- After what seemed like forever of his costume being put on, Tangerine finally put the finishing touches on it. A brush fluttering around his cheeks, a device clamping onto his pant leg, his glasses being put on. He was ready. Tangerine smiled. It was a weak, defeated smile But- Tangerine smiled. "You look......well, .......like Bear." And instead of pushing Tangerine away like he normally did, he pulled. Dijon sunk into Tangerine's arms. He hugged him. Dijon could tell Tangerine was taken aback, breath hitching. But soon he settled into the embrace. Dijon couldn't help but feel his eyes sting from the beginning of tears, a feeling he hadnt felt in a very long time. And he let it all out. Right there. Caught in the embrace of Tangerine, who's arms began to feel like a prison caging him in. Tangerine comforted him as if he were a baby, wiping the freshly sprung tears from his eyes. "Hey hey hey- shhhhhhh...come on.." He cooed, voice similar to smooth honey. "T-Tangerine....I don't know if I /can/ do this right now. I mean- Its me versus like 91 other tributes....I mean- do I /really/ have a chance? And don't just say yes because you want me to feel better. " Dijon asked, voice strained and hoarse. Tangerine shook his head. "Are you stupid? Dijon, you are one of- if not- /THE/ highest rated tribute in this entire round. Look at me, you already have Bear beat in terms of scores. You'll be excellent. " Dijon nodded before settling out of Tangerine's arms. "Okay...yeah.." They met each other's gaze. "Dijon, you are going to blow this round out of the water. " - Tap Tap Dijon's pointer finger poked the glass. He was bored. The jet ride had felt like an eternity, each passing moment bringing Dijon closer to the unknown. He didnt like the uncertainty pooling in his veins, clogging his arterties. As he peered out of the window, his breath formed small clouds against the cold glass, gaze fixated on the endless expanse of clouds below. They seemed to get..... closer? Are they finally landing? He gripped onto the underside of the seat's handles- preparing for the landing. When the plane touched down on the lone runway shrouded in fog, Dijon couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over him - the absence of any welcoming terminal or bustling activity only added to the eerie atmosphere. The air traffic control tower loomed in the distance, a solitary sentinel amidst the mist. Dijon shuddered. Weird. Dijon got up from his seat and was rounded to the exit, peacekeepers ushering along the way. Led through the marshy terrain by an unseen guide, Dijon couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as the fog enveloped him, obscuring his surroundings in a thick white veil. The landscape seemed to stretch endlessly before him, a surreal blend of ethereal beauty and unsettling emptiness. The ground beneath his paws felt solid, yet he couldn't shake the feeling of being adrift in a sea. As the fog began to dissipate, revealing the stark setup before him, Dijon's heart quickened with anticipation. The cameras, lights, and chairs arranged in front of him spoke of the impending interview. And there, with a radiant smile, stood a molly- what Dijon assumed to be the interviewer. Dijon outstretched his hand, an invitation for the molly to introduce herself. "Hello! Im Cinere! Your interviewer today!" Dijon dipped his head. "Nice to meet you Cinere- Im Dijon, District 5." Cinere's demeanor switched slightly a smile stretching her mouth, eyes staring directly into Dijon's. "Oh. I know." And with that, Dijon was shooed away to the side where a line formed for the tribute to step into. Dijon squinted, looking ahead of himself and seeing what felt like 20 people infront of him. Even though the interviews being around 2 hours away, all he could think about was Cinere's eyes. They were thirsty. Thirst for drama, for spectacle, and for something else that he couldnt help place. - After what felt like an eternity of rehearsing his interview in his head his name finally pierced the air. His shoulder's tensed. With a deep breath, he stepped forward, ready to face whatever awaited him. As he entered the set, all he could think about was Tangerine's words. Guiding him. Reassuring him. And all of a sudden, he felt like he could actually do this. Actually win. He met gaze with Cinere, a fiery determination burning through them. He /was/ going to win. The interview would get him 1 step closer to his goal. " Hello, Dijon. " Cinere purred, a rumble in her throat. "Greetings, Cinere.... and the rest of the Captiol!" Dijon quickly said, turning his charm on and looking into the cameras. Cinere giggled slightly before leaning back into her chair. " Well, Dijon! Wow! You know, you're the real deal- everybody's talking about you! " Cinere started Dijon nodded, a glimmer in his eye igniting. +
"And I mean who wouldn't be? With your magnificent parade appearance, you've surely drawn attention to yourself. Tell me, has any of the tributes taken interest in you?” She paused before leaning in. “Any alliances starting to form that we should be aware of?" Dijon played it off and laughed slightly, knowing he had to keep it slightly confidential. "Well, Cinere, you know me- I like to keep things interesting. As for alliances, let’s just say I’ve been exploring some strategic partnerships behind the scenes.” Dijon leaned in and dropped his voice to a whisper- as well if he were letting the Capitol into a secret. “But you know how it is, alliances are like magnets- sometimes they attract, sometimes they repel.” He paused. “ But I’m confident in the team I’m assembling. Lucky for me, Ive been able to make allies pretty well…” “But you know how it goes in the games- secrets are currency, and I’m not one to give away too much too soon.” Cinere nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer... for now at least. She leaned back in her chair , tail curling. "That's certainly intriguing, Dijon. Now, speaking of keeping things interesting, you certainly have! For tribute's from District 5, volunteering is quite uncommon. Can you shed some light on what motivated you to step forward?" Her tongue spoke words that cut like a knife. She has to know about Bear...right? She's an interviewer for god's sake. Dijon bit his lip slightly before thinking of Tangerine's words. He put on a phony grin and sat back into his chair to look more comfortable. " Ah, well, Cinere, it's no secret that District 5 isn't known for its volunteers. But for me, it was personal. You see, I had someone very special to me- my sister, Bear. She was everything to me, my protector, my confidante. And when she was taken from me in the Games, it lit a fire in my heart. A fire to avenge her, to make sure her sacrifice wasn't in vain. So when the opportunity arose, I knew I had to seize it. I volunteered to honor her memory, to carry on her legacy. And let me tell you, Cinere, I won't rest until justice is served." He nodded, trying to make the people watching pity him. After a long silence, Cinere grimaced- "Dijon, I think I speak for everybody here when I say we hope you get the justice you seek. On the topic of that, what do you think we can expect from you in the future?" This was it. This was his time to shine. His mouth beared a devious smile, dimples showing. " Ah, now there's a question, isn't it? What can you expect from me? " He paused and stared directly into Cinere's eyes. "Well, Cinere," He quickly jabbed his ankle into the bottom of the chair, activating a machine. He winked. " To expect the unexpected. " The chair he was sitting on began to crawl towards the clouded out sun, lifting off the ground. It wasnt just his chair, but Cinere's too- aswell as the table prop between the two. They were levitating. Cinere looked dumbfounded, Dijon could see the lens the cameramen were using zoom out to capture the entirety of the shot. " I- " Cinere couldnt even speak, just looked at Dijon. " I think you've certainly made that clear Dijon. " Cinere purred, awe drowning out her voice. She looked at the camera, beaming ear to ear. "Well, Im afraid that's all the time I have with you Dijon, but I look forward to seeing what you do in the future. " He switched off the machine on his leg causing the chairs to come back down to the ground. Dijon stood up and took a bow for the TV. "Oh, Dijon! Before you go- " Cinere smiled, a voice that finally sounded like a real person and not an interviewer. "May the odds be ever in your favor." - DONE FINALLY its a parallax cuz why not also all of his graded things have been to kanye songs. song - stronger
