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DISTRICT 3 FEMALE: ELYSIA AMBROSE
"And next up we have Elysia Ambrose from district three," Rohe introduced me and I walked forward waving at the crowd.
"I'm a huge fan of your work," I smiled brightly speaking to Rohe as I took my seat. "I can't wait to see what you have in store for us this year in the arena." I tried my best to look excited.
She gave me a smile, "Oh I'm sure you're just going to love it."
I plastered a huge smile on my face as I twisted in my seat, subtly; trying to get comfortable in the pale yellow dress my stylists had made for my interview. I hated wearing dresses.
"So Elysia," Rohe said from her seat across from me. "How do you feel about the Capitol so far?" She asks.
"It's amazing here," I smile looking out at the crowd. "The food is amazing, I don't think I've ever ate so well in my life." That was true, back in district three we didn't have enough money to feed us this well.
She let out a small laugh at my words before continuing. "How did you feel about being reaped?"
"I couldn't believe it at first," I started, "That it was my name, it didn't register straight away." I shook my head still a little in disbelief that I was actually chosen. "But then I thought that it was a good thing," I didn't think it was good at all but I smirked anyway, I had to keep a strong face. "Because now district three is going to win."
The crowd laughed at my comment and I smiled sweetly at them.
"So you think you have what it takes to win?" She asked my sounding interested.
"Of course I do," I said confidence in my voice even though inside I was falling apart with fear. "Most tributes here are either strong physically or are really smart," I said. "But I'm both and in the games that is a deadly combination."
"Oh it certainly is," She nodded at the crowd, "We love to see strong and smart tributes" she continued as the crowd cheered. "Is there any particular weapon you would like to see at the cornucopia?" she asked me.
"I would love to have a mace," I say, "I can do a lot of damage with a mace, so the others better watch out if I get my hands on one."
"Speaking of the other tributes?" She asked me, leaning forward in her seat. "Is there anyone in particular you are worried about facing?"
What a stupid question, of course there were people I was worried about, I was a sixteen year old girl from district three the odds definitely were not in my favour, though that wasn't how I answered. I may be going into a fight to the death but that didn't mean I had a death wish.
"I've been keeping my eyes on Azrael from one and Lucas from two, I know they are going to be tough competition," I said naming the two careers I though seemed stronger. "My district partner Alistair seems really smart, but of course he's a three, like me, so that's expected." I grinned at the audience. Alistair although my district partner did seem like a threat, I knew that strength didn't always mean physical. "Wendy from thirteen also seems really smart from what I've noticed."
"They do all seem like very strong tributes," Rohe agreed, "What about Allies?" She asked me.
"Well, I've been talking to Acadia from twelve." I said. "I think we might team up, at least until the competition is down a little."
"Ah, Acadia." Rohe nodded. "There are a few who seem to find her intimidating, is there anything you would like to share about the mysterious tribute from twelve."
"I think everyone is just going to have to wait and see in the games, I just have to say that together we are going to be very entertaining." I gave a sly smile at the crowd again and they cheered.
The buzzer sounded indicating that my time was up before Rohe could ask any more questions.
I stood up and waived at the crowd shooting them a huge grin yet again, just hoping I had done enough to make them love me, to make them believe that I could win the games.
