Caesar Flickerman
"Welcome! Welcome, everybody!" I shouted as loud as I could. A roar of cheers blasted out around me and I grinned widely. The interviews- the night before the Games- was my favorite day of the year. I got to interview all the tributes, and it was more exciting than anything else in my otherwise monotone career.
"Who's excited for the 36th Annual Hunger Games?" This was one of my signature lines so I made sure to include it as I addressed the crowd. As expected, they broke out into a volley of screams, stomping their feet and clapping their hands wildly.
"I know I am," I said, beaming. "Now, I know everyone's excited for the tributes...so let's give a warm welcome to District One, Skyrah Labelle and Mark Seashire!"
They walked onto the stage together, rocking new stylish outfits. Skyrah was wearing a sparkling orange dress that really made her soft brown eyes stand out. It looked like she had difficulty walking in those sparkly heels but they really completed her outfit.
Mark was wearing a black suit with a bright pink tie that really stood out. An outgoing smile was plastered to his face but I doubted it was real. None of this was real- it was all an act to get more sponsors. Not that I cared much. I just went along with the show.
I smiled at them, cleared my throat, and said once they were settled, "So, Mark, Skyrah, you must be quite pleased with your training scores, I presume?"
Skyrah nodded politely while Mark said confidently, "Of course."
They were playing their part rather well.
"Tell me, does being in District One affect much of what you do...or do you make your decisions purely based on yourself?" Random question I had came up with earlier, but it worked efficiently; the two started thinking as quick as they could.
Skyrah finished pondering quicker than Mark and said in a soft tone, "I think it's both. Being in District One really affects me- I keep thinking about the consequences if I don't come back home and all the expectations. But also...well, I like to do things my own way, I guess you could call it. If it ends up better and for the good of everyone, that would be perhaps the most legitimate answer."
"Both! Why, that's an interesting answer. And your magnificent use of words, oh my! Well, I wish you luck, Skyrah, in the Games. I hope to see your excellent mind next time of the interviews."
She gave a friendly smile, almost cracking her royal exterior, and I turned to Mark. "Mr. Seashire, do you have anything to add?"
He nodded fervently. "Yeah, well, I personally think humans are born to be selfish, don't you? I mean, in the Games, not all the allies win. They have to survive by themselves, however much they think they can trust one another. My choices are mostly my own, to narrow it down to that." He shot a dashing grin that the audience screamed about.
They left and I welcomed the next tributes, who came individually. No surprise, though. One was usually the only District of tributes to come together, probably to make it more memorable.
Felix wore a white tuxedo while Persefone rocked a silver sequined dress she looked very uncomfortable in. They played the part of the Careers well.
District Three was about two inches less interesting. I made sure to compliment their outfits(a black shirt with rainbow zigzag lines and a deep royal-purple dress). Tyler played the role of someone optimistic and funny, while Calamity contrasted that with sarcasm and sassiness. Overall, their mentors did a pretty good job and I had to give them that. Their personalities really stood out.
Four I expected high from, and I was right. Azurine came onto the stage wearing a shimmery blue dress that made her pale eyes really stand out. A seashell clip was pinned to her dark hair. All her answers conveyed a little mystery to them to make me- and the audience- want to learn more. I sighed, welcoming the next tribute.
Algar seemed like he was made of stone as he talked. There was literally no emotion in his voice, as if it had been drained out, and all the remained was a stiff loyalty. He wore a navy blue, almost black, suit with a tangerine tie.
District Five was way better than average this year. They probably changed stylists or something. The girl, Twyla, had on a black dress that faded to red, matching her unnaturally colored hair. Red heels were on her feet.
She played the part of someone who was secretive and tried to answer all my questions in a way that did not reveal much. I helped her partly, giving her questions that would be easy to weave around. I could tell the audience was getting interesting; they were all leaning forward, straining to hear what the girl had to say.
Meanwhile, the boy, Mica, seemed like some kind of joke. He was one of the younger tributes, a fourteen year old, and his interview role was to act like some kind of comedian. Though there was depth to what he said, they didn't reach farther than making sure he wasn't labeled a fool. A soft determined air was over him but barely noticeable, and I doubted the congregation could tell.
He cracked a bunch of jokes that sent the audience into gales of laughter. It was a pretty good role, to say the least. And he seemed to mean what he said, too.
The tributes from District Six were both barely teenagers. Harriet was thirteen but looked way younger. She had straight black hair and smoldering amber eyes that glowed next to her pale skin. Her outfit was a red velvet dress which she seemed to love and high heels. She tried to look brave and optimistic but it kind of failed.
Cameron was interesting because he was only twelve- and a volunteer at that. I always liked to see how the more younger tributes handled this kind of thing. It made me feel weirdly sympathetic.
Anyway, Cameron acted mostly happy and silly, telling some jokes like Mica had. On the interior, though, he seemed really truly sad, despite the friendly exterior. The girls seemed to like him and gushed over his black suit with the "cute little red bow tie!"
District Seven: Alea Bryce and Spruce Ashmark. Alea had short blonde hair and a slim build, looking great in an emerald dress with a denim jacket over the top. Those two colors really clashed but made her look extremely bold as well.
