#the interview.

[favathornewood]

what's the most romantic thing that has happened since you've become a married woman?

A birthday here, a wedding ring there, and now suddenly The Girl on Fire is a woman. The distinction was made quickly. This time last year she was just a girl from Twelve with an unexpectedly high training score and a chip on her shoulder. Well, the chip is still there and she's certain that her score would be even higher this time around had she been given the chance to save her sister again, but that would defeat the purpose. The point.

The Hunger Games is about sacrifice and Fava didn't sacrifice enough the first time around.

Never mind the blood on her hands. Never mind the lives she was forced to take in order to see her sister again. None of that matters now that she is a married woman. A wife.

Fava remains calm, her smile practiced to the point of sincerity, though she allows her eyes to roll. Banter is important with Flickerman. He always likes a bite -- just not too hard. "I'm not going to answer this question the way you want me too, Caesar." There is a communal aww, a reaction enhanced by Caesar's dramatically disappointed reaction. Fava giggles. She giggles. "I simply can't pinpoint one thing, is all. Hudson is romance personified." Fancy word. She learned that from one of the stylists just two days. "Hmm, let's see... I would say it's the understanding. Hudson understands me better than anyone else. I feel seen when I'm with them. Heard. There is nothing more than romantic than being truly understood."

She casts her gaze over her shoulder, squinting in the hopes that she'd see them standing in the wings. No such luck. She returns her attention to Caesar with a pout. "How cruel of you to keep us apart for our interviews! We won the Games together, you know." A grin returns on painted lips. Her fingers twitch in anticipation of what's yet to come.

[favathornewood]

Level with me, Fava. So many of our viewers are concerned. Last year, you volunteered for your sister, Wren, and this year, you're sending her into the Games yourself. Can you tell us how that feels for you?

When she walked onto that stage, she made a point to be pleasant. Her smile ( albeit fake ) was wide and she waved to those that cheered for her arrival. She even blew a kiss or two; intentionally polite, prim and perfect. She even greeted Caesar properly, with a peck on either cheek, before settling in for her first interview as a Mentor.

Interview.

More like interrogation.

The question comes fast and it hits hard, but her smile doesn't falter. "Starting with a bang, aren't you, Caesar? I can't say I'm surprised. You always get right to it." The laughter shared between them is natural, though hers peters off into a sigh. Her shoulders rise and fall dramatically. "I can't explain how terrible it feels. Really -- there are no words to describe how... dreadful this is." She glances to the audience with a look that could only be construed as sorrow. They should know how hard it's been for her, for all of them.

"People have been asking me if I regret volunteering for Wren last year, knowing what I do now." She shakes her head slightly, allowing her focus to fall elsewhere for a moment. "And the answer has been the same: absolutely not. This last year has been the best year of my life. I fought, I survived, I fell in love..." She hesitates, expecting the usual reaction of oohs and aahs that usually followed their declarations of love. "Winning the Games has afforded me -- and my family -- the comfort of security. I wouldn't have traded this last year for anything."

Her eyes return to Caesar, their gaze matched in intensity. This gives her pause, her lips parted. Suddenly her mouth feels dry. She swallows and gains her composure. "Forget about me for a moment, will you, and put yourself in her shoes. She is at risk of losing the family that we've only just become. I feel awful forcing her to take time away from Hudson. You know how much she loves them." A beat, "I'm doing everything I can to make sure that she is supported, both emotionally and physically." She raises a hand before the host can interrupt. "And don't start asking me about alliances, Caesar. I can't give you all my secrets."

[favathornewood]

She didn’t even pretend to like it. She couldn’t. 

She stared at it with a look of pure disgust with her arms tightly wound over her chest. The design was boring and basic. Intentionally so; it was meant to remove any ounce of individuality and keep her painted as the Capitol’s bride. As Snow’s perfect little princess. Satin and white, formfitting and too long for her frame. And don’t even get her started on the shoes.

The only thing keeping her sane is the necklace to come -- a Dawn Hardin original, dripping in symbolism. She needed to be good verbally, but nothing could stop her from sending a message to those that needed to see it.

[favathornewood]

We have been watching Wren grow since your victory, and we're so enamored with her, but I know I speak for everyone when I say we're nervous. Your sister is at a considerable disadvantage. Are you prepared to do more work than your peers to make sure she stays alive?

"You know, Caesar. I expected you to ask about my sister a lot given the circumstances, but I must say I'm disappointed." His jaw drops in a dramatic expression that borders on comedy. She laughs on cue, swatting his wrist playfully. "This question is ridiculous. You could ask it to every single one of us and we'd say the same thing. Of course. I'm doing everything imaginable to make sure that my sister is set up for success. But that's not new information, is it? We all feel the exact. same. way." She leans forward to whisper the last sentence as if she's sharing a secret, a period placed for emphasis between the last three words.

