A/N: Trigger warning for this chapter.


Chapter 18:

Lisia Arune, Head Gamemaker

Lisia has been waiting for the private sessions ever since she first developed the idea for it this year, which is a stark difference from how she normally feels about sitting through 22 tributes trying their best to prove what they can do to her. But this year is different…the tributes won't be proving their survival skills to her.

They will be proving their worth outside of the arena.

Seraphim has also been excited about the private sessions, but Lisia suspects it's just his curiosity to see the truth serum in action. And so the pair sit side by side at a table, the only thing in the training center, along with a single science officer with a tray of 22 syringes, one for each tribute. Lisia can't wait to see how each one reacts to the sight of them, and also what information they will reveal to her, information that they can't learn from their background check.

Four questions. That is all Lisia will ask them. The best thing they've ever done. The worst thing they've ever done. Why they want to win. And why they deserve to win. No doubt the tributes will be mad at having to reveal their darkest secrets, but in her final arena, it is necessary.

"Let's begin," Lisia calls out and the first tribute is brought in.

Rodrick pauses as he enters the room and sees them, and Lisia gestures for him to approach. He sits down hesitantly, staring at the science officer approaching with a syringe. "What's going on?" He asks as he flinches away from them.

"Please sit still or we will restrain you," Lisia tells him and Rodrick stills, letting the science officer inject him, clearly not wanting to be in restraints now that he has freedom. "Truth serum that will last for approximately 30 minutes. Now, we have some questions to ask you.

And so begins the most intriguing set of interviews Lisia has ever seen. She didn't know what to expect from the tributes…but not this.

Rodrick reveals against his will his mother's influence on him and her encouraging him to murder as training for the Games, along with the guilt he feels and tries to repress. How he won't hesitate to kill again in the arena. Lisia makes careful note of this and to keep an eye on him in the arena in case he shows signs of continuing his murderous habit outside of the arena.

Nativity looks so innocent after Rodrick's confessions, telling Lisia about her supportive family that has helped her every step of the way with her transition, how she wants to make her own narrative and not let people push their own narrative on her. She shows off a bit of arrogance coupled with a little bit of being a ditz, but doesn't give Lisia any reason to be concerned for her. She's in the Games for good reasons compared to her District partner.

Kaz enters the room, keeping his shoulders back and looking ready to prove himself, yet when he sees the different set up, he begins to falter as his plan for the private session is not what he needs. Lisia asks her questions calmly, learning that the boy has a great passion for training, along with the game Dungeons and Dragons. He has had the goal of leading the career pack for years, wanting to show people that he is just like everyone else and is not an oddball, so he is proud to be the leader this year. He leaves her with nothing bad, showing how he is a very good boy and probably shouldn't be in the Hunger Games.

Marian, on the other hand, shows Lisia quickly that she is not as good of a person as Kaz is. With the truth serum, Marian is forced to reveal the ways she backstabbed and subtly sabotaged people in training to make sure she was the one on top, always fighting against the people telling her she's not as good as the boys. She reveals her biggest regret is not getting her younger sister away from their parents, but will do anything to save her from the fate she escaped.

Samis comes in with a face full of distrust towards the Gamemakers, but smartly doesn't protest them and their questions. He reveals why he has chosen not to have allies, having deep trust issues in people from his father walking out on him when he was thirteen, just two years after his mother was diagnosed with early dementia. And now he's been forced to work every day to take care of his mother and can't afford getting attached to anyone in the arena.

Sasha enters slowly, her cane making soft noise on the ground as she approaches them. Sasha tries to hold back her sass as she answers Lisia's questions, but it slips through as she brings up her mother's delay in getting her looked at and belief that Sasha had been on drugs, not actually injured, and how it contributed to her outcome. But also how she feels guilty for the way she's treated her mother, knowing she's done so much despite Sasha constantly trying to push her away.

Aberforth keeps his shoulders back and a smile on his face, respectfully greeting Lisia and Seraphim as he holds back his confusion. He tells them about his accident in training that nearly destroyed him, but how he persevered and recovered, determined to accomplish his life long dream. But he reveals a deep jealousy in him towards everyone with fully functioning legs, something he wishes he didn't have, yet it's still there, especially towards his allies.

