Thanks to Very New to This, Dani H. Danvers, and FrostyShadow for the reviews!
I'm so ready to start the Games, which is why this chapter is a bit shorter than the last two. Let's get this done and gets these Tributes into the Games!
Enjoy!
Chapter XVII The Tribute Interviews – Part 3
Eve of the 58th Hunger Games
The Tribute Theater
The excitement for the first eight Tributes carried through to the next third. Of the second batch, Ola was by and far the favorite. The bombshell about her killing her boyfriend had excited them and everyone was eager for more details. Besides her, Olivia and Amadeus had received good marks, Olivia for her charm and confidence and Amadeus for his score and demeanor. Aleko's song was liked too, though people didn't think he'd last long. Cara seemed perfectly sweet and many in the literary world were fawning over her, while Chase was already being mocked for his aggressive nature, though support remained strong for him. Sarah had perplexed everyone, but many were waiting for the other shoe to drop and to see how she got a solid score. And, besides his revelation, David had been pretty much forgotten by the audience.
Caesar was back at center stage as soon as the break ended, introducing District 9. "Please welcome, Millicent-"
"I'm here!" Millie shouted, bursting out onto the stage before Caesar could finish, her look glittering under the stage light. District 9's color was brown, yet the stylist had made it fashionable, dressing her in brown ribbons with sheafs of wheat stitched in. At the edges of the wheat were diamonds, shining brightly under the lights. She rushed over to Caesar, shaking his hand so vigorously it looked she would take it off, before sitting down and looking out adoringly at the audience.
"Wow!" Caesar remarked, "What an entrance!"
"I'm so, so sorry for interrupting you, Caesar! It's just that… I'm in the Capitol, with the Caesar Flickerman! AAAAH!"
The audience was excited. It was so refreshing to have anyone from the Outliers with a little life. They always seemed to sulky! Millie's enthusiasm was infectious and even the more Capitolites perked up. Caesar did too, pleased for what seemed to be an easy interview.
"Well it's always nice meeting a fan!" Caesar said, not for the first time that night.
"Are you kidding me? I'm like a super fan!"
"I love it! And I love your liveliness!"
"I mean, how could I not be? Let me tell you, every year I watch the Hunger Games and just, like, marvel at the Tributes. I'm so jealous that they get to honor their Districts with the ultimate sacrifice and live the dream of the greatest honor any District citizen could receive! Becoming a Victor! And all during it, it's like they get to be part of history, you know? Monuments to our repentance towards the Capitol for the Dark Days! Look at me, I've got goosebumps!"
The Capitol was enamored, the other Tributes less so. Even Poe thought the girl seemed crazy. Estelle sat in her seat, an odd sensation of unease washing over her. Is this what she looked and sounded like at the rallies back in 2? Caesar continued the interview, asking about her life back home, which prompted Millie to start gushing again about the Capitol.
"I grew up at Capitol's Mercy Orphanage. Such a great charity that the Capitol provides to District 9, we wouldn't be able to run it without your support! It's helped so many kids, like me and my friends Rosette and Zea, who are five and eight years old and cute as buttons!"
"The Capitol is always happy to help!" Caesar said with a smile. "Now how about the Games? What can we expect?"
"You can expect a great show! Sure, if I die I'm happy to do so for the Capitol and Districts, but if I win then… I'm sorry, I shouldn't get ahead of myself! It's just, thinking about being Victor and what that would mean for District 9. It gets me emotional."
"Well, I've got to tell you, Ms. Parel, that I bet you've got a friend in every Capitolite tonight!"
"Really, do you mean it? That makes me so happy." Millie said, voice breaking with joy. "Oh, I can't believe I forgot! I also have a friend back in 9 who's from the Capitol!"
"You do?" Caesar asked, genuinely shocked.
"Yeah, Adalina! She and her parents left the Capitol when she was little. She's fantastic and if I win, I can't wait to come back and visit with her!"
Caesar quickly steered the conversation away from this friend. Clearly if she was in 9 now with her Capitol family they were no friends of the President. "How about friends amongst your fellow Tributes?" He asked.
"Oh, silly me! I'm going in with my allies, David who you met and Daisy from 11. Both of them are so nice and great. Plus they love the Capitol too and know what an honor it is to be here, even in death!"
Neither David and Daisy thought that at all. The interview continued and ended to the applause of the audience. "They sure do love a suck up." Amadeus joked to Sarah.
