Bellona Hargrove, 36

Head Gamemaker

June 6th, 97 ADD

4:39 PM

"For those of us new to Private Sessions, here's how it works," Bellona announced. "We start with the most impressive performances and work our way down. Now- who were the standouts? Clodovea?"

Her Gamemaker of Climate- whose opinion, outside of her mother's, she favored most- tittered as she glanced over her notes. She had recently abandoned her vibrant, thick-framed glasses for pink contact lenses that made her iris look like jewels. Bellona likely would've promoted her to Gamemaker of Arena already if Bellona didn't enjoy the position so much herself. "There was no one particularly exciting to me this year," she mused.

Jacin leaned forward, his teeth quite literally glittering. Bellona would have loved to have fired him by now- she found him deeply unnerving- but after Tellus' dismissal, he had taken over Tribute Relations. As it turned out, Jacin had a talent for knowing what made people tick. "So we're not going to talk about the Seven boy? Ibbara-Ixtal?"

"I found it confusing," Clodovea responded. "He seems to be a loose cannon to me."

"But an exciting one!" Jacin pointed out. "We don't know what he'll do in that arena, but he will put on a show. We should reward it."

"Jacin," Bellona cut in, "perhaps you could clarify what you believe he was doing. I do believe his talent for mutilation was well-demonstrated, but it seemed there was more to it than just that."

Jacin's grin widened. "I'm so glad you asked, dear Head Gamemaker. Ibbara-Ixtal leads a religious cult in District Seven that has been responsible for a slew of murders over the last year. The strange drawings he was doing have been found carved into the bodies of his victims."

Bellona gave him a long look. "There's a serial killer loose in District Seven, and you never thought to mention it?"

"Do I look like I'm in District Seven?" Jacin laughed. "But no. I had a suspicion, but his group is extremely off-grid. It was only when he replicated the symbols just now that I was able to confirm for sure."

"So he's an unhinged zealot," Clodovea observed.

"He's a showstopper," Jacin corrected.

"He could become a problem," Bellona said.

"He doesn't have to win, he has to entertain. Which he will do."

"Does anyone else have a perspective on this?" Bellona asked. "Blaise? Vincenzia?"

Blaise, who led the Sponsorships team, shook their head. Her Gamemaker of Muttations, however- a tall, thin woman who was rumored to have had her bones extended to enhance the effect- tilted her head. "His session was by far the most creative, and historically, that has been rewarded."

Bellona nodded. "A 10."

"But the tributes from One, Two, and Four," Clodovea pointed out. "Some of them should receive at least that score."

Jacin nodded. "Windrake should get a 10."

"That I do agree with," Bellona conceded. "What he may have lacked in precision, he certainly… made up for. I was not anticipating that. But do any of the others match him?"

"Gaultier," Clodovea said. "Skilled and exciting to watch."

"They were showing off," Blaise muttered.

"Yes, and I liked it," Clodovea replied.

"10 for Windrake and Gaultier. For the others in that group… I would say 9 for Vidovic and Fotis," Bellona mused.

Jacin nodded. "Vidovic was not formally trained, but you never know what he'll do next. Fotis is formally trained, but clearly hasn't put in quite as many hours as, say, Gaultier or Averone."

"That leaves Averone and Avarne," Clodovea said.

"Their performances were similar for me," Vincenzia said.

"But Averone used a glaive, and Avarne was using throwing knives," Blaise said.

Bellona glanced at Jacin. "Those two know each other, yes?"

Jacin smiled. "They've got a long, long history."

"That shouldn't be possible," Clodovea said.

"Well, things got messy in the districts again, so it is. All we need to do is keep pitting those two against one another, and the audience will love them," Jacin said.

"So we give them the same score," Vincenzia replied.

Blaise shook their head. "Averone was clearly better with her weapon than Avarne with hers."

"Both were good," Bellona interceded. "However: it was clear to me that Averone did not have the same level of passion as Avarne. Where Avarne may have been behind in technical skill, they more than made up for in energy. Averone was lacking in that area."

"So both 9, or both 10?" Clodovea asked.

"If Averone doesn't care, she'll die," Jacin said. "Score her lower."

"But she was clearly better!" Blaise argued.

Bellona sighed. Unfortunately, she was once again agreeing with her least favorite employee. "10 for Avarne. 9 for Averone. Whatever is going on between them, this outcome is most likely to escalate it."

Jacin smiled again, satisfied.

"There are other outliers with fighting abilities," Vincenzia pointed out. "I thought the boy from Five, Valencia, was very good. He is clearly one of our best non-Volunteers. He should receive an 8 at least."

"Give him a 9. Make the trainees sweat," Jacin pushed.

