Warning: Contains some pretty homophobic language at one point. I'll tell you when.
I want to say that it is NOT my view at all.
District 1 Private sessions
Kiera Jewel: Gamemaker
The male from One is the first to walk in like usual. He looks calm, but he positively radiates energy. He walks over to the bows and he shoots, getting a good 9 out of 10.
Then, he asks the sword trainer to spar with him. He was extremely good but his moves were all fairly basic.
His session is a shorter one, only taking about 20 minutes. We dismiss him and he walks out.
Lesli Jewel: Gamemaker
The girl walks in next shortly after the boy finishes, positively oozing confidence. She first goes over to the punching bags and after a few minutes manages to knock one of the hook, a feat normally only possible by the Two male.
Like her male counterpart she gets the trainer to spar with her, though she uses a knife. Whilst her moves were more complicated, and she positively oozed raw talent the male had slightly more skill with his sword.
She bows and then walks out.
District 2 private sessions
Siron Kings: Gamemaker
The boy from Two walks in and I sit up straight. Careers are always interesting and the tributes from One seemed particularly strong.
He walks over and grabs a whip, a seldom used weapon for their unpredictability. I check his file and realise his mother was a Victor famous for her use of whips.
He then goes over to the camouflage section and dips his whip in the paints.
Then, things get interesting.
He then confusingly, puts the whip down and picks up one of the lighter dummies. He fashions a noose, a fairly common thing for tributes to do. He hoists the dummy up and picks the up the whip.
He thrashes the dummy several times and then grabs a knife. In a single move he breaks the rope he used for the noose.
The only evidence of his painted whip is a single red line.
Sierra Ronans (D2 female)
I walk in to the Gamemakers whispering excitedly about 'perfect Ulrich!'
Just another person for me to be overshadowed by.
I choose a harsh looking knife and walk over to a dummy, thrashing at it with all my might. At one point it slips out of my hand but I don't think anyone noticed.
My session is over surprisingly quickly and I leave with no idea about how I did.
District 3 private sessions
Jerali File: Gamemaker
It is my first year as a gamemaker and I am determined to prove myself. To make people forget my roots in District 5.
The boy from 3 walks in looking like he was about to be sick. I instantly write 'Bloodbath likely' on my notes.
During training he focused mostly on electronics so it is no surprise when that is what he walks over to. He quickly creates a torch, something he did in training, but when he tries to turn it on it dies almost immediately.
The boy looked like he was about to cry so I ignored my duties and rushed up to comfort him.
"Just try again." I said in the most comforting voice possible. He was about 18 but his emotions were probably running high. After all, he was about to die.
I went back up to my seat, ignoring the glares and watched him try again.
This time the beam was stronger and I inwardly smiled.
It was a shame Gamemakers weren't allowed to sponser people.
Rosabel Atkinson (D3 female)
I smile at the tear stains on Blake's face when he walks out. I think about trying to rattle him but he already looks shaky enough.
I walk in, trying to give an aura of shyness and smile at the Gamemakers.
Most of the week has been spent with the pathetic younger tributes and I having really done much training so I decided to pretend I'm more weak than I actually am.
I grab a bunch of throwing knives and aim, purposely missing the target by a good two inches.
I progress to hitting the very edge, not wanting to get below a 3 and smile at the idiots on the chairs 'shyly.'
Soon they dismiss me and I wave.
Idiots.
District 4 Private Sessions
Ian Shark (D4 male)
I walk into the private sessions, waving at Isolde. We have discussed what we are going to do together but neither of us have any idea what the others are doing.
I grab a trident and shove it at the dummies with all of my strength. Almost instantly a hole appears in it. I smile confidently. Perfect.
Sadly, there isn't a swimming pool so I can't show of that talent so I satisfy myself with weaving a net and tying up all the knives.
The other tributes can have fun getting that free.
Rika Finks: Gamemaker
The boy from Four finishes with a slightly smirk on his face and after dismissal walks out.
The girl then comes in. They both seem arrogant but they don't ooze it like the other careers. From what I've noticed in the past games are that the careers are never the interesting ones.
The girl walks over to the archery station and shoots. As expected she has about 95% accuracy. She's likely to score high.
She goes over to the knives but when she sees them tangled up in the net she rolls her eyes and grabs a spear.
She shoots several into either the heart or head, only having one slight mishap where she misaimed.
Soon she is finished and we dismiss her.
4 down, 8 to go.
District 5 Private Sessions
Geoffrey Wattson (D5 male)
I walk into the room already confident in what I will do.
I go over to the berry station and begin to sort between the poisonous berries and the good ones. I will not get a high score but maybe that's for the best.
When I have finished, I stuff all the good ones I can identify, in my mouth. I don't know if I got all of them but I know that only good berries are in my pile.
