This is finished!!! (yippie) there is a note on where the parade starts for the mods :) went for an emotional-heavy approach this time!!! Wasn’t planning much of it until I thought “hey wouldn’t it be really funny if aaron could have an arc during the arena…” be prepared for emo aaron (feral edition) guys Aaron stood in the cramped room awkwardly,shuffling and shifting as his eyes fixated upon the entrance to what he assumed to be the interviews. The air was thick with a mutual tension between each tribute, after all, sponsors are important. He never liked this section of the hunger games, or any part of it really, not the bloodshed, not the crowd work. Besides, the discussion on interviewers this year was… interesting to say at the very least. Because? Last year, a stone lion, the year before, Imperium’s very own niece! How /curious/ to say that the Capitol does not work in patterns, quite a pain in the back for someone like him, who likes structure, and order, and anything else that are not interviews. He’d rather be stuck doing a Sisyphean task, yes, much rather than one that requires him to fake a smile and talk for minutes and minutes on end when the interviewer also laughs and fakes a smile while instilling passive-aggressive comments about yourself. The assistant from the parade appears again,this time, shouting names and orders like an enthusiastic child,and he waves when they look back. The apprentice smiled, and approached him. “Anton,right?- Wait,orrr, was it Acorn, of district five?” They immediately questioned in a flurry of excitement,bubbling and fizzing like a soda,just like the last time. The visible height difference made them look even more similar to a six year old. “-Aaron. Aaron Sage. District five, yes.” He replied, he’d wish that he had the sheer energy of this cat when he’s on the stage, he wished he was anything like them, never worried whether you'd get a surprising slap from the fates, confident? Perhaps, he’d hardly be anywhere near, but it was worth hoping for, a shot in the dark. “Righty-o then, Aaron.” Their eyes glistened- Perhaps, it was the first time that a tribute had acknowledged the existence of this cat in general. “You’re next in line! /Just/ wait a sec while I…” The cat trailed off, gleefully skipping away and off into the crowd once more. Moments pass, and his crew is done,Aaron looked at himself in the mirror- God, what has happened to him? The bone-skinny, nervous young feline had turned into a canvas for all to admire. It didn’t feel right, he felt… weak. He was supposed to be strong, like his brothers, not…not a weak coward that would back out of a challenge. But he couldn't even look anyone in the eye. Why would he be able to fight, how is he able to get back home, how could he even look his father in the eye after his pathetic performances? What even is the purpose of livi- “Aaron Sage.” A cold voice rang through the very heated room, and he proceeded to find a tissue to wipe off all the sweat that had been accumulating on his forehead: No turning back now. /// vvv Where the actual interviews happens (Note to mod) /// The bright spotlight beams flashed once more on his face, this time, with colours like his very own eyes, the turquoise hues shimmered as shadows of…? Fish? Aaron could not believe what they had seen at first. It really were fishes, large husks of black swam between the headlights. Blink. And they’re gone. They stood. Like a frozen penguin in shock, they were not quite sure how one could be more shocked than that. The stage awaits, and he will respond to its call. And they see the crowd, the daunting, daunting crowd. “C’mere,A-ron, introduce yourself.” The voice called out, and they darted their gaze like a soggy owl- Not that he’d known one one looked like, but just anything that is pathetic enough anyways, and he followed, he followed the sound and was greeted with the visualisation of his nightmares. Hordes, neatly piled up,his interviewer, a cat who looked somewhat of their age- Not a glamorous showoff, but certainly charming. “Hiya.” Aaron exclaimed, with a smile so fake that it was better if he straight up didn’t do it. “I’m Aaron,Aaron Sage Osborn of District 5! How are we feeling tonight?” Millions of voices responded, and it came to him that he did not have a plan on what to say after this. “Good, good.”- Is there a better response than this? Well, if there is, it certainly was not one that Aaron could think of. He felt the gaze of the purple-eyed feline. Is that what being a prey feels like? “And you are…?” “Ambrose, dear.” They responded, and he looked back, for politeness, of course, and noticed on something that confused him. “...That’s a pretty neat purple horn.” “Thank you. Now,” Slick and smooth, that’s how a responsible cat would behave at the time, not getting emotion getting in the way of your work. Why couldn’t be someone more useful instead? “Have you made any alliances, any… mutual bonds, perhaps?”
Phew, he was lucky that xe didn't attempt to go harsh on him. “Yes, yes, in fact I have! I suppose you have seen, say, Wheels of district 3?” Was he supposed to list all of them? Somerset, Mephi, too? And all the other flamechasers? Surely, he’d get laughed at, ‘cause, how dare you think that any one of you would have a chance in living? “We’re called the flame-chase. Can’t miss the good o’l golden ichor, haha.” Screw it, at least the folks would see that he’s dedicated. “We’re hoping that one of us will win, I mean, big dreams, aren’t they? One among, how much is it? 48? I’m a bit stupid. but I trust in our bond. I trust them to not betray me.” “what was it again…? Yes, Aaron, yes. I see your friends have been quite helpful in … ah, breaking out your shell.” Finally, someone finally managed to get his name correctly for once, and Ambrose held out a paw against his shoulder. Wait, what? And it felt uncomfortable,yikes. He tried to back out, and he did, inch by inch, inch by inch. Yet xeir paws continued to extend. He gazed into the old creature's eyes again. They did not meet his eyes; they were quite lifeless, in fact. Was he so stupid to the point Ambrose was going to chase him offstage? But no, they reached out to the little piece of paper- Which was on his side all along- Which made him feel really, really stupid, more stupid than if he had been kicked out. “.Sorry, dear, I was going to ask you to fetch it.” “That’s alright!” He broke into a cold sweat, was this a test for him? / Oh, spoiled Aaron, not even helping an oldie in picking up his paper./ Will his parents be told off for not even teaching him a single inch of respect? Is this how he wanted to be perceived? “…Agh, well,what does that say…I see that you’re a musician? Tell us about your hobbies,dear.” Yes, please, finally, something they’re good at. “I do more than music in my free time, really… I like crocheting, and …” Anything that’s not… strong or adrenaline-inducing, sure. He felt pitiful whilst trying to list all the various things he did. Cricket, farming, stuff like that; Yet nothing ever felt right- Nothing felt right under his skin. He wasn’t supposed to be here, in this body. “Gorgeous. Simply magnificent.” Oh, such empty words drifted like a cloud far away from here. Their words are empty, his looks away into the audience, their eyes are empty, what even is real anymore? “…Finally, from…how likely are you going to get home?” Aaron Sage Osborn stared at the crowd without missing a beat.Like a scared deer in headlights, paws, loosely held up, and legs, shuddering in the midst of winter. No, he really did. His mind is blank. What was the point of going home? He will never make Thomas see who he is. His parents will never be proud. His hunt for power- their approval will never stop. Those little voices in his head will be part of the hunt. Those instincts? Those instincts he hated? Those instincts that he tried so hard to shut out? They will exist. They will exist as long as he lives. …Would he ever be the same again? His voice drops down an octave, perhaps, this was the real him. The instinct-driven, selfish, heartless Aaron Sage that he had always believed in. He is a monster. He is a fraud. So they can hate him.Slay him in the name of justice. and he whispers. “I will get home, no matter the cost.”
