Hello everyone and welcome to the interviews! I'm super excited that we're this close to the Games, but for now, enjoy this chapter!
Ruga Palaemor, 18
District Two Male
Ruga was very satisfied with the direction that tonight was going for him. His prep team had been fussing over him and his outfit for the last half hour, making it look absolutely perfect for his interview. All of that attention fueled him and made him feel even more powerful, and he just loved it.
They'd made a dark silver suit just for him that fit perfectly, molding to his every curve exactly how it should. It was an outfit fit for the future Grand Inquisitor of the Peacekeeping forces and the future victor of the 80th Hunger Games.
Looking in the mirror, Ruga preened at his appearance. He was as exquisite as ever, and the Capitol was going to love him even more. This was going to be the cherry on top when he told the Capitol of his loyalty and intentions after he won the Games.
Once he was finished looking over his outfit, his stylist stepped back and clapped her hands together with a sigh.
"Perfect. I think I've outdone myself once again."
Ruga smirked at that, "Yes, you indeed have. And don't worry, you'll have plenty more chances to style me after I become victor this year."
"Confident as always, Mr. Palaemor. I look forward to it," she airily said back, "I think it's about time for you to go line up."
Offering her a final smile, Ruga made his way out of the styling room and into the hallway where his escort was waiting. Violette then led him to the room further down the hall where everyone was lining up for the interviews.
Ruga would be the fourth tribute to be interviewed, which was a good thing for him. The perks of being from a Career District never seemed to end. Thanks to that, he would be memorable, both because of what he planned on saying and the timing of his interview. Most Capitolites would probably lose focus after around the interviews of the tributes from Five and Six, so Ruga was in the prime spot to be remembered.
But first, he would have to wait through the first three interviews of his fellow packmates. Yesterday's announcement of the scores had thrown him off just slightly, but it wasn't because of his score. Well, it wasn't totally because of his score. He was still upset about it though. Now, Goneril had leverage to throw in his and the rest of the Careers' faces as to why she should be the leader of the pack instead of him.
Also, he was going to get some comments from his packmates about his impulsive decision to go ahead and include Goldena in the pack because of her score. She'd gotten an eight, which really wasn't too good for a Career. And here Ruga thought she was some sort of prodigy to be given the spot for One in the Games.
Tonight wasn't going to be fun for him if he got confronted by Goneril or the two straightfaced members of the pack. Nope, Ruga could handle anything that came his way. Especially his allies, they wouldn't be barely a problem for him to handle. For now, he was going to be absolutely fantastic in his interview and win over the entire Capitol.
The interviews began a long fifteen minutes after he'd gotten in the line to wait, and of course Goldena was going to try just as hard as ever to win the Capitol back after her disappointing performance in the private sessions. She was using the self confidence card, which just seemed rather annoying now that Ruga thought of it.
She was so, whiny. The girl just kept going on about how good she was at everything, but Ruga was laughing in his head at her. How on earth had she managed to bring herself to say that she was the best Career when all of the other Careers had outscored her. This was definitely going to put a smudge on her record when it came to the time for the Careers to gather together.
Ruga really didn't pay much attention to the two other interviews before his, instead daydreaming about his future successes and fame. The particular fantasy that he was bringing to life in his head was that he'd won the Games, had gotten his dream Career, then had become the emperor of Panem. His mother sat by his side as his personal apothecary and everyone else in Panem was just worshipping him and his greatness.
"And now, let's welcome to the stage, Mr. Ruga Palaemor!" shouted the interviewer excitedly.
Letting out a small annoyed huff at the fact that he'd been interrupted from his fantasy, Ruga put a large smile on his face and climbed the stairs onto the stage. He took the opportunity to wave at the audience as he walked over to his seat.
"Good evening, Mr. Beltose. I'm very glad to be here," Ruga said hospitably.
"Oh now, we don't need the formalities, Mr. Palaemor. Call me Favian."
"Then I must insist that you call me Ruga, Favian," Ruga countered.
He was already getting the positive attention and cheers of the crowd at his manners, so Ruga considered it to be a success so far.
"Well then Ruga, how are you feeling about the Games being so close to commencing?" Favian asked him.
Ruga replied with a smirk, liking the way that these questions were going already, "I'm feeling great, Favian. I have confidence in myself, my skills and my allies. I have what it takes to make it all of the way, so I hope you're looking forward to another interview after the Games."
