Oscar Poudret, 17, D1M:

I had thought that Livi would kill me right away for sure, or at the very least, pick me up by the collar and drag me over to the other Careers, reveal what I had done, and let them at me. None of that ended up happening. The whole thing could have been avoided, honestly. Fulton had explained to me that as a mentor, he gets to choose how my sponsor gifts are labeled. He decided he would try to transmit a message through this one. However, it ended up backfiring terribly.

If Livi had decided she wanted me dead, I couldn't have done much to protect myself. All the action and quick movement when I was running from the cougar mutt ended up tearing my side open again, plus, the cat's claws cut my back up all the way to the bone. Livi had already taken my knives and my pack, and she could have just as easily taken my life. Instead she demanded an explanation. I tried to pass off the gift as being sent for her, not sent for me to kill her with, but she wasn't buying it. "Why not just send it to me, then?" she has asked. " If my mentor wanted me to have some poison, she would have given it directly to me rather than turning you into a middleman."

Then she made me an offer I couldn't refuse. In essence, she proposed a deal. "What sort of deal?" I had asked, the same exact words I had said during our first meeting on the train.

"The sort of deal that benefits me more than it benefits you," she had replied, the exact same words that she had said during our first meeting on the train. "I'm going to take the poison and keep it hidden in my pack, and you're going to pretend that you know nothing about it. If Rafe or Eliza figures out that I have it, you're going to defend me from them. If I poison someone, we'll both claim we didn't do it, as will the others. In case you've forgotten, you have a really excellent reason to obey me. Here, if you tick me off, I can kill you. Look at yourself. You're in no condition to be fighting the girl who earned a Twelve. You're good at throwing those knives, I saw you peg our little thief in the arm last night. You can work in almost no light and hit a target perfectly from forty yards away. Just think about it–if you pulled a Ten, how dangerous must I be?"

"Probably dangerous enough to get rid of me easily."

"Exactly." She fixes me with an expression that's fond, sisterly even. "I don't dislike you, Oscar. Under other circumstances, we might even get along. It's just that, well, only one gets out alive, and it's going to be me. I'm much stronger than you. Could you even put up a fight?"

"No."

"Precisely. So I'd encourage you to think long and hard about this. Propel me to Victory, show me you're trustworthy, and if I somehow die, you'll be at a distinct advantage. Tell me no, act dishonestly, and I'll be forced to put a spear through that empty little head of yours. What choice are you going to make today?"

"I never saw any poison, and I'll support you as our fearless leader for the rest of my pitiful life." I looked absolutely pathetic, crusted with blood, soaked in sweat, head lowered in submission. Livi's expression wasn't maniacal, and if you looked at her, you would have no idea that she was on such a power trip. Instead, she merely seemed pleased, but whether it was at herself or at me I didn't know. She shot me a smile.

"That's exactly right."

Now, that all lies in the past. Dinner passes slowly, since we don't have much to eat and we're making it stretch. We've decided to ration out our remaining food. There are little cubes that turn into soup when mixed with hot water, and we have three left. Rafe built us a fire and we heated up some water. One cube has been dissolved in the bottle, and we're all passing it around, snapping at each other when one person swallows too much for their turn. Hunger was the last thing on my mind in the Capitol, where all the people wanted to pack me with as much food as possible, but it's settled back into my stomach, an uncomfortable gnaw, although not entirely unfamiliar. Alise occasionally withheld food from me, both to train me for the starvation I would face in the Games and also as a form of punishment.

I don't exactly have much to thank her for, but this is one thing that's useful. I know how to go without, but even after a few mouthfuls of soup, I still feel very hollow. After a week of gourmet cooking, the absence of regular meals makes me weak and unsteady. Livi seems to be engaging Eliza in a conversation about memories of home, but I know that she's keeping a close eye on me. My transgression won't be forgotten that easily. Eventually, the sky darkens and the anthem begins to play. Lyra-Rose flashes across the screen with her prissy beauty-pageant smile that I'll never have to see again, and Rafe raises his water bottle in the air. "I propose a toast, a toast to the true Careers!" he declares. Triumph lights up his face, and suddenly we're all talking like we've been friends for years.

