Interview

[Vester Lombard]

The night before the start of the Hunger Games, Cesar Flickerman hosts interviews with the tributes. Your name is called and the crowd erupts in applause. You smile as you walk out onto the stage, dressed in a stunning, formal outfit that you helped design. After some lighthearted banter with the host, he sits forward in his chair and begins the interview.



Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 3, 11:00 PM

Instructions:
Reply to this thread to roleplay your interview session. Choose questions from the list below or create your own questions. This is your last chance to earn the favor of the sponsors and win their votes.

1. Tell us more about the reaping. What did you feel when they called your name? How did your friends and family take it?

2. Is there a side to you we haven’t seen yet? A part of your life you’d like to share that hasn’t made it onto the screens?

3. What is your token that you’re taking into the arena? What does it mean to you?

4. Some tributes place a lot of emphasis on the sponsor scores, making sure they have as much support as possible going into the games. Do you agree with that mentality, or do you think there’s a better indicator of the strongest tributes?

5. The Hunger Games are all about knowing when to take risks to get ahead and when to play it cool and just try to outlast the opponents. How will you know when to adjust your strategy? Do you think the risktakers or the conservative tributes will be more successful?

6. What do you think should be a tribute’s priority in the arena: food, warmth, a hiding place, friends, something else?

7. Based on what you’ve seen in training, what do you expect will be in the arena this year?

8. Are you satisfied with your skillsets? What do you wish you were better at?

9. In these training days, tributes often take the route of intimidation or complete secrecy. Which strategy do you think has a greater effect?

10. Tell us about the friends you have made here in the training center. What drew you to them and what's going to happen to that friendship in the arena?

11. You’ve got both friends and enemies in this game. How can you know who to trust out there?

12. Before these games begin, Is there a final message you’d like to share with all the other tributes?

[Anton Schuhmacher]

Anton came dressed in an all black tailored suit with subtle diamond accents on the tie, cuffs, and shoes.


Do you find it to be intimidating coming from a line of Game Winning tributes or is it encouraging?

"I find it encouraging. It's the difference between training to be good at these games and just having the instinct buried in your blood. I've learned from their mentoring and their mistakes. I'm very confident in me and Ingrid's abilities."

Speaking of Ingrid, how would you two handle it if the games came down to the two of you in the end?

Anton shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It is something that we both have understood can easily happen." He then sat up and flashed his winner's smile. "But, we've got enough sibling quarrels that I'll be able to remember something." Anton gave a hearty laugh, but then a stern expression crossed his face. "Besides, it would be an honor to share a last battle with her. If anyone wants to take that away from me, they'd have to come to me first."

[Seth Judkins]

Seth stepped out onto the stage in a glistening suit. He was even given a bejeweled cane to match. Seth hobbled up to Cesar and shook his hand before taking a seat.

“We’ve all gathered that you’re a bit of a strategist. What strategies have you learned from the previous winners?”

Seth cleared his throat. “When I first got to the Capitol I spent a lot of time watching footage in the archives. I realized Agni and Millie had a lot in common. They were both strong leaders, but they also relied on support from teammates. They were both close range fighters and had long range backup. And they both did a lot of careful planning, making sure that they only traveled with people they trusted. I think if I’m going to win these games I’ll have to lead based on their example. I just wish I had the opportunity to meet them before we head off to the arena.”

“We’ve seen a bit of a connection between you and your District partner throughout the Games.” Seth looked a bit caught off guard. He wasn’t expecting to talk about Ayla in the interview. Cesar continued, “Oh yes, don’t think we haven’t noticed the dancing and the smiling and the friendship you two have built. How will things go with Ayla in the arena?”

Seth paused, unsure of where to go with this question. “Well, obviously Ayla is a really talented and amazing girl. I think our level of trust will go far in the arena. I don’t think anyone else will have as strong of an alliance, so when it comes down to a few tributes at the end of the game we’ll have a major advantage over the other individual parties.”

“If I may be so bold, Seth, do you find her attractive?”

Seth blushed. “Umm…” he stammered. “Yeah she’s pretty hot.”

“Ha ha! Atta boy! Seth Judkins, everybody!” Cesar said to a loud applause. Seth shook his hand and shuffled off stage. He couldn’t believe he just said that on national television.

[Alicia Swather]

“Alicia Swather from District 11!”

Alicia stepped out onto the stage wearing an elegant pink dress. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw all the happy faces in the audience cheering her on.

“Alicia, we’ve all been so curious to know about your family life. This Rowan that you have mentioned, is your child?”

“Yes. She’s two. And she’s a fighter. She’d probably be first in the tribute rankings if she was here.” she said, getting a sympathetic laugh from the crowd.

