eight - interviews

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the next morning, i wake to my prep team hovering over me. i barely have time to blink before i am forced out of my warm, comfortable bed and into the bathroom.

they work on me until late afternoon, polishing my skin and plucking out any hairs that have grown back since the opening ceremony. each of my nails gets painted a fiery orangey-red. then venia gets to work on my hair it until it tumbles down my back in elegant curls, the front french-braided and held back with gold, shimmering pins. my face is powdered, flavius complaining about me being so pale already, and then they brush some drastically dark shadow on the corners of my eyelids and line my eyes with kohl. 

after they finish coating my lips a dark blood-red, cinna enters. he's holding what i assume is my dress, but i can't see it due to him shielding it away from me, even though it's already covered.

"close your eyes," he orders, and i do.

i feel the silken material slip over my body and am surprised at the weight. i grab someone's hand as i blindly step into my heels. they are just as high as the ones effie had me practice in, which i don't understand. i'm not short at all, so why make me four inches taller?

there is fidgeting. there is ruffling. then there is silence.

cinna takes in a breath. "open."

as soon as i open my eyes i am met with someone else. someone who is undoubtedly me but doesn't seem so in the slightest. with the makeup, jewels, and dress combined, i look like something fresh out of the capitol, but less inhuman.

the dress is blood red, matching my lipstick perfectly. it has reflective gems covering the bottom and the amount lessens the further up the dress they go, making me look like a shimmering ornament. when the gems catch the light, it looks like a ripple of flames flies across the dress.

i've never been one for glitz or glamor, but this outfit is a work of art that takes the words from my mouth. cinna's gift for fashion has transformed me from an average-looking girl from district twelve into a person who deserves to be given a second, or maybe even third, glance. 

i can feel everyone's eyes on me. octavia is covering her mouth and her eyes brim with tears. all i can manage is a single thank you, but it holds so much more meaning and cinna definitely understands.

the prep team is then dismissed by cinna and i take the time to practice walking in the heels some more. it has definitely gotten easier, but i make sure to hold my hands out slightly to ensure i don't fall.

"only one piece of advice for your interview," cinna says. his gold-lined eyes twinkle with mischief. "twirl."

i nod and assure him i definitely will make sure i spin.

after a lighthearted conversation with him to calm my nerves, it is time to go. the interviews take place on a stage in front of the training center. i only have minutes until i am live on television in front of panem.

cinna and i meet up with the rest of the district twelve gang at the elevator, and i notice portia has done an amazing job with matthias. his hair is styled upward as usual, but with red and orange and gold dusted at the front so it looks like his head is alight with dancing, precious flames. he is dressed in simple black pants, a red long-sleeved button-down rolled to just above his elbows, and a black bow tie. i notice his shirt matches my dress in color, but other than that, our outfits are nowhere near identical.

katniss, effie, and peeta compliment me on my appearance. i avoid haymitch. matthias looks like someone just kicked him in the groin.

"are you okay?" i ask him seriously, noticing how pale he looks. the absence of his usual smile speaks volumes. 

"s-stage fright," he stammers. i have never seen him so nervous. his hands are clasped in front of him and they are shaking, his fingers twitching.

i find myself grinning at him before i can stop myself. "you'll do fine."

he gives me a shaky grin and begins rocking back and forth on his heels.

when the elevator opens, the other tributes are being lined up to get onto the stage. all of us – all twenty-four – sit in a large arc throughout the interviews. since the girls went first last year, this year it's switched so the boys precede them. that means i am the very last to go, and i have to make it count.

the moment i step onto the sleek flooring of the stage, my heart leaps into my throat and my palms begin to sweat. i'm relieved when i get to my chair and glance at matthias to see how he's doing. he's even paler with the bright lights shining down on him and he seems like he will pass out. i really hope he doesn't.

caesar flickerman, who has been hosting the interviews for who-knows-how-long, bounces onto the stage with the same amount of unsustainable energy he always seems to have. his hair, which changes color every year, is now a weird lilac, his eyebrows an even brighter shade. he throws out a couple of jokes and laughs his loud, booming laugh to warm the audience up, then gets straight to business.

emrys is the first to go. he's big and threatening, all his answers gruff and concise. caesar really does try his best to hide his disgust at some of his responses, most of which are grueling and gory.

astrid, on the other hand, is very airy and light. her white-blond hair and daring orange lips draw the audience in and captivate them. she's dressed as a fairy, which fits her pixie-like face and petite frame. 