I'm brought back to earth when I laugh at one of Eliza's jokes and my sides and back give a rather alarming twinge of pain. I got a good look at the cougar's claws. Three inches long and wicked sharp, they practically sliced my back into ribbons. I could use some medicine to heal it up, but none seems forthcoming. My allies did the best they could under the circumstances, but it's unlikely I'll be getting a piece of the action anytime soon. Livi decreed that although it's unsafe to let me hunt, it's also unsafe to leave me here alone, which is why we'll have to do things in pairs from now on. Eliza and Rafe were clamoring to track down Radley and Jenna respectively, and Livi gave them the go-ahead, which means I'll be spending the foreseeable future sitting in the Cornucopia and trying not to pass out from boredom while she watches me like a hawk.

I'm not excited for it, but I don't dare protest. If there's anything I've learned, it's that Livi Carnelian is one person you don't want mad at you. In District One, I enjoyed pushing the limits a little, narrowly toeing the line, but getting on Livi's bad side is not something I want. Livi wasn't kidding when she said that she was prepared to send a spear through me at any moment. She did it to Trey during the Bloodbath, and I've seen how willing she is to turn on her allies.

The problem is that she's absolutely right, she's my best chance at survival, and I need to stick by her if I want to leave this arena alive.

Soya Orlando, 14, D11F:

My initial fear at seeing the bull mutt disappeared quickly. After a day of coexisting with it and the other fifty bulls in its herd, I learned that they're rather docile, if a bit jumpy. They also provide effective concealment from other tributes due to their stature. Most tributes wouldn't willingly approach mutts, but I have been using them to my advantage. When the face of the one dead tribute was projected onto the side of the arena, I almost jumped with joy. Not only did the death belong to a Career tribute, but it happened to be the most irritating one.

I briefly considered returning the favor and trying to hunt down the Careers (from the back of a bull, it was easy to see them looking for me) but ultimately decided against it. I got almost no sleep last night, and now I have a bunch of noisy bulls to warn me in case anything bad happens. It was admittedly frightening when they stampeded after the cougar arrived, but I climbed up to the top of a tree and stayed where I was safe. I didn't see all of the Careers' altercation with the cat, but it seems that one of the boys was injured, which is good news for me.

I felt strangely alone with the bulls gone, but they circled around and came back. It's good having them as sentries. The storm last night came in early, but tonight's is much later. Instead of a thunderstorm, this one is a blizzard. I can see that the center of the arena is getting battered by it, and I hope that somebody freezes to death. The more tributes that die, the better my chances of winning become.

The Gamemakers probably won't do that, though. Quarter Quells tend to be longer, that way the tension can build and the Capitolites have time to get pumped up for their murderfest. The way they cheer disgusts me, laughing at starving children, booing and heckling when faced with a tribute who doesn't care to behave like a trained animal. The escort didn't say much of value, but one thing he emphasized was the importance of sponsor gifts. This year, they will be more expensive than normal. He told me that they'll start out very cheap and more will probably be ordered than ever before, luring the viewers into thinking they can cater to their tributes' needs early on. The prices will rise drastically later on, and only sponsors who have been very frugal will have enough money to send gifts.

The problem with early sponsorship is that the tributes don't need the things they get. When items aren't actively being used, they can get lost or become damaged. They might get swept away by extreme weather or stolen. The Careers began the Hunger Games with the most supplies out of any of us, but I've taken a good chunk of their bounty. There are sure to be some tributes living it up at the moment, who have more supplies than they truly need, who will rely on their sponsor gifts to get by.

That's where I come in. I'm living it up right now because I'm a vindictive bitch who stole from the Careers, and I can thrive through thieving if I must. People who learn to depend on gifts tend to become lackadaisical and think they're untouchable. They're not, and I proved it this afternoon. As it turned out, the bulls are very destructive when they charge. They're also very food-motivated and have a particular taste for apples, which it just so happens I have in my backpack. Tomorrow, I'll be taking a relaxing stroll around the arena and siccing them on the other tributes. It will require very little effort on my part, and I have no true obligations.

With the herd, I won't be confined to a single location. My plans are made, and since I know I have a big day ahead of me, it's easy to fall asleep to the sounds of my new living weapons as they snuffle and nicker nearby.