“And who is Rowan’s father?”

Alicia’s smile faded. She had a feeling the interview was going to go in this direction. Why couldn’t they ask her about her strengths and plans for the arena like they did to everyone else?

“Marcelo,” she said and paused before adding, “my husband.”

The crowd gasped.

“We had no idea you were married, Alicia. Do you have a message you’d like to share with your husband before the start of the games?”

She looked into the camera unsmiling.

“No.”

[Ingrid Schuhmacher]

Ingrid stepped out of the wings and onto the stage. She was wearing a fitted tuxedo with the top four buttons undone. Her hair was down and tousled. She wore gold rings that resembled brass knuckles, diamond cuff links that matched Anton's and diamond heeled ankle boots from the house of Schuhmacher.

She sat down and shook hands with Caesar before he uttered his first question. "Now, we just had your brother out here...and we were wondering why the both of you volunteered...I'm sure all of the audience wound love to hear about your reasoning? What was that like for you? How were effected when he volunteered as well during the reaping?"

Ingrid locked eyes with Caesar before speaking directly to the audience. "It is tradition for a member of my family to volunteer every decade for the games. This year was supposed to be my brother's turn, but I can't let him have all of the glory," she laughed. "Actually, I have been training for this event my whole life. My family's company sustains itself on not only the selling of our product but the winning of the games. They requested that both of us volunteer so the chance of one of us winning would be greater. It has been an honor to represent my family and to fight along side my brother. We know each other better than we know ourselves. Two parts of the same being. We both understand what it takes to win and the sacrifices we must make for our family. It has been ingrained in us since birth. My brother said it perfectly...if it comes down to the two of us, it will be a battle the games will never forget. She smirked and chuckled. "As for the reaping, I understand what I am giving up, however this is bigger than me. There are so many unknowns, but as I said to Agni Sparks, I will be whatever is needed to win. "

[Jorn Oxen]

The time leading up to Ox's interview was a blur. He didn't remember much of getting ready, just a lot of pulling on clothes and then pulling them off when his designer made a face, until finally it was suitable for him.

Ox glossed over what his mentor wanted him to say in the interview, how he missed his family and his home and how he was going to do whatever it took to get back to them. Ox really didn't care about the family left to him, nor did they care for him. Ox truly had nothing really worth getting back to.

He blinked for a moment after Caesar asked him his first question.

"Tell us more about the reaping. What did you feel when they called your name? How did your friends and family take it?"

Ox looked severe for a moment then smiled knowingly at Caesar.

"My family doesn't give a rats ass about me and I couldn't care any less for them. The only thing I really felt when they called my name is excitement. This may be my chance at a better life you know?"

"What would be so much better about it?" Caesar asked with a smile.

Ox smiled back at Caesar and then removed his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt, until he finally removed that as well, standing bare chested on the stage. He saw his mentor swell with rage and his designer faint as the crowd cheered at his muscled physique.

Until he turned around and they saw the ropey heavy scars that entirely covered his back. The crowd sucked in their breath.

"I was kind of a trouble maker" Ox laughed as he put his shirt back on. The crowd laughed at that, the tension broken by Ox's easy going comfort with his own hardship.

"That.. That was SOMETHING!" Caesar exclaimed. "Now let me ask you something, why do they call you Ox?"

Ox laughed, "Why do you think? I'm about as big as one! I guess sometimes about as oblivious as one around women too." Ox joked.

That got a good reaction out of the crowd.

Caesar finally stopped laughing and posed one final question to Ox.

" Tell us about the friends you have made here in the training center. What drew you to them and what's going to happen to that friendship in the arena?"

Ox stopped and thought a moment.
"You know, I really like Derrick Voss. The guy is just cheerful and really brings out a competitive side of me, and Veronica Brax is a real sweet girl too. We had a little party in the District 11 hotel room last night" Ox confessed. "I really loved dancing with those two, if you can call what I do dancing." Ox regaled them with how he had picked Derrick and Veronica up and spun them around in a circle by their wastes.

Ox got quiet after the laughter died down.

"But I really have become connected with my District partner Alicia... I mean, she's so nice and she's a great mom... I think if I want anyone to win it would be her. She has to get back to her little girl, to give her a better life you know? I would gladly fight beside her, to give her that chance. District 11 is playing to win!" Ox stood up and gave the crowd a huge flex through his shirt which he felt rip along the shoulders and his back, which the crowd loved. He shook Caesars hand and took his seat amongst his fellow tributes.

[Fortune "Yun" Paramore]

Yun came out smiling, wearing a tailored dark grey suit with a light blue dress shirt underneath. If it weren't for his size, much smaller than Caesar, he would have looked like an adult.