Perfect.
The Gamemakers look stunned and I almost laugh.
"You can go now Mr... Watson." A tall man says and I salute them and walk out.
Fun.
Barri Host: Gamemaker
After the crazy boy left, the girl walked in. She seemed the most sane of all the tributes we've had so far. She wasn't shy or crying but she wasn't arrogant.
And she didn't go stuffing a shitload of berries into her face.
First she went running around, I assume to show us how fast she was. No one really payed much attention to her. She was just an outlier.
She then started climbing, oblivious to how boring she was being, yet again I marked bloodbath on my sheet.
Finally she left.
I needed a drink and fast.
District 6 private sessions:
Berry Stanz: Gamemaker
When the boy from 6 came in I was about ready to give up. Me and my friends had invented a hilarious shot game where everytime a tribute screwed up or was just plain boring we took a shot. So far I'd only had 3 and I was getting bored.
The boy walked in with his head ducked and it became clear he hadn't thought about what he was doing. He threw a few weights and fucked around with a spear for a while and eventually his session was over.
I looked at my friends and in perfect sync we took a shot.
Seryl Hades: Gamemaker
When the girl from 6 walked in, I sat up straighter. She obviously wasn't weak and from what I'd observed she had a pretty strong alliance.
She was a definite contender for the games.
First she went over to the knives and with a bit of effort, untangled the net. She threw a few and whilst she wasn't as good as the careers she got a good 75% accuracy. Amazing for an outlier.
If only her partner had done so well.
District 7 private Sessions:
Lysander Reed (D7 male)
I walk into the training room and instantly the Gamemakers start tittering about my height.
I grab an axe and send it into the dummy. I'm not strong but I know the right angle to send it flying. The Gamemakers look shocked and I smirk. I struggled a bit, changing from right hand to left but all those hours at training paid off.
Shame I didn't really do anything else.
The Gamemakers that were actually watching look shocked so I do it again, enjoying the expressions on their faces.
It's the first time in my life I've played a 'trick.'
Shame it'll also be the last.
Necklace (Lacey) Smith: Gamemaker
The boy from 7 walks out and everyone stares at him in shock. He must be the shortest tribute here and he fucking demolished a dummy!
Soon the girl walked in and we all went back to eating. She has the kind of hair that'll never look quite clean and a heavily freckled face.
She picked up a bow and shot it. 70% of the time she hit the middle and she almost always hit the target.
Her session didn't drag on like some do and soon she was dismissed.
Only 5 more to go.
District 8 Private Sessions:
Hershel Kundert (D8 male)
I walk into the session trembling lightly, I won't get a high score. I'm only doing what so many have done before me.
I look for a sword I can lift and pull it up.
"Could someone spar with me?" There is a lot of sighing before the sword trainer finally gets up. He stands in front of me and I lunge. He quickly dodges and we spar for a few minutes before he disarms me.
That could have gone worse.
Bracelet (Lettie) Smith: Gamemaker
The boy from 8's session was painful and when yet another 12 year old walks in I groan loudly. My sister Lacey glares at me but I just roll my eyes and contemplate going to sleep.
She pulls out a knife and walks over to the dummy, she wasn't as bad as I was expecting but it was still pretty boring.
By this point most of us were pretty intoxicated and I poke the guy next to me, "How long before she dies?" I laugh and he smiles at me.
Soon the poor things session was over and I bang my head on the table. They don't pay us enough for this shit.
District 9 Private Sessions:
Paisley Forthreight: Gamemaker
The boy from 9 walks in and starts cutting the heads off dummies with a scythe or some shit like that. I begin yawning and getting ready to take a shot.
Thank Gods his session is quickly over and I grab my glass.
Alcohol is my saviour today.
Jegi Girds: Gamemaker
The girl from 9 comes in and I roll my eyes.
Another small kid of course. She must be about 15 but she seems extremely physically weak.
She grabs a knife and slashes at a dummy for a while. She clearly has no idea what to do.
She then goes over to the electronics station and picks up a fake bomb. The aim is to detonate it in 30 seconds of less and she does it in 47.
Eventually her training session is over but I don't too excited.
We still have 3 districts to go.
Maybe I should get in on the shot game.
District 10 Private Sessions
Bruce Tauron (D10 male)
I walk over to the where I think the knives are and pick one up. It feels similar to the one I used in the slaughter house.
I feel around until I find a dummy and flip it so it is on it's side and I kill it the way I would kill a cow. I must have accidentally picked one with fake blood in it because soon it is spurting out and getting in my face.
The Gamemakers laugh at my surprised expression and I am filled with hot rage.
Normally I am good at keeping my temper but today I just get up and walk out, flipping the Gamemakers the 'birdie.' It is a little known gesture that an older kid taught me.
It means fuck you.
