Interview Night:

Arietis Rammestien, 18
District 2 Male

"Hey, hey! No fidgeting!" My stylist brushes me off one last time. "You're gonna wrinkle your suit!"
"Oh, woe is me I should go out there on the stage in a slightly wrinkled suit."
"Woe is right! I didn't spend three hours ironing this for nothing. Now, get out."

Brick meets me in the hallway and gives me a thumbs up. "Loving the style, A-man. You're gonna knock 'em all dead!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

I'll admit I'm not entirely looking forward to my interview, all dolled up in a stuffy and scratchy suit that's gonna drive me insane the whole night. Before I can contemplate yanking my blazer off and stuffing it into a nearby potted plant, Avoxes are herding everyone into a neat little row. The interviews are about to begin.

And there goes Gregor Flickerman, strolling up on the stage like he owns the place. Carlos told me once he thought Gregor was kinda good looking and I told him to shove it. Look at that artificial nose and those ugly cheekbones. No wonder he feels at home under the spotlights as they try to hide the shadows on his artificial face. He's a showman, I'll give him that.

I flash Vivian a thumbs-up as she gets called onto the stage. She looks pretty nice in an emerald green strapless number that falls to the floor and extends out behind her, held up on her with a gold necklace. There's accents of gold everywhere from her jewelry, a sign she's striving for number one. She smoothes out her dress as she banters back and forth with Gregor. Sexy, flirty Vivian has just made her official debut and it's honestly insane how well she slips into the role. I never saw the full extent of it in training, because she never used it on her allies. Here, on the other hand…

"They call me Vixen back home, y'know." Vivian's fingers curl in, pretending to be the claws of a cat. She gives a hiss. "I'm sure you can all guess why. But don't forget vixens are very deadly and I am as well. I don't play around, I kill. You will see."
Gregor shivers playfully. "My dear, I look very forward to it."

Prism strides happily onstage, wearing a white buttoned blouse that hangs off one shoulder and a leather red miniskirt complete with a gold chain hanging off their waist. Everything about them just oozes total confidence and they look just as home under the lights as Gregor does. I think he absolutely loves that about them. The two of them get on like a house on fire as they trade snarky comments and dumb jokes, and the audience is in shambles. I swear some of the ladies in the front row are laughing so hard they're crying.

Prism ends on a spectacular high note. "Remember, make sure to send your love my way. As the future Victor of the Hunger Games, I promise you won't regret it!"

"Good luck," I tell Olympia as a stage attendant motions for her. She mutters something under her breath that I can't catch, then steps onstage. She's wearing an off-the-shoulder pale blue ballgown, complete with long white gloves that she was fiddling with just a few seconds earlier.

It's…not a bad interview. Olympia immediately tenses up once she sits down and I can tell from her posture she fights to stay still. She answers all the questions, but in a much slower manner and occasionally loses her train of thought. Then Gregor brings up her sister and that kills the atmosphere right there. Her face flushes a bright red.

"I…u-um…it's…I do m-miss her, I guess…b-but…I know that I can s-succeed where she failed…and bring that honour everyone wanted…"

The buzzer rings. Olympia dashes offstage. Now it's my turn. I'm not worried. I can bring the house down and they'll all love me. I've been waiting for this moment, after all.

As scratchy as the suit is, I will admit it looks super awesome. It's a sleek and shiny gray jacket over my vest, then a light blue dress shirt underneath. I leave the top hat with the attendants and proceed to fluff up the jacket again as I burst onto the stage. Everyone cheers, and it sounds even louder than it did for my allies.

They love me.

Gregor shakes my hand and as a joke, I make sure to squeeze hard. He squeals. Whatever; I totally could've broken his fingers if I wanted. "That's a mighty strong grip there, kiddo!"

"Oh yeah." I do a flex and the crowd screams. "I've been training for this moment all my life. It's so surreal to have finally made it." At this point, I think I can afford to be a little starstruck.

"Really," Gregor says. "Tell me more!"
"Well, there's not much to tell. 2's Academy, that was basically my home. The trainers were basically my parental figures and they taught me everything I know. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for their support. So I owe my future victory all to them as a sign of what we're all capable of."

"Must've made you a popular guy, huh?" Gregor winks and I nod along. We continue to chat about my training, my alliance, and the like. I get the sense he wants a little more, but I would rather not. There's some topics I'm not going to dive into, not in front of a studio audience and cameras broadcasting out to all of Panem.

"Well, we're almost out of time. Arietis, any final remarks you want to make?"

I almost say that I'm good, then a thought pops into my head. Carlos. He's barely been a blimp on my radar ever since I got into the Capitol. I haven't time to think about anything that isn't the Games and I realize now, I do feel a bit terrible about it.