Caesar, upon seeing him walk in, raised his hands to garner applause from the audience.

"And here is one of our younger tributes. Brave, bold, and smart to boot. I don't know how the Games will treat us, but I'm sure..." the audience paused as he inhaled"... Fortune will be with us."

Fortune laughed along, his eyes twinkling.

"It's good to be here Caesar, I've waited my whole life for this day."
Caesar smiled, and took his hand.
"So Fortune, I haven't heard a lot about you,I haven't seen anything from you, I just can't figure you out. As a matter of fact... and I don't mean to be blunt here, " He smiled and winked up at the cameras. "What makes you think you stand a chance?"

Yun paused... waiting for the laughter and gasps to die down.

"I come from a large family in District 6, and I'm the youngest brother. I know how to hold my own in a fight." He smiled a thin smile.
"But I don't think that's what you want... is it." His grin disappeared, his face took on a fierce look.

"I think I'll win because I understand this game. I understand my opponents, they'll underestimate me, and I recognize that you all want entertainment. You know nothing about me because I wanted you to know nothing."

The ring quieted, everyone stared, Caesar continued to look at him with a smile on his face, calculating what to say next. Yun smiled back, and exhaled, pretending to wipe a bead of sweat off of his head.

"And I mean... I'm so cute, how could anyone hurt me?" He put his hands under his chin and batted his eyelashes. The crowd melted.

[Ashton McCall]

Ashton wandered out, trying not to focus on his gelled back hair that felt like glue poured onto his head (seriously how do people like this) and tried to make his face look somewhat pleasant as he approached the interview chair (“Boy you’ve got to at least act like you have some form of manners and that your eyebrows can actually move up”). His black suit was starched and uncomfortable, trapping heat into his already overheating body. He shook the interviewer’s hand, hoping it wasn’t sticky. But if it was, he made no notice and sat down, forcing a small smile, crossing his hands before uncrossing them. The interviewer waited until Ashton finally cocked his head and grinned wildly.

“Shall we?”

Is there a side to you we haven’t seen yet? A part of your life you’d like to share that hasn’t made it onto the screens?

“I’m not as big. People expect farmers…especially ones that handle the size of the livestock that we do, to be bigger or stronger than other tributes. But although I might not be huge in size, there are other ways I can be strong. Take a bull for instance, if there’s a huge rowdy bull coming after you I can still beat him. Every time. By yanking the ring in his nose; if you yank that ring, the bull will always go down. That’s the only fact we care about with these bulls; it doesn’t matter how strong or smart they are: if you grab that ring, they’re over. And I’ve got the ring, and hopefully in the arena I can show that.”

What is your token that you’re taking into the arena? What does it mean to you?

“I have this old ring of my mother’s; it’s pretty much the only thing she has left from my father so by taking it into the Arena with me, I’ll have a piece of her and a piece of him to help get me through. It’s worn, not exactly Capitol material. But my mom, she shinned it every day like it was the finest gold. I hope that, if I win, I can bring her back the best ring I can to make up for this one.”

Are you satisfied with your skillsets? What do you wish you were better at?

“I wish in my heart of hearts that I’d worked harder in combat, especially with wielding weapons. But other than that, living in District 10 set me up fairly well for anything the arena can throw at me. I dare the gamemakers to find me something I can’t do.”

[Avalon Bancroft]

Avalon approaches Cesar with confidence. She is wearing a silky blue dress, with matching gloves.



“What is your token that you’re taking into the arena? What does it mean to you?” Cesar began.


Avalon replied,” It is my father’s first fishing hook. He built a successful fishing business with it so I’m hoping it will bring me success as well.”


“What do you think should be a tribute’s priority in the arena: food, warmth, a hiding place, friends, something else?” asks Cesar.


Avalon responds, “Firstly, I think having friends in the arena is a waste of time. You never know who you can trust, and how strong can a friendship really be if there is one left at the end? Food and warmth are the only things you should worry about. Stay alive, and if you have to kill someone, it was nothing personal, right?”

[Derrick Voss]

Derrick walked onto the stage in a tailored suit. Again, nothing fancy. He wasn't one for showing off. He flashed a grin at the audience before shaking Caesar's hand and sitting down.

"I must say, I'm a bit star struck here, Caesar. You truly make the games worth while to watch with your entertaining interviews," Derrick said.

"Oh, why thank you! Not all of the interviews are good, though, you know," Caesar said, matching Derrick's grin.

"I'll try not to be one of those then," the audience chuckled at this.

"You know, we haven't seen much of your district partner. Have you been in contact with her at all since arriving at the capitol?"