And then she sits up straight all at once and tucks a loose curl behind her ear. As if nothing is wrong. Another smile. Ding! Sparkle, sparkle.

"This Quarter Quell is cruel. There's no other way to say it. What's being asked of us is unimaginable. We all sacrificed so much already -- we are all irreparably damaged in some capacity. Every single one of us. We killed for security. For the safety of our loved ones. That was promised to us." Her voice falters just slightly, she can feel an unexpected mistiness in her eyes, but she blinks back the tears that will not fall.

"So, I'd like to address President Snow with the time that I have left."

Fava brings her fingers to her necklace, the movement akin to the fidgeting she was known for, but it's much more than that. She presses her fingers into the petals with raised edges, activating the dye masterfully created by Dawn Hardin.

"I have had the honor to speak with you personally. I hope that I am given another opportunity to do so."

She gasps, her face contorted in pain as she pulls back to see her fingers covered in "blood". The rose between her collarbone is no longer white, but red. It drips down the front of her dress, staining it immediately. She has to give it to Crane -- the dress only makes the display more impactful.

Caesar reacts quickly, standing to offer the handkerchief from his pocket, but Fava declines. She simply curls her fingers into a fist and squeezes. Drops of red on pure white.

"Please -- this isn't the first time I've had blood on my hands."

It comes with a promise. A warning:

It won't be the last.

[favathornewood]

Do you think you're being the best spouse given the circumstances? You know now is the most crucial time to instill stability in a relationship...

She finds it hard to smile through this question.

Her brow furrows and the corners of her lips pull down in a frown that they didn't want to give. It's a different kind of pressure, a different kind of disappointment, though Hudson never said anything against her, she can't help but wonder if this question was birthed from truth.

Fava clears her throat to regain her composure. "This Quell has been hard on us. Not only is it our first time being Mentors, but it's -- our family." She smooths the satin of her dress idly, too aware of the way it wrinkles and moves beneath her touch. God, she hates this thing. "We've only just become a family and now we're at risk of losing huge chunks of it completely. That is bound to put a strain on any relationship." She baits them with a look of sorrow -- no, desperation. The audience is on the edge of their seats, awaiting the terrible news that she set them up for, but it never comes.

Instead, she twists the wedding ring on her finger and finds a smile. "But I think it's made us stronger. If we can get through this -- and we can; we will -- we'll be able to get through anything. There is just one thing, though." Her head falls to her shoulder as she returns her attention to Caesar, who encourages her to continue by raising his brows. "I can't imagine having to raise our children without Uncle Gage or Auntie Wren."

There's a gasp from the crowd, of course there is, but Fava does nothing to ease their flare of concern.

They have discussed the possibility of children in the future, but it hangs on one condition: the world has to be better than this. They're not sending their children to the Reaping.

[favathornewood]

We've noticed some staff here have been 'taking leave', some of whom have been close to you. How are you keeping your focus with the uncertainty?

If she was allowed to be honest she would say I don't want to talk about it or I'd like some answers, actually, but she isn't able to say either of those things. She has to keep it polite and proper, just like everyone around her suggested she do. No matter how much she yearns to pop off like some of the others before, it's better for Wren this way. She is -- and always has been -- her priority.

Still, she can be honest about one thing: "it's painful."

That doesn't immediately answer the question, but she finds it important to mention regardless. "I really bonded with some of those that have decided to leave. I can't say I blame them though. It's a hard situation to be in. Dressing children for their funerals is one thing, but being asked to dress people that you've come to love is another." Her laugh is humorless, nothing more than a forced exhale.

"I haven't let it distract me. I am fully focused on helping my sister prepare for the Games and Hudson -- well, you know Hudson. They've been the best at keeping me grounded." She glances to the audience again with a saccharine grin. "I don't think I'd be able to get through this without them. They're the reason I'm sitting up here today with a smile on my face at all."

[favathornewood]

Tell us about your outfit tonight, Fava. How does it feel to be working with one of the Capitol's most promising young designers?

Fava knew they were going to ask about her outfit as soon as Crane stepped in as Cinna's replacement. It was the one question she was truly dreading because she knew that she wasn't going to be able to play nice about it.

She shifts her weight with ease, masking her discomfort with rows of pearly whites. "It's an honor to wear something so beautiful. And it is beautiful, don't you think?" Fava stands at once and gives a little twirl, her laughter airy and bright. She can feel the stinging in her cheeks when she sits back down. She hates smiling like this. She allows it to falter for just a second.

"I admit I was a bit shocked when Cinna decided to take leave -- we were very close, you see." Her chest aches too; uttering their name fills her with unprocessed anger, but she tries to stay calm. "This is look is quite a shift from what I was used to, but there's no denying how well made it is. I think this is one for the books."

She doesn't mention the necklace made by Dawn -- it's not time yet -- but that's a designer that truly deserves her praise.