"asher halloway, district four!"

as soon as asher steps down onto the stage it is completely obvious the crowd adores him. he grins hugely and even blows a kiss to an overexcited young girl in the front row, to which i roll my eyes at. throughout the entire interview, he is charming and fits perfectly well with caesar– in fact, they may as well be best friends. apparently he has five siblings, all younger, and he warms the stadium's heart by waving to a camera and saying in a high-pitched voice that's typically used when talking to little children, "hi, guys! i love you."

each interview lasts three minutes, but with my nerves, it seems even shorter. one second asher is laughing at something caesar said (which isn't even that funny), and the next carly is answering a particularly personal question with an even more secretive answer. before i know it, maika's interview is over and caesar's voice is taking over my daydreams.

"matthias rutcher, district twelve!"

matthias swallows once before standing and making his way to center stage. as soon as he sits down it's like a switch flicks and he doesn't look nervous in the slightest. he is calm, his legs crossed and his hands folded into his lap. from here i can see him playing with his fingers, the only sign of his fright.

"so, matthias, before we kick off, any siblings you'd like to say hello to?" caesar asks, chuckling a bit at his reference to asher's interview.

matthias shakes his head and the little flames on his head dance around. i notice a flicker of sadness flash across his face, then it's gone. "nope, my mother just has me to deal with."

caesar pulls his mouth into an over-dramatic frown, making the audience reply with an "aww!".

"i can imagine she's taking this pretty hard, having her only child getting reaped and all."

"i honestly don't know if she is." and that's all matthias has to say about that.

obviously he has spiked the interest of caesar and the audience because scattered murmurs rise from the stands.

"would you like to elaborate, matthias?" caesar asks gently.

matthias is staring at his hands. "not really." then, upon realizing he is losing interest, he quickly smiles and raises his head. "i'm sorry, my life is so boring that a log could be more interesting than i am. they couldn't have picked a less interesting guy out of the bowl, honestly.

caesar laughs at that and matthias looks a little relieved that he managed to sweep things back up, if only a little bit. caesar then asks him about the colored dust in his hair.

"oh, yeah," matthias smiles a bit as he reaches up and pats his hair. "people sometimes said i can be a little bit of a hot head. i guess now this can be taken literally."

i am positive that is a lie and no one has ever called matthias a hot head, but i can't help but snort, especially when he looks panicked upon realizing some of the dust has come off on his fingers. he then tries to fix the problem by brushing it off on his pants, but then they start to sparkle and then he just plays it off like nothing happened. i notice portia in the audience. she looks like she might faint.

"so, tell me, matthias," caesar says, leaning forward. "are the flames on your head a foreshadow of those we will see on your fellow tribute?"

matthias only grins. "that, caesar, you'll have to see for yourself."

and then the buzzer goes off, signaling the end of his interview.

"well matthias, it's been a pleasure," caesar says, reaching over to shake his hand.

"truly." matthias lets go and walks off the stage, giving the audience a little wave.

my pulse quickens as it dawns on me. i am up. this is my turn.

and then they are calling thalia forkshire of district twelve and i feel like i'm going to vomit.

i wipe my palms on my seat and stand carefully, making sure not to trip with my heels on. i smile at the crowd but it probably comes out as a grimace or has 'please help me' written all over it. i manage to sit and find cinna in the crowd for comfort. he gives me a thumbs up.

