Thanks to Very New To This, Paradigm of Writing, ladyqueerfoot, Dani H. Danvers, owlthewriter, FrostyShadow, and Singular Scissor for the reviews! Love seeing so many and getting so much feedback! Keep them coming!
Merry early Christmas to any who celebrate! As previously discussed, we'll be doing four Districts an interview chapter. I'm thrilled to be getting to the Games soon!
Enjoy!
Chapter XV The Tribute Interviews – Part 1
The Capitol, Eve of the 58th Hunger Games
The Hunger Games Tribute Theater
The excitement was palpable in the Tribute Theater as hundreds of Capitolites, who paid out the nose to be there, took a seat. Since the Chariot Parade, the Tributes had been sequestered away in the Training Center or their apartments, removed from the eyes of the public. Tonight was the first time they'd be able to speak to all of Panem, and the last time for twenty-three of them.
Caesar Flickerman, host of the Tribute interviews, rose up from underneath the stage to the roar of the audience. He bathed in their cheers for several seconds, while the orchestra below played on. Then, the music stopped and the room went silent. With a brilliant smile, Caesar began the interviews.
"Let's get started and meet the lucky twenty-four who will enter the 58th Hunger Games arena tomorrow! First up, from District 1, Lana Rose!"
Lana walked onto stage with all of the audience screaming adorations at her. It was shocking at first to feel their love so strongly, but Lana quickly adjusted, walking towards Caesar with a bright smile and waving to the crowds. She felt very pretty that night. Her stylists had put her into a form fitting purple dress that was covered with golden plating to make it look like armor. Meanwhile, her brown, curly hair had been flattened and tucked down to the sides of her head – a clear move to hide the missing parts of her left ear that faced the audience. Golden eyeliner and a crown topped off the look, making her look semi-divine.
Caesar met her with a kiss on the cheek. "Beautiful and dressed for battle!" He compliment as they took their seats. "Who can dare to compete with you?"
"Oh, I don't know, Caesar. I have a feeling that you could put up a fight."
"Oh ho!" Caesar said with a laugh, the audience chuckling along. "I don't know…"
"What does everyone else think?" Lana asked, reeling the crowd in. "I think he's got a few tricks up his sleeve!"
The whole audience applauded in approval, eager to play along so early into the interviews. Caesar gave them an appreciative bow. "As usual, my audience is too kind to me, as are you!"
"Well, with all you do for us, I can't imagine being kind enough." The audience clapped along as Caesar jokingly waved them off. When the noise died down, he dove right in.
"So, the Hunger Games," Caesar began, "How doe sit feel to be on the cusp of them?"
"Like the fulfillment of a life long dream." Lana said immediately, feeling the truth of the statement.
"Any doubts? Fears? Last minute runs to Rustica for a final meal?" The audience burst into laughter while Lana chuckled, guessing it was some sort of restaurant or something.
"As long as you're paying!" Lana played along, to more laughter. Once it died down she continued. "But really, I don't have any real fears. I worry sometimes about letting District 1 down, but honestly… I feel confident. I got this in the bag!"
Everyone clapped at that. Nobody liked a dour Tribute. "Any allies?" Caesar asked, teeing up the response.
"District 1 and 2 are together."
"Of course!"
"Of course!" Lana laughed. "We also have Mara from 4, and recruited outside with Chase from 8."
"The Giant of 8?" Caesar asked to the delight of the audience.
"That's right. Others tried, but you know how District 1 is, Caesar, only the best get in."
They chatted more about the alliance and skills Lana could bring, highlighting her work with the sword. She was thankful Caesar didn't ask about her inferior score of eight, instead moving onto her personal life. "Tell us about the Lana back home. The girl you're fighting to go back to." Caesar asked.
"Well, there's my sister Amelia." Lana began. "She's younger than me, but so great at everything she does. I love her. And of course, my girlfriend Evelyn. She's someone who always has my back and is my biggest supporter. I'm winning the Games for the honor of my District, but also them."
General "awws" from the audience followed. "How about parents?" Caesar followed up.
"No." Lana remarked, face a careful mask now. "They passed away a few years ago in a car crash."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Caesar said.
"Thank you. I lost them and my ear at the same time." Lana lied. It was a long standing one she told. Who wanted to hear how a Career lost part of her ear and got a scar above her eye from her Aunt?
