Forum Thread

Mare quietly walked down the hall. She noticed various people, but seeing as they were busy, chose to pay them no mind. She looked truly ghostlike, in the weird capitol lighting. She wondered for a moment what the doctor and what Lacy were doing. Would they mourn her when she died? Or would they continue with there work, knowing she might be able to be brought back again? Mare truly didn't know.

---

All the tributes spend the next few days training. But the next big event was quickly approaching. Finally, after some time. The event is here- the interviews. Cesar walks onto the stage with an award winning smile. He does some small talk with the audience before he calls each tribute up on stage.
...
"Katana Lozano" Cesar calls cheerfully. The crowd seems to perk at mention of her last name. Excited whispers move through the crowd. "A Lozano? Here? What a treat!"
Katana gracefully moves across the stage. Her face calm, and her stance confident. In this moment, she looks exactly like her father. Also like her father, she seems to drink up the applause. She waves at all of them and waits for them to settle down before sitting. "How are you doing tonight dear?" Cesar asks.
"I'm doing fine! I'm happy to be here!" Katana replies excitedly. "The Capitol is just as beautiful as my father described!" Delighted chatters ripple through the crowd as they drink up her generous compliment.
"Wonderful, how is your father doing anyway?" Cesar asks. The question makes Katana stiffen slightly. Her mouth twitching slightly as she processes the question. Why bring him up? Katana wonders bitterly.
"Just fine! Although I'm sure he won't be fine when I win. Afterall, I hope to take his position soon after." Katana answers. A few Ooo's and ahh's can be heard from the crowd as they listen to Katana's challenging tone.
"I like your confidence Katana. Are you worried about winning at all?" Cesar asks.
"Has a Lozano ever lost?" Katana asks. The crowd laughs at this, they know she made a good point.
"Right. Keep that confidence up Katana. Best of luck to you-"
"I won't need it" she interrupts. She leaves with a gigantic applause. To the crowd's delightful, she blows kisses at all of them and even curtsies. She was a perfect model for the Capitol- exactly what ever Capitol daughter would stride to be. Rich, strong, and ambitious. For some reason, that knowledge doesn't make her too happy, her fake smile slips away with every step she make to the safety of the backstage.
....
"Charlie-" Cesar pauses at her name for a moment, his eyes softening when he realizes that there is no record of any last name. But his pitiful gaze vanishes when he meets Charlie's grouchy expression. The crowd, who wasn't picking up on any of this, applauds for her anyway. She sits down next to Cesar and gives him an impatient look. "Charlie, what an interesting life you must have. We are all very interested by you. Especially since you haven't given the Capitol anything to work with. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" Cesar asks.
Silence follows as Charlie simply stares at Cesar, her gaze now expressionless. The crowd impatiently await her reply. A few clear their throats nervously.
"Alright, that's fine... Maybe talk about your gang? What is it you guys call yourself again? The Liberated? Certainly you realize you were throwing yourself to the hungry jaws of the Capitol by volunteering? The Liberated is openly anti-Capitol."
Again, there is nothing but silence. Cesar's friendly smile falls as he silently urges Charlie to do something. Even if it were a simple nod.
"Are you afraid of us or something? Maybe nervous for the Games?" Cesar asks weakly.
As expected, Charlie says nothing. Somehow, she fights off the urge to smile. She was enjoying the feeling of making Cesar squirm. To her, he was Capitol scum, she paid no mind to the fact that he was friendly Capitol scum. They were all the same to her.
"Er, how about we cut this short. Please give an applause for Charlie!" Cesar shouts. He stands up quickly, looking quite happy to not have to watch her stare at him. He extends a hand towards her, and the crowd gives a friendly applause.
Charlie doesn't react, she simply walks offstage and returns to her earlier spot to watch the rest of the interviews.
...
(Feel free to post your own interviews. Don't be afraid to ask for prompts though.)

"Akiro Marshall!" Ceaser called, a hint of surprise in his voice. Akiro stood up slowly, walking across the stage. He didn't say a word or show any emotion, and the crowd was surprised by this, though they did clap polietly. He smirked inside. He had gotte them curious, the snakes. He sat down next to Ceaser, and he wasn't exactly prepared for his opening. "So, looks like we have another Marshall here, eh? What was your fathers name, Elliot Marshall?" Inside, Akiro was 4 seconds away from punching this man in the face, but on the outside, he nodded. "Yep, that's him." "How does it feel to be the next generation in the Hunger Games?" "Honestly, it's quite a shock, but if my father got picked, guess I'm following in his footsteps," he said sadly. The crowd ate it up, giving sympathetic whispers. Akiro was trying very hard to keep up this act, otherwise he might break something. "What are your plans for the arena, then?" Akiro hesitated for a minute. Why give out his plan on live television? Then again, a buffer might prove useful. He spoke up a moment later. "Try and take em out as soon as possible. I..I can't risk what happened to my father happening to me." He ducked down, trying not to grin, though it apeared as if he was trying not to cry. Poor boy, losing his father in such a tragic way, the crowd whispered. "Well, Akiro, you have anything to say to your mom?" "Actually, I do." Akiro turned in the direction of the camera. "Hope you're happy, Ashley.." "Well, er, best of luck, Akiro." "Thanks," he said, leaving with a loud round of aplause behind him.

