E- scanned slips of paper recovered by trainers in the Training Center, believed to be written by Amar and Katsuo. GG
June 3rd, 99 ADD
hi :)
Why did you put a piece of paper in my pocket?
if you hated it so much, why'd you pass one back? :)
I thought you may be trying to pass information discreetly.
the opposite, actually!
I don't understand.
you get really tense every time i try to talk to you normally, so i thought this might be more comfortable for you. besides, it's fun to feel like you have a secret, right? i don't think the others have noticed
That's because Tanith, Kamari, Zayan, and Venezio aren't paying attention.
well, i am. :)
Why?
why not?
Both Zayan and Kamari seem more interested in engaging with you than I.
well, i know you better
Do you?
i think so, yes
Such as?
your favored weapon is throwing stars. you're the most flexible one here by a lot. also the shortest. you don't know how to take a joke, but i think it's just because you're not used to it. you live with your mother and stepmother. you pretended not to recognize me when we met on the train. you cut off a boy's hand once. you're sort of a loner, always have been. so see, i know a bunch about you!
you're wrong about the last thing.
what? being a loner?
My turn, right? Your parents are divorced, and your family is a touchy subject for you. You're tall and seem to think it's a personality trait. Your sister is better at sparring than you. Based on dinner last night, you dislike olives. Based on breakfast this morning, you dislike pulp in your orange juice. So, really, it's not that hard to rattle off superficial facts about someone and claim you know them at all.
What, did my last note scare you? Thought you were tougher than that.
i'll cut you a deal.
Listening.
you don't get to bring up carina. i don't get to bring up any subject of your choosing. both of those things are permanently off-limits. deal?
Hmm. Deal.
what do you not want me to bring up?
Nice try. If it comes up, I'll tell you, but I'm not giving you free ammunition. I won't mention your sister again, though.
thanks.
So you do dislike olives.
yeah! they're disgusting! why?
Just wanted to confirm my observations.
well, you nailed that one. what about mine?
You're right that I'm flexible. I've trained in ballet for many years.
oh, that's so fun! i'm a terrible dancer.
You look ridiculous.
what? i'm dancing? :)))
There's no need to be that aggressive with your hips. Or your arms. This is an eyesore.
hurtful… haha i told you i was bad. at least zayan thought it was funny
Well, now we know Zayan has terrible taste.
HAHA THAT'S MEAN! i was not THAT bad!
You wouldn't last a day at my studio.
well, good thing i went into training instead. how'd you get here?
Mother signed me up.
relatable. my dad signed me up too.
Is he the parent you live with?
yeah. and you live with your mother, right? why don't you call her mom?
She's my mother. I call her Mother.
fair enough. does she call you Son?
She calls me Katsuo. What kind of question is that?
well, we either keep passing notes or i start dancing again, and i think you'd prefer the notes!
Are you blackmailing me right now?
maybe :))))))
This is ridiculous.
but you still haven't stopped passing notes. and the others STILL haven't noticed!
They should've by now. I'm not impressed.
what do you think of them?
Tanith and Venezio seem to be the biggest threats.
that's all?
Am I wrong? Tanith looks about 6'3 and favors the largest mace I've ever seen. Venezio seems to prefer his bow and arrow, but he's very competent with every weapon I've seen him go near. He's versatile.
no, you're not wrong! and those are good insights. i was just looking for a more social read.
Do you have one?
zayan is trying to act tougher than he is. he keeps doing that thing where he starts laughing and then tries to hide it, and he compliments people a lot. tanith hasn't smiled once though
Interesting. What about the Fours?
haven't spent as much time with them yet. kamari seems nice, tho
The day is nearly over. We can continue this discussion at dinner.
:DDDDD
June 4th, 99 ADD
someone's avoiding me today
I'm not avoiding you. I'm surveilling the tributes we weren't able to discuss last evening.
you're sure it's not a bit of both?