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DISTRICT 5 MALE: IAN NIGHY
There were exactly eight interviews before me. Each of those interviews was only two minutes long. This gave me an approximate waiting period of sixteen minutes—plus the time the introduction took. Sixteen minutes before it was my turn.Sixteen minutes had never seemed so long.I smoothed out the black silk of my suit, trying to be patient. The tie around my neck felt like an early noose. I made a slight adjustment to the blue strip of fabric; as my prep-team told me I could. But to no avail.The tributes around me were nervous. They played with their outfits or wrung their hands together. But I didn't feel nervous at all. There was no reason to be.Applause filled the air. The girl from District Four— Layla, that was her name— had finished her interview. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't listen to a word of it. "Now, Ladies and Gentlemen," it was the voice of Rhoe SeNalla, and I had to smile at my good fortune. She had always been my favorite, "if you would please give a round of applause for our next tribute— Ian Nighy, from District Five!"The audience was almost deafening with their cheers, and I wasn't even on the stage yet. Taking a deep breath, I went over what my stylist had instructed. "Be calm," I kept my voice low as I walked towards the stage, "Be cool. Make them smile. Make them laugh." Once the audience was in sight, I put on my most winning smile and waved out into the crowd."Ian Nighy," Rohe spoke, shaking my hand as she did. The crowd grew quiet, "it's a pleasure to have you heretonight.""It's a pleasure to be here," I replied as I took my seat. The world was watching me now, hanging on to my every word, but I'd never felt more at ease. "I have to admit, I've been dreaming of going to the Capitol ever since I was small." I chuckled, "I just assumed it would be under different circumstances."She took her seat across from me, "Well, how do we meet your expectations?"I let out a lighthearted laugh as I spoke, my eyes bright with excitement, "Oh, everything's fantastic! Almost reminds me of home a little—except it's more colorful and the food tastes better. I've got no idea what any of it's made of, but I'm definitely taking it home with me." The audience laughed, and I was certain I could see her crack a smile as well."By the way you talk, it almost makes me think that you already expect to be the victor," Rohe commented."Well, look at me," I gestured to myself, my voice light and joking, "I'm a ruthless killing machine." I smiled again, "But really, I believe I've got as good a chance as any. However, knowing the Gamemakers behind the scenes...I'm not sure anyone can expect anything."She crossed one of her legs over the other, "Oh really? You believe the area will be difficult?""I'd expect nothing less from the finest Gamemakers in the Capitol!" I turned to the audience then, "What about you guys? Would you?" I feigned disappointment when they shook their heads, "No? Are you sure?" Then, with a small smile, I turned back to face my host. "It looks like you're going to have lots of people to please."She chuckled, "I suppose we'll both have to do our best, now won't we? Speaking of that, how are you feeling about being in the Games this year, Ian?"I turned over my options over in my head, "To tell you the truth, I'm absolutely terrified." There was a sympathetic laugh from the audience, "I'm looking at these people, and I'm thinking: 'Wow. How am I supposed to beat that?' There are some scary people out there tonight.""Do you have a strategy in mind?"Again, I paused to think about it, "The most important thing," I began, "is that I stay smart. If I'm smarter than you, you're going to have a hard time killing me. And if it's not my time, then I'm prepared to go down bravely. Simple as that."She checked the buzzer before her next question, "Since we're getting close to time, why don't you tell us more about your home, Ian?"It was then that it hit me just how far away home really was. And how much I missed my family. I missed the sound of the water roaring through the dams, and the way that electricity sounded as it crackled through the air. And wouldn't you know it, I even missed the Peacekeepers. At least they were a familiar face. "Home is...Home. What more can I say?"Rohe gave me a smile, "During the reaping, we didn't get to see much of your family. Would you care to tell us about them?"I laughed, keeping my actions warm even though my heart ached, "Family—I've got more of them than I know what to do with," I answered. "Two little brothers. They turned four just last week. Three sisters. One is twenty now, and the other two are...eight and eleven. And my parents, too." My smile softened, "You can definitely say that there's never a dull moment in my life.""Well, it certainly sounds like you've got a lot of people depending on you to win."I leaned closer to her, no longer smiling. "Let me tell you something, Rohe. A secret. But you can't tell anyone." She nodded."I'm not a killer," I confessed, "And I don't want to be one. It's not my nature." The background erupted in whispers, but I wasn't done yet. "However, if there's a chance, even a small one, that I can get back to my family alive...I will kill every tribute in the area a hundred times over for that chance."I smiled and sat back in my seat, "And that is my promise to you."
