"Aaaand we are done!" His stylist excitedly squeaked, proceeding to scurry away like a mouse. Mephi's ruby eyes reflected back at him. A large black coat hung onto his shoulders like a cape. On closer inspection, the coat's fabric had a shimmery layer sewn on, making the fabric remind Mephi of the rippling ocean at midnight. His face was shaded beneath a large rimmed hat, almost as if to keep at the concept of phantom thief. Gold accessories hung off his mostly black outfit. Adjusting his hair one final time, he headed to the stage. "Welcome welcome Mephi of district 10!" The host flashed a dazzling smile, causing Mephi to squint his eyes. "Pleasure to be here~" Mephi responded politely, dipping into a theatrical bow. What followed was some useless banter back and forth between the two individuals. "Now, getting to the point" the Host narrowed their eyes in attempted seriousness "lets start with the questions". "first question" The once dizzying lights that surrounded Mephi disappeared, now only the stage lights remained, focused on Mephi. "What is your plan in the arena?" Mephi paused for a moment, face scrunched as if thinking up a good response. His eyes seemed to light up as if he had just come up with an answer. "Ah..I am planning to go with some /friends/ you know?" spinning to face the crowd, he continued "going alone would be quite lonely you know~". "What advantages do you see in allying yourself with others will bring?" the Hosts previous smile was gone, replaced with steel cold sharpness. Mephi smirked a little. "Well having more /friends/ will make my life in the arena much more comfortable" holding up three fingers, he listed his reasons. "They let you get decent rest, protect you from the dangers of the arena, and most importantly, can help you stay warm in a cold night". He meant it literally, in the case where the arena was a cold environment, more allies to sleep with meant more warmth could be shared. A tinge of grief stabbed his heart as he remembered every cold winter night he spent cuddled with his friends, trying to stay warm. "How would you feel if your allies betray you? What would you do in response?" The lights seemed to get dimmer with each question. "Its just a fact of the arena, we will all inevitably face off". Sighing casually he added "Of course i would still seek to avenge myself, betrayal shouldn't be taken lightly". His eyes narrowed darkly at his own words. "Are you grateful for your friends volunteering you to prevent you from being sent to the gallows with them?" Mephi's eyes widened at the unexpected question. A cold silence followed, only to be broken by mad laughter. Breaking his composure for the first time, his eyes seeming to hold anguish and anger at the same time. "HAHAHAHAHhahahahaha...." his laughter slowly faded, letting the cold silence return. "No...i should have joined them". A weak voice whispered out. His voice sounded hollow, apathetic to the cold reality of living. His friends were the only ones that had ever been there for him, raising him like a younger brother. They were his meaning in life. Without them, what exactly was he? "Grateful? absolutely" he hissed his words out, as if forcing that lie out " thanks to them, my lease on life has been...extended". The Host viewed him with doubtful eyes. "That is all for today...thank you for participating in this interview Mephi of district /10/". The Host emphasized the 10, as if to remind him he originally belonged to district 2. "My pleasure~" Forcing a smile, Mephi dipped into a respectful bow once more, giving a mischievous wink as he twirled gracefully, seemingly turning into smoke before their eyes before disappearing.