"Well, there is one person I want to address. I don't have to name them; they know who they are. And I want them to know I love them. I've loved them for years no matter what we've gone through and what people say. When I win…it'll be for them most of all. I'm coming home to you."

The crowd claps and I take my final bow, hoping Carlos will accept my words. I want to see him again, waiting for me at the train station when I come home a Victor.

Mila Estedeon, 16
District 3 Female

Sweet fucking President Snow. I have to top that!?

The palms of my hands grow sweaty and I wipe them on my dress, praying I don't mess it up too much. God, the crowd absolutely loves Arietis, what with how he had them eating out of his hand and of course I get the luck of going right after him. The pressure is absolutely on. I'm not a strong killer like the Careers, I'm not talented like Loire or charismatic like Vick.

How am I supposed to make this work?

Someone motions for me. Oh fuck, it's time to go up there. I carefully hike up my dress as I follow the attendant towards the stage. I think it's really pretty; it starts off a dark purple at the time then gradually grows lighter in colour until it's almost white at the bottom. Vick said they liked it and called me the Derse to their Prospit, whatever that means. I keep the compliment in the back of my head, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread weighing down on me.

Come on, it's just a few minutes. Keep it together, Mila.

"Hello there, Mila!" Gregor's voice sounds so much louder. "Look at you, aren't you beautiful!"
"Thank you…" I mutter, practically tumbling into the seat behind me. My legs feel all wobbly and if I were to stand for another second, I probably would've collapsed.

"Are you enjoying yourself in the Capitol so far?"
When I'm not worrying about what's going to happen to me tomorrow!? "Um…yeah! It's very pretty…lots of lights and colours…"

The audience laughs. Why are they laughing? Did I do something wrong? "The food is good too," I quickly add, and that gets even more laughter. Oh my God, just end it now.

"We seem to have that effect on a lot of tributes," Gregor says goodheartedly. "But enough about us, let's hear about you! Tell us about your life!"

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have any super crazy stories. I live with my parents and my sister. I have a few close friends, I guess. And my girlfriend. Her name is Gadge. She's really sweet."

The crowd makes a collective gushing noise and my cheeks warm up. I guess finally something I said right? Bennet did mention a few things about the Capitol loving sappy love stories. I consider talking about all the shit that Tara put Gadge and I through, but I realize that's not exactly my story to tell. I don't want to out my girlfriend, and I don't want to remember that.

At least in the Capitol, my sister has no power over me anymore.

"You have a girlfriend!" Gregor sighs. "Ah, young love. Isn't that romantic? Tell us more; we're on the edge of our seats!"

Why is it a lot easier to talk about someone else than it is myself? I share a tale about the two of us studying for a class in the school library and accidentally misreading the textbook that led to an interesting bout of confusion. I get more laughter, but it sounds like good laughter this time. The three minutes are up and I'm glad that I didn't panic or piss myself in front of everyone. The Private Session was a way scarier experience.

It's nice to see how happy Vick looks in their sparkly yellow dress that the stylist might've gone a little overboard with decorating. My heart goes out to the poor Avox who'll be stuck sweeping up the glitter that seems to fall off the fabric and trail on the floor behind them.

But Vick is feeling a lot more chattier than me, and they seem to have more to talk about. Their identity, embracing the name Vick instead of their birth name, their interests and that Homestuck thing they love so much, and the Literature Club they started at school.

"And I'm the president of the club! It's so much fun to be able to talk about reading with all my friends. They helped me grow more confident in being non-binary. Dad, if you're seeing this, I hope you're okay with that. I'm still your child even if I prefer different pronouns now and I hope you'll still love me for it."

I try to ignore a small twitch of jealousy in me and join in on the clapping for Vick. Avonlea is up next, wearing a simple hot pink dress with a slit at the bottom. She has her hands nervously wrung together and it does make me feel a little better to know that even Careers can feel just as nervous about this as I do. Right away, when Gregor asks her how she's doing, Avonlea begins to panic.

"God, I…um…I'm fine! Yeah…doing great!" She laughs nervously and spends the rest of the interview giving short and strangely paced answers. Gregor asks about her alliance and Avonlea confirms that Ganbataar is a part of it, which causes the audience to stir and whisper.

"I like my allies," she shrugs. "They're a group of strong people. And I'm really close to Cy, my district partner. He's a really great guy."

As Avonlea passes by me once getting off the stage, I keep my gaze off her and her reddening face out of respect. That must've been awkward for her and she doesn't need me staring.

Gradually, my racing heart returns to a regular rhythm. I look across the wings and see Loire waving at me. Right, my interview's over and done with. What's said has been said. I should just relax a little and enjoy myself sitting back here in a nice dress watching the interviews.

