Sophie winced as he screeched at her - well he probably wouldn't call it screeching, but she certainly did. Slowly, she rose to her feet, dreading the moment when her time would begin. Her heels wobbled slightly as she walked, but thankfully she didn't trip.

"Welcome to the capitol Miss Foster! We all watched your reaping and congratulate you on being the first volunteer in district 11." Sophie gave him a fake smile, but he seemed to assume that it was genuine, because he carried on.

"Now I've been doing a little research." He told her, leaning in, his minty breath clouding slightly on Sophie's face. He smiled toothily - was that even a word? But Sophie looked at the floor, feeling her cheeks warm.

"You were in district 12 at one point, the human district. A district 4 boy, who also happens to be here," he told her, gesturing at Fitz, " Found you, found out you were a telepath and transferred you to district 11, where you were adopted by Grady and Edaline Ruewan, who lost there only daughter, Jolie, in the games a few years back. So my question to you, is that correct?"

Sophie hesitated, knowing lying would do her no good. "Yes, I believe that's right."

She speaks!" He exclaimed, a twinkle in his eye that almost looked genuine. Almost, but not quite. Even if he seemed nice, he was still a member of the Neverseen; never trust him.

"At the reaping, you showed signs of being an unregistered inflictor, the first one since Bronte. You were also registered as a telepath at 12 - the youngest manifesting age ever. Are these your only special abilities?" He asked, and that was when Sophie knew he was probing specifically, and she had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Yes. I have two abilities, no more. That's the maximum number of abilities for any elf, is that correct?" she replied cooly, playing his question back on him. His eyes flashed with anger for a second, cementing for her that he knew she lying. He might know, but nobody else had to.

"Well then, would you care to elaborate on plans for the arena, what you'd do if you won."

Sophie hesitated, unsure what she should answer - she had no real plans, just surviving. She glanced at Keefe for a second, waiting for approval or something. He noticed her glance, giving her an encouraging smile as if telling her to go on. Sophie drew a deep breath, about to answer his question, but was interrupted by a bell. Talk about saved by the bell.

Sophie quickly scurried back to her seat while Keefe entered the stage. His untucked tunic and ruffled hair stood out against the pristine stage, but he still looked good - he looked good in a lot of things being an elf. Elves were naturally prettier than humans, and if you said that it wasn't being mean, it was a fact. His clothes were most likely a small rebellion against his manipulative mum, and Sophie saw that rebellion in his eyes, like a fire ready to burn the capitol down. Part of Sophie wished that would happen. His voice jerked her back to the present, answering a question that Flickerman had presumably asked.

He bombarded Keefe with question after question about several things, but mainly his mum. The physical similarities were striking, but it also said a lot about her that she let him get reaped. Apparently, when asked about it, she'd said he was like a Moonlark, and that Moonlarks are abandoned so only the strongest survive, and that those who came out were stronger than before.

Sophie heard Fitz mutter something incomprehensible, but the tone suggested it surely wasn't good. She quickly glanced at Fitz and their eyes met, and while she could barely read what he was thinking through his eyes - shoot, she was a telepath she could literally read his mind - Sophie could see the worry and doubt he was trying and failing to hide, as well as... something else Sophie couldn't quite place. Sophie's eyes flicked back to Keefe.

"Now, we're nearly out of time, but before you go, may I ask you one last question?" Sophie heard him boldly announce. Keefe looked at for reassurance, and she nodded. He muttered an agreement, but he was looking at the ground awkwardly.

"Everyone has someone they want to go home for, someone they want to please. My question is, who do you want to prove something to, make them notice you? Your mother or father? A friend, a bully? A girl?" He raised an eyebrow.

Keefe muttered something, before being told he needed to speak up.

"No-one," Keefe mumbled, almost a growl in his voice slightly louder.

"Come on... There has to be someone," he replied, a hunger for knowledge in his eyes, and Sophie knew that he wouldn't stop until he got the answer, and Keefe seemed to notice that.

"There is this one girl..." he mumbled, his cheeks flushed a fluorescent red. Fitz's jaw locked into place, but Sophie ignored it.

"And you want to win, to prove to her that you're someone she wants? That you're worth her time? If you win..."

"I don't think winning will help." He interrupted bluntly, looking up, almost as tall has Flickerman himself.

"And why would that be? Surely... Unless..."

"Because..." He stumbled, almost choking on his words. "Because she came here with me.

Sophie's world spun; everything spun. She could barely force a smile as they took photos, waiting for them to be let loose, and once they all filed out, she ran a couple of corridors, before leaning against a multi-coloured patterned wall, with two colours: ice-blue and teal.

"I guess that was a bad idea then." Sophie's head snapped up to see a pair of ice-blue eyes staring into her own. "I'm sorry Sophie, I truly am. I shouldn't have said it. And it's not as bad as I made it sound Sophie, it was mostly to make them think to change the system." Somehow that hurt even more; His eyes looked puppyish in some hilarious way, but also sad. Really sad. Sophie sighed, looking up further.

"Keefe, I'm sorry. It's fine. I can't expect us to get together or anything. Besides..." There was Fitz, her brain finished for her.

"Let me have some time to think," she told him, turning away again.

"That's fine Foster. Take as much time as you need."