---

Jacovin had been nervous as a boy can be. Using his ability had made his right pointer finger dark in color, as if it were dying. It likely was, now that Jacovin thought about it. He had curled his lip at Katana's interview, only realizing that it had been an act when her dazzling smile vanished. His snarl vanished, realization hitting him: She likely didn't want to be here either. None of them did, most likely. Charlie had been a sturdy, if not terrifying, interview. Her silence was frightening, even more so that the occasional watching presence. Upon hearing his name, Jacovin lurched forwards, stumbling on the shoes. He was wearing a cream colored tuxedo, although it wasn't very attractive on him. His left arm was still clamped to his belly, and a pair of gloves had been throw into the mix to hide the discoloration of both hands. They were trying to hide his flaws, that was all. But still, he despised it. Stepping out into the blinding lights, he felt the thousands of eyes on him, judging his every twitch and step. Nothing prepared him for this. Choking down a mouthful of bile, Jacovin sat down slowly. His face was neutral, bordering enraged. Caesar didn't seem to notice.

"So, Jacovin? What's your opinion on the Capitol? Does it meet your expectations?" Jacovin tilted his head, glancing towards the ceiling. "I... I suppose so. I'm not really sure what I expected from this. I always thought I'd be staying at home." Caesar nodded slowly, glancing towards the audience. "Jacovin, tell me.. What are you planning to do if you win?" Another few moments of silence. Then, a scoff. "I'm not going to answer a question as stupid as that. Look at me, Caesar. My arm is dead. How do you expect me to win with a dead arm? Hm?" He tugged at his gloves pulling them away. "My ability does this. The more I use it, the more my body dies. But if I don't use it, I'll die anyways." He scoffed again, then stood up. "I'm done here. No more questions." Caesar watched him leave, then turned to the audience. "Well... Well, we still have plenty of Tributes to interview! Next up is-"

A cross expression appears on Charlie's face when she listens to Akiro's interview. He haven't revealed anything important. Still, he gave a great show.
Upon hearing Jacovin's interview, a small smirk appears on Charlie's lips. She had to admit, she highly respected his courage to stand up to Cesar. If only things were different Charlie thinks to herself. She would love to be in an alliance with him. Akiro included, he reminded her of someone she cared for deeply. Someone who had a good heart. She sighs in disappointment.

"Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no." Mare could feel her blood pressure rising. She was soon, of that she was sure. What she would say, Mare was not so sure. She didn't like big crowds, and when she was nervous, she went Specter. She runs her fingers through her nicely brushed hair. Mare stares at the dress she was wearing. In it, Mare looked stunning. And not in a pretty way. She literally illuminated a whitish glow. Occasionally, she would shift to find someone staring at her, which, naturally, only made Mare more uncomfortable.

---

Chelsea tsked and shook her head, watching all the poor acting. After a moment, she smiled. "Chelsea Silver." Stepping forward, she glanced down at her dress. It was scarlet red, just like her fires, and sparkled in the light. She seemed like one of the flames on her own, the light reflecting hundred of times from each spot of her dress. Long gloves had also been pulled up past her elbows, decorating her further. Her exposed neck sported a necklace that seemed to be adorned with rubies, and red shoes shimmered on her feet as well. Chelsea did her best to wear the outfit with courage and pride, but the long slits running from her hips to the floor flustered her. She remembered what she had said to the clothes earlier: 'Oh, that's what I'm wearing? I-... Well, I suppose I'm a bit of a tease, but isn't that a little bit.. Revealing?' Sitting down next to Caesar, she flashed her grin of white teeth and dark red lips, as if flirting with the entire audience. Reaching out, she ran a finger along Caesar's jaw, her other hand playing with the single large braid that hung over her shoulder.