It'll be my last night to relax.

Loire Lemaire, 16
District 5 Female

Not to pretend that I know much about being a fashionista, but whoever decided Cyclone's suit should be fired. That mustard yellow isn't doing him any favours, but then again, it's probably hard for a lot of people to pull off.

Then he's beckoned for his interview and whatever mask Cyclone is wearing cracks and reveals the nerves he has underneath. He shakes a little, holding a hand up to face to keep the lights out of his eyes. When Gregor's interrogating begins, it becomes obvious Cyclone doesn't really care.

"So, Cy. Can I call you Cy?"
"Sure."
"How are you enjoying the Capitol?"
"It's okay."

"What's life like back home? Tell us about your upbringing."
"It was okay."

Gregor gives up rather quickly after that. The interview ends on a quiet note.

Maybe that should be good news for me, as mean as it is to think like that. I've already rehearsed in my head and with Alexia what I'm going to say. The strategy is simple enough. I want to keep it light and not have to resort to using my family as a sponsor magnet. Give enough info so the audience is intrigued, but the tributes can't use it against me.

I really like the dress my prep team put me in. It shifts between navy and a bright blue, with a single strap going over my left shoulder, and falls all the way to the floor. It may be nicer than literally everything I own at home, but why shouldn't I be deprived of the chance to glam it up every once in a while?

Hiking up my dress so my feet are freed, I step up onto the stage and for a moment, bask in the applause. I offer Gregor my hand and he kisses the top of it. I can feel the gloss on his lips and decide I'll wipe my hand clean later.

"Look at you, mon cher! Absolutely stunning! That dress brings out your eyes."
"Thank you!" I gush in a bright and sweet tone that matches Gregor. Then I jokingly bat my eyes at him and he bursts into laughter.

"So, what do you like to do back in 5?"
"I'm an artist. I paint for a living. It's always been a very calming activity to me and I love the work I can produce at the end."
"You paint!" Gregor lets out a dramatic gasp. "How noble. Do you sell your art?"
"Most of it. Sometimes I get commissions. Other times I'm making art to give to my family and friends as presents."

The crowd starts to murmur again and I know what's coming. I know what they'll ask me next.

"Your family. Does that include the girl you volunteered for? Your cousin, correct?"
"Yes." My voice cracks slightly but I force myself to soldier on.

"Right, Sidonie. She's both deaf and blind. It's my job to look out for her and keep her safe so I could never let her go into the Games. I made a promise and…"

A single tear slides down my face and lands in my lap. Shit. Come on, Loire. You're so much stronger than this. Don't start crying, you can't start crying!

"I promised my tatie and my mom I'd look out for her. Right before they died, that's all they wanted me and my brother to do, so I did it. And I almost failed them. I can't lose Sidonie…I don't have much family left and I can't lose them…"

More tears. My makeup is ruined. I don't care anymore.

"So I have to get home," I finish, halfheartedly wiping my eyes as the tears continue to fall. "I want to go back to them and hug them and never let them go. Sidonie, I'm so sorry…"

I barely hear the buzzer go off until Gregor is helping me to my seat and guiding me towards the wings. Someone says something I don't understand, and then Mila is in front of me. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know."

"Do you want me to go get your mentor?"

I shake my head and wipe my face one last time. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You seem pretty upset."
"I just let my emotions get the better of me. That's all."

Mila purses her lips together and her brows scrunch up in worry as I sit down and she takes the seat next to me. It sounds like the Careers are snickering behind us and I try to pay them no attention, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of wounding me further. I just watch Gregor introduce Ganbataar next as he strides out in a shiny gold suit with black accents and a white shirt underneath. Ganbataar exudes a much calmer aura as he sits down. His answers are polite and curt, but don't give away much information about him. Nothing I didn't know anyway.

"I live with my parents, and they're the ones who taught me about hunting and falconry. I have a pet falcon named Turgen. Sometimes we're joined by Ajax; he's a family friend. I'm currently in the Career pack and I hope to prove my worth to them and show that I'm just as strong, if not stronger."

Gregor nods. "Sounds like you've done a good job of doing so. Best of luck to you and your allies, strongman!"
"Thank you," Ganabataar says, and it sounds like the interview is done, even if there's still a few seconds left. Gregor lets him walk off the stage and begins to introduce Naomi.

I give my district partner a shrug as he passes by and pray I don't look more hysterical than I was in comparison to him. Mila just leans over my shoulder. "It happens to the best of us."
"What does?"
"Getting overwhelmed by things. I used to cry all the time. There's nothing wrong with you crying, by the way. I'd totally be sobbing my eyes out if I were you."

"Thanks," I say. And I mean it.