Annette "Anne" Martel, 16
District Six Female
Dude, this guy clearly had some ego issues. He needed to get a reality check, because there had to be several other tributes that could kill him just as easily as he could kill someone. His allies might even wind up killing him because of his inability to stop talking about himself.
"So Ruga, before we have to wrap this up, I was wondering. What are some of the things that you want to accomplish other than becoming a victor?" the interviewer asked the Two boy.
"Funnily enough, that was a question that I was looking forward to, Favian. After I become a victor, I want to become the Grand Inquisitor of the Peacekeeping forces and help the Capitol to hunt down any and every rebel that poses a threat to our security as a nation."
Okay, this guy was doing some serious kissing up to the Capitol, unless he wasn't. Was he really this delusional? Anne wasn't the type to think of someone that negatively, but she just couldn't help it right now. Why on earth would you support a ruling body like the Capitol that doesn't even support the bodies that it rules over. All the Capitol did was take, take, take.
You have to breathe, Anne, she told herself mentally. Getting all worked up right before she had to talk to one of the citizens of the place that she was thinking so negatively about wasn't a good move for her, so she needed to clear her head before she stepped onto the stage. Thankfully her interview wasn't directly behind the one of the delusional Career boy, but her ally's was. However, Reverie was a lot more quiet and controlled with her emotions, so Anne wasn't too concerned about how she would do in her interview.
There were six people including Reverie in front of her in line. The interviews did happen to be short, so Anne was thankful that she wasn't going to have to wait as long as she did for the private sessions. Especially since she was in a way fancier and more uncomfortable outfit for this occasion.
Her stylist had placed her in a beautiful black and white dress that flowed down to her calves, along with a pair of wide black heels. Anne felt pretty in it, but she also felt out of place. She would much prefer wearing one of her old shirts with her well-worn pants and going around the market helping people in that outfit. It made her feel helpless just standing here waiting to be asked a bunch of questions on television.
Alas, that was the situation that she was in, and she couldn't do anything to change it. All she could really do was help other people get through it and take advantage of the positives, like getting to know what living in the luxuries of the Capitol actually felt like (albeit for a pretty short period of time).
The six interviews in front of hers felt like they flew by as Anne reorganized her mind, and soon enough, it was her turn to be broadcast to all of Panem.
"Let's welcome Miss Annette Martel to the stage everyone!" came the cry of the escort as Anne stepped up onto the stage. Her heels thumped on the floor as she walked quickly to the open seat in the middle of the stage, and she sat down even faster upon reaching the chair.
"Hello Favian! It's lovely to be here! And please, call me Anne," she said sweetly.
"Of course then Anne!" Favian exclaimed, "How about we get started with our questions then!"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Favian!"
"Alright, our first question for you is what are you thinking about the Games? How have you prepared?"
"Well, I have two amazing allies, Reverie, who you spoke with earlier, and my district partner, Milo. We prepared during training by visiting a great variety of the stations, and I think that we have the potential to make it very far as a group. We work well together and I'm glad to be in an alliance with them," Anne answered.
"That's good to hear! Now how about something not here in the Capitol. Who do you miss back home in Six?" asked the interviewer.
"Actually, I miss a good many people back home. First off, my mom, even though we haven't talked much since the incident. Then, my friends..."
"The incident? What do you mean by that, Anne?"
"Oh, I didn't even realize that I'd mentioned that. Sadly, my dad passed away when I was eleven, and my mom has been pretty distant since then. My dad taught me a bunch of really useful skills that I use everyday back home in Six, and I hope to just make him proud from wherever he's looking down and watching me."
As she finished up her answer, Anne put a somewhat sad smile on her face and watched as Favian wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye (it possibly could have been fake, but Anne was mainly here for the sympathy anyways, so she didn't care much).
"That's so unfortunate. How did you ever manage to cope after an experience like that," Favian inquired.
Anne smiled brighter, being very excited to answer this question. This would be the cherry on top to making the Capitol like her.
"In order to cope, I decided that I wanted to give back to the community that I was raised in. I've been helping around town, especially at the local market for years now and I really enjoy it!"
"Such a kind way to get past the grief! I hate to say it, but I think our time may be coming to a close. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Annette Martel!"