Alice Barton was next, also dressed in brown, though he wore a suit top and skirt. The stylists had also stitched sheaves of wheat with diamond tips onto his clothes, though had stuck them to his back and made it look like wings. Alice approached Caesar with a fixed smile on his face, looking between him and the audience with blank eyes.
"Mr. Barton, a pleasure."
"Caesar." Alice said simply as they took their seats. He kept his smile plastered on his face, showing off his deformed tooth. He could tell it was off putting to the audience. Good.
"Is there a story behind your name?" Caesar asked.
Alice limited his facial reactions, keeping the outlines of a smile on his face as he spoke. "Not really. My parents just wanted a nice, perfectly normal name for a normal boy. So, they gave me one."
"Ah huh…" Caesar replied, "Well, tell us about them! What's life like in District 9."
"Normal." Alice said. "Just a norma life." He turned to the audience, smile back on his face, eyes emotionless.
"Ah huh…." Caesar repeated, echoing the mood of the theater. That was fine by Alice. They were all fools anyways. Soon they'd be playing to his tune and showering him in money. Caesar kept probing though, looking for some angle but none was to be had. "Any friends back home rooting for you?"
"Brick."
"I'm sorry?"
"Brick. My step-cousin. He's a normal boy too. With a normal adoptive dad."
Caesar laughed, deflecting his annoyance. "It seems everyone in your orbit is 'normal.'" He commented. "How about the Games. Any allies?"
"Nope. I'm going to do… my own thing."
"And what's that?"
"Oh, you'll all see."
"Well I'm sure that whatever you do will be absolutely, positively 'normal.'" Caesar said dryly, to the weary laughter of the audience. The interview ended shortly afterwards, Alice thinking it a major success and Caesar suddenly eager for the evening to be done.
Luckily, Hayley from District 10 provided to be more lively. She walked on stage wearing a red dress, and to the surprise of the audience, red horns. Specifically, ram horns. Hayley hadn't missed that and hated it, but kept a positive attitude for the Capitol as she took her seat next to Caesar.
"Ms. Butcher! I believe these aren't the first the Hunger Games you've been on TV for, correct?"
"Yes, you're right, Caesar." Hayley said, glad to be starting off with this. "You might recognize me as a baby."
Sure enough, Caesar had a clip. Projected for the whole audience and Panem was an image of baby Hayley at the Victory Tour for the 43rd Games. She was wrapped up in swaddling, held tightly in it and her ma's arms. Her Ma's had been cropped out of the shot. No doubt they didn't want to show her distraught face from when the Capitol made her stand underneath a televised photo of the man she loved and just lost in the Hunger Games.
"So young!" Caesar commented.
'And fifteen isn't?' She thought about herself now.
"Time flies!" She offered instead, putting on a smile with some effort.
"Well it must have been a great honor to have a parent in the Games!"
It absolutely wasn't, but nobody wanted to hear that. Or at least, the whole truth of it. "It was." She said instead. "And something I want to carry on too. I never knew my Pa, obviously, but I think it'd be nice to give my Ma a Victor. Someone who will come home and build a new life in Victor Village with her."
"It sounds delightful. Do you feel you're ready for the Hunger Games? You did score a six. Ready to butcher the competition, Ms. Butcher?"
"I do." She replied once the corny laughter died down. She didn't elaborate, not wanting to broadcast her exact skills for the Careers. "And if I slip, I got a great partner to watch my back."
"Ah yes, we're all very excited for Mr. Midthunder." Caesar said. "But let's chat about you. What's life like for the daughter of a former Tribute?"
"It was hard. I can't lie about that." Hayley said. "I worked long hours on our family's ranch, raising cows and chickens and what not. But it's a family affair. Me, Ma, grandpa and grandma, aunts and uncles, and my cousins Lloyd, Darren, and Isaac. We're all real close."
"It sounds like hard work."
"It is. Especially when it comes time to… you know…"
"Know what?" Caesar asked.
"To put things down."
"Ah, I see. Will that skill carry over to the Games?"
"Absolutely." Hayley lied. Sponsors need to hear that though. Maybe she needed to hear that. All of her Ma's "training" and several days in the Capitol hadn't quite gotten her to accept that killing in the Games needed to happen for her to win.
"Well it's good to hear you can do what needs to be done!" Caesar commented. "Now tell us, how do you think your Pa, Ram, would feel if he saw you here today?"
