Author's note

Ok, so I know I told a certain person that the Games would start in Chapter 16, but that didn't exactly go to plan. Blame Rubis for being such a jerk for the sake of it, and dragging out this chapter.

Also, updates may be patchy from now until summer – darn those pesky exams! I'll do my best, but unfortunately, writing Midnight's narcissism and the multitude of other mental disorders in this fic does not count as psychology revision.

Chapter 15

Because Carni decided to maul the host, the interviews skip straight to the girl from his district – Blue.

She uses a cane to navigate to the chair onstage. She is so small that I can't believe it when Chazzer mentions that she is sixteen.

Despite being bruised and bloody, with a red-stained bandage now on his arm, Chazzer does his best to squeeze an interview out of Blue.

She is not very talkative.

Blue only vaguely explains the powers she gained from a nuclear accident in District Five, saying that blindness was a small price to pay for her exceptional hearing and instincts. She mentions that she can influence the movements of other people, but beyond warning us all to stay away from her, she doesn't divulge much detail.

Chazzer exclaims, "Looks like we've got ourselves a wild-card, ladies and gentlemen! I know I'll be watching out for the mysterious mutant this year!"

Rubis scoffs, "Oh, come on. She'll probably trip and split her head on a rock."

The two interviews from District Six are rather boring, for different reasons.

Blaze refuses to talk about anything but fire. They state that they will burn down the whole arena to be the last one standing, which some of the other tributes roll their eyes at.

Tardi says virtually nothing at all. All I get from their interview is that they are a lone wolf, and look down on the Careers for being bullies. I have to agree; the Careers – excluding Rob – have refused to acknowledge my value.

But where I have done the smart thing by trying to win them over, Tardi has made enemies of them. Of course they won't let a behemoth like Tardi roam free in the arena.

The most exciting part of Tardi's interview is when they first sit down, and the steel legs of the chair bend beneath their weight.

By now, we are only half-way through the interviews. I am getting impatient.

Next, Corvid and Izzie consecutively emphasise their deadliness as a pair. They strike me as a second, smaller Career team; despite coming from District Seven. Maybe it would have been easier for me to get on their good side, instead of Sugar's team's.

If they weren't Goths, that is.

I remind myself that it's probably all a bluff anyway, just like their try-hard aesthetics. Just because they come from the lumberjack district doesn't make them skilled with melee weapons.

DJ and Verona from Eight spend both their interviews complaining about the structure of society. All the other tributes are sick, blah blah blah…

I swear DJ shoots a meaningful glare at Rubis off-stage as he talks.

Verona insists that she is going to do something to prove a point.

Rubis calls, "Yeah, a petition or something will definitely fix Panem's social inequality."

Verona turns red and storms off the stage halfway through her interview.

Surprisingly, the next tributes are the first to appear legitimately scared.

Despite Chazzer announcing him, I still can't pronounce Yucky's real name.

Yucky says angrily, "I shouldn't be here. My family are nobility, you know. Just because I don't come from the Capitol doesn't mean I should be treated with any less respect. I don't want to die!"

"Do you have a plan to stay alive?" asks Chazzer.

"I actually had a fantastic plan. I got my most handsome servant to replace me, just after the reaping. But somehow they could tell the difference between our faces. I guess there's just no-one who can live up to my good looks."

He starts to cry.

When it's her turn, Bretta puffs furiously on her vape. She blows mist into Chazzer's face as he tries to console her.

She sounds distraught when she says, "If I die, I won't be able to do all the things I wanted to!"

Chazzer says sympathetically, "Could you tell us what was on your bucket list?"

Bretta's face brightens a little.

"Hmm… let's see… I wanted to join the mile-high club, try bondage, golden sh-"

"Oh no, sorry Bretta! That's all the time we have for your interview!" Chazzer interjects, "Next up, we have Mace, from District Nine!"

Mace struts onto the stage, looking more like a Capitol benefactor than a tribute.

He tells the story of how he was brought up in the Capitol, watching the Games with horror. He couldn't believe how cruel the class-divide was, and moved to District Nine a few years ago, with the dream to change politics for the better.

