[ Rose's Interview ]

Instructions

--- It was time for the long-awaited interviews. The freckled molly was genuinely ecstatic this time, unlike the nervousness that had usually accompanied and preceded events like this. The tribute in question was Rose, and per usual, she was twiddling her fingers on the fringes of her specially designed dress. Reminiscent of her old reaping dress, the new dress was bright red with a few key differences. The edges of the dress were light red or "/pink/," if that was what you fancied. Patterns of flowers danced on the dress in multiple colors, ranging from yellow to purple. A flower crown rested neatly on her head. The designers had put some work into it, though Rose couldn't tell how much. Whatever the amount, it was /stunning/; an outfit that could stand out. The last thing Rose wanted was to look mundane or drab; ordinary, and being presented with this /lovely/ offering made her heart leap with satisfaction. She was extraordinary Rose, the star of the show. --- "Please welcome Rose Maelyn Thorne of District 5!" Rose strolled into the interview area, confident she'd win over the audience when her eyes gazed upon the room. There was what she could describe as an atrocious amount of ball pit balls. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she took in the wild scene. Her surprise dissolved quickly; of course, the Capitol would do this! Another gimmick, another trick up their sleeves. But Rose was still bewildered. What was she supposed to do? She looked to the announcer, seeking information. "Special question balls are hidden in the ball pit. Once touched, they will explode, revealing a question. Answer them accordingly." Rose nodded, heading cautiously to the edge ball pit before jumping in. Rose moved around the ball pit, fishing for one of the "special" balls. Her paw nudged a teal ball that burst open, provoking her to yelp in astonishment. A slip of paper fell out, fluttering down to the ball pit. Rose watched it flitted down, transfixed and motionless. "Well?" A sudden cry from the audience drew back Rose's attention, alleviating her shock. "What are you waiting for?" With a jolt, Rose lunged forward, carefully seizing the note from the air with surprising ease. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, smiling at the audience for a moment. Rose turned to paper, holding it with trembling paws. "What superpower do you most want?" The question was written in a child's handwriting, presumably younger than nine. Rose smirked in response; it was a question the molly had put under careful scrutinization. "Invisibility." While some would see the answer as confusing, wasn't Rose always desiring to be visible? Rose saw it as an opportunity; you couldn't be visible without learning to be invisible. Plus, being invisible and popping into visibility would draw attention for sure! She turned to dig for more of the question balls, popping a blue one next. "Do you ever think of the deaths? Of what you have to do to win?" Rose froze at the question, not entirely sure of how to answer. She tried not to put her mind to it; how could she? Death was a constant thing that Rose tried to push out of her thoughts. She always thought she could win this easily, have the other tributes kill each other first. It was a naive thought, but if she wished for it enough, could it come true? "I- I guess I never put much into the question, sooo...no?" The reply was tentative, and the audience could tell; it was barely an answer and more like a question. Quickly, Rose fished out another interview ball, popping it to avoid the unsettling sensation of being booed at by the audience. Ordinarily, Rose wouldn't mind, any attention was good, but this felt different; if she disappointed the audience, the interview would be a massive failure. "What's your favorite color?" Rose let out a relieved breath; this one she could answer confidently. "Light red," she paused, "and it's not pink," throwing a smile at the audience like she was letting them on into an inside joke. Rose glanced at the clock, checking the time. "One more question, okay?" she said, directing her attention to the audience. The young calico reached for the last question ball of her interview, a bright purple one. It burst apart, revealing a tattered slip of paper. "Do you ever miss your family?" Rose suppressed a smile. She had a lot of things to say to her family, /her brother especially,/ and this was the perfect chance. She took a deep breath and readied herself. "You don't know my family. /You don't even know me,/ not really. But, I guess I'm obliged to answer your question. The short answer is yes, but I'm sure you want a longer one. So, first things first, I have to acknowledge my father. Thanks for teaching me. He died- about three years ago. But, yeah, I still miss him." Tears sprang from Rose's eyes, portraying an emotion she rarely brought to light. It was partially an act, but the tears came almost effortlessly. She blinked, sniffling, "For my mother, thanks for [+]