"So, it was just you and your sister?"
"We have family that occasionally help." Lana said, not wanting to mention Aunt Katie or give her credit. "But once I'm Victor, we won't have problems."
A few more standard questions followed before the buzzer sounded, indicating the end of the interview. Lana left to the applause of the audience, finding her a graceful and perfect District 1 Tribute – even if she was missing part of an ear.
Reko was next, all charm and poise as he walked on stage. The stylist were keeping the same color scheme for the Tributes this year, so Reko had been dressed in a purple suit with a sleek, form fitting robe covering it. Gold trim highlighted the edges of the dress and suit, and he wore golden gloves with obsidian sewn into them. The stylist had spiked his black hair slightly and put put a fair amount of lip gloss on to accentuate his darker features.
"A pleasure to meet you, sir." Reko said, shaking Caesar hand as they sat down.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Dunas." Cesar replied. "Tell us, how does it feel to be here?"
"Humbling." Reko said instantly, his face a mask of sincerity and humility. "I came to the Capitol thinking I knew what to expect, only to be amazed by the wonders you all have here. Well deserved wonders too."
"You won't hear us complaining!" Caesar agreed to agreement of the audience. "Now, I have to ask because we see this often from Tributes from District 1, was it always a dream to volunteer for the Hunger Games?"
"Always? Yes. What boy doesn't dream of competing in the Games and honoring his District?" Reko asked. "Yet I never thought it would actually come true. I never imagined myself here, but life works in weird ways. But you wont here me complaining."
Caesar caught on with a smile. "Clever, clever." He remarked, patting Reko's knee gently. Reko was pleased with himself. Nobody here had to know how hard he worked to get here. In fact, nobody could. The fantasy of untrained Tributes still needed to be maintained, even when everyone in Panem knew the reality. "So do you feel like you're ready? We've already heard about your alliance, what else can we expect?"
"Well Caesar, like my lovely partner, Lana, I also specialize with swords."
"Maybe… a little better than her?" Caesar quizzed, referencing their scores.
"I wouldn't go that far. The Gamemaker scores are what they are. I'm honored they gave me a nine, but Lana is formidable. I wouldn't underestimate her."
"Indeed we won't!" Caesar remarked. Meanwhile, in the Tribute Box off stage Lana was trying to keep her face calm. Who was this Reko? Where was the cocky, annoying guy who had been next to her the past four days? And why was he being nice to her?
"But yes, I know how to use a sword to great effect, as you'll all learn soon enough. I know it's not the most unique of weapons, but it's brought great luck to many past Victors so, you know, why change it up?"
"Makes sense to me, ladies and gentlemen!" Caesar said. "How about home, who's rooting for you?"
"I think a lot of people in the District are, or at least I hope." Reko said, as if he didn't know about the flocks of people who were cheering his name.
"Family?"
"Just my mom."
"Oh, she must be a big supporter then!"
"Actually… no."
"Really?"
"She's worried for me. But I promised I'd be coming home a Victor and I don't intend to let her down."
"That's what we like to hear!" Caesar cried, clapping along with the audience. Reko nodded appreciatively, upset his mom got mentioned. He didn't need her negative energy bringing things down. The interview continued with some more questions about Reko's combat skills, ending on a positive note as the buzzer sounded and the Reko took his seat next to a ticked off Lana. The Capitol wasn't used to humility on a District 1 Tribute and enjoyed the new shade on Reko.
The audience was thrilled when Estelle walked out. District 2 was always a Capitol favorite, and they were in love with her look. She was dressed in a silver, almost platinum, color vines that wrapped around the front of her upper body, showing off her muscular back and arms. The vines transformed into a dress of silver flowers, with a train so long that the flowers glittered behind her under the stage lights. Estelle flashed them her pearly white smile, now almost blindingly white thanks to the Capitol orthodontia.
"Ms. Jackson! Look positively effervescent!" Caesar commented.
"Why thank you, you're not so bad yourself, Caesar!" Estelle replied.
"The dress is stunning, but is that a tattoo I spot on your shoulder?"
The outfits open back did show off her tattoo, two initials "A & J" circled by roses. "Yes, it is. I got it a few years ago. 'A & J' for my younger sisters, Anaya and Jazmin."
"Aww! What a good older sister!" Caesar remarked.