Everything she said was heavily and carefully lined with sarcasm. I could tell she was only adding on to her usual personality and that this role was not unfamiliar at all to her. Her blunt honesty brought chuckles among the audience, especially when she insulted the other tributes.
"You know that boy, that Algar?" she said, a slight smirk crossing her face.
I nodded and pretended to look thoughtful. "Yes, what about him?"
"Well, he got himself kidnapped, that's what," she said calmly. "I thought you knew?"
"Of course I did, I was just testing you," I said with a practiced laugh. She did not smile in return, just grunted.
Spruce was tall and lean in the way only District Seven tributes could be. He had sea blue eyes and streaked blonde hair, dressed in a dark green tux. He was confident and serious. I kinda liked him.
"So, Spruce," I began easily, "anything you would like to tell us about yourself?"
Spruce hesitated, then dove in quickly. "I have a sister," he said unexpectedly. "Her name is Sprig and I- I tell her stories."
"Cute," I managed to say. I didn't really like children. Why did people fuss over them so much? They were so helpless and incompetent and got in the way so much. Still, I listened because I would totally get fired if I was unsympathetic.
"Yeah," he nodded, a passionate flash in his eyes. He seemed to have abandoned his seriousness and was now full-on protective of his sister, even if she wasn't here. "And, well, I'd like to tell her something."
"Go right at it," I put my hands up and that was all he needed to keep talking.
"Sprig-" He swallowed and started again. "Sprig, I wanted to tell you that I love you. You are the best sister anyone could ever have and- and-" He swallowed again. "If I don't come out of here alive, I would like you to know that I will always be with you, wherever you go." He didn't cry but it seemed like he would. Still, he held strong, every feature struggling.
"Sprig, thank you. Thank you for everything."
I, too, got choked up for some reason and I let myself cry to make the audience go wild.
It was hard to move on after this conversation but I forced myself to pay attention even though reality had struck bitterly. Lace went afterwards. She had on a pink dress with an open back and played everything off as a joke. It was like she didn't care at all. She was almost admirable.
Rowan Loranger almost seemed like he was a Career with his confident, indifferent attitude. I questioned him things that went into his personal space- and for a reason too!- and he just replied calmly. I had never seen a tribute from an outer District act so unafraid.
Zahava Doita was next, and she pretty much badmouthed the whole lot of the tributes.
"So, Zahava, what do you think about your fellow competition?" I asked.
She grinned. "Well, for starters, the Careers need some help. They're so cruel! Like seriously, what has happened to them?
"And second," she continued, "Twyla's one weird girl. What happened to her hair, anyway? And as for Three, Tyler is clueless. Then Six. Cameron's got some major issues with his sanity. And Harriet? She'd be better off being allies with animals than humans."
She kept on going like this until I questioned her own sanity. I didn't know tributes would really go to these ends to win. Soon, she made everyone look bad except herself. The audience was screaming for more of her "gossip".
Cornell Wheaton, who had the funniest name ever, and had a funny personality too. He brought a whole bunch of cards and other things and did magic tricks with them. It was like he ran the whole thing- I quickly had to remind him I was the one in charge.
Then he got serious at the end, when there was about thirty seconds left. He explained, "You see, Caesar, the real reason I want to win is because...well, I want to pay for my dad's treatment. He's very sick and- and I'm not ready for him to go. Not yet."
Dahlia Rhodes was very eager and talkative. She acted extremely, almost over the edge patriotic, and expressed the importance of her family and everything well. "This country is the most beloved thing which has ever come across my eyes!" she declared, "and I'll make sure to breathe with it every second it gets older."
To make it less overly dramatic, she added some jokes. It was a great balance of character, that was for sure.
Murray Keyes. Seventeen years old, with black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. His outfit was pretty simple- just a brown shirt and jeans. He was easy to talk to and I didn't even have to use a single one of my backup lines.
He was unexpected too, coming up with random strings of quotes out of nowhere so that I had to always shift my mind to match his.
District Eleven. I glanced at the timer and saw that we were down to two minutes. Trying to hurry up, I interviewed Elizabeth quickly. She had a Greek chiton and sandals on, hair weaved with lights. She seemed almost otherworldly, her words coupled with her outfit.
Amil Everret should've been labeled "the charmer". He was totally acting like it, at least. The girls swooned, though it was mostly at his charm and not at his outfit like Cameron's had been. Amil was about average in looks. He was skinny with eyes that had bags under them his stylist must have been trying hard to take away, to no avail.
One minute more...
Alice was determined and sweet, barely landing a spot in my mind before she too left. The Capitol wouldn't easily forget her though- she had complimented them plenty, picking random people in the crowd and gushing at them.
Jackson Winters had on a black cloak that covered his face mysteriously, with a red shirt, black cargo pants, and black boots. He spoke in a quiet, hushed voice so that they all had to lean in to hear him, and he would not reveal a thing about himself- he even attempted to answer my questions with a simple yes or no, with not even an explanation.
Three, two, one.
The timer sounded and it was all over. I sincerely wished all the tributes luck in the Games.
10/15/17