disenchanted.— [abel o'malley (11m) interview]

[Deleted]

I couldn't help but fiddle with my tie as I waited anxiously for my turn to interview. I knew if Ma was here she'd be scolding me, but she wasn't here. I never got very comfortable in ties, even as a kid I'd take them off the moment we stepped out of church on Sunday. Even the clip-on ties had always bothered me. But it was a distraction from what was about to happen. I took my district token, a small stone with "O"Malley" carved into it. I ran my fingers over the carving and thought back to my last interaction with Cain.

I regretted how that went. I was stressed and said things I didn't meant. I wish I could tell him that. I wish I could take it back. And just have one last good moment with my brother. But, I knew that I'd see him again. When I got back to Eleven, we'd make up and it would all go back to normal. After all, I was going to go back home, right? I just needed to keep believing that and everything would work out. I wasn't going to throw my life away for Prop of all people.

I heard applause as the interview before mine was finishing up and quickly put the stone back into my pocket. I did any final touches to my tie and I waited anxiously for it to be my turn. The seconds of waiting felt like hours, a similar feeling I felt when I heard Props name called and watched him struggle with his crutches. I couldn't tell anymore if this feeling was one of destiny, or a bad omen. I suppose only time would tell. And then, just like when my voice called out that I volunteer, the silence was broken.

"District Eleven Male!"

I forced a polite smile on my face, the same one I had when I met Kass, the same one whenever we had family gatherings. I tried not to be nervous. I was never necessarily shy, I was just more used to always letting Cain do all of the talking. But Cain wasn't here and it was up to me this time. As I walked on the stage I made sure to wave at the crowd, get that interaction they seemed to love going. I wondered if Pa and Cain were watching at home.

As I took a seat, I gave the host a nod of a greeting. I knew the Capitol liked more outgoing and more out there tributes, but that just wasn't me. Though, I did wave again to them as I sat down, "Abel O'Malley, it's a pleasure to meet you. And of course, to see everyone in our wonderful audience today!"

[ table by griffin ]

[kap]

89th Hunger Games Interviews

~

Interviewing tributes was something that Wally was enjoying so far. It was exciting, and he really got the chance to ask the questions that he wanted to, as long as they were deemed to be acceptable in the Capitol's interviewing guidelines, of course. He wasn't going to ask anything too controversial. He just wasn't the type that really had the desire to ask those types of questions. He was a loyal Capitol citizen through and through. If it weren't for him living in the Capitol, he wouldn't be nearly as wealthy, after all.

The man donned a red suit and a short black top hat. His striped black and white bow tie was slightly crooked, but it was something that he simply hadn't noticed, despite spending a solid forty-five minutes or so in front of the mirror before coming onto the stage in front of the audience.

As for the next tribute to come onto the stage: it was Abel O'Malley. He had volunteered for Prop O'Malley, and was without a doubt connected to Six O'Malley from the year before. Wally knew that wasn't the place to start with the questions, though. He would perhaps begin with something a bit easier for the boy to talk about, and work his way from there.

When Abel reached the stage, he strode up with confidence emanating from him. The way he introduced himself and simply the way his posture was exuded confidence. He stated that it was a pleasure to meet Wally, as well as to see everyone in the audience. Wally gave a wide smile.

"And a pleasure to meet you as well, Abel! We're glad to have you! I'm Wally Wondull."

He then decided that he'd jump right into the questions as soon as the cheers from the audience died down.

"Well Abel, I've got a few questions for you," he began. "Although, I suppose you knew that, since that's exactly why you're here! Anyway, to start us off, I'm sure we're all dying to know, how are you feeling about all of this— the Hunger Games. Are you excited? Nervous? You seem pretty confident today, but we'd like to know what thoughts are truly going through that head of yours."

Wally was genuinely curious, and he looked at Abel, eagerly awaiting his response.

-----

[377 words]

[Deleted]

An easy question to start out - one I had somewhat prepared for. I had stayed up the entire previous night researching past tribute interviews, looking for questions I may be asked. I didn't care what other tributes answered with, I just wanted to make sure I was prepared for the question itself. Rather than having a pre-determined answer, it was like I had bullet notes in my head of points to hit on rather than an answer - a blue-print if you will. And this was a question I had answered many times.

"Wally. this is a question I've been asked so many times! I'll tell you the same thing I told my family in the Justice Building and my mentors - I wouldn't have volunteered if I didn't think I could win! Of course, I'm a little nervous, but a little nervousness keeps me alert! I don't doubt I can win."

