The scenery was honestly disappointing, if anything. From what she knew of the Capitol, Seraph had half-expected something that looked like it had come straight out of a fairytale, not something that more resembled the aftermath of said fairytale if there wasn't a happily-ever-after ending. Towering metal. What were the chances of those structures toppling? They certainly looked as if one breeze could send them freefalling onto whatever they could wreck. Knowing the Capitol, they could be anywhere from 0% to 100%, if the wrong things were said. The tall feline wished he had ever bothered to pay attention to architecture. That sort of knowledge would surely turn out to be useful sometimes, especially in something as unpredictable as the Games. The sheer lack of preparation that she had entered the Games with was unparalleled, simply because she believed herself too clever to ever be wrought into the system. The irony was almost appalling. Play foolish games, win foolish prizes. Cinere. The new face brought questions to mind, but of course there would be a new puppet; their old one had gone savage. What was their name again? Sundew... wasn't Sundew some sort of nickname? The one reaped into the Games. Ah, no point in racking his brain trying to remember- but it did probe questions on if this 'Cinere' was to be trusted, after the... Sundew... fiasco. After all, it did appear the bright-eyed cat in front of them was related to Imperium himself. Was this intended? Certainly, these sorts of decisions were made with a calculation that perhaps even Seraph themself could not muster. Then again, perhaps not. Anything was possible, really. No point in stressing it. Wait, who held the interviews at the last Games? The amount of mental power that had been put into this simple train of thought was honestly embarrassing, and Seraph shook her head almost violently, as if the thoughts were cobwebs that would slip away from her fur and ashamedly hide in a corner until they were wanted again. The horned interviewer went on to introduce something or another, but Seraph wasn't actually listening until those blue-green eyes snapped to her own, piercing into the white tribute's cold glare with a surprisingly sharp and eager gleam. To smile or not to smile? The tribute had tried their best to avoid the public eye to keep a mysterious cover while he decided how much he was going to give away about himself. What persona would be most appealing to the beloved crowd? An egotistical sociopath? A cold-blooded killer? A shy yet determined facade, perhaps? The mysterious front held many benetifs, but there was the unfortunate problem that if he didn't reveal enough, those oh-so-beloved watchers would certainly lose interest. Sure, Seraph had a few things up her sleeve. This performance would not soon be forgotten. No smile it would be. "Alrighty! First question, are ya ready?" The white feline nodded, leaning back in the metal scrap of a chair they had been graciously given. Ticking her amber eyes this way and that, boldly displaying the scar across her right eye. Let the games begin. Cinere shuffled something between her paws, likely little notecards to help her stay on task. Honestly, Seraph was surprised he hadn't been handed a five-page script with how staged some of these interviews had always seemed. Stay on task! The young interviewer opened her mouth, looking back up to the tribute and smiling encouragingly. "Okay! So, we all know you were one of the many tributes from District 3 who was reaped in because of incarceration. Do you have anything more to say on that? Spill as much or as little as you please!" Tipping his head to the side, Seraph let out a small sigh. Her tail tapped the edge of the chair slowly as she pondered the best response. "Well... it was certainly a sloppy mistake." Truth. Although not exactly a mistake of Seraph's. If it weren't for their damned partner Seafoam, they would be living a happily led life back in their safe little haven, plotting away and ensuring that nothing of theirs could ever reach the surface. "But I like to go with the flow. If this is where the stars have intended me to end up, then I trust their knowledge." Looking back at Cinere, he smiled, crossing his feet. "After all, the Games seem to have given me a chance to tie up some loose ends." A very violent yet sentimental glint flashed past their face for a moment, and the smirk curled into a sneer for but a moment as they thought of what they had mentioned. Surely this was enough to keep the crowd wanting more. Cinere let out a playful gasp, covering her mouth with a paw. "Wow, spicy! So, is there someone in the Games you're rooting for? Someone you've met before? Come on, don't leave us hanging with that comment." She leaned forward in her chair a bit, hopefully awaiting the response. Betraying her youth in her actions, she seemed rather carefree and immersed in the conversation. +
Seraph couldn't help but ponder if this was a facade, or if the interviewed was genuinley this involved in gossip and whatnot. The white-furred teenager snickered, lifting a paw to her mouth as well. Such an interesting way to put it, really. "You could say that," he agreed, showing sharp teeth in an impish grin. "But yes, there is someone here who I haven't seen in a while. And yes, I will be rooting for them, so that we can meet again! Hopefully our paths cross again." Half-truth. Enough for now. The flicking of their tail got faster as they stared Cinere down, their one unblinded eye flitting between Cinere's two. Shrugging, she propped her face on her hand, mock-sighing with sadness. "Unfortunately, I don't want to reveal too much. I've got to keep them interested in me somehow! I hope that will satisfy your curiosities for now." Rooting for them. Pushing a boundary there? Perhaps. But, honestly, Seraph wasn't saying this for Cinere, or even the Capitol watchers. He was saying this for /her./ He wanted to see how she would squirm at it, if she would think about it for even a moment. Stay in her head, for better or worse; a brutal reminder of the past, a hopelessly idolized god of the future. After all, if she were to inhabit their every waking moment, surely they were free to repay the favor. Golden fur, crytal goggles, eyes that were such a vivid hue yet always seemed to lack the confidence to draw first blood. A painfully unforgotten shape; it hadn't seem to have grown a single inch since childhood, and now the tall white feline towered, although they had all but matured enough to let anything go. A foot in the past and a foot in the present, teetering between the two, refusing to sever one without ruining the other. Lingering feelings creating an ugly mess of something undefined in the middle, poisoning Seraph slowly, begging her to let go, let go. Too bad the pale-colored tribute had never been one to listen. Letting go was /not/ an option. Cinere fanned her face, looking towards the cameras with an exaggerated look of shock. "Are you guys hearing all this?" she gushed, gesturing towards the smug-faced Seraph. Turning back towards him, she nodded. "I must admit, I'm intrigued. You certainly will have my attention in the arena! As long as we get a resolution to this little plot you've just dropped." Seraph nodded, smiling. Watch me. Love me. Wait for me to play my cards. A good strategy; hopefully a great one in practice. Let them wait for something more. Let them wait for the big reveal. "Okay then, I guess this is our last question! Hope you don't mind the more uniform closing," the dark-furred interviewer went on, almost robotically compared to the amount of personality she had shown while listening to Seraph's answers. "Why should we the Capitol support you, out of our, what, ninety-some options?" Glittering eyes and an open posture, Cinere was ready to listen. And Seraph was ready to tell. "Well, Cinere, I guess that's really up to our watchers, now, isn't it?" Closing his eyes and nodding, he continued. "Everyone will have a favorite out of the lot of us. And of course, the chances are slim to none. More tributes means more losers. One winner, ninety-some dead, right?" Opening her eyes, she flicked her gaze to the camera. "But I'm not here to play. I am here to win. I fully believe that I am capable of winning, which puts me above a good sum of the tributes already. It's not just a game of luck, but also a game of skill." Looking back to Cinere, he smiled. "You should always put mind over matter. I'd say a good mind would realize that I'm the right choice." Seraph was at a disadvantage, since he wasn't exactly righting for anything. So they would try to convince the watcher of their 100% chance of victory. "A choice you won't soon regret." "Thank you for your time, Cinere. May the odds be ever in /my/ favor." I'm soo tired. Seraph's personality is more fluid than the ocean during a hurricane. I really need to figure out what I'm doing when I write him. Anyways thanks to everyone who bothered to read all that :3