He states, "I was determined to resolve the harsh injustice of it all. That is, until I realised that the people there are immoral, scavenging cretins, who graffiti over every chance the Capitol offers them!"

The crowd cheers.

Minx rushes onto the stage and slaps Mace in the face.

She yells, "My graffiti is art, you privileged, raisin-brained-" Mace stands and punches her, "Ow! You're gonna pay for that!"

Before any of us can blink, she's on his shoulders, pummelling him. Mace pulls her hair and she bites his forearm.

Peacekeepers struggle to disentangle the two of them, dragging Mace off the other side of the stage and forcing Minx into the chair for her interview.

She reclines with her arms propped over the backrest of the seat. Minx grins as she wipes blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her glove.

Once she has caught her breath, she grabs Chazzer's microphone and talks into it.

"You guys should probably know that Mace's idea of 'helping' was hitting things with a massive hammer. My dad was pretty much a mafia boss, and he did way more for our district than Mace ever did. Can y'all give it up for him instead?"

The audience cheers raucously, enthused by the drama.

Minx laughs.

She says, "Well, I kinda shot my dad… so I guess I'll have to win the games to give something back to my district, huh? So sponsor me or whatever."

Chazzer pulls the microphone back from her.

"That's one way to earn support!" He says, "Minx; The game makers told me that your examination was… explosive. Just between you and me, what did you do?"

"Oh, It was just a little something I've perfected. You get a little bit of spray paint, some oil from the fire station, some other bits from around the room, blah blah blah and BOOM!! Homemade bomb!"

Minx's arms and legs fly outwards as she imitates an explosion. Her right hand whacks Chazzer in the face.

Finally, the interview that I have been waiting for comes around.

Rubis' umber hair gleams under the stage-lights, like a glossy waterfall that I want nothing more than to bathe in.

Chazzer announces, "Born in eleven, with a score of nine… But ladies and gentlemen, I'd say Rubis here is a ten."

Chazzer stands to shake his hand. He has to tilt his head up to look Rubis in the eye.

Chazzer's face flushes slightly. When he pulls away from the handshake, he cradles his hand as though it has been crushed.

"Tell me, Rubis. What was going through your mind when you heard your name called in the Reaping?"

Rubis sighs, "Thank fucking God, I don't have to plough fields all day ever again."

"Weren't you scared about your fate in the games?"

" No. Fear is for losers."

Chazzer turns to the audience and says, "Isn't that incredible? Nerves of steel, this man!"

He addresses Rubis again.

"With a physique as perfect as yours, you must be handy with lots of weapons. Do you have a favourite?"

"Rope."

Chazzer has to strain to get more out of him.

"Why's that?"

Rubis responds, "I can make traps, tie people up so they can't escape my insults, manipulate them into hanging themselves. Y'know, fun things."

"He is very skilled." I whisper knowingly to Pinty and Anita.

They are the only two people remaining with me on this side of the stage.

Pinty says, "Keep your pants on, fam."

Chazzer asks Rubis, "How did you get so good at using ropes? Is it a… special interest of yours?"

Chazzer wiggles his eyebrows. The audience sniggers.

Rubis says, "Nah, not in that way."

Chazzer is silent for a moment.

Anita mutters, "Is it me, or does Chazzer look disappointed?"

I squint at his face to see that she's right.

"Oh my God." Pinty snorts, "The geezer's comin' onto your ting, Midnight."

"What?" I say.

"Do you have a significant someone at home?" asks Chazzer.

Not an unusual question for him to ask the older tributes, but something about his tone is off.

Is that hope?

"No." says Rubis.

Chazzer smiles and shifts his chair closer to Rubis.

He puts his arm around him. Rubis fidgets uncomfortably.

"A strapping lad like you? You must have suitors queuing for your attention back home."

"Not really. Or I just ignore them."

"None of the farmers back home good enough for you, eh?"

"True."

Chazzer says, "Well if you win the Games, you can have any successful Capitol personality you like. How does that sound?"

My blood begins to boil.