Yes, I'm sure. God, you're clingy.
i knew you loved me :)))
I am not in love with you.
not how i meant it but that's probably for the best i guess? not like i swing that way anyway
Good. I've never understood the tributes who chose romance.
it works out for some, though. like birch halloran
I believe Birch Halloran may disagree with that.
okay, fine. ever been in love before?
okay now you're definitely avoiding me. is this your off-limits topic?
Yes.
cool. um… how do u and aurelia get along?
Well. You and Braun?
he's alright. a bit old-school.
Unsurprising.
have u ever noticed that aurelia and braun never really talk to each other?
Say more.
they talk to us or through us. i think i've seen them say maybe ten words to one another
Now that you point it out, I see what you mean.
wonder what that's about
As long as it doesn't interfere with my Games, I don't care.
maybe they just aren't close. do you ever wonder which victors you'd be friends with if you won?
No.
well, i do! i've always thought mallory catelli seemed really nice, and she's about our age
She's one of the idiots who chose romance.
but can't you see why? given her whole background? i loved her victor biography
There are more interesting biographies than hers.
oh yeah? like whose
Vestron's. He played a flawless Games.
doesn't mean he's more interesting
Tesoro's was, then. I thought the manipulation of the airlock system was genius.
oh yeah… that one was crazy. and she was so young, too
She's our age.
and i never would've gone into the games at 15!
That's what happens when you're not from a district with Academies.
true. okay, so you'd be friends with qibli vestron and gianna tesoro?
No, I wouldn't.
why not!
Because I don't have a need for them.
yeah? so we're not friends?
We're allies.
could be both
No.
don't worry, i'll wear u down eventually :)
Why are you so determined to have a friend? Seriously.
for real?
That was why I said seriously, yes.
okay. well, it's like- if my ally is my friend, we can trust each other more, right?
That's it?
no. also, the games are terrifying, and i want someone to have my back
That's what an ally is.
you're not getting it. i think that this is going to either be the most difficult few weeks of my life, or the last of them. i'd rather die with a friend than alone.
Interesting.
you don't agree?
I'd rather win and have no friends. So no, I don't agree.
no offense, kat, but that sounds really lonely.
I thought we agreed on no nicknames.
i was just abbreviating don't worry
"Suo" takes about three seconds to write.
you're changing the subject
I'm not.
you'd rather be alone forever? you're not just saying that?
Now you're accusing me of lying to you?
that's not what i said and u know it
I don't see the point in making a friend that you know will die.
okay i see that. that's fair
Of course it is.
but there's value in making the games slightly less terrible for another person, right?
I don't understand your attitude towards the Games. We both trained for this. We knew what we were getting into.
if my memory serves me right, your mother signed you up, and my dad signed me up. so no, we didn't
But you would've figured it out eventually. And you chose to Volunteer in spite of it.
i'm not so sure it was a choice for me.
Why not?
was it a choice for you?
Of course it was. I was offered the spot, as you were, and I elected to take it. As you did. And you have not answered my question.
training's almost up. see you upstairs
June 5th, 99 ADD
Who's avoiding who now?
trying to keep tabs on the fours like we talked about. think kamari's a lot more stressed than we originally thought. she keeps missing her throws
Stressed?
anxious, yeah. maybe it's just more noticeable today
The private sessions are tomorrow. Perhaps that's wearing on her.
yeah that could be it
Good to know that she doesn't perform well under pressure.
yeah, def useful for later
Def? As in definitely?
yeah
What is it with you and abbreviations?
they let me convey info quicker. they let us talk more. etc etc
See, you just did it again.
well, you can get used to my abbreviations just like i'm getting used to ur personality
Excuse me?
the twos and fours aren't the only ones i've been doing social reads on, kat! have u noticed you're very abrasive
Not the word I'd choose.
luckily for you, i don't mind the snips and glares and how distant u are, because we're friends :) u do have a really good glare though. i think kamari's afraid of u
I've already told you we aren't friends.
u sure? that's why you let the nickname slide this time?
