best but was painfully nervous.
Then came District Seven and Silverie turned to kiss Emeria's cheek. "This is me, so I'll see you on the other side."
Emeria grinned. "Knock them dead."
Phoenix Sterling, 13
The interviews were all very same-y from what Phoenix could see. Nothing like watching the actual Hunger Games interviews. Here it seemed like the competitors just choose the clothing they liked the most, paraded it on the stage, gave a few quotes, and then raked in the sponsor points. By the time they got to District Six, she had lost track of most of the tributes. Of course, that was exactly what they were hoping the Gilmores would do. Since they all came before her in the District order and therefore the interviews, the hope was that they would have zoned out, just like her, and overlook her interview. Phoenix had even chosen the plainest dress on offer, a floor length dark red thing with such a high collar it almost hid her face. Combined with choosing the hairstyle to leave it loose around her face, it disguised her well enough. Though she hoped her siblings were getting some sponsor points, because she sure as fuck wasn't.
District Seven had one of the only two tributes younger and smaller than her, a boy called Zephyr Almon. He seemed almost as uncomfortable and unsure as she was, waving at the crowd with a trembling hand and announcing that he would, "Do his best despite his size." The other boy, Bastion Prime, seemed unremarkable, similar to many other boys that had gone before. The girl was another forgettable performance, but the last player, Silverie Amarendaje, put all her effort into laughing and making friends with the cameras.
District Eight was more of the same. Two boys that showed off their toned chests to the cameras, including one that pulled up his shirt, and two girls that flipped their hair and flirted with the cameras, one being the green haired girl's shouty sister. The other had platinum blonde hair, similar to that natural shade of her siblings' that everyone envied, and an obnoxious voice.
District Nine was where Apollo Gilmore had ended up, and he was good, wearing an orange suit that should look garish but somehow looked amazing on him. He smiled and batted his eyes at the crowd, flexing his muscles and striking poses. "My siblings and I know how to put on a show for you!"
He certainly did. The other boy, Charisma Blush, could do nothing to match him, though the first of the girls, Victorianna Wonder, was at least amusing as she tripped over her skirt and flailed for balance. Hortensia Chrysalis, the other girl, was calm and confident, saying a few words about how she was one not to be underestimated. Still not as good as Apollo Fucking Gilmore.
The first player in District Ten was, hands down, the best that Phoenix had seen, snapping her attention back to the catwalk. He was painted a pale green, with soft blue swirls across his skin and highlighted marks around his eyes. His hands were a contrasting pale red, nearly pink, matching the colour of his suit. He waved out at the computerised crowd. "This is my first Game, but I know I can do this. I won't be overlooked!"
In contrast, none of the following tributes could really compete. One of the girls sorted to Ten, Celeste Almon, was the only player smaller than Phoenix, but she'd made no attempt to take advantage of it and didn't even give a quote, only looking out at the crowd for a moment before walking back off stage. The other girl at least giggled and waved, though it was still kinda boring.
Eleven was Iridescence's District, though the other girl, who almost looked like her direct opposite with her jet black hair and deep purple eyes, was up first. The crowd reacted well to her friendly demeanour, though it still didn't compare to the show from the boy in Ten. Even Iridescence couldn't match him as she tossed her hair and smoothed a hand down her skirt. "We just want it to be known that smarts can beat strength, any day." She ran a hand down her ever-beautiful platinum hair, and familiar envy twisted in Phoenix's heart.
She'd never be able to match that performance, but of course the entire point was that she didn't. She needed to be as unnoticed as possible.
The other girl, Marcellina Arnoult, had chosen a blush pink dress to match her hair, with lace and frills at the hems and an oversized bow around the waist. She waved eagerly at the crowd. "It's my first time, but I'm here to do my best! I promise I won't disappoint!"
Then it was her turn. Phoenix made her way to the end of the stage and looked out at the computerised faces. "I… uh… hi? I promise I won't be as forgettable as I look right now."
A few sponsor points trickled in, but her total was still only a measly fifteen. Phoenix bowed her head and fidgeted with her dress. "I, uh, I guess I'm only here to have a bit of fun."
A few more points came in before the buzzer rang, and she hurried back to the waiting seats. Many of the other players had already drifted through to the next room, which could be used for socialising. She settled beside a younger boy and folded her hands in her lap as she watched Cormac's playthrough of the interview. He was only a year older than her, but he'd played The Game before and knew well enough how to work everything. He grinned to the camera and tossed his long purple hair, sauntering back down the stage. "Easy. What happened with yours?"
Phoenix blushed and slid down in her seat. "Nothing. I just…don't find performing for crowds fun."
He shook his head. "Truly a little baby still." He grinned. "Guess we might as well go through and get ready for the arena, hey?"
Phoenix clenched her fingers into her dress. "I… suppose so."