Fourth reply

Instructions

FOURTH REPLY : Mandrake let out a quiet, satirical laugh at the interviewer’s question, causing his silken outfit to flutter, gleaming brightly in the sun, his woven crown still standing fast and luminous atop his head. The prom? He couldn’t give a care about the prom, that stupid, useless thing. Just another of the Capitol’s ploys to make training more interesting, stir up emotions and turn tributes against each other. All of this just for more bIood to be shed in the arena. All of this.. A weak smile broke out across his face and the golden flecks in his eyes shone through the sea of evergreen. “I’m not bringing anyone with me,” Mandrake began, casting his gaze upon Delta for a more direct conversation. “It’s better to be alone than in pairs. Why would I?” His voice darkened at the last sentence, but he continued, pressing forward, weaving his response like fabrics on a loom. “The prom is, truly, a useless thing. Made to stir up drama between the tributes. Enemies will be made. However, allies will too. And frankly, wouldn’t it be better,” he said the word like it was a dangerous thing, “to have two friends pitted against each other, fighting to spill the other’s blood even if not by choice, than to have a pair of nemeses battle it out? Surely the first option would be of much more entertainment.” Now facing the audience, he cast his gaze upon their expressions, how a hushed silence fell over the premise. A smile tugged at his lips. He liked this. But wasn’t there more to be said? Surely an interview shouldn’t be left on such a morbid note, however truthful it may be. With that in mind, Mandrake began the second half of his reply, counting the seconds until the alarm rung, piercing through the quiet. “..see it like this, if you will; a perpetual motion machine. These mechanics.. They truly are wonderful. They can perform their duties without the use of any external energy source. In short, they are self-powered.” Mandrake spoke, his voice smooth, silky, like the outfit he donned. “That’s how I plan to be in the Games. Self-powered; independent. If all goes well.. I won’t need any alliances or close ties to see myself through.” Mandrake wrapped up the sentence, but he still wasn’t finished. His heart was beating furiously, blood pounding against his skull, making him feel anxious, butterflies of nervousness fluttering about in his stomach, sapping whatever confidence he had like it was nothing but nectar. But he still held fast, maintaining his demeanor. He couldn’t fail now. Miraculously, the tom still had time to speak. His thoughts screamed at him to stop now, let the green-eyed interviewer do the rest of the talking, and step off the stage to calm his beating heart, but he didn’t. There was still more to be done, more to be said. After all, he couldn’t leave the interview on an unfinished note. “However..” he finally started again after a short moment of silence, drinking in the audience’s expressions. He loved that feeling. “These machines.. they only work in theory. They are hypothetical. Sure, ones that are built properly could last a lifetime, even, but not forever. They are not everlasting and never will be. After all, some laws cannot be broken. Laws of thermodynamics, at least,” he let out a half-hearted chuckle before regaining composure. “With that in mind.. being alone, independent.. you can’t cut ties with everyone and expect a sure outcome. There will be twists and bIoody turns. Of course, you could last a good while, if everything goes right, but it’s only a matter of time before isolation.. that is, isolating yourself from friends, gets to you.” He let the comment hang in the silence before continuing. “Independence is a fragile thing. You can’t rely on yourself at all times. After all, putting too much strain on yourself will always lead to disaster, whether it be imminent or in the far future. It’s good to have some ties, some friends or allies, that’ll be there for you. Just.. just make sure you don’t taint those relationships as well. Hopefully, I’ll make some of those close-knit ties later on, but on my own terms, not on one of the Capitol’s tricks and ploys where relationships are only made to be broken.” Taking a short breath, he returned his gaze to the interviewer. Anxiety coursed through his veins and he feared the alarm would ring mid-sentence. And yet, he still continued, added his final touch to his part of the interview. “So, to answer your question, I don’t think I’ll be bringing anyone along with me.”