"I can tell you all that they're very jealous I'm here in the Capitol." Estelle continued. "Anaya desperately wanted to go see the Hanging Gardens of Panem."
"Oh, that's a classic!"
"We've always loved them. Every flower, tree, and plant from every District all in one spot? Even District 13, which I think is sort of beautiful in a way."
"How so?" Caesar questioned, a slight drop in his voice to warn Estelle.
"I think it shows how District 13 could have such beauty, which was preserved all thanks to the Capitol! And yet, despite that, they still turned on you all and dragged Panem into the Dark Days. They deserved their fate, and hey, at least the Capitol got to keep the beauty 13 squandered."
"Who can argue with that?" Caesar said as the Capitol cheered in approval. He quickly moved on, not even bothering to address Estelle's parental situation. "But here we are today, Ms. Jackson. On the eve of the Games. Are you ready?"
"Absolutely. I'm leading the Pack this year and I can assure all of you that you won't be let down."
"What weapons do you prefer?"
"Knives, and the kunai."
"A.. huh?"
The audience, and even Estelle, laughed at Caesar exaggerated question and facial expression. "A kunai." Estelle restated. "It's a specialized dagger that can be attached to rope or other instruments to form spears or swords. It's very versatile, and can even be used to help with climbing."
"There you have it folks, if you're looking for a sponsor gift, a kunai is a safe bet for Ms. Jackson!" Caesar told them. They chatted for a bit longer about what she expected from the arena and how training went. Estelle was careful not to mention her score, not wanting her disappointment to show through. She was still bugged by the Gamemakers, but at least everyone knew now she was leading the Pack.
Plus, the Capitol seemed to like her. And Caesar, thankfully, hadn't asked a single question about her parents. For a moment, she thought about her mom. Did they make prisoners watch the Hunger Games? Was mom watching her daughter from the penal colony, shocked by what Estelle became?
"Ms. Jackson?" Caesar asked when her face began to drop.
"Sorry, Caesar. A bit distracted by something."
"The Hanging Gardens no doubt!"
Estelle recovered quickly. "You caught me. I'm just hoping I can find someone to accompany my sisters and I when we visit them after the Victor Tour."
"I'm penciling it in as soon as I'm done with these interviews!"
"I'm going to hold you to that, Caesar!" Estelle said as the buzzer rang. She left the stage to applause, pleased with the performance as she forced nagging thoughts to the back of her mind.
Valdez followed, overwhelmed by the cheers the audience was giving him. He was a star, apparently, and he waved nervously at the crowd. Public speaking had never really been his thing. He also wasn't too sure about his look. He'd been dressed in a silver robe with a large belt wrapped around his waist, which his stylists had called a keikogi. It was a rather plain look, Valdez thought, especially compared to the other Tributes. The stylists had also painted his face silver, giving him a bit of a haunted look as it clashed with his black skin. The Capitol seemed to like it though.
"Looking sharp!" Caesar joked.
"Thank you." Valdez said, a bit too briskly.
"And a bit stiff!" Caesar continued, tapping Valdez on the shoulder. They began with some basic chit chat as Caesar worked to loosen Valdez up for the audience. Valdez made himself take a few breaths, trying to brush off his discomfort with the heavy stage lights and makeup on him. The audience was willing to forgive his awkwardness, he had scored a 10 and was from District 2 after all.
'Just relax. You've dealt with worse.' He thought.
"So, our first introduction to you was Reaping, where we all watched you fight for the honor of being a Tribute! Very impressive stuff." Caesar complimented.
"Thank you, Mr. Flickerman."
"Oh please, Caesar!"
"Ok. Thank you… Caesar." Valdez said with a laugh. "How could I have passed up on a chance to compete in the Games?"
"I wonder that often about the Tributes." Caesar thought out loud. "But really, you're a demon with those hands!"
"It's my speciality, unarmed combat."
"Any other skills?"
"No, sir. Just unarmed. Trust me, it's more than enough."
"Clearly for you to get the highest score this year!" Caesar said. They began speaking a bit about the Career pack, with Caesar questioning him about who was allowed to apply. "Why even have try outs?" He asked bluntly.
"Everyone deserved a shot." Valdez replied honestly. "It's an honor to come to the Games and represent your District. We all have a skill from our lives there and anyone who wanted to join District 1 or 2 should get that chance. Even the Outliers. Look at District 10 and how high they scored. There's skill in anyone."