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DISTRICT 6 FEMALE: VIBIA LIGHTWOOD
Vibia fumbled with the back of her ridiculously tight and short leather brown dress. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a smooth, elegant ponytail and her high, dark brown boots were laced all the way up to her knees. She glanced at herself in the mirror and cringed internally. Her emerald green eyes were shining gorgeously underneath the over the top sparkly black eyeshadow and Cleopatra style eyeliner. Her lips were painted boldly with dark red lipstick the color of blood. Her usually fair skin had an unfamiliar bronze to it. The thing Vibia hated the most was the she looked absolutely stunning. Too stunning. She looked like a completely different person. She enjoyed the simplistic, rugged look she had back in District 6 - her dirty, red hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, no makeup, and dirt caked on her face and under her fingernails. It made her feel real.But Vibia knew that to get the Capitol to love her, she had to be beautiful. Not just gorgeous, but funny, smart, and all around likable. So she puts on a large, sparkling smile as gamemaker Rohe SeNalla calls from the stage, "Let's welcome the beautiful female from District 6, Vibia Lightwood!"Vibia takes a deep breath, smooths her dress and steps onto the stage. The lights blare violently into her eyes, but she's still able to see the crazy hair and makeup of the audience. Vibia smiles and waves at the crowd, showing her off her newly whitened teeth and painted fingernails. She takes a seat in the plush, red chair across from Rohe. Rohe smiles at her. "Hello, Vibia, how are you doing?"Vibia beams, twirling a strand of her around her finger innocently. Be lovable. Be funny. Be strong. Vibia tells herself. "Good, and you?"Rohe nods, grinning. "I'm good, thank you. Let's start with the questions, shall we?" Vibia nods, crossing her legs elegantly, being prim and sophisticated like her escort had taught her to do."Now, let's start with the basics," Rohe says, leaning in a little closer. "How did you feel when you were reaped?"Vibia almost laughs. She's pretty sure every tribute - except the careers, that is - felt scared out of their mind when their name was called. They were being called to their death. How was she supposed to feel? Happy? The answer felt pretty obvious. "Well, it kinda felt like the whole world stopped spinning," Vibia says. "I thought I was gonna piss myself, if we're being honest."Her response earned a few laughs from the crowds. "So," Rohe continues. "You don't think you'll survive, then?"Vibia giggles, facing the crowd. "I think I can I win this if I try. My father used to make weapons in his free time. Not to sound selfish, but I can use any weapon with a little effort. Knives, crossbows, tridents, nunchucks, all that good stuff.""Ah, we always love a tribute who can be versatile with weapons, don't we?" Rohe says, and turns to the crowd. They cheer, some pumping their fists in the air, some clapping, and some screaming happily. Vibia laughs and blushes modestly as she hears a few people cheer her name. "Is there a weapon you prefer?"As Rohe asks the questions, Vibia remembered hunting in the woods behind her home. She stalked through the woods, walking on the tips of her feet, clasping her father's dagger between her hands. A crow soared through the air, cawing loudly. Vibia spun on the balls of her feet and threw the dagger, piercing the crow straight in the chest. The cawing stopped immediately as the bird fell to the ground. Vibia smirked to herself. Perfect shot."A dagger," Vibia replies. "And, I gotta admit, the daggers here in the Capitol are beautiful.""Well, weapons are out speciality," Rohe replies. "Now, Vibia, we have received this question so many times - is your hair naturally red?"The crowd bursts out in laughter, and Vibia laughs along with them. She received this question a lot in District 6 as well. "Yes," Vibia says between giggles. "My hair's natural."The audience laughs again, leaving Vibia beaming. "Not to dig too much into your personal life, but, is there a special someone back in District 6? A boyfriend?"As Rohe says that, it feels as if a knife hit Vibia in the heart. There was a "special someone." His name was Gray Omnis. Gray was Vibia's first love, most likely the only person she'll ever love. They shared so many of the same interests, yet were so different. They complimented each other and were always there for each other. Vibia loved him just as much as he loved her. It was almost a fairytale.Until he got reaped for the 21st Annual Hunger Games."Um," Vibia says, choking back tears. "There - there was a guy. But, uh, he died in the Games two years ago."The audience erupted into sympathetic 'aws.' But Vibia didn't want their sympathy. Rohe gives her one (forced) sympathetic look, before coughing awkwardly, and moving onto the next question. "How are you liking the Capitol?"Vibia forces up another smile. "Well, it's not home. But, the food. Oh my gosh. I have never tasted something so delicious."Laughs come from various places in the crowd. "Especially that amazing seared lamb," Vibia continues, jokingly and dramatically placing a hand over her heart. "Is it magic or something?"Rohe chuckles along with the roaring crowd. Vibia smiles to herself. People were liking her. "The closest thing to magic in Panem," Rohe responds, giggling, pushing a strand of black hair behind her ear. Vibia grins at the crowd one more time as Rohe says, "Well, that's all the time we have for Ms. Lightwood."Everyone cheers as Vibia stands up, smiling gratefully at the crowd, and muttering a quiet, "Thank you," to Rohe as she exits the stage, smiling at the crowd, thinking she won over the Capitol.
