Author Games - When In Rome

Interview - Jaiden Camble

The stylists, hairdresser and tailors might as well have been applying their arts to a mannequin and gotten the same amount of enthusiasm and response as they were currently getting from Jaiden Camble. He let it all happen as if in a daze only giving a short moan during the waxing of his legs as he'd never had anything waxed before.

At the moment he had been hoisted in to the suit he would be wearing for the interview and the make up artists were primping and preening his hair and face. All the while his Capitol chaperone Candice was chattering away excitedly in the background, her springy dress shaking comically as she pranced back and forth to get a better look at the progress being made on Jaiden's appearance.

He stood almost perfectly still and stared ahead where he could see other tributes being given similar treatments. He could see them but he didn't bother looking at them. Instead his focus lay inward with his thoughts.

He thought about the day of the Reaping when he and his siblings had put on their best outfits and neatly combed their hair so they wouldn't look out of place among the other District 5 children. For that was what they were; children.

He had signed up and had his finger pricked, not complaining or wincing when they jabbed him carelessly and then joined the other boys of his age to form a neat line on their side of the square. The waiting had been the worst part of it the last two times he had stood here.

This time however his thoughts had been on his brother and sister instead. Marge, being seventeen had only two more times to go including this one. She would be out soon if all went well, but what if it didn't?

He knew he couldn't volunteer to replace a female tribute. Somehow this hadn't bothered him before but it nagged at him today.

Somewhere near him stood his younger brother Joseph who had been instructed to accept the treatment and the event stoically, efficiently. It was the best way not to get in to trouble.

Stoic. It was a word which nicely summed up their entire family and approach to life.

Would Joseph remain quiet and obedient in the case of his reaping? Jaiden thought he would. He knew it as a matter of fact; it was their way of doing things.

Would Jaiden volunteer if Joseph was called forth?

Possibly. He wasn't yet sure. He thought he might but he just couldn't be sure.

He didn't get a chance to find out as his own name had been called instead. His reaction was almost unnoticeable to those around him. To a Camble it was obvious he was not pleased, but as always he complied.

He had walked up to the podium, shoulders straight, face blank and stood silently beside Candice and the District's female tribute. She was a girl he had heard about and certainly seen. Not many people had a head of bright red hair like her. Aside from that her family was well known for the windmill farm they ran.

She hardly acknowledged him and he barely looked at her.

While they had been on the train to the Capitol he had casually suggested to Aspirea that they form an alliance of sorts but she had ignored him. He was not surprised.

So instead he had politely wished her good luck and sat down at the table to have his lunch. There was no reason to push the issue.

Their trainer talked to them for a while about possible tactics but Jaiden had seen in his eyes that he didn't think the young engineer was going to make it out alive. He noticed that the former Games winner was mostly interested in getting his points across to Aspirea, only casting Jaiden occasional sidelong glances as though not wanting them to feel left out even though his message wasn't exactly directed at him.