Valerie "Val" Wright, 15
District Seven Female
Val was actually a lot more excited for her interview than she initially thought she'd be. Earlier in the day, she'd gotten a chance to finally laze around for a bit, and then she'd gone bouncing around Seven's apartment when she felt a little too energetic. Vince, Everin, and Basil hadn't liked that at all, but they were going to have to deal with it.
That was just how Val functioned. She was energetic nonstop, and she liked to use that energy for either bettering herself, giving herself an advantage, or entertaining herself. In this case, it was to entertain herself. Now, when it was time for her interview, she would use it to both better herself and give herself an advantage.
She could talk about so many things that would win sponsors over, it was just crazy that she had that much stuff to answer with. She'd definitely win compassion and sympathy points for not having parents and deciding to welcome the two youngest tributes into her and her brother's alliance, so that would be a huge bonus for her.
And then of course, the grump behind her poked her and whispered, "Valerie, calm down. You need to get yourself together and not act so childish in your interview. Be sure to make yourself seem mature and likable enough to get sponsors."
"Don't worry, big brother. I can get us some sponsors," she snarked back quietly.
Vince couldn't say anything about her strategy with the way he was probably going to treat his interview. He was probably just going to say a few gruff words in response to each question and not even try to be likable. Ehh, he could contribute to the alliance in a different way, namely with his strength and toughness. Val was tough too, but Vince tough was a whole nother level that was just achievable by him.
Val and the younger kids could do the heavy lifting in terms of sponsors and popularity. She could sell the whole story of being raised by her older brother and just wanting to help take care of the younger, more unfortunate and helpless tributes that had been all on their own. That way, they wouldn't have to worry about not having sponsors. Even just thinking about someone else in her shoes made Val feel compassionate towards that other person.
Now, Val could hear the loud cheers and applause from the audience within the room that the stage was in, so that meant since she was at the front of the line, it was about to be time for her interview. The Capitol was going to love her, she was confident of that fact.
"Everyone, let's welcome to the stage the first half of the pair from District Seven, Miss Valerie Wright!"
Val's dress was a long, sapphire blue one that fell to the floor, so she hiked it up to her ankles so that she could walk up the stairs properly without tripping or embarrassing herself. There were also beautiful golden accents that outlined it, and Val, for the first time in her life, had actually looked forward to putting a dress on. Thankfully, her stylist had given her a pair of golden flats with only a slight heel, so there was no risk of accidentally twisting her ankle or anything like that.
Once she mounted the stage, Val made her way swiftly over to the cushy chair that sat across from the one of Favian, the interviewer. Just as she took her seat, he started the whole load of theatrics that came with an interview in the Capitol.
"Hello Valerie! I'm so glad you're here with us on this fine evening and I hope you're ready to answer some questions for our audience!"
"Why hello to you as well, Favian. Feel free to call me, Val, only my brother calls me Valerie," she answered with a giggle.
"Alright then! How about we get onto our first question for you, Val. How did you feel when your brother volunteered right after you got reaped?"
"Well, I wasn't too happy with him. It really was stupid of him to do so, I mean, I can take care of myself just fine. But you know older brothers, just wanting to protect their sisters all the time."
"That's a very interesting opinion to have on that subject, that's for sure. But for now, how is your alliance doing?"
Val grinned at this, eager to share another piece of information to future sponsors, "We're doing well! I've got my brother, of course, and then Billy and Oscar. I just felt so bad that those two young boys were on their own, so I wanted them to join me and Vince. We've got a great bond going, and I have confidence in us."
"That's awesome to hear! It was so noble of you to take the youngest of the tributes under your wing! How did your brother feel about bringing the two boys into your alliance?"
Chuckling as she responded, Val answered, "He wasn't necessarily the happiest, but I think that Oscar and Billy have grown on him a bit. But you know Vince, that's just a normal reaction for him. He just tends to be grumpy all of the time."
"Sounds exactly like a teenage boy," Favian remarked, "Although his training score was quite impressive, along with yours."
"Why thank you, Favian. I really appreciate it and I'm certain that my brother does as well."
"I think our time may be up though," he glanced to the side of the stage opposite of the one that Val had entered from, "Miss Valerie Wright, everyone!"
Georgette Coiro-Metaxas, 18
District Eight Female
Georgette felt adequately prepared for the situation at hand. It was almost her turn for her interview, and she only had to wait through the Seven boy's interview before she was to go on stage. The monitor that was set up at the corner of the room, just beside the entrance to the stage, was showing the current interview that was occurring. It wasn't something that she'd been paying attention to, so she continued on in her ongoing examination of the room.