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DISTRICT 9 FEMALE: CAINA SREN
"Well here goes." I say to myself I walk into the elevator thank god my stylist can actually think I am in a beautiful silk and lace dress and the colour oh the colour is blue, green and pink it makes me look so amazing and like my choice of personality sexy "Ahh Caina Sren from District 9!'' says Caesar "Come come sit down." explains Caesar "Now how confident are you about the games?" asks Caesar "Why!" I say in the most seductive way I can "I feel completely confident and calm." "I have no doubt I will win." The audience roars with excitement! "So can you tell me about your life?" says Caesar "Why of course!" I say "Well my dad caused alot of abuse towards me and my brother since my mom died and my daughter has Down Syndrome." I say with a sad look in my eyes the audience is in tears. "My husband Fera had to move and I had to quit school to work to keep my daughter healthy and happy." I said with tears filling up in my eyes. "How about we talk about something else?" mentions Caesar. "That would be great." I say almost crying. This the best I have ever done! "Ok." says Caesar just as the buzzer goes "I am sorry but your time is up." says Caesar "That is ok." I say. Nailed it I think just as I walk off and the Capitol is in the palm of my hand
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DISTRICT 13 FEMALE: WENDY MATHEWS
The corset digs into my waist and I have to keep my chest puffed up and my back straight to make sure that my organs to pop out of my body. I'm not sure if my designer, Glide, meant to make it this tight. He has mistaken my frame to be a little smaller than it actually is. I concentrate on my breathing and then practice my smile in front of the mirror. I have never been so afraid in my life and this is only just an interview, not the actual games. But I'd rather be facing twenty five other tributes in a battle to the death than be facing some hundred of elite Capitol citizens judging me.
I bite my lip anxiously. I've never worn make-up before and I'm fascinated by how clear and vibrant my skin looks. This is definitely a new sight for me –I'm usually covered in dirt and mud.
I hear the loud applauses as the interviewr, Rohe, finishes off her interview with Elysia Ambrose, the girl from District 3. Judging from the reaction of the audience, she has managed to impress them.
"And next up, we have Wendy Mathews from district 13!"
My heart is racing at a hundred miles per hour. I step out and instantly lift my hand up to cover my eyes from the bright lights. I recover quickly and smile at Rohe, taking the empty seat next to her.
"You look nervous," Rohe says, crossing her legs and frowning. "This must be all a huge shock to you, seeing as your District havent competed in the games for almost a decade. How did you react when your name was drawn?"
"I wasn't at the reaping, actually," I say, remembering what I was doing before I got home to find my mother crying. I was out exploring the borders of our district once again and accidently fell asleep, which meant that I got home later than usual. And within that time, my fate was decided. "I wasn't home when the reaping took place but when I found out, I was surprised and scared at first, but then I realised I had to be strong for my parents and my district."
"Oh, that's very unfortunate," Rohe comments and I see the crowd turning to each other with sympathetic looks. Perfect, I think. Play the sympathy card. "Apart from wanting to win for your own sake, is there anyone else that you have to fight for?"
"My mum," I say matter of factly. "She didn't take it very well. In fact, it felt like she was the one whose name had been chosen and not mine."
Rohe nods in understanding. "What advantage do you think you have over the other tributes?" She leans back in her seat and I can see that she's curious to know my answer.
"Honestly, I think everyone here is going to be hard to beat," I say and just as the crowd begins to murmur, I raise my finger and smirk. "But...." I drawl on slowly. "I'm a spy and it's very hard to beat what you can't see. So they better all watch out!"
I grin as the crowd laughs and cheers. I can tell that even Rohe looks a little impressed.
"So," Rohe continues. "Everyone has a token that they carry with them into battle. Can you explain to us what yours means to you?"
Instantly, my hand clenches the small pocket watch. Glide wanted to leave it out, because he couldn't find a way to fit it in with the dress but I told him that I would just hold it.
"It belonged to my brother." My voice croaks. "He was in the games seven years ago. I was only nine years back then and he was eighteen. My parents made sure that if they wanted more than one child, they would make them at least seven years apart so that when the games happen, they don't lose all their kids in one go. Anyways, my brother gave me this at the Justice Building and before he left, he stopped the watch. He told me to keep it with me at all times and when he comes back, he'll start the clock again. We'll continue with our lives like no time has passed between us."
As I finish speaking, the crowd is quiet. I feel the tears prickle the back of my eyes and if it wasn't for the buzzer going off to signal the end of my inteview, I knew I would have cried.
Everything after the buzzer is a blurr. Nothing registers in my mind even as I smile and wave goodbye to the crowd, who cheer me on.
I can't seem to get away fast enough and before I know it, I've emptied out the contents of my stomach onto the floor.
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DISTRICT 13 MALE: NAVEEN AHMED
Naveen Ahmed had never looked this hot before and he was LOVING it. His beard had been trimmed, which he normally would have objected to, but it wasn't his decision to make and it made him look great. The Capitol had brushed all the dust, grime, and dirt from District 13 off of him. They even polished his cane! Naveen admired himself in the mirror, flashing dashing smiles before he was called over. Naveen limped onstage to the roaring crowd with as much swagger as he could muster.