"Very true. That's a very generous and honorable attitude you've got, Mr. Devorane. And you're right about your peers in District 10… just maybe not a certain couple of boys from the other Outliers…" Some knowing laughter from the audience before Caesar continued. "Who's rooting for you back home?"
"Friends from the doj- school I attend." Valdez said, recovering from spilling the well known but supposedly secret Academy. "My father and my boyfriend, Kevan, are the most important people in my life though. Kevan, like Lana's girlfriend, is a huge support in everything I do. And it's just my father and I at home. My mother was murdered a couple years ago."
"Oh, oh I'm so sorry, my dear boy."
"Thank you, Caesar. It was. Um… it was hard. It happened right in front of me." Valdez continued.
"Truly awful. Did the Peacekeepers apprehend this criminal?"
"No. I killed them."
"You killed them?" Caesar asked, his eyes sparking with surprise.
"Yes. They got what they deserved."
"Indeed they did!" Caesar said, "It sounds like justice was swift that day!"
Valdez didn't appreciate Caesar's tone and almost snapped. Almost. "I'm just glad their dead."
"As are we all, Mr. Devorane." Caesar said, now placing a comforting hand on Valdez's shoulder. The Capitol applauded, pleased with Valdez, who was embarrassed by the experience. He hadn't wanted to talk about it, but his Escort had pushed him and assured him Caesar and everyone would understand. Valdez hoped his his dad would too. "So, are you going to win the Games in her name?"
"Yes." Valdez said. "And for my father. He's been there for me always, pushing me to do better and be better every step of the way. I can't let him down." The audience approved of that, though Valdez kept silent about the truth of things. They probably wouldn't like to hear how his father's encouragement was a lot of beatings and, despite all the talks of honor, he had pulled them so far into debt only a Victor's fortune could save them.
They didn't want to hear that. Even Valdez didn't.
The interview continued for a bit and ended on a high note with the Capitol impressed with Valdez and eager to see more of him, especially since it was confirmed he'd killed before.
The excitement continued as the audience erupted in applause as Poe came to the stage. The Stylists had taken the time to fix her normally messy dark brown hair, pulling it back into a long ponytail that ran down her shoulders, pink lights wrapped in it. A liberal amount of makeup was applied to her face, smoothing over the normally heavy bags under Poe's eyes while eye lining made her brown eyes pop. The dress was relatively simple though, a pink metallic looking long sleeve with a lace up back and a skirt that wrapped tightly around her thighs. In fact, the dress was so tight she could barely move her limbs.
Mostly likely that was on purpose, Caesar privately mused. He had been throughly briefed on Poe and want to expect. To him, it seemed that she preferred attacking girls her age. He should be fine.
Hopefully.
"Darling, you look radiant! Literally!"
A chuckle from the audience. There were plenty of nerves too. Nobody had actually seen a District criminal before. Any criminal was either re-educated in their District or became Avoxes if they were bad enough. Poe stood before them, a smile on her face. The Peacekeepers had once again jammed something into her arm that was making the world seem fuzzier, which was unpleasant. At least tomorrow she'd be done with the drugs and be free.
"Thank you, Caesar. You're very handsome."
"Oh, ho. You flatter me!"
"Never!"
"So, you got an eight! A very impressive score from someone from District 3!" Caesar's began.
"The Gamemakers saw true talent yesterday." Poe remarked, "It's not too surprising. I've known my whole life that I have, you know, it. It's just a matter of finding the right audience."
"Well I think you've found that with us. We're in love with you, right folks?" The audience cheered. They did actually like her, more so for what she'd potentially do in the arena. Poe bathed in their applause though, feeling vindicated.
"Thank you all so much. I just wish some of the other Tributes felt like you guys."
"Oh? Someone giving you a hard time?"
"Yeah, that bitch Mara from 4."
"Oh my!" Caesar gasped, letting out a nervous laugh along with the audience. Somewhere backstage, Poe's Escrot was shrieking. Tributes weren't supposed to curse. It was impolite. "A diamond in the rough, if you will, ladies and gentlemen. But clearly Ms. Bonavich has annoyed you."
"You bet, Caesar. I was ready to join the Career Pack and she forced me out, snarking at me with her fat lips and stupid tattoo on her jaw. I think she's jealous of me. Most ugly girls are."