Once she'd finished that, she was just doing nothing, just standing in her spot in line and waiting for the interview before hers to conclude. She'd already prepared answers to many possible questions in her mind and she was positive that her interview would be as successful as possible. Her main intention was to ensure that she said the proper things directed to her family, then to perhaps try and gain some sponsors with her obvious strength and skills that would come in handy in the arena.
She'd certainly gain some eyes with the outfit that her stylist had put her in. It was a thin strapped two piece dress made out of a silky burnt orange fabric. The top fell just under her belly button and the skirt began at her waist and fell to her ankles. In addition to that, she'd gotten a short, thin silver chain for a necklace and similar earrings along with a pair of strappy black heels. Thankfully they weren't too high, as Georgette was mainly used to wearing flat, athletic shoes.
"It was so noble of you to volunteer and come to the Games with your sister. Why would you do something so drastic like that?"
A bit of the interview had caught Georgette's attention, despite her desire to ignore it. It did seem rather odd to volunteer for the Games, especially because of his reason. Georgette might have tried to understand if she was in his shoes, but she just couldn't. Even if Kyland had gotten reaped, she probably wouldn't have volunteered to join him. She knew that her brother could have handled himself in this sort of situation, exactly how she could.
Besides, as a Peacekeeper, you were taught to not let your emotions rush you into making irrational decisions. And that was exactly the reason why the Seven boy was here. Those emotions would likely end up being his downfall too. This was a huge reason as to why her training would be the ultimate advantage in the arena. Even the Careers would have emotions that would destroy them, and Georgette was the opposite.
"Now, let us welcome Miss Georgette Coiro-Metaxas to the stage!"
The crowd roared after the interviewer shouted her introduction, so Georgette took that as her sign to climb the stairs and step onto the stage. It was time to put somewhat of a smile on her face and be as conversational as necessary. She had faith that this interview would go well.
Walking across the stage to the seat designated for her, Georgette took a seat and offered a decent smile to the man sitting across from her.
"Thank you for having me."
"Of course Georgette! I'm very excited to learn more about you and I know the audience is too, especially with that training score of yours."
"Ahh, yes," she replied smoothly, "I'm very thankful for my skills and training as well as my family for helping me to be that successful. In fact, I would like to give a special shoutout to my family, I'm really grateful for you guys and I love you all."
"Aww, how sweet is that. I'm curious, how is your mindset about the Games, Georgette?" Favian asked her.
This was another question with an easy answer, one that she'd practiced.
"My mind is firm and unshaken about the Games. I know that I need to win in order to return to my home, so I'm determined to do whatever it takes to do so."
The crowd oohed and awed at her answer, which was exactly the intended response that Georgette had wanted. So far everything was going exactly how she'd planned and she was very glad about it.
"Sounds like you've got a similar mindset to the Careers. I think they've got a real threat this year in you, Georgette."
"Indeed they do. I'm not afraid of facing anyone, no matter their reputation or district. That's what sets me apart. I'd much rather have a good opponent than an easy, unearned kill."
The expression on Favian's face said it all, he was shocked at her boldness. This boldness would hopefully pull a lot of sponsors over to her and make her trainers and family very happy. She felt that it was a good move on her part.
"Looks like they've got a real competitor then. Now, I think we may have time for one more question before we have to move on to Georgette's district partner. How has training as a Peacekeeper made all of the difference for your strategy?"
"Well, like I said before. My emotions won't interfere with anything, while theirs likely will. I've been trained with a plethora of items, plus hand-to-hand combat, so I've got a range of skills in my repertoire."
"Very impressive, Georgette. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Georgette Coiro-Metaxas!"
As she made her way off the stage, Georgette smiled to herself just a bit. Now, it was just reinforcing the fact that she was a huge force to be reckoned with and that she was going to win the 80th Hunger Games.
And there we have the interviews! It's just so crazy to me that we're only one chapter away from the Games, and I think that hit me pretty hard when I was writing this. It's crazy to think that the story has gone by this fast! I hope you guys enjoyed the story and are excited for the next chapter. I certainly am! Also, could everyone please PM me with their top half of the cast. It will affect something in the arena, so be sure to send that in! I'll see you in the next one!