Hello everyone and welcome to the scores chapter! After the POVs, you'll get to see the Gamemakers' notes on each tribute and their score, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Enjoy!
Sublime Winterson, 18
District One Male
Sublime was ready for his score to be revealed. It wasn't that he was worried about it, but he wanted to know what the Gamemakers had thought of his skills. He knew that he'd likely have a high score, which was exactly what he expected and needed since he was a Career.
It would also be interesting to see what his district partner had gotten. For her sake, it would be best if she scored as high as possible. If she didn't get a good score, it would reflect badly on the rest of the Careers for letting her in the alliance. Goneril would likely blame Ruga, and Sublime would be agreeing with her in order to not get completely caught in the worst of the drama.
The program that was going to announce their scores was set to come on in a little less than five minutes, so all four residents of One's apartment, Sublime, Goldena, Queenie, and Amethyst, were gathered in the common room to watch once it came on.
The minutes counting down on the large projected screen passed by quickly, and soon Sublime could hear the loud sound of the Capitol anthem. They started off every official program with the tune, so he knew that it was almost time to find out what the Gamemakers had deemed an acceptable score to award him with. And of course to see whether or not Goldena would pose the threat of imploding the Career pack from within once again during their time in the Capitol.
As always, they were starting off with One. The announcer on the screen was a familiar sight from when Sublime had recapped on the last two Games during the few weeks before the Reaping. His name was Favian Beltose, and he seemed to be reigniting the tradition that the previous host and interviewer, Caesar Flickerman, had carried on during his years on the job. This year, Favian had decided his color was green, so that was the color of his hair, makeup, and eyebrows.
It was a different look than anyone in One would have, for sure, but Sublime didn't really care too much about it. He was just going to focus on himself and winning the Hunger Games.
"Welcome everyone to the announcement of our scores for the tributes' private sessions! As you all know, they had fifteen minutes each to impress the Gamemakers with the skills that they've learned over the last three days, so you'll be able to see who learned the most and who's the likeliest to outlast everyone else! Now who's ready to find out some scores!?" Favian announced excitedly.
"Oh, I just can't wait!" Amethyst clapped happily, "I'm sure both of you did just wonderfully!"
"Of course, let's start with District One! For Miss Goldena Powers, we have a score of eight! For Mr. Sublime Winterson, we have a score of nine! Some wonderful first scores to start off the night!"
A nine. He'd gotten a nine. That was precisely what he'd been aiming for, and Sublime was satisfied with the score that he'd earned from his performance. But Goldena had gotten an eight. That was rather low for a Career, so right now, Sublime was wondering what the others were thinking of her. Hopefully this wasn't the final part of a bomb that blew the pack apart.
Kasai Westbrook, 18
District Four Male
Goldena had gotten an eight? Yikes, that wasn't looking too good for her sake. She'd proven herself worthy of being able to join the pack in Ruga's opinion, but Kasai had a feeling that her score might change a few of the Careers' minds (even though most of them still hadn't been made up when Ruga told her that she was in the pack).
As expected, Kasai got a nine, which was a pretty decent score for a Career. There would be no trouble or controversy with him, unlike his district partner. Next up were the other members of the Career pack, the Twos. Goneril got a ten, which seemed right for her skill level, and Ruga got a nine, which also made sense for him. Kasai didn't really want to say anything about him out loud, but he was kinda of annoyed at the fact that Ruga seemed to automatically think that he was going to be the leader and that he was the most incredible axe wielder ever. He really wasn't, and Kasai was sure that fact was partly why he'd scored a point below Goneril.
However, he wasn't going to say that both of the tributes from Two didn't act like they were better than everyone on some level, it was just that Goneril was more tolerable in that sense. At least she had the reason to think about whether or not they needed to include Goldena in the pack. Ruga should have probably listened to her before he impulsively told Goldena before a full deliberation on their part, and now it was coming back to haunt them a little bit.
Both of the tributes from Three got sixes, so Kasai wasn't too concerned with them. In fact, he really wasn't concerned with anything outside of his alliance. His skills were good enough to help him get through any of the other tributes, so right now he was just planning on being the person to calm everyone else down when the pack got back together.
"Now let's move on to District Four! For Miss Naymena Lachlock, we have a score of ten! For Mr. Kasai Westbrook, we have a score of nine! Another excellent set of scores, well done tributes from Four!"
"That's so fantastic you two!" Periwinkle exclaimed. She'd been trying to get them both to talk to her, and Kasai had, but his deserter of a district partner had remained silent the entire time they'd been here. There was really no point, but Kasai could tell that she really wanted to keep trying until she succeeded.
Deep down, Kasai was a little bit upset at the fact that his district partner had scored higher than him, but scores could only prove so much. The pack would hunt her down and eliminate her when it came time for the Games, and Kasai was kind of looking forward to it.
Taraji Copeland, 17
District Five Female
Taraji was getting a little bit nervous now. A bunch of the tributes from the districts before Five had gotten excellent scores. Well, that was also because the Career Districts came before Five when in order, but it could still make a girl anxious about how she'd performed compared to the others. Oh god, that made her feel even worse for Kassi. She would have to wait for nine districts before her score was announced, and due to what she knew about what Kassi was planning on doing for her session, Taraji doubted it would be that high.
In fact, there had already been two tens, but only one from the Careers. The girls from Two and Four had been awarded with them, and oddly enough, Taraji knew that only the Two girl was a part of the Career pack this year. It was strange, especially since most other tributes would kill to be a part of the pack since it would likely give them more of a chance at survival. She must have had a reason for it, but also, she seemed to be a pretty big threat on her own.
"And now we move onto District Five, the land of Panem's power! For Miss Taraji Copeland, we have a score of five! For Mr. Zain Bhavini-Ekstorm, we have a score of .. eleven."
Huh? Had he just said that right? Did her district partner really get an eleven? It was visibly obvious that she was only one of the numerous people that she could see that were shocked, and Taraji was sure that there were many more that she simply didn't have sight of.
She'd gotten a five though, not bad. She surely hadn't done anything near as impressive as the Careers (and apparently Zain), but at least she'd done something that had been decently scored. Taraji was pretty confident in her agility and nimbleness that she'd demonstrated in her session, and she was sure that it would end up being pretty handy in the arena.
But now that she thought of it, Kassi probably would be the opposite of her in that case. No offense to her, but it was kind of obvious based on her best friend's appearance that she wasn't the most graceful or agile person compared to most of the other tributes. Oh that made her feel so terrible now that she was thinking of something like that. The little voice in the back of her head kept telling her to just leave her friend behind and to survive without that dead weight, but Taraji could never do something like that. She'd already had to leave her friend, and she wasn't about to do it again.
Kassiani "Kassi" Dolcetto, 18
District Ten Female
Kassi's stomach was churning and she really just wanted to go back to Ten and be able to live her life like she had been before this. But no, because her life before this had been without Taraji for so long and she didn't want her best friend to leave again. These thoughts were just so annoying and depressing and Kassi wanted nothing to do with them, but she didn't have a choice in the matter now.
The scores that she'd seen so far had just contributed to those horrible thoughts, and they made Kassi just doubt herself that much more when it came to her ability to survive against these trained killers or people that knew how to truly survive on the barest of supplies and necessities. This was the true downside of being fed well and having an easier life back in the districts: if you were reaped, you were done for.
Ten's mentor didn't help much either. Cria, who had gotten a nine herself and ten kills in her Games, hated the fact that her tributes were this weak and made sure to have nothing to do with them from the moment she first saw them on the train from Ten to the Capitol. Kassi would say that she could see where her mentor was coming from, but she had no experience in killing people or being good at using weapons and surviving, so she was just going to keep her thoughts away and mouth closed.
Thankfully, Ten's escort had been far more supportive of both of her hopeless tributes. Cerise had tried her best to make up for the lack of Cria's presence, but since she was from the Capitol, she didn't have much experience when it came to skills that would be helpful for the Games.
"And now we have our second-to-last district, Ten! For Miss Kassiani Dolcetto, we have a score of four. For Mr. Oscar Gamero, we have a score of two."
Oh poor Oscar. Kassi felt so bad that the little boy had gotten such a low score (to be honest, she felt bad for him about the whole situation that he was in). At least she hadn't gotten the lowest private sessions score. In fact, she hadn't gotten the second-lowest one either (she'd gotten the third-lowest). She had just scored above the two youngest tributes in the Games this year, and it wasn't something to be proud of necessarily, but at least she'd not gotten the lowest score possible or out of the tributes.
However, there were several people that had scored a five (including Taraji), so Kassi wasn't too unhappy with what she'd done. It would all be okay eventually.
*This correspondence was sent to Head Gamemaker Levana Miroslava directly after the conclusion of the Private Sessions*
Goldena - During her session, Goldena used both spears and the bow and arrows. She threw and shot at several targets and hit almost directly in the middle of the bullseye almost every time. She was awarded a score of an eight. However, it is likely that this aim may not be as consistent in the arena because this has been after several days of training. On the first day, it was observed that she almost missed the target a couple of times. We think that she may be one of the first Career deaths, but you never know.
Sublime - During his session, Sublime used the bow and arrows. He shot at several targets and hit the bullseye pretty much every time. He was awarded a score of nine. His aim seems to be impeccable and he isn't afraid to shoot from any distance. He will be a tribute to watch, although his emotionless state can be perturbing at times. We are expecting him to make it into the top eight.
Goneril - During her session, Goneril used spears and recited some tactical strategies to us. She was awarded a score of ten. Her aim with the spear is extremely precise and she is very consistent with this aim from multiple distances. The strategies that she recited to us were clever and showed that she has thought out what she wants to do to the last detail. As of right now, she has one of the best odds of winning among all of the tributes and we can see why. We're expecting her to make it to the top four, if not higher.
Ruga - During his session, Ruga used a large axe to attack several of the provided dummies with. He was awarded a score of nine. He did show a fairly high level of skill and proficiency with the axe, but it was clear that he thought he was a lot better than he actually was. We think that he'll be a strong competitor, but his pride will definitely get in the way at times. He also seems to be a little bit kooky from what we observed during training. He will likely make it into the top half of the tributes, but there's really no telling because of his strange personality.
Reverie - During her session, Reverie used both the plant identifying test and the sais. She was awarded a score of six. She showed that she had a pretty good memory of which plants were edible or not and her sais skills were mediocre. Not the worst, but it's questionable how far she'll make it. Right now the odds are that she'll barely miss out on the top half.
Zeno - During his session, Zeno used the traps station to fashion up a rather complicated trap. He was awarded a score of six. He showed that he definitely knows what he's doing when he creates a trap, and from observations during training, he also knows his way around electronics. Another observation that we made was the fact that he seems to keep himself rather isolated from any of the other tributes. We think that he may be the type to just go and hide in a tucked away space for the majority of the Games. Right now, it's likely that he makes the top half from that hiding.
Naymena - During her session, Naymena used the throwing knives, bow and arrow, and trap station. She threw several knives precisely into the targets on the dummies, demonstrated a few complicated snares that use knots, then finished off by hitting the bullseye on several targets on one dummy with the bow and arrows. She was awarded a score of ten. She seems to have talents in many aspects that will help her survive in the arena, and like Goneril, we are thinking that she will make it into the top four, if not higher.
Kasai - During his session, Kasai used a crossbow. He moved about the room quietly, shooting rather accurately from different positions, perhaps showing that he could sneak around to eliminate other tributes during the Games. He was awarded a score of nine. From observations during training, he has a personality similar to that of Sublime's, so he doesn't typically express much emotion. We think that will make it hard for the Capitolites to be huge fans of him and sponsor him gifts. Otherwise, he seems like a pretty average Career and will likely make it to the top six to eight tributes.
Taraji - During her session, Taraji demonstrated her nimbleness and flexibility on one of the obstacle courses. She was awarded a score of five. Based on our observations, she's reunited with her friend, Kassi, the girl from Ten. They will obviously ally, but it's also obvious that Taraji is likely the person in the alliance with the most skill and that she will be weighed down by Kassi. Their feelings and attachment to one another will likely be each other's downfall, but if Taraji separates herself from Kassi, we feel that she will have a better chance at surviving.
Zain - During his session, Zain used the plants station to create some sort of a poison. He was automatically given a score of eleven in order to put a target on his back, as requested. He is the one Bloodbath that everyone in the Capitol is hoping for, and the fact that he chose to create a poison in his session didn't help his case in the slightest. If necessary, we are equipped to get rid of him ourselves if he lasts longer than we would like.
Anne - During her session, Annette used both the plant identifying test and the throwing knives. She was awarded a score of five. Her memory of plants wasn't the greatest, but she still received a passing score. Her skills with the throwing knives weren't the greatest either, but she did manage to get somewhat close to the targets on most of her shots. We are thinking that her alliance is going to help her make it just a bit farther than she would have on her own, but her one flaw seems to be that she's way too eager to help anyone. This may end up being her downfall in the arena.
Milo - During his session, Milo used the knot tying station and a large sledgehammer. He was awarded a score of six. He seemed rather nervous in the entirety of his session, which led to mistakes that ultimately attributed to his lower score. He would have received a higher one if there weren't nearly as many hiccups in the skills that he presented to us. During training, he looked as if his experience in using a sledgehammer was pretty decent, although that particular weapon isn't common and is harder to kill with. His alliance will hopefully help with this nervous attitude, although there's no telling where he'll place for now.
Val - During her session, Valerie used the bow and arrows. She was awarded a score of eight. She seems to have a very familiar relationship with weapons like a bow, which seems interesting coming from an Outlier. This may end up being another case like the disaster of the 74th, so we will be keeping an eye out on her and her brother. Based on what we saw of her during training, she seemed very eager to take both of the youngest tributes under her wing, so her emotional attachment may hinder her from her best possible performance. Right now, she's projected to place in the middle of the pack.
Vince - During his session, Vincent used both a dagger and a crossbow. He was awarded a score of nine. He was a very good shot with the crossbow, hitting the target nearly every time, and his skills with the dagger were also impressive. It's clear that he's had training with weapons like this, but we believe that it's from his job of being an investigator back in Seven. He seems to be the strongest in the alliance, but as he volunteered for his sister, it's likely that she will outlive him because that's probably what he wants most. However, his odds are higher than his sister's for right now.
Georgette - During her session, Georgette used both a large battle axe and a large dagger to attack several dummies until their limbs and heads were severed. She showed great prowess with the weapons that she used and was therefore awarded a nine. It seems that she will be a fierce competitor in the arena, and her odds of winning are almost as high, if not equal to the Careers.
Billy - During his session, Billy used the identifying plants test and also made some rather morbid jokes to the Gamemakers. He was awarded a score of three. He remembered around half of the plants on the test, but did not receive a passing score. The jokes that he told the Gamemakers after the conclusion of the test were very off putting and therefore decreased his score slightly. His odds aren't looking very good and we think that he will be one of the guaranteed Bloodbaths.
Natalia - During her session, Natalia performed both martials arts and used a sickle against a practice dummy. She was awarded a score of eight. She seems well versed with these skills and we think that she will make a fine competitor along with some of the other older Outliers. From our observations, she is a loner, so she won't have a risk of allies burdening her or wandering around trying to meet up with someone. Her odds project that she will land among the top eight to ten.
Elias - During his session, Elias used a pair of sais and the traps station. He was awarded a score of six. His score didn't need to be rigged simply because of his alliance with Zain and the fact that he hasn't openly committed an action against the Capitol quite as badly as his ally has. He can use sais fairly well, but it's obvious that he just now learned to use them over the last few days and his skills need some improvement. His traps are the same way. Right now, he's projected to land just above Zain, around the top fifteen.
Kassi - During her session, Kassi visited the knot tying station and the fish hook making station. She was awarded a score of four. Her skills at both of the stations that she visited were mediocre, and it's clear that she's the dead weight in her alliance. It's also very obvious that she's not mentally or physically prepared for this, and she's probably going to be another one of those almost guaranteed Bloodbaths.
Oscar - During his session, Oscar visited the fire starting station. He was awarded a score of two. It's obvious that he has very few skills, and what he showed us in this session wasn't very impressive at all. He barely managed to start a fire within the fifteen minute time period of his session, and he seems very weak and dependent on his allies. Again, like Billy and Kassi, he seems to be one of those almost guaranteed Bloodbath tributes.
Indigo - During her session, Indigo used the throwing knives. She was awarded a score of seven. She seems fairly talented at using the weapon that she chose to show to us, but it isn't nearly as impressive as some of the Careers and their preferred weapons. We think she may be a pretty decent competitor, but there's no telling at this point. Right now, her odds put her between making the top fourteen to sixteen.
Agri - During his session, Agri used a hammer. He was awarded a score of five. He seems to be okay at using such a weapon, but like Milo, it isn't a very common weapon and it's hard to use efficiently. Not to mention the fact that he's missing part of his left hand, so he's slightly slower than most when it comes to handling a weapon with two hands. His alliance with his district partner seems like it will be a fairly successful one, and his odds are also signifying that he will land anywhere from sixteenth to eighteenth.
Well those notes certainly ended up being longer than planned. I hope y'all enjoyed reading them though! Sorry about the POVs this chapter being slightly shorter, it just worked out since the notes at the end were so long. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading the entire chapter too, and I can't believe we've only got two chapters left in the Pregames. Also, we officially hit 100k words with this chapter. That feels insane and I really do appreciate all of the support from you guys so far! I can't wait to see you guys in the next one! (PS: if all readers/submitters could either fill out the poll on my profile or PM me their top eleven tributes, that would be amazing!)
