savages.

four.

Joe

The training scores from the private sessions come painfully quickly. Each tribute had one-on-one sessions with the Gamemakers with an opportunity to showcase their talents. Based off of these, they would be rewarded with a score between one and twelve, with one being horrific and twelve being unreachable for almost everyone. The scores were a base for sponsors, who could begin to place bets based off of how strong (or weak) the tributes seemed to be.

There weren't really many shocking scores, with the careers each scoring between 8 and 10 as usual, and both of the District Four tributes scoring tens. There weren't too many dreadfully low scores, apart from the odd 3, but to Joe's surprise, the District 6 boy scored an eleven. When he asked his mentors, they brushed it off, claiming it was likely a punishment for hitting a Capitol citizen. "How could a high score be a punishment?" Leah, Joe's fellow tribute questioned.

Rolling his eyes, Joe glanced over to her. "Because it makes him a walking target. The careers are gonna see him as a threat, and he'll be first on their hit list," he explained as if it were obvious.

Seemingly annoyed by his arrogance, Leah returned to the screen. The District 10 tributes scored rather low; the male scoring a 5 and the girl a 4, and then it was Joe's turn. Joe hadn't really done anything too remarkable, merely thrown a few spears at dummies and prayed someone was watching, and so he scored an average 6. He brushed it off as if it didn't bother him, but deep down he knew he longed for a higher score and a stronger chance.

After him was Leah, who also scored a six, and then the scrawny District 12 boy who scored a 3, and the girl who scored a 4. Overall, it seemed as if there was a fairly average pool of tributes this year, but Joe couldn't shake the feeling that there was more behind the masks of each of these tributes, especially considering the 6 boy's score.

x

Now that training were over, it was time for the interviews. After his mediocre score, Joe's designers decided not to shoot for extravagant for his outfit interview, and so he was simply fitted into a metallic-looking suit with a leaf-like pattern embroidered onto the sleeves. With a sign, Joe entered the waiting room and attempted to ignore all of the other tributes.

The interviews were held the night before the games, and were a huge factor in them. They portrayed the characteristics of each of the tributes, and allowed the audience to pick apart who they believed to be a suitable tribute to sponsor. For many people, these interviews could be the difference between life and death.

Joe cast his mind back to his mentor's advice, which was fairly simple: no arrogance. That in itself felt impossible as it was all he knew; being from District 11, Joe had forced himself to build an almost snobby exterior in order to defend himself from all of the harsh realities of his life. Most people joked that he'd fit right into the wealthier districts or even the Capitol, which Joe scoffed at. Even he hated them.

Before he knew it the show had begun, and the presenter- a small, round woman named Lowe- was projecting her booming voice to the crowd. As always, she was overly excited for the games, and encouraged the audience to share her sentiment. Muttering insults under his breath, Joe attempted to block her out- until the interviews began.

Up first was the District One girl. She was small, yet an undeniable Career by the way she carried herself; her posture was almost laid back despite the conditions, her gaze nothing but fiery. She was dressed in warm colours, and the fabric wrapped around her body to show off how toned she was. She presented herself as a shy yet somewhat fiery girl, casually brushing off Lowe's compliments yet promising a show, bitterly hinting towards enemies she'd already made.