Here is my apology chapter for being late with the actual chapter 14. A half chapter just for Kai and Clove's individual evaluations which is meant to provide more character development for Clove and continue my attempts to make Kai into a sympathetic antagonist (as in an antagonist you can hate all you want but you at least understand where he's coming from which is what I'm trying to go for). Hope you guys enjoy it!
Like always, I enjoy comments, in fact I thrive off of positive comments and love constructive critique ones cause it shows an author that their readers are actually paying attention and enjoying their work.
Thanks for continuing to read this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I still do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by the books or the movies, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the books or movies.
Warning: No beta, we die like Rue.
Chapter 14.5: The Evaluations of Kai and Clove
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The door closes with a deafening click behind her that Clove involuntarily flinches at before mentally smacking herself for such an un-Career like action. She's better than this, better than them.
She looks up at the viewing area to see all the judges sitting at attention in a semi circle around the Head Game Maker, Seneca Crane. Clove recognized Crane. When he first became a mentor for District 10 due to their lack of male Victors at the time, many in both the Districts and the Capitol were highly skeptical. They believed him to be another Arachne Crane in the making, that history would repeat itself and he would be killed dishonorably by his own tributes.
However, against all odds, he managed to mentor just fine and even boosted viewership amongst the Capitol citizens for a time. His "contributions" allowed him to earn a promotion to Game Maker and it seems that he's done well enough to be promoted again.
Still, something about him just made her shudder from disgust or even possibly fear? Or maybe it's just her survival instincts when it comes to those in positions of authority kicking into overdrive. Clove thought she'd be over such base reactions when she made her escape but of course she completely forgot that everyone in the Capitol was in a higher position of power than those of the Districts.
Well, no matter. It's just a simple oversight on her part that she can overlook once the Games actually begin. No need to get herself twisted into knots just yet. Not when she has yet to come up with a solid plan that allows her to use Kai and turn him against his own self. Brutus and Enobaria both failed at helping her come up with such a strategy but she supposes that's a given since they both won their Games through brute force. Cunning and deception were definitely not either mentor's strong suit.
Clove's attention is drawn back to the hall when Crane gives her a nod and wave of his hand to begin. Her skin crawled at the many gazes traveling down her body as she turned and walked to the knife station.
Given that she didn't want to spend any more time than she had to here, she made the decision to only show her knife wielding skills before calling it a day. She'll just mix it up by beating a speed record or two and even hitting the random hanging targets that had been so thoughtfully strewn about the hall.
She examines the rack of knives before her, still doing her best to ignore the wandering gazes of the judges and not shift to block certain parts of her body from view. Even though she loathes the very thought, her body is one of her strongest weapons when it comes to getting sponsors.
After a moment, Clove grabs ten knives off the rack, bundling nine of them in her left hand and flipping the tenth in her right. She taps the simulator console and a digital timer appears in the air above her. She steadies herself as a countdown starts.
A buzzer sounds and Clove swiftly tosses her knives with efficiency at the holographic targets that run up and down and across the target zone. Each knife lands with deadly accuracy, covering the floor with the shattered pieces of holograms. Not even a moment later, a buzzer sounds, ending the simulation. She looks up and sees her time at exactly ten seconds, replacing the previous record of twelve seconds with congratulatory music.
Not wasting a second, Clove turns back to the knife rack, grabs another ten knives, and quickly positions herself at the center of the room. Then she swiftly tosses her knives at the random targets positioned all around the hall. Each knife lands perfectly in the center of the target except for a few that fall a bit short due to the considerably large distance between herself and those targets.
Finally, she's out of knives and she turns to face the judges with a neutral expression, hands crossed behind her back as she stands at attention.
The judges are murmuring to each other with great interest. Crane is stroking his beard with an unnerving close-lipped smile on his face.
"That was a very unique display of your knife work, Ms. Fuhrman," Crane purrs, voice dripping with honey. "Combined with your rather beautiful physique, you will certainly go far. I believe I speak for all of us when I say we look forward to what you'll bring in this year's Games."
His tone and posture make Clove all kinds of uncomfortable because seriously, what is with the Capitol and their obsession with physical beauty. Did they all only ever think about sex, fashion, the Games, and nothing else? Actually, wait. She can definitely see how that could be. After all, the best propaganda and governing can do wonders on a society's collective thought process.
"Thank you very much for your compliments, Head Game Maker Crane," Clove stiffly says as she gives a polite bow.
"You're very welcome, Ms. Fuhrman. You are dismissed," Crane says dismissively as he leans back in his seat and gestures for a nearby avox to pour him another glass of wine.
Clove holds back her desire to spit at them and quickly marches out of the hall, the stares following her even as the door closes behind her.
She's going to need a really long, really hot shower tonight.