Orin finally is forced to talk, something Lisia has seen zim do very little of during training. Ze are silent for a long time as ze fight against the truth serum, but eventually ze answer, revealing how zir parents are both dentists and ze enjoy watching them inflict pain on their patients and how over the years, ze have also done this, and it is why ze ultimately volunteered. Ze clearly didn't want to reveal this information to Lisia, but silently ask if ze could have dentist tools in the cornucopia to fight with.

Artem slowly approaches them, keeping his head low as he takes a seat. The young boy seems so resigned with the world, even though he has gotten a little bit of hope in the last couple of days due to his new ally Grey. But he reveals that in the last year, he's been struggling with the constant bullying from how he looks, pushed almost to self-harm, but he couldn't do it knowing how much it would disappoint his fathers and being unable to do that to them.

Margaery enters the room looking the part of a sweet, scared innocent girl, but once the truth serum is administered, Lisia learns how that is all just an act. Her face drops to a blank expression as she is forced to tell all about her family of con-artists, seemingly not bothered that she is revealing their criminal behavior. But she reveals how she has never felt empathy or guilt for the things she has done, including how she is a pathological liar and loves to manipulate people – including her ability to cry on demand.

Dresden comes in with an attitude as if he's better than the other tributes, but it's quickly revealed under the truth serum that it comes from insecurity that he'll never make his father proud of him. And even though he fights it, he eventually reveals that his father has extremely high expectations of Dresden and his sister, and on several occasions he has been hit for failing, even taking beatings for his sister to protect her. He explains how he has allies with Margaery due to the girl reminding him of his sister, and Lisia doesn't tell him how Margaery is completely manipulating him.

Iroha keeps her head down as she enters the room, but when she glances up and sees only Lisia and Seraphim, her eyes narrow and she carefully studies them. With the truth serum administered, it doesn't take long for Iroha to change from the meek person she shows the others to someone willing to fight tooth and nail for her children. She lets loose with telling Lisia about what Kayden has done to her, how Iroha has been silently fighting and saving to escape him, and all the things he's done to try and keep her there. Lisia takes careful notes to bring this up to the President later, knowing he will want to know about the abuse Iroha has taken.

Pascal stops immediately in the doorway of the room and a Peacekeeper has to drag him over to the table, but he fights back against the serum. When it's given, he can't help the tears of frustration as he bites his tongue, fighting with everything in him to not speak up, but he can't fight it. He tells Lisia about living with the rebel leader and how he thinks he was forced into the arena by her. Lisia tries to get more from him, yet Pascal stays as silent as possible, stopping her from getting important information for the President. But Lisia just makes note of it, knowing there is still time for them to get information from him.

Betula comes in with a scowl on their face, sitting down with a sigh and crossing their arms at Lisia. They have no issue talking to her, unlike Pascal, but reveal how they were diagnosed with cancer one year ago and how now they are just ready to die instead of living like this, feeling as if it is their fault since they smoked. They would rather die than continue to be nuisance to their family, which is why they refused to let their friend volunteer in their place.

Grey is one of the tributes Lisia has been waiting for, knowing she will find out the truth about why he volunteered. He enters, all charm and with a dazzling smile, but Lisia has been around enough people to not get fooled by pleasantries. Grey tries to fight off her questions, but once he has the truth serum, he concedes to her questions, studying her as he tells her about how he feels he is the only one that can protect certain people, including his cousin, and that's why he volunteered – to show her how much she needs him. He loves protecting people and needs that validation, no matter what it takes.

Gwenith has her arms wrapped around herself as she approaches Lisia and Seraphim, face full of distrust and eyes lined with heavy bags and a fading black eye. But she doesn't fight the truth serum and tells Lisia about her family, how she was so much closer to her mother who disappeared a year ago, leaving her behind. Since then, her father's beatings have gotten worse and she's taken to drinking to numb the pain and block the nightmares that keep her up at night. The Reaping had been a particularly awful day for her and she drank too much, and that's how she ended up volunteering, but doesn't regret getting away from her father.