You said it was an abbreviation.
:)
Not sure what I'm supposed to make of that.
just chill. u made a friend. congrats!
I made an ally. Nothing more.
aw, okay, be like that. i get it- u want to be tough. show no weakness. that explains the posture
As I've said, I'm trained in ballet. Posture is important in dance.
okay fair. i just don't think you're as mean as you like to seem. it's a compliment!
Not sure where you got that impression.
oh, only because i've been paying attention. you have little slips here and there. i caught you smiling at one of my jokes yesterday!
If you attempt jokes all day long, you're bound to get one right. That doesn't indicate anything other than your struggle to make good jokes.
i'm not struggling, i'm having a great time! and zayan likes my jokes, you're just a tough audience. also, if you really wanted to be alone, you'd have told me to fuck off by now
I'm pretty sure I have. Several times.
you haven't tried very hard
You just refuse to listen.
if i know u don't mean it, why would i?
Because you're stubborn and don't know when to take no for an answer.
just bc you won't admit that we're each other's best shots doesn't mean i should give up
Explain.
i told you on the train
But you could've allied with anyone else by now, and you're still bothering me.
we've already talked about the other careers. tanith is just plain cruel. zayan is failing his tough-guy act, and it doesn't help that he's next to tanith. kamari is already cracking. venezio is full of himself.
How am I any different?
smart. head on straight. not completely unfeeling but ready for the games. willing to put up with his district partner, who he does like spending time around even if he denies it
Interesting.
u didn't deny that last bit
Because you'd believe me if I did?
course not ;)
Is this how you make all your friends? By annoying them?
nah, zayan was way easier. i'm chill w/ him and kamari. venezio also thinks i think he's interesting so he thinks i'm alright
So they are your friends.
i prefer you. more fun
Interesting.
what, never been told ur fun before?
There are better things to be.
disagree. if you're not enjoying life then what's the point
All sorts of reasons. Victory. Excellence. Achievement.
those are the same things
To you, perhaps.
my dad would agree w/ you, tho
Sounds like we'd get along.
i have a question
?
why'd you cut off that guy's hand back in 1
Subtle change of subject.
no i'm serious i've always wondered. i always managed to stay out of that kind of shit. it seemed to follow u everywhere, tho
It's pretty simple. He began it. He snuck a real blade into a sparring session with intent to harm.
so u cut his hand off?
Yes. And no one ever tried that with me again.
fair enough…?
That's just how people are, Amar. They don't care about you. They care about seeing you fall. So I've never given them the satisfaction.
that hasn't been my experience
Interesting, given we attended the same Academy
so u admit that you remember me!
I suppose.
!
Not sure how I should respond to a message that's solely punctuation.
okay i'm calm. am calm.
Good.
yeah no we def had different experiences. no one ever really came for me like that. i had some good friends and we looked out for each other while we were there. people did try to pull something once or twice towards the end there but it turns out i'm pretty good at this fighting thing
You were chosen to Volunteer, so I'm not surprised.
i guess it's pretty easy to stay out of shit when you're not a crabby loner ;)
I'm not crabby. I'm realistic.
can be both!
So that's why you're so desperate for a friend. You want someone to protect you like they did at the Academy.
sure, yeah. not totally off
I see.
plus we'll fight well together
You have no proof of that.
you're a ranged fighter, i'm not. you're small and sneaky, i'm not. i'll be the front line, and you'll be the back. admit it, it's a good strat
It's not terrible.
knew u liked it!
That's not what I said.
it was katsuo-speak for saying you liked it. i can tell
I'll admit that you are useful to me. However, that is the only reason I tolerate you.
;)
Stop trying to wink at me from across the room. You're not doing it correctly.
;)))))
Winking involves closing one eye. You keep closing both.
thankfully i'm way better at fighting than winking ;)
Thankfully, yes. I'll meet you upstairs.
see u soon!