"thalia. thalia forkshire." caesar says my name slowly and i turn to face him, forcing a neutral expression onto my face. "you have had the capitol captivated ever since the opening ceremony. the flames. the makeup. the smile. and then you go to private training and manage to get the highest score along with our other tribute, asher. can you tell us how you did it?"

my mouth feels like cotton. it's so dry. but i imagine my parents and roy back home, and i remember peeta's advice to be honest but funny and somehow charming. my thoughts become jumbled. i can hardly remember how to speak, much less move my mouth, so the half-second i take to respond seems to stretch on and on and on–

"well, if i am correct caesar, that information is highly classified." i am so relieved that i managed to get the words out that my smile is genuine.

caesar pouts. "aw, all right. well then, tell us about the ceremony. how did you like the costume? the fire?"

"well, after i got over the indescribable fear of being burned like one of peeta's bread rolls," i wink - actually wink - in his direction, where the cameras are now showing him grinning, "it was actually amazing. cinna is brilliant with his work, i mean, just look at this!" i attempt to show off my dress while sitting, but fail miserably and look awkward.

"maybe you can show us a spin at the end," caesar suggests, saving me. "now, anyone back at home? a special someone, perhaps?"

i shake my head. "oh, gosh no." i laugh nervously, remembering what happened with peeta's interview last year when this same question came up.

"oh, come on." caesar seems unconvinced. "a little lady like you– there must be someone!"

i continue to shake my head. "sadly, no. there's only my older brother roy. after that, my interaction with the male species is minimal."

"the male species?" caesar repeats with a raised eyebrow. the audience laughs softly.

"yes," i say. "the male species. i mean, look what is going on with matthias's hair; that's not normal!"

i don't even know what i'm saying anymore, it's just words coming out of my mouth. i don't know if i'm referring to the flame-like dust or the style of his hair, but caesar doesn't press it and instead laughs along with the crowd. the cameras find matthias, who is beet red. i manage to crack a smile.

"our time is almost up," a collective boo from the audience as caesar says this quickens my heartbeat for some reason. i have to spin. in heels. i'll fall for sure. "could you give us a twirl?"

"of course," i say and accept caesar's hand and he helps me onto my feet. i walk closer to the audience and see cinna give a discreet nod.

taking a deep breath, i close my eyes and spin, focusing on my balance and not tripping over my own feet. i am so focused on my foot placement that i don't even notice the crowd's gasps and sounds of excitement. i only stop when i feel like i might fall over.

through my swaying vision, i manage to see what they're all gaping about. my dress is barely a dress anymore. it has turned into feathers the shades of fire- gold, red, and orange all mixed together. the whole dress is encased in shimmering gems that create even more of a flaming effect when the light rolls across it. i spread my arms out, only to find that they are now wings, and i try to hide my surprise. flames continue to leap from my dress even though i've stopped spinning. my heart thunders in my ribcage when an ember comes close to touching my bare skin even though i know it won't hurt me.

i can hear caesar marveling in the background, but i am hardly paying attention. i am looking at katniss, peeta, haymitch, and effie. effie actually looks like she may cry. haymitch is mildly stunned but mostly bored. peeta and katniss seem to know exactly what i am even though i don't. it is only when peeta taps the collar of his shirt where i usually keep my pin that i realize.

cinna has transformed me into a phoenix of fire.

gif is what matthias wore in his interview

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THIS IS BEYOND LATE MY SINCERE APOLOGIES WOW

it took me a while to write the questions bc i honestly had no clue what to write, so sorry if they suck :/

ps that gif is perfect for this chapter amirite. as soon as i saw it i was like YES THIS IS SO PERFECT

dedicated to holysmoak (again) purely bc she is bae

until next time!

xoxo,
kristyn

edit 2019: rip all of those comments on the last sentence of the chapter because i had to correct my horrid spelling of the word "phoenix"