Laine enters nervously, a little afraid of Lisia as he sits across from her. He tells her about his impoverished family, being forced to drop out of school, but yet doesn't seem to have an issue with it, accepting his life for what it is. He opens up about his dreams of visiting the Capitol – just not quite like this – or for a richer life, yet knows it was something that wasn't in his future. After the last few tributes, Laine is a refreshing change with just how normal his life his.

Asha, however, proves to have a much different life than her District partner. She tries to tell Lisia how she does the work because it helps out her family, but soon reveals that she likes her dominatrix work. She loves the thrill she gets from having power over others and inflicting pain on them, yet it scares her that she enjoys this feeling. Asha admits her fear of that side taking over in the Games, yet knows it would help her survive.

Sissel enters the room on a mission towards her and before even getting the truth serum, he asks her to have a Thunderbird in the arena. Lisia gives him the serum, wanting to know he's telling the truth, before he tells her that he has trained a Thunderbird – a Capitol bird mutt – and learned how it kills, using it to kill those that have committed crimes and deserve it. He doesn't give her details of the mutt, saying he wants to make a bargain of the research in exchange for the mutt. And so Lisia's only answer is that she will discuss it with the President.

Ally is thankfully a normal tribute in comparison to the previous two, not afraid to continue being her stand up self in front of Lisia, but still being polite to the Head Gamemaker. Ally speaks up about the way she has been raised in her family, told to be quiet and know her place, yet it did the opposite for her. She knows what she believes in and she isn't afraid to speak up about it, something that Lisia respects as she has had to do that several times in her career.

Grant enters slowly, frowning as he approaches the Gamemakers and sighing as he takes his seat and is given the truth serum. He tells Lisia about growing up in an average household, yet despite having everything he needs, struggling with times where he has times of having such low energy, unable to do anything, and when he starts to describe periods of the opposite, Lisia interrupts him to gently tell him that they diagnosed him with Bipolar Disorder. Grant takes a minute of silence at this information, a variety of emotions playing across his face, until he eventually sighs and remarks that the diagnosis doesn't change anything about his odds.

Lisia is exhausted by time they reach the final tribute, not having expected just how dark some of these interviews would be. "Okay last up is Jendaya Barrett, and then we're going for a drink."


Jendaya 'Jenny' Barrett, 18, District Eleven

Jenny enters the training room after her name is called – finally her turn to go – but she slows as she finds the room transformed. Gone are all the training stations and only a desk with three people sit there. Jenny is apprehensive as she approaches the Head Gamemaker, eyeing the man holding a syringe behind the pair of Gamemakers.

"What's going on?" Jenny asks tentatively as she stops behind the empty chair. This wasn't what she was expecting…she was going to show them her mediocre knife skills and a poison that is not nearly what she is capable of making, but just enough to show them that she's capable. Just not a threat.

"Please, take a seat," Lisia directs her to the chair and Jenny slowly sits down. She flinches away from the man as he approaches her with the syringe and Lisia raises her hand, noticing the action and stopping him. "We will be asking you a few questions. He is going to give you a truth serum to make sure you don't lie to us."

Jenny eyes the syringe with concern, wondering if it actually works…she's certainly going to try to lie. "How long will that last?" Jenny asks carefully, keeping on a charming smile like she would back home with the influential people at the parties she hosts.

Lisia gets an amused look at her question, "Clever girl, asking that. It will only last 30 minutes." Lisia gestures to the man and he inserts the syringe into Jenny's arm, making her give a slight twitch of pain, but then it's soon over. "Now, Jendaya-"

"Jenny, please."

"Jenny," Lisia corrects, leaning forward to look at her. "Question to make sure it's working. What's your husband's name?"

Jenny fights the scowl at the mention of her husband, knowing she has to be playing the role of the sad widow, instead turning it into a sad look. But she tries to see if she can lie, "His name was Gar-" Jenny finds herself cutting off, her throat tightening and being unable to say the lie. "G-" Lisia raises an eyebrow as she waits expectantly and Jenny tries to control her fear as she realizes that they have, in fact, given her a truth serum. "Kane."