"That doesn't sound pleasant for you." Caesar responded carefully before continuing. "But I can we all love your confidence."
"Why thank you!" Poe laughed, sticking her chin out proudly as she addressed the audience. "But what else should you expect? You're all looking at your next Victor, it's just a matter of how fast I can get the job done."
Applause followed, nerves with undertones of excitement. The Capitolites supposed she could be excused for her language. After all she was a criminal, and from a dreary looking place like District 3.
"How fast do you think that'll take?" Caesar asked playfully.
"Hmm.. two days?" Poe guessed.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Well, get your clocks ready, everyone, 48 hours it is!" Caesar advised with a bright smile. They continued talking for a little, discussing strategy – which Poe was dodgy about – and preferred weapon. The audience loved to hear that she liked the morning star. The Capitol loved unique weapons. Caesar kept the conversation light, eager to avoid anything that might make the girl snap while keeping a close eye on the countdown clock. They almost made it to the end when Poe took over.
"I need to say something." She announced, looking directly in the camera. "I don't want you to worry, Omar. I'm coming home soon. And when I'm back, it'll be just you and me and nobody else to bother us in our new life in Victor Village. And… everybody else will be sorry they ever tried to come between our love!"
Caesar was extremely thankful when the buzzer rang out and he didn't have to follow up on that particular landmine. Poe waddled off the stage to the confused clapping of a Capitol, wondering who Omar was. Many hoped though Poe made it to the Final Eight so a reporter could track him down for the Family Interviews and tell them more.
The tone of the interviews changed for the first time that night as Eddie stepped on stage. His stylist had struggled to find a way for pink to look good on him, ultimately deciding to go "bold" and put him in a pink suit with a black dress shirt underneath. The final touch had been spiking his brown hair and dying the tips pink.
He could tell the Capitol wasn't very impressed. He walked on without any of the confidence that all the other Tributes exhibited, waving shyly to a lukewarm reception from the audience. He was one of the two youngest Tributes that year and thus carried an "adorable" factor for many Capitolites, but he wasn't thought of as a serious competitor. His score of three didn't help things either.
Caesar ignored all that and treated Eddie just like any the other Tributes. "How are you doing, young man?" He asked as they took their seats.
"Fine…" Eddie mumbled. He felt like he was sinking into the rather large chair, appearing smaller than he actually was. "A bit nervous to be so close to a celebrity."
Caesar laughed, flashing a brilliant smile for the obviously canned answer. Eddie's Escort and him had had worked on finding "cute" one liners to win people over. Most of them involved complimenting Caesar. "Why thank you, but you're a fellow celebrity! You and your fellow Tributes!" Caesar replied, "In fact, you might be the biggest celebrities in all of Panem!"
Eddie blushed thinking about that. He couldn't believe that until that moment he hadn't realized everyone in Panem knew who he was. Him! It was daunting to realize an entire nation knew his name. "Only if I become Victor though." Eddie responded honestly.
"And will you?" Caesar asked.
"Oh, yes!" Eddie said after a moment.
"Confidence, I love it!" Caesar said, giving him and the audience a thumbs up. There was plenty of polite applause from them. It was early enough that they weren't bored yet, so they were willing to be generous with the scared fourteen year old.
"Well, I do feel confident." Eddie blurted out, trying to keep from pauses in the conversation. His Escort told him to keep talking and make sure everyone knew all the good stuff he had going for him. "I have allies, actually. Lots of them!"
"Oh? Do tell!"
"Well, there's Olivia, and her partner Aleko. And Sarah and Amadeus from 6. We've been allies since day one and we're pretty strong!"
"Wow, that's quite the group you have!"
"Yeah. It's all thanks to Olivia too. She pulled everyone together and is, like, the leader! But we all bring something to the table, even me! I'm just sorry that the Gamemakers couldn't see all my skills during the Training Session. Not that I blame them! They score accurately. And the new Head Gamemaker seems great. Awesome actually! But I just failed to show off everything I can do. So… that's on me! Yeah... But Olivia is great, you know, because you all saw, she got a five! And Amadeus and Aleko did great! And Aleko is really cool too. Yeah…"
Eddie let out a big breath as he finished, not meaning to ramble. He balled his hands into fists, trying to will himself to calm down. He hoped he wasn't sweating through his shirt. Caesar was kind though and quickly gave the audience something else to chew on.