I growl, "I'm better than some presenter who doesn't show up to his job. Rubis will tell him."

Chazzer asks, "So, is there anyone in the Capitol who you have your eye on already?"

He winks and bites his lip, uncomfortably close to Rubis.

I clench my fists.

"I'm gonna run out there and slap him." I say.

"Man'd pay to see that, innit." Says Pinty.

"I mean it. Hold me back."

Neither Pinty nor Anita move.

Rubis answers the question.

"Yes. There is someone in the Capitol right now."

He's talking about me. We're about to become official, in front of all of Panem.

He continues, "It's someone I met recently, who I didn't expect to fall in love with."

This is the most romantic thing I have ever seen.

"I tried to fight it – and I mean, really tried – but there was nothing I could do."

My dreams are coming true!

I hold my breath.

Rubis says, "I feel as though my life might depend on her."

HER?!

I gasp, "Bitch! I turned gay for you!"

Pinty and Anita look just as confused as I am.

I say, "Forget Chazzer. I'm going to slap Rubis instead."

Pinty grabs my arm.

"Wait, cuz. Mandem could be on about you, still. You do act like a girl, innit."

I try to bolt onto the stage, but Pinty and Anita grab the superfluous folds of my dress and yank me back. I struggle against them.

Chazzer looks at Rubis intently. The audience holds its breath.

Rubis says, "I have to tell you. I love Midnight-"

I freeze.

I'm filled with elation.

I smile. A misunderstanding.

"-'s stylist." Rubis finishes.

The camera pans to Anomaly, seated in the audience. She blushes and looks down, flattered.

"That's it!" I say, "I'm going to go out there and show him what-for!"

I wrench myself out of the girls' grip with the sound of ripping canvas.

But who cares about my dress? I need to avenge my broken heart!

I run onto the stage, just as Rubis explains, "After all, she deserves all the praise in the world, for making my one true love look so dazzling tonight."

Before I make it half-way across the stage, I trip in my stilettos. I land in a heap of sprawling limbs and blue plastic.

Every face in the audience is gaping at me.

Chazzer says, "Speak of the devil, and she shall appear! Ladies and gentlemen, Rubis' one true love!"

I take a second to process.

Then I scramble to my feet, only tripping twice on the remains of my dress.

I stand shoulder to shoulder with Rubis.

"You look breath-taking." He whispers.

"Why, thank you." I say.

I give the audience a twirl. Some screaming ensues.

"The back of your dress is missing." Rubis points out, helpfully.

"Oh. I knew that."

"And you've got no underwear on."

"I'm au naturel."

I flash a million-dollar smile at the audience.

Then I remember why I came out here in the first place.

"Why did you scare me like that?!" I demand, "And even worse, why did you call me a 'her?!"

"You're a drag queen now, aren't you? Or are you disrespecting your own art? Don't you know how many people have sacrificed themselves for you to express yourself without persecution?"

I'm stumped.

In the end, I settle on., "So… you love me?"

"Yes."

My heart flutters.

I can hear in his expressionless tone that he isn't lying. True emotion radiates from that one, monotone syllable.

I say, "Oh Rubis! I never thought I would be so lucky as to win a true jewel like you! You are the brightest star in the sky. The chicken-jockey of my Minecraft survival world. The gaming console I always- Woah!"

Rubis has scooped me up in his soft, supple arms. With the back of my dress missing, I feel his arm pressing into my bare back, one hand planted firmly on my backside.

I shiver at the warmth radiating from him.

All of my fantasies coalesce.

A sensual moment between two heart-throbs, destined for the Games. The beginning of a perfect tragedy.

Rubis leans his face close to mine.

Chazzer looks as though somebody is wafting a fresh turd under his nose.

The crowd roars in anticipation.

I look Rubis longingly in the eye, signalling exactly what I want.

His lips part and I feel his sweet breath on my face.

He says, "This is my interview. You've stolen enough of my time. Shoo."

He stomps with me in his arms to the wings. Then he flings me backstage to land half-naked at Pinty and Anita's feet.

Rubis walks back out onto the stage to continue his interview.