"There we go," Lisia says with a smile before leaning back in her chair. "Alright, only four questions for you, Jenny. First, what's the best thing you've ever done?" Lisia asks her, folding her hands in her lap.

Jenny bites her lip, trying to fight the urge to say her answer, knowing it right away. Yet she can't fight the serum they gave her and she lets out her answer, immediately clasping a hand over her mouth and wishing she hadn't answered. "I poisoned my husband."

Lisia blinks a few times at her, somehow not seeming too shocked at this, and Jenny can only wonder what else they have heard today that someone poisoning her husband doesn't faze her. "Why?"

"He was abusive," Jenny tells her, biting her tongue to stop talking about all of this. Damn it! This was the one secret she promised herself she would take to her grave. And now…now the Head Gamemaker has this information and they aren't going to let someone who murdered her husband win… "And rich. I came from nothing and he had everything…"

"Hmm," Lisia lets out as she takes notes about Jenny's response, no doubt making note to tell the President of her crime. "And what is the worst thing you have ever done?"

Jenny shakes her head, feeling her eyes start to water as she tries not to answer this, hating the guilt in her whenever she thinks about it. "I…am the reason I miscarried. I didn't…didn't know I was pregnant and I still drank. Surely it was karma for what I did to Kane…"

Lisia stays quiet for a minute, studying Jenny as she can feel her eyes welling in tears of frustration. Fuck, what are they going to do to her now?! "Why do you want to win?"

"Because I fought through hell to get the life I have and I want to keep it," Jenny answers, anger growing in her voice at being forced to share these parts of her life. "Why are you asking this?"

"For reasons," Lisia answers coolly, not letting Jenny's frustration bother her. "Last thing, Jenny. Why do you deserve to win?"

Jenny stares at Lisia for a minute, trying to think of her answer to this question. Deserve to win? Does anyone who wins actually deserve it? But she deserves to live her life free Kane, free of the abuse, free to do whatever she wants. "Because I'm a survivor," Jenny finally answers, not ashamed to tell her what Kane did to her. If she knows about the murder, she might as well know what led to it. "Kane tried to control everything about me. He would belittle me or hit me for the smallest mistake. He would force himself on me, make me have sex with him. And when he drank, it only got worse. So yes, I did kill him, but he deserved it for all the pain he caused me. And I deserve to live life free from him."

Jenny takes a deep breath and lets it out, staring at Lisia who stares back, both of them keeping their faces clear of emotions. Jenny feels a bit of satisfaction at telling someone just what Kane did and not letting them all think that he was some great man and she mourns him daily. But as the seconds tick by, Jenny starts to realize the gravity of what she just revealed, and her stubborn pride starts to slip away.

"Thank you, Jenny," Lisia finally says to her coolly and gestures to the door. "You may leave now."

Jenny slowly stands up, staring at Lisia and trying to read something from her, any sort of indication of if Jenny just made the worst mistake ever. But she couldn't control it…they forced her to take the truth serum. As Jenny starts walking to the exit door, each step makes her stomach feel worse as she becomes almost certain that she just signed her death sentence.

She swore she would never tell anyone what she did.


A pit is in Jenny's stomach as she sits on the couch, her knees pulled up and feet tucked under her, staying quiet despite Kanzi trying to get her chatting. She couldn't bring herself to tell Kanzi what she revealed to Lisia, wanting to pretend that it was all just a bad dream and she didn't reveal her biggest secret to the woman who decides if she lives or dies.

She has no doubt that her secret will be reflected in her score and she doesn't know what she's going to do then. Does she own up to Kanzi and tell her or pretend it's some fluke? And what does she even tell Iroha? Maybe this is a sign that she shouldn't ally with Iroha, just go alone and take out the competition until Lisia decides she's done enough and takes Jenny's life.

Fucking Kane is still going to win.

No. She absolutely cannot let Kane win. Jenny did not fight through months of abuse to have the life she's earned be taken away from Kane. He didn't deserve the wealth, not with how awful of a person he was. Jenny will not go back to poverty, will not give up the wealth she's had a taste of, and she most certainly will not let the Gamemakers win because they used tricks to get her to reveal her secret. If they want to kill her for getting out of an abusive relationship, then so be it. Jenny will never regret what she did to Kane.