Walker Jeong, 13
District 6 Male

"After you go up, there's going to be a fifteen minute intermission," the stage attendant tells me. "So don't freak out if the lights turn back on."

I scoff. "It'll take more than lights to freak me out! I'm gonna wow the crowd's socks off."

The stage attendant turns away from me, but if he thinks he can laugh in my face like that, he's got more coming. But I don't have time to dwell on that since I'll be onstage in a few minutes. It's Naomi's turn now. She's wearing a simple black dress that ends at her knees with a flare to the skirt and a sparkly silver sash around her waist, plus some dangly jewelry and white boots. I think it makes her look younger than she really is, but I didn't say anything to her face because I didn't want to piss her off.

Anyway, Naomi gets all tense from the moment she sits down and I don't think Gregor really cares. He seems unaware of the way she warily stares at him as he asks her about her time in the Capitol.

"It was fine. I like the food."
"Great! How does that compare to your home life back in 6? I heard about the horrible tragedy that befell your family."

Naomi suddenly glares at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh." Gregor seems a little surprised by Naomi's sudden bluntness and carefully steers the conversation around what sounds like a painful topic. Naomi does bring up that she's a factory worker and her best friend is named Jyvane, but other than that, she says nothing about her home life. She mentions she has no plans to ally with anyone and then the buzzer goes off and she hurries off the stage before Gregor can say anything else.

I suddenly feel really nervous.

I spent all of last evening and this morning going over what I wanted to say with Maxon. I remember how he told me to play it safe and play dumb. I don't know what my parents are doing. I saw nobody, I heard nothing. If anyone asks, I was left in the dark. Deny, deny, deny.

I don't know if it's going to work, but Maxon insisted that it was the greatest way I could keep myself safe from anything my parents possibly did. He was worried the Gamemakers may do something to me if they suspect I know something or am involved in something. All of it makes my head spin.

Just remember the important part, I tell myself. What was that phrase again? Ignorance is bliss. Yes, that's right. I don't know and I'm blissful. My parents are good citizens of 6 and that's all.

"You're up," the attendant says suddenly. I look behind me, locking eyes with Linh and Cameron. Cameron gives me a thumbs up and Linh waves.

Personally, I think the suit they put me in is really boring. The dark green is a pretty lame colour and the polka dotted tie is just stupid. But my stylist insisted, kept saying I looked cute in it, so I guess I don't have much choice. It's too late to get changed now. Time to knock 'em dead.

I burst into the stage in a fit of energy and the audience loves it. Gregor does too. "Look at you, mister Jeong! I love the atmosphere tonight!"
"Damn right! I may be small and young, but that isn't an excuse to count me out."

"Believe me, I'd never consider it. Sit, sit, sit!" Gregor pats the empty chair. "Tell us about your life in 6! Are you busy?"
"Am I ever! I'm part of both the chess team and debate club at school. And I'm really good at chess by the way. But my housekeeper Rhonda is better. She teaches me."

Gasps from the crowd. They must be interested. "And the debate team is so much fun! It teaches me a lot of important skills such as hearing out the other side and considering all perspectives. My parents say they're good skills if I want to become mayor someday."

"Oh! You want to become mayor?"
"It's always been a dream of mine." This should be safe to talk about. "I want to become mayor so that way, I can improve District 6 for the better. I could do so much to help people. Ever since I was little, I couldn't help but want to go into politics. I know I'll do it someday. For now, I'll start with leading my alliance to glory."

The buzzer goes off as the crowd bursts into applause. Perfect; that interview couldn't have gone any better. Gregor wishes me the best of luck with my future political career, seeming to silently agree with me to not mention the obvious fact that I'm in the Games and therefore may not have a future.

I've been trying not to think about that too hard. I have an alliance, I've done everything I could in training, and I can make this work. I have to, if I want to get back home and make that dream I talked about a reality.

"You're leading the alliance?" Vick asks me as I join them backstage. "I thought we weren't doing leaders or anything. It's a democracy."
"It was a slip of the tongue or something. And I mean, I technically put the alliance together so it's mine, right?"

"Whatever," Vick says as they pout a little. It's probably not that serious. Democracies have leaders too. I still think I hit it out of the park for my interview no matter what. I've paved the way for my allies and they'll do just as good a job hyping up the crowd and getting all those last-minute sponsors on our side.

The house lights come back on as the audience moves from their seats. A few tributes leave to go back to their floors and I could probably join them, but I think I'll stay here out of support for Cameron, Linh, and Tati. Even if it means sucking it up in this ugly suit.

First half of the interviews is out and we're only two chapters away from the Bloodbath! Look at how time flies!

Next chapter will be the second half of the interviews with Messier, Ascella, Hunter, and Cora. I have posted the interview outfits from this chapter up on the blog for you to view.

-Vr