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Kai struts into the training hall with all the confidence of someone suffering from insecurities issues and is desperately trying to hide them behind threats of violence and a devilishly handsome smirk. He stands at attention in the center of the hall, basking in the praising gazes and low murmurs of interest coming from the judges sitting up high above him. Head Game Maker Crane sits in the center of the semicircle of judges like a king surrounded by his loyal subjects.
At the sight of Crane, Kai bites back a scowl. When Brutus told them the news that Crane had been made Head Game Maker, no one was happy, but none more so then Kai. Because while many believed Crane took after his distant relative, Arachne, his actions soon proved otherwise. They proved he was merciful, that he was soft. And that was a big no in Kai's book.
What use is a Game Maker who showed mercy for the sake of raising the viewership numbers? Who used underhanded tricks and complicated methods to turn a straightforward duel of honor and death into a show, a carnival of clowns. The Games should be kept simple, a fight against both man and nature to prove once and for all which District tribute stood superior above the rest. That should be enough of a draw in his opinion.
But regardless, he swallows his distaste because he needs to ace this evaluation. He needs to score higher than every other tribute in the running, higher than the Everdeens, higher than that brute from 11, and even higher than his own District partner. Which is a shame because if he and Clove had been partnered together under different circumstances or had even met before Evans could sink his claws into her, then they surely would've been...
Kai is shaken from his thoughts when Crane gives a nod and dismissive wave to signal the start of his evaluation. He grins in response and marches over to the spear and sword stations, which just so happened to be conveniently placed next to each other.
As Kai grabs a spear off the rack, he's glad that he'd been working on his upper body and core strength throughout his Academy years. Because if what he aims to do is to work, he needs to muster up all the strength he physically can.
He takes a deep breath and stands ready. He pulls his arm back and with all his strength, launches the spear through the air. Kai watches with complete satisfaction as the spear not only lands in the center of the target but also goes straight through with the spearhead coming out the other side.
He grabs another spear off the rack and launches it into and through the head of the same target to prove that it was not just a fluke. He turns to see the judges' reactions and is pleased that many were now speaking to each other in excitement.
Kai looks away and walks to the sword station where he grabs a sword off the rack without even testing its weight. He marches towards a trio of dummies with a posture of utmost confidence to show that he knows exactly what he's doing. Definitely. No insecurities here whatsoever.
Without missing a beat, Kai immediately starts swinging his blade with strength and precision. He methodically cuts the dummies into smaller pieces - hands, arms, forearms, heads, chests in three pieces. When he's done, he re-racks the sword, not bothering to wipe the small amount of sweat that had gathered on his brow because to do so would show that his acts of strength actually did take a toll on him which in turn would be viewed as a weakness. And he will never, ever, be weak.
Kai walks back to the center of the room where all the judges are distinctly pleased by his display. He preens under the positive attention and once again questions Clove's opinions of the Capitol citizens.
How can their appreciative (yet roaming) gazes and wide (almost predatory) smiles at his skills and physique be anything but positive reinforcement? How can his partner think that compliments from these people are creepy or disgusting? She's really spent far too much time with Evans. His father's traitorous mindset had already infected her even though the family had been all purged like the scourge they were. Oh well. She'll soon be released from the taint that had taken hold of her mind by Kai's own hands. It's the least he can do for her.
"Your show of strength is rather impressive, I must say," Crane says appreciatively. "I don't believe there has ever been a tribute who could even cut through, let alone place a sizable gash on any of the training mannequins."
The other judges nod along with Crane's words.
"This year's games will be brutally exciting! Might even put Brutus' year to shame!" one of the judges shouts out excitedly.
Kai preens at the positive attention, excited that the judges were comparing and even placing him in much higher prestige than his mentor. He smiles, ready to be dismissed so he can puff up like a proud peacock and taunt his stoic mentor with his results.
"Or maybe it will be a truly marvelous blood bath! Just like Cayden's year!" another judge eagerly throws out. "I know many of my fellow citizens had been greatly disappointed when he was found to be a traitor and executed. They had been hoping for a replacement from 2 ever since!"
And just like that, his mood instantly sours. The proud smile replaced with a harsh scowl that has some of the judges confused at his sudden mood swing. When Crane finally dismisses him, Kai bows as politely as he should before sneering and giving them the stink eye.
Then he storms out in a huff which makes some of the judges sniff at his poor attitude towards the elite while others merely comment that it's his brutish attitude that makes him a winner.
It's only those last few comments that help brighten his mood and remind him that he's still better than all the other tributes if even the judges know he's a winner. And that's exactly what he is. A winner.
Because he never loses.
Because he's a winner.
Because he can't be anything but.
Okay, now the evaluations are actually over. Hope you guys enjoyed this little side chapter featuring Kai and Clove. I'm trying my hand at making sympathetic antagonists and I'm not too sure I'm doing it right but I sure hope I am. Whelp, regardless, the interviews are next so look forward to that cause it will definitely, for sure, be out before New Year's. Until next time!