She can only hope someone had a worse secret they revealed.

The screen flickers to life and Jenny tenses as she stares at it, watching the couple bicker with each other like usual – everyone knows it's all an act for Claudia and Elliot, but it's expected each year. "Good evening, Panem!" Elliot greets the crowd, grinning as he looks over at Claudia. "I'm Elliot Templesmith, your announcer for the Hunger Games, here with the always lovely Claudia Flickerman!"

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," Claudia tells him, rolling her eyes and fighting off a smile. "Let's focus on what the people are here to see – the scores for the 137th Hunger Games!"

"Now Miss Arune personally delivered this to us," Elliot says, waving a sealed envelope. "And she told us that each score is correct and all will be revealed soon."

"You know Head Gamemaker Arune," Claudia comments, raising an eyebrow at him. "Always trying to top herself and with this being her final year, there's no doubt she has something amazing planned!"

"First up, Rodrick Tang of District One with a…" Elliot pauses, his face scrunching in surprise for a moment, "A twelve."

Of course they gave the murderer a twelve.

"And Nativity Nadal with a – a one?!" Claudia asks in disbelief, and Elliot looks at the score, confirming it.

"In District Two, Kaz Aberdeen has a score of…one" Elliot continues, confusion on both of their faces.

"And Marian Lilley has a score of twelve?" Claudia continues and the two share a look. "I'll just remind everyone that Head Gamemaker Arune personally delivered these scores and reassured us that they are, in fact correct.

The two begin alternating through the scores, and a pattern soon becomes clear when the only scores given are either 1 or 12.

"Samis McCree…one."

"Sasha Kolster…one."

"Aberforth Barringer…one."

"Orin Rensch…twelve."

"Artem Nobyl…one."

"Margaery Fox…twelve."

"Dresden Kahlo…twelve."

Jenny holds her breath when they get to her ally, wondering which score Iroha will get – and not knowing what score she would want her to get. Because it's clear Lisia is up to something and these scores mean something, she just doesn't know what.

"Iroha Kinoshita…one."

Jenny doesn't know what to think of that, not until she knows how her score compares.

"Pascal Flores…one."

"Betula Washington…twelve."

"Grey Pendleton…twelve."

"Gwenith Drezzel…twelve."

"Laine Lawson…one."

"Asha Kader…twelve."

"Sissel Wetherburn…twelve."

"Ally Ishmael…one."

"Grant Gallitan-Montgomery…one."

Jenny tenses when her face is shown, waiting to see what they will give her. "Jendaya Barrett…twelve."

Jenny sinks back into the couch, not sure what to think about her score. If these scores were given based on what they told Lisia… Well, Jenny told her that she murdered her husband. The known murderer also got a twelve…

"Half of the tributes earned a one and the other half earned a twelve," Kanzi points out to their team, but Jenny is barely listening to her, and especially ignoring the curious look she's giving her. "Lisia is up to something and I bet the scores are going to mean something in that arena."

Sure, they might. Or the score might be signing her death sentence. The question is…what did all the other people do to earn a twelve?


Just what is Lisia up to here with the scores? Of course she has a plan and yes, these scores are going to tie in to something in the arena - but you will have to wait and see what exactly! Honestly it shouldn't be a surprise that Lisia messed with the scores and didn't give scores that actually reflect their abilities lol (*eyes FQQ*). Lisia came in and got all the tea spilled lol. Any of the reveals in this chapter surprise you? Did anyone suspect that Jenny was responsible for Kane's death? I did have some very subtle hints in her POVs before.

We're getting ever closer to the Games officially starting! Just two more chapters left - interviews and night before! I feel like these pre-Games have gone by so fast compared to my other stories XD But I'm not mad about it. I love writing the Games so I can't wait to reach that point with everything I have planned for it!

RQ #18: Any guesses as to what these scores could mean? I will say that there are hints for what the arena will be somewhere.

That's all I have to say! I'll see you on Monday with the Interviews where we'll hear from Rodrick and Artem (and the others)!