"You look fantastic, Caesar.. What's your secret? Or is that a Capitol secret?" She grinned as Caesar chuckled. "So, Miss Silver, what are you hoping for in the arena? Surely you've got something you're looking for?" Chelsea seemed to chew on her words before speaking them, finally saying, "I believe I'd be perfectly adapted to any environment, Caesar. After all, there's nothing I can't adapt to." She kept her smile on as Caesar nodded. "If you win, Chelsea, what are you going to go back to? Anybody you're looking forward to seeing?" The response began with a chuckle. "Oh, Caesar.. When I win, I'll be going back to myself. There's nobody waiting for me back home, but I suppose there could be somebody coming home alongside me..?" She smiled a sly grin at the audience. Caesar chuckled again, then glanced out to the audience. "Now, Miss Silver, last question. Any allies that you've been keeping tucked away? Surely there's somebody, with a score as high as yours?" Chelsea laughed, an almost harmonic melody amongst everything else that could be heard. "Now now, Caesar.. I wouldn't want to give away my strategy. But..." She leaned close and whispered into Caesar's ear, then leaned back. Caesar lifted one eyebrow, looking at Chelsea sideways. "Is that so?" Chelsea nodded slowly. "Well, Miss Silver, thank you for your time, and good luck in the arena!" Chelsea stood and blew a single kiss to the audience, waving as she stepped out of sight.

The change was immediate. Sitting down quickly, Chelsea pulled off the shiny red shoes that she'd been wearing. Throwing them at the wall, she wiped her lipstick off on one glove, then removed the ruby necklace. She seemed to be messing with her dress a tidbit too much, trying to cover up the sides of her legs after slowly standing. She kept her gaze pinned to the ground, and for a fairly good reason. For being the tease she was, standing in front of thousands with nearly bare legs drove her to the edge. Her face was cherry red, and tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. Chelsea moved slowly, so as to try and keep the tears from spilling over, but she kept her face down. Silently, she prayed that nobody walked up to her.

Akiro listened to Chelsea's interview silently. He was definetly curious, as he hadn't seen her on the train. It seemed like she was intent on charming the audience, and based on the reactions that he could hear, it was definetly working. But as she walked off, she seemed to change completley. He was in the back of the room, but it wouldn't be much effor to just walk over and talk to her, she seemed particularly upset. He stood up, taking a deep breath, and walked over to her, hands in his pockets. He had promised himself he wouldn't make any allies, but who knew? As long as he kept his guard up, maybe he could help her, and move on, or make an ally. That was just as important as the other aspects of winning, as he had learned.

---

Chelsea became aware of footsteps growing louder as she walked. Her heart started to pound, and her shoulders started to quiver. She kept her gaze on the ground and continued to make, her bare feet not making a sounds as she stepped. She nearly closed her eyes to plead the mysterious person to not walk to her, until she remembered that closing her eyes would reveal a weakness. Glancing up for a split second, she spotted the door. Correcting her hoped path, she advanced once more towards the door.

Then walked directly into whoever had been approaching her. Chelsea gasped, tripping over herself in a failed step back, only succeeding in stumbling forwards again. Her blush intensified as she realized that she had fumbled directly into the person, and was now supporting a bit of her weight on them. Another small gasp, and another intensification of blush. "S-sorry.."

Akiro was surprised, and it took him a minute to recover. But he could tell that she was upset, and that he had startled her, so he understood, at least some. He didn't know why she was so upset, her reaction was completley different from when she had been on stage, but he smiled a little, as he could tell that she needed some kind of encouragement. "It's fine, I just wanted to know if you were okay." He realized that he hadn't moved, and he blushed a little and laughed nervously. "S-so why were you so upset, if you mind my asking?"

---

Chelsea's lip quivered, and the tears in the corners of her eyes threatened to fall. If she cried here, she realized that she'd go from a potential idol to a definite target. Her hands gripped the sides of her dress, desperately trying to sew the slits together through sheer force. A moment of silence passed, then Chelsea spoke. "It's j-just nerves.." She was very well aware that she was a poor liar. But this time, she hoped her hesitancy could be written off as.. What could it be written off as? Chelsea suddenly realized that she might have just dropped herself in a pit of quicksand. She didn't dare try to correct it, though. It was too dangerous to do that.

Well...this girl clearly was upset. And it couldn't just be nerves, as it seemed like she was beyond distraught. But, he played along, his eyes softening. "It's okay to be nervous." He sighed, unsure what else to say. What do you do when a girl stumbles into you, crying for a reason you don't know? "I-if it makes you feel any better, I'm terrified." He scoffed at his own stupidity. Not only was that not helpful, that was putting him out as vulnerable as well.

---

Well, that wasn't helping. Chelsea needed this boy to either tag along, lead the way, or step aside. She would prefer one of the three, but she would go with whatever she could get. "Uhm.. M-my room is that way, I was hoping to get a change of c-clothes.." Chelsea nearly cursed herself for choking on her tongue like that. Still, she kept her gaze down, her fists absently squeezing harder and harder at the slits. Chelsea could only think of one way this would have been worse, and that was having more skin exposed. If they really wanted to embarrass her, they would have cut pieces away from the top half of the dress. But they didn't, so that made the situation minorly better. Turning her attention back to the task at hand, Chelsea realized that her shoulders were shaking. Shaking, not quivering. She needed to get out of this dress and into something else quickly, else she wouldn't last very long talking to this other Tribute.