Derrick sighed. "I tried once, but I didn't really get a reaction. Since then I haven't seen a hair on her head. I hope she knows what she's doing."

"Does that give you a sense of loneliness? Or uncertainty, knowing that you won't have at least one solid alliance member like it seems so many of the other districts have?"

Derrick shrugged, "I think I'm doing quite well for myself," Derrick sat back in his chair, getting a bit more comfortable. "I've met quite a few friends since being here. They all seem really great. I definitely won't be lonely in the arena."

"Friends? That seems like such a strong word so early on. You definitely won't be friends when it's time to hit the arena." Caesar leaned forward, looking a bit concerned.

Derrick hesitated, "What can I say? I suppose I'm just living the phrase 'Live every day like it was your last,' and on my last day, I would like to be surrounded by friends having a good time."

Caesar chuckled, "I suppose you are. We hear that there was a party last night with you and several of the other tributes. How was that?"

Derrick gave a full toothed smile, "It was wild."

[Alistair Kingsley]

The time before the interview was a blue with hair and makeup crowding around Al, fussing over his mud-brown locks and his face which was both oddly flattering and getting on his last nerves. He stuck close to Jaffie until she left to do her interview, leaving him behind to look around. He was told to make himself likeable but how in the hell do you do that in this situation? If he was going to go down in that arena, he was going to go down as himself and his unshakeable faith was the only thing going for him. He heard the bellow of his name and he walked out, smiling a little as he shook Cesar's hand and sat down, falling a bit because he didn't expect the chair cushions to be so thick which brought a giggle among the audience. Sheepishly, he looked around before being drawn back to the question.

Tell us more about the reaping. What did you feel when they called your name? How did your friends and family take it?

"I gotta be honest, it felt like an out of body experience when they called my name. When I was going up to that stage, it felt like my being had just left my body and was floating above me going 'whoa did that just happen'. My family? Well, I come from a big family so it's sort of like a spare tire in the loosest sense I could possibly think of. I might be missed but my family's still gonna go on without me, you know? We have to. I had two older siblings that went through, you know, like went through without getting called. There's always that one black sheep and I guess I got the short end here. But I'd rather it be me than my younger sisters, you know? They're my little sisters and I guess this is the ultimate act of protection, you know. It is what it is."

What is your token that you’re taking into the arena? What does it mean to you?

"I'm taking in a memory storage stick that has my last words written on it. No one's seen it besides me yet and hopefully it stays that way. It's morbid, yeah, but I didn't want to leave without saying it. No one might read it but it at least got said."

In these training days, tributes often take the route of intimidation or complete secrecy. Which strategy do you think has a greater effect?

"I think a healthy dose of both makes an almost perfect tribute, d'you know what I mean? Keep your cards to yourself and protect what you consider to be your biggest secret, whether that be your greatest asset or your Achilles heel, and let the rest hang out because it's not like a whole lot of it matters. While you keep your secrets, let people know you. It's okay for people to remember who you are because these might be the last people that do. In a way, these people are the closest allies you could have because they're going through this as well but at the same time, in the arena and it's down to two, remember that death is a very real thing."

Before these games begin, Is there a final message you’d like to share with all the other tributes?

"Especially in this modern age, information and what you do with it is key. Watch yourselves, kids."

[Ayla Farrow]

Ayla entered the interview immediately after Seth. She was wearing a red strapless dress that reached the floor. Though she hated dresses, she had to admit it looked nice.

Ayla walk onto stage, and greeted Cesar.

"Welcome, Ayla!" Cesar shouted to the crowd. Ayla nodded and smiled.

"Ayla, you chose to show off your skills, rather than trying to learn a new skill. Can you explain why you made that choice?"

Ayla contemplated. "Well Cesar, I guess I'm confident in my abilities as they are. I want the other tributes to know that they're either with me, or against me. And if they're against me, they've got another thing coming."

"Wow!" said Cesar. "That certainly is bold. I just spoke with your district partner Seth Judkins. I don't know if you heard, but he said you were pretty hot, haha!"

Ayla blushed. "Did he now?" She smiled. "Seth's a really great guy. I can tell that he's a genuine guy, I think we make a good team.

Cesar continued, "But cut to the chase, is romance in the air between you two?"

"Only time will tell Cesar, I guess you'll have to stay tuned!" She smiled and walked off of the stage.

[Arnie Thistle]

Arnie stepped on to the stage and shook hands with Cesar as he took his seat. Arnie had spent the last few hours preparing for the stage, cleaning up and making sure that he was wearing his suit properly. The style was odd to him, all the extra fabric used in the decorataion seemed wasteful but he had to admit that it was a beautiful arrangement.

