The Interviews.

[gamemakers]

WHO| ALL TRIBUTES
WHAT| Tribute Interviews With Caesar Flickerman!
WHEN| The break between the closing of Arena 02 and the opening of Arena 03
WHERE| A stage set up in the South Wing of the Training Center
NOTES| Interviews are done by district, in descending order (12-1; saving Max for the finale.) Just look for the thread that has been specifically made for you, and show the nation of Panem what a star you are! This is the companion post to last week's backstage post, which should be considered to be taking place at the same time, in-game. There is also an Intermission thread in the middle of all the individual threads, for everyone to tag around in; watch and react and have fun.
MORE NOTES| New tributes (if we get any) will be added as they are accepted.



This is it. Your time to shine.

The red curtain rises and the lights shine bright; warm on your face and halfway blinding. The music plays, blaring in your ears, mingling with the roar of the candy coloured crowd just beyond the stage. You can see your face projected on what seems to be a dozen screens as tall as houses and there's even a small undercurrent in the noise that sounds suspiciously like half a thousand strangers screaming your name.

The stage is simple. Glossy black, reflecting the stage lights and the shine of your shoes. At the center you find two plush red chairs, tall-backed and velvet, but one of them is empty. Waiting for you. In the other sits a man in a midnight blue suit and a straight white grin. His hair is a vivid aquamarine with eyebrows to match, and he stands just as someone backstage queues you to take your step out into the spotlight.

Comments

District 2 ➳ Alastor Grey.

[gamemakers]

District 2 is a Career District - one with a habit for wining, a craving for victory, and a constant favourite of the Capitol. In Alastor Grey, District 2 had another near-win. Better than the district fared in Arena 01, and for that anyone who is anyone is pleased.

"We saw him for the first time in Arena 02, and everyone is eager to see just how far he'll make it next round. Give it up for the one and only Alastor Grey!"

Re: District 2 ➳ Alastor Grey.

[greymatter]

How many people here knew his name? How many?

Grey steps out onto the stage but his strides are long and jerky with agitation and there's something altogether... unstable... in his eyes. It soon becomes clear that he isn't heading for that plush red chair that's been set aside for him as he passes it but for Caeser himself.

[gamemakers]

He still has his camera ready smile on. This has been Caesar's job for nearly 30 years, and he has interviewed literally hundreds of tributes in his time. And that is only during the running of the Hunger Games. A great many things have happened during his career, and people are often unpredictable creatures.

With the added unpredictability of these new, foreign tributes, a few, minor precautions have been laid in place. And security is always tight in the Capitol. Especially where it's valued citizens are concerned. But even so, it's somewhat startling to hear a panicked alert in his earpiece.

Caesar! Code 14! Caesar! Code 14!

And he sees the Peacekeepers on the move right about the same time he notices the startlingly murderous gaze on his supposed next guest's face, all too close for comfort.

But there's room on stage, and plenty of it, and Code 14 means 'unstable situation' and alternatively; 'peacekeepers are on the move, get out of the way.'

Stage grin still in place, he does exactly that.

[gamemakers]

Quick to respond and efficient, four men in white uniforms surround the unstable tribute.

They are neither subtle nor gentle in their motions as they take their holds, and immediately begin to remove him from the stage using as much force as necessary to get the job done quickly. Effectively.

In the background there is the sound of a curiously concerned crowd, and the face of Alastor Grey is suddenly removed from every screen and replaced by the next tribute in the queue.

[greymatter]

Grey isn't leaving the stage without a fight. The madman is sent into something of a fury at being kept from his target, thrashing and shouting, fighting against the Peacekeepers.

[gamemakers]

Luckily, there are four of them, because it takes every last one of them to drag him back stage.

Behind the curtains, half a dozen more await their arrival. One has to step in to relieve one of the four escorts who took an unfortunate thrash-kick to the jaw. But they linger only long enough to surround him further and lead the madman into a small back room.

Inside, a severe looking woman with hair so blonde it's as white as the rest of her uniform stands. In her hands she holds a syringe and she waits silently for the small unit of peacekeepers to arrange him so he's facing her. So he can see.

