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"Ready for tonight?" Ohan asked. All the crew had left, only him and Dove were left in the room. "Sincerely? Not really. I can totally see myself losing my temper in front of all Panem if they ask one single stupid question." She replied, looking at her painted scales on her forearm.
"Who would you not lose your temper with?" he asked. To Dove, it sounded like a playful insult. She lost her temper with almost everyone. "The prep crew, because I control myself, and you. Everyone else I know, I've snapped at them at least once."
"Then answer the questions as if I was asking them myself. It will be easier for you not to snap," he commented playfully. "OK, but I promise nothing," Dove answered with a snicker.
Once they were in the elevator on the way to where the interviews took place, Dove inspected her district partner. He was going for the sexy choice again. She had to say Kala, his stylist, did a good job in her own way, too.
All the tributes were positioning themselves in a straight line, from District One to Twelve, first the girl, then the boy. Just before entering the stage to take their places, Dove caught Finnick mouthing something to her. You will do great. She mouthed a quick thanks, before going up the stairs and walking to her seat.
Caesar Flickerman jumped to the stage with his new orange-coloured hair. As always, he told some jokes to prepare the audience before introducing the girl from One. Surprisingly for Dove, the interviews from One to the boy from Three passed by in the blink of an eye.
Dove heard her name being called, and she walked to the centre of the stage, shaking Caesar's hand once she was there. "Now, Dove. I have to say there are no words to express how much I have been dying to meet you since your brother's Games. Weren't you too, folks?" Fuck. Caesar, you're making it difficult for me not to spit on your face. Dove thought.
OK, OK. Find Ohan and calm down. Dove repeated in her mind, her eyes wandering around the place where the stylist stood, finding him almost immediately.
"So I have to say it's a pleasure to have you here. Let's start with your score. An eight! For someone as tiny and delicate as you, it's really impressive!" he said. "Thank you, Caesar," Dove replied.
"Tell us about your strengths. After all, how are you going to manage with your illness?" he asked. His tone was truly concerned, or so it seemed to her. "I'm afraid I can't reveal that right now, Caesar." It's not like I can tell you I will give a fuck about my illness once I'm in the Arena.
"A mysterious girl, I see. Then, tell us about your opening ceremony. I have to say you looked breathtaking! What was the concept?" he asked, sparing excited glances at the audience.
"My stylist, Ohan, compared me with two powerful women, a mermaid who gave everything for love and Salacia, the personification of the calm and sunlit aspect of the sea. Or as I remember her, the Goddess of the sea." Dove explained. "Basically, my outfit's concept was a mix between these inspiring women into a sole being."
"That sounds just like you! I get the calm and sunlit part of your outfit. I mean, look at her hair! It's shimmering!" Caesar announced, astonished. Dove looked down at her braid, not understanding. And she saw it. The stones in her hair were shimmering thanks to the light. The more spotlight she got, the more colours it reflected.
"But, about the mermaid? I guess we would be right in assuming that what sparked that idea was your volunteering for your sister in the reaping. Can you tell us about it?"
"Well, that day, when I heard my sister's name, it was like the world had shut off. I heard nothing but my thoughts." To her explanation, Caesar nodded. Everyone was getting serious, and soon everything was silent.
"And they told me to volunteer. You see, my sister, even though she's skilled, takes care of everyone in the house. While, as all of you know, I have this illness that can be quite a hassle sometimes. I just thought, if it had to be anyone, then it would be me."
"And what did she tell you when she came to tell her goodbyes?" Caesar asked. All the people in the City Circle were hooked up to her story. "She told me I had to come back," Dove replied with a chuckle.
"And what did you tell her?" he asked. "That I would go back. That I will go back. So she better wait for me, because I'll be back home soon." Dove tried to light up the mood with a light tone. She didn't want all the City Circle crying in her interview.
"Of course you did. Well, Dove, I have to say that a little birdie told me about your knack for singing. They even compared it with the beautiful voice of a songbird. Could you do us a brief demonstration?" Caesar's question got the crowd shouting words of encouragement to her. Everyone wanted to hear her sing.
"It would be my pleasure." Dove smiled before starting to sing. It wasn't anything important, just a song about her love for the sea she had written years ago. Funny enough, the song remarked the sea-green colour of it. Before, it had no meaning to her, but now she couldn't stop linking it with Finnick.
"And I know I'll go back,
To the colour that always cheers me up,
To the breeze that makes me feel alive,
And I'll keep going back,
To your sea-green heart. . ." She stopped singing just before the buzz was heard. The three minutes were up. The song was not long, so Dove was grateful she could finish it before she had to go to her seat.
"That was stunning! But I'm afraid we've run out of time. Best of luck, Dove Ogilvy, tribute from District Four!" Confidently, she went back to her seat, just as her partner went to the centre for his interview.
During the next hour, Dove listened to the tributes' interviews. None of them said anything important to be considered. The Careers were all trying to look deadly, and the rest did their best to pull a decent act.
Once Alder, the last tribute to be interviewed, got to the stage, the Capitol had already gone through many emotions. Caesar did his best to cheer the crowd into listening to the boy, but they all seemed to have favourites already. At least, until the boy threw a bomb at their faces.
"Tell me, Alder. Any girl waiting for you back home?" Caesar asked with a smirk. The boy only shook his head. "I don't believe it for a second! Come on, tell us."
Alder seemed to think for a second before replying. Whatever he was going to say, it would be to make a great impression and Dove knew it.
"Actually, Caesar. I really don't have anyone like that back at home, but I've met someone on the way," he replied, fidgeting with his hands.