Or at least, Eddie had hoped he would.
"Now, Mr. Kotlin, not to be too presumptions, but is that a... blush I see when you say Olivia's name?"
Eddie felt his ears turn red, face burning hot. "W-What? No! No of course not! She's just nice and stuff!"
"Aaaah! It's ok, young man!" Caesar cried, before turning to the audience with a hoot and holler. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we've got a crush!"
Eddie was mortified, even more so when the comment got the first real reaction to anything he had said or done. The audience was eating it up, a mix of cooing, cheers, and raucous laughter echoing through the auditorium. Eddie wanted to slink out the chair and off the stage. Why was Caesar doing this to him?
"So, ladies man, anyone special back home?" Caesar quizzed.
"N-no. Just me, my parents, and Twyla. She's my mom's caretaker who lives with us."
"Ah, you have a maid?"
"No, she isn't like that." Eddie said. Who in District 3 could afford a maid? "My mom's in a wheelchair because of a factory accident. So Twyla helps her. But she's like a sister. I miss them all. A lot."
The audience once again reacted with sympathy at his remark, which Eddie took as a promising sign. At least they seemed to care about him. The interview concluded shortly afterwards with Eddie leaving the stage to polite applause, everyone eager for District 4.
Mara led off the District, striding onto the stage with confidence despite her look. The laziness of their stylists had continued from the Chariot Parade to the Interviews, she thought. They had dressed her in a simple blue dress with frilled edges and, for some freaking reason, wrapping white ropes around her arms and her head. Then they had attempted to blow out her shoulder length blonde hair, only succeeding in making her look a bit wild. The worst part though was blue fish net stockings they had put her in.
When she won, Mara had already resolved to get better stylists.
"A pleasure, Ms. Bonavich." Caesar said, ignoring the bizarre look.
"Thank you." Mara said. "Though I wish I was meeting you and everyone with a better look."
Caesar and the audience laughed at that, glad she could recognize bad fashion. "You know, you look a bit familiar to me?" Caesar joked. "You'r not the first Bonavich I've interview, isn't that correct?"
"That's correct. You interviewed my father in the 40th Hunger Games."
"My how time flies when you're having fun!" Caesar laughed. "Yet I remember him crystal clear. He would be thrilled to see you here now."
"Thank you." Mara said, meaning it. "It's important to me that I'm following in his footsteps, even if I never knew him. This time though, the outcome will be different."
"I know many citizens of the Capitol who loved your father and are rooting for you too!" Caesar said. The cheers of the audience backed him up and Mara straightened up in pride. It was good see the Capitol hadn't forgetter her father like her silly step-sister thought. Caesar continued when the cheering died down. "Now to compare, your father was Reaped when he was eighteen, you've volunteered at eighteen. He only scored a six, you've gotten an eight. He went it alone, and you've scored allies. Seems like you're following in dad's steps and improving! He made it to the Final Eight… will you do better there too?"
"I will. I'm not going to let him down or my District."
"Well said!" Caesar compliment to the approval of the audience. "But based on what we all just heard, sounds like you're going into the Games with an enemy already!"
"I heard what she said." Mara replied, not giving Poe a glance as her eyes bore into Mara from the Tribute Box. "I'll say to her what I say to anyone else trying to kill me. They're welcome to try."
The audience went ecstatic, already sensing the drama that would unfold in the arena. "I love it!" Caesar declared. "Can you feel the tension in the air, ladies and gentlemen?" Mara was happy to play along if they wanted to consider Poe an actual challenge. One crazy girl from 3 wasn't even worth Mara's time. She'd seen the girl "fight." No form at all. Poe would only be threat to the weak outliers who couldn't fight.
"Now, Ms. Bonavich, I think we all need to know, why the seahorse tattoo?" Caesar probed, pointing to the orange tattoo on her jaw line.
Mara shrugged, used to the question. "Are you thinking about getting one, Caeasr?" She asked. She hoped it came out as a joke. Her Escort had demanded she be "more chipper" for Sponsors and had given her a few lines to try.
It seemed to work as Caesar and the audience chuckled. "I might, I might!" Caesar replied.
"The tattoo covers a scar I got from fishing. Not a very exciting story for a scar, but if anyone can actually hit me in the arena, I'll wear those with pride."