Hayley had no idea. She didn't know the man. Not that it mattered. Like everything else here, the Capitol didn't want reality. She had a lie ready.
"Proud. Proud that his little girl grew up to follow him. And proud that I'm going further than he did in his Games. And, that I'm not leaving my Ma alone."
General cheers of excitement for that. Like Mara, it was nice seeing the next generation take the honor of being a Tribute seriously. The interview continued and ended on a positive note. Hayley left the stage pleased with her performance. Oddly enough, she felt proud as her Ma was probably proud of her interview too.
Buck Midthunder followed, also dressed in red. The stylists had put him into some kind of poncho with noisemakers inside, which emitted a low rumble like thunder whenever he moved. It was kind of dumb, but Buck was glad they let him keep his hair in a plait, though they had added red ribbons to it, which he did not enjoy. Still, was trying to present as confident, like he had at the Reapings. He did his best strut on stage, a bit abashed to have so much love from the Capitol already.
"You're a star already, Mr. Midthunder!" Caesar commented, referencing his score. Buck couldn't help but blush, which endeared him to the Capitol more. "How does it feel?"
"Overwhelming, to be honest." He said. "I really appreciate all ya'll's support."
"We're happy to give it! Not every day that someone from District 10 walks away with an eight. How'd you do it?"
"Well, I guess the Gamemakers liked my rope work." Buck shrugged, trying to appear strong as he referenced his work with the lasso.
"Oh ho! Is that so?" Caesar laughed, giving a knowing look to the audience. The double entendre about ropes went completely over Buck's head, who just smiled wide and took in the Capitol's laughter. "Do you get plenty of work with them back home?"
"Yeah. Lassos are part of every day life in 10. Lassoing cows, sheep, even pigs if they get too feisty."
"Oh, I see! Lassos!" Caesar laughed. The audience did too, while Buck tried not to look at them like they were the biggest idiots in the world.
"What did you think I meant?" Buck asked honestly, which made many members of the audience laugh or coo at his naïveté. 'What a bunch of weirdos.' Buck thought.
Caesar didn't respond, instead asking about Buck's life back home. He talked about his Pa, growing up on the Midthunder Ranch, all the guys and gals who lived in their commune, and how he spent his days. His Escort, and even Hayley, had pushed him to talk about his Ma dying in childbirth, but Buck thought that disrespectful. Sure, it was one thing for Hayley to talk about her Pa who died in the Games, but it just felt wrong to use his Ma like that…
"Everyone at the Ranch is great." Buck said. "I miss them all a ton. And, I'm really missing my special someone."
"Oh? Is there a special lady or gentlemen back home?"
"What? No, I'm talking about my dog, Cooper!" Buck said, faking being insulted. Once the laughter died down, Buck did grow more serious. "But actually, there is someone. I don't want to call her out if she doesn't want me to. I actually didn't ask her. But, yeah, I miss her a whole lot and can't wait to see her again."
Caesar then turned talk to the Games, clarifying that Buck was proficient with a lasso and hammer combo. Buck also complimented Hayley, reiterating how happy he was to have her as an ally.
"What's the first thing you think you'll do when you get back to District 10?" Caesar asked.
"Huh… well I guess buy Pa a nice big house. See the girl I like again. But mainly, move into Victor Village with Cooper immediately. Hopefully the Village has got a big backyard for him, and some cows or sheep he can keep in line."
"Well we're all rooting for you! And for Cooper to meet his master again soon!"
The buzzer sounded and Buck left the stage feeling pretty good. The whole thing actually hadn't been that bad. Caesar was easy to talk to and the Capitolites had been pretty nice. He took his spot next to Hayley in the Tribute Box, who mouthed "good job" to him.
Daisy was next, but with District 10 done the audiences attention was fading. Dressed in an orange dress that was designed to look like a Cornucopia, fit with fake fruits in her brown hair and her trust bandana around her neck, Daisy strutted out on stage with as much confidence as she could muster. She greeted Caesar warmly and, taking a page out of Olivia's book, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"Two kisses from two lovely ladies in one night? Aren't I lucky!"
"I think I'm the real lucky one, Caesar." Daisy replied, sitting down in the seat. "Not to steal my ally's thunder, but it truly is an honor to be in the Games."
"How did you and Ms. Parel ally?" Caesar asked.
"Don't forget David." Daisy added with a smile. "We all came together because we saw strength in each other. And I can't wait for all of Panem to see on display tomorrow."