Cesar raised a hand to draw applause from the crowd. "Arnie Thistle, the betting man!" Cesar thumbed his chin as he formulated his next question. "So Arnie, tell us, why did you decide to bet with the Game Maker? Isn't that a bit...risky?"

Arnie knew the question was coming, and had prepared his answer long ago. "Yes. It was risky, but I like risk. Had I succeeded, I would have had a potential life saver coming my way."

Cesar replied with a quiet voice. "But now you have a trap on the way, certainly that outweighs the potential benefit. The game maker is a risky foe!"

"The nice thing about traps is that they aren't exclusive to just me. If I play my cards right, I might just be able to use the trap as a weapon. I think that alone was worth the throw of the darts." Arnie finished his sentence and leaned back, trying to look confident in his answer. He was definitely worried about the trap, but if he kept his cool no one else would know.

Moving on, Cesar changed his posture and asked with a smile, "Are you satisfied with your skillsets? What do you wish you were better at?"

"Well darts for one!" Arnie laughed and continued. "Altogether I'm pretty satisfied. I was able to keep working on my skills and have learned a fair bit from my agility trainer the other day. Of course, I am far from perfect but we all have our flaws."

"Arnie Thistle, everyone!" Cesar boomed as Arnie stood up and took his leave of the stage.

[Tristan Danio]

Cesar smiled and introduced Tristan to the roaring crowds. The District Four teen was pleasantly surprised to hear his name pronounced correctly, instantly warming him towards the host.

"Tell us more about the reaping, Tristan. Everyone is still wondering why you declined someone else taking your place here in the Games."

Truth be told, Danio hadn't been expecting a question about something that seemed to have happened years ago.

"I've always had to fight the tide of what everyone thinks of me, Flickerman. Working twice as hard as everyone else still left me being undermined by my parents' wealth. Being rescued by someone else would have dragged me down; nobody would take me seriously afterwards. So I'm here stepping up to win!" Tristan didn't expect the crowd to cheer at that, though they seemed to mistake his confidence as some kind of bloodlust.

"Haha, we certainly look forward to seeing you compete out there!" Smiled Cesar, building the energy of the audience. "What do you think you will need to come out on top?"

Tristan chose his next words carefully, struggling to ignore the cameras and viewers.

"I need to remember that everyone out there is in the same boat as me; my friends and I have to be the best crew."

[Olivier L'angel]

Cesar: " and now to the girl we haven't seen at all in the training room or any of the public spaces really, all we certainly know about this girl is that she's not very emotional (given her stern face at the reaping) and that she reads quite a lot of books if the rumors are right, but does she know how to fight and how does she really feel about this whole situation?! Here she comes, Olive Storm from district 7!"

Olive walked out on stage in a long fitted night sky blue dress fading into glistening dark green at the bottom and she knew she looked like a piece of nature and starry skies. She had never felt more beautiful but she couldn't even force a fake smile as instructed by her mentor, this was not her scene and all these people, 'all the stupid capitol people who just sat there and laughed and Cesar with is stupid hair', she thought to herself entering the stage.

Cesar started off with an easy question, she had decided not to lie, so when he asked what she felt about the reaping she had her answer prepared. "I had calculated the odds and new that I had a 0.5% chance of getting picked whilst not quite likely I still listened attentively to the boys reaping, happy it wasn't my brother, and when my name was called I just walked up on that stage knowing that out of the district the one with the biggest chans to win was me and that's all there is too it"

Of course that wasn't really what Cesar wanted to her so he asked " please Olive do tell us more about how you FELT and how your family and your brother, who seem so dear to you, felt during that very moment and the moments after..."
Olive didn't know weather to lie and get pity votes or be honest and come of as cold and harsh, she decided that if this was the last thing her parents heard from her she was going to be honest and true to herself and not sugar coat it so she answered honestly " I am the black sheep in my family. They are merely poor people from an outer district who tries to be some sort of celebrity or socialtes, I have no to little respect for my parents since I've been taking care of and learning things on my own for so many years. When they realized I wasn't going to become like them they focused on my brother instead. My brother and I have a very close bond and he seems to be the only one to understand me sometimes. He knows me through and through and I will fight for him and make sure that if I don't win then at least Derrick will, I don't have much over for my parents but my brother deserves happiness. When I left I had nothing to say to my parents but one thing, thank you for being so stupid that you would leave a kid alone to roam åt the age of 4 because by the time she's 16 she sure as hell knows better than to care for other people and their lives, and thank you so much for all the dinner parties you threw so i got a chance to get proper night training with my knives, it's Daniel you should thank for me not having used them on you two several times."