The crowd seemed to dislike his ensemble, which he guessed was part of the point. It was a sleek fitting, unbuttoned, grey suit jacket made of wool and cashmere, a black button-up shirt underneath it with no tie and the top two buttons undone, and grey slacks to match the jacket. The grey represented the nuclear plants that District 13 specialized in, the black shirt was the smoke the plants created, and the lack of a tie and the classic look was meant to represent that District 13 wasn't going to conform to the Capitol's fashion trends. Naveen doubted anyone would get all that from first glance, but it didn't matter to him when he looked good.
Naveen struggled to strut on the stage and the crowd didn't appreciate his long walk to one of the Gamekeepers, Rohe SeNalla. They were silent for the last bit of his journey towards the podium but Naveen continued to flash them smiles as he struggled to the stand. When he finally reached the stand, he leaned into the microphone and said, "I wonder what took so long."
Some of the crowd let out faint chuckles at the joke, though most seemed unimpressed. Naveen straightened his back to make himself look tall and dignified when Rohe started asking her questions.
"Naveen Ahmed, welcome to the Starving Artist Games," she announced to the crowd. They all roared in approval louder than any applause Naveen had gotten hobbling onto the stage.
"Tell us Naveen, what is the difference between The Capitol and District 13?" Rohe asked, her tone calm and collected.
"Less dirt and more sun here," Naveen replied after thinking for a second. The crowd liked that joke a lot more and they let out some hearty laughs.
"How did you react when you were picked to be the first male from District 13 to be picked in a reaping?" Rohe asked. District 13 hadn't participated in the previous games so this was their first year. Murmurs ran through the crowd, no doubt curious about his answer.
"I laughed," Naveen admitted with a wide smile on his face. The crowd gasped and whispers spread like wildfire. Even Rohe's cool demeanor dropped at his answer and was replaced with confusion.
"I'm sorry, did you say you laughed? Why is that?"
"Let's think about this for a second," Naveen said with his ever present smile. "The very first representation for District 13 is a crippled boy. That's got to be a metaphor or something. Also, what are the chances? I'm crippled and then get thrown into the Starving Artists Games! Is Allah just treating my life like some sick cosmic joke? I had to laugh at the absurdity of it."
The crowd was in a shocked silence at first but the more that Naveen spoke, they warmed up and even started to laugh themselves.
"How do you expect to win the Games?" Rohe asked. As if scripted, Naveen laughed aloud. The crowd seemed to laugh with him this time.
"Let's be real here," Naveen said, his eyebrows arched up in a knowing look. "I'm probably not going to win the Games. I'm going to try, Allah knows I'm going to try, but more than likely it's not going to happen."
Naveen patted his limp, unfeeling leg. "You see my dilemma," he joked. Everyone in the crowd roared at that one and Rohe allowed herself a slight smile. "Don't get me wrong, I intend to win. I'm playing for keeps. I'm just acknowledging that the odds will not be ever in my favor. But screw the odds, I like being a wild card better anyway."
"Speaking of that limp, how did you get it?" Rohe asked.
"From you guys!" Naveen exclaimed. "Did you know, Capitol bullets go through legs like butter," he said as he pointed at his leg. While not very funny to him, the Capitol thought it was hilarious.
"Do you have anyone waiting at home?" Rohe asked. For the first time in the interview Naveen didn't have a witty retort at the ready. He shifted his weight and leaned on his cane while his eyes momentarily faced downwards instead of towards the crowd or Rohe.
"Actually I do," he admitted. "I just want to say thank you to my mom and my dad. They were the perfect parents and.... I love them. Without them....I wouldn't be here. Which in most cases would be a good thing, but that's beside the point." Naveen weakly laughed but most of the audience looked like they wanted to hug him.
"What are you hoping to get from the Games? What are your goals?" Rohe asked for the final question. Without missing a beat, Naveen responded.
"To have fun," he said proudly. Shockwaves swam through the audience. Everyone audibly gasped and Rohe nearly dropped the microphone. Amidst all of this, Naveen grinned like an idiot.
"To...to have fun. How do you expect to do that?" Rohe asked, more confused than anyone had ever seen before.
"Well it's quite simple Rohe," Naveen answered. "You know all those young, beautiful, and charismatic people who were interviewed before me?" Rohe nodded her head and everyone in the audience stood at attention, listening intently and leaning towards the stage.
"I'm gonna kill each and every last one of those bastards."
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