[greymatter]

The crazed scientist is out of breath, chest heaving, by the time he's dragged to face her, but his mismatched eyes find the syringe quickly and some semblance of sanity returns to them as they turn instead to fix on her with a venomous glare. His muscles slacken as the fight leaves them.

How does the Capitol know everything about him? Things he's worked so hard to keep buried. Is it enough to simply return home anymore when these despicable people know this much about him?

[gamemakers]

"Good," the woman says in clipped, crisp words. "Very good."

The peacekeepers still have a firm grip on him and the woman remains completely still as she stares at him.

"Do you know a trackerjacker is, Mister Grey?"

[greymatter]

The man quirks an eyebrow at her. "Can't say I do." He replies dryly. Some tension begins to return to his body. They aren't releasing him and he has an odd feeling that he's not going to like the reason why.

[gamemakers]

"Years ago, we were extremely successful in breeding the genetically engineered muttations known commonly as, the trackerjacker. Their distinctive golden exoskeleton and larger size makes them easy to distinguish from the common wasp or yellowjacket that you may be used to, wherever it is that you come from." The white woman's gaze never leaves his own, and the only thing about her that moves is her mouth as she speaks.

"However, their venom is especially potent, often causing hallucinations as it targets the chemicals found specifically in the central amygdala of the human brain; heightening the victim's perception of the emotion 'fear' to a constant state of terror until the venom wears off, or an anti-venom can be administered. And from what I hear, the sting is often incredibly painful."

[greymatter]

The fascination is clear on Grey's face. Such an interesting concept, the idea of using genetically engineered animals as weapons. The options were limitless, really. And the Capitol had clearly had quite some success with it.

It takes Grey several seconds to wander back out of his own thoughts. Fascinating though it all was, the woman's words were clearly meant to be a threat. "And your reason for telling me this would be?"

[gamemakers]

She continues to stare, unblinking, unmoving, syringe still in hand as she answers blandly, "I wanted you to understand what was going to be happening to you, while you were still in a relatively stable mindset to comprehend."

For the first time since Grey was brought before her, she moves, just slightly, her dark grey eyes flickering to her right and a miniscule nod of her head. "Hold him."

In an instant, one of the peacekeepers who had been standing to her right snatches Grey's arm and the others restrain him as best they can.

"This will sting," she says to him. It is not a warning. It's a fact.

She moves quickly; clearly a woman with years of practice at this sort of thing. Efficient. Precise. But not gentle.

[greymatter]

The scientist sucks in a breath as the Peacekeepers move to restrain him, trying to thrash out of their grasp. There's too many of them. "Get away from me!" He snarls at the woman as she approaches, rage in his eyes. Perhaps even a bit of fear.

Fear. It's not an emotion Grey is overly familiar with. Not one he wants to be. What is fear but a giant blinking sign of weakness?

He strains against the Peacekeepers' holds as the needle slides in, a harsh hiss escaping him as the venom is injected. It's like acid running through his veins.

[gamemakers]

Even after the venom has been injected into his veins, the Peacekeepers keep a firm hold on him. The white woman continues to watch, her grey eyes steady and observant in a very clinical and removed manner.

"See that he is returned to his room," she instructs as she continues to watch. "Make sure that he remains there until it's time."

By which she means, time for Grey to be collected along with all the other tributes scheduled to be released into the arena in the morning.

[greymatter]

He bares his teeth at the woman as they begin to drag him away, eyes wild, but he can't manage to fight his way free to reach her, to take her apart.

By the time the Peacekeepers have arrived with him at Suite 02 the scientist is shrieking, the tracker jacker venom having been in full effect for several minutes now. They lock him within his room and stand guard as the madman wreaks havoc within it, trying to escape the unseen hands that keep reaching out to press themselves against him.

The Avoxes will have their work cut out for them come morning.

[gamemakers]

Pairs of Peacekeepers have been assigned guard duty outside his door. Each pair rotating every 2.5 hours.

Though none of them have it in their possession, there are instructions to administer an anti-venom one hour before the scheduled joint departure of all the tributes going into the next arena.

They have a show to put on, after all. And the mad Doctor Grey can't preform to his best abilities in the midst of a trackerjacker hallucination episode. But that doesn't mean a good night of vivid nightmares won't put him in his place. Especially if he has no idea how long the effects are supposed to last.