A/N We did it guys! The SYOT roster has finally been completely filled! Thank you all so much for trusting me to write your characters and for sticking with me through this story. I am so excited to be continuing it. I've introduced you to just a fraction of the tributes so far and I can't wait to show off the rest of them. To celebrate this SYOT closing, please enjoy this special mini-chapter that might give you a little hint as to what the other unrevealed tributes might be like and what kind of arena awaits your precious tributes...
Cheers and applause roared through the studio as the theme song for the Flickerman Show began to play. In the center of the studio was a circular raised platform with two walkways on either side. The two spotlights danced around the crowd before snapping back to the two platforms. On one side, Caesar Flickerman threw his hands up in the air and waved as he began to walk down. A few seconds later, Brutus Everheart appeared on the other side. Both men had auras of immense star power, but in comparison to Caesar, Brutus seemed remarkably less charismatic and eager. It was clear which one spent his career in the spotlight and who stayed more behind the scenes. Seeing them together as they shook hands in the center- it was getting hard to believe they were once neck and neck in charisma in their younger years.
"You seem mighty comfortable in that chair, Brutus," Caesar joked as the two sat down.
"I've been in it enough now, haven't I?" Brutus replied with a chuckle.
"Yes! I think you've worn a dent into it. My other guests have complained!"
"Oh, have I?" Brutus sat up slightly and looked at the chair behind him. "Yes, I see it there. I apologize!"
The crowd and Caesar replied in laughter as Brutus returned to his seat.
"It is always a pleasure to have you here. Even though I've been interviewing you for nine years straight now, you always have this… passion for the games."
"Of course, I do. I have been a game maker in some capacity or another for nearly fifty years. I have seen these games through some of their most historic interactions… and how could I ever lose passion for something that means so much to our fair country?"
Caesar nodded knowingly.
"And what do these games mean to you, personally, Brutus?"
"Personally? I think of the Hunger Games as a tool."
Caesar knitted is eyebrows, clearly not expecting the somewhat blunt answer.
"A tool? How so?"
"We, the people and lands of Panem, are the building blocks of our nation, no? But we alone are raw, unfiltered. You cannot make a house out of uncut stone. But with tools… you can fortify that stone, shape it into exactly what we need. I believe the Hunger Games shapes us all. Without it, we could never become what Panem needs to stand tall and sturdy."
"A fascinating point of view," Caesar said, pretending to hang on Brutus' every word. "I bet you have an equally fascinating point of view on the tributes that have been reaped this year. They are all currently being prepped by their stylists for the chariot parade that will be taking place here in just a few hours, right?"
Before Brutus could respond, the crowd cheered again, absolutely unable to contain their excitement about seeing the tributes in person for the first time. Once the fanfare calmed enough for him to speak, Brutus continued.
"Their stylists are certainly busy right now behind the scenes," he said with a chuckle. "The tributes this year have potential… I know the decision to allow the districts to open career academies and otherwise train their young people in combat was controversial at first, but I think this year's crop shows off the beauty of that decision. Many of our tributes are coming to us with strength and skills rarely seen in the games and unique to their districts. Combining their aptitude with my arena will most definitely bring a… brutal outcome."
Caesar chuckled and pointed at Brutus playfully.
"There you are with that catchphrase of yours! That's your signature, always promising brutality."
"It is in my name after all!"
Caesar's laughter trailed off. Slowly, his demeanor transformed into something more serious.
"How, then, do you respond to your critics who say they've grown used to your brand of brutality… that it has gone stale."
Brutus's eyes narrowed. Every interview was like this now: accusing him of losing his touch, saying people have grown bored of his games. It was ridiculous. He had delivered the most dramatic and bloody spectacles Panem has ever known. There was no way people could grow tired of his mastery.
He took in a deep breath, desperately trying to stay in his interview persona.
"I respond by continuing to do what I always do- put on a spectacle of brutality."
"And how exactly do you intend to do that?" Caesar asked, clearly drawn in by Brutus' words.
Brutus sat back in his seat and crossed his legs.
"Trying to get me to divulge my secrets this close to the games, Caesar? You're a nasty man."
"Nasty?" Caesar said with a laugh, "I prefer… curious, as I'm sure we all are!"
"Hm… well then… There is something I can tell you."
The camera focused in on Brutus, the cockiness in his eyes reflected perfectly in the high-definition screens across the Capital. The whole studio was quiet, waiting for their Head Game Master to speak.
"This year's arena will go beyond what you may deem as possible. Nothing will be as it seems. It draws inspiration from the past and forces us to look to the future. To anyone who dares to call me old… anyone who dares to say I'm washed up… I promise you that from the moment this year's tributes step foot off their platforms, these games will erupt into my own personal brand of chaos."
"And I, for one, simply can't wait." Caesar turned towards the camera and the crowd. "Head Game Maker Brutus Everheart. Everyone, give him a round of applause!"
A/N- Thank you for reading! Did you catch some of the hints I dropped about the arena? What do you think it'll be like? Any predictions about the remaining tributes? Leave a review and tell me your theories!