"And we'll all be part of that story!" Caesar bookended to the approval of the audience. A few more questions followed about her family, which Mara didn't say much about. What was the point, she thought? None of them except her step-sister had come to say goodbye, and none of them understood why she had to volunteer. The interview ended on a high note with discussions about her father, with Caesar playing up the angle of legacy.
The last Tribute before the break was Cean, who came out to the shocked expressions of the Capitolites. After much debate and attempts to cover the bruising – even putting Cean in a veil at one point – it was decided to send Cean out on stage highlighting his bruised face. It was surprise for the Capitol, who weren't used to seeing a bruised Tribute outside the arena. Cean put on a good face though, not smiling and trying to project strength. Like Mara, he was dressed rather simply, a blue dress that hung over his left shoulder, exposing his right arm and chest. He also had rope wrapped around his arms and head, a feeble attempt by the stylists to link the two Tributes. The colors worked well with his tanned skin and sea-green eyes, while also showing off his muscles. Meanwhile his stylist had brushed back his curly brown hair, making it look windswept.
"Mr. Fischer!" Caesar began, "Looks like you've gotten an early start to the Hunger Games!"
"I was so excited I couldn't wait!" Cean lied.
"Well, it's a secret what happens in the Training Center, but, is it safe to say it was a good fight?"
"I gave as good as I got." Cean replied. "Besides, I need to get my mistakes out early. Can't have those in the Games!"
"Indeed you can't!" Caesar concurred. The audience clapped, pleased to see a fighter from District 4. Meanwhile, Mara was sitting in the Tribute Box trying to stop herself from attacking Cean again. Lying about what happened had been the Escort's plan, and Cean was more than happy to go along with it. Mara had originally refused until the Escort had won her over with arguments that it would make District 4 look weak if everyone knew its Tributes were fighting one another.
That, and the Escort had threatened to withhold sponsor money if Mara didn't go along with it.
Cean, oblivious to Mara's rage, kept going with Caesar. He actually found it pretty easy to project confidence and match Caesar's energy, despite all the eyes on him. "So, I couldn't help but notice that you were not with the lovely Ms. Bonavich this year in the District 1 and 2 alliance." Caesar quizzed.
"That's right."
"Why?"
"It just wasn't working out." Cean said, very thankful none of the other Careers could get back on stage and say what really happened. "And I figure it like this, Caesar. Plenty of Victors have been alone. Why get bogged down in an alliance anyways? There's no point in getting attached in the Games. And what's more impressive, a Victor who went it alone and made it out through their own grit and determination? Or a Victor who was helped every step of the way?"
"Hmm, something to ponder." Caesar mused. A chunk of the audience seemed to agree with Cean's statement. "And how will you be… handling people?"
The audience laughed, as did Cean. "With a spear. A classic for District 4."
"Hey, if it isn't broken, don't fix it!" Caesar declared. "How about District 4? What's Cean Fischer's life back home?"
"Well, my family and I live on the waterfront-"
"Oh, how gorgeous!" Caesar declared.
"Yes, we're very lucky." Cean lied. Everybody in the Capitol was picturing some mansion on the beach, with sun and surf just steps away. No need to tell them the reality that they lived in a shanty house next to docks that reeked of fish guts and cheap alcohol. "And lucky to have each other. It's my mom, her boyfriend, and his daughter Sirena. Oh, and I have my friend, Ling. He's the best and was a huge help when I lost my dad and sister."
"Do you want to talk about that?"
"Yeah, I can. It's the reason for my tattoo." Cean said, showing off his right shoulder with the tattoo of a fishing ship. "I was with them cleaning off the hull of a ship anchored off shore when a storm came in. I… I escaped but my dad and sister, Gulla, didn't make it."
"Absolutely tragic."
"It is. I think about them everyday. But, now Sirena is in my life and she's been great, and I'd love to get back to her. And my mom. And Ling." Cean said. He wondered what Sirena was up to right now. Hopefully she wasn't thinking poorly of him.
"Well, we're all rooting for you!"
"Thank you. It means a lot."
The buzzer sounded, ending Cean's interview and the first round. He left the stage to applause, while Caesar sent them to a commercial break, promising another batch of exciting Tributes coming soon.
Next up, Tribute Interviews Districts 5 - 8
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