Bellona frowned. "He was as good as Vidovic, Averone, and Fotis?"

"Maybe. Either way, pit them against each other. A fight between him and any of those would be great."

"A 9," Bellona conceded. "Vincenzia, did anyone else stand out to you?"

"Both girls from Eight and Nine."

"Eight was better," Clodovea added, "but I liked the showings from both."

"8 for McKellar, and 7 for Burnell," Bellona decided. "Aside from who we've already picked out… performances were mediocre at best, no?"

"I will say," Clodovea replied, "I've never seen one person complete so many test-taking stations in one session as Metellus."

"It was boring," Jacin said, waving a hand.

"But it shouldn't be underestimated," Clodovea argued. "A 7."

"6," Jacin replied.

"7," Bellona decided.

"Oh, and speaking of," Jacin said, "the girl from Seven. There's no way she didn't do that on purpose."

"A foolish way to use her time," Blaise pointed out. "Camouflage is boring."

"What's not boring is making a spectacular mess," Jacin replied.

"I agree with Jacin," Vincenzia added. "I believe the destruction of the camouflage station- and the outcome of Gammon being covered in paint- was not an accident. It was convincing, but she didn't just trip and knock everything over, no?"

"She wants a low score," Bellona agreed. "A 2, then. Let her fly under the radar and see what she does with it."

"Was Pettifur trying the same?" Blaise asked.

Jacin snorted. "No, that was genuine incompetence."

"If I didn't know better," Clodovea said, smiling a little, "I would've thought she waited to practice everything she was terrible at until right now."

"No, I think that's what actually happened," Jacin replied.

Bellona's stomach twisted in a knot. "Jacin, you and I will discuss Fleur Pettifur privately after this. Let's discuss Holloway. I thought her fighting was decent, and her contraptions were interesting. 6?"

"6," Vincenzia agreed. "I would say Piper, Finnegan, and Garland are around the same."

"Piper was mediocre," Jacin said. "Finnegan- I couldn't even see them? I used that session as a snack break. And Garland just made some fizzy liquid."

"6 for Piper's fighting demonstration," Bellona said. "Finnegan's stealth and agility demonstrations were impressive for his age, and 5 is a great score for such a young tribute. We'll go 5 for the chemical reactions as well- the usefulness in the arena is debatable, and he didn't show us anything else."

"We haven't touched on the outer districts yet," Clodovea noted. "I would say 5 for Kanaf-Kaziol as well- nothing special there- and… well, Valmorida…"

"That was stupid," Blaise muttered.

"They showed no weapons or survival, and instead performed a song and dance," Vincenzia recalled. "It was certainly… patriotic?"

"They did paint themself," Jacin said. "And yes, it was stupid, but it was so stupid I laughed my ass off, so it should get something."

"4," Bellona said. "Perhaps the Capitol will enjoy their performances more than we did, but I don't see that getting them far at all. We're also forgetting Torres- his khopesh demonstration was decent. A 5 for him, and everyone else is a 4 or below."

"Give Merle a 2. That was useless," Jacin said. "If you're just going to keep dropping the weapon, stop picking it up and do something else."

"Urkyztrum did well on the wilderness test-taking- she can have a 4 for that," Bellona said. "And agreed on a 2 for Merle. Navar and Kantor were both unmemorable and not particularly skilled- let's go 3 for both."

"So that's just Pettifur, then," Clodovea said.

(6:22 PM)

"So: Fleur Pettifur," Jacin started. "There's a lot to unpack here."

Bellona glanced at her mother. Minerva Hargrove was seated at her desk as always, listening carefully. Thankfully, her hand was currently nowhere near that desk drawer.

Minerva nodded. "A Capitolite has found her way into the Games."

"How could that happen?" Bellona asked. "Her name shouldn't have been in the bowl."

Minerva gestured to Jacin. "If you could briefly review her file for us, please."

Jacin nodded. "Fleur Pettifur was born and raised in the Capitol. Last year, her family temporarily relocated to District Six, where Lorenz Pettifur owns some factories. He claimed they were relocating purely for business reasons, but that seems to be only part of the story, because I was able to find evidence otherwise."

"Which was?" Minerva prompted.

"Shortly before the Pettifur relocation, the family home was raided by what looked like Peacekeepers, at least according to security cameras. However, there are no records of any Peacekeeper interaction with the Pettifurs at any point. But there is a record of Lorenz Pettifur at the home of Fiore Malone."

"I've heard that name before," Bellona said. She'd only had time for the basic information until right now- this was more complicated than she'd realized, and she didn't like it.

"Wealthy businessman," Minerva said. "Go on, Jacin."