"Well that's very hmmm...touching, about your brother...hmmm...thank you so much, I'm sorry to say we don't have time for more than that... Olive Storm everyone!!...she seems like a tough cracker that one ey, seems like her brother is her only weakness and I don't believe she would hesitate to kill even with those blond locks, looks sure can be deceiving!"

[Jessie Zwinkler]

A nervous Jessie sat down next to Cesar. "Hello and welcome to Jessie Zwinkler! Now tell me little guy, what is your token that you’re taking into the arena? What does it mean to you?"

Jessie stared at all the people watching and all the lights that were shining on him. He always hated public speaking situations and this was on a much grander scale than anything he had been used to from back home. "A-Actually I do have a kinda unique... It's a teddy bear from my childhood, but unfortunately he has definitely seen better days..." Jessie took out his old teddy bear. The most obvious damage to it was that its head was missing and the hole where to should have been was crudely sewn shut. Upon further observation one could also notice many other patchworks made to the toy to try to keep it together. On top of all of that the hairs on one spot on the toy were visibly burnt. "This guy has sure seen some shit."

"Oh wow what a peculiar toy! Tell me more about it, there must be a story to this!" Cesar exclaimed.

"Its a toy my mother picked out for me before I was born." Jessie paused as he stared at the toy for a bit and smiled. "Unfortunately she passed away giving birth to me... and my twin brother who sadly also did not make it. So while I have no memory of her, I have tried to keep him around as a reminder that I'm sure she's still looking out for me wherever she is..." A tear went down one of his cheeks.

"Thank you for sharing that story with us. I'm sure your mother would be proud!"

"Thanks."

"Unfortunately we only have so much time, so we must move on to some of the other questions. Are you satisfied with your skillsets? What do you wish you were better at?" Cesar asked.

Jessie stared at his bear for a bit before putting it aside and responding. "Every damn one of those tributes, myself included, wish we were so much better at pretty much everything. Fortunately or unfortunately though skill doesn't mean everything. Luck plays such a huge part of these games. Of course you want to tilt the odds in your favor as often as possible. Wasn't it last year where one of the tributes had never missed an arrow all games long until the last one or two days. Then it was on his last day that he missed every single one of his arrows and it cost him his life. I don't know the history of the games well, but I wouldn't doubt that he might be considered among the best at his craft to enter the games. However in the end it didn't matter because one day his luck ran out. Luck can work for you too though. Wasn't there a girl last year who made the most bullshit escapes almost every single day of the games? She didn't even look like she knew what she was doing and her competitors kept making the silliest mistakes while chasing her, but somehow it worked out for her for a while. So to answer your question, Yes I am happy with what I bring to the table, and while I do wish I was better at some skills, I am not scared of not being strong enough. The only question that matters in my mind is am I capable of completing every task that comes in front of me and the answer to that is hell yeah. Will I actually complete those tasks? I don't know, but I know that I could do it and that's enough for me."

[Mave Talley]

Mave walked on to the stage, trying desperately to appear less nervous than she felt. She still felt like she had to make up for her non-participation earlier in the week, and she wanted to make a good impression. She sat down and smiled, but she was so numb to her surroundings that she was deaf to any applause or greetings from Cesar. Her hearing came rushing back in a roar as Cesar asked his first question:

Is there a side to you we haven’t seen yet? A part of your life you’d like to share that hasn’t made it onto the screens?

Mave pondered how much she should divulge. She felt the familiar stiffening inside of her, wanting to keep everything contained. But then, she thought, what did it matter anymore.

"Yes. In fact, there is." Cesar raised his eyebrows, encouraging her to go on. "Well, you see, I know I was fairly quiet since I arrived here, but that's just because everything has been such a shock. I'm sorry I didn't have more of a chance to enjoy the beauty of the Capital while I was here." What was she saying?? Just roll with it, she told herself internally. "Anyway, I think part of that hesitancy comes from my upbringing. You see, my parents were both morphling addicts. My mother died a year ago as a result of her addiction and I haven't really seen my father since then either. He didn't show up to the reaping, which is why I made such a scene." She looked solemnly to the audience, hoping to elicit some kind of sympathy from those who remembered her outburst at the reaping.

"Wow. I see," Cesar responded. "But, what does that have to do with your performance here?" 

"Well, I have a lot of pent up anger. I may seem mild at first glance, but I'm terribly angry at how my life has turned out so far. When I was plucked from District 6, it was the first time in my life I was feeling happy. I was living at a friend's home. So I'm not ready to give that up. I've been through enough so far to know what it feels like when things finally start to go your way. I'm going to tear through anyone and anything that gets in the way of my safe return to the better life I was building. That's a promise." To her surprise, tears pricked in her eyes. They were genuine, and she hoped the cameras would pick that up.