"Who is it?" Caesar asked worriedly. That had never happened before in any interviews. No tribute had professed his love for another, it was a first for everyone. "You know her pretty well. It's a particular redhead songbird,"
After a few seconds of thinking, everyone understood what it meant. All cameras were on Dove's face, looking for any sort of reaction from that statement. She continued with a stunned face before smiling kindly. She knew it was all an act that Alder wanted her to play along.
The star-crossed lovers, that's a good play. Like this, everyone's attention will be on us. Dove thought while trying to shed a tear for the spectacle.
"How lovely would it be to get her here and give you an answer, wouldn't it? Sadly, Dove Ogilvy has already spent her three minutes. It is indeed bad luck," Caesar replied. Alder nodded and glanced back at her. The act was still going on. In no time, the buzzing sound signalling the interview had ended made its presence.
"Best of luck, Alder Caldwell, tribute from District Twelve!" Caesar let him go back to his seat and soon enough finished the show. The tributes could go back to their floors, where they would spend one more night before going to the Arena.
Dove caught up to Alder. She wanted to know why she wasn't part of the plan since the beginning. She wouldn't have refused at all. The idea was good.
"Alder! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She questioned once they were in front of the lift. "Sorry, Haymitch told me to hide my feelings for your own good," he replied.
So Haymitch told you not to say a thing in case they found out it's just acting? Well, it kinda makes sense. Dove thought while looking at the boy. His outfit was ridiculous, she didn't know if he was even wearing anything under the coal. "Nice outfit," she complimented.
"Haha. Hilarious," Alder replied sarcastically once they entered the lift, their mentors following them. Almost immediately, they reached her floor.
"See you tomorrow, then," Dove said. Her cheerfulness died down the more she looked at her ally. "See you tomorrow," he replied the same way. The doors of the lift closed once she entered her floor.
It was her last day to say goodbyes to her mother, Melo, Mags, and Finnick. She wouldn't see them again until she won, if she did. That night would be a sleepless one. Dove knew that even if she tried to sleep, she would probably just spend the rest of her night tossing and turning around. A waste of time she would rather not have.
Everyone acted normally until it was time to sleep. The very moment her district partner disappeared into his room, Dove had her mother crying all over her and Melo hugging her. One second, and her family had already broken down.
"Hey, hey. I'll be back, you'll see." She reassured them. Mags stared at the family, unsure of what to do. Looking at her right, she saw Finnick, containing his urge to cry with his usual Capitol expression.
Mags wrapped an arm around his shoulders protectively. Finnick was like a son to her, and watching him suffer like that was heartbreaking. As she stared at the boy, she noticed his hands shaking slightly, a thing she hadn't witnessed him do since he came from his own Games.
Glancing back at the family, she realised what was going on. There actually were star-crossed lovers, but one of them wasn't Alder Caldwell. Just as she noticed, the family let go of each other. They wanted Delia, Mags and Finnick to be part of the farewell.
"I've never been prouder of one of my tributes as I'm with you, Dove." Delia confessed. Finnick and Melo looked at her and mocked. "Ouch," they both said sarcastically.
"Thanks for everything Delia," she said, giving the capitol woman a hug. That was a first. Dove had never felt so close to any of the Capitol people that came by frequently to her house. But, Delia was different now that she had time to get to know her better.
Dove would never stop hating her cheeriness in every reaping, but she had paid enough attention to notice her face when Delia called her brother and sister's names. The escort wasn't pleased at the odds. She wanted the Ogilvy family to be happy, just as they deserved. But instead, there they were, being ripped apart.
"If anything happens, tell Muscida I love her and I know why she didn't come to say goodbye. I don't want her to blame herself," Dove spoke up. She knew Muscida was going through a terrible moment, and that was why she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye in the reaping. Muscida taking care of Angel was enough for her.
"I'll make sure to tell her," her mother said. The time passed by at a worrisome speed. The words of farewell, the hugs and embraces weren't enough to make them forget reality. One hour, two hours, even three hours passed by. There was less than an hour until the break of Dawn, when Ohan would arrive to get Dove to the Arena.
The more the games approached, the more realisation hit everyone. So many questions filled Dove's mind. Would she die first thing tomorrow? Would she live to see another day? Would she go berserk in the Arena and kill everyone? Her ally included?
She took her rope, and tied knots again and again. She needed some time out of her own thoughts. The action surprised everyone in the room, except for Finnick. He knew that, since he had taught her the knots, she did the same as him to keep herself from thinking.
"Trying to shut off your thoughts?" Finnick spoke up, to which Dove nodded. "Last minute practice," she replied with a light chuckle. The only person surprised by the interaction was Delia, who started looking at both teens in disbelief.
"Funny. Now be serious, Dove." He said, sitting next to her on one of the sofas. "Since when am I calling the hangman's knot the, and I quote, 'most useful knot to know in the Arena'? Oh, that's right. I didn't, you did." Dove replied.
"Not exactly the time to get sassy," Finnick said with a light chuckle. "Hey, I got it from you and Melo. You two seem to get sassy and cocky every time you're near death. I never knew why until now." Dove knew that joking around during a dangerous situation was certainly not the best way to handle the circumstances, but she couldn't think of anything else.
"We'll all be waiting for you to come back. So come back to us, OK? You have to survive." How was it that the more she interacted with Finnick, the sweeter he became? If only she could go back to when he won his games and slap herself.
Dove wanted to tell her twelve-year-old self to stop being such an idiot and actually talk to him. What would have happened if they had met sooner? If they hadn't faced any insecurities or prejudices? What could have happened?
"Always," Dove replied, a smile forming on her face. Her wonders would get her nowhere. She couldn't rewind time, nor could she change her past. That was why she had to make the most of what could be her last moments.
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