Maybe this answer would have been true when I volunteered. Before Cain told me I was going to die. Before I was face to face with people like Arc and Iden. Now? I didn't know how I felt and I was lying through my teeth. In my head all I could think about was Cain in the Justice Building. And suddenly the rock in my pocket felt like it weighed a million pounds. I just kept reminding myself to keep my head in the game.

"I'm just a little sad that after I win, I doubt I'll be allowed to be a Peacekeeper like I had planned. The Capitol and everyone in it has just been so amazing, it would have been an honour to be able to protect it as a Peacekeeper, Wally."

This part was easier to talk about, it wasn't a lie. From the little bit I've seen of the Capitol, it was beautiful. If I was able to choose where I was stationed as a Peacekeeper - it would have been here. And I had been planning my entire life to be a Peacekeeper like the rest of my family. Suddenly the rock in my pocket went back to being just that - a little rock rather than a boulder. I definitely preferred telling the truth to lying. That was for sure. And I'm sure it won me some brownie points from the crowd.

[ table by griffin ]

[kap]

89th Hunger Games Interviews

~

Wally was expecting the confidence from Abel, but perhaps not quite to this extent. The boy was cocky, and perhaps a little bit too much so. Although, he supposed that was to be seen, as perhaps the boy from Eleven would in fact come out victorious like he so strongly seemed to believe he would. He had a hell of a lot of confidence in himself.

Abel mentioned wanting to be a Peacekeeper, and Wally took a mental note of it. He had some other questions to focus on asking him at the moment— the juicy stuff that everyone in the crowd gathered there wanted to hear— but he'd file away the thought for later, just in case he needed some more things to ask about.

Applause rose from the crowd when Abel expressed his confident thoughts and his feelings about wishing he could be a Peacekeeper in the Capitol. This kid absolutely knew how to play to the Capitol's people. He knew what they liked, and either he was what they liked, or he was damn good at acting like it.

That's why Wally wanted to pry more. He was interested to see if there was something else underneath— something that Abel was hiding emotionally, perhaps. Of course, Wally had watched Caesar's many tribute interviews over the years, and had learned which things struck a chord with the tributes. He knew how to toe the line, and what he could say to potentially get a rise out of those he was speaking with. Usually, Wally wasn't the one to instigate anything. He was a kind, jolly old man who loved making friends with those he encountered, but he was under specific instructions to make sure that everyone got to really know these tributes, even if it meant prying a bit and making things a bit uncomfortable.

"It's nice to hear such confidence, especially from a lower district tribute like yourself! I'll be honest, I didn't expect such certainty when it came to your thoughts on becoming victor! Of course, we'll all be watching to see if you can live up to it!" Wally was very cheery in his tone. Cheers came from the crowd. Then, it was like someone flipped a switch. His tone went from cheery, excited and eccentric to serious, but still kind and curious. The crowd quieted down a little bit.

"Now Abel," he said. "I'm sure you expected this question, but tell us, please, what was your relationship like with last year's tribute, Six O'Malley? He definitely had some fans here in the Capitol, but we'd like to know if you two were fans of each other, too. Did what he did in the arena inspire you? Infuriate you? Somewhere in between?"

Wally's curiosity was getting the best of him, and he would not have been surprised if he ended up with an irritated or undesirable response, but the question was already out there, hanging in the air.

-----

[487 words]

[Deleted]

People liked me. They liked the answers, they liked the parts of Abel I actually showed - locking up the undesirable traits of myself. My fear, my insecurities, my regret, and how homeisck I felt. But, everyone did that. These interviews showed what the tributes wanted to show. Every single person who had walked on this stage before me was hiding something. As would be everyone person who walked on it after.

But, despite how tightly locked I tried to keep everything locked, Wally had a lockpick. That's why these interviews were real, to try to expose the tributes. To expose our vulnerability and weakness. To show some semblance of humanity before it got stripped away in the Arena. And his first attempt at breaking through? Six. I didn't feel right about lying about this. About my dead cousin.

"Six? Well uh..."

Suddenly it was all replaying in my mind. O'Malley cousin sleepovers at the farmhouse, Cain teasing Six while I watched, Six's name getting called out, Six being on this exact same stage as me, and then a spear the neck. Me hiding away in my room where Pa and Abel couldn't see and crying. Crying again at Six's funeral, wishing I would've apologised before he died. Hoping he could hear me say I loved him. My confidence faltered, my smile shifted slightly and for a moment, I looked away.