"I admire your ferocity, Mave." Cesar said warmly. "Is there anything you'd like add? Any final message to share with the tributes."

"Just that I'm a nice person who avoids drawn out confrontation." She paused, folding her hands in the lap of the ridiculous dress she was wearing, before looking up into Cesar's eyes once more. "And that just means I'll have to kill them quickly." 

She barely heard their closing sentiments as she walked off stage. Her hands were shaking, but she held them tightly and put on a grim face. 

Hopefully, that will make an impression, she thought.

[Veronica Braxton]

Cesar shined brightly as ever at the telescreeen.
"Welcome Hunger Games viewers, to this annual Hunger Games broadcast! Tonight we welcome the lovely Veronica Braxton! Tell me miss Braxton, how are you finding the capitol so far?"
V thought for a second before saying, "well, I guess the biggest difference is that no one knows how to skin a buck." Cesar and the audience break into a burst of pseudo-concordant laughter.
"Haha, well I guess there really aren't that many deer around the capitol, huh?" Cesar says in an attempt to break the tension. "Would you mind telling me who you're wearing tonight?"
"To be honest I have no clue, My district stylist picked it out for me. She said it would, 'accentuate my feminine form while maintaining physical dominance.', whatever that's supposed to mean." 
"Hehe, well, 'leave it to the experts' I say! So V, may I call you V?"
"Absolutely, everyone else does."
"well, some tributes place a lot of emphasis on the sponsor scores, making sure they have as much support as possible going into the games. Do you agree with that mentality, or do you think there’s a better indicator of the strongest tributes?"
"It surely doesn't hurt to gain their support, but total reliance on that is, in my mind, a sign of weakness. Either because you have nothing else to offer, or you lack the confidence to act otherwise. As for those who's skills can pay the bills yet seek out external confirmation, they, well, fall into an even lower category. Pride. Remember the tale of Icarus."
"Aha, well said for a girl of such few words... Next question: the Hunger Games are all about knowing when to take risks to get ahead and when to play it cool and just try to outlast the opponents; how will you know when to adjust your strategy? Do you think the risk-takers or the conservative tributes will be more successful?"
"In the end the name of the game is survival. The Hunger Games isn't just a gladiatorial pit. There needs to be some end-game, and exit strategy, a long game, you know?"
"Hmm... I think I might. Well, what do you think should be a tribute’s priority in the arena: food, warmth, a hiding place, friends, something else?"
"There's always the rule of three. Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food. However, that's excluding muttations and up to 23 other human beings attempting to put you in the ground. I think the strategy really depends on the arena and you ability to utilize it."
""Hmm... I see, well it seems like you've put alot of thought into this. With that in mind, tell us about the friends you have made here in the training center. What drew you to them and what's going to happen to that friendship in the arena?"
"Oh," V adds with a visible flush of the cheeks.
"Well there's a few people I think are really nice: Tristan, though he seems rather aloof, Ayla, she reminds me alot of myself, Derrick, not sure if it's just because he's a gentleman or because he's genuinely nice. and Alicia, I don't know, she struck me as a strong person since we've met."
"Sounds like you've got a bit at stake?"
"Heh, more than you know my friend."
The crowd erupts in a bit of laughter.
Cesar fills in some gaps, as he concludes, "Veronica Braxton from district 12!!!!"

[Jaffe Maddox]

Jaffe walked onto the stage wearing a white sleeved dress. The seams were intertwined with lights that slowly sent surges from head to toe. The bruises under her dress hurt as she walks across the stage and sits down on the couch.

"Jaffe! How good to finally meet you. You are one of the youngest girls in the Hunger Games, how does that make you feel?"

"Pretty rotten I guess," said Jaffe with a sly smile. Caesar turns to the crowd with a chuckle, they join in.

"Now you've been kind of quiet lately after coming off as very promising at the sponsor feast. What have you been up to?"

"Well I tried to escape a couple of days ago.l Oops I guess I wasn't supposed to tell you that." Caesar turns to the crowd again and gives a nervous chuckle.

"Oh well that's no good. I'm glad you cam back though! Tell me about the other sponsors, what do you like about them?"

"I haven't talked to them much, seems they've been brainwashed into killing eachother. I wasn't supposed to say that either."

"Okay! Well I think we're about out of time. Very glad to meet you!"

"Want to see my bruises?" she says, but her mic was cut.

[Kiki]

The stage shook as Kiki walked out, the crowd applause was muted.

"Kiki Kiki Kiki!" said Caesar trying to get his next words together, "You're here! What... uh Wha-How are you doing?"

"Okay," she replied.