Kill Tracker:

Livi Carnelian: II

Oscar Poudret: I

Eliza Maddox: I

Rafe McClellan: I

Lyra-Rose Ripley (DECEASED): I

Alliance Tracker:

Career Pack: Oscar, Livi, Rafe, Eliza

Protective Older Brothers: Ardledge, Emily, Griffin, Chip

Manipulators and Their Meat Shield: Soren, Pola, Zea

Lumberjack and Gymnast: Jenna, Elle

Loners: Quinten, Damon, Radley, Soya

Supplies Tracker:

Career Pack: Blanket (x2), Climbing Gear (x2), First-Aid Kit (x2), Foam Roll (x3), Rope, Sleeping Bag (x3), Soup (x2), Sunscreen, Tarp (x3), Poison, Warm Earmuffs, Warm Gloves (x2), Warm Hat, Warm Scarf, Water (x3)

Protective Older Brothers: Antiseptic Wipes, Apples, Bread, Climbing Gear, Crackers, Cured Meat, Field Guide, Firestarter, First Aid Kit, Fishing Supplies, Flashlight, Hunting Items, Map of the Arena, Medium Pack with Supplies, Net, Note of Advice, Nutrient Bars, Piece of Body Armor, Rope (x2), Severe Infection Medicine, Severe Injury Medicine, Shield, Sleeping Bag, Soap, Soup, Special Bonus 2, Stiff spring, Utility Knife, Warm Gloves, Water Bottle (x3), Water Purification Capsules, Waterproof and Temperature Insulated Tent

Manipulators and Their Meat Shield: Apples, Binoculars, Blanket, Bread, Collapsible Lightweight Ladder, Compass, Dried Fruit, Field Guide, Firestarter (x3), Foam Roll, Map of the Arena, Medium Pack with Supplies (x3), Multitool, Net (x3), Night Vision Goggles (x3), Note of Advice, Powder and Puff, Rope, Safety Box (x3), Scuba Mask (x3), Sleeping Bag (x2), Small Water (x3), Special Bonus 3, Special Bonus 4, Spool of Wire, Sunblock (x3), Tarp (x3), Trap Materials, Turbo Umbrella, Unknown Machine-Looking Thing, Utility Knife, Walkie-Talkies, Warm Gloves, Water

Lumberjack and Gymnast: Bread, Crackers, Dry Wheat, Field Guide, Jar of Lozenges, Mesh Sheet, Resin, Tarp, Trail Mix, Warm Scarf, Water, Water Bottle, Water Purification Capsules, Spool of Wire

Quinten: Camouflage Set, Collapsible Shovel, First-Aid Kit, Insect Repellant, Map of the Arena, Medium Pack of Supplies, Night Vision Goggles, Special Bonus 1, Special Bonus 5, Sunblock, Warm Hat, Water Bottle, Water Purification Capsules

Damon: Antiseptic Wipes, Cheese, Compass, Crackers, Grappling Hook, Multitool, Nutrient Bars, Scuba Mask, Sunblock, Turbo Umbrella, Warm Gloves, Water Bottle, Water Purification Capsules

Radley: Blanket, Cured Meat, Beans, First Aid Kit, Multitool, Tarp, Trap Materials, Water

Soya: Apples, Bread (x2), Cheese, Crackers (x2), Cured Meat, Dried Fruit, Flashlight, Iodine, Soup, Warm Hat, Water (x3), Water Bottle

Weapons Tracker:

Career Pack: Bandolier of Shurikens, Bandolier of Throwing Knives (x2), Bow and Quiver of Arrows (x2), Dagger (x3), Spear (x4), Switchblade, Unknown Bat-Looking Thing

Protective Older Brothers: Dagger, Tanto, Warhammer, Chainsaw

Manipulators and Their Meat Shield: Bandolier of Throwing Darts, Hidden Knife Gauntlet (x2)

Lumberjack, Gymnast, and Farmer: Axe, Shortsword, Unknown Scissors-Looking Thing

Quinten: Spear

Damon: Axe

Radley: Sickle

Soya: Bullwhip, Machete

Hey y'all!

The next update will hopefully come out on Sunday, but it might end up getting delayed. I have fourteen days of school remaining, so it's getting really down to the wire. Fortunately, I have just received some good news. I only have to sit a final for two of my classes, so I'll have a little more time to write than I initially thought. I also recently created a poll, and it's up on my profile for those of you that decide to fill it out. I can't wait to resolve the other cliffhangers soon!

–LC :)