"We're waiting with bated breath!" Caesar said. Daisy felt less confident in that. The audience seemed to be dozing off. She had barely been on the stage and she was already losing them. Briefly, nerves overcame her. Some of her confidence slipped away. And then she thought of Jenna. She could hear her twin screaming in her head to fight.
So, she did.
"Hey, did you know I'm a twin?"
"Really?" Caesar commented.
"Yep, you can actually see my twin, Jenna, in the Reapings. She tried to volunteer for me, which is so sweet of her, but not necessary at all. If there's one of us who's ready for the Games, it's me."
The audience clapped some for that. Confidence was always a good shade for a Tribute. And she was allied with Millie after all. Caesar was pleased with that too. "Some sisterly rivalry there?" He questioned.
"Oh, a bit. Jenna is my best friend in all of Panem, but we're still sisters, and twins to boot. I think if I win the Games and become Victor I kind of win our little rivalry for life, don't you?"
"I would think so!" Caesar said with a laugh as the audience clapped. The two of them kept chatting, Dasiy able to capture some of the magic Olivia had sprinkled down and engage Caesar in lively conversation. The audience was responding well too, glad to see such an easy rapport between the two. When the conversation returned to the Games though, Daisy grew a bit more difficult.
"Where's the fun in telling you our strategy, Caesar?" Daisy joked. "Trust me, we've got some fun plans in motion. In fact, I think the other alliances ought to watch out for us in the Bloodbath!"
She immediately regretted that. It was a legitimate challenge to the Careers. Thankfully, none of them seemed too interested. Like some of the audience, they seemed ready to leave and get on with things tomorrow. Still, the interview ended with nobody in the audience booing her, so Daisy took that as a good sign as she went to the Tribute Box.
While the reception for Daisy had been more muted when she walked on stage, it was practically glacial for Ruddy. Dressed in an orange suit that seemed to be inflated with rings around his arms, Ruddy's discomfort with the look skyrocketed with the realization of just how disliked he was by the Capitol. He kept his eyes down, trudging out to the stage embarrassed.
Caesar still greeted him kindly. "Thanks for joining us, Mr. Clemson."
"Like I had a choice." He moped.
"Oh, that's not the spirit of the Games!" Caesar laughed.
"Isn't it?"
"Well if it was, I'd be a lot less happy!"
"Ok…"
In that moment, Caesar was very glad he was getting paid to be on stage doing this. "So… tell us about your life back in District 11?"
Ruddy was silent. It lasted for far too long, to the point Caesar thought the boy had somehow not heard his question. Finally, he spoke. "I… I have a fiancé."
"I'm sorry?" Caesar asked. Ruddy had spoken so low he struggled to hear it, even with the microphone on Ruddy's suit.
"I have a fiancé." Ruddy repeated, this time more forcefully. "Her name is Bloom. We were getting married in the Spring because that's when everyone in District 11 gets married. And then we were going to live in my grandma's house, make it our own. Build a family together. Grow old..."
"Well, you still can." Caesar offered.
"No, I can't. I'm going to die tomorrow."
"Oh, you can't say that."
"Yes, I can. I'm going to die tomorrow. And all of you know it! And my fiancé will be just like Hayley's mom! Or Mara's! And none of you care! You're sending us all to die! None of us are ready for this! But none of you care, you don't care we're not ready! You're all monsters!"
A silence filled the auditorium. Even the other Tributes were speechless. Ruddy felt a rush of adrenaline pass through him, before cratering. What had he just done? The image of the hanging body's around the Reaping Festival came back to him, how easy it had been for the Peacekeepers to kill them. Oh no… what had he done?
Caesar spoke up, tone casual and mocking. "Well… certainly one of you isn't ready for the Games."
The audience burst out laughing, once again enjoying mocking Ruddy and dismissing his angry tone as the laments of a pathetic boy. After all, who could take a boy who peed himself during the Reapings seriously? The buzzer sounded – almost a minute too early – and Ruddy sulked off stage.
Marianna barely received any applause as she took the stage, the audience's energy drained by Ruddy. It didn't help either that her stylist had dressed her in black, which was considered a bore of a color. She waved at them, putting on her best smile.
'I hate this.' She thought as she took a seat, just wanting the interview to be over with already.
"Ms. Gristle! Excited for the Hunger Games tomorrow?" Caesar asked.
"Yes." She replied quickly with a fake laugh. Her Escort told her to laugh often.