"Good good good. Well what can we expect from you in the games?" Kiki shrugs. "Not much of a talker are you?"

[Taylor Shorthorn]

Cesar Flickerman called out her name and she heard a crowd begin to cheer. How these people could cheer someone marching off to their death she would never understand but right now she had to concentrate on making her way to the stage in this rather revealing dress without being too awkward about it. How most women wore these things and still moved eloquently she would never understand.

With some effort she made her way to the chair across from Caesar. She smiled to the camera expecting a moment or two before the interview kicked off but Caser launched right into it before she had a chance to even collect her bearings but he launched right into it, "So, Rosa, your reaping started off with a bang when your brother tried, and ultimately failed, to take on an entire force of peace keepers and run off through the plains for you. When the peace keepers reached the scene he had already fled, probably knowing that he didn't stand a chance. Does it bother you that he didn't stay and fight for you?" he said all at once with the sickly sweet tone of a game show announcer.

Obviously this is what they were going to ask first and after the brief hiccup she had gone through when Ayla started down the same path of questions she had prepared an answer this time, I'm sure he had his reasons. He stood up for family and as misguided and...unthought out as it was I'm sure he'd do it again in a heartbeat"

Caesa seemed to be satisfied with the answer but it was obvious he had been hoping for more of a rise out of her. He continued with the interview, "A lot of people are calling him a coward. Would you agree?"

"I think sometimes the bravest people are those that fight silently without thinking about themselves and who is proud of them." Was this going to be all the interview was about? She had been prepared for a question or two but this was beginning to worry her.

"Well he certainly wasn't silent so what's that say about him?" The interviewer said with a smirk.

Rosa bit the inside of her cheek to keep from betraying her entire plan at this point. It was like they knew exactly what was going on. But they couldn't...

Could they?

"I think that's a little unfair. I mean how often do you see someone pull a stunt like that with that many cameras around. There's no way you wouldn't be caught," Rosa responded in what she hoped was a tactful reply

"And yet somehow he wasn't," Caesar said with a sly grin. But enough about him," he continued quickly, "What is your token that you’re taking into the arena? What does it mean to you?

"My token is a carving I made of my sis- my one year old child waiting at home for me. It helps remind me of what I am fighting for," that was something Rosa would say...right? Well it was true though. It WAS what she was fighting for here. One way or another.

So them you are aware of the reports that the child has gone missing? I don't mean to pile insult on injury but unfortunately the prime suspects were your parents. They are being...detained...until the child can be found...

They definitely knew and they were screwing with her. They had figured out the ruse and her parents were paying the price. "No I didn't. I know that ultimately the true culprit will be found but right now. I must be brave for my entire family's sake." The worry she felt for get family caused small tears to well up in her eyes. She hoped that the audience would think that they were for her missing child. But both Rosa and the capital knew that that baby was off somewhere with his sister off the grid. The plan would still work. All she would have to do is die and so would Rosa. The capital was too proud to admit they had been duped. If they let the districts feel like they had any power over the capital at all things would quickly begin to unravel but Rosa would stick to the plan and bite her tongue.

During the training days, tributes often take the route of intimidation or complete secrecy. According to our research you prefer to be a bit more secretive. Would you agree?

Rosa knew exactly what they were getting at but she would take the question at face value. "You have to strike a balance Caesar," she started evenly. "Without giving too much away to the other tributes," she continued with a sly smile to the camera, "if you've been watching my training you'll notice that the skills I have been displaying are my more diverse ones such as my strategizing and thinking on my feet. In a game where you deal with a new threat every couple minutes those are highly under rated skills. If you see a tribute training with a sword you know to come at him with a bow. And if you see a tribute show off their knowledge of poisonous plants you know not to trust gifts of food from them. BUT if you see someone display wit or strategy you won't know their weaknesses because their strength is exploiting YOURS," She finished.

Caesar seemed more pleased with this answer than any other she had given so far and for a second Rosa thought that maybe she was in the clear but sure enough Caesar put on that smug grin once more, "Well said but I have to ask one last thing, "You've got both friends and enemies in this game. How can you know who to trust out there? How can they trust you when they don't even know...you."

Rosa swallowed hard. They knew. There was no mistaking it. They definitely knew. Rather matter of factly she looked Caesar in the eyes and said, "They don't need to know me. They just need to know that if they want to survive their best chance is to trust what they know already."

The two shared a silent deadlock for two seconds too long as they kept their eyes trained on each other. But just as quickly as he had put on the smirk he dropped it and his face broke out in a showman's grin. "Well there you have it folks! A girl that came in with the bang of a stampede and a mind as sharp as the whips they use to curb them in her home district! Rosa Shorthorn!"