Looking out the window, the clouds seemed to stretch forever, like a white blanket of snow. What would it be like to touch them? Her stomach lurched as the jet began its descent - nerves and gravity working simultaneously. She made a quick tug at her suit and ran a paw through her hair before stepping out of the plane. As she was lead off the runway, into the dense vegetation, her mind crawled with possible situations. She thought of what she wanted to say. She enjoyed the cool moisture of the fog around her. It helped to calm her. In the distance they could make out a shape. Imperium? she thought, heart jumping, but as she got closer it became obvious that it was someone else. "I'm Cinere", she said. "Nice to meet you. Please, sit." As she spoke, Cookie looked into her eyes. They masked something. It might have been her mind, but to her Cinere felt very passive-aggressive. Threatening, even. No matter, she thought. She'd show the Capitol who was dominant here. They sat down, smiling at the camera with the red tally light, then blew a kiss to all the Capitol cats that were watching her on their screens. There was no cheer, no clapping. No matter. She turned to face Cinere. "Nice to meet you too, Cinere. It's great to be here," she replied, smiling broadly. "I'm sure the Capitol can't get enough of you, Cookie, especially after that wonderful parade you gave us! You really were glowing." Cookie laughed at her pathetic pun. Cinere was smiling. Genuinely or not, she didn't care. "Let's not waste any more time. We'll get into it, shall we?" "Yes, let's," she nodded. "Alright Cookie, tell us about yourself. Family, childhood, anything." Cookie nodded. It was a broad question, good to start off with. "I come from a family of bakers, hence my name," she laughed, and Cinere laughed with her. "I actually got into all sorts of trouble back at home," she continued. "They called me Cookie Cutter. I think I've mentioned that before, but I never told the Capitol why." She leaned closer to Cinere, as if sharing a secret. "I used to get into fights," she said. "And the crowd would always bet on me." Cinere seemed to like that. "Ooh, watch out tributes - Cookie Cutter's coming your way," she said with a giggle. Was she mocking her, or helping her? It was hard to tell. "Who or what will you be thinking of when you're in the arena?" Cinere asked. Cookie wanted to answer, "Cream. She's my best friend." But that would have been pathetic. Instead, she hardened her gaze. "I think of no one but myself," they said, flicking their hair back. "And I don't think that's a bad thing. If you fight for someone else, you're no longer in control of yourself. So rest assured I will be in full control." "Good, good," Cinere said, almost absent-mindedly, preparing her next question. "Is there anything else about you that will help you win the Games? Anything up your sleeve?" Cookie took a moment to think. She turned to the camera. "My secret trick," she said, smiling her sly smile. "Is you guys." "Remember, always back the winner. And I'm the winner."