Akiro blushed nervously, stepping out of the way. "R-right, of course, sorry." Inside, he was burning up, he had hardly interacted with girls before, them considering him the odd kid, and he was nervous enough. At this point, the best thing to do would be to get out of her way, and pray he never found himself in a situation this embarressing again. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding making eye contact. *You. are. an. imbicle,* he chided himself.

---

From her own little corner, Charlie silently watches the two talk. It was... A rather pathetic sight to see. The poor girl, while she had a strong interview, seemed to be shattering right now. The boy was just barley holding on. Her suspicions were confirmed. Akiro must be shy. Bless his heart for trying Charlie thinks to herself with a small grin. Once again, she is hit with a wave of nostalgia as shs is reminded of... She lowers her head slightly, staring down at the ground. Quickly banishing that thought. She was wearing a rather tight fitting dress. It was quickly becoming uncomfortable. Her limbs felt trapped, she hated this feeling. She had to be prepared to fight at any moment. She wasn't allowed to wear her mask, but luckily she was allowed a scarf. Which she wraps tightly around her neck. She couldn't reveal herself yet.

"Keep your head up Charlie." A voice echos in her head. "Analyze your opponents, keep an eye on the shoulders and knees. That'll expose their attack. Even their voices can reveal something, but when it doubt, watch the face and body. It's hard to hide one's emotions."

Charlie releases a breath from her nose and raises her head up again, carefully watching the two as instructed. She looks past the two, desperate to find a hidden weakness that may or may not be there.

"What you are about to do is dangerous." The same voice warns. "But I know you are strong enough- and smart enough to survive. Your target on the other hand, isn't. That's why you have to volunteer for the Games. When the Games are over and you both are safe, you'll be free to do whatever you want- you'll have the money to do what you want."

That wasn't true. Charlie knew what she wanted. Unfortunately, the one she loved didn't even know she existed. The person she loved lived in their own world. She was left to fight and survive by herself.
Raising her head up, she glances up at the ceiling. "One day..." She whispers. One day she'll be able to enter his world. Maybe then he'll finally notice her and her efforts.

Chelsea thanked the other Tribute with a nod, then started towards the door. However she stopped as soon as she reached the doorway. Looking up, she wiped her eyes to clear away any leftover tears, then took a breath. 'Chelsea, don't be an idiot...' "Hey, uhm.." She turned. 'No, Chelsea, no!' "If you wanted to tag along, I'll be pretty lonely without anybody to talk to." The offer was set, and Chelsea had a small voice scolding her. Although, this wasn't the same. This was different. Instead of toying with this boy... What was this? Blackheart, as she was called, was her mask. It kept her safe from heartbreak. But... Chelsea had turned to face the boy, smiling kindly.

"I-I mean, if you want me to come along," Akiro said, still rubbing the back of his neck. It was a habit that he had formed whenever he was embaressed, and right now, he was beet-red embarressed just trying to talk to someone. The funny thing was, he normally wasn't this embarressed around people. Then again, there were a number of reasons to explain this, like how he was talking to a preety girl, when most girls never bothered to give him the time of day. He was aware he was just standing there looking like an idiot, and that made him even more nervous.

---

Chelsea smiled wider, then beckoned for Akiro to follow her. After a moment, she held out her hand for him to take. "Just in case you get lost along the way." Her blush had started to fade, now sticking to her cheeks. She could blame it on the ridiculous amount of makeup the Capitol used, if she got lucky. She doubted she could get lucky, though. This other Tribute seemed to be able to see through her poor lies. Luck wouldn't help.

Despite feeling extremely out of touch and completley and utterly embarressed, Akiro took her hand. He didn't know why, but he felt a little more calm when he did. Despite the amount of makeup that she was wearing, he could tell that her blush had faded, but he didn't think it made much of a difference. She still seemed hesitant about it, as if she were wondering if he would say something. Should he? And there was the akwardness, back again to ruin his life as he used his free hand to rub at the back of his neck, silently comptenplating on wether or not he should test the rumors that there were force feilds to keep tributes from falling or jumping.

---

Chelsea could tell that Akiro wasn't used to this. He probably wasn't used to speaking with a girl this much either. He was adorable to the twisted side of her, the side that wanted to wrap him around her pinkie. But to the new side.. No, the resurfacing side, he was funny, cute... And something of a mystery. She wanted to know this boy, wanted to ask him questions. And not the questions that made her smile in that twisted way. No, question that would let her know who he was, how he felt. As she lead him through the halls, Chelsea glanced back and asked, "I'm not sure I got your name. Mine's Chelsea, Chelsea Silver."