"🆆🅷🅰🆃 talent are you going to present to us?" Seneca spoke up this time, confusing the other game makers as they thought the man would keep peace and appraisal from the back. Estella gave a sweet smile, keeping her image as the beautiful spirit girl, the image that was bestowed from the crowd's view of her.
"There isn't much I can do. My partner is kind enough to show. And I'm afraid, you people are a little shaken up." The room filled with curses and roars at her rude words but Seneca wasn't affected by it, the man instead smiled proudly. Letting the protest roam around with echoes in her ears, Estella scans the now clean blood-free room from Aries's previous show.
Her eyes landed on knife throwing. Thinking carefully about her action, Aries had shown too much already, if she put a high score on herself it might cause a heated problem during training, especially with the Careers.
Decided something simple, she took 5 knives, throwing them effortlessly at once and quickly that it was hard for the naked eye to see. All of it hits the Dummy in the heart, and the head then severs the rope by which it hangs. Seeing that was enough, she did a graceful bow and left the room without looking back.
When she arrived in the waiting room. Aries, as she had anticipated, got in time to see Dennis screaming in anger at him for what he had previously done although Aries responded with no regret, "What can they do to me? Kick me out of the games?" He scoffed, his attitude calmer, apprehending Estella was in viewpoint who stood beside him as they both faced the boiled Dennis that was about to burst a volcano but overcome himself.
"No!! But they might do something to others! Your mother. Your family."
What astonished Dennis was when Aries let out a burst of boisterous laughter, a genuine one as if he spoke the funniest joke in the world. He glanced at Estella for an explanation but the girl kept wordless.
"Dennis, you old man." Aries had roughly patted Dannis's shoulder with that humourous yet angered smile, "I don't know if you realize this but I got no family. Parent? Tch, please they left me the moment I could walk on my own. Friends?" His eyes now starting to glower in a dark shade, "You had eyes that day, don't you? They cheered at me, no one liked me then and no one is going to like me now!"
Dennis stopped flat, he never did an entire background check on his tribute, and he knew nothing about what Estella and Aries went through. He opens his mouth to speak a word but nothing comes out, those scowls gaze at him before Aries drags Estella away from him.
➴ ➵ ➶ ➴ ➵ ➶ ➴ ➵ ➶
Seneca enters Mission Control, feeling luminous and happy with this game's tributes from every district. Everyone tightens, it's not always the man who would be so pleased, it shows everyone that this year's game is going to go down in history. Electronic boards are alive with incoming data and information about every tribute. "The Pre-Val scores have all been sent to your screens. Please see that they've posted."
Seneca spoke, gesturing to his operators to look into it. Betto, being one of them looks at his screen. On it, is a numerical score beside the name of every Tribute. Cato got a 10, Glimmer a 9, Marvel a 9, Rue a 7, Thresh a 10, Bravura an 8, Peeta an 8, and Estella a 10, but there's no score besides Katniss and Aries's names.
Betto pauses, "Sir? Katniss Everdeen and Aries White?"
Seneca glances at the male, "Yes. Give them an Eleven."
Silence in here. Maybe they heard him wrong. "Um ... Sir?"
"If she gets to a bow and arrow in there and Aries crazy bloodlust and effortlessly strength, they're a very legitimate contender." That felt like a lie, but no one was going to say so. "Just post it. No explanation." He just heads for his office not glancing back or lamenting his decision.
➴ ➵ ➶ ➴ ➵ ➶ ➴ ➵ ➶
Next day - Training Center - Afternoon.
"In two weeks, 23 of you would be dead. One of you will be alive. That depends on how well you pay attention over the next three days..." Every child from every district gathers together in the training center, this is one of those three days where they would show their skill in public as there will be cameras displaying their training live.
They all stood in 2 lines facing each other, Aries and Estella stood beside each other, the male glaring heatedly at the Career who was wary about his high score and intimidating aura.
Estella kept glancing at Katniss who looked pale as if she hadn't left her room since the trial while Peete looked worried for her. The monotone voice from the woman continues explaining, "First, no fighting with the other's tributes. You'll have plenty of time in the Arena." The black woman spoke with a slight chuckle it irritated Aries while the Career had a sneer with excitement. Estella noticing this tugged on his shirt, gesturing him to bend down for her, "Calm down, please. For me." He glances at her, gradually nodding his head before facing back at the woman.
"There are four compulsory exercises. The rest will be individual training. My advice is don't ignore the survival skills. Everyone wants to grab a sword, but most of you will die from natural causes."
Estella saw how Cato and Clover, put on a smirk as if challenging her as they did with other tributes but she simply rolled her eyes and ignored them. "10% from infection. 20% from dehydration. Exposure can kill easily like a knife."
Aries's eyes move up, meeting with Seneca, Estella had told him about how the man was there during the trial. Scowling at the smirking man before focusing his attention on Estella merely to avoid anger blasting out.
Just like that, everyone splits into their training.
Marvel went training with spears with another tribute, showing no compassion in his attacks, Cato swinging his sword harshly in the air, unquestionably, the Career only cared about showing their strength.
Estella stood far, insignificantly hidden from those who pay no attention to her, eyes keen on the game makers and Seneca as they feast and drink once more at the scene of underage children training to kill in their game.
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