HOMOPHOBIA WARNING
Shengi Baker: Gamemaker
After the boys bold display, the little dyke from 10 walks in. I have already marked the one from 5 to get torn up by mutts if she survives the bloodbath. We are placing both of them from 2 careers.
No one else wanted me to but I have the final say in placements.
Like a little idiot she walks over to the knives and I scoff at her. She's probably shit.
No one like her can be good at anything beneficial.
Surprisingly she does a fairly ok job and then she is dismissed.
I rush over to the sink and wash my hands.
I don't want to catch anything from her.
HOMOPHOBIA OVER
District 11 Private Sessions:
Baron Jacks
The boy from 11 hops in and runs up the fake trees. He does this for a while, seemingly not caring about making a good impression.
He then goes over to the plants and gives them all names. Not there actual names however.
We apparently have a piece of holly called 'Bob.'
Just as we are getting bored, something happens.
He walks over to the berry station and I think he is going to sort them or something when he shoves a big handful in his mouth.
The effect is almost immediate.
In seconds he is on the floor convulsing and I run to him desperately trying to make him be sick.
Someone analyses the berries he ate.
"It's nothing that will kill him now they're out of his body." She says and I breath a sigh of relief.
It would be a shame to replace him this far on.
Soon he is back on his feet and bounding around like normal. We have pumped him full of drugs so he should be fine.
Until the bloodbath at least.
Daryn Cayes: Gamemaker
After the 'Jacob fiasco' I long for a simple tribute. The girl, Carolyn, grants my wishes.
She walks in and goes to the plants station. She holds up each plant and gives us their names.
This time their actual names.
She then goes on to give us a fact about each one and I listen, interested. I only knew half these facts.
We are about to dismiss her when she goes over to the knives. She only has a 65% accuracy but that's still pretty good.
"Thank you," I say. "You can go now."
Let me tell you something.
I damn well meant it.
District 12 Private Sessions:
Sally Perk: Gamemaker
The boy from 12 walks over to our small stack of Caltrops and chucks it as far as he can manage.
Sadly he seems pretty weak and only gets it about a metre in front of him.
He winces, clearly annoyed but then smiles.
"Turn off the lights please!" He says in a strangely authoritative voice. Someone does it. Now we can see but he can't.
He picks up random items and identifies them. At first I am confused but then I realise he can see in the dark.
Someone switches the light back on.
"Thank you. You are dismissed."
The only sound is someone taking a shot.
Fiora Jening
The girl from 12 just walks in, sits on the floor and stares at us.
No one reacts at first. This has never happened before. Eventually someone clears their throat "Miss Bourreau... If you aren't going to do anything could you leave."
At first she doesn't react but she slowly stands up, not breaking eye contact and salutes us.
At first everyone is shocked into silence but then everyone begins to talk at once.
Scores and reactions:
Antoinette Bloodstone: 10
I smile at that. Perfect. Well... almost.
Travis Rodgers: 9
How did I not score as high as Antoinette!
District 2
Siaria Ronans: 8
I look at my score and begin to taste bile. I only just get to the toilet in time.
Ulrich Lockwood: 10
Mother would be proud.
District 3
Rosabel "Rosa" Atkinson: 4
Perfect
Blake Harley: 3
I begin to cry.
District 4
Isolde Prescott: 9
I smile at Ian. At least I didn't get the lowest score.
Ian Shark: 9
"Twinsies!" I joke to Isolde but in my head I am berating myself.
District 5
Avy-Anna Greene: 4
I sigh to myself. It could be worse.
Geoffrey Wattson: 7
Pretty good. Room for improvement but the best victors scored low.
District 6
Amber Blacksmith: 8
My eyes widened in amazement 'How!'
Marcellus Cline: 5
What did I do wrong?
District 7
Natalia Bonheur: 7
I smile to myself, better than I could have imagined.
Lysander Reed: 8
I guess my 'trick' payed off.
District 8
Maya Klean: 6
Those fuckers!
Hershel Kundert: 5
I smile, I'm happy with that,
District 9
Shirley Gravesten: 5
That's pretty good.
Felix Catharty: 5
I wonder what I could have done better.
District 10
Madhi Quick: 5
I smile to myself, I thought I'd done much worse
Bruce Tauron: 2
Teaches me to lose my temper. I regret being so brash.
District 11
Carolyn Scotts: 7
I smile and make a mental note to congratulate Amber.
Jacob Perkret: 2
I wonder what Nuts thinks.
District 12
Annette Bourreau: 0
I almost laugh. I'm surprised I didn't get an 11.
Shaft Grey: 6
Pretty good score for a miner.
HOLY SHIT THIS WAS LONG!
Who was your favourite Gamemaker? Do you agree with the scores? Who would you like to see interviewed? Anything I could have done better?