"As I'm sure you know, Six is my cousin. And I love him, of course I love him. You saw him on screen, a cousin like that? Impossible not to love. And back home we were all proud of him, proud of how far he made it. He made it to day four, and was one away from Top Sixteen. It may not seem like a big deal for others, but that was big for Six. He's always just been gentle. Whenever I was over there if there was a fly or spider or anything like that in the house, he'd just catch it and let it go. I don't know if we ever really believed he might win, but we all hoped he would. And we were all so proud of him the whole way through."

My voice cracked, but I managed to resist crying. After all, I spent years not crying whenever Pa or Cain were around. I might cry later tonight when I got back to the apartment, when I was alone. But not here. Not in front of the entire fucking world after I just proclaimed myself to be the victor. But while I could help my tears, I was useless against the mistiness of my eyes.

[ table by griffin ]

[kap]

89th Hunger Games Interviews

~

"Six? Well uh..." Abel started.

Hesitation. Wally wasn't sure if it was truly there or not, but when Abel spoke Six's name, it seemed like there was some. It seemed like there was some uncertainty as to what he should say, but Wally could be completely wrong about that. Abel could have all the confidence in the world. He'd seemed like it at first, after all.

Mr. Wondull then wondered whether or not Abel was truly as confident in himself and his ability to win the Hunger Games as he seemed to be on the outside, but knew that asking wouldn't get him anywhere. The boy would claim confidence and the ability to become victor without wavering, he was sure.

As Abel spoke about his cousin, Six, he explained how much he loved and was proud of him. He mentioned that Six was gentle, yet that they still believed he might win. (Obviously they were wrong about him being able to win, but Wally didn't bring that up). Abel's voice cracked as he spoke, but he didn't cry. Obviously, he was trying to be as strong as he could possibly be right now.

This could be something to pry into more, perhaps. Getting Abel emotional on stage could be the key to getting a reaction out of the crowd. Then again, it could also doom the kid by getting rid of any potential sponsors. Wally had a decision to make: good reviews of him as an interviewer and sponsors who think the kid is weak, or bad reviews of him as an interviewer and sponsors who are all over the kid like a magnet.

He made a split second choice that he might regret later.

"Now I'm curious, Abel. You said that you had confidence that Six would win, and now you have that same confidence for yourself. So when it comes to Six, do you think he would have had confidence in you? Do you think he would be rooting for you, if he was still alive back home, watching?"

Wally eagerly awaits a response, despite the fact that everything truly could go downhill from here if Abel doesn't keep up what Wally truly believes is an act.

----

[362 words]

[Deleted]

I realised what this fucker was trying to do. I guess he decided views and ratings are mort important than the life of a sixteen year old. Knowing what he was doing didn't make talking about Six an easier. But it let me remind myself to be more guarded and less vulnerable. I took a deep breath and reminded myself where I was, taking in my surroundings, grounding myself in reality. I learned that the thing that happened to me in the Justice Building is called a panic attack. My chest was starting to tighten, but I knew when that happened I just needed to try to ground myself. I prayed for this interview to end sooner rather than later.

When I did answer, strength was back in my voice despite how tight my chest felt and how strangled my throat was. I wasn't going to let him do this, not to me and not to Six. He wasn't going to sit here and use Six's death to try to cause the death of another O'Malley. No matter how much I felt the anxiety rising in me, I wouldn't allow it to happen. I had a polite smile on my face, but oh there was a cruelty behind that smile. A cruelty I had no problem showing to Wally. I wanted to be courteous, but he cast the first stone.

"Of course Six would have, I have zero doubt in my mind about that. He loved his family so much, he would have rooted for any of us. He had a hard time watching the Hunger Games in general, but I feel like he would have pushed past that to make sure I or any other O'Malley was okay. Now, if you don't mind me asking I have a question for you, Wally. Do you have confidence in me? Are you rooting for me? I bet the viewers would love to know!"

I gestured to the crowd and they responded with cheers, they wanted him to answer my question. I trapped him between a rock and a hard place. No matter what he said it would be controversial. And either way, I could twist it to gain sponsors. He wanted to screw me over, and now I was screwing him over. An eye for an eye. He couldn't just move on without answering, the crowd would never allow it. The viewers at home would never allow him. While either answer would have consequences for him, not answering at all would end his career as an interviewer. And the whole time, I smiled politely at him. After all, I was just an innocent boy from Eleven establishing a rapport with my interviewer!

[ table by griffin ]