"Shortly after the meeting between Lorenz and Fiore, Lorenz moved his family to Six. I didn't understand why, so I started looking into the Malones. The only thing I could find were hospital records for Fiore's son, Colin."

"Remind me what his injuries were."

"He had been severely beaten. Some internal bleeding. He was found unconscious in an alley and was declared to be in a coma upon arrival. He had also been stabbed several times. However, the stab wounds were not made with a knife. They were made with a long, thin object. And if you remember what we had to confiscate from tributes this year…"

"A hairpin," Bellona recalled. "Fleur Pettifur stabbed Colin Malone in an alley? Why?"

"Unclear, but I believe it's the reason Fiore Malone went after the Pettifurs shortly after," Jacin said.

"And I agree," said Minerva.

"But what does that have to do with her being Reaped?" Bellona asked. "She was in District Six, but only for the year, and her name shouldn't have been in the bowl at all."

"That's where I'm also confused," Jacin admitted.

Minerva pursed her lips. "That would be the fault of Aldrich Zamoras."

"Who?" Jacin asked.

"The Mayor of District Six. I've known for a long time that he tampers with the Reaping bowl- however, he usually retracts names, which is tolerable."

"You let him do that?" Bellona asked, her eyes wide.

"I did," Minerva replied. "It's why I rig his elections. Aldrich Zamoras was not an upstanding citizen: he was someone I could use. He ran District Six as I wanted him to, and if he ever stepped out of line, I had the material to destroy him. All in all, his character was perfect for that position, especially when I first ran for the presidency."

"You're using past tense," Jacin noted.

Minerva scoffed. "I forget how much of a bubble the Gamemaker offices can be at times. If you'd been keeping up with the news, you would know that Aldrich Zamoras died several days ago."

"I see," Jacin replied.

"He went too far. I am confident that Fiore Malone offered him an exorbitant amount of money to rig the Reapings for Fleur Pettifur, and Zamoras accepted. Thankfully, Aldrich Zamoras was also an alcoholic, which made alcohol poisoning a convenient excuse. I tell you this to note that at least one party responsible has been punished. The other- Fiore Malone- will also face consequences."

Bellona nodded slowly. "I assume Zamoras was replaced with someone who will not make the same mistake?"

"His son," Minerva answered. "Who, frankly, is a better candidate. He's better liked, has aspirations to improve Six, which will help my politics as well, and controlling him will be very simple, considering who his husband is. I'm sure you remember Esper Myrellis-Verilla?"

"Of course."

"We can use the Victor to control the Mayor, and the Mayor to control the Victor. Makes me think I should've gotten rid of Aldrich years ago… but we're getting off-topic," Minerva said. "Fleur Pettifur is in the Games. We need to do something about that."

"Unfortunately, we can't conceal that she's a Capitolite," Jacin told them. "People have already recognized her."

"Could we replace her with someone else?" Bellona asked.

"Training has already concluded. It's too late," Minerva answered.

"Then we could put the odds in Fleur's favor," Bellona said. "Make the audience after her. Target the most dangerous tributes with muttations, or pit those tributes against each other so Fleur never has to face them."

"She'll still have to get herself to the end," Jacin pointed out. "And based on their performance today… she seems like cannon fodder, Bellona."

"If they cannot win, I still would rather not see them dead," Minerva said. "There is another option. Which I do not like."

Jacin raised an eyebrow. "Not dead, but not the Victor…"

"We could make the audience believe she died," Bellona realized. "Or- perhaps we fire her cannon, get her out, and then claim she made a miraculous recovery. Blame the 'death' on a technical error on her tracker readings screwing up her vitals."

"That could work, but then why not send her back in?" Jacin asked.

"We say she never should've been there in the first place, and show mercy," Bellona said.

"Those are all options," Minerva mused. "We also need to control the media on this. Emphasize it is solely Fiore Malone's fault- leave Aldrich out to preserve his son's credibility. Her presence in the Games is a tragedy."

"But then why not just pull her in the first place?"

"I don't like this," Minerva muttered. "No matter what, we are admitting weakness. Pulling Fleur out of the Games, admitting Fiore Malone rigged the Reapings- we are showing we can make mistakes."

"Then maybe we do neither," Bellona said. "We claim that Capitolite residency in the districts means your name is added to the bowl. This is just the first time a Capitolite has ever been Reaped because of it."

Minerva thought for a moment. Bellona glanced at Jacin, who raised an eyebrow. For once, though, he didn't say anything.

"It'll divide the Capitol and the districts even further," Minerva mused. "Capitolites with children who have moved to the districts will return. Those who considered moving for business, as Lorenz Pettifur has claimed to, won't risk it. I'll have a tighter grip on both populations moving forward."