"We haven't heard about anyone allied with you yet. Are you going it alone like a couple of your fellow Tributes?"
"No, I'll be with my partner, Pan."
"District 12 sticking together! The last time your District did that you got a Victor!"
"And that's the plan this time!" Marianna replied with another laugh. Caesar laughed in turn, his far more conceiving then her own, Marianna thought. Caesar asked her some questions about her life back home, which she dutifully answered. "Dad works in the mines. Mom runs a shop. And my younger sister Fae and younger brother, Zeddicus, just cause trouble."
"Ha! Younger siblings are like that!" Caesar commented.
"Oh, and I wanted to mention my friend, Tabasa. I didn't have many friends back home but Tabasa really was one. I just wanted to thank her again for coming to say goodbye after the Reapings. It meant a lot. As much as my family visiting."
"Well that's just sweet! But you'll have plenty of time to repay her once you get back to 12!"
"Yes, that's right!" Marianna said, laughing again. She was starting to hate the sound of her own voice. When Caesar turned to the Games, Marianna was fairly open with her strategy. "I don't see a reason to run into the Bloodbath. I think exploring the arena is the best strategy too."
"Do you think you can survive the Games without running in? What about supplies?" Caesar questioned.
"I'm from 12. We're good with making do on very little." Marianna said, sarcasm leaking into her voice. Realizing that, she quickly tried to cover with a fake laugh. Nobody was buying though.
"I certainly hope so, Ms. Gristle." Caesar commented.
Pan came out dead last to an exhausted audience. People had started shuffling out of their seats when Ruddy had taken the stage, and by now it looked like at least a third of the audience was gone.
"Mr. Harlow! Last but certainly not the least!" Caesar said.
"Thanks, I hope not." Pan said, eying the thinning audience.
Caesar was aware of the situation, but as a true professional he continued as though the audience was full. "How are you liking the Capitol?" He asked.
"It's fantastic. I love everything."
"Can you narrow that down?" Caesar asked, voice joking.
Pan thought about that seriously before answering. "I love all the colors. District 12 is pretty, but not very colorful."
"Ah yes, I imagine "coal" isn't a pattern that's too appealing." He joked, to laughter from the remaining audience. "Tell us about yourself, Mr. Harlow!"
"Um… well, I live in the Seam with my mom, and siblings. It's just us. My dad was killed in a mine collapse."
"Tragic!" Caesar said, with the exact same tone he used for all the previous Tributes with dead parents, Pan noticed. "He was a model District citizen and hero to Panem though, I'm sure."
Pan couldn't imagine anyone considering his dad a hero but muttered out a thanks. He briefly recalled the medal his family received in lieu of his dad's body. He wondered why his mom had never pawned it, and realized that if he died, his family wouldn't be receiving anything but his corpse. They talked a bit more about his family and life back home, mostly shallow conversation. Pan was getting the impression that Caesar was simply running out the clock. It all felt hopeless at this point. He knew he wasn't going to win any fans.
"So, did you have anyone special back home?" Caesar asked as a final question.
If this was all for nothing and the Capitol wasn't going to like him, then he might as well do something for himself. Still, he was scared. And he didn't want Jack to hate him, any more than he probably already did. "I… I did." Pan began. "Or just me."
"Just you?" Caesar asked with a raised eyebrow, confused by the grammar.
"It's nothing. Just something dumb."
"Well now's the time to get it off your chest if you like!" Caesar encouraged.
"There was someone… but I think I made a mess of it. And I didn't mean to. So… I'm sorry." Pan said, hoping Jack was watching. "Not sorry for how I felt! Just… you know… sorry."
"Ok…" Caesar said. "Well, we're rooting for you to win so you can get back to them and make it right!"
There was some polite clapping, but not enthusiasm. Pan suddenly felt very tired. The interview, thankfully, ended shortly afterwards and Pan left the stage.
"And that's a wrap on the Interviews for the 58th Hunger Games!" Caesar cried as the audience applauded and rose from their seats. "Tomorrow, these twenty-four Tributes will be in the arena! Make your bets, say your prayers, because soon only one will remain! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in their favor! Good night!"
Alright, interviews done! Thanks for sticking with it through the longer chapters. The word count will be going down in future chapters too, I had forgotten how tiring writing these interviews get. I'm super glad we're getting back to chapters that will actually move the plot along.
Next Up: Eve of the Games and final check in with Tributes
Followed By: The Bloodbath!