The damned screens did sort of ruin the advantages most people had over each other, except for the tributes who could rely on brute strength, sure. In arenas that played to other talents than that, well, it told everyone who to focus on getting rid of first. It was actually something of a mystery to Joly why the games didn't turn into the sort of group activity where a large group took out targets by very slowly narrowing them down, one by one. He did not think it would work BETTER by any means, because, really, people like him would be chosen as weak links practically right away, but even so, he was surprised.

When he got the laugh, Joly actually felt a bit better in spite of the horrific things that had gone on tonight/this morning and the horrific things that were likely to be continued now. The fact that he could still make a child laugh, a hardened child at that, showed that there was still a BIT of good somewhere in all of this.

"You are one of the only ones to say so. Mostly people groan at me."