Bellona nodded. "No one believes there was ever a mistake in the first place. We don't have to pull Fleur. You can take care of Fiore Malone quietly. It all works out."

Minerva's eye twitched. "I still want the backup plans for Pettifur. Direct the other tributes away from her. Give her the best chance. And if I decide that removing her from the arena is the best decision, I want us to be able to do so."

Bellona and Jacin exchanged a glance. "Understood, Mother," Bellona replied. "I'll make a few adjustments to the arena tomorrow. But the tunnel system means that theoretically, recovering Fleur should be simple, if we choose to do so."

Minerva nodded. "Good."

"What do we score her private session with, then?" Jacin asked.

"Give her the score she's actually earned, and let her explain herself tomorrow," Minerva answered. "If it's low, she can use it to gain sympathy."

"Then a 3," Bellona said.

"Very well. If we are all at an understanding of how Fleur Pettifur should be handled, then you are both dismissed- I'm sure you have much to do tonight and tomorrow. If any clarification is required, come here at once," Minerva stated.

Jacin stood and gave Minerva a respectful nod.

Bellona stood as well. "We'll release the scores to Elton immediately," she said. "If you need anything from us, you know where to find us."

Minerva inclined her head, and both Bellona and Jacin took their chance to leave. As soon as the doors to Minerva Hargrove's office shut behind them, Bellona sighed, relieved the meeting had gone well.

(Ever since Holliday's death, every meeting in her mother's office made her more and more afraid she would meet the same fate. A Capitolite in the Games was certainly something her mother could use to justify Bellona's dismissal. She took no reassurance in the fact that she was Minerva's daughter. Minerva Hargrove might have valued Bellona more than her career at some point, but Bellona knew that time was long gone.)

"You look pale," Jacin noted as they walked back down the hall.

"We're lucky someone else was at fault," Bellona muttered. "Otherwise, that would have been on us. Could've been another Hutchinson situation all over again."

Jacin's confidence finally faltered. "Hutchinson situation…?"

"Don't tell me you don't know why Tellus was 'dismissed,'" she said.

His eyes widened. "Ah. I remember that incident."

"Your research is what saved you," Bellona told him. "If you hadn't been able to point to something completely out of your control, you or I- or both of us- could be dead right now."

"She's your mother."

"Exactly. She's my mother." Bellona gave him a hard look. "No slipups. No mistakes. We will handle this, and we'll be fine. Understand?"

He nodded.

"Say it."

"I understand."

"Good. I'll deliver the scores to Elton myself. You and Vicenzia need to have another meeting about the muttations."

"Oh?"

"Research," Bellona told him. "Make sure we have the best fit for each tribute. You know them best, and you and Vicenzia need to collaborate to make the best pairings. If Vicenzia has a problem with it, send her to me. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. I will see you later tonight," Bellona said, "so we can go over who to keep away from Pettifur. Let's do eight o'clock."

"Great. See you then."

Bellona gave him a nod, and he peeled off in the direction of Vicenzia's office. Bellona turned to go find her Master of Ceremonies, her mind racing.

(She was okay. She was alive. Her mother's wrath was directed elsewhere.)

(She just had to do her job. She would ensure an entertaining Games and produce a Victor her mother would approve of.)

(Twenty-three- or twenty-two- tributes would die. But Bellona Hargrove would still be standing at the end of this. She had to be.)

Aveline Averone: 9

Invincible Gaultier: 10

Bastet Avarne: 10

Mercury Vidovic: 9

Zinnia Urkyztrum: 4

Wisdom Garland: 5

Tisiphone Fotis: 9

Brizo Windrake: 10

Chase Holloway: 6

Jest Valencia: 9

Fleur Pettifur: 3

Tomo Metellus: 7

Valentina Gammon: 2

Aescelin Ibbara-Ixtal: 10

True McKellar: 8

Jude Finnegan: 5

Shazia Burnell: 7

Jem Piper: 6

Chevre Kanaf-Kaziol: 5

Rumi Valmorida: 4

Bryony Kantor: 3

Patrek Torres: 5

Mendi Navar: 3

Tiernan Merle: 2

private sessions done yay! i know i'm not as big on these as most but i hope this was still entertaining?

also wanted to take a sec to acknowledge that you guys are really really engaged and i'm really thankful for all the support. this summer especially has been absolutely wild and i'm glad you guys are along for the ride. that's all.

uhhh hoping for one more update before ve goes up? we'll be back in another short-ish pov era so hopefully that's doable. see u next time with interviews from zinnia, wisdom